Stories from Saturday, December 3, 2016

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer An estimated more than 2,000 junior high school students from across Missouri will converge on Black River Coliseum Dec. 8-9 to compete in various arts and academic events at the annual Junior Beta State Convention. National Beta Club is one of the nation's largest non-profit educational youth organizations and strives to promote high academic achievement, character, leadership and service to others. ...

The December invitational at Margaret Harwell Art Museum will open Saturday with delicate outdoor scenes created in Illinois out of layers of fabric scraps and detailed stitching, wave-like edges of kiln-formed glass from Florida and prints by a fourth generation photographer from Pennsylvania...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer A new partnership between Three Rivers College and Southeast Missouri State University will give greater Poplar Bluff area aspiring teachers a new option for obtaining a bachelor's degree close to home. Three Rivers president Dr. ...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer The Poplar Bluff City Council accepted the resignation Thursday of at-large member Jerrica Fox, who has been hired as director for Downtown Poplar Bluff, Inc. Officials say an ordinance barring council members from city employment for two years after the end of their term of office will not affect the hiring. No other decisions have been made regarding the final five months of Fox's current term, which could be left vacant or filled by an appointed council member...

By CHELSAE CORDIA Staff Writer It's time again for Jama Rama, the Poplar Bluff Kiwanis Club's annual pajama drive to benefit local children in need. The Greenville Kiwanis chapter is also participating this year in an effort to spread the benefits throughout Wayne County...

By MIKE JENSEN Publisher Sikeston Standard Democrat I had honestly and perhaps naively thought our national focus would be on the upcoming holidays with the election now in our rearview mirror. But the mainstream media remain obsessed with protests, recounts and rumored turmoil in the transition of administrations...

Judgement call I just wanted to leave a comment. The Poplar Bluff Police Department, in particular, they do a thankless job and I do support our men in blue. I did want to say this comment, and it is very directed at a personal situation that's going on with me right now. ...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN Now that the British have voted to secede from the European Union and America has chosen a president who has never before held public office, the French appear to be following suit. In Sunday's runoff to choose a candidate to face Marine Le Pen of the National Front in next spring's presidential election, the center-right Republicans chose Francois Fillon in a landslide...

By STEPHEN MOORE I stirred up some controversy last week when I told a conference of several dozen House Republicans that the GOP is now officially a Trump-working-class party. For better or worse, I said at the gathering inside the Capitol dome, the baton has now officially been passed from the Reagan era to the Trump era. The members didn't quite faint over my apostasy, but the shock was palpable...

TOPS #MO 734 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) met at 10 a.m., Wednesday Nov. 9. Leader Linda Morgan called the meeting to order with 14 TOPS and three KOPS members in attendance. Reports were approved as submitted. The best losers of the week were Lou Roach and Gladys Hill for KOPS...

The Women's Citizenship Club met Wednesday, Nov. 2, at Twin Towers were 10 members present. President Lavern Matthews opened the meeting. Carrie Booker, speaker for November, was introduced. A volunteer for Habitat of Humanity and a social worker for the Poplar Bluff School District. ...

"You do not need to be an expert or interested in only Ag related matters to be involved in 4-H," said Stephanie Milner, regional 4-H youth development specialist with University of Missouri Extension. "4-H is so much more with project opportunities in photography, robotics, foods and nutrition, gardening, animals and much more."...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. --Taylor Norwood qualified for state in her first individual event of the season Thursday and barely missed a second as the Poplar Bluff swim team won the Splash Our Cancer meet. Norwood won both of her individual races and helped two relays to win. Morgan McAtee won a race and swam a leg on two winning relays with sister Raegan McAtee, who placed second in two events...

The Poplar Bluff wrestling team moved into its new home just as the Mules moved up a division. For the first time since a fourth class was added to the sport in 2005, the Mules will compete with the largest schools in the state. Poplar Bluff's district opponents will feature Jackson, CBC and Lafayette, all of which placed in the top 16 at state last year...

Poplar Bluff coach John David Pattillo found himself digging deeper into his bench earlier than he's used to Thursday night. In a foul-filled second quarter during the inaugural SEMO Conference Girls Tournament, starters Doni Everts and Autumn Dodd picked up their second fouls in the first two minutes and headed to the bench for the remainder of the half...

Jackson made sure there would be at least one upset in the inaugural SEMO Conference Girls Basketball Tournament. Led by three players in double figures, the second-seeded Indians built a solid lead, held off several late charges and toppled top-seeded Dexter with a 51-46 victory Thursday to claim the first championship at the Poplar Bluff Senior High Gym...

CAMPBELL -- Bernie followed one big run with another and looked to have everything under control. Then it lost all of its momentum during the break between the third and fourth quarters and had to hold off Puxico to win 72-68 in the Campbell Invitational semifinals...

ORAN, Mo. -- Dushawn Butler and Chience Booker combined for five of Malden's seven 3-pointers as the top-seeded Malden beat No. 4 Oran 64-48 in the Oran Invitational semifinals on Thursday. Butler, who finished with a team-high 14 points, hit three while Booker added two...

Christine Harpole CORNING, Ark. -- Christine Hendrix Harpole, 98, of Corning passed away Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016 at St. Bernard's Medical Center in Jonesboro. Mrs. Harpole was born Oct. 26, 1918 in Corning the daughter of John W. and Alice Barger Hendrix. ...

Jerry Wayne Gilton Jerry Wayne Gilton, 63, of De Soto and Poplar Bluff, passed away Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016 at his residence. Jerry, the son of Ernestine (Lourance) Gilton and the late Ilar Gilton was born Nov. 24, 1953 in St. Louis. He was of the Baptist faith and had retired as an x-ray technician at St. John's Hospital in St. Louis. Jerry was also a former tool fabricator. He enjoyed woodworking, hunting, boating and watching NASCAR...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer The New Madrid Fault has seen a fair amount of activity in the past several days - the latest a magnitude 2.9 earthquake early Friday centered near Caruthersville, Mo. United States Geological Survey reports the small quake struck at 4:16 a.m. near the intersection of Hickory and 14th streets. The epicenter was reported at depth of 5.4 miles. No damage or injuries were reported...

George Huff WILLIAMSVILLE, Mo. -- George Franklin Huff, 83, of Piedmont, passed away Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born Feb. 22, 1933, to the late Edmond Whitfield Huff and Marguerite (Cunningham) Huff, in Williamsville...