Stories from Wednesday, April 20, 2016

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer A new Poplar Bluff City Council heard proposals Monday for nearly $3.5 million in utility projects. Approval for an automatic meter reading system for the utility and improvements to the waste water treatment system are expected May 2...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Poplar Bluff police are wrapping up an investigation into a break-in at the 5th & 6th Grade Center during spring break that caused damage to computers and construction equipment. Police could not confirm an exact time, but said the incident took place sometime between March 19-24. ...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer A third traffic accident in less than a year caused power outages Monday for Poplar Bluff electric customers served by the Morrison Road substation. The substation already needs more than $400,000 in new equipment because of an alleged drunk driving accident that occurred nine months ago...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Mayor Betty Absheer handed her gavel over Monday to Poplar Bluff's new mayor, Ward 2 council member Ed DeGaris. Absheer steps down from the council after representing Ward 3 for more than 26 years. DeGaris was chosen as mayor by a unanimous vote of the council, a marked change from April 2015. Absheer's name was drawn from a cup at that time because no consensus could be reached. Philip Crocker was also selected Monday as the mayor pro tem by a unanimous vote...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer A Poplar Bluff school bus driver and attendant were placed on unpaid leave Monday after failing to drop-off a pre-schooler, discovered later that afternoon at the bus garage. The four-year-old child was upset, but not physically harmed during the incident and was transported home by an assistant superintendent, according to a statement issued Monday by the R-I communications office...

Sen. Libla needs to go Sen. Libla needs to go. He and his cronies in Jeff city want to take control of the Conservation Dept. which is doing fine on it's own and actually runs with a surplus of funds which is what Libla and his cronies want to get their hands on...

By STEPHEN MOORE The idea of American exceptionalism has been embedded in our collective DNA for generations. It is the faith-based belief that, as Ronald Reagan put it, America is a "shining city on a hill." Do modern liberals believe that? I almost never try to get into the other side's head or ascribe ill motives to those on the left. They are, I've always believed, misguided, not malign...

By MIKE JENSEN Publisher Sikeston Standard Democrat The truly fascinating aspect of the 2016 presidential primaries is not what we know but rather what we don't know. Though highly unlikely, what happens if Mrs. Clinton is indeed indicted for her email shenanigans? Or what happens if Mr. Trump falls just short of securing the nomination on the first ballot of the GOP convention?...

By WALTER E. WILLIAMS Professor Victor Davis Hanson is a classicist and historian with the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He recently wrote an article titled "The hypocrisy behind the student renaming craze." Students, often with the blessing of faculty, have discovered that names for campus buildings and holidays do not always fit politically correct standards for race, class and sex...

Chris Hon, a lifelong educator, was among eight Missouri superintendents nominated this year for the prestigious Robert L. Pearce Award, which is presented annually by the Missouri Association of School Administrators. Hon was selected for the honor by his colleagues in the Southeast MASA District. ...

By TYLER GRAEF SEMO News Service JACKSON, Mo. -- The so-called hanging tree in uptown Jackson once used for executions in Cape Girardeau County was cut down Sunday. County officials ordered the tree removed after determining it no longer was healthy enough to continue standing...

Lana Mae (Whitmer) Chinn -- Monticello, Ind. Pearline K. Robertson -- formerly of Malden, Mo. Bettie Raulston -- Poplar Bluff, Mo. Carolin "Sue" Hunter -- Poplar Bluff, Mo. Rita Jo Halford -- Dexter, Mo. Wilbur "Buck" Burnham -- Alton, Mo. Richard Dennis Reynolds...

By BEN KLEINE SEMO News Service SIKESTON, Mo. -- One suspect in a deadly shooting Sunday in Sikeston, Missouri, was apprehended Monday evening after a search by the SEMO Major Case Squad. Orlando "TJ" Sheron Jr., 20, of Sikeston was discovered to be hiding out in a hotel near Caruthersville, Missouri, according to a Sikeston Department of Public Safety news release...

JACKSON, Mo. -- The Mules golf team could not return the favor Monday in the Jackson Invitational. After the Indians beat host Poplar Bluff by six shots on Friday, they won their own 18-hole tournament Monday at Kimbeland Country Club by 13 shots over the Mules...

Wilbur "Buck" Burnham VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Wilbur "Buck" Daniel Burnham, 88, of Alton, died Sunday, April 17, 2016 at his residence. Visitation will begin for the public at 6 p.m. Tuesday, at the McSpadden Funeral Home in Van Buren, with the funeral services beginning at 1 p.m. Wednesday, in the funeral home chapel. Rev. Don Black will officiate. Burial will be in Burnham Cemetery...

Rita Jo Halford Visitation will be from 9-11 a.m., Wednesday, at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will follow at 11 a.m., in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel with Rev. Shane Mallard officiating. Burial will be in the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery...

Carolin "Sue" Hunter Carolin "Sue" Hunter, 69, of Poplar Bluff, died Friday, April 15, 2016 at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis She was born in Poplar Bluff June 23, 1946 to Addie B. Elder Gowin and the late Carl Lee Gowin. She was a long time resident of Poplar Bluff...

Bettie Raulston Bettie Sue (Pitt) Raulston departed this life Saturday, April 16, 2016 at Poplar Bluff Regional Center after a brief illness.She was 72 years old Bettiewas born March 17, 1944 to the late Robert (Bob) and MildredJewell (Ham) Pitt, in Poplar Bluff. Her sister Frances (Pitt) Strickland also preceded her in death...

Pearline Katrina Robertson MALDEN, Mo. -- Pearline Katrina Robertson, 89, formerly of Malden, died Saturday, April 16, 2016, in Collierville, Tenn. Visitation will be from 1-2 p.m., Friday, April 22, 2016, at the Landess Funeral Chapel in Malden. Funeral services will follow at 2 p.m., at the Landess Funeral Chapel with Rev. Robert Hamm officiating...

Floyd M. Barnfield SILVA, Mo. - Floyd M. Barnfield, age 96, of Greenville, passed away Sunday, April 17, 2016 at the St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born September 10, 1919 in Puxico, Mo., the son of Douglas and Frona (Sifford) Barnfield. ...

Lana Mae (Whitmer) Chinn May 3, 1954 - April 14, 2016 Lana Mae Chinn, loving and devoted wife, mother, proud "Gaga" and loyal friend passed away on Thursday, April 14, 2016 at her home in Monticello, IN. Lana was born in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, on May 3, 1954 to the late Floyd and Ila(Browning) Whitmer. ...

Richard Dennis Reynolds MALDEN, Mo. -- Richard Dennis Reynolds, 80, of Clarkton, Mo. died Friday, April 15, 2016 at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Services will be at 2 p.m., Wednesday at Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield. Entombment with military honors at Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield. Potluck reception following service at Lynn Oak Life Center in Clarkton...

Denzil Gregory DEXTER, Mo. - Denzil Gregory, 86, of Pevely, Mo., formerly Poplar Bluff, died Sat., April 16, 2016 at the Baisch Nursing Center in DeSoto, Mo. Visitation will be after 11:30 a.m., Tues., April 19, at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. ...

Doniphan coach Brad Eddington got a bit nervous when rallies to regain the lead over Twin Rivers fell short in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings Monday night. Even though Doniphan had battled back for victories a few times this season, its one-run deficit in the bottom of the seventh, and the way it had arrived at that, was slightly disheartening...

DEXTER -- Poplar Bluff broke a scoreless game open with a five-run third inning, thwarted a comeback by Dexter and added insurance runs for a 9-4 SEMO Conference win Monday. The Bearcats had the tying run on base in the fifth after scoring four but a ground out to the third baseman ended the inning with Poplar Bluff up 6-4...

Shelby Cyr and Jaden Douglas flashed some leather to keep the East Carter softball team alive in the Ozark Foothills Conference Tournament Monday. The left side of the Lady Redbirds' infield snared three sharply hit balls, all three saved runs and halted rallies or ended innings, as fifth-seeded East Carter knocked off No. 4 Clearwater 6-1 at Rains Field...

NAYLOR -- Two home runs, two doubles, a single and five RBIs was enough for Trey McDaniel. He can wait another day for a cycle. The Greenville junior slugged a homer in the third, one more in the seventh and scored four runs to lead the Bears in a 16-4 win Monday...

NEOSHO, Mo -- The Lady Raiders got run-ruled in both ends of a region doubleheader Sunday, lost their 40th game of the season and suffered additional injuries to an already short roster. "Getting run-ruled twice, I don't think I've ever had that happen," Three Rivers coach Jack Childress said...

MARTIN, Tenn. -- The Lady Raiders won the University of Tennessee-Martin rodeo over the weekend after strong performances from a trio of Lady Raiders. Callie Stanhouse won goat tying with an average time of 14.1 seconds. After an opening round time of 7.4 seconds, good for third, she cut it to 6.7 seconds in the second round to take first...