Stories from Monday, February 6, 2017

By PAUL NEWTON Rural Missouri Coleton Powell distinctly remembers the first time he visited a barbershop a few years ago. A college student away from home, he was ditching his small-town parlor in hopes of an old-fashioned barbershop experience. It wasn't what he expected...

By CHELSAE CORDIA Staff Writer NEELYVILLE, Mo. - Elementary students at Neelyville R-IV are in for a spooky surprise thanks to Principal Aaron Burton's inability to turn down a challenge. Burton's stubbornness and innate creativity resulted in a work of Halloween-themed collaborative fiction, entirely written and illustrated by his teaching staff...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Like the song says, the wheels on the bus go round and round. But add a few verses for Diane Leggett, she drives 120 miles per day for the dubious honor of longest route in the Poplar Bluff school district. Leggett, like many people in public school transportation, wakes up at 4:30 a.m. to begin her shift. She arrives at the transportation garage on Maud around 5 a.m. each school day, as she has for the past five years, and completes a pre-trip inspection on her bus...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer The IRS works on a first come, first served basis, Sean Moore learned in 2016, when someone stole his identity. By the time Moore and his wife tried to file their taxes in March, the federal government was already processing another claim made under his social security number...

Ralph Allison, longtime AMVETS Post #29 Bingo Chairman, has retired from his position effective Dec. 12, 2016. Allison became the head of the AMVETS Post #29 bingo program in 1990, serving more than 26 years. To commemorate his long time dedication to the success of the program, a dinner was held on Jan. 30 with the presentation of a plaque in his honor...

DONIPHAN -- A dominant start assured the Twin Rivers Lady Royals of a spot in the Ozark Foothills Conference semifinals for the fourth straight year. Holding the fifth-seeded Lady Bears scoreless for the first 4 minutes, No. 4 Twin Rivers built a 12-point lead and cruised to a 59-33 victory Saturday at the Bill L. Wright Gymnasium...

DONIPHAN -- Greenville's 4-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter turned into a huge advantage in a matter of minutes Saturday afternoon. The fourth-seeded Bears turned up the defensive pressure and closed out the final 7 minutes with a 16-5 run to beat No. 5 Naylor 56-45 in the first round of the Ozark Foothills Conference Tournament at Bill L. Wright Gymnasium...

For a quarter and a half Friday's SEMO Conference showdown lived up to the hype that filled Poplar Bluff's new barn. Then it got ugly for the host Mules. Fred Thatch scored 39 points to lead Sikeston to a 102-66 win as the Bulldogs continued their domination against Poplar Bluff...

Rev. Vernon and Nancy Wolverton celebrated their golden wedding anniversary Saturday, Feb. 4. They were united in holy matrimony Feb. 4, 1967, at Qulin, Mo. They are lifelong residents of Butler County and pastors of New Day Ministries in Poplar Bluff...

ADVANCE -- The Stoddard County Activities Association Tournament championship came down to the final shot. A week later, it came down to the second to last shot. This time, Dexter came out on top with a 61-57 win Friday in Advance. "We wanted to come out and attack a little more this time," Dexter coach Josh Dowdy said. "The first time, we sat back and tried to keep them in front of us. This time, we wanted to guard full court against Armani and Preston."...

In 24 years on the Raider sidelines, Brian Bess has not lost a game as the head coach. Longtime coach Gene Bess had a knee procedure on Thursday, and consequently missed just the fourth game in his 47 years coaching at Three Rivers. Brian Bess previously took the reigns in January 2014, after his dad passed out from low blood pressure while teaching class. And then again Tuesday when Gene Bess did not make the road trip to North Arkansas because of his knee pain...

Barring a collapse, the Lady Raiders will be the top seed entering the Region XVI tournament. Three Rivers College entered the weekend with a half game lead on State Fair College in the region standings and extended that with a 75-64 win Saturday at the Bess Activity Center...

Eva Jean Jones On Feb. 2, 2017 Eva Jean Jones completed her journey here on earth to be with our Heavenly Father. Eva was born Oct. 5, 1935 to Wayne and Edna (Yeager) Vernon. She was a member of the Catholic Church. Eva was a member of the K.C. Ette in which she was voted K.C. Ette of the year...

George T. Jackson George T. Jackson, 93, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. Jackson, the son of the late Charles N. and Roxie Stout Jackson, was born Nov. 17, 1923 in Poynor, Mo. He was a member of the First Christian Church of Poplar Bluff and was a charter member of the Poplar Bluff Elks Lodge...

Alberta Mae Hensley FISK, Mo. - Alberta Mae "Penny" Hensley, 83, of Risco, Mo., died Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017 at her residence. Mrs. Hensley was born Saturday, April 29, 1933 at Broseley, daughter of the late Marvin and Estel (Foust) Gunnels. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Risco. ...

James Allen Wagoner MALDEN, Mo. - James Allen Wagoner, 58, of Clarkton, Mo., died Friday, Feb. 3, 2017 at Southeast Health Center in Dexter, Mo. Visitation will be at 6 p.m. Monday at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Bradshaw Chapel in Malden. Burial will be at Rosewood Cemetery in Malden...

Jimmy C. Baggett DONIPHAN, Mo. - Jimmy C. Baggett, 59-year-old resident of Doniphan, departed this life Friday, Feb. 3, 2017 at his residence. Mr. Baggett was born Oct. 29, 1957 in St. Louis, Mo., to the late Jack and Thelma (Leonberger) Baggett. Jim was the owner and operator of Jim's Lawn and Tree Service in Doniphan and was the pastor of Living Word Ministries. He loved hunting and fishing and at one time took great pride in raising coon dogs...

Marjorie Ann Crites PUXICO, Mo. - Marjorie Ann Crites, 75, of Oran, Mo., died Friday, Feb. 3, 2017 at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Feb. 5, 2017 at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Puxico. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at the Watkins & Sons Chapel in Puxico. Burial will follow in the Puxico Cemetery with Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Puxico in charge of arrangements...

By MONA CHAREN On Feb. 9, 1950, at a speech before the Ohio County Women's Republican Club in Wheeling, West Virginia, Sen. Joe McCarthy brandished a piece of paper. "I have here in my hand a list of 205 ... known to the secretary of state as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping the policy of the State Department." But McCarthy never released the names he supposedly had, and changed his story in the days and weeks that followed about exactly how many known communists there were in the State Department. ...

Nella Mae Walker Malone Nella Mae Walker Malone, 88, of Gautier, Miss., died Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017, in Mississippi. The Ocean Springs Chapel of Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements in Mississippi. Service in Poplar Bluff will be Monday, Feb. 6, 2017 at Bluff First Assembly of God. Visitation is at 11 a.m. and service to follow at noon. Pastor T.J. Woodard will officiate...

Edward "Ray" Blagg NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Edward "Ray" Blagg, 64, of Corning, Ark., died Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017, at the VA Medical Center in Memphis, Tenn. A U.S. Army veteran, he served in Vietnam. His hobbies are restoring old motorcycles, trucks, reading and watching T.V. He enjoyed his grandchildren, looking at old cars and computers and riding motorcycles...

Troy Austin Firebaugh PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Troy Austin Firebaugh, 70, of Van Buren, Mo., formerly of Annapolis, Mo., died Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Arrangements are pending with Ruegg Funeral Home, Piedmont, Mo...

Wanda F. Dolansky PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Wanda F. Dolansky, 82, of Piedmont died Friday, Feb. 3, 2017, at Clark's Mountain Nursing Home in Piedmont. Visitation will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017, at Ruegg Funeral Home, Piedmont. Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017, also at the Piedmont Chapel. Burial will be at New Liberty Cemetery in Piedmont...

Spiraling electric bills Hello, Speak Out. I'm very curious about just exactly how much of a raise our electric company got that showed up on our bill this month? My electricity bill has almost doubled. I heat two rooms -- that's all I heat and I've almost doubled on my electricity. ...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- With an asperity born of exasperation, Justice Antonin Scalia once wrote, "If you want aspirations, you can read the Declaration of Independence," but "there is no such philosophizing in our Constitution," which is "a practical and pragmatic charter of government." Scalia was wrong, and much depends on Neil Gorsuch not resembling Scalia in this regard. ...