Stories from Monday, February 20, 2017

Ethel Lucille Politte -- Poplar Bluff, Mo. William Dale "Buddy" Bailey -- Poplar Bluff, Mo. Clarence "Bill" Quade -- Poplar Bluff, Mo. Ernest Bridgeforth -- Poplar Bluff, Mo. Arthur "Art" Dykes Jr. -- Poplar Bluff, Mo. Phillip Manning -- Sikeston, Mo...

By RON SMITH Prospect-News "It's okay to not know. But it's not okay to not try." --Sign on wall in Debbie Lathum's classroom. A Doniphan R-I teacher has moved a step closer to earning the top honor nationwide for SkillsUSA advisors. Last spring, Debbie Lathum was named Missouri Advisor of the Year after being nominated by several peers from across the state...

Amanda Jo Pruett and Bruce Allen Cooper, Jr., both of Broseley, exchanged wedding vows Friday, Feb. 3, 2017 at the Butler County Courthouse. Associate Circuit Judge John Shock performed the double-ring ceremony. Parents of the bride are Michael Phillips of North Bend, Ore., and the late Ronda Phillips. Bruce Allen Cooper, Sr., and Cheryl Cooper of Wappapello, Mo. are parents of the bridegroom...

By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER WASHINGTON -- It's a Watergate-era cliche that the cover-up is always worse than the crime. In the Mike Flynn affair, we have the first recorded instance of a cover-up in the absence of a crime. Being covered up were the Dec. ...

Volunteer to help at the county fair Hello, Speak Out. I hope you print this. I volunteered to work at the fair last year for Butler County and I understand there's been growing from what it used to be, but a lot of people, I hear, they're complaining about acts that they have at the fair, the prices and things like that. ...

ST. PETERS, Mo. -- Taylor Norwood added two more all-state medals to her collection and the Poplar Bluff swim team finished tied for 21st at the MSHSAA state championships Saturday. Norwood placed eighth in both the 200-yard individual medley and 100 butterfly after swimming a leg on the 200-medley relay that placed 12th...

VAN BUREN -- All week long Neelyville coach Patrick Morton has been emphasizing to his team how hard it is to beat a team three times in one season. A week after their last meeting with Greenville, the Neelyville Tigers stayed level-headed and churned out the same result...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- After suffering a last-second loss in his opening match of the MSHSAA state tournament, Poplar Bluff senior Josh Lewis was attempting to do the same Friday at Mizzou Arena. Trailing his second round consolation match against Hazelwood Central's Norman Deverse, Lewis got a reversal with 25 seconds remaining to pull within 2 points. Lewis, however, couldn't score or earn the pin and the 285 pounder was knocked out with a 6-4 loss...

CHARLESTON, Mo. --It's not how you start, it's how you finish. That old adage served Charleston well Friday night after a brutal start to their regular-season finale against SEMO Conference rival Poplar Bluff. After erasing an early 13-point deficit the Bluejays fought neck-and-neck with the Mules the entire second half until Demarcus Sharp hit a go-ahead 3-pointer to clinch a 65-60 senior night win...

VAN BUREN -- After reaching the MSHSAA Class 1 state championship game the last two years, many wondered how the Naylor Lady Eagles might fare after moving up to Class 2. On Saturday they passed their first big postseason test. Fifth-seeded Naylor took control from the second quarter on, fended off a late charge and held on to upset No. 4 Alton 64-56 in the first round of the Class 2 District 3 tournament...

PARK HIILLS, Mo. -- The Raiders toppled a top-10 team and their first opponent in the upcoming Region XVI Tournament on Saturday. Down 10 early in the second half, Three Rivers College rallied to beat No. 7 Mineral Area College 70-68. "I've told people, we can beat either one of those teams. ...

PARK HILLS, Mo. -- Neelyville alumna Shelby Moon had the best game of her college career on Saturday, and it wasn't even close. Moon sank seven 3-pointers and finished with 25 points, five rebounds and four assists as she led Mineral Area College to a 73-53 win over Three Rivers College after the Lady Raiders won by 34 in the first meeting in early January...

BOONVILLE, Miss. -- Three Rivers College softball went 1-4 in its opening set of games Friday and Saturday. The Raiders beat Spoon River 5-4 in 8 innings. Lost to John A. Logan 10-3, to Lincoln Trail 7-3, to North East Mississippi 6-2, and to Southwest Tennessee 3-1...

Landon and Allison Ham of Broseley have chosen the name Benjamin Floyd Ham for their 6-pound, 10-ounce son born at 2:45 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Benjamin was 20 inches long. Grandparents are Maria and Jason Lance of Broseley, Keith and Rebecca Sharp of Springfield, Mo., Donnie Ham of Poplar Bluff and Mark Kimes of Portageville...

Ethel Lucille Politte NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Ethel Lucille Politte, 85, of Poplar Bluff, died Friday, Feb. 17, 2017. She was born Nov. 8, 1931 in Corning, Ark. to Harry and Edna Mulhollen Johnson. Ms. Politte was a graduate of Neelyville High School where she excelled in academics and basketball. ...

By CHELSAE CORDIA Staff Writer "There were drug wars within the projects. The good people were afraid to say anything. I'd sometimes get information from the telephone, but they wouldn't come up and tell me anything because they had to live there. They couldn't even hang their clothes out to dry because it would get stolen off the line...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer A local family is seeking community support to purchase equipment which could be critical in a power outage for a Poplar Bluff, Mo., man who requires a ventilator to breath. Chris Batrano was diagnosed 21 years ago with ALS. The degenerative disease slowly causes the death of the motor neurons responsible for voluntary movement and muscle control, including the ability to breath...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer An apparent sucker punch thrown by a Van Buren girls basketball player has gained the attention of a local lawmaker, who says legislation is needed to make state athletic officials report the scope of such incidents to the joint committee on education...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Developers for Eight Points retail area filed a new permit last week for a $1.7 million building which will be located between Academy Sports and Ross clothing store, city officials say. The paperwork was filed Thursday for a 17,000 square foot building. It will include two retail spaces, one of which is expected to be a Dollar Tree, according to documents filed with the city. No information is available on the name of the second business...

Dale Hardon Boyer OWENSVILLE, Mo. -- Dale Hardon Boyer, 75, of Gerald, Mo. died Friday, Feb. 17, 2017, at Gasconade Manor Nursing Home in Owensville, Mo. Visitation will be held from 4-8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21 at Gottenstroeter Funeral Home Chapel in Owensville...

William Dale 'Buddy' Bailey William Dale "Buddy" Bailey, 65, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Friday, Feb. 17, 2017 at his residence in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Mr. Bailey was born June 4, 1951 in Qulin, Mo. He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He was a carpenter and had built several homes in the Poplar Bluff area...

Kenneth Dale Lizenbee CAMPBELL, Mo. -- Kenneth Dale Lizenbee, 71, died Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017 at his residence in Campbell. Visitation will be from 10-11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 20, at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell with the funeral beginning at 11 a.m. Burial will be held in Woodlawn-Landess Addition Cemetery in Campbell...

Clarence William (Bill) Quade Clarence William (Bill) Quade, Jr., 72, of Poplar Bluff, departed this world to be with our heavenly father on Thursday, Feb.16, 2017 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Bill was born Aug. 10, 1944 in Cape Girardeau, Mo., to the late Clarence W. Quade Sr. and Verna K.N. (Stoops) Quade...

Alice Faye Gerhardt PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Alice Faye Gerhardt, 74, of Piedmont died Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation will be held from noon-2 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, at Ruegg Funeral Home, Piedmont. Services will follow at 2 p.m. at the chapel. Burial will follow at Masonic Cemetery, Piedmont,...

Phillip Manning PUXICO, Mo., -- Phillip Manning, 21, of Sikeston Mo., died Feb. 17, 2017 in Stoddard County, Mo. Morgan Sifford Funeral Home in Puxico is in charge of arrangements.

Arthur "Art" Dykes, Jr. DEXTER, Mo. -- Arthur "Art" Dykes, Jr., 55, of Poplar Bluff, died Feb. 2, 2017 at St. Louis University Medical Center. Visitation will be 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22 at Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter, Mo. Funeral services will follow at 1 p.m...

Ernest Bridgeforth Ernest Bridgeforth, 69, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017 at his residence. Arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service of Poplar Bluff.

Rex H. Wadlow PIEDMONT, Mo. - Rex H. Wadlow, 59, of Piedmont, died Friday, Feb. 17, 2017 at the Clark's Mountain Nursing Center in Piedmont. Visitation will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Morrison-Worley Funeral Chapel in Piedmont. Funeral services will follow at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home chapel. Cremation will follow the services...

By CAROLYN SMITH Staff Writer Poplar Bluff Middle School fifth grader, Bailey Williams, daughter of Jim and Julie Williams, loves books and libraries. Every afternoon when school is dismissed, Bailey rides a school bus to her former school, O'Neal Elementary, where she works for an hour as co-librarian for Ashley Robertson, O'Neal Elementary Librarian...