Stories from Friday, January 19, 2018

Pay requests for K&S Construction Inc., totaling nearly $140,000 were approved unanimously by the Poplar Bluff R-1 Board of Education at January's monthly meeting on Thursday. The four requests submitted between Oct. 2 and Nov. 30 were questioned by board members last month and tabled for further consideration. The approved total includes retainment of $40,000...

Four Southeast Missouri lawmakers said they won't rush to judgment over Gov. Eric Greitens' admission to having had an extramarital affair before he became governor. Greitens publicly has denied allegations he took compromising photos of the woman and then blackmailed her with them to keep quiet about the affair. Multiple media outlets have published audio recordings of the mistress making those claims during her confession of the affair to her then-husband, who was secretly recording her...

MALDEN, Mo. -- Norma Ruth Crossfield, 79, of Clarkton, Mo., died Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018 at New Madrid Living Center in New Madrid. Visitation will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19 until service time at 3 p.m. Both will be at the Bradshaw Funeral Home Chapel in Malden with Rev. Andy Evans officiating. Burial will be in Stanfield Cemetery in Clarkton...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Walter Marsh Watkins, 89, of Dexter, died Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018 at the Crowley Ridge Care Center in Dexter. Visitation from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20 at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will follow at 1 p.m. at the Watkins and Sons Chapel in Dexter. Burial will be in the Dexter Cemetery in Dexter with Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Dexter in charge of arrangements...

MALDEN, Mo. -- Sylvia Lesley, 95, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018 at Swift Creek Residential Care in Poplar Bluff. Visitation will begin at noon until service time Sunday at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Bradshaw Chapel in Malden with the Rev. Jim Morgan officiating. Burial will be in Stanfield Cemetery in Clarkton...

FISK, Mo. -- Ronnie (Beaver) Dale Templemire passed from this world Jan. 17, 2018 at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Dec. 18, 1956. He was preceded in death by his parents Fred and Mabel Templemire and his brother David Templemire...

PIEDMONT, Mo. - Ophie 'Jean' Eaton, 85, of Piedmont, died Friday, Jan. 5, 2018 at Clark's Mountain Nursing Center, Piedmont. Memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 20 at Tabernacle Baptist Church, Piedmont. Online condolences: www.rueggfuneralhomes.com...

By STEPHEN MOORE With the recent announcement of Walmart's increasing starting wages and Fiat Chrysler's opening a new plant (with 2,500 jobs) in Michigan, there are now more than a hundred companies that have offered bonuses and benefit hikes to their workers due to the tax cut. An estimated 1 million workers have benefited. This after less than one month...

Kenzie Clark Kenzie Clark is Sacred Heart School's January student of the month. She is in the fourth grade and is the daughter of Joe Clark and Stephanie Clark. She has a brother, Ashton and a sister, Kennedy. She enjoys helping her family and playing with them. Her favorite activity is playing with her sister and friends...

In one of the presidential tweets to make headlines, President Trump responded to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un's nuclear button threat by saying he had an even bigger and more powerful one. Whether you love or loathe the president's tweets, one must look beyond the 280-character count to assess the administration's foreign policies. ...

By ADRIANA COHEN Democrats are out of touch. They made that abundantly clear when every liberal lawmaker rejected the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and did everything possible to obstruct its historic passage. Instead of working in a bipartisan manner to help grow the U.S. economy and restore the American dream for all, liberal politicians -- including Democratic Party leadership -- told voters the GOP tax bill would be bad for them, bad for the economy and a gift to the rich...

Martha June Franklin, 81, of St. James, Mo., died Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018 at St. James Care Center. A graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Lone Hill Cemetery on Hwy F in Butler County with Rev. Tim Freeman officiating. Cotrell Funeral Service is honored to serve the family of Martha June Franklin; visit www.cotrellfuneralservice.com to share memories or to leave a condolence...

Peggy Jean Allen, 74, of Williamsville, MO, passed away on Thursday, January 18, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Peggy is survived by her loving spouse, J.R. Allen; two children, Connie Allen and Derek "Ricky" Allen; four grandchildren, five great-grandchildren; two brothers, a sister, and several nieces and nephews. We know there are so many more people who think of her as mom, grandma, or Aunt Peggy...

Mary Helen Woodfin, 93, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018 at Oakdale Care Center in Poplar Bluff. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

Ronald Porter, 75, of Grandin, Mo., died Monday, Jan. 15, 2018 at his residence. He was born in Kansas City, Mo. Dec. 8, 1942, to the late William E. Porter and Burnis Jones Porter. He attended the Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Ronald served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War. He then was a manager of the tire department of Sam's Club...

DEXTER -- Junior Alan Pippins provided the spark, and the Dexter Bearcats came to life in the fourth quarter Thursday night to beat rival Bernie 55-44 at Dexter High School. The Bearcats, who trailed for much of the Stoddard County Activities Association game, outscored Bernie 25-14 in the fourth...

KENNETT, Mo. -- It took a little extra time but the Kennett girls basketball team found a way to rally past the visiting Twin Rivers in the closing minutes Thursday night. Kennett overcame a six-point deficit in the closing six minutes of the fourth quarter to force overtime and scored the final five points of the extra session as the Indians outlasted Twin Rivers 46-43...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Kiley Bess found herself all alone and heading straight towards the basket. The Poplar Bluff sophomore was about to put an exclamation point on her fantastic night and solidify a hard-fought, overtime victory over Sikeston with a wide-open layup as the final seconds ticked off...

BUNKER, Mo. -- Ellington advanced to championship game of the Black River League Tournament with a 70-54 win over East Carter on Thursday. The Whippets face South Iron in the final Saturday. Ellington got balanced scoring from Will Copeland, Dravin Helfersty and Brycen King. Helferstay led the team with 18 points. King sank five 3-pointers and finished with 17 points while Copeland was 4 for 6 on free throws and finished with 14 points...

Tonya Lynn (Nelson) Byrley and Joshua Adam Byrley of Naylor, Mo., are the parents of a daughter Emmalynn Louann Byrley, who was born at 6:02 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017, at Saint Francis Healthcare System in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Emmalynn weighed 2 pounds 14 ounces and was 15 1/2 inches tall...

GRANDIN, Mo. - Essie Pennington, 90, of Grandin, died Sat., Jan. 13, 2018. A graveside servivce will be at 11 a.m., Wed., January 24 at Joplin New Hope Cemetery in Grandin. Fitch-Hillis Funeral Home in Poplar Bluff is in charge of arrangements.

Amy Nicole Haas and Bobby Dwayne Haas of Bloomfield, Mo., are the parents of a 7 pound 3 ounce son Kashton Ames Haas born at 8:11 a.m. Jan. 12, 2018 at Saint Francis Healthcare System, Cape Girardeau, Mo. Kaston was 18 3/4 inches tall. Kashton has one brother and one sister. Grandparents are Harold and Jeannie Henson of Bloomfield, Mo., and Vanessa Mace of Dexter, Mo...

The city of Poplar Bluff could invest more than $9 million in a 26-year-old medical center it appears could be constructed new for less than $8.5 million, according to information detailed in nearly 200 pages of documents obtained by the Daily American Republic...

A Butler County judge dismissed the charges earlier this month against a Poplar Bluff, Mo., man accused of murdering his stepgrandfather whose unresponsive body was pulled from their burning home in June. Brett Wade Payne, 29, appeared on Dec. 4 before Associate Circuit Judge John Bloodworth for a preliminary hearing on the Class A felonies of first-degree murder and first-degree arson...

Superintendent Brad Hagood updated the Neelyville R-IV Board of Education during its monthly meeting Thursday evening on a proposition the Booster Club has to better engage the area and students with the school and athletic programs. The Booster Club is interested in getting a 11x7 foot videoboard to be placed in the high school gym...