Stories from Friday, February 16, 2018

A centerpiece in the Neelyville High School gym will soon get an update. The Neelyville R-IV Board of Education voted unanimously for Aalco Manufacturing of St. Louis, Mo., to install a new motorized curtain in the gymnasium for $15,433. Superintendent Brad Hagood said he favored the more expensive motorized curtain from Aalco of the three quotes received because of the option to take the curtain off the floor...

A Poplar Bluff, Mo., man ended Thursday morning in his boxers on the banks of the Black River after choosing a chilly swim in an alleged attempt to escape a traffic stop. Clinton Hunter Wallis, 25, was still booked at Butler County jail this morning, facing an additional charge of resisting arrest...

A Butler County jury took fewer than 45 minutes Thursday afternoon to acquit a local man of murdering his former brother-in-law who he had shot on the steps of a local mental health facility. The eight-man, four-woman jury found Eddie Joseph Skorcz not guilty of the Class A felony of second-degree murder and the unclassified felony of armed criminal action in connection to the October 2015 death of Mitchell Dugger...

The Three Rivers College Endowment Trust is asking community members to help pave the way for student success by purchasing a personalized brick to be laid at the Poplar Bluff campus. As part of the college's sidewalk improvement project, a $100 contribution will allow donors to leave a lasting impact on the landscape of Three Rivers College (TRC)...

A project review of the proposed early childhood center (ECH) was presented by Dille and Traxel Architecture at Thursday's Poplar Bluff R-1 Board of Education meeting. Currently located inside the Mark Twain School at 1235 North Main St., relocation of the facility to the current kindgergarten center site has been under discussion since the summer...

Ellen Lorraine Trout, 61, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at her residence. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, at Fowler-Sullivan Funeral Home in Poplar Bluff. The graveside service and burial will be a noon at the City Cemetery...

8th Annual Calling artists of all ages! The popular "Art for Animals" fund raiser is approaching fast and it's time to get your canvas. The eighth-annual, two-week art show and silent auction, which benefits the Animal Welfare Alliance (AWA), opens on April 6 at the Poplar Bluff Municipal Library...

By MARC A. THIESSEN WASHINGTON -- President Trump delivered a State of the Union address that won the approval of 75 percent of viewers, including 43 percent of Democrats. Normally, presidents try to ride the wave from a successful State of the Union as long as they can...

The Butler County Genealogy Society met Jan. 25 at the First United Methodist Church with 18 members and three guests attending. President Barbara Rexroad presided. Shon Griffin of the Poplar Bluff Public Library presented an update on the progress digitizing newspapers. ...

By MONA CHAREN I'm having trouble understanding why Rob Porter had to resign his job as White House staff secretary (the person who manages the paper flow in the West Wing). Yes, he was credibly accused of domestic abuse by two ex-wives. One produced a photo of her black eye and bruised cheek; the other had phoned 911 when he allegedly punched through the glass of her front door (they were separated) in an effort to break into her house. She obtained a protective order against him...

George Gibson, 79, of Dexter, Mo, died Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation will be held from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018 at Moore Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff. Funeral service will be held immediately following the visitation at 10 a.m. in the Moore Funeral Service Chapel...

CAMPBELL, Mo. -- Robert Randal Counts, 78, of Campbell, Mo., died Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018 at Piggott Community Hospital in Piggott, Ark. Visitation will be from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell. The funeral will follow at 2 p.m. in the funeral home chapel with the Rev. George Needham officiating. Burial will be in the Woodlawn Cemetery -- Landess Addition...

PIEDMONT, Mo.-- Helen Floyd, 81, of Piedmont died Thursday, Feb. 15, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Arrangements will be announced by Morrison-Worley Funeral Chapel, Piedmont.

To the Editor, As I laid there at home last night, I was pondering about what the future holds for not only myself but my family as well. I think about my grandchildren and what the world will be like when they get older. My grandsons are already 15 & 12 years old along with an almost three year old granddaughter with another one due in May. ...

ELLSINORE, Mo -- Ethel Belle Rayburn, 86, died Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018 at her residence in Ellsinore, Mo. A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018 in the Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Ellsinore. Online condolences: www.mcspaddenfh.com...

PUXICO, Mo. -- Virginia DeCelis, 94, formerly of Advance, Mo., died Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018, at Boonville, Mo. Visitation will begin at 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 18, at Morgan Sifford Funeral Home in Puxico. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 19, at the Morgan Sifford Chapel with Rev. Larry Underwood officiating. Burial will be in the Brown Cemetery in Puxico...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Adam "Eddie" Newell, Sr., 62, died at his home near Bloomfield Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018. Visitation will be held after 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018 at the Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home in Bloomfield until time of service at 1 p.m. with the Rev. Robert Poe of Jackson officiating. Burial will follow in the Walker Cemetery near Bloomfield with Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home of Bloomfield in charge of arrangements...

PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Walter Bearden, 85, of Piedmont, Mo., died Sunday, Feb. 11, 2018, at Clark's Mountain Nursing Center, Piedmont. Visitation will be held at 4:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 16, 2018, at Ruegg Funeral Home, Piedmont. Services will follow at 11 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018, at Victory Baptist Temple, Piedmont. Burial will follow with military honors at Eaton Cemetery near Piedmont...

DONIPHAN, Mo. -- James E. (Gene) Tennison, 96, formerly of Doniphan, Mo., passed away Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018 in Falls City, Neb. Gene was pre-deceased by his beloved wife Thelma Carrigan Tennison, his parents Franklin M. Tennison and Malissa Couch Tennison, brothers, Lewis, Frank (Bud), and William (Bill) Tennison and sisters Ilene Myers and Betty Tibbs...

To claim the SEMO Conference title for the first time in a dozen years, the Poplar Bluff boys basketball team needs a favor from rival Jackson. The Mules did their part Thursday night, using a 16-8 game-ending run to pull away from state-ranked Charleston for a 73-65 win on Senior Night at the Senior High Gym...

With Jeff Null's first full recruiting class, he signed an All-Star roster of area talent. All but one of the 17 Lady Raiders on this year's softball team are from Missouri. The lone outsider, from Mountain Home, Ark., is returning sophomore first baseman Peyton Gunn...

Down a point with 21 seconds left in double overtime, Jeffery Porter dribbled up court, drove and kicked to Chucky Wilson at the top of the key. Wilson dribbled down the lane and missed an off-balance shot, and the Raiders missed a putback. Porter and Wilson both got hands on the rebound and Porter, in between three Arkansas Baptist defenders, was fouled on the third-try putback with 0.5 seconds left...

COLUMBIA, Mo. --Three Dexter wrestlers advanced to the quarterfinals Thursday at the MSHSAA Class 2 State Wrestling Tournament at Columbia. Jett Featherston, Bryston Pemberton and Travis Waldner won their first-round matches. Featherston (37-8) defeated Colby Wilson, of Odessa, 7-4 in the 182-pound class. He will meet Kayde Burton (48-4), of Chillicothe, in the quarterfinals Friday...

While Jeffery Porter's mom and dad have been regulars at Three Rivers home games, on Thursday his brother was in the stands, as well. Otto Porter Jr. watched the Raiders beat Arkansas Baptist 105-104 in double overtime, with Jeffrey Porter making the go-ahead free throws with 0.5 seconds left...