Stories from Sunday, July 22, 2018

Shirley Fisher Maurer, a beautiful and loving soul, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, July 10, 2018. Shirley was a former resident of Poplar Bluff. She had a long career working at the Poplar Bluff VA Medical Center before retiring to Florida 27 years ago. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Haven't got your tickets yet for the Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo? You might want to make that purchase now. According to Ross Merideth, general chairman for this year's Aug. 8-11 event, tickets are selling fast. "Overall sales are up and we are excited about that," said Merideth. "We are looking at close to a 10 percent increase over sales compared to this time last year."...

By GEORGE F. WILL "This human nature is shabby stuff, as you may know from introspection." -- Peter De Vries SUMMIT, N.J. -- Or from reading the "public letter of admonition" sent by the U.S. Senate's Select Committee on Ethics to Robert Menendez, the Democratic incumbent seeking a third full term representing New Jersey. ...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors." Under the Constitution, these are the offenses for which presidents can be impeached. And to hear our elites, Donald Trump is guilty of them all. Trump's refusal to challenge Vladimir Putin's claim at Helsinki -- that his GRU boys did not hack Hillary Clinton's campaign -- has been called treason, a refusal to do his sworn duty to protect and defend the United States, by a former director of the CIA...

GREENVILLE, Mo. -- Mary Ruth Twidwell-Payton, of Lodi, Mo., was born in Lodi on May 27, 1929 to the late James Raymond and Verna Lucille (Lewis) Roach. She departed this life at Oakdale Care Center in Poplar Bluff on July 16, 2018 at the age of 89 years, one month and 20 days...

Victor E. Osher, Jr., 84, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Tuesday, July 17, 2018 at Graham Hospital in Canton, Ill. Mr. Osher was born Feb. 17, 1934 to the late Victor E. Osher Sr. and Margaret Smith Osher in St. Louis, Mo. They later moved to Farmington, Mo., where all his formal education occurred and he graduated from Missouri College with an electrical engineering degree in 1954. ...

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Mary Ellen Stevens, 70, of Van Buren, died Friday, July 20, 2018 at Riverways Manor Nursing Home. Visitation will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 25, 2018 at McSpadden Funeral Home in Van Buren. The funeral service will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 26, 2018 in the McSpadden Funeral Home Chapel, with Rev. David Reynolds officiating. Burial will take place in Eastwood Cemetery in Eastwood, Mo. Online condolences: www.mcspaddenfh.com...

PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Bertha "Marie" Wockenfuss, 80, of Owensville, Mo., formerly of Piedmont, died Thursday, July 19, 2018, at The Villas in DeSoto, Mo. Visitation will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday, July 22, 2018 at Ruegg Funeral Home in Piedmont with funeral services following at 2 p.m. Burial will take place in Murphy Cemetery near Piedmont. Online condolences can be made at www.rueggfuneralhomes.com...

Repairs to Highway W are expected to extend the life of the well-traveled Wayne and Butler county road, but will require residents to slow down in mid-August. The Missouri Department of Transportation will perform sand seal repairs to just under 12 miles between Highway 60 and Route O...

ELLSINORE -- An Ellsinore man who had been on the lam for four days after allegedly fatally shooting another man, turned himself in to the Carter County Sheriff's Department late Friday night. Authorities had been searching for Jason E. Roberts since early Tuesday morning...

A Poplar Bluff police detective is working with prosecutors in both Butler and Carter counties in preparation for the filing of charges stemming from a 31-year-old homicide. The death of Thomas "Tommy" Rowland, 39, has been "continuously worked since 2010 when we reopened it," explained Detective Bryce Colvin, who "time lined everything" in the case file after he took over as lead detective...

Race and place matter when it comes to breast cancer survival rates, according to a study published last month, which identified clusters of so-called breast cancer hot spots in the United States. Justin Xavier Moore, lead researcher on the study and cancer epidemiologist at Washington University in St. ...

The Butler County Democratic Central Committee celebrated the grand-opening of its new campaign headquarters with an all-day event Friday. Located at 524 Vine Street, the political office will be open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, according to committee vice-chairman, Keith French...

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Friday for an overpass project that will start Monday at Poplar Bluff Industrial Park. The Cravens Road entrance will close as the nearly $4.2 million project starts. The overpass is expected to be complete by early March...

GREENVILLE -- A former Greenville city clerk is accused of overpaying herself nearly $80,000 and misappropriating other city funds between 2014 and 2016. Pamela S. Birmingham, 50, of Silva turned herself in Wednesday at the Wayne County Sheriff's Department on felony charges of receiving stolen property, more than $25,000, and forgery, more than $70,000. She was released the same day on bond. An arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 9...