Stories from Thursday, December 7, 2017

Federal prosecutors have asked a judge to order Cape Girardeau neurosurgeon Sonjay Fonn and fiancee Deborah Seeger to pay $6.53 million in penalties and "treble damages" after being convicted of submitting false and fraudulent Medicare and Medicaid claims...

Once the final ornament was placed among the 10 Christmas trees at the Poplar Bluff Museum, Lake Road Elementary was voted as the People's Choice winner for its "What kid doesn't want a puppy for Christmas" themed tree. "As always, the creativity of the trees was just amazing," Kati Ray with the Poplar Bluff Museum said. "The educators really bring their 'A game' to the event. It was obvious that the students were heavily involved with creating the trees and the ornaments."...

A longtime Poplar Bluff retailer will make a significant change in the New Year, while two businesses are expected to open before the end of 2017 as retail expansion continues for the city. J.C. Penney will add cosmetic store Sephora to their South Westwood Boulevard location, according to a permit for a $180,000 renovation. The permit is currently being reviewed by the city planning department...

President Donald Trump has spoken vociferously about American "energy dominance." That's good news for your energy bills, but also the economy at large. Before understanding how we can achieve energy dominance, it's important to note that the U.S. is already a global energy powerhouse. ...

By ADRIANA COHEN Amid the tidal wave of sexual misconduct allegations taking down Matt Lauer, Charlie Rose and other titans across industries -- causing swaths of men to lose their jobs and some to even face civil or criminal suits -- it's imperative that the "Me Too" movement define exactly what the boundaries are surrounding sexual harassment. And once those needed parameters are clearly defined, women must not move the goal posts randomly and thus cause further confusion...

Officials in Catalonia, Spain's richest and most highly industrialized region, whose capital is Barcelona, recently held a referendum in which there was a 92 percent vote in favor of independence from Spain. The Spanish authorities opposed the referendum and claimed that independence is illegal. ...

When you have to fight with Mother Nature on your highly-anticipated managed deer hunt, you usually lose, and that's pretty much the story from the Mingo National Wildlife Refuge last weekend. Seventy-six people hunted on the refuge during its annual muzzleloader deer hunt, taking a mere 10 deer and six feral hogs over the course of the two-day event...

Butler County has a new conservation agent to replace Caleb Pryor, who left for Livingston County after two years in Poplar Bluff. Mark Skelton now joins veteran Frank Campa as the second agent for the county. Skelton is a 2015 graduate of the University of Tennessee-Martin with a degree in natural resources management, including a fisheries concentration...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Xander Martin and Adrian Webb knocked down consecutive 3-pointers to start the game and suddenly Poplar Bluff's offensive struggles from the previous day were a distant memory. The Mules scored more points in the first half Wednesday in an 83-51 win over New Madrid County Central than all of their opening-round loss at the SEMO Conference Tournament...

The bombing of Pearl Harbor was a pivotal moment in U.S. and world history. The attack thrust the U.S. into World War II and set in motion a series of events that would transform the country into a global superpower and guardian of international order. Seventy-six years later, this legacy of Pearl Harbor now faces perhaps its biggest challenge...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- The Kelly girls basketball team barely had enough time to know what hit it. Puxico opened the game on a 20-0 run, sparked by 6-of-11 shooting on 3-pointers in the first quarter, and breezed to a 63-30 victory over the Hawks in a quarterfinal of the Lady Red Devils Invitational on Wednesday evening at Chaffee High School...

Markeia Porter hasn't been home since the beginning of the school year. That is typical for a Three Rivers athlete, especially ones from out of the area. Last year, Porter made it home to Louisville, Kentucky, for Thanksgiving and Christmas. She stayed on campus this year for Thanksgiving and is craving her grandmother's ribs, baked beans and potato salad...

GIDEON, Mo. -- Sylvia Lee Mullen, 92, of Poplar Bluff, formerly of Gideon, died Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017, at Mark Twain Caring Center, Poplar Bluff. She was born June 1, 1925 in Dexter. She a member of the First Baptist Church of Gideon. She married Samuel Edward "Jack" Mullen, Aug. 19, 1952 in Piggott, Ark. He preceded her in death, Jan. 10, 2013...

William Marvin Scott, 91, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Wed., Nov. 15, 2017 at John J. Pershing VA Medical Center. Visitation will be at 10 a.m., Friday, Dec. 8 at the Cotrell Funeral Chapel in Poplar Bluff. The funeral will follow at noon. Burial with full military honors will be in Gresham Cemetery in Carter County, Mo...

Hannah Noe didn't get any rest against Austin Peay. The Dexter alumna played all 40 minutes and led the University of Evansville with 29 points. Noe was 6 for 11 on 3-pointers, 8 for 16 overall and 7 for 8 on free throws. She also had two rebounds and an assist in the 82-73 loss on Saturday...

Poplar Bluff's Stage Company will perform "A Seussified Christmas Carol" at the Rodgers Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8, 9, 15 and 16, and at 3 p.m. on Dec. 17.