Stories from Friday, April 21, 2017

A traffic stop early Thursday morning may result in two Poplar Bluff, Mo., convicted felons facing new drug- and weapons-related charges. At about 12:40 a.m., Poplar Bluff Police Patrolman Dustin Barks stopped a Pontiac Sunfire in the 500 block of Highway 53 due to a suspected expired registration...

The Poplar Bluff school board in the coming weeks will consider whether to sell or fix the Hentz Center, the former home of the Boys and Girls Club of Poplar Bluff that is currently in need of major repair. The center is owned by the district, who for 12 years has leased it to the club for $1 per month. Damage to the gymnasium roof necessitated the club end activities there in September 2016 and relocate to Poplar Bluff Middle School...

The annual Poplar Bluff, Mo., city clean up will be held Saturday, rain or shine. Residents can drop off unwanted items from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the city's leaf disposal site on County Road 604, behind Twin Towers. Signs will be posted. Buff up the Bluff will go ahead despite forecasts of rain, said city planner Dennis Avery...

Unsure of how to dispose of expired or unwanted medication for yourself or your furry friends? National Prescription Take Back Day will be held from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday, April 29 in Butler, Carter, Reynolds, Ripley and Stoddard counties. The Drug Enforcement Agency's initiative aims to provide a safe, convenient and responsible way to dispose of prescription drugs while in-turn educating the public about the potential for prescription drug abuse and trafficking...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Irene Rose Davis, 83, of Dexter, died Friday, April 14, 2017 at the Cypress Point Skilled Nursing Center in Dexter. Visitation will be held after 10 a.m., Saturday, and until time for services. Funeral services will be at noon, Saturday, at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter...

By STEPHEN MOORE Buried in an otherwise-humdrum jobs report was the jaw-dropping pronouncement by the Department of Labor that mining jobs in America were up by 11,000 in March. Since the low point in October 2016, and following years of painful layoffs in the mining industry, the mining sector has added 35,000 jobs...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN "Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem?" tweeted President Donald Trump on Easter Sunday. Earlier, after discovering "great chemistry" with Chinese President Xi Jinping over "the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake" at Mar-a-Lago, Trump had confided, "I explained ... that a trade deal with the U.S. will be far better for them if they solve the North Korean problem!"...

By MIKE JENSEN Publisher Sikeston Standard-Democrat Over the Easter weekend, Chicago proved once again why it has become the poster child of urban violence. In just one 18-hour period, 29 people were shot in the Windy City. Despite this senseless carnage, law enforcement officials in Chicago are touting the fact that shootings are actually less this year than last year. ...

The State of Missouri recently recognized auctioneers by proclaiming Missouri Auctioneers Day. The proclamation reads as follows: Whereas, auctioneers is one of history's oldest professions; and Whereas, auctions are strong advocates and champions of the competitive free enterprise system; and...

The final service of the Good Hope Methodist Church was held Sunday, March 26, 2017. The pastor, J. C. Bryant, welcomed and gave opening remarks to the 64 people attending the celebration of life of this 127-year-old church. Rev. Vernon Kneir gave the opening prayer. ...

PIEDMONT, Mo.-- Sharon Stinehart of Piedmont, Mo., died, Thursday, April 20, 2017, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Services are pending with Ruegg Funeral Homes, Inc.

Bobbie J. Spence, 83, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Wednesday, April 12, 2017. Bob, the son of the late Omer Baxter Spence and Opal Gray Spence Clark, was born Feb. 13, 1934 in Success. Ark. He proudly served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean Conflict from 1952 - 1956. ...

DONIPHAN -- A key to many of the East Carter softball team's wins this season has been discipline at the plate. Chasing pitches out the strike zone isn't the second-seeded Lady Redbirds' style and hammering those that catch the plate have made teams pay...

DONIPHAN -- The Naylor Lady Eagles avoided a rain delay at Quick Creek Park by less than five minutes with some smart base running. With storm clouds looming in a tie game, top-seeded Naylor scored two runs on a Doniphan miscue in the bottom of the sixth inning to beat the fifth-seeded Donettes 6-5 in the Ozark Foothills Conference Tournament semifinals Thursday...

Another 30 student-athletes have joined an elite group as the winter sport finalists for the 2017 Semoball Awards were announced on Thursday. The newest group of nominees were revealed during a live broadcast on SEMO ESPN Radio. Finalists were selected from boys basketball (10), girls basketball (10), girls swimming and diving (5) and wrestling (5)...