Stories from Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Three area residents were arrested Saturday night during at traffic stop in which suspected illegal narcotics and weapons were found. At about 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Poplar Bluff Police Patrolman Billie Duckett, who has a license plate reader installed in his vehicle, received a "stolen vehicle alert while on routine patrol in the area of south Poplar Bluff," according to a news release...

An Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter based at Poplar Bluff's airport is expected to relocate in approximately a week. The unit will move to a permanent home at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, said Municipal Airport interim director Gary Pride. Messages left Monday for the Air Evac corporation were not returned as of press time...

GIDEON, Mo. - Carl Pikey, 77, of Clarkton, Mo., died Sat., January 6, 2017 at his residence. Visitation will be at 11:30 a.m., Tues., January 9 at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Gideon. The funeral will follow at 1 p.m. in the Bradshaw Chapel in Gideon. Burial will be in Stanfield Cemetery in Clarkton. www.bradshawfh.com...

PUXICO, Mo. -- James "Tim" Whitehead, 58, of Alton, Ill., died Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017 at Alton Memorial Hospital. Visitation was held at noon Monday, Jan. 8, 2018 in the Morgan Sifford Funeral Home Chapel in Puxico. A memorial service followed at 1 p.m. in the Morgan Sifford Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Ray Placher officiating. Burial arrangements are pending. Morgan Sifford Funeral Home in Puxico is in charge of arrangements...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Two Dexter citizens recently addressed the Stoddard County commissioners on their concerns of a slaughter house to be opened in their subdivision of Davis Survey. Dale Kirkbride and Doug Clark said they had many questions about the business, Rock Ridge Farms Meat Company, that have not been answered including control of smell, potential respiratory diseases and would the slaughter house be in operation into the late night hours...

Jesse Otto Ice, 74, of Wappapello died Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017 at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. There were no services per his wishes. Online condolences: www.moorefuneralservice.com.

By STEPHEN MOORE Since the day Donald Trump was elected president in November 2016, the Dow Jones industrial average has risen by some 35 percent, making the last 14 months one of the greatest bull market runs in history. Some $6 trillion of wealth has been created for Americans -- which is very good news for the 55 million Americans with 401(k) plans, the 25 million or so who have IRAs, and another 20 million with company pension plans and employee stock ownership plans...

A frequent point I have made in past columns has been about the educational travesty happening on many college campuses. Some people have labeled my observations and concerns as trivial, unimportant and cherry-picking. While the spring semester awaits us, let's ask ourselves whether we'd like to see repeats of last year's antics...

In one of his last acts before leaving the White House, President Obama stunned our friends and allies when he failed to block the United Nations (UN) from voting to condemn one of America's strongest allies in the world, Israel. President Obama stood idly by, allowing the UN to scold Israel for defending their land in the West Bank and establishing settlements in a place that is rightfully theirs. ...

Dr. George A. Aldridge passed away Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018 in Poplar Bluff, Mo. where he has been a respected member of the medical community since 1986. Dr. Aldridge was born Feb.22, 1937 in Robstown, Texas. He completed medical school at Tulane School of Medicine in 1964. His career spanned more than fifty years, beginning in Ft. Sill, Okla. where he was a military Major...

NEELYVILLE, Mo. - DeWayne Turner, 56, of Doniphan, Mo., died Friday, January 5, 2018 at his residence. Visitation will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, January 9 at the West Point United Pentecostal Church Doniphan. The memorial service will follow at 1 p.m. at the church. Fowler & Sons Funeral Home of Neelyville is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may be given on our website fowlerandsonsfuneralhome.com...

PARK HILLS, Mo. --Leading state-ranked Park Hills Central by a point with six minutes remaining, the Poplar Bluff girls basketball team fell into a trap Monday night. The Rebels scored eight straight points to surge ahead and senior Skyler Amonette sank 8 of 9 free throws to hold off the Mules 73-63...

DEXTER -- Maycie Martin and the Dexter Bearcats opened their home schedule with a bang Monday night. Martin scored a game-high 33 points, and the Bearcats rolled past the Kennett Indians 90-31 in their SEMO Conference opener at the Bearcat Event Center...

Bonnie B. Jett, 59, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018 at her residence. She was born on April 17, 1958 in St. Louis, Mo. Ms. Jett loved caring for her pets and spending time with family and friends. She is survived her brother; Raymond Rodgers and sisters; Joyce Wait, Barbara Rankin and Linda Kay Rodgers, and her companion; William D. King...

Like a lot of people, clothes were on Amy Essner's Christmas wish list this year. Unlike others, however, her list was born of necessity. The need arose from losing 117 pounds in 2017, and her wardrobe is a work in progress. "I'm working on it," Essner said. "I got to where I had to. I couldn't keep my pants up."...

Jerry Wayne Curtis, 72, of Poplar Bluff, passed away on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born on Feb. 4, 1945 to Stanley and Iris (James) Curtis in Seymour, Ind.. He graduated from Jefferson High School in Upland, Ind. in 1963. On Nov. 20, 1964 he married Brenda Hyatt in Gas City, Ind...

NAYLOR -- Callee Pickrell put up 45 points for the Eagles, the most by any Naylor player since at least 2006, as Naylor beat East Carter 63-32 in an Ozark Foothills Conference game. The senior center had 19 field goals and was 7 for 13 at the foul line. She had 26 points in the first half and 37 going into the fourth quarter, out-scoring all of East Carter with a quarter to spare. Pickrell scored all but six of Naylor's points in the middle two quarters of the game...

MALDEN -- The success continued for the Malden Green Wave in the Bootheel Conference on Monday. Malden improved to 3-0 in Bootheel Conference regular season play with a 60-49 home win against the Senath-Hornersville Lions. "They are starting to mold together and I've said it from the get-go, 'It's not about where you start but how your finish,'" Malden coach Josh Herring said. ...

Three area students have been awarded scholarships to attend Southeast Missouri State University for the 2018-2019 academic year: Joshua Hamann of Puxico, Mo., has received the Regents' Scholarship. Hamann is the son of Jeff and Julie Hamann of Puxico, and will be a 2018 graduate of Puxico High School...

SENATOBIA, Miss. - Daniel Robey of Dexter is among the list of distinguished Northwest Mississippi Community College students to be recognized for making the Dean's List for their outstanding academic work during the Fall 2017 semester. The Dean's List includes students completing a minimum of 12 semester hours with a 3.50 to 3.74 grade point average...

If there is a certain type of person who finds solace in running miles upon miles, day in and day out, then 65-year-old Linda Null of Wappapello is that type of person. On Dec. 30, just days after her birthday, the retired school teacher laced up her sneakers and ran 13.1 miles through frigid air to complete her 65th half-marathon or greater race, Run for the Ranch in Springfield, Mo...

From Staff Reports Puxico has a new fire chief and two assistant chiefs appointed Dec. 21 by the Puxico Board of Aldermen. The aldermen voted in a closed session to appoint Stacy Starnes fire chief, Wyatt Taylor and Eugene Goodale assistant fire chiefs, as well as hire Tim Davis as city hall/library custodian...

The Poplar Bluff Toastmasters are changing their weekly meeting from Wednesday to Thursday. The meeting will be from 6-7 p.m. at Bread + Butler. Additional information may be obtained from the group's Facebook page.

Overcoming a drug addiction can be a huge mountain to take on without help and a local church is making advances to assist those who need it most. Over the past two years, Life Chapel Assembly of God has created a support and recovery ministry group named Harvest Hill for those struggling with drug addictions. The organization was created by individuals with past addictions who have went through the rehabilitation program in Arkansas called John 3:16 Ministries...

Students earning a place on the Puxico Junior High School second quarter honor roll include: Eighth Grade Highest Honors: Alexis Ackerman, Alexis Ganus, Kyle Holden, Lydia Holden, Samuel Jones, Tanner Melton, Jacey Parsley, Jerricka Powell and Jada Vaughn...

As we begin a new year, I hope it is with deep gratitude to God, not only for the blessings of the past year but for the hope of new opportunities in which we may accomplish his purposes for us. It is so easy to get caught in a web of activities pertaining to our personal desires that we neglect the spiritual aspect of our lives...

Register now for the Ag Expo Beauty Pageant, which will be held at the Ag Expo 2018 on Saturday, Jan. 20, at the Black River Coliseum in Poplar Bluff, Mo. The divisions include: 9:30 a.m., Baby Girl, birth to 11 months; 10 a.m., Toddler Girl, 1 year to 23 months; 10:30 a.m., Petite Miss, 2 to 4 years; 11 a.m., Little Miss, 5 to 7 years; 11:30 a.m., Junior Miss, 8 to 12 years; noon, Miss Ag Expo, 13 to 18 years...

He has become somewhat of an institution in the City of Dexter over the years. Those who don't know Joe Weber personally certainly know the Weber name. Weber has had a presence in downtown Dexter at the family business, Weber's Ben Franklin, since the mid-1950s, and since 2002, has filled the seat of Dexter's mayor...

Doris Ann Leslie, 80, of Puxico, Mo., daughter of the late Delbert and Mildred Ashbaugh Townsend, was born in Puxico, Sept. 9, 1937, and passed away at the Puxico Nursing & Rehab Center in Puxico Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. Doris had lived in Granite City, Ill., and Sioux Falls, S.D. before moving to Puxico in 1985. She had worked in commercial laundry service. She enjoyed cooking and gardening...

Jeanette Tutor, 58, of Broseley, Mo., died Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Visitation was at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5, 2018 at White-Sanders Funeral Home, Fisk. Funeral services was at 11 a.m. Saturday in the funeral home chapel with Rev. Jim Sanders officiating. Burial will be in Brown Chapel Cemetery at Broseley, Mo...

Three area students have been awarded scholarships to attend Southeast Missouri State University for the 2018-2019 academic year: Joshua Hamann of Puxico, Mo., has received the Regents' Scholarship. Hamann is the son of Jeff and Julie Hamann of Puxico, and will be a 2018 graduate of Puxico High School...

Residents in nursing homes have rights mandated by federal and state law. The Ombudsman Program was established by the Older American's Ace to a 'voice' for residents in long term care facilities, assuring that resident rights are upheld. The Ombudsman Program seeks to advocate for individual residents as well as inform the public regarding nursing home issues...