Stories from Tuesday, June 5, 2018

The investigation is continuing into a weekend boat collision on Black River that left a Poplar Bluff teenager dead and five others injured. The crash happened at about 7:25 p.m. Sunday on a "straighter stretch" of the river about one mile upstream from the Hendrickson boat ramp, said Missouri State Highway Patrol Cpl. J.T. Wilson, who indicated the river is "pretty wide" at that location and about 4 to 5 feet deep, with shallow water and moderate current...

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Wappapello and the Wappapello Lake Area Association has announced things will kick off on June 29 with the "Movie in the Park" at the Spillway Recreation Area. This event is free to attend. On June 30 activities will begin at 9 a.m. and include a car cruise-in, boat parade, boat poker run, bounce houses, craft vendors, live music and food concession and will take place in the Redman Creek Recreation Area. The fireworks will begin as dusk...

Furry friends in the area waiting to find their forever home will now be able to lounge in style and comfort thanks to the Nestle Purina facility in Bloomfield. Twenty employees from Purina rallied together to construct, paint and deliver dog houses and blankets in celebration of PetCare Pride Day...

Leon Watkins, 74, of Puxico, formerly of Essex, died May 28, 2018 at his home. Services were held June 1, 2018 at the Duck Creek Baptist Church near Puxico. Bro. Buck Cruse officiated. Burial followed in the Essex Cemetery. Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Dexter in charge of arrangements...

Beginning in June, Stoddard County Sheriff's Department personnel will be paid monthly for any over time hours worked and no comp time will be accumulated. Sheriff Carl Hefner reported to county commissioners Tuesday morning he had three deputies who tracked their comp time, which was validated through radio logs...

Bob King, 85, of Puxico died May 30, 2018 at John J, Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. A Celebration of Life was held June 3, 2018 at the Life Chapel Assembly of God in Puxico. Rev. Glen Epps III officiated. Memorials are suggested to the Harvest Hill Recovery Ministry at Life Chapel Assembly of God...

If we want our Christian life to be what God intended it to be, and want it to have vitality and purpose--or we want it to be backed by supreme authority, then Jesus Christ must be made Lord of our lives as well as of Heaven. I want Him to be Lord of life, for I need someone I love and can entrust my life to, and give me the strength and inspiration to serve God as my Father in a sin-loving world...

On the day of remembrance, the Bloomfield Missouri State Veteran's Cemetery administration organized and held the annual Memorial Day Service. The beautiful event brought members of different communities to celebrate and honor those who have served their country. Even though the weather was hot, the seats were all filled and the overflow section was full of patriots waiting to pay their respects...

Dille Traxel Architecture announces the appointment of Shawn Huffman as Project Manager with Dille Traxel Architecture. He is responsible for project coordination of all types. Shawn has a solid background in construction, architectural design and drafting, computer renderings and 3D animation. His experiences of owning a successful drafting firm have helped him understand the field of design and construction and has lead him to begin pursuing his architecture degree and licensure...

Missouri VFW Riders District 15 will have its third annual Poker Run Saturday June 9, Registration will begin at 8 a.m. at the Lake Wappapello United Methodist Church, Highway D. Those participating are to bring a non-perishable item to donate to the church food bank. ...

After losing the ability to influence legislators, the union officials in Missouri have filed a ballot initiative to turn back the recent win for Right-to-Work. They came up with the slogan "Right to Work is wrong for Missouri." That is an incorrect statement...

By MONA CHAREN Maybe you've seen the video of the hero the French have dubbed "Spider-Man." When he saw a toddler dangling off a fourth-story balcony, he scaled the exterior of the Paris building in about 30 seconds to save the child. Turns out Mamoudou Gassama was a newly arrived illegal immigrant from Mali. A grateful President Emmanuel Macron made him a French citizen a day later...

Keep up your home What's getting wrong with the men who will help others or do anything away from home helping other people but won't look after their own homes? I'm not talking about keeping up with the Joneses what they have or are doing. Just fixing up a few things around your home to keep it from losing the value or just falling in on ya. Keeping the yard and their fences looking OK. Not fancy just keeping it up. Thank you...

By ADRIANA COHEN Everyone knows there's no such thing as a free lunch -- let alone a free college education, something socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders champions regularly. Realists know that a so-called free college education for millions of students would mean that taxpayers would foot the bill and the massive tab would get tacked onto our already sky-high national debt, which is hovering around $21 trillion...

I would argue as I have so often in the past that America does not have a gun problem; we have a people problem. Even if you confiscate every single firearm, the evil within some will remain. That is simply the ugly aspect of the human spirit. England on the other hand has virtually no guns but has an increasing and alarming problem with knife stabbing and related fatalities. Just additional evidence of evil regardless of the weapon of choice...

NEELYVILLE, Mo. - Jacob L. Davis, 27, of Fairdealing, Mo., died Saturday, June 2, 2018 in the emergency room of NEA Baptist Hospital in Jonesboro, Ark. He was born on May 13, 1991 in Rockford, Ill. Jacob was a lifelong resident of Ripley County. He worked for Hall irrigation constructing irrigation pipe. Jacob enjoyed working on lawnmowers, trading arrowheads, hunting, rock hunting and riding his motorcycle. It is said he had a big heart like his Grandpa Jones...

DONIPHAN, Mo. - Janet Lynn Cline, 60-year-old resident of Doniphan, departed this life Thursday, May 31, 2018 in the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, MO. Mrs. Cline was born February 15, 1958 in LaPuenta, CA to the late James Rapien and Lona Mix Webster...

David Massey, 71, of Poplar Bluff, passed away on June 4, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born on June 1, 1947 to the late Charles "Jim" and Carolyn "Betty" (Gullette) Massey. He is survived by a brother; Luke Massey and two sisters; Leona Massey and Susan Rahm...

Three Rivers College recognized more than 50 of its highest performing students at its Annual Student Excellence Awards ceremony. Winners were chosen to represent each academic department and career education program, the Three Rivers external locations, honor societies, and major student organizations...

Robert Wesley Adams, Sr. 71, of Commerce, Mo., died Sunday, June 3, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born Aug. 2, 1946 in Blytheville, Ark. to the late Charles Adams and Virginia Elder Adams. He was married to Peggy DeBord Adams. She survives...

Dorothy E. Moore, 92, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Monday, June 4, 2018 at The Manor. Arrangements are pending and a complete obituary will publish in Wednesday's Daily American Republic.

Long-time Municipal Utilities employee Jerry Lawson Jr. is the City of Poplar Bluff's new street superintendent. The announcement came from City Manager Mark Massingham during Monday's council meeting at the Black River Coliseum. Lawson fills the position left vacant by former street superintendent Dennis Kearbey. Massingham said Lawson was selected from a pool of approximately 25 applicants. His starting annual pay is $57,000, nearly $7,000 less than Kearbey's ending salary of $63,888...