Stories from Saturday, March 4, 2017

By CHELSAE CORDIA Staff Writer With spring around the corner, it's the perfect time to get organized at home and in health. Clean the gutters, rearrange the garage and then screen those aching muscles and joints Thursday at the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce's 2017 Wellness Fair...

A Southeast Missouri State University professor will be the featured artist in March at the Margaret Harwell Art Museum. An opening reception will be held from 6-8 p.m. Saturday at the museum for "Digital Diversion," an exhibit of digital computer art by Louise Bodenheimer...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Poplar Bluff High School will soon have a new principal, but he is no stranger to the district or the community. Michael Owen has been with Poplar Bluff Schools for nearly 20 years and is also a life-long Southeast Missouri resident...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Poplar Bluff Middle School has formed a student-led safety patrol to escort walkers in the morning and afternoon to and from nearby Bacon Park. While the former 5th and 6th Grade Center was located on the outskirts of town, a campus relocation last year to Victory Lane, in central Poplar Bluff, spurred an increase in the number of students who walk to school...

Linda Surber, legislative chair for the Butler County Retired Teachers, presented an informative program on legislative issues of concern to retired teachers and school personnel at the group's recent meeting Feb. 22. She and Patty Reed attended the Missouri Retired Teachers Associations Legislative Day in Jefferson City, Feb. ...

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement, "The president's decision to ask Betsy DeVos to run the Department of Education should offend every single American man, woman, and child who has benefitted from the public education system in this country." Expressing similar sentiments, Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Cedric Richmond said, "I expect that Mrs. ...

WASHINGTON -- The dyspeptic Henry Adams was not nice but not wrong when he described what now is named the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, adjacent to the White House, as an "architectural infant asylum." The granite pile, which once housed the State, War and Navy departments, was, Harry Truman said, "the greatest monstrosity in America." Actually, today's premier monstrosity is the federal budget, which is Mick Mulvaney's headache as the new head of the Office of Management and Budget, which is housed in the EEOB.. ...

By MIKE JENSEN Publisher Sikeston Standard Democrat Depending on just what version of the prevailing landscape you believe, it's either a wonderful time to live in America or it's the absolutely worst time in history to be an American. I always find it somewhat amusing that people can view the same set of rules and come to such radically different conclusions. But alas, that's where we find ourselves...

Don't look back In reference to Black History Month. As long as the African-Americans continues to look over their shoulder to their past, they will continue to meet obstacles to their future. Low income makes a bad neighbor? What makes Rick Brittingham feel that because you don't have a lot of money you would make a bad neighbor? And, also if he's concerned about his tenants moving maybe he should lower their rent. They might want to move into the low income housing project. Thank you...

Gavin Harris and the Jackson Indians spoiled Poplar Bluff's perfect ending at the new barn. Harris knocked down a game-tying 3-pointer from 27 feet in the closing seconds of regulation and two key foul shots late in overtime to give Jackson its fifth straight MSHSAA Class 5 District 1 championship with a 75-73 win Thursday night at the Senior High Gym...

The Poplar Bluff girls basketball team buried itself in the first half which proved to set their fate. An 18-point deficit at halftime loomed larger after Poplar Bluff headed into the break shooting at a 31 percent clip. Rylee Stafford finished with a game-high 21 points, guiding top-seeded Jackson to a 65-30 rout over the second-seeded Mules in the MSHSAA Class 5 District 1 championship Thursday night at the Senior High Gym...

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. -- Dexter is back in very familiar territory. The top-seeded Lady Bearcats continued their stranglehold of the MSHSAA Class 4 District 1 crown by winning its seventh straight championship with a 44-35 win over No. 3 Sikeston Thursday night...

Three Rivers College will be seeing red on Friday. Both the Raiders and Lady Raiders face Mineral Area College in the semifinals of the Region XVI Tournament. The women will play at 1 p.m. in the Jason Gym at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri and the men tip off at 8 p.m. on the same court...

Six games in a row the Raiders have given up a big inning and lost them all. In their most recent game, they gave up three big innings. Three Rivers College was plagued by miscues once again and was swept by Mineral Area 7-2 and 14-3 on Thursday at Roger Pattillo Field...

Catherine Marcella Harper NEELYVILLE, Mo.-Catherine Marcella Harper, 79, passed away on Friday, Feb. 3, 2017 in Queensland, Australia. Mrs. Harper was born on June 26, 1937 in Ironton, Mo. She loved hunting, flowers, talking to people about the Bible and blessings of Jehovah's Kingdom...

Thomas "Tommy" Hugo Clarkson Thomas "Tommy" Hugo Clarkson, 73, of Poplar Bluff, passed away peacefully at his home Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017. Mr. Clarkson was born Jan. 15, 1944 in Poplar Bluff, to the late William Clarkson and Irene (Boeving) Clarkson...

Millice Ronnie Pierce Millice Ronnie Pierce, 73, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. died Thursday, March 2, 2017, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service of Poplar Bluff.

Mark McCutchen Mark McCutchen, 49, of Piedmont, died Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, at St. Louis. Memorial visitation will be held from noon - 2 p.m., Sunday, at Ruegg Funeral Home, Piedmont. Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m., Sunday, at the Piedmont chapel. Full Military Honors will be held at 2:30 pm...

John M. Greer John M. Greer, 92, a retired Poplar Bluff business owner, passed away Thursday, March 2, 2017 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

Berniece Miller MALDEN, Mo. - Berniece Miller, 92, of Malden, died Monday, Feb. 27, 2017 in Oakland City, Ind. Visitation will be at 11 a.m., Sat., March 4 at the Landess Funeral Home in Malden. The funeral will follow at noon in the Landess Funeral Chapel with Mr. James Powell officiating. Landess Funeral Home of Malden is in charge of arrangements...

Betty Eskew CAMPBELL, Mo. - Betty Eskew, 84, of Springfield, Mo., died Wed., March 1, 2017 at Mercy Hospital in Springfield. Visitation will be from 1 - 2 p.m., Sunday, March 5 at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell. The funeral will follow at 2 p.m. in the Landess Funeral Chapel with Rev. Darren Baker officiating. Landell Funeral Home of Campbell is in charge of arrangements...

Edith Maye Frazier DEXTER, Mo. - Edith Maye Frazier of Dexter, 74, died Thurs., March 2, 2017 at her residence. Visitation will from 5 - 9 p.m., Sunday, March 5, at Watkins & Sons Funeral Service in Dexter. The funeral will be at 11 a.m., Monday, March 6 at the Watkins & Sons Chapel with Bro. Dale Presley of Dexter officiating...

Gregory H. Lejman VAN BUREN, Mo. - Gregory H. Lejman, 45, died Monday, Feb. 27, 2017 at the Riverways Manor Nursing Home in Van Buren. Visitation will be at 5 p.m., Friday March 3 at the McSpadden Funeral Home in Van Buren with a Celebration of Life beginning at 6 p.m. in the funeral home chapel. A Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m., Saturday, March 4 at St. George Catholic Church in Van Buren. Online condolences may be made at www.mcspaddenfh.com...

John D. Shepherd NEELYVILLE, Mo. - John D. Shepherd, 66, of Neelyville, Missouri passed away, March 1, 2017 in the Southeast Hospital of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. He was born April 12, 1950 to the late John B. Shepherd and Mamie Irene Somers Shepherd...