Stories from Saturday, December 10, 2016

By CHELSAE CORDIA Staff Writer Local community theater group The Stage Co. has been housed at the Historic Rodgers Theatre since June 2001. They opened the doors with the musical Godspell, and have performed nearly every show in the auditorium since...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor A year ago today, a Poplar Bluff, Mo., teenager was killed in a hit-and-run accident. Since that time neither of the drivers who allegedly struck her have stood trial for her death. The case against one of the suspected drivers is ongoing as a failure to appear warrant remains outstanding for his arrest. ...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Western Butler County farm families will have to make way for a growing city in 2017, when a major highway extension is put out for bid. Poplar Bluff, Mo., city officials plan a 2.5 mile completion of Shelby Road that will cut through approximately 1,000 acres of mostly undeveloped pasture, crop and forest land...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Ten months after the Poplar Bluff Police Department released a list of approximately 130 properties it considered uninhabitable, derelict or dangerous, four properties are expected to be demolished this month. The announcement was made Thursday at a meeting of the Poplar Bluff Building Standards Board, which asked for three new tear-down orders for homes on North 10th Street...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Scam artists continue to plague the community this holiday season. Poplar Bluff Police are now investigating a Maryland company trying to bilk local businesses in an illicit sports poster hoax. Police issued a press release Monday stating Sports Media of Towson, Md., is soliciting donations and sending invoices to businesses in reference to a Mules sports poster...

Willow Jackson -- Malden, Mo. Billy Jackson -- Wappapello, Mo. Lois Boston -- Cape Girardeau, Mo. Anna Mae Carrens -- Maynard, Ark. Claude H. Gore, Jr. -- Wappapello, Mo.

By JAY AMBROSE Tribune News Service Merry Christmas to those 800 or so workers in Indiana who are keeping their jobs because our bold and different president-elect, Donald Trump, did some jaw-boning and more with an air conditioning plant. Stay here, he said as he growled about outsourcing work to Mexico, and the plant mostly did. ...

By LEE H. HAMILTON Franklin Roosevelt once said, "Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely." He was talking about why education matters in a representative democracy, but it's a safe bet that had he known about fake internet news, he'd have said the same thing -- except maybe with more pointed words...

By JOEL MATHIS and BEN BOYUCUK Tribune News Service President-elect Donald Trump upended decades of American foreign policy last week when he spoke to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. China considers Taiwan a breakaway province, and American leaders hadn't spoken directly with Taiwan's leader since the 1970s _ though the U.S. has sold military equipment to the island. Critics said Trump too easily risked China's anger, but some conservatives said Trump's action signaled support for democracy...

By CAROLYN SMITH Staff Writer On a crisp sunny fall Saturday in November the members of the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) gathered at the local Kroger store for their 10th Annual "Fill the Fire Truck Food Drive" to benefit St. Vincent dePaul Food Pantry and the Child Concern Center. Members of the church volunteered from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. After the drive was completed youth from the Sears Youth Center unloaded the collected items...

Dec. 3 was a routine day for Michael Harper of Campbell, until he played a Missouri Lottery Scratchers ticket. Harper, 61, was planning on running some errands with his grandson when his wife, Mary, asked him to turn in her winning crossword-themed Scratchers tickets for additional tickets...

DEXTER -- The Lady Mules were loose before Thursday's game, cutting it up and having fun. The mood was in tune to the personality of the roster. Then they hit the floor and stopped talking. Then their heads dropped. Poplar Bluff was held to four points in the third quarter and fell behind by more than 20 before losing 60-48 to Earle (Ark.) in the SEMO Border Challenge on Thursday at the Bearcat Event Center...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Mules couldn't find the bottom of the net Thursday night in the SEMO Conference Tournament semifinal. From bunnies under the basket and mid-range jumpers to 3-pointers, Poplar Bluff struggled against Jackson's zone defense. Eventually it caught up with the Mules in a 59-43 loss at the Sikeston Field House...

DEXTER -- The first game of the first SEMO Border Challenge wasn't very challenging for Neelyville. The Lady Tigers scored the first 11 points against Lewisburg (Miss.) and used their relentless pressure to comfortably win 61-28 on Thursday at the Bearcat Event Center...

DEXTER -- The host Lady Bearcats closed the first night of the inaugural SEMO Border Challenge with a big challenge of their own, namely, the defending Class 2A Mississippi state champions. For the first half Thursday night, it looked like Dexter was up for the challenge behind the red-hot shooting of Chaylea Mosby, who scored 21 of her game-high 24 points...

PUXICO -- Zeke Ward scored over half of his team's points as Naylor hung on for a 99-97 double overtime victory over Puxico on Thursday night. Ward scored a career-high 53 points, including a decisive pair free throws with 1.9 seconds left to secure the win...

Anna Mae Carrens DONIPHAN, Mo. Anna Mae Carrens, 95, of Maynard, Ark., entered the kingdom of Heaven Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016, at the Flo and Phil Jones Hospice House in Jonesboro, Ark. Mrs. Carrens, daughter of James Monroe and Nellie Mae (Willis) Pierce, was born June 27, 1921, in Success, Ark. ...

Broseley Senior Center New Year's Day Fundraiser, 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, at the center. Menu offered: hog jowl, fried potatoes, cooked cabbage, mix greens, cornbread, dessert and drink. Adults, $8; children, $4.

Claude H. Gore Jr. Claude H. Gore, Jr., 77, of Wappapello, Mo., died Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016 at Landmark Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The arrangements are pending and will be announced when completed by Cotrell Funeral Service in Wappapello.

Lois Boston PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Lois Boston, 84, formerly of Cape Girardeau, Mo. died Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Visitation will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Morrison-Worley Funeral Chapel in Piedmont. Funeral services will follow at 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home chapel with Rev. Jeff Johnson officiating. Burial will be in the Masonic Cemetery...

Billy Martin Jackson ADVANCE, Mo. -- Billy Martin Jackson, 75, of Wappapello, Mo., passed away Monday, Dec. 5, 2016 at the John J. Pershing VA Hospital in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Billy was born Sept. 4, 1941 at Anniston, Mo., the son of John Franklin and Mamie Evelyn Carroll...

Willow Dean "Dude" Jackson MALDEN, Mo. -- Willow Dean "Dude" Jackson, 92, of Malden died Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016, at her residence. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. Monday until the noon service time at the Bradshaw Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Greg Mullins officiating. Burial will be in the Memorial Park in Malden...