Stories from Saturday, January 21, 2017

By CHELSAE CORDIA Staff Writer NEELYVILLE, Mo. - Financial concerns continue to plague the Neelyville R-IV school district. While comparing monthly financials during a regular board meeting, board member Dean Fisher questioned a roughly $176,000 discrepancy between this month and January 2016's reports...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer The Poplar Bluff Board of Education met Thursday evening for its first meeting of the new year, approving a 2017-18 calendar, a grant application request, policy changes and several other items. Of all items discussed during the meeting, the school calendar spurred the most debate. The final draft was the result of committee meetings and surveys of teachers and administrators at all campuses...

On Feb. 12, 2015, President Obama made a selfie-stick video for BuzzFeed. You may remember it -- or perhaps not -- because if there's one thing Barack Obama delivered during his eight years in office, it was plenty of celebration of himself. The country was treated to Obama slow-jamming the news with Jimmy Fallon, sharing his Final Four brackets, fantasizing about what superhero powers he'd most like to have, and on and on. ...

Thousands of Missourians from across the state made their way to Jefferson City this week to join in the festivities as the state welcomed its new statewide officials. During the November elections Missourians elected Republicans to fill the statewide positions on the ballot. ...

The Southeast Missouri Amateur Radio Association will be holding Amateur Radio level one licensing classes beginning Tuesday, Jan. 24. The five to six week course will begin at 6 p.m. each Tuesday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2414 Katy Lane. Each class will last about two hours...

East Carter County honor rolls for the sixth, seventh and eighth grade schools include the following students: Sixth grade Mark White, Hailey Bradford, Skylar Buffington, Jason Carter, Luke Carter, Raymond Caudel, Madyline Collins, Danielle Crowley, Levi Eudaley, Aliyah Evans-Hall, Janene Gibby, Holden Green, Davin Hampton, Madison Hayman, Austin Hosentfeld, Isabella Jaimez, Brooklyn Kearbey, Elizabeth Larkins, Dakota Million, Makenzey Pickrell, Abigail Powers, Rowan Pratt, Angelina Pruett, Jacob Saffle, Daniel Santhuff, Clare Scott, Ricky Sparks, Josiah Swigert, Micah Thompson, Devin White, Seth Willis. ...

Students at Sacred Heart Catholic School earning places on the second quarter honor roll include: A honor roll: First Grade: Isabella Gillihan, Kayla Daves Second Grade: Katie Acre, Palyn Bourd, Ireland Byrne, Audrey Cato, Michael O'Connor, Macey Savat, Rion Tenchavez, Presley Tinsley...

Westwood Baptist Academy honor roll for the second quarter includes the following students: Principal's List First Grade: Gracelyn Andrews, Savanna Cramer, Landon Evans, Shyla Joehrs, Koro Osiohwo, Second Grade: Hadley Barker, Ethan Blackwell, Annaliese Carson, Sydney Hawley, Alaina Morris, Chloe Parkin, Wyatt Ray...

McKendree U Dean's List LEBANON, Ill.-- Kaysie Tisdale, a senior exercise science and sports performance major from Poplar Bluff, has been named to the McKendree University Dean's List for the fall 2016 semester for earning a grade point average of 3.60 or higher...

Greenville Junior High honor roll Greenville junior high school honor roll Eighth Grade Miranda Allen, Cassidy Billingsley, Carson Boren, Brooklyn Casinger, Layne Clubb, Gabe Elston, Trenton Fox, Emily Helm, Alex Hemmerlein, Abbigail Hillis, Parker Irions, Dalton Joachim, Emma Johnson, Jessica Kelley, Jayme Light, Carli Marler, Hannah McAllister, Trinity McDaniel, Alexis Retzler, Tia Rogers, Charley Thiele, Kierra Underwood, Jacob White, Drew Yount...

Advance student gets scholarship CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- India Phillips of Advance, Mo., has received the Residence Life Leadership Award to attend Southeast Missouri State University for the 2017-2018 academic year. Phillips is the daughter of Matthew and Gina Spitzmiller of Advance, and will be a 2017 graduate of Advance R-IV High School...

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Hours after a fugitive in the slaying of a police officer told a judge he was brutalized during his arrest, Orlando's police chief released a video of his surrender and described the suspect as "extremely violent, dangerous and very unpredictable."...

Greenville High School second quarter honor roll Seniors Emily Abbott, Taylor Allen, Mariah Atchison, Larson Barks, Siera Bennett, Ryan Brannum, Brianna Brogdon, Hailey Brooks, Kassidi Brown, Caleb Clark, Danica Deering, Kacie Ford, Caley Fox, Jacob Fox, Cherokee Langley, Lawren Luke, Nicholas Malone, Trey McDaniel, Megan Moore, Jace Osborn, Bailey Payne, Diana Politte, Heaven Ruble, Brittney Schultz, Ashlynn Tilley, Will VanMatre, Courtney Walk, Ford Weston, Stephanie Willard...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In a last major act as president, Barack Obama cut short the sentences of 330 federal inmates convicted of drug crimes on Thursday, bringing his bid to correct what he's called a systematic injustice to a climactic close. With his final offer of clemency, Obama brought his total number of commutations granted to 1,715, more than any other president in U.S. ...

It's been two months and counting since the Lady Raiders have lost a game. With their win streak, now at 15 games, they are knocking on the door of the national rankings. Three Rivers women's basketball was one of five unranked teams to receive votes in the second Division I poll of 2017, which was released Wednesday. It is the first time this season that the Lady Raiders have received votes...

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team was in search of a complete team effort on Thursday, and that's exactly what it got. With two starters unable to suit up and another in foul trouble, the Redhawks pulled away at the start of the second half and never looked back, with four players scoring in double digits in a 79-76 win over SIU Edwardsville at the Show Me Center...

BROSELEY -- The Kennett Lady Indians played the Twin Rivers Lady Royals to a stalemate in the first half but lost ground quickly after halftime. The Lady Royals outscored the Indians 21-9 in the third quarter to build a comfortable 12-point lead by the start of the fourth quarter...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Lady Mules made it look almost too easy at times racking up made shot after made shot against Sikeston. Poplar Bluff scored the first 15 points of the game, allowed only two field goals in the opening quarter Thursday, and rolled to a 70-32 SEMO Conference win over the Bulldogs...

ELLINGTON -- Marshon Morrissey scored 22 points as the top-seeded Whippets escaped No. 4 Bunker with a 51-50 win to advance to the Black River League Tournament championship Thursday night. Ellington (12-2) will go for its second straight conference tournament title against No. 2 South Iron at 7:30 p.m. Saturday...

Linda Craig PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Linda Craig, 74, of Piedmont, died Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, at her residence. Arrangements currently are pending with Ruegg Funeral Homes, Inc. Online condolences: www.rueggfuneralhomes.com

Hillview Elementary School students earning spots on the first semester and second quarter honor rolls include: Second quarter A honor roll Second Grade: Sydney Barber, Stacie Cannaday, Caleb Cozart, Lily Flanigan, Braiden Hover, Dionna Leader, Kaydence Pruitt, Carly Smith, Carson Smith, Jasmine Taylor, Trevor Turner, Rylee Tutor, Hunter Watson, and Thomas Watson...

MIAMI (AP) -- A Missouri couple vacationing in Florida had a close encounter with an alligator when it leapt into their airboat and became wedged in the boat's railing. Passengers screamed as 30-year-old Tylor Hindery of Springfield, Missouri, captured the moment in a Facebook live video posted Tuesday...