Stories from Wednesday, March 28, 2018

"What if the Easter message isn't true," asked pastor Jason Jordan. "What if Jesus didn't rise from the dead? What if he did? What does this change?" Jordan plans to address these questions and more on Sunday during West Side Church of God's 10 a.m. Easter service at the Black River Coliseum (BRC). The service is free and open to the public...

An area nonprofit that sees first hand the impact child abuse has on Butler and Ripley county communities and wants to help these areas go blue in April to raise awareness. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, said program director Michael Turner, of Great Circle, formerly the Ozark Family Resource Agency...

Filing closed Tuesday for the Aug. 7 primary election of county and state candidates. Republican competitions have developed at the county level for Butler County treasurer, Division II circuit judge and prosecutor. The incumbents for these seats chose not to run for re-election...

It was spring-time in old Jerusalem-the city of God for a thousand years; and spring-time was Passover time for God's people (the Jews). It was jubilant time, for it was a celebration of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage. It was the time when all the faithful went to Jerusalem to kill the Passover lamb and pay their temple tax. ...

Downey K. Cookson, 81, of Puxico died March 15, 2018 Kimberling City, Missouri. Graveside services were held March 20, 2018 at Brown General Baptist Cemetery in Puxico. Rev. Ray Placer officiated. Morgan Sifford Funeral Home in Puxico in charge of arrangements...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM) thank the thousands of Missouri deer hunters who donated 289,292 pounds of venison to the state's Share the Harvest program this past deer season. The donated deer meat will help feed hungry Missourians all around the state...

Dennis A. Burton, 58, of Puxico died March 13, 2018 at St. Louis University Hospital. Visitation was held March 19, 2018 and the funeral service was held March 20, 2018 both at the Morgan Sifford Funeral Home in Puxico. Burial followed in the Puxico City Cemetery...

Shirley A. Brooks, 75, of Puxico died March 12, 2018 at her home. Visitation was held March 15, 2018 and the funeral service was held March 16, 2018, both at the Morgan Sifford Funeral Home in Puxico. Rev. Ray Placher and Rev. Joe Payne officiated. Burial followed in the Puxico City Cemetery...

Ineta Marie Smith, 99, of Dexter died March 16, 2018 at Cypress Point Skilled Nursing Center in Dexter. Services were ehld March 19, 2018 at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel in Dexter. Rev. Arvin Haynes officiated. Interment followed in the Dexter Cemetery...

The University of Missouri Extension will conduct a workshop for those interested in selling local foods from 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 4 at Southeast Missouri campus, 2401 N. Main St. Sikeston, Mo. University of Missouri Extension Specialists Donna Aufdenberg, Sarah Denkler, Kate Kammler and David Reinbott along with Nathan Johanning, small farms educator with University of Illinois Extension, will provide information related to retail production of specialty crops...

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

With the roar of chatter, the Puxico Oaks Nutrition Center overflowed with community members coming to support the facility and their meal programs to assist the elderly throughout the Puxico area. On Friday afternoon, community members lined up to receive their ticket for the March For Meals fundraiser in which they were served a meal provided by the volunteers of the Nutrition Center...

If you're looking for something to read that will keep you occupied for a good long while, the obvious choice is Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace," which runs more than 1,200 pages. Or, if you're feeling really ambitious, you could curl up with the $1.3 trillion spending bill passed by the House on Thursday and by the Senate early Friday...

With the roar of chatter, the Puxico Oaks Nutrition Center overflowed with community members coming to support the facility and their meal programs to assist the elderly throughout the Puxico area. On Friday afternoon, community members lined up to receive their ticket for the March For Meals fundraiser in which they were served a meal provided by the volunteers of the Nutrition Center...

BERNIE, Mo. -- Raymond Loy Duffie, 89, of Bernie died Tuesday, March 27, 2018 at Dexter, Mo. Visitation will be 6- 8 p.m. Thursday, March 29, 2018 at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Bernie. Funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Friday, March 30, 2018 in Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Bernie. Burial will be in Dexter Cemetery in Dexter. Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home of Bernie in charge of all arrangements...

PUXICO, Mo.- Watercolor and pastel artist Michelle Spencer will exhibit a selection of her paintings in an exhibit titled "The Four Seasons of Mingo" beginning April 7 through May 8, 2018 at the Mingo National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center. Mingo will host an art opening and opportunity to meet the artist Saturday, April 7 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Refreshments will be provided courtesy of the Mingo Swamp Friends...

A spring training quiz for baseball fans "There'll be two buses leaving the hotel for the park tomorrow. The 2 o'clock bus will be for those of you who need a little extra work. The empty bus will leave at 5 o'clock." Dave Bristol, Milwaukee Brewers...

The Patrons of the Arts Society continues its 2017-18 season with Olé Music & Dance of Spain, a flamenco dance troupe that will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Tinnin Fine Arts Center on the campus of Three Rivers College. The performance is sponsored by Las Margaritas, Maya's, and Taco Taco...

MALDEN, Mo. -- Mattie Will Ayers, 76, of Cape Girardeau, Mo., formerly of Malden, died Thursday, March 22, 2018 at her residence. Visitation will be at noon Saturday, March 31, 2018, at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. Funeral services will follow at 2 p.m. in the chapel. Burial will be in Macedonia Cemetery in Malden, Mo...

Mary G. Hooper, 90, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Monday, March 26, 2018 at Sunset Hills Health and Rehab Center in St. Louis, Mo. The arrangements are pending and will be announced when completed by Cotrell Funeral Service.

Mike Wolfe, Frank Fritz, and their team will be returning to Missouri to film episodes of the series American Pickers. American Pickers is a documentary series that explores the world of antique 'picking' on the History channel. The hit show follows Mike and Frank, two of the most skilled pickers in the business, as they hunt for America's most valuable antiques. They are always excited to find sizeable, unique collections or accumulations and learn the interesting stories behind them...

Stoddard County Courthouse cupola improvements and jail expansion discussion continued during the commission meeting March 19. Dale Rogers, Robert Stearns and Associates, Inc. president, updated the commissioners on dates for the changed pre-bid and bid meetings for the cupola project...

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...

Tuesday marked 40 years at The Deep Freeze for owner Kenneth Urich, whose first day of work on March 27, 1978, blossomed into a lifelong career. "It's like home," Urich said. "I'm here a lot more than home. I've tried to go out a couple of times and it just didn't feel good, so I came back and I've been here ever since."...

Phillip Spradling, 57, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Thursday, March 22, 2018 at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. He was born Dec. 20, 1960 in Poplar Bluff to the late Loren Spradling and Annette Duncan Spradling. Phillip was a longtime resident of Poplar Bluff. He was a member of the Harviell Church of Christ...

DONIPHAN, Mo. -- "Gene" Leonard Eugene Freeman Sr, 88, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Tuesday, March 27, 2018, at The Manor in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Mr. Freeman was born Aug. 8, 1929, in Ripley County, to the late Thomas Victor and Nova Eden (Wren) Freeman. He was self-employed in the Timber and Farming industry. Mr. Freeman enjoyed taking care of his dogs, gardening, reading, watching Westerns on television...

Donald G. Hundrieser, 79, of Wappapello, Mo., died Monday, March 26, 2018 at his residence. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Cotrell Funeral Chapel in Poplar Bluff. The funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Friday in the funeral chapel with Father William Hodgson as the celebrant. Burial with full military honors will begin at noon at Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield...

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- James "Jim" Lee Dougherty, 74, son of the late James Elijah and Alpha (Hillis) Dougherty, was born Sept. 26, 1943 in Williamsville, Mo., and departed this life on March 25, 2018 at his residence in Van Buren, Mo., surrounded by his loving wife, children and grandchildren...

Kristy Lynn Montgomery, 52, of Poplar Bluff Mo., passed away Saturday, March 24, 2018 at her residence in Poplar Bluff. She was born June 2, 1965 to Larry Montgomery and Mary Roberts. Kristy enjoyed working with flowers and being with family. She is survived by her mother Mary Roberts, also surviving are two sons, Larry (Josh) Montgomery and Matthew Tyler; one sister, Teresa Wagner; one brother, Daniel Montgomery; and six grandchildren...

PENSACOLA, Fla. --For a second day the Poplar Bluff baseball team pounded Rockford (Ala.) Central. The Mules hit six home runs and got another no-hitter, this time from senior Cole Dickerson, in a 24-0 win Tuesday at the Pensacola Spring Break Classic...

Shelbey Johnson's next goal will be her 70th in a high school career that has rewrote the Poplar Bluff girls soccer record book. But there was a time when the senior didn't think she could play in college. "I didn't think I was going to be able to play, to be honest," said Johnson after signing her National Letter of Intent to do just that in February...

Rev. Carl F. Romine, 76, of Ellington, Mo., formerly of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Tuesday, March 27, 2018, at his residence. He was born July 3, 1941 in Poplar Bluff. He was the owner of Romine Sales and former pastor of Star Community Church in Fisk and attended the Palace of Praise...