Stories from Sunday, June 24, 2018

It wasn't quite the Daytona 500, but students at Poplar Bluff Middle School sped down the campus's main drive on Friday in soapbox derby cars sturdy enough to race. Fifth-grade teacher Kara Quade's summer class focuses on a curriculum based in science, technology, engineering and math. Earlier in the week, Quade assigned her students to teams, tasking each group with building a derby car as part of the course's engineering element...

Yeah, I like to put this in Speakout and I like to know why the people can't use Ray Clinton Park across the river over there. They keep the gates locked on it all time. You can't go through it, but your tax dollars is paying for it and city won't let you go use it and everthing. ...

Staff Reports Joy Robbins and Jordan Vickery, both of Poplar Bluff, were among the 106 high school students participating in Missouri's 55th annual Missouri Electric Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., June 8-14. The local delegates were sponsored by Ozark Border Electric Cooperative, Poplar Bluff...

By MARC A. THIESSEN WASHINGTON -- After years of smearing good people with false charges of bigotry, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has finally been held to account. A former Islamic radical named Maajid Nawaz sued the center for including him in its bogus "Field Guide to Anti-Muslim Extremists," and this week the SPLC agreed to pay him a $3.375 million settlement and issued a public apology...

Lake friends group talks fireworks celebration The Wappapello Lake Area Association finalized plans for the annual fireworks presentation during a June 13 meeting. The next meeting will be held at 6 p.m. July 10 at the Bill Emerson Memorial Visitor Center...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- "This," exclaimed Margaret Thatcher, thumping Friedrich Hayek's 500-page tome "The Constitution of Liberty" on a table in front of some Conservative Party colleagues, "is what we believe." It also is what Bill Weld believes, which is why he aspires to be the Libertarian Party's 2020 presidential candidate...

Richard Harvey Shelton, 66, of Poplar Bluff, formerly of Chicago, Ill., passed away on June 20, 2018 at his home. He was born Jan. 26, 1952 to Joseph and Connie (Roberson) Shelton at Chicago, Ill. He was a 1971 graduate of Poplar Bluff Senior High. He was a coin collector...

Kathern M. Riley, 97, of Poplar Bluff, died Friday, June 22, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 27 at Cotrell Funeral Chapel with the funeral following at 11 a.m. The Rev. Bill Orr will officiate. Burial will be at Cochran Cemetery in Butler County...

ROGERS, Ark. --Robert (Bob) D. Hemmer, 86, of Rogers, Arkansas, passed away peacefully Thursday, June 21, 2018 at Grand Brook Memory Care in Rogers. He was born Aug. 22, 1931, in Belleville, Illinois the son of George L. Hemmer and Irene J. (Pontious) Hemmer...

PIEDMONT, Mo. -- River Christian Hastings, 21, of Piedmont, died Tuesday, June 19, 2018, at his residence. Visitation will begin at 5 p.m. Monday, June 25, 2018 at Ruegg Funeral Home in Piedmont. The funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 26, 2018 in the Ruegg Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be at Forest Chapel Cemetery in Piedmont. Online condolences can be made at www.rueggfuneralhomes.com...

Eric Anthony Rowland, 50, of Poplar Bluff, passed away on Thursday, June 21, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born on March 11, 1968 to Russell and Carolyn (Crow) Landrum in Poplar Bluff. He graduated from Poplar Bluff High School in 1986. Eric was a farmer and owner of Ruralroute.net internet service. On July 19, 2003 he married Kristy Risinger in Las Vegas...

Thurlow "Bud" Webb, age 90, of Poplar Bluff, died Friday, June 22, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. Webb was born Feb. 18, 1928 at Poplar Bluff, son of the late Noah Clayton and Nokie Mae Webb. On Sept. 2, 1955 he married Betty L. Cozort. She preceded him in death on March 10, 2016...

Betty Jo Looney, 82, of Poplar Bluff, passed away on Thursday, June 21, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center after a battle with lung cancer. She was born on April 6, 1936 to Oscar and Bessie (Barton) Johnson in Oats, Mo. She married Robert White on Aug. 18, 1951 in Poplar Bluff and he preceded her in death on July 17, 1992. On April 2, 2001 she married Jerry Looney in Poplar Bluff...

A portion of Roxie Road near Maud Street will close temporarily starting Monday for realignment with a new highway. Construction of the second phase of Shelby Road is about 50 percent complete, Smith & Company Project Manager Dominic Thompson said last week...

Eight members of the Poplar Bluff Piranhas swim team qualified Saturday at R.W. Huntington Pool in Poplar Bluff for the 2018 AAU Junior Olympics. Teagan Kassing, 10, led the Piranhas by qualifying in five events while Keona Sample, Paige Bradley and Kiera Willis all qualified in four events...

Coy Rahlmann's goals for the National High School Finals Rodeo have gotten more and more lofty. Rahlmann and team roping partner Blaine Maxwell recently won the Missouri state title by a comfortable margin, and will be competing at the national competition from July 15-21 in Rock Springs, Wyo...

Last year, Leah Jackson missed out on going to the High School National Finals Rodeo, taking place July 15-21, by the narrowest of margins. It nearly happened again, but her consistency paid off and she will be making the trip to Rock Springs, Wyo., to compete in barrel racing...

Dylan Bradshaw's first year on the high school bull-riding circuit proved a successful one. The incoming senior at Bloomfield High School earned a spot in the National High School Finals Rodeo after placing fourth in the Kentucky state tournament June 1-3 in Greenville, Ky...

Two Poplar Bluff Mules along with five baseball players from Pemiscot and Dunklin Counties have received recognition on the 2018 Missouri Baseball Coaches Association All-State Baseball Team. Poplar Bluff's Turner Fritts and Tyson Cox were selected to the MSHSAA Class 5 team after Poplar Bluff lost in the district championship...

It's been many years -- few tougher than the most recent one -- since Terry Kitchen sat in his home as a child, listening to older brother Paul, "Bub" as he called him, regale him with stories from the latest Cape Girardeau Central High School baseball practice or game...

Through eight holes, Brevin Giebler of Cape Girardeau had the defending Missouri Amateur champion in some deep rough in their match-play quarterfinal Saturday morning at Dalhousie Golf Club. Facing Giebler's charge and not playing his best golf, Nurski returned to his home course -- in his mind. He received some assistance from his caddy, Brian Haskell, a fellow St. Josephan who had been eliminated by Giebler in Friday's Round of 32...

GREENVILLE, Mo. -- After serving as Wayne County's associate circuit judge for more than 27 years, Randy Schuller will soon hang up his robe for the last time as he prepares to take a position in the collegiate sector. "I fully expected to serve my whole career until retirement, but this opportunity came along," explained Schuller, whose last day is July 2...

Three vehicle pursuits occurred within about an hour Saturday as members of the SEMO Street Crimes Task Force saturated Poplar Bluff. Those pursuits occurred within the first two hours officers were out and resulted in three arrests. A fourth man was arrested on a Butler County warrant following a pedestrian check at Apple and Fairmount streets...