Stories from Thursday, September 8, 2016

By CHELSAE CORDIA Staff Writer Nestled in the heart of residential Poplar Bluff, Mo. is a bygone world, sitting placid and frozen in time. City police patrolman Jeff Hovis recently acquired the deserted Willis A.D. and Son Industries property and appeared on the History Channel's popular television show "American Pickers."...

By CHELSAE CORDIA Staff Writer The Butler County Republican Central Committee is hosting its annual Reagan Days event at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the American Legion hall on PP Highway. The event will feature a first responder tribute and speeches from guests Jay Ashcroft, Sen. Doug Libla, Sen. Eric Schmitt, Rep. Todd Richardson, Eric Greitens, Congressman Jason Smith and Sen. Roy Blunt...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Poplar Bluff City Hall offices will move Sept. 16, following nearly 26 years at the current Second Street location. City manager Mark Massingham made the announcement Monday during a brief city council meeting. Members of city administration, planning, finance, personnel and city court will relocate to 501 Vine St. This includes 14 city employees...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer A Cape Girardeau, Mo., judge denied a motion Monday to dismiss a civil suit against a Poplar Bluff, Mo., city council member and his family. Council member at large David Johnson, his wife, Cynthia Johnson, and their daughter, Amy Johnson, have been sued by an elderly former neighbor...

By GINA BARRECA The Hartford Courant via Tribune Service Let's stop telling young people to find their passion and start telling them to find a job. The work you do in the world is not supposed to make a fulfilled individual; it's supposed to make you an employed individual...

By JAMES A. HAUGHT Tribune News Service Western civilization has entered the long-predicted Secular Age, when the power of religion over society gradually recedes. Europe started the shift after World War II. Churchgoing diminished until only a fringe of Europeans attend worship today - fewer than 10 percent in some nations. The young especially ignore faith. The secularizing trend spread to Canada, Australia, Japan and other democracies...

In "Fiddler on the Roof," the milkman Tevye imagines what life could be like in "If I Were a Rich Man." Among the shrewder lyrics is the insight that "the most important men in town will come to fawn on me" and pose questions that would "cross a rabbi's eyes." Why? Because "when you're rich, they think you really know."...

Maura Nicole Peters DEXTER, Mo. - Maura Nicole Peters, daughter of John Peters and Kristina Edwards was born on November 25, 1996 in Poplar Bluff, Missouri and departed this life on Friday, September 2, 2016 at the age of 19. Maura was a student at Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center and a home-maker...

Hailey Elizabeth Laws DEXTER, Mo. - Hailey Elizabeth Laws, daughter of Clarence Laws Jr. and Sandra Miller Williamson was born August 8, 1996 in Sikeston, Missouri and departed this life on Friday, September 2, 2016 at the age of 20. Hailey was a 2015 graduate of Richland High School and was a student at Three Rivers Community College in Dexter...

Floyd Hayes FISK, Mo. - Floyd Hayes, 85, of Broseley, Mo., died Sunday, Sept. 04, 2016 at his residence. Visitation will be at 6 p.m., today, Tuesday, Sept. 6 at White-Sanders Funeral Home in Fisk. The funeral will be at 1 pm., Wed., Sept. 7 in the funeral home chapel with Ronnie Hoskins officiating. Burial will be in Brown Chapel Cemetery in Broseley. Condolences: www.whitesandersfuneralhome.com...

Anna Laura Davidson Anna Laura Davidson, 82, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. passed away Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center surrounded by a multitude of family and friends. Mrs. Davidson, the daughter of Ernest and Edna Prenzel Eddings, was born Sept. 1, 1934 in Poplar Bluff, Mo. She attended Temple Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff and was a homemaker. Mrs. Davidson enjoyed crafting, baking, and gardening and but most of all, spending time with her family...

Floye Creed BLOOMFIELD, Mo. - Floye Creed, 90, of Bloomfield died Sat., Sept. 3, 2016 at the Bloomfield Living Center in Bloomfield. Visitation will be at 9 a.m., Wed., Sept. 7 at the Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home in Bloomfield. The funeral will follow at 11 a.m. at the Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home...

Bryson Matthew Umfleet DEXTER, Mo. - Bryson Matthew Umfleet, son of Dalton Matthew Umfleet and Maura Nicole Peters was born on December 2, 2015 and departed this life on Friday September 2, 2016 at the age of 9 months. He is survived by his father, Dalton Matthew Umfleet of Dexter; by his grandmother, Kristina Edwards of Poplar Bluff, Missouri; grandfather, John Peters of Poplar Bluff, Missouri; paternal grandparents, Dawn Marie Carlson and Mike Carlson; great-grandparents, Gene and Susan Gaines, Mike and Lauretta Edwards, Ron and Karen Peters, Don and Caroline Henson; by great-great-grandmothers, Willa Gardner and Bonnie Musgrave and by two uncles, Cameron Edwards and Logan Carlson; two aunts, Rivers Robbie Ann Peters and Hannah Carlson. ...

John R. Sutton PIEDMONT, Mo. - John R. Sutton, 60, of Piedmont, died Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016 at the Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Visitation will be at 10 a.m., Wed., Sept. 7 at the Morrison-Worley Funeral chapel in Piedmont. The funeral will follow at 1 p.m. in the funeral home chapel. Burial will be in the Masonic Cemetery. Memorial may be made to the American Cancer Society. Online condolences may be made: www. morrisonworleychapel.com...

Larry Harty PUXICO, Mo. - Larry Harty, 68, of Clubb, Mo., formerly of Wappapello, died Monday, Sept. 5, 2016 at Greenville Nursing Center in Greenville, Mo. A graveside service and burial will be at 1 p.m., Friday, Sept. 8 in the Richmann Cemetery with Larry Underwood officiating. Morgan Sifford Funeral Home of Puxico is in charge of arrangements...

Walton Chapel Cemetery meeting set Cemetery meeting will be Saturday, Sept. 17, at Walton Chapel Community Center. The meeting will start at 11 a.m. with a potluck lunch to follow. Anyone not attending but wishes to make a donation may send to: Walton Chapel Cemetery Fund, c/o Barb Crowley, 9786 Co. Rd. 410, Ellsinore, Mo. 63937...

The Salem community and I took a major step toward fall last Friday when we watched Salem High football return to play under the familiar 'Friday Night Lights'. The start of a new school year is exciting because it is an opportunity for students to set new goals for the academic year and start to put plans in motion to achieve those goals...

By WALTER E. WILLIAMS Some are puzzled by the dishonesty, lack of character and sheer stupidity of many people in the media. But seeing as most of them are college graduates, they don't bear the full blame. They are taught by dishonest and irresponsible academics. Let's look at it...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN EDITOR'S NOTE: Phyllis Schlafly died at her St. Louis home over the Labor Day weekend after this article was written.) In 1964, Phyllis Schlafly of Alton, Illinois, mother of six, wrote and published a slim volume entitled "A Choice Not an Echo."...

Randy Lee Grunau PUXICO, Mo. -- Randy Lee Grunau, 56, of Puxico died Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016 at his home. Visitation will begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7 at the Morgan Sifford funeral home in Puxico with a Masonic service beginning at 7 p.m. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, also at Morgan Sifford funeral home in Puxico. Burial will immediately follow in the Puxico city Cemetery...

Larry Kitchens DEXTER, Mo. -- Larry Kitchens, 50, of Dexter, Mo. died Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2016 at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Thursday at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Friday in the Dexter Church of Christ with Clyde Jacques officiating...

Mary J. Groves PIEDMONT, MO. -- Mary J. Groves, 84, of Piedmont, died Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2016, at St. Francis Medical Center, Cape Girardeau, Mo. There will be a graveside service at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 10, at Rockwell Cemetery in Patterson, under the care of Ruegg Funeral Homes, Inc...

Poplar Bluff volleyball coach Amanda Lance hopes the pressure her team felt Tuesday night in the first match at their new gym will prepare them for the postseason. "I'd rather play games like that all season long than beat somebody by 10 or 15," Lance said. "It doesn't make us any better."...

Donald J. Hoeltzle Donald J. Hoeltzle, 37, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016 at his residence. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

DEXTER -- After a big tournament win Saturday, Dexter coach Carmen Morgan gave the volleyball team Sunday and Monday off leading into its first meeting of the year against Bloomfield. Dexter didn't miss a beat. The Bearcats allowed one lead change and were done in an hour, beating Bloomfield 25-10, 25-15 in Stoddard County Activities Association play...

NEELYVILLE -- Just when it looked like they were down and out of it, the Eagles woke up. Naylor struck for 10 unanswered runs in the final four innings, including three in the seventh inning to tie it, in a stunning 10-5 win over Ozark Foothills Conference rival Neelyville in eight innings Tuesday...

John Frank Aubuchon Sr. VAN BUREN, Mo. -- John Frank Aubuchon Sr., 83, died Friday, Sept. 4, 2016 at his residence in Saint Louis, Mo. Visitation will begin at noon Thursday at the McSpadden Funeral Home in Ellsinore, with the funeral services beginning at 1 p.m. in the funeral home chapel. Officiating: Rev. Gary Aubuchon. Burial will be at Smith Chapel Cemetery...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Brylee Misner hit a pair of home runs and Adrienne Stucker followed with a blast of her own while tossing a five-hit shutout Tuesday as Poplar Bluff beat Notre Dame 11-0. "Adrienne pitched a great game," Mules coach Lisa Boyer said. "Notre Dame is always so good. They have a lot of speed, so Adrienne did a good job of mixing up her pitches."...

VAN BUREN -- Makenna Moore went 2 for 4, scored a run and drove in the game-winning run with a single in the top of the eighth inning as East Carter defeated Van Buren 2-1 to win the battle of Carter County Tuesday. East Carter starter Andrea Kearbey was undeterred by the lack of run support and pitched 7 2/3 strong innings to get the win. She struck out one, walked two and only gave up three hits...

Vernon Eugene Patterson MALDEN, Mo. -- Vernon Eugene Patterson, 71, of Malden, died Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016, at his residence. Visitation will be from 2 - 3 p.m., Thursday at Landess Funeral Chapel in Malden. Funeral will follow at 3 p.m. at the chapel with Mr. Mike Wagner officiating...

Mildred Marie Hixson Mildred Marie Hixson, 77, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016 at her residence. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

Sammy Stevie Brown The man, the myth, the legend. Men wanted to be him, women adored him. He would never go unnoticed in a room. He loved his family and a honest days work. He enjoyed watching westerns and have a Busch beer. He loved food that was incredibly spice and salty. He was the cowboy in the city. But most importantly he was a kindhearted loved soul that would do anything for anyone...