Stories from Wednesday, June 20, 2018

The single greatest responsibility for public officials is the safety and security of the people they represent. In the 500 days that President Trump has occupied the Oval Office, he has been hard at work to make America a more secure country. He has reasserted American leadership on the world stage, his policies have created a secure economy, and he is standing up to threats to our country at the border and across the globe...

By Patrick J. buchanan "It is cruel. It is immoral. And it breaks my heart," says former first lady Laura Bush of the Trump administration policy of "zero tolerance," under which the children of illegal migrants are being detained apart from their parents...

All of a sudden, everyone on the left wants "free markets in energy policy." As someone who's advocated for that for, oh, about three decades, this riff should be music to my ears. But is laissez faire energy policy really what liberals are seeking?...

A commitment to community involvement and the love of a challenge help drive one the newest additions to Southern Bank's staff. Megan Leist began in April as the branch retail manager for Poplar Bluff locations on Oak Grove Road, Vine Street, PP Highway and at Three Rivers College...

Southern Bank is expected to acquire Gideon Bancshares Company, the parent company of First Commercial Bank, at the end of 2018. First Commercial Bank has 10 branches in Southeast Missouri, including four in Stoddard County. There are no immediate plans to close any branches, said Tiffany Jenkins, senior marketing officer for Southern Bank...

Edna Lee Hester, 75, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died on Sunday, June 17, 2018. Visitation will be after 1 p.m., Saturday, June 23 at the Mt. Calvary Power House in Poplar Bluff. The funeral will follow at 2 p.m. with Pastor Ronnie Webb of Poplar Bluff officiating. Burial will be on Monday June 25 at 10 a.m. in the Missouri Veteran's Cemetery in Bloomfield, Mo. with Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Dexter in charge of arrangements...

DEXTER, Mo. - Louise Ellis, 90, of Edwardsville, Ill., formally of Bernie, Mo., died Tuesday, June 19, 2018 at the Rosewood Care Center. Visitation will be from 5 - 8 p.m., Thursday, June 21 at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. The funeral will be at 11 a.m., Friday, June 22. in the Watkins & Sons Chapel in Dexter. Burial will be in the Bernie Cemetery in Bernie with Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Dexter in charge of arrangements...

WILLIAMSVILLE, Mo. -- Forrest Eads, 97, of Williamsville, Mo., died Monday, June 18, 2018, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, Mo. Visitation will be at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 21, 2018 at Ruegg Funeral Home in Williamsville. Funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Friday, June 22, 2018 at the Williamsville chapel...

Louella "Lou" Push, 84, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, June 16, 2018 at Westwood Hills Health and Rehab Center. The visitation will begin at 12:30 p.m. Friday at Cotrell Funeral Chapel, with the funeral service following at 2 p.m. The Rev. Jim Schremp will officiate. Burial will follow at Memorial Gardens Cemetery...

A true test of golf began Tuesday morning as the 2018 Men's Missouri Amateur Championship began play at Dalhousie Golf Club. Heat, wind, a difficult tract, former high school rivals, past champions and wile veterans are among the obstacles standing in the way of a field of 146 golfers that will be trimmed to 64 golfers today and eventually whittled down to a champion with six rounds of match play over four days...

Speaker of the House Todd Richardson walked into the Poplar Junior High Tuesday expecting to discuss legislation with students in the "I'm a Citizen, Too" class. He quickly learned he was being honored by the students for his work over the past eight years in the Missouri House of Representatives...

JONESBORO, Ark. -- Tucked away in a Washington state training facility, Brandon Stuckenschneider stepped into the bullpen. Fiercely flinging several baseballs per day over the previous two months, he was ready to unleash fury in his final session and head back to Jonesboro...

The Poplar Bluff Lions Club will be hosting an outdoor circus complete with acrobats, clowns, elephants and even dinosaurs June 28 and 29 in Ray Clinton Park. "We have not had an outdoor circus in Poplar Bluff in a while," Lions Club member and Circus Committee Chairman Kelly Spradling said...