Stories from Monday, December 9, 2019

A Santa Run was held Saturday to raise money for community charities organized in the memory of 9-year-old Brodie Gargac. His Make-A-Wish Foundation request was to see his hometown ballfield repaired. He died in 2009, one day shy of his 10th birthday, from childhood leukemia...

Ronald James Cozort, 66, of Poplar Bluff, died Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019 in St. Louis University Hospital. Moore Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff has been entrusted with the arrangements.

Billy Wayne Holt, 89, of Doniphan, died Monday, Dec. 2, 2019. A private family graveside service was held Saturday, Dec. 7 at the Cemetery in Swifton, Ark.

Randy Earl Robinson, 68, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Friday, Dec. 6, 2019 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Randy was born April 27, 1951 in Poplar Bluff, to Earl J. and Norma L. Robinson, also of Poplar Bluff. He was a graduate of Poplar Bluff High School class of 1969 and attended Three Rivers Community College. ...

VAN BUREN — Jim Joe Pitt, son of the late Robert E. Pitt and Mildred Jewel (Ham) Pitt was born May 16, 1950 in Poplar Bluff and departed this life on Dec. 6, 2019 at his residence in Van Buren. He had attained the age of sixty-nine years, six months and twenty-one days...

The original purpose of welfare was to help those who are in the midst of a rough patch get back on their feet. However, the Left has over time tried to turn it into something else: a lifelong entitlement. Through this distortion, welfare has trapped people in a vicious cycle of dependency instead of empowering them to get back into the workforce. This is holding back countless able-bodied men and women from reaching their full potential and achieving the American Dream...

To the editor: This letter is in response to an opinion letter by Jason Smith on the subject of impeachment. If his message is the only thing people have read on the subject, then they have received a distorted impression of what is happening. Impeachment process is about unacceptable, criminal behavior of the elected official we call President. ...

Design has begun for the new VA health care center in Cape Girardeau, according to officials at John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. The goal is to enroll 3,000 new veteran patients over the next two years leading up to the center opening in 2022, John J. Pershing VAMC Associate Medical Center Director Libby Johnson said in a press release...

Three Rivers alumna Christy Frazier-Moore has been selected as the college’s first-ever Alumni Star. She will be honored as part of the Alumni Reunion festivities on Feb. 1. “Christy has a true love for Three Rivers, and she is constantly promoting what we do,” said Michelle Reynolds, director of development at TRC. “She not only gives back to the college in several ways, she is a great representative of us with her work in the community.”...

Water district bill issues Who’s water bill am I paying? I live in the Water District #3 area of Butler County. In February of this year, my meter was changed over to a new meter. My readings have never been this high before and my bill is through the roof. ...

Jackie Lee ‘Jack’ Roach, 76 of Poplar Bluff, passed away on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019 at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St, Louis. Jack was born on April 25,1943 in Butler County, Mo., the son of Lonnie and Arizona (Spradling) Roach. On June 5, 1961 he married Sonja Digges in Poplar Bluff. Together they have shared over fifty-eight years of marriage...

Kelly Susan Christian, 60, of Poplar Bluff died Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Kelly was born to the late Harold and June (Pulliam) Christian on March 12, 1959 in Poplar Bluff. She was a long-time employee for K-Mart. Kelly enjoyed spending time with her family and her cats, camping, mowing the lawn, going to flea markets and collecting treasures...

PARMA, Mo. — Mary Blankinship of Parma, daughter of the late Arthur and Myrtle Gillbreath Neal, was born in Parma, Mo. on Oct. 11, 1931, and passed away at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff on Dec. 8, 2019, at the age of 88 years, 1 month and 27 days...

VAN BUREN — A Carter County judge ordered a Van Buren man to stand trial Monday afternoon for assaulting four officers by shooting at them as they attempted to serve him with an eviction notice. James D. Cummings appeared before Associate Circuit Judge Steve Lynxwiler for a preliminary hearing on four counts each of first-degree assault and armed criminal action. He was accompanied by his attorneys, Tim Fleener and Ian Page with the Public Defender’s Office...

City firefighters responded at 9:17 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, to a report of a odor that smelled like an electrical fire at the intersection of Sanders and Bearden streets. It was investigation only. _ City firefighters responded at 8:49 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, to a possible structure fire in the 300 block of Relief Street...

MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL Theresa M. Miller, 41, of Sikeston was arrested at 11:35 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8, on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), DWI (drugs), possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while suspended and failure to signal. She was booked at the Stoddard County Jail...

VAN BUREN — The Carter County Sheriff’s Department has relocated into what has been described as a more permanent, yet still temporary, location. On Saturday, the operations of the sheriff’s department moved out of the two trailers it had occupied at 101 Highway W into a building directly across U.S. 60, at the Griffin Business Complex, 1977 Cabin Drive, Suite No. 208. The building is owned by Griffin Properties LLC...

Hundreds of local high school students returned to their schools this week heavy with awards from a Senior Beta Club convention held in Springfield over the weekend. It is an event they spent months preparing to attend.

Poplar Bluff First place, Creative Writing Division II, Tyler Wilkerson Third place, Digital Art Division I, Kylie Darnell Fifth place, Drawing Division II, Gabriela Rivetti Second place, Language Arts 12th grade, Ross Dare Fourth place, Marketing and Communications...