Stories from Wednesday, October 17, 2018

FISK, Mo. -- Billy Lee Hart, 64, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2018 at his residence, in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Mr. Hart was born Dec. 20, 1953 in Poplar Bluff, Mo. to the late Arthur C. and Melba (Fears) Hart. He enjoyed cars, going to the casino, and spending time with his family...

MALDEN, Mo. - Bullet/Red McElwrath, 92, of Holcomb, Mo., died Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2018 at Piggott Community Hospital in Piggott, Ark. Visitation will be from 6 - 8 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 17 at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. The funeral will be at 10 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 18 at the Bradshaw Chapel in Malden. Burial will be in Stanfield Cemetery in Clarkton, Mo...

Mavis R. Overall, 72, of Wappapello, passed away Oct. 14, 2018 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Hospital. Mavis was born Feb. 12, 1946 to Gene and Henrietta Shipman. Mavis worked as an Overnight supervisor for nearly 10 years at Arvin where she met many friends. Mavis lived in Wappapello, Mo. where she enjoyed spending time on the lake with her friends and family. Mavis enjoyed spending time fishing at the lake but spending time with her grandchildren skiing brought her the most joy...

"Have you ever got that sickening feeling down in the pit of your stomach where you knew something bad had happened," Malden Emergency Management Agency Director Jim Hollingshad asked a room of nearly 30 people at the Hickory Log restaurant. That feeling came over him around 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24 as all the lights in the city went out when a tornado hit the south end of Malden with no warning...

FISK, Mo. -- Venita Kearbey, 71, of Dudley, Mo., died Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018 at her home in Dudley. There will be a memorial service at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21, 2018 at Walnut Grove General Baptist Church in Fisk with Ashley Hofer officiating. Condolences: www.whitesandersfuneralhome.com...

Richland Elementary has received the highest honor an educational institution can earn by being named one of eight schools in Missouri as a 2018 National Blue Ribbon School. "This award takes four consecutive years of academic accomplishment at an extremely high level and very few school buildings ever accomplish this prestigious level," Richland Superintendent Frank Killian said. "Richland School Board and I are very proud of our elementary staff, students and community."...

VAN BUREN, Mo. - Franklin Garner Murdick, 85, formerly of Fremont and Fordland, Mo., died Monday, Oct.15, 2018 in Springfield. Visitation will be at noon, Friday, Oct. 19 at the McSpadden Funeral Home in Van Buren. The funeral will follow at 2 p.m. in the funeral home chapel. Burial will be in Wilderness Cemetery, Wilderness, Mo. Expressions of sympathy can be made to Cure Alzheimer's Fund at www.curealz.org...

Stoddard County commissioners will soon go out for bids regarding financing options for the voter approved jail expansion. With the help of county attorney Ivan Schrader, the request for bids finance language was reviewed during Monday morning's meeting...

PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Debra Sue (Silvy) Rayfield, 55, of Annapolis, Mo., died Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2018, at her residence. Visitation will be from 5 -7 p.m., Oct. 20, 2018 at Ruegg Funeral Home, Piedmont, Mo. Funeral service will follow at 7 p.m. at the Piedmont chapel...

For those on the left and right who were certain that President Donald Trump's presidency meant the end of global free trade ... think again. Though Trump's critics have dismissed the significance of the new Mexico and Canada trade deal, it's hard to deny that it is a welcome advance for the economy of the entire continent...

Over the weekend Donald Trump warned of "severe punishment" if an investigation concludes that a Saudi hit team murdered Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Riyadh then counter-threatened, reminding us that, as the world's largest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia "plays an impactful and active role in the global economy."...

DONIPHAN, Mo. - Irene Devore, 82, of Gatewood, Mo., died Monday, Oct. 15, 2018 at the Mark Twain Caring Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Visitation will be at 1:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 19. Graveside services will follow at 3 p.m. at the Doniphan Cemetery with Bro. Jared Baker officiating...

I suspect we're all guilty of clinging to things long past their expiration date. A shirt in the closet that no longer fits and is woefully out of style. Well worn shoes that may well conjure past memories but should have been relegated to the trash heap long ago...

Baby-Friendly USA, announced recently that Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center has received prestigious international recognition as a Designated Baby-Friendly birth facility. Baby-Friendly USA, Inc. is the U.S. authority for the implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative ("BFHI"), a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). ...

Roland F. Njoh, MD has joined the Cardiovascular Institute of Southern Missouri, part of Regional Physician Services, offering Poplar Bluff-area patients access to experienced cardiovascular care close to home. "Heart disease is the leading cause of mortality in Missouri, contributing to more than 15,000 deaths each year. ...

Randy Joe Davis is a joyful human being. Though he can no longer see it, a twinkle glistens in his striking blue eyes, and his infectious laughter lifts the spirits of anyone within hearing. The seemingly endless repertoire of Three Stooges jokes and one-line anecdotes flow easily into his conversations, as do his affirmations of faith...

DONIPHAN, Mo. - Lois Annetta Huffman, 86, of Doniphan, died Sunday, Oct. 14, 2018 in Doniphan. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Friday, Oct. 19 at Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan. A graveside service will follow at 1 p.m. at Mt. Olive Cemetery...

Vida Loberg Stanard, a retired educator, of Poplar Bluff, died unexpectedly Tuesday. Mrs. Stanard, 77, suffered a massive stroke at home and died several hours later at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. A complete obituary will appear in Thursday's edition...

BROSELEY -- The final bell dismisses students at Twin Rivers High School, and many walk across the gymnasium floor on their way to the exits. Nothing new, except the hardwood they're walking on, the humming of air compressors and the hammering sounds of a crew working to replace the floor...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Poplar Bluff left the pool play portion of the SEMO Conference Tournament with a 2-2 record and the third seed in the North Division. The Lady Mules defeated Sikeston 25-18, 25-22 to start off on the right foot. Poplar Bluff then dropped its second match in straight sets to Jackson in a pair of 25-19 games. The team rebounded against Cape Central with a 26-24, 25-21 victory before falling 25-17, 25-20 to Notre Dame...

Gov. Mike Parson made a stop Tuesday in Poplar Bluff to ask community leaders to back a motor fuel tax increase before voters Nov. 6. Parson is on a statewide tour this week, trying to leverage support for Proposition D. The new revenue is badly needed for infrastructure in the state and locally, according to Parson, who spoke at the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce...

Butler County will pay nearly 21 percent more for employee health insurance over the next year. The UnitedHealthcare policy will see costs go from $526.14 per employee, per month, to $643.70. Changes became effective this month, said county clerk Tonyi Deffendall...

DONIPHAN -- Although it was Senior Night for Doniphan, a young, disciplined Ellington squad shined Tuesday. Ellington came into Doniphan and defeated the Donettes 25-18, 21-25, 25-15 in front of an energetic crowd, climbing back to .500 in the process. In a nearly mistake-free match for Ellington, the team limited Doniphan's free points, committing three service errors and 13 attack errors...