Stories from Sunday, July 17, 2016

From Staff Reports BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A Dexter, Mo., man remains in jail on a $50,000 cash bond after authorities found suspected high-grade marijuana and a large quantity of suspected methamphetamine in his home. After what was described as an extensive investigation involving drugs in Dexter, Stoddard County deputies executed a search warrant Thursday on residence of Matthew Curtis Macaluso in the 600 block of Sassafras Street...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer A small group of local residents banded together Saturday to promote love and unity in the community in the wake of a week that highlighted a number of divisive issues and violent incidents worldwide. Participants in the Poplar Bluff Unity Rally at noon on Saturday took to North Westwood Boulevard with signs promoting inclusion and non-violences among all U.S. citizens...

By CHELSAE CORDIA Staff Writer Geneva Waggoner can hear birds singing every time she goes outside. She heard a water pump come on in her home last week, too. For most folks, these sounds are background noise. But, not for Mrs. Waggoner, who has been deaf in her right ear since childhood. Doctors told her she would more than likely never hear out of her right ear, even after reconstruction surgery...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor Local authorities say the recent ambush shooting of police officers in Texas has renewed a sense of the importance for law enforcement in communities, such as Poplar Bluff, Mo., where citizens routinely show their support...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer It seems unlikely one of the fastest men on water would be named "Slug," but the local powerboat racer is making waves after topping 206-mph at last week's Grand Lake 'o the Cherokee's Performance Boat Shootout. Slug Hefner of Poplar Bluff piloted the American Ethanol Mystic catamaran to claim the Top Piston award over some of the most powerful boats in racing during the Oklahoma event. ...

Expanded parking [EMAIL] McClain park needs much more parking space than provided. Getting a parking space after the 6pm games is a nightmare. It would also be nice to add an all star game for each age group in baseball and softball. I would be easy to organize by utilizing the coaches. Let's expand the excitement for the youth...

Why does city charge fee for online payment? [EMAIL] Municipal Utilities Poplar Bluff. Why do you charge 1.25 to pay on line? No other bill paying on line charge a fee. I pay my bill by calling the office and pay by credit card. This ties up personnel that could be doing other duties...

To the Editor: I have often said law enforcement is only as strong as the community it serves. Law enforcement needs the support of the citizens now more than ever! By no means would I ever infer that law enforcement is perfect. No profession is. As I take measure of the past weeks tragedies across the country I seem to go back to one conclusion. ...

Phillis Mae (Medling) Spell, 83, of Fairdealing, Mo., passed away Thursday, July 14, 2016 in Oklahoma City. Phillis, one of 11 children, was born Feb. 26, 1933 in Marmaduke, Ark. to Carl and Otis McMurtry Medling. She was a wonderful mother and grandmother and a devoted caretaker to many of the local children. Phillis loved attending church, listening to gospel and country music, dancing and gardening. Most of all, she loved fellowshiping with friends and neighbors...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN "Her mind is shot." That was the crisp diagnosis of Donald Trump on hearing the opinion of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the possibility he might become president. It all began with an interview last week when the justice was asked for her thoughts on a Trump presidency. Ginsburg went on a tear...

Irene Marie Sparks MALDEN, Mo. -- Irene Marie Sparks, 84, of Malden, died Thursday, July 14, 2016, at her residence. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. - noon, Saturday at the Landess Chapel in Malden. Funeral will follow at noon at the Landess Chapel with Rev. Ernest Puckett and Mr. Dawsey Lee Brown officiating...

Violet "Nadene" Dowdy VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Violet "Nadene" Dowdy, 83, of Van Buren, died Wednesday, July 13, 2016 at Dowdy Care Center in Van Buren. Visitation will be at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 19, at Good Hope Cemetery with the funeral to follow at 10 a.m...

Carolyn Jean Chappell Carolyn Jean Chappell, 62, of Poplar Bluff, died Friday, July 15, 2016, at her residence. She was born July 16, 1953 to Gene and Pat Stamps in St. Louis. She was of the Pentecostal faith. Carolyn worked in sales and marketing. She enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, family, dog, Fiesty, and baking. She married Rob Chappell April 16, 2003 in Fernandina Beach, Fla. He survives...

Rebecca Lynne Herndon Rebecca Lynne Herndon, 66, of Broseley, Mo., passed away Thursday, July 14, 2016 at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Mrs. Herndon, daughter of the late Donald and Pauline Ruddell Carey, was born Dec. 30, 1949 in Oblong, Ill. She was of the Pentecostal faith and was a homemaker. Mrs. Herndon enjoyed spending time with her family, playing the piano, singing and reading her Bible...

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Hundreds of law enforcement officers from across the country have joined with Navy personnel to honor Patrick Zamarripa, one of the officers slain last week in Dallas by a gunman. A traditional Catholic funeral service was held Saturday in Fort Worth for the 32-year-old Zamarripa, who served eight years on active duty in the Navy and then in the reserves before joining the police force...

The Classic Home Loans players slogged through the rain for the better part of two hours in the Park Department Pony League Tournament championship. Thunder and lightening threatened in the west before play ever started. In the early innings, the players debated and questioned the exact rules for rain outs in the championship game. When is everything official? Do we have to play three innings or four?...

R&T Auto Sales' season began and ended with celebrations in the mud. It started on a rain-soaked football field in late May, and after only losing one game since that day, Blake Jameson made sure there wouldn't be another one. Down by a run with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, Jameson slapped a stand-up triple to the wall in right-center field to tie it and came around to score the go-ahead run a batter later on a wild pitch as R&T held on for a 5-4 victory over the Trudy Duncan Insurance Backyard Brawlers in the Parks Department Little League Tournament championship Friday night at McLane Park.. ...

Rent One had to literally overcome blood, sweat and tears - and even some vomit - to finish off its undefeated season. Facing a Friday night doubleheader in the Civic League Tournament, Rent One's second baseman took a bouncer to the face in the semifinals. The first baseman was throwing up before the championship game. Then the pitcher suffered a bouncer to the face and left with a bloody lip...

In a rainy game that featured 26 walks and 24 runs over nearly 2 1/2 hours, the difference in the Park Department Senior League Tournament final was baserunning. Simmons Tire got a pair of double plays on fly balls to cut short innings by Blackwell Dodge and scored 11 times in the second to win 15-9 Friday night at McLane Park...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- A few hours after ending the seven-time champions' season for the second year in a row, the Wayne County Lumberjacks capped a two-year run in the Missouri Babe Ruth state championship with near perfection. Trey McDaniel struck out 12 in a complete-game, three-hit gem and Trynt Tompkins drove in a pair of runs to secure Wayne County's second consecutive state title with a 4-1 victory over the SEMO Pirates Saturday night at Hillhouse Park...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- The McAtee sisters won Poplar Bluff's only two events at the 2016 Southeast Missouri Swim Conference Championship on Saturday. Poplar Bluff took fourth overall with 2,181.5 points in the boys and girls combined team scores. River City Aquatics won the 10-team event with 5,941 points...