Stories from Wednesday, June 6, 2012

By ERIN RAGAN SEMO News Service DIEHLSTADT, Mo. -- An EF-2 tornado with winds up to 115 mph ripped through southeastern Scott County on Monday night, tearing apart a mobile home on Highway 77, killing an elderly man and his two grown sons. The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado and a second severe weather event, a downburst with winds reaching 100 mph, were responsible for damaging 52 homes, several businesses, dozens of trees and some crops...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor A new development has delayed today's scheduled jury trial involving the dispute between Brian Becker and the city of Poplar Bluff. The city has decided to give Becker, the owner of Poplar Bluff Internet, Inc. (doing business as semo.net), the opportunity to have a hearing before the Municipal Utilities Advisory Board...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor The new head of the local Missouri Department of Natural Resources regional office is someone familiar to Southeast Missouri as he has spent much of his nearly 23-year career with the agency here. "I am honored to have an opportunity to manage the Southeast Regional office," said Jackson Bostic, who took over on May 1. He replaces Gary Gaines, who retired in February...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor The Poplar Bluff Public Library will become the first one in Missouri to be funded with sales tax revenue. Library personnel, board members and supporters celebrated when Butler County Clerk Tonyi Deffendall announced the results of Tuesday's special election...

By JOE GAMM SEMO News Service MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- A 55-year-old Marble Hill man being held in the Bollinger County Jail on seven charges, including assault on a law enforcement officer, reportedly killed himself in his cell early Tuesday morning. A dispatcher found Charles Daniel Hovis in his cell bleeding heavily from wounds to his left arm about 3:15 a.m. and called a deputy for help, Sheriff Leo McElrath said...

By SYD HAYMAN Staff Writer The program that believes in keeping food in when school is out is expanding its feeding sites this year. The Summer Food Service Program, sponsored by the Department of Senior Social Services, provides free meals to youth under the age of 18 and eligible disabled adults over 18...

By ERIN RAGAN SEMO News Service DIEHLSTADT, Mo. -- An EF-2 tornado with winds up to 115 mph ripped through southeastern Scott County on Monday night, tearing apart a mobile home on Highway 77, killing an elderly man and his two grown sons. The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado and a second severe weather event, a downburst with winds reaching 100 mph, were responsible for damaging 52 homes, several businesses, dozens of trees and some crops...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor The new head of the local Missouri Department of Natural Resources regional office is someone familiar to Southeast Missouri as he has spent much of his nearly 23-year career with the agency here. "I am honored to have an opportunity to manage the Southeast Regional office," said Jackson Bostic, who took over on May 1. He replaces Gary Gaines, who retired in February...

By SYD HAYMAN Staff Writer The program that believes in keeping food in when school is out is expanding its feeding sites this year. The Summer Food Service Program, sponsored by the Department of Senior Social Services, provides free meals to youth under the age of 18 and eligible disabled adults over 18...

The six-week course, called Operation JumpStart (OJS), is a nationally-recognized, highly- successful training model designed for individuals who are considering starting or expanding a small business. The OJS program helps participants build essential business planning and preparation skills like product pricing, legal structure, competition, marketing, and cash flow management with the goal of developing a feasibility plan to start or expand a business. ...

Registration for day camp Registration is open for Camp Oak Hill Summer Day Camp, which will be held Monday - Thursday, July 9-12. Although a Girl Scout Camp, all girls are invited. Fee for day campers is $40 for a Girl Scout; $52 for non-Scouts. Each camper will receive a T-shirt. ...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN In pushing for U.S. military intervention in Syria -- arming the insurgents and using U.S. air power to "create safe zones" for anti-regime forces "inside Syria's borders" -- The Washington Post invokes "vital U.S. interests" that are somehow imperiled there...

To the Editor, If by chance you felt the earth move a little late Sunday afternoon, there was no reason for alarm; it was only a Tiger roaring. If you are a golf season widow, you likely heard your husband or wife re-tell the feat of Tiger Woods coming from 4 shots back to win the Memorial tournament in Dublin, Ohio. ...

By MONA CHAREN One elementary law of politics that the Obama campaign does not seem to have internalized is this: Don't play against type. Last week White House spokesman Jay Carney brazenly asserted that President Obama's spending binge never happened. "The rate of spending -- federal spending -- increase is lower under President Obama than all of his predecessors since Dwight Eisenhower, including all of his Republican predecessors."...

Flora Swofford Flora "Flo" Swofford, 84, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Wednesday, June 6, 2012, at Westwood Hills Healthcare Center in Poplar Bluff. Funeral arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service.

Geneva George ELLINGTON, Mo. -- Geneva George of St. Louis, Mo., died Wednesday, June 6, 2012, at St. John's Mercy Skilled Nursing Center in St. Louis. Funeral arrangements are pending with McSpadden Funeral Home in Ellington, Mo.

Brenda Smick VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Brenda Kay Smick, 66, of Fremont, Mo. died Monday, June 4, 2012, at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. The daughter of the late Robert Wesley and Stella Vivian (Wilson) Corgan, she was born June 21, 1945, in Portageville, Mo. ...

Karen Haga Karen Louise Haga, 51, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Monday, June 4, 2012, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Ms. Haga was born Sept. 8, 1960 in Brookfield, Mo. She was employed at Poplar Bluff Regional Center. Ms. Haga enjoyed spending time with her family, especially with her son, Dustin who she enjoyed watching play sports, telling jokes, playing scrabble, playing the piano, music and reading...

Harold Powell -- Fisk, Mo. Karen Haga -- Poplar Bluff, Mo. Dennis Haney -- Doniphan, Mo. Geneva George -- St. Louis, Mo. Flora Swofford -- Poplar Bluff, Mo. Brenda Smick -- Fremont, Mo. Victoria Swanson -- Poplar Bluff, Mo.

Harold Powell Harold Powell, 66, of Fisk, Mo., formerly of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Sunday, June 3, 2012, at his residence. Mr. Powell was born May 22, 1946, in Dudley, Mo. He enjoyed fishing, camping and spending time with his family. On April 9, 1964, he was married to Rebecca Vaughn in Poplar Bluff. She preceded him in death on March 17, 2005...

Victoria Swanson Victoria Elizabeth Swanson, 15, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Monday, June 5, 2012, in Butler County. Victoria "Torie" was born Aug. 2, 1996, in Poplar Bluff, and had recently completed the ninth grade at Poplar Bluff High School. She was a big-hearted, full of life kind of girl with many friends. ...

The six-week course, called Operation JumpStart (OJS), is a nationally-recognized, highly- successful training model designed for individuals who are considering starting or expanding a small business. The OJS program helps participants build essential business planning and preparation skills like product pricing, legal structure, competition, marketing, and cash flow management with the goal of developing a feasibility plan to start or expand a business. ...

Registration for day camp Registration is open for Camp Oak Hill Summer Day Camp, which will be held Monday - Thursday, July 9-12. Although a Girl Scout Camp, all girls are invited. Fee for day campers is $40 for a Girl Scout; $52 for non-Scouts. Each camper will receive a T-shirt. ...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN In pushing for U.S. military intervention in Syria -- arming the insurgents and using U.S. air power to "create safe zones" for anti-regime forces "inside Syria's borders" -- The Washington Post invokes "vital U.S. interests" that are somehow imperiled there...

To the Editor, If by chance you felt the earth move a little late Sunday afternoon, there was no reason for alarm; it was only a Tiger roaring. If you are a golf season widow, you likely heard your husband or wife re-tell the feat of Tiger Woods coming from 4 shots back to win the Memorial tournament in Dublin, Ohio. ...

By MONA CHAREN One elementary law of politics that the Obama campaign does not seem to have internalized is this: Don't play against type. Last week White House spokesman Jay Carney brazenly asserted that President Obama's spending binge never happened. "The rate of spending -- federal spending -- increase is lower under President Obama than all of his predecessors since Dwight Eisenhower, including all of his Republican predecessors."...

Geneva George ELLINGTON, Mo. -- Geneva George of St. Louis, Mo., died Wednesday, June 6, 2012, at St. John's Mercy Skilled Nursing Center in St. Louis. Funeral arrangements are pending with McSpadden Funeral Home in Ellington, Mo.

Victoria Swanson Victoria Elizabeth Swanson, 15, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Monday, June 5, 2012, in Butler County. Victoria "Torie" was born Aug. 2, 1996, in Poplar Bluff, and had recently completed the ninth grade at Poplar Bluff High School. She was a big-hearted, full of life kind of girl with many friends. ...

Karen Haga Karen Louise Haga, 51, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Monday, June 4, 2012, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Ms. Haga was born Sept. 8, 1960 in Brookfield, Mo. She was employed at Poplar Bluff Regional Center. Ms. Haga enjoyed spending time with her family, especially with her son, Dustin who she enjoyed watching play sports, telling jokes, playing scrabble, playing the piano, music and reading...