Stories from Sunday, February 18, 2018

Richard Staley was in the U.S. Army, home on leave from a tour of duty in Vietnam, when he proposed to his wife, Gloria. Nearly 50 years later, the Dexter, Mo., couple enjoyed the ballad "I want to be loved like that," as country music band Shenandoah entertained more than 4,500 veterans and their families at the Black River Coliseum...

Dedication to improving the lives of local children and families is at the heart of the Butler County Community Resource Council, which said good-bye to a longtime director this month and welcomes new leadership. Retiring executive director Karen Crook hands the not-for-profit over to former staff member Rebeca Pacheco, who starts Tuesday...

The story of 6-year-old Johanna in author Paulette Jiles' novel, "News of the World," is a piece of historical fiction. However, the native Kiowa Tribe, which captures the young girl to raise as one of its own, is not. Aiming to create an interactive experience for community members while bringing Jiles' book to life, the Poplar Bluff Municipal Library (PBML) has partnered with the Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum (AONHM) in Branson, Mo., and will feature artifacts of the Kiowa Tribe through March 20.. ...

Having his interest in law enforcement piqued at an early age led Mike Pulliam to a career spanning more than three decades with the Missouri State Highway Patrol. "I've always been around law enforcement; my mom's career" included serving as a secretary at St. Louis City Police Headquarters for many years and then Crestwood, Mo., court clerk, said Pulliam...

Shaleah Elaine and Johnthan Alan McNeil of Poplar Bluff, Mo., are the parents of a son born at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018 at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The McNeils selected the name Steven Michael Eugene McNeil for their son who weighted 4 pounds and 4 ounces and was 16 inches tall. He has a brother and a sister...

Allison Kaye and Mike Raymond Davis of Poplar Bluff, Mo., are the parents of a 3-pound 15-ounce daughter named Hadley Quinn Davis, who was bornat 10:38 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018 at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Hadley was 16.5 inches tall. Haldey has two sisters...

The Poplar Bluff Garden Club, a member of the Federated Garden Clubs of Missouri, will be offering "Crepe Murder? Solve the Mystery!" an educational seminar. The emphasis is on how to properly prune your crepe myrtle(s) and encourage healthy growth...

By GEORGE F. WILL LOS ANGELES -- It was dicey being Jewish in a Russia that was tolerant of pogroms, and then came the threat of conscription into the 1904-05 Russo-Japanese War, so one of Mayor Eric Garcetti's great-grandfathers headed West to America. ...

By MONA CHAREN An orgy of mutual disgust now greets every mass shooting in America. Liberals despise conservatives who, they predict, will offer only insipid "thoughts and prayers" in the face of what they conceive to be preventable massacres. Conservatives scorn liberals who, they believe, will propose "feel-good" gun measures that would have no effect on any mass shooting...

Eugene Field Elementary School students of the month for January are Gabby Pettypool, first grade; Kaylin Walker, second grade; and Sara Tolliver, third grade, Pettypool's teacher is Teresa Webb. She is the daughter of Danielle Pettypool and granddaughter of Sam and Sheila Cochran...

The Missouri Association for Family and Community Education elected Shirley Kirkley of Poplar Bluff to serve as district director of the Southeast Region. Her duties will include coordinating the organization's Fall and Spring District meetings, serving on the MAFCE State Board, and coordinating recipe testing for the Today's Farmer Magazine. ...

Catie Elizabeth and Ryan Crain Woolard of Broseley, Mo., are the parents of an 8-pound 8-ounce son born at 7:46 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 4, 2018, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. They selected the name Hudson Fox Woolard for the 20-inch tall baby...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN "Enough is enough!" "This can't go on!" "This has to stop!" These were among the comments that came through the blizzard of commentary after the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County. We have heard these words before...

MALDEN, Mo. -- Ira Henry Schatz, 88, of Sacraments, Calif., died Sunday, Feb. 11, 2018 in Sacramento, Calif. Visitation will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018 until time of service at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden, Mo. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018 at Bradshaw Chapel in Malden with burial in Stanfield Cemetery in Clarkton, Mo., with military rites...

PUXICO, Mo. -- Evelyn Irene (Mansbridge) Jones, 94 of Poplar Bluff, formerly of Puxico, Mo., passed away Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018 at Oakdale Assisted Living in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Daughter of the late Fred Hinton Mansbridge and Cora Cecilia (Untiedt) Mansbridge. She was born Oct. 23, 1923 in Fisk, Mo...

Barbara Meredith Phillips (Pepmiller), 81, passed peacefully Friday, Feb. 9, 2018, surrounded by her daughters. Barbara is preceded in death by her mother and father, Kathryn and Richard Pepmiller of Doniphan Mo.; her husband, Don; her younger brother, Sam Pepmiller of Plymouth, Minn.; and her son-in-law, Jesse Pippins of Collinsville, Ill...

Maple Mount, Ky. -- Sister Mary Sheila Higdon, 88, an Ursuline Sister of Mount Saint Joseph, died Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018, at Mount Saint Joseph, in her 70th year of religious life. She was a native of Owensboro, Ky. From 1999-2011, Sister Mary Sheila was the pastoral associate for St. ...

George E. Gibson, 79, of Dexter, Mo., passed away on Feb. 15, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born on July 16, 1938 to Hughie and Mae (Chester) Gibson of Neelyville, Mo. George served as a Chief Petty Officer in the Navy and received numerous honors and medals for his years of service. He started his career in the Navy as a Jet Engine Mechanic and served on 24 different Naval ships throughout his military service...

NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Shirley Edith Gann, 79, of Neelyville died Sunday, Feb. 11, 2018 at St. Anthonys Medical Center in St. Louis, Mo. Gann was born Dec. 4, 1938 in Neelyville to the late Hershel Canterbury and Eva Lucille Jackson. She was a cafeteria manager and enjoyed quilting, sewing, bingo, being a grandmother and was of the Christian faith...

MALDEN, Mo. -- Kendall D. Merritt, 39, of Bernie, Mo., died Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Landess Funeral Home of Malden is in charge of arrangements. Memorial Services will be at a later date...

PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Helen J. Floyd, age 81 of Piedmont, Mo., passed away Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. She was born Dec. 26, 1936 in Manila, Arkansas, the daughter of Steve Lipsmeyer and Mildred (Athlene) Lipsmeyer. ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. --Dexter sophomore Travis Waldner finished third Saturday at the MSHSAA State Wrestling Championships at Mizzou Arena. Waldner (47-6) defeated Keegan Scarborough, of Oak Grove, 7-2 in the Class 2 126-pound third-place match. After a scoreless first period, Waldner earned points on a penalty and an escape in the second. ...

ST. PETERS, Mo. -- Taylor Norwood added two more all-state medals to her collection Saturday as the Poplar Bluff senior completed a stellar career. Norwood picked up her ninth career all-state medal finishing third in the 100-yard butterfly at the MSHSAA Class 2 championship meet at the St. Peters Rec Plex. It was the best finish by a Poplar Bluff swimmer ever while the Mules matched their best finish as a team, tying for 15th place...

And now the Mules will rest. With their postseason set to begin a week from Tuesday, the Mules closed out the regular season Saturday afternoon with another strong finish to beat Jefferson City 67-62 at the Senior High Gym. The Mules (16-8) pulled away in the fourth quarter with a 14-2 run, similar to what they did Thursday night to beat state-ranked Charleston...

With Saturday's loss, the Raiders now need to reach the national tournament to avoid the first losing season in coach Gene Bess' 48 years at Three Rivers. Three Rivers lost to Mineral Area 74-72 on Saturday at the Bess Activity Center, putting them six games under .500. Should Three Rivers win the Region XVI Tournament, it would enter the district championship with a .500 record...

BERNIE -- Levi Woods wouldn't let the Puxico Indians go down without a fight. Woods scored eight of the Indians' final 10 points Saturday to lead fourth-seeded Puxico to a 65-62 victory over fifth-seeded Senath-Hornersville in the first round of the MSHAA Class 2 District 1 tournament...

DeNayia Holmes rescued Three Rivers from near disaster at the end of regulation, and then the Lady Raiders escaped a pair of open shots late in overtime to sweep Mineral Area for the first time in four years. With the 84-82 overtime win, the Lady Raiders overtook Mineral Area in the Region XVI standings for third place and can't finish worse than fourth. It is a longshot but still a possibility for the Lady Raiders to be as high as second...

VAN BUREN -- The Lady Dawgs shook off a slow start and overtook Greenville in the fourth quarter Saturday, advancing to the MSHSAA Class 2 District 3 semifinals with a 57-46 win. Jalynn Morgan and Hannah Zimmer combined for 16 points in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Bears who took a 33-31 lead into the final frame...