Stories from Thursday, January 18, 2018

Utility cash may have helped the city of Poplar Bluff, but it was not needed to make any debt payments, according to city manager Mark Massingham. An extra $243,086.22 in utility money has been held in the city's accounts payable fund since May 18, 2017...

Mers Goodwill recently announced it will open an adult high school in Poplar Bluff, with classes beginning in January 2019. The Goodwill Excel Center will aim to help adults 21 and over complete a regular high school degree, and in some cases certified career training, at no cost to students...

From Staff Reports Heartland Agriculture and Natural Resources Expo (Ag Expo) Friday and Saturday will feature more than 100 vendors displaying all aspects of agriculture and natural resources in Southeast Missouri and Northeast Arkansas with a few additional vendors from Texas and Tennessee, as well as adult and youth based educational programs, at the Black River Coliseum in downtown Poplar Bluff. Admission is $1 for adults and free for youth...

Completion of the Libla Family Sports Complex has been postponed again, this time until April 25 from a previously extended February target date. Three Rivers College President Dr. Wesley Payne said the repeated delays by Huffman Construction are the result of the company, which claims to be "running behind."...

Howard Eugene Dunlap, 85, of Harviell, Mo., passed away Sunday, Jan. 14, 2018 at the Landmark Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Mr. Dunlap was born Dec. 19, 1932 in Harviell. He worked as a farmer and enjoyed woodworking, gardening, his farming and reading. He was a member of the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church where he had served as a deacon of the church...

Earline Nash, 82, of Bartlett, Tenn., died at her residence, Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018. She was born in Athens, Alabama April 2, 1935 to the late Roy L. Baker and Florence Odis Chandler Baker. She was a longtime resident of Southeast Missouri. She was a member of the Latter Day Saints Church...

Screening appointments for the Poplar Bluff Early Childhood Center for 2018-2019 school year will begin on Thursday, Feb. 15, by appointment only. To make a screening appointment please call 785-6803 and ask for Sandy Case. You MUST have your child's social security number available when calling to schedule an appointment...

Michael Nichols, 59, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. passed away Jan. 13, 2018. Mr. Nichols was born May 18, 1958. He was the son of the late Eddie and Mildred Nichols. He is survived by two sisters, Shirley Nichols and Vickie Mills, Funeral and burial arrangements are incomplete at this time...

Puxico Elementary School third, fourth and fifth grade students earning places on the second quarter honor roll includes: Third Grade: Jaden Arnold, Jonah Beavers, Emma Brown, Emberlyn Buchanan, William Burkman, Gracie Campbell, Hope Clark, Jalynn Credille, Kiersten DeLong, Kaylee Dumas, Aidan Earnheart, Hayden Farris, Tyler Fortner, Brody Frost, Makenzie Grubbs, Layla Hale, Addison Hancock, Miley Harmon, Bryson Helm, Olivia Hughes, Rylee Killian, Dillan Lambert, Isaiah Lane, Jude Lawrence, Aydn Mainard, Mary McClure, Jacob McMeans, Rylie McIntyre, Grant McMillan, Emily Melton, Taylor Muller, Phoebe O'Dell, Garrett Oliver, Lilly Oliver, Kylee Peters, Kelsi Placher, Aubree Powell, Kaitlynn Powers, Maggie Reinert, Marley Sheren, Carlee Smith, Hunter Smith, Shalen Smith, Megan Smothers, Chasidy Taylor, Maddalyn Ward, Johnathan Watkins, Kelley Welch, Arica Wilkinson and Brayden Zych.. ...

The members of the Missouri House came together this week to make substantive ethics reform a top priority for the 2018 legislative session. The House gave initial approval to gift ban legislation that is similar to bills that received bipartisan House approval in both 2016 and 2017, but failed to secure final passage in the Senate...

By MICHELLE MALKIN Salt water. Seagulls. Striped bass. My fondest childhood memories come from fishing with my dad on the creaky piers and slick jetties of the Jersey shore. The Atlantic Ocean is in my blood. So when fishing families in New England reached out to me for help spreading word about their economic and regulatory struggles, I immediately heeded their call...

Register for the Ag Expo Beauty Pageant Saturday, Jan. 20 to be held at the Ag Expo 2018 at the Black River Coliseum in Poplar Bluff. 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...

Krisman Eakin will be running with a little less worry this spring after the Poplar Bluff senior took advantage of the early signing period in November, committing to run at Harding University. "It's stressful as it is, so usually if I didn't make the times that I would need to senior year I would be stressing," Eakin said...

Kids gardening adventure Ag Expo will once again play host to a day of Garden Adventures for children on Saturday, Jan. 20 anytime from 9 a.m. until noon. The group will be located in the northwest corner on the ground level of the coliseum. Hands-on activities for children will include, plant propagation, chia pets, bird feeders and small terrariums. This event is hosted by the Poplar Bluff Master Gardeners...

Missouri's 112-day archery deer and turkey seasons wrapped up Monday, with hunters taking 51,722 deer. That's well above last year's harvest of 47,550 and ranks third in the state's history behind the 2014 season and the record-setter in 2012, when 53,997 deer were killed...

Jaxson Huffman will enter his senior year this spring having just 11 total career varsity at-bats for the Poplar Bluff baseball team. He's already signed a National Letter of Intent to play Jefferson College in the fall. "Jaxson is a guy that's forgotten a lot of times because he's not on the field," Mules coach Steve Edwards said. "He's that utility guy we had in the past and this year we're looking for him to step up and being a senior leader, playing and doing a lot of things for us."...

Essie A. Pennington, 90, of Grandin, Mo. died at her residence Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018. She was born in Neelyville, Mo. Jan. 6, 1928 to the late James D. Hinkle and Clara A. Glasgow Hinkle. She was a longtime resident of Carter County. Essie was of the Baptist faith...

LITTLE ROCK -- Chronic wasting disease, detected in Arkansas almost two years ago, has been found in three more counties. Four white-tailed deer in Benton, Washington and Sebastian counties recently tested positive for the deadly disease, according to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission...

The January meeting of the Cane Creek Community Club was Wednesday at Twin Towers in the Snyder Room with fie members present. Nancy Wujcik was hostess. President Wilma Rains opened the meeting with a song, "How Great Thou Art." Wujcik led in repeating the "Lord's Prayer" and the group recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Glenda Phillips read "Storms of Life." The treasurer's report was given showing a balance of $20.05...

Martha J. Franklin, of St. James, Mo., died Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018 at St. James Care Center in St. James. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- It is almost a law of our political physics: Those who choose to leave Congress thereby demonstrate qualities that make one wish they would linger here longer. After seven terms in the House of Representatives, which followed eight years in Pennsylvania's House of Representatives and six in the state Senate, Republican Charlie Dent, 57, is moving on without knowing his destination...

DONIPHAN, Mo. - Walter James "Bud" Harris, 82, died Monday, January 15, 2018 at his residence in rural Ripley County. A graveside service will be at 1 p.m., Friday, January 19 at the Belleview Cemetery in rural Ripley County with Brother Hubert Payne officiating...

George Edward "Eddie" Crudgington, 79, of Piedmont, Mo., formerly of Poplar Bluff, died Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018 at Clarks Mountain Nursing Home in Piedmont. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff...

Carroll Sue Belt, 86, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., entered the gates of Heaven and lovingly met face to face with her Lord and Savior on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018 at Oakdale Care Center in Poplar Bluff. Carroll, the daughter of the late Elden and Elva Mae Grogan Kirby, was born Oct. ...

Michele Coon received an early Christmas present that would change her future career path with the Missouri State Highway Patrol. After having served as a zone sergeant since 2009 in Lincoln and Pike counties in Troop C, Coon, a 20-year veteran of the highway patrol, recently became Troop E's newest lieutenant...