Stories from Monday, April 25, 2016

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer GREENVILLE, Mo. -- Cradling a shovel in both arms, 4-year-old Charlie Meese followed volunteers across the grass of Greenville City Park to help plant a sapling Saturday whose branches already stretch high above his small frame...

By EVAN HOLLEY Staff Writer More than a dozen senior citizens were injured Friday when a commercial bus crashed outside of Poplar Bluff. The accident occurred at approximately 1:20 p.m. on US 60 two miles east of Poplar Bluff. A total of 14 people suffered minor injuries...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer The annual Special Olympics Missouri Southeast Area spring games took place Friday at Poplar Bluff Junior High School, with hundreds of athletes from around the region competing in a number of track and field type events. "We are happy to be at Fred Morrow Stadium today for Special Olympics," said Special Olympics developmental director Penny Williams. ...

By EVAN HOLLEY Staff Writer More than 900 people attended the 37th annual Merchants Showcase Saturday at Three Rivers College's Bess Activity Center. The showcase, organized by students from TRC's DECA club, is a way to bring area residents together with local businesses. These connections may not otherwise be made, according to Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce President Steve Halter...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor A Poplar Bluff, Mo., man was ordered to stand trial Friday morning for the shooting death of the good Samaritan who had given him a ride. After meeting with his attorney, David Ward, as well as Steve Lynxwiler, both of whom are with the Public Defender's Office, Joseph Wade Wisdom appeared before Associate Circuit Judge John Bloodworth...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor Jeff Rolland has been living his childhood dream for nearly 30 years, but that dream is about to end. After rising through the ranks of the Poplar Bluff Police Department to the position of deputy chief, the 26-year veteran is set to retire on Friday...

Duff Hollingshad MALDEN, Mo. -- Duff Hollingshad, 80, of East Carondelet, Ill., died Friday, April 22, 2016, at his residence. Visitation will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Bradshaw Funeral Homes in Malden. A Masonic service will follow at 7 p.m. Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home...

Mary Lee Owings DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Mary Lee Owings, of rural Ripley County, died Friday, April 22, 2016, at her residence. Funeral arrangements are pending with Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan and will be announced upon completion.

Gertie Mae Ross VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Gertie Mae (Massie) Ross, 88, of Van Buren, departed this life April 21, 2016, at her residence. The daughter of the late Nathan and Flava (Davis) Massie , she was born Oct. 14, 1929 in Fremont. Gertie had resided in Butler County for most of her life. ...

Shame on you THIS MESSAGE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO PATIENTS ON MEDICARE WHO HAVE DIABETES. PHARMACIES HAVE BEEN HIDING THE TRUTH ABOUT MEDICARE PAYMENT. If you are paying co-pays it is because we are in a competitive bid area and Medicare only pays in full for supplies ordered from one of their approved medical supplies mail order suppliers. ...

By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER WASHINGTON -- We all have our ways of marking the seasons. I know it's spring when in early April I start my morning by skipping The Washington Post front page and going right to the sports section. It's not until I've fully savored the baseball box scores that I resignedly turn to politics...

To the Editor: While taking a walk with my good friend Madawn Traxel this morning, we came across 3 used syringes in the middle of the road, one that was uncapped. Hopefully they just fell out of the trash from someone who used them for insulin or other prescription medication injections and not from illegal drug use. ...

Clyde Stone Clyde Ray Stone, 81, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. passed away on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical. Mr. Stone was born Dec. 22, 1934 in Poplar Bluff, to the late Joe and Ruby (Montgomery) Stone. Mr. Stone was a member of First Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff. He loved his church family and everyone in his Sunday School class...

Bertha Friar DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Bertha Friar, 88, of Doniphan, departed this life Thursday, April 21, 2016, at her residence. Mrs. Friar, daughter of the late Edward and Mary Lee (Murray) Allen, was born Nov. 15, 1927, in Doniphan. She had retired as a machine operator with Vitronics Manufacturing in Doniphan. Mrs. Friar was a member of the Oak Grove Church of God and had a special love of flowers...

Edna McCoy Edna Lee McCoy, 75, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Thursday, April 21, 2016, at Westwood Hills Healthcare Center in Poplar Bluff. Ms. McCoy, the daughter of the late Francis and Fern Davis Drake, was born May 29, 1940, in Poplar Bluff. She was of the Nazarene faith and previously worked for the Corps of Engineers before retiring from Butler County Home Care. Mrs. McCoy loved to spend time with her family, play bingo, puzzles, bowling and watching wrestling...

Louise Key MALDEN, Mo. -- Louise Key, 94, of Malden died at Thursday, April 21, 2016, at Golden Living Center in Malden. Visitation will be from 10-11 a.m. Monday at Landess Funeral Chapel in Malden. Funeral services will follow at 11 a.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be in Stanfield Cemetery in Clarkton, Mo...

PARK HILLS, Mo. -- With the Region XVI tournament a week away, any kind of momentum continues to elude the Lady Raiders. A pair of early leads slipped away from Three Rivers and it was swept by Mineral Area 3-2, 10-7 on Friday in Park Hills. The Lady Raiders have now lost five in a row and 11 of the past 13, including six region losses...

Amanda Glinky and Aaron Croy were united in marriage on Friday, April 8, 2016 at the Audubon Clubhouse in New Orleans, La. The sunset ceremony was conducted by Kathleen Davis, a friend of the couple. A reading "A Year" by C.S. Lewis was done by the bridegroom's sister, Lauren Croy...

VAN BUREN -- The Van Buren Lady Dawgs won their host tournament without allowing a run. Summer Shockley struck out 13 in the championship game as Van Buren beat Mountain Home 9-0. The Lady Dawgs beat Puxico 14-0 in the first round as Jalynn Morgan pitched her third shutout of the spring. Morgan had a no-hitter going into the fifth inning and ended up with two hits and a walk against with six strikeouts...

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Poplar Bluff still has three weeks left in the regular season and has already set a new wins record. The Mules beat Farmington 4-2 on Saturday to win their 20th game of the season. "From what I've been told, it's never been done," Poplar Bluff coach Steve Edwards said...

A kick save kept the Raiders from sweeping Maple Woods on Saturday. With the game-winning run on second base in the bottom of the seventh and two outs, Randy Taveras hit a hard-hit ball back up the middle that drilled the pitcher's foot and bounced over to shortstop, and Sam Kraus was forced to hold at third...

DeSOTO, Mo. -- While the Lady Mules won the team title Friday at the DeSoto Invitational, one half point was the difference between the Poplar Bluff Mules track team and Festus. In the final race, the Mules crossed the finish line 0.32 of a second behind Herculaneum for third, falling short of the Tigers for the team title...

In the first inning, the Royals did something they haven't done in any game all season. The normally stout Twin Rivers defense committed four errors and gave up four unearned runs to Poplar Bluff. The Mules then went on to win 10-0 in six innings on senior night at Bobby Strenfel Field...

Joshua Rhodes had an eventful year since losing a playoff in the Tom Hoover Ozark Invitational last year to Carr Vernon. "Last year, this tournament kind of spring-boarded my year," said Rhodes who reached the Round of 32 at the USGA Mid Amateur while he and his wife had a baby...

Wayne Fredrick survived six chip-offs to reach the final hole of the 27th Ozark Shootout on Friday. But his chip onto the 18th green ran past the hole, leaving a 10-footer going back for birdie. Facing another chip-off for the title, Fredrick drained the putt for his second Shootout title in seven years...