Stories from Friday, May 19, 2017

By CHELSAE CORDIA Staff Writer Gov. Eric Greitens announced Thursday he is calling a special session to revisit a blocked Senate bill that had hundreds of jobs on the line for Southeast Missouri. The reason he said is because "a couple of career politicians, for their own petty political reasons, decided to block efforts to bring a steel mill and hundreds of jobs to Southeast Missouri when they decided to serve themselves rather than the people of the state of Missouri. ...

Elementary students at Poplar Bluff will receive free meals for the next four years regardless of household income. The Poplar Bluff R-1 Board of Education approved the application for the federally-sponsored Community Eligibility Program at Thursday's meeting. The CEP's benefits will take effect during the 2017-18 school year...

Sen. Doug Libla responded to a request for an interview with the Daily American Republic, in which the senator and reporter corresponded via email in a question and answer format Thursday morning. No. 1 Do you think Gov. Eric Greitens will address the issue regarding Rone's amendment in a special session?...

DONIPHAN, Mo. -- This week's sunshine and rain showers are helping reduce what is described as unsafe E. coli levels in the soil at Doniphan's Riverfront Park. Nestled not far from the banks of the Current River, the park was under water for three days when historic flooding hit Doniphan and has remained closed since the flood waters receded earlier this month...

By GEORGE F. WILL "But what good came of it at last?" Quoth little Peterkin. "But 'twas a famous victory." Robert Southey "The Battle of Blenheim" (1798) WASHINGTON -- Southey, a pacifist, wrote his anti-war poem long after the 1704 battle for which the Duke of Marlborough was awarded Blenheim Palace, where his great-great-great-great-great-great grandson Winston Churchill would be born. ...

Saturday, June 3, a medical team will travel to Honduras on a mission trip for a week. Among those joining the team will be Josh Wilson, 17, of Poplar Bluff, a member of New Home General Baptist Church. At the age of 9, Wilson became a Christian. Approximately eight months ago, he told his pastor, Calvin Buhler, of his desire to go on an international mission trip. ...

BY WALTER E. WILLIAMS Parents, taxpayers and donors have little idea of the levels of lunacy, evil and lawlessness that have become features of many of today's institutions of higher learning. Parents, taxpayers and donors who ignore or are too lazy to find out what goes on in the name of higher education are nearly as complicit as the professors and administrators who promote or sanction the lunacy, evil and lawlessness. ...

Jason Jarrell's parents Denny and Paula will have twice as many reason to drive to Evangel University next year. Jarrell recently signed to play baseball for the Crusaders and his older sister Allison will be a senior on the basketball team. The family connection to the school provided Jarrell with a little more familiarity, but it wasn't the reason he chose the school...

The theory behind Missouri's first-year high school pitching limitations rule is simple: High pitch counts have been put on ice, so fewer young arms have to be. The new regulation added a wrinkle to the high school baseball regular season, but this week it revealed how much those rules can affect the postseason...

GREENVILLE, Mo. - Nelda Humphreys, 82, formerly of Greenville, died Thursday, May 18 at her daughter's home in O'Fallon, Mo. Arrangements are pending with Morrison-Worley Funeral Chapel in Greenville.

NEELYVILLE, Mo.-- Robert "Bob" K. Day, 53, of Naylor, died Wednesday, May 17, 2017 at St. Francis Medical Center, Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Saturday, a Fowler-Sullivan Memorial Chapel. Service will follow at 1 p.m. at the Fowler-Sullivan Memorial Chapel...

Jack LeGrand has commanded pitches from two different angles over the last two seasons. LeGrand thought he was destined to be a pitcher ever since he can remember, from his little league days and right up to high school. Now that he's fully explored a different angle of the 60-feet, 6-inches, going from the mound to behind the plate, LeGrand is finding success at both...

Andre Landon Williams is the name chosen by Brynn Angelica Ritenhouse and Ivan Deshea Williams of Poplar Bluff for their 6-pound, 9-ounce son born at 2:01 a.m., Friday, May 5, 2017, at Saint Francis Medical Center's Family BirthPlace in Cape Girardeau. Andre was 19 1/2" long...

Jack Miller, 76, of Poplar Bluff, died Thursday, May 18, 2017 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Arrangements are pending with Moore Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff. Online condolences: www.moorefuneralservice.com

Ralph Muzny, Jr., 63, of Williamsville, died Tuesday, May 16, 2017 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Arrangements are pending with Moore Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff. Online condolences: www.moorefuneralservice.com

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- With Memorial Day just 10 days away the housing options for some Van Buren residents who were forced from their homes earlier this month by historic flooding are shrinking. On Wednesday, Carter County Emergency Management Agency Director Curt Majors posted this message on Facebook: "I'm getting several calls today from people who will be homeless in the next few days because of hotels or rental cabins booking up for the tourist season...