Stories from Wednesday, May 16, 2018

BY MIKE JENSEN It's far from a tidal wave but Democrats are reluctantly arriving at the conclusion that Trump bashing is not working. Perhaps Democrats are poll testing their anti-Trump messaging and recognizing that the constant barrage of criticism is wearing thin with the American public...

Gas tax to fix roads Hello Speakout, well MoDOT and the various construction firms that they dole money out to who are campaigning again for a fuel tax increase or some kind of a tax increase. Uh, of course I'm sure the highway patrol was on standby to try to grab as much of it as they can. ...

By STEPHEN MOORE Is anyone paying attention to the crisis that is going on in our electric power markets? Over the past six months, at least four major nuclear power plants have been slated for shutdown, including the last one in operation in California. Meanwhile, dozens of coal plants have been shuttered as well -- despite low prices and cleaner coal. Some of our major coal companies may go into bankruptcy...

The members of Poplar Bluff Air Evac see every day the love and devotion local medical professionals have for their patients and the work they do, which is why it created the G.R.O.U.N.D. Angel program, according to registered nurse Laura Nance. Nearly a dozen of Air Evac's angels from Carter, Butler and Ripley counties were honored recently with a banquet the organization hopes to make an annual tradition...

Lucille L. Bower, 92, of Dexter, Mo. passed away Tuesday, May 15, 2018, at Southeast Health Center of Stoddard County. She was born on Oct. 14, 1925, in Council Bluffs, Iowa. She was a member of Temple Baptist Church. She enjoyed being with her family, attending church, gardening and the outdoors...

After 12 years of offering temporary locations, Martin's Memorial Decorations has made its way to Poplar Bluff for the first time. Owners of Martin's Floral & Home Décor, Jerry and Jan Martin, based in Springfield, Mo., have traveled through Poplar Bluff many times for hunting trips...

Bruce Lynn Chronister, 56, of Clarkton, Mo., formerly of Poplar Bluff, Mo., stepped into the arms of his Lord and Savior Saturday, May 12, 2018 at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Bruce, the son of the late Franklin Glenn and Virginia Esmon Chronister, was born Nov. 17, 1961 in Poplar Bluff. He was of the Protestant faith, and had worked as a carpenter and roofer before becoming disabled. Bruce loved to spend time with his family and enjoyed fishing and hunting...

In the aftermath of the Kanye West dust-up, my heart goes out to the white people who control the Democratic Party. My pity stems from the hip-hop megastar's November announcement to his packed concert audience that he did not vote in the presidential election but if he had, he would have voted for Donald Trump. ...

PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Dorothy "Irene" Shriver, 82, of Piedmont, Mo., died Wednesday, May 9, 2018 at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, Mo. Visitation will be 5 p.m. Friday, May 18, 2018 at Ruegg Funeral Home, Piedmont. Funeral services will follow at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 19, 2018 at 1 p.m. also at the Piedmont Chapel...

ST. LOUIS -- Poplar Bluff's tennis players were ousted in the MSHSAA Class 2 sectional playoff Tuesday. Ben Stewart, the District 1 champion, lost 6-0, 6-0 to Leonardo Da Silva of SLUH in singles play while Poplar Bluff's doubles team of Brett Keele and Adeesh Mishra lost 6-1, 6-1...

With one crazy, wacky inning the Malden Green Wave turned a back-and-forth battle for the MSHSAA Class 3 District 2 title into a humdrum coronation. Malden had just three hits in a seven-run fourth inning to pull ahead for good and beat Doniphan 9-5 Tuesday at Roger Pattillo Field...

DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Tanner Levi Guthrie, 19, of Doniphan, Mo., departed this life Monday, May 14, 2018, at Southeast Health of Ripley County in Doniphan. Mr. Guthrie, son of Kevin and Phyllis (Moore) Guthrie, was born Dec. 16, 1998, in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. ...

Staff Reports WEST POINT, Miss. -- Mossy Oak Properties, Inc. announced that Mossy Oak Properties Mozark Realty, a full-service Real Estate brokerage located in Poplar Bluff, has been nominated for its prestigious 2017 Office of the Year award, which will be announced at the companies' upcoming Land Summit, held June 5-6 in Starkville, Mississippi...

Jimmy "Skeeter" Hunt, 78, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Monday, May 14, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born Nov. 13, 1939 in Paw Paw, Okla. He was raised by his grandparents, Oscar and Melissa Gilkey. He graduated from Fisk/Rombauer in 1957. ...

BERNIE -- Bernie baseball coach Marcus Massey didn't lose faith in his players. Jaden McGowan laid down a perfect bunt with one out in the seventh inning, and Nate Dillinger dashed home for the go-ahead run in the Bernie Mules' 7-6 upset of top-seeded South Pemiscot in the championship game of the MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 tournament at Bernie High School...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- An East St. Louis, Ill., man was sentenced to federal prison Tuesday for illegally possessing firearms stolen during a February 2017 burglary at Instapawn on Highway NN and in connection with an unrelated carjacking. Germonde Brunner, 21, was sentenced to 48 months in prison on the felonies of possession of stolen firearms, aiding and abetting a carjacking and aiding and abetting the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence by U.S. ...

VAN BUREN -- Eli Roark was achingly close to a perfect game. The Naylor righty played to his defense, his coach's advice and top-seed Neelyville's weakness en route to an 11-0 upset in five innings in the MSHSAA Class 2 District 2 semifinals Tuesday in Van Buren...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. --Nathan Woolard finished exactly as he did last year at the MSHSAA Class 4 golf championships. The Poplar Bluff senior matched his 1-over-par 73 from the first round at Swope Memorial Golf Course to end up fifth at 2-over 146, earning all-state honors for a third straight year...

DONIPHAN -- The odds of going from kindergarten to high school graduation without missing a day of school are about the same as - perhaps, maybe - getting hit by lightning? Jakelyn Friend knows about both. Friend completed her school days at Doniphan R-I on Friday with 13 years of perfect attendance. That includes never being absent or tardy through more than 2,200 days of school...

All students within the Twin Rivers School district may soon not have to worry about filling out paperwork or having money in lunch accounts. The Twin Rivers R-X Board of Education unanimously voted to move forward with participation in the Community Eligibility Program (CEP) during Tuesday evening's meeting...

The Bloomfield Wildcats placed third in the MSHSAA Class 1 Boys Golf State Championship after posting a two-day total of 701 Tuesday at Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield. The Wildcats posted the day's second-best score of 352, but Westran (700) shot 350 to overtake them for second place. Bloomfield was second after one round, one stroke ahead of Westran...