Stories from Friday, July 1, 2016

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Butler County public schools saw mixed results on the Missouri State Highway Patrol's 2016 bus inspections, with Poplar Bluff falling 20-points below state average and Twin Rivers qualifying for an award. Twin Rivers earned a 93.3 percent approval rating. Inspectors found only one bus in the fleet of 15 with a defective item. The Missouri Total Fleet Excellence Award is awarded to schools with approval ratings of 90 percent or greater...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A Dexter, Mo., woman was sentenced to prison Wednesday after she pleaded guilty to burglarizing the Bloomfield home of her pastor as part of what was an alleged plot to kill the man's wife in a fire...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor Less than a week after donning his uniform to hand his youngest son his diploma for graduating from the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Law Enforcement Academy, Don Windham is retiring today, ending a nearly 30-year career with the patrol...

By GEORGE F. WILL "See that little stream? We could walk to it in two minutes. It took the British a month to walk to it -- a whole empire walking very slowly, dying in front and pushing forward behind." F. Scott Fitzgerald "Tender Is The Night" WASHINGTON -- The walk began at 7:30 a.m., July 1, 1916, when British infantry advanced toward German trenches. ...

To the Editor: As most people who have read the DAR these past several days, from June 6th to June 12th, several thousand men women and children celebrated the week-long visit to Poplar Bluff by the Clydesdales. These magnificent "gentle giants" came here to parade and help celebrate several outstanding events. ...

By STEPHEN MOORE What an amazing speech in Columbus, Ohio, last week by Hillary Clinton. She started off: "People are working harder and longer just to keep their heads above water. And to deal with the costs, the everyday costs, the costs of basics like childcare and prescription drugs that are too high. College is getting more expensive every day. And wages are still too low and inequality is too great. Good jobs in many parts of this country are still too hard to come by."...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- To nobody's surprise, Missouri's Conservation Commission on Friday approved a ban on hunting feral hogs on lands owned, leased or managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation, effective Sept. 30...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor If there's one thing Missouri's high school female trap shooters should have learned lately, it's that you better bring your A-game when you're competing against Poplar Bluff's gals. Two weeks ago, it was Cattarah Caringer making her mark at the Scholastic Clay Target Program shoot. ...

JEFFERSON CTY, Mo. -- For many Missourians, summer means float trips, camping, and spending lots of time outdoors. The Missouri Department of Conservation encourages people not to move firewood. Don't give tree-killing insects and diseases rides to favorite camping locations. Instead, buy firewood at or near the camping destination...

Bonita Wagner Bonita Joyce Wagner, 76, of Poplar Bluff died on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation will be from 9-10 a.m. Saturday, July 2, 2016 at Moore Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff followed by the memorial services at 10 a.m. in the Moore Funeral Service Chapel...

By CALEB PRYOR Mo. Dept. of Conservation Hot weather, cloudy days, lack of rain, and shallow water could set the stage for disaster in your favorite fishing spot. Like most creatures, fish require oxygen to live. The amount of oxygen in a body of water will vary with water temperature, aquatic plant densities and amount of sunlight...

Ernest Lofton DEXTER, Mo. -- Ernest Lofton, 98, of Essex, Mo. died Tuesday, June 28, 2016 in his home. Visitation will be after 11 a.m., Tuesday, at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will follow at noon Tuesday in the Watkins & Sons Chapel in Dexter, with Rev. Mack of Cairo, Ill. and Rev. Amos Hampton of Sikeston, officiating...

Shamaudre Barber's first experiences with the game of basketball were tough. From the age of 3 all the way up to high school, Barber and his father played one-on-one games in the alley behind their house, and dad was relentless. "He would always let me get to the last few points, I'd get really close, but he never let me win," Barber said. "He would always say, 'he'll never get anything out of it if I let him win.'"...

By CANDICE DAVIS Mo. Dept. of Conservation EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- Frog gigging, or frogging, is a great way to enjoy Missouri's fish, forest and wildlife resources while also putting food on the table. The Missouri Department of Conservation invites families to discover nature at a frog gigging clinic 6:30 to 11 p.m., Saturday, July 9, at Ten Mile Pond Conservation Area (CA)...

The Butler County Fair is scheduled for Sept. 26-Oct. 1 and Stephanie Milner, 4-H Youth Development specialist with the University of Missouri Extension, asked everyone to circle the date on their calendar. The fair will be in downtown Poplar Bluff at the Black River Coliseum and at the Ray Clinton Park...