Stories from Friday, March 23, 2018

Robert Maxwell was about a month shy of his 23rd birthday in September 1944, when he threw himself on a live hand grenade to save his fellow soldiers in an observation post in France that was under heavy attack by German forces. Maxwell, now 96, was left with permanent injuries, and is among only four living Medal of Honor recipients from World War II...

NEELYVILLE -- The Neelyville R-IV Board of Education decided to purchase a diesel engine school bus from Midwest for $82,966 for the district during their monthly meeting. Two bus bids were received from Midwest and Central States for a 77 passenger school bus...

The public is invited to join the celebration of the Emergency Management Agency and their partners who share the commitment of safety for Butler County families during their annual banquet. The banquet will be at 5:30 p.m. Monday at the United Gospel Rescue Mission, 400 S. Broadway...

By MARC A. THIESSEN WASHINGTON -- I'm a rock-ribbed conservative who wants Republicans to keep control of Congress. But I'm not unhappy that Republican state Rep. Rick Saccone appears to have lost the special election in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District...

MALDEN, Mo. -- Gary P. Stokes, 68, of Gideon, Mo. died March 21, 2018, in Gideon. Visitation will be held at noon Friday, March 23, 2018, until service time at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. A graveside service will follow at 2 p.m. at Stanfield Cemetery with Bro. Kevin Lawrence. Burial will be in Stanfield Cemetery in Clarkton, Mo...

It was inevitable: A self-driving car killed a pedestrian. The first such fatality, involving an Uber vehicle in Tempe, Ariz., has predictably prompted calls to suspend all testing of autonomous vehicles across the nation, including California's program slated to start next month...

By LAURA HOLLIS We've known for years that we have a "ruling class" (as author Angelo Codevilla dubbed it), which looks out for its own interests. We also know that members of the ruling class despise the rest of us. Former President Barack Obama was responsible for the term "bitter clingers" when he referenced small-town dwellers as "bitter" people who "cling to their guns and their religion." Ruling-class spokeswoman Hillary Clinton infamously referred to Trump supporters during the 2016 presidential campaign as "a basket of deplorables." Not to be outdone by her own condescension, she doubled down on her criticisms while traveling in India last week, explaining that married women didn't vote for her for president because they caved to pressure from the men in their lives (a baldly specious claim that her shills in the press were only too happy to echo).. ...

The Mules Booster Club has named Taylor Norwood and Tyler Cline of Poplar Bluff High School the February Athletes of the Month, presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors. Tyler, a junior, helped lead the basketball team to the Poplar Bluff Showdown and District championship, with a seasonal record of 18-9 and a SEMO Conference record of 7-1. ...

FISK, Mo. -- Helen R. Slaughter, 82, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. died Tuesday, March 20, 2018 at her daughter's residence, in Belleville, Ill. Visitation will begin at 6 p.m. Friday, March 23, 2018 at White-Sanders Funeral Home in Fisk. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 24, 2018 in the funeral home chapel with Paul Lee officiating. Burial will be in Brown Chapel Cemetery at Broseley, Mo...

The Agee Community Club held its March meeting at Ryan's with Jeanie Figgins as hostess. Club President Cathy Womack opened the meeting with the members repeating the club motto, "When the world is full of love the world is full of beauty". Nadine Johnson offered the invocation. Figgins gave each lady necklaces of shamrocks and a headband with flowers for their hair, and then read the devotional from Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 followed by the secretary and treasurers reports...

Thomas Carter Sr., 72, of Poplar Bluff, formerly of Lebanon, Mo. died Tuesday, March 20, 2018, at his residence. He was born May 23, 1945, in Arkansas. He married Sharon Carter in 2010 and she survives. Also surviving are his children, Michael Carter (Mary Ann), Troy Carter (Brandi), Thomas Carter Jr., Jimmy Dunkln (Kelly), Jerry Broyles, and adopted daughter, Angie Gilliam; brother, Ed Carter (Ann); 14 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; a special friend, Rick Gilbert (Tina); and his special pet dogs, Jack and Sassy.. ...

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Patricia "Patty" Lynn Lynch, 61, of Carter County, Mo. died Wednesday, March 21, 2018 at the Mountain View Health Care in Mt. View, Mo. Visitation will begin at 6 p.m. Sunday, March 25, 2018, at the McSpadden Funeral Home in Van Buren, with the funeral services being held at 11 a.m. Monday, March 26, 2018 in the Funeral Home Chapel...

NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Bill J. West, 84, of Harviell, Mo., died Thursday, March 22, 2018, at his home. Visitation will be from noon until 2 p.m. Sunday, March 25, 2018, at Fowler and Sons Funeral Home in Neelyville followed by the funeral service at 2 p.m. in the funeral home chapel. Burial will be in the Williams Cemetery, Corning, Ark...

ELLSINORE, Mo. -- Patricia "Pat" Louise Casey, 67, died Thursday, March 15, 2018 at her residence in Ellsinore, Mo. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, March 25, 2018 at 2 p.m. at the McSpadden Funeral Home in Ellsinore, Mo. Brother Tony Bales will be officiating...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. --Poplar Bluff keeper Shelby Sievers made a save then scored the go-ahead goal as the Mules edged Notre Dame in penalty kicks to open the Noon Optimist Club Tournament. Shelbey Johnson tied the game with a little under 14 minutes left in the second half and the Mules outscored Notre Dame 3-2 in penalties...

PIEDMONT -- East Carter put together an all-around game to open its Ozark Foothills Conference season. The Redbirds got solid pitching, solid hitting and solid defense to beat Clearwater 8-3 on Thursday. "Pitching I was very pleased with. We pounded the strike zone a little bit better than the game before. Hitting, I'm tickled to death with our hitting. Our hitting has come through a lot," East Carter coach Scott Henfling said. "We work more on defense than we do hitting, just work situations."...

DEXTER -- The Poplar Bluff Mules pulled out a pair of come-from-behind wins Thursday to beat Dexter 6-3 in both teams' season opener at the Dexter tennis courts. Ben Stewart and Zach Batton held off Eric Hahn and Nate Gargas in a tiebreaker 9-8 (3) in No. 1 doubles, and Stewart rallied from a two-game deficit to beat Hahn 8-5 in No. 1 singles...

Mason Libla was robbed of an RBI in his first at-bat Thursday. He finished with five, breaking a pair of ties and adding insurance for the Mules. The Poplar Bluff senior capped a two-out rally in the fourth inning with a go-ahead double and added another two-run double in the sixth in an 8-4 win over Kennett at Strenfel Memorial Field...

WINONA Mo. -- Makenna Moore threw a no-hitter for the Redbirds and added a home run and two RBIs as East Carter opened its season with an 18-2 win over Winona. Maddyson Holloway was 4 for 4 with a home urn and six RBIs while Naomi Crowley was 4 for 5 with four RBIs...

Allison Pingel is quickly climbing the Three Rivers home run record list. The Raiders' clean-up hitter had two home runs as Three Rivers beat Lyon University JV 14-2 in five innings Thursday at Rains Field. Pingel had a two-run homer in the first and a three-run homer in the third for her first multi-home run game. She also reached on an error in the second that scored a run, giving her six RBIs in three at-bats...