Stories from Thursday, April 11, 2019

There is quite a stir going on at the State Capitol building lately, in both the Missouri House of Representatives and Senate regarding charter school expansion from St. Louis and Kansas City to all across Missouri. Recently, Senate Bill 292 “the Charter School bill” was debated, and met with resistance from several bi-partisan senators engaged in a multi-hour filibuster. ...

I’m sure like myself everyone is tired of this long, cold winter. A few weeks back the world on a national stage was given some very bad info from a sneaky rodent in Pennsylvania promising an early spring. Well, after suffering through this obvious lie, warm days are finally upon us!...

From one veteran to another… Let’s talk about a word that typically evokes a wide range of emotions: technology. Some people roll their eyes in frustration with technology, but at VA, we like to think of “technology” as another word for “possibility” when it comes to health care for rural veterans...

The Joe Biden sexual sensitivity roller coaster is gaining steam just about the time his poll numbers are starting to spike. Don’t, for a moment, think this is a coincidence. Creepy Uncle Joe is working overtime defending his interaction with women in the past. And what we are learning should serve as a lesson in the over-sensitizing of an innocent act...

Kind and caring are the two words that were continuously used to describe the teacher from Poplar Bluff Junior High who was selected as the building’s 2019-20 Teacher of the Year (TOY). Britney Stahl is able to develop relationships with her students as soon as they walk in the door of her classroom...

A report of a possible abduction and shots fired Wednesday evening in Poplar Bluff led authorities on a multistate search for a woman and her possible kidnapper. The woman and man, both of whom were from Memphis, Tennessee or West Memphis, Arkansas, were found together in her car in Arkansas, officials say. She reported to authorities she was fine, according to Poplar Bluff Police Lt. Josh Stewart...

The weather over the weekend actually turned out better than expected, and Missouri’s youth turkey season hunters took advantage of it, killing 2,540 birds over the two-day period. The total represents an increase of 817 over last year’s 1,723, which was the lowest youth-season harvest on record. This year’s still ranks as the third lowest...

On the first night of my family’s homelessness, it rained. It rained so hard that the roof of the old car we were sleeping in leaked. This was one of the best nights of my life because that was the night we found God. The concept of a new business was born. We decided that I needed to go to law school. I have since graduated law school, become a published author, and am a motivational speaker. Life is good...

A week from today will be Good Friday. It is the day the Christian community remembers and reflects on the Lord Jesus Christ giving his life and dying on the cross. It is the foundation of our faith; Jesus willingly goes to the cross because God so loved the world and three days later, he arose from the dead. It is the cornerstone of what we believe. It is Romans 10:9; If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved...

MALDEN, Mo. — Norma Hampton, 78, of Malden, died Monday, April 8, 2019 in Lake Placid, Fla. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Friday, April 12 at Landess Funeral Home in Malden. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 13 at the funeral home with her grandson, Carson Jarrell officiating...

NEELYVILLE, Mo. — Jerry Wayne Robertson, 79, of Harviell, Mo., died April 10, 2019. Visitation for Jerry will be Saturday April 13 starting at 2 p.m. in the Fowler & Sons Funeral Home of Neelyville, with the funeral following at 3 p.m. with Donnie Fowler officiating.

City officials met this week to discuss liability issues that could push the opening of a Shelby Road extension out by six to eight weeks. The discussions were held Wednesday and Thursday with the contractor, city attorney and others involved in the project...

Going the extra mile to help veterans is the purpose of the SEMO Christian Restoration Center said Bishop Ron Webb of Poplar Bluff. The center, which was destroyed by fire in December 2017, will be the site for a ribbon cutting ceremony beginning at 2:30 p.m. Saturday...

Dedicated educators are not sparse across the Poplar Bluff R-1 School District, but the amount of dedication Lake Road second grade teacher Kasi Aldridge puts in far exceeds the standard of greatness. Putting her students first in everything she does is why Aldridge was selected to represent Lake Road Elementary as the 2019-20 Teacher of the Year...

DONIPHAN — A former Gatewood school bus driver who had been accused of having inappropriate sexual contact with a female student will not stand trial on his charge. Associate Circuit Judge Thomas Davis Swindle dismissed the charge against Kerry Benard Murphey on Tuesday after ruling no probable cause had been found to believe the Class D felony of sexual contact with a student had been committed by the 46-year-old, explained Ripley County Prosecuting Attorney Ted Thompson...

Graveside services will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, April 13 at the Alwood Cemetery in Reynolds County under the direction of Morrison Funeral Chapel, Piedmont. Online condolences: www.morrisonfuneral.com