Stories from Sunday, November 11, 2018

A recognition received Friday by the city of Poplar Bluff honored how the community comes together every day to serve veterans, according to officials. Poplar Bluff has become the second city in the state to earn the title Veteran Friendly Community from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs...

Shirley Jo Clark, 83, of Poplar Bluff, died Friday, Nov. 9, 2018 at her residence. Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2018 at Moore Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 at Moore Funeral Service Chapel with burial in the Memorial Gardens Cemetery...

Billy Gene King, 47, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. passed away Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born Dec. 17, 1970 to Glen and Polly (Shook) King at Poplar Bluff. He enjoyed playing cards, riding four wheelers, playing pool with his sons, camping, fishing, sitting around the camp fire and drinking beer...

The annual Operation Christmas Child charity is packing shoeboxes full of toys to be sent to children overseas as gifts. Over the past few weeks, the Temple Baptist Church youth group has prepared many shoeboxes full of toys to give to the less fortunate across the world...

ELLSINORE, Mo. -- Freda June Davis, daughter of the late James E. and Alpha (Hillis) Dougherty was born June 24, 1940 in Williamsville, Mo., and departed this life on Nov.8, 2018 at her residence in Ellsinore, Mo. She had attained the age of seventy-eight years, four months and fifteen days...

"You are heroes through and through, I can't explain how much we appreciate you," Reese Dobbins said Friday during the Neelyville R-IV School District's annual Veterans Day ceremony. Nearly 40 veterans were honored in front of the school and community through musical performances, poetry readings and even a yo-yo routine by students...

The Poplar Bluff R-1 School District is continuing an investigation after a high school student dressed in a Ku Klux Klan costume during class as part of a group presentation Friday afternoon. "There is no excuse for this, it's something that will not be tolerated or will ever be tolerated on my watch," Superintendent Dr. Scott Dill said. "This can't happen."...

A court has been asked to decide who should hold the title to property that has served as home to Poplar Bluff's library for about a century. A response from the city of Poplar Bluff is expected next week in a suit brought by the independent Poplar Bluff Municipal Library District, which oversees library operations and sales tax funding...

The community is invited to come together and give thanks while enjoying a free Thanksgiving meal featuring 18 cases of turkeys. The annual community Thanksgiving dinner hosted by the Poplar Bluff student council will be held from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday at Poplar Bluff High School...

HAYTI, Mo. -- For the first time since 2007, Hayti won the district championship. Avenging their demons against district stalwart Valle Catholic, the Indians defeated the Warriors 28-7 Friday at Hayti. Winners of the last 10 district championship games, Valle Catholic has had Hayti's number -- beating the Indians five times to advance to the state playoffs...

KENNETT, Mo. -- Kennett has maintained a "bend but don't break mentality" when attempting to protect leads throughout the season. Kennett found a way to deliver in the clutch again when things got tight in the Class 3 District 1 title game against Park Hills Central on Friday to pull away and win 42-20 in Kennett...

The Lady Raiders held their own against No. 21 Wabash Valley for three quarters Saturday. In the first, third and fourth quarters, Three Rivers was outscored by a combined eight points. The second quarter, though, was their undoing. Wabash Valley delivered a knockout blow early in the second with a 13-4 run, outscoring Three Rivers 26-13 in the frame en route to an 88-67 victory over the hosts at the Bess Activity Center...

Staff Reports A Fairdealing man won $50,000 playing Powerball. James Held's ticket matched four white-ball numbers and the Powerball number for the Oct. 6 drawing. The winning numbers were: 1, 22, 27, 53, 67 and the Powerball number was 15. He purchased the winning ticket at Bloomfield C-Mart, State Highway 25, in Bloomfield...

Eugene Dewayne Robertson, Sr., 74, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born Jan. 11, 1944 to Earl and Lillian (Holmes) Robertson in Bragg City, Mo. He graduated from Bragg City High School in 1962. Eugene married Brenda Hartwell in Bragg City June 6, 1964. She preceded him in death on June 1, 1994. Eugene worked for Riggs Wholesale for 50 years and retired as the assistant manager...

Trustees of the City of Poplar Bluff Municipal Library District have filed a lawsuit against the City of Poplar Bluff to obtain title to the library building and property after the City Council reneged on a 2014 "gentlemen's agreement" to transfer title to the Library District...

Shelia Baker, 63, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018 in Poplar Bluff. She was born Oct. 7, 1955 to James Butler and Dorothy (Thompson) Crouch at Hernando, Miss. She had been a social worker for Haven House and a stay-at-home mom. Shelia enjoyed watching soap operas, doing crossword puzzles, spending time with her grandchildren, tending to her flowers and plants in the yard...

By ADRIANA COHEN Now that Attorney General Jeff Sessions is out at the Department of Justice and President Donald Trump has installed Matt Whitaker -- Sessions' former chief of staff -- as his acting replacement, anti-Trump forces are seeing red. Some on the left are accusing the president of firing Sessions to obstruct special counsel Robert Mueller's ongoing investigation, while others are saying Whitaker must recuse himself for having expressed opinions about the scope of Mueller's probe...

DEXTER, Mo. --Barbara Jean Forkum, 86, daughter of the late Burette Whitener and Pearl Mae "Bayran" Whitener was born Feb. 7, 1932 in Poplar Bluff, Mo. and departed this life Friday, Nov. 9, 2018 at the Crowley Ridge Nursing Home in Dexter, Mo. Mrs. ...

CHARLESTON, Mo - After a season full of accolades the Charleston Bluejays stood at the doorstep of their biggest feat yet Friday night in the Class 2, District 1 Tournament championship game. Standing in their way was perennial district powerhouse and defending champion Caruthersville. Though they were in it until the final play it wasn't to be for the top-seeded Bluejays, falling 20-12 to the second-seeded Tigers who claimed their eighth title in the last 11 years...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Cael Welker took a knee, and as the final seconds ticked off the clock, the sophomore quarterback found his senior center and wrapped up Dawson Southard in a bear hug. For the first time in his high school career, Southard was a district champion. ...

The Lady Raiders put together one of the more complete performances you'll see on a basketball court Friday night. Three Rivers forced 36 turnovers -- one shy of its season-high -- and allowed a season-low of 57 points against Rend Lake in a 92-57 thumping Friday night at the Bess Activity Center...

MURRAY, Ky. -- It's not often a coach says his team is too ready to play a football game, but Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz believes that may have been the case in his team's stunning 40-38 loss to Murray State on Saturday. Going into the game, the Redhawks controlled their own destiny. ...

PADUCAH, Kent. -- For a moment, West Kentucky CTC took the lead in the second half. In a flash, the Raiders put the game away. Three Rivers used its fast-paced offense for 12 unanswered points to close out West Kentucky 110-100. Ahead 12 at halftime, the Raiders picked up the second half how they ended the first...