Stories from Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Poplar Bluff city officials announced shortly before 8 a.m. today that a special meeting will be held Wednesday to discuss personnel and real estate matters. The meeting will begin in open session at 6:30 p.m. and go into closed session following citizens' input. It will be held at the city council chambers in the Oak Street location of the former city hall...

Butler County commissioners approved a $23.3 million budget for 2018 on Monday. The county will spend about $32,000 on a 2 percent increase to payroll, before fringe benefit costs. It ended 2017 approximately $1.6 million in the black, with just under half of that gain in the road and bridge fund. Almost a quarter of it, or almost $370,000, went into the general fund cash reserve...

KENNETT, Mo. -- A Malden, Mo., woman was ordered to stand trial Monday afternoon in the death of a man killed in an apparent attempted robbery. Accompanied by Sharon Turlington and Robert Lundt with the capital division of the Public Defender's Office, Brianna L. Bonaparte, 23, was to appear before Associate Circuit Judge Joe Satterfield for a preliminary hearing on the Class A felonies of first-degree murder and first-degree robbery and two unclassified felonies of armed criminal action...

DONIPHAN, Mo. -- A Doniphan man is to appear in court Wednesday after he recently was charged with drug trafficking. Jason Dewayne Lee Jr., 22, is to appear before Associate Circuit Judge Thomas Swindle for arraignment on the Class B felony of first-degree drug trafficking, three Class D felonies of possession of a controlled substance and the Class E felonies of possession of drug paraphernalia and unlawful use of a weapon...

Federal employees at area lakes and national parks are working again this morning after a three-day shutdown, but are funded only through Feb. 8. Operations were in the process of being reduced to essential personnel when a short-term spending plan was passed by Congress and signed late Monday by the president...

FAIRDEALING, Mo. -- A Doniphan, Mo., man, who authorities say believed aliens were watching him, allegedly was high on methamphetamine Saturday when he wielded an ax at an elderly couple and injured their son. Christopher D. Waddell, 39, was arrested after a three-hour standoff with authorities and subsequently charged with two Class B felonies of second-degree assault, the Class D felony of second-degree assault and the Class E felonies of first-degree property damage and resisting arrest by Ripley County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Matthew Michel.. ...

CAMPBELL, Mo. - Helen Thompson, 65 of Campbell, died Friday, January 19, 2018 at NHC Healthcare in Kennett, Mo. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m., Monday, January 22 at the Landess Funeral Home in Campbell. The funeral will be at 10 a.m., Tuesday, January 23 at the funeral home chapel with Rev. Darren Baker officiating. Burial will follow at St. Teresa Cemetery in Glennonville...

DEXTER, Mo. - Terry Wayne Hunsaker, 51, of Dexter, died Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018 at his residence. Visitation will be after 11 a.m., Monday, January 22 at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. The funeral will follow at 1 p.m. in the chapel with Rev. Dale Holman of Dexter officiating...

RISCO, Mo. - Dovie Beatrice Duckworth, 95, of Risco, died Sat., January 20, 2018 at her residence. Visitation will be at noon, Tues., January 23 at the Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden, Mo. The funeral will follow at 2 p.m., at Bradshaw Chapel - Malden with Rev. Joseph Duckworth and Rev. James Hamlett. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery in Malden. www.bradshawfh.com...

By WALTER E. WILLIAMS President Donald Trump said, "We are going to take a strong look at our country's libel laws so that when somebody says something that is false and defamatory about someone, that person will have meaningful recourse in our courts." The president was responding to statements made in Michael Wolff's new book, "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House."...

This week, hundreds of thousands of Americans came to our nation's Capital to March for Life. Sadly, we have lost more than 60 million lives in the United States since abortion became legal and Roe v. Wade was upheld by the Supreme Court 45 years ago. ...

CAMPBELL, Mo. - Helen Thompson, 65 of Campbell, passed away on Friday, Jan. 19, 2018 at NHC Healthcare in Kennett, Mo. Helen, daughter of Melvin and Fern Wheeling Wiley, was born on Friday, Jan. 2, 1953 in Malden, Mo. She graduated from Southeast University with a Bachelor's Degree in Education. She was a retired third grade Teacher having taught in Campbell and was a member of the Campbell General Baptist Church...

The Agee Community Club met at Ryan's Thursday, Jan. 11, with club President Cathy Womack as hostess. Womack opened the meeting with the members repeating the club motto, "When the heart if full of love, the world is full of beauty." Invocation was offered by Jeanie Figgins. Devotional was selected by Nickey Orton and was read by Nadine Johnson from Hebrews 4:16. Roll call was answered by "Did you make a New Year's resolution, and if you had, have you already broken it?"...

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Darrel Lee Barton, 67, of Van Buren, died Friday, Jan. 19, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018 at the First Baptist Church in Van Buren with Rev. Ron Robinson officiating...

NEELYVILLE, Mo. - Rocky Allen Frisk, 50, of Oxly, Mo., died Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018 at his home. No services are scheduled at this time. Fowler & Sons Funeral Home in Neelyville is in charge of arrangements.

ELLSINORE, Mo. -- Alvin "Bud" Edward Norman, 87, of Ellsinore, died Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018 at his residence. Visitation will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26, 2018 at the McSpadden Funeral Home on Ellsinore with the funeral service being held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018 in the funeral home chapel. Burial will be at Whites Mill Cemetery in Ellsinore...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Charles H. Newman Jr., 67. of Poplar Bluff, Mo. died Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. A visitation was at 11 a.m., Monday, January 22 at Fitch-Hillis Funeral Home in Poplar Bluff. The funeral followed at noon with Elder Robert Duckett officiating. ...

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Vergia Louise Tarrence, 83, of Van Buren, died Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018 at the South Van Buren General Baptist Church in Van Buren. A private interment will be held for the immediate family at a later date...

NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Howard Murrel Green, 94, passed away on Sat., Jan. 20, 2018 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Mr. Green was born on August 1, 1923 in Corning, Ark. He worked as a farmer and had also worked in sawmill work. As well as working/owning a service station in Naylor. Howard was a member of the Antioch Baptist Church in Oxly...

CORNING, Ark. -- Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve. The FFA Motto Learning to Do...Hannah spent her time doing what she loved--basketball, trap, pageants, and FFA. Each new thing she learned she took it on with passion...

VULCAN, Mo. -- Robert Eugene Harris, 56, of Vulcan, Mo., also known as Geno, died Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018, at his residence. Memorial Services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018, at Free Spirit Baptist Church, Vulcan. Online condolences can be made at www.rueggfuneralhomes.com...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Paul William (Bill) Booker, of Poplar Bluff passed away on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018 at the age of 62. Bill was born to Paul and Eleanor Carter Booker on May 12, 1955 in Poplar Bluff, Mo., both of whom preceded him in death. An all-star pitcher with a wicked curve and a trumpet player for the marching band, he graduated as a member of the PBHS class of 1973. ...

TULSA, Okla. - James E Parker passed away Jan. 17 in Tulsa, Okla. He was born Nov. 15 1955 in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. He was preceded in death by parents A. C. Parker, Mary Lou Parker and brother Jack Parker. Jim completed college with an Associate of Arts from Three Rivers Community College, Bachelor of Science from Southeast Missouri State University and Bachelors in Architecture from the University of Arkansas School of Architecture in Fayetteville...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Roy Harold Green, 72, of Hardinsburg passed away Monday, Jan. 15, 2018 at Breckinridge Memorial Hospital after fighting a courageous battle with cancer. Harold was born March 30, 1945 in Poplar Bluff, Mo., to the late Roy H. and Florence Marie Cato Green. On June 22, 1981 he married the love of his life, Janet Bagby Green and she survives...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Charlotte Elaine Roach, 71, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. She was born on April 16, 1946 to the late James and Carma Ruble Sisk in St. Louis, Mo. Mrs. Roach was of the General Baptist faith...

Turnovers and missed shots added up to a long night for the Poplar Bluff girls basketball team against state-ranked Thayer. The Bobcats scored 34 points off turnovers and held Poplar Bluff to 32 percent shooting from the field to beat the Mules 77-51 Monday at the Senior High Gym...

JACKSON, Mo. --Sometimes you can get away with being less than your best, but not against a team like Neelyville. Already down a starter, Saxony Lutheran traded blows with the Tigers all night, but Neelyville came up with the plays down the stretch to prevail in the final moments, 62-60, and snap the host Crusaders' 11-game win streak Monday night...

ELLSINORE -- Without its leading rebounder, East Carter still dominated the boards. The Redbirds finished with 18 offensive rebounds, including three off missed free throws in the second half, to pull away from Greenville and win 75-57 Monday for its first Ozark Foothills Conference win of the season...

DEXTER, Mo. -- The top-seeded Dexter Bearcats and third-seeded Bernie Mules encountered little resistance in the first round of the Stoddard County Activities Association Tournament. The Bearcats rolled past eighth-seeded Bell City 93-30, and the Mules beat sixth-seeded Woodland 83-38 Monday at the Bearcat Event Center...

KENNETT, Mo. -- The 2018 new year got off to a tragic start for the Kennett Humane Department, according to Humane Officer Tena Petix. On Jan. 2, the humane officers were dispatched to a residence on Baldwin Street, where they discovered a scene that was just too much to bare...

SUMMERSVILLE -- Ethan Ponder and Hayden Towner scored all of Van Buren's 18 points in the fourth quarter to force overtime, but then No. 6 Ellington held them to one combined point in overtime as the Whippets upset the No. 3 Bulldogs 54-51 to advance in the Big Springs Conference Tournament...