Stories from Tuesday, March 27, 2018

For the first time since its inception nearly six years ago, the Lloyd Miler Award was presented to a recipient who did not know the namesake personally. Rev. Greg Kirk, director of the United Gospel Rescue Mission, was named the fourth winner of the Lloyd Miler Award during the Butler County Emergency Management Agency banquet Monday evening...

From staff reports An 82-year-old Poplar Bluff, Mo., man was killed in a two-vehicle crash at 9:37 a.m. Sunday on U.S. 67, six miles south of Poplar Bluff. According to the report, Alvie L. Browning was operating an eastbound 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt when it pulled into the path of a 2003 Ford Taurus being driven southbound by Cassandra L. Arnold, 47, of Poplar Bluff...

Jessica Thurston has worked for the Poplar Bluff R-1 School District for 10 years, teaching children in grades kindergarten through fourth. Next year, she will begin a new phase in her career when she assumes a leadership role as principal of the Kindergarten Center...

After nearly 36 years in law enforcement with the Dexter Police Department, Police Chief Sammy Stone submitted his formal resignation over the recent weekend after being placed on paid administrative leave several days ago -- a decision of Dexter's Board of Aldermen...

The biological parents of a Poplar Bluff, Mo., teenager may face kidnapping charges after their arrest on Monday morning. Brenda Sue Burks, 33, of Doniphan, Mo., and Anthony Lee Burks, 34, of the 100 block of Windy Ridge Circle had lost custody of their now 15-year-old teenage son and his siblings, who were placed in foster care and subsequently adopted by their foster parents, explained Butler County Chief Deputy Wes Popp, who indicated the Burkses had lost "all custody" of their children...

"I believe children will strive to meet expectations if they are shown love, respect, and positive feedback," said special education teacher Mandi Webster, of her philosophy in and out of the classroom. According to her peers, Webster's actions reflect her words, which is why she was selected to represent the Poplar Bluff Early Childhood Center (ECH) as the 2018-19 Teacher of the Year...

By STEPHEN MOORE Donald Trump is producing the kind of shoot-the-moon economic recovery that we last saw under Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. He's copied a lot from the Reagan playbook: Deregulate; cut taxes; promote American energy. He should also think about adopting another Reaganite initiative: Let American companies grow, merge, restructure and become more profitable so they can compete on the global stage...

NEELYVILLE, Mo. - David Day, 76, passed away at Poplar Bluff, Mo., March 24, 2018. He was born September 2, 1941 in Essex, Mo. to the late James Day and Esther Robinson Day. He had been a former resident of Naylor and Neelyville and had attended Naylor Pentecostal Church and had worked as an auto mechanic. He enjoyed visiting friends, drinking coffee with old friends and his grandchildren...

"4-H shows you lots of different worlds and because of 4-H I was inspired for my career," says Pastor Tony Kobak, feature speaker for the 2018 4-H Southeast Regional Energizer held at Advance Elementary School in Advance, Mo. Nearly 100 4-H youth and 30 4-H volunteers from eight counties in the Southeast Region attended the event...

PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Cora "Geneva" Manetz, 84, of Piedmont, died Saturday, March 24, 2018, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Visitation will be held from 2-3 p.m. Thursday at Ruegg Funeral Home in Piedmont. Services will follow at 3 p.m., also at the chapel. Online condolences: www.rueggfuneralhomes.com...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- The recent bipartisan budget agreement, which indicates that 10-digit deficits are acceptable to both parties even when the economy is robust, indicates government's future. So does government's pregnancy, which was announced nine months ago by this tweet from Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.: "In America, no family should be forced to put off having children due to economic insecurity."...

By MICHELLE MALKIN A sickening act of youth violence in Florida glinted across the news headlines last week, and then disappeared from view. There will be no CNN town halls or student walkouts over the lost life and preventable tragedy, because there are no guns to blame. Only dropped balls...

NEELYVILLE, Mo. - Arthur Simpson, 83, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Friday, March 23, 2018 at his residence surrounded by family. He was a firm believer in the Lord. Mr. Simpson was of the Pentecostal faith and was an avid bible reader. He believed in our Lord and Savior all the way. Mr. Simpson had been in ill health the past year. He retired from Missouri Pacific. On Nov. 8, 1954 he married Marjorie Campbell. She survives...

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Robert Anthony Chilton of Murfreesboro, Tenn. passed, from this life peacefully in his sleep at the age of ninety-four at his residence at the Stones River Manor. Robert is a son of the late Francis and Mary Chilton of Poplar Bluff, Mo...

PENSACOLA, Fla. --Mason Libla was nearly perfect on the mound and hit a pair of home runs as the Poplar Bluff baseball team opened its spring break trip Monday. The Mules scored 12 runs in the third inning and Libla tossed a four-inning no-hitter in a 20-0 win over Rockford (Ala.) Central at the Pensacola Spring Break Classic...

FISK, Mo. -- Donna Sue Coffer, 79, of Doniphan, Mo., died Sunday, March 25, 2018, at her residence. Mrs. Coffer was born in 1939 in Gobler, Mo., daughter of the late Rhea and Mary Ella Stone. She was an avid quilter and spending time with her family...

FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. - Funeral service for Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) John Leslie Hoffman Jr., age 73, of Fayetteville, will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 31, 2018, at Higgins Funeral Home with Dr. Ronnie Gay and the Rev. William Slade officiating...

Donald Hundrieser, 79 of Wappapello, Mo., died Monday, March 26, 2018, at his residence. Arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service of Poplar Bluff.

MALDEN, Mo. - Bettye Ruth Masters Welch, 88, of Malden, died Saturday, March 25, 2018, at the General Baptist Nursing Home in Campbell, Mo. Visitation and funeral services were held Monday at the Landess Funeral Home in Malden. Burial was in the Rosewood 1st Addition Cemetery in Malden...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Jackson boys golf practices can get pretty competitive. That's what happens when you have two returning Class 5 state qualifiers and add two solid players to the mix. Each player is vying for the top score in practice, Indians coach Zack Walton said, and usually nipping at one another's heels. The team's depth was on display Monday as Walton's top four golfers all finished in the top 10 at the Notre Dame Invitational at Bent Creek Golf Course, en route to a dominant team win...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- The term "legend" should not be thrown around lightly. There is no doubt, however, a true legend will grace the stage at the 2018 Semoball Awards, as the announcement came Monday women's basketball all-time great Lisa Leslie will be the event's keynote speaker...

MALDEN, Mo. - Ida Marie Rinehart, 87, of Clarkton, Mo., died Monday, March 26, 2018, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Visitation will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Landess Funeral Chapel in Malden. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home with Mr. Randy Moore officiating. Burial will be in the Mt. Gilead Cemetery in Clarkton, Mo...

SEDEALIA, Mo. -- Getting that third out proved to be tricky for the Raiders on Sunday. State Fair swept Three Rivers, winning the opener 8-3 and the nightcap 13-7, to sweep the four-game series and extend the Raiders' losing streak to seven games. "You take a pitch or two each game and it probably changes the outlook," Three Rivers coach Stacey Burkey said. "In the doubleheader, we gave up 14 runs with two outs."...

It's been a good two weeks to be a Lady Raider. Three Rivers swept MCC-Maple Woods on Sunday, completing a four-game sweep of the Monarchs and improving to 12-1 since March 15 while climbing to the top of the Region XVI standings. Three Rivers won Sunday's opener 7-1 and the nightcap 8-5. The Raiders are three games ahead of Jefferson in the Region XVI standings. Nobody else has a winning record in region play...