Stories from Saturday, November 19, 2016

By CHELSAE CORDIA Staff Writer At 67-years-old, Ed Baker signed up to run the Ozark Trail 100-Mile Endurance Run. As a man who enjoys fitness and the outdoors, the event seemed like the perfect adventure. After four months of rigourous training, Baker headed to the starting line with family in tow to support him. So, how did it go? What happened?...

By CHELSAE CORDIA Staff Writer Local property owner Kelly Boyers is a lifelong resident of Butler County. He's lived on and farmed his current location off Roxie Road for more than 50 years. Boyers intricately knows each tree, each hill, nearly each inch of his property and can tell anyone who is curious about almost any detail...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Poplar Bluff R-I Board of Education met Thursday, receiving annual reports on three district programs and approving numerous policy changes in response to recently-passed legislation and other education initiatives. District nurse Sheryl Talkington presented the annual report of school heath programs. ...

By MARK BLISS SEMO News Service U.S. Rep. Jason Smith of southern Missouri's 8th Congressional District has claimed a top leadership post in the House of Representatives. Smith was chosen by voice vote of his GOP colleagues as secretary for the House Republican Conference earlier this week...

Richard L. Anderson -- Poplar Bluff, Mo. William Baker -- Qulin, Mo. Ella M. Thompson -- Poplar Bluff, Mo. Glenn Albert Kuehle -- Wappapello, Mo. Lois Eva DeShaney -- Poplar Bluff, Mo.

You'll be crying in your beer I just wanted to call and congratulate all the Southeast Missourians for getting Greiten in as governor. I just heard he's for right-to-work state and I'm just glad everybody got him in there. Now you all are gonna see what Greiten is all about. ...

By BERNARD GOLDBERG It's been about a week since the election and, like a lot of Americans, I'm still in a state of shock. Just about nobody saw it coming. The polls got it wrong. Reporters got it wrong. The pundits got it wrong. Wall Street got it wrong. I got it wrong. I don't believe that even Donald Trump thought he'd win...

By STEPHEN MOORE When Donald Trump said last week that he will double the American growth rate, his skeptics scoffed. The left doesn't think 4 percent growth is possible, because they never came close to that target under Barack Obama. But there's no law of nature or economics that says America is doomed to anemic growth rates. ...

Poplar Bluff High School has named their Students of the Month for October 2016. 12th Grader Hunter Aud, son of Doug and Lori Aud, likes to spend his free time with his family and friends. As a community service volunteer is involved in various service activities through clubs like Beta and National Honor Society. At school, Hunter is involved in clubs, table tennis (president), the Academic Team, National Honor Society, Science Club, Politics Club and Math Club...

Glenn Albert Kuehle Glenn Albert Kuehle, 88, of Wappapello, Mo., formerly of Cape Girardeau, Mo., passed away Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016 at the Jackson Manor Nursing Home in Jackson, Mo. Mr. Kuehle, the son of the late Albert E. and Anna E. Meier Kuehle, was born Feb. ...

By CHELSAE CORDIA Staff Writer The annual Holiday Cookie Tour, hosted by the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce, kicked off at 10 a.m. today and runs through Saturday. The tour is an opportunity to sample holiday cookies at participating local businesses, cast a vote for the best cookie and enter to win a $100 gift certificate to the business that wins the "People's Choice" cookie award. Artfully Framed currently holds the title for "People's Choice."...

The Ellington Whippets have been waiting all summer for winter's biggest premiere. Loaded with their best talent in recent years, the Whippets' season came to an abrupt end with a loss to Clopton in the MSHSAA Class 2 quarterfinals last March. The end of their season felt like a cliffhanger...

A year removed from their best season in program history, the Neelyville Lady Tigers are out to prove the sequel is just as good as the original. Gone from last year's 26-5 MSHSAA Class 2 runner-up squad is a cast of seven seniors, which included one of the Lady Tigers' leading scorer, Shelby Moon...

Gage Rivers scored 20 points to lead the Mules' in a 47-38 victory over New Madrid Central at the seventh grade tournament Thursday at New Madrid, Missouri. Poplar Bluff led 14-8 at halftime thanks to Darian Webb's seven points in the first 14 minutes. Hayden Pinderski added eight points in the win...

They don't really have time for this. Kaley Roper and Nicole Roper are on the cheer team and play club volleyball in the winter, as well. Dakota Stroup is a member of 13 different clubs, tutors, and is competing to be class valedictorian. "BETA, FCCLA, student council, FBLA, did I say BETA? Volleyball, basketball, scholar bowl, did I say choir? Choir ... and then five more. I have them written down somewhere," said Stroup, who keeps a big, color-coded calendar to keep track of everything...

Poplar Bluff police and the Downtown Poplar Bluff board of directors are seeking information about the person or persons who removed 700 feet of rope lights from the Founders Bridge over the Black River in the last few days. "It's frustrating," said Downtown Poplar Bluff Executive Director Penny McGath, "because we've worked so hard to improve downtown."...

Richard Lane Anderson Richard Lane Anderson was called home Sunday, Nov. 13, 2016 to be with the Lord at the age of 57. He was born Feb. 7, 1959 in Marceline, Mo. to the late Elzia and Naomi (Teeters) Anderson. A former resident of Illinois, Richard had lived in Poplar Bluff, Mo. ...

Lois Eva DeShaney Lois Eva DeShaney, 83, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. passed away Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016 at her residence. Mrs. DeShaney, the daughter of the late Jack and Della Luke Crider, was born Feb. 25, 1933 in Williamsville, Mo. She was of the Baptist faith and was a homemaker. During her earlier years, she worked in a garment factory in Piedmont. She loved spending time with her family, and enjoyed gardening, fishing, cooking, baking, canning and listening to good old country music...

Ella M. Thompson Ella M. Thompson, 81, formally of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Friday, Nov. 18, 2016 at the Sikeston Convalescent Center. Arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service of Poplar Bluff.

Samuel H. Smith Samuel H. Smith, fortified with the Sacraments of the Holy Mother Church, died Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016 at his residence. Mr. Smith was born Feb. 27, 1938 in Poplar Bluff, Mo. He was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Mr. Smith graduated from Poplar Bluff High School in 1956, and graduated from the University of Missouri in 1960 with a BS degree in Business Administration. ...

William Keith Baker William Keith Baker, 71, of Qulin, Mo., passed away Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016 at his residence. Mr. Baker was born Dec. 28, 1944, in Qulin, to the late Artie and Daisy (Newby) Baker. He served as a marksman in the U.S. Army from 1965-1967. A former machine operator, he enjoyed fishing, hunting and the outdoors. He also served as deacon at Elk General Baptist Church...

Patrol sobriety checkpoints in December The Missouri State Highway Patrol, along with local law enforcement agencies, will conduct a sobriety checkpoint in Stoddard County and a driving-while-intoxicated saturation enforcement operation in Butler County sometime during the month of December...