Stories from Wednesday, November 27, 2013

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer Volunteers are needed from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday through Wednesday as the United Gospel Rescue Mission prepares for the annual Thanksgiving dinner. On the big day, about 300 volunteers are expected to help serve and deliver the meal, with more volunteers always in demand...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Hessling Construction, Inc. of Dexter, Mo., submitted the low bid of $379,315 for construction of the Pike Creek Phase II hiking and bike trail in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Billy Cobb of Smith & Co. engineers in Poplar Bluff opened seven bids for the project at City Hall Thursday and said Hessling's bid will be reviewed "to make sure everything is in place.:...

By AMITY SHEDD SEMO News Service CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- The stark white figure stood with its head down, eating in a grassy field close to the herd. Aside from looking up because of the occasional noise, the albino doe made its way around the field among the other deer, while cars with flashing lights stopped to take a quick photo...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Three positions on the Poplar Bluff R-I Board of Education will be up for election in April, according to a resolution adopted Thursday at the monthly meeting. The board also received additional information about the possibility of arming staff to provide more security in case of an emergency and acted on personnel matters...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer A day before the country sits down to Thanksgiving feasts, a local charity is holding a potato soup fundraiser that symbolizes the hardships America's troops have gone through. Cape Arrowhead Executive Director John Fuller said proceeds from the second annual event will mainly help provide outdoor activities for veterans and their families...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Poplar Bluff School District will employ two additional registered nurses in January after a plea from its health coordinator, who has seen the number of some serious medical conditions in students double, triple, quadruple and more in the last decade...

Give kids holiday Hi. I'm just calling in regards to Veterans' Day. I want to say thank you to all the veterans. Also I'd like to say that I think it's a real crime that we do not let our children celebrate Veterans' Day, but we will let them out of school to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, who was not a politically correct person to do the things that our veterans have done. I just think that's a crime...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN By 1968, Walter Lippmann, the dean of liberal columnists, had concluded that liberalism had reached the end of its tether. In that liberal epoch, the 1960s, the Democratic Party had marched us into an endless war that was tearing America apart...

WASHINGTON -- For concision and precision in describing Barack Obama's suddenly ambivalent relationship with his singular -- actually, his single -- achievement, the laurels go to Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La. After Obama's semi-demi-apology for millions of canceled insurance policies -- an intended and predictable consequence of his crusade to liberate Americans from their childish choices of "substandard" policies sold by "bad apple" insurers -- Scalise said:...

The Internal Revenue Service and the American Association of Retired Persons are looking for volunteers to provide free tax counseling and basic income tax return preparation next filing season in Butler County. The AARP Tax-Aide program provides free training in January and all the materials needed for volunteers to prepare basic individual income tax returns. Volunteers are asked to give at least four hours per week...

Al Stutts DEXTER, Mo. -- James Alva "Al" Stutts, 84, of Dexter died Saturday, Nov. 23, 2013, at his residence. Visitation will be held from 5-8 p.m. today at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home chapel with burial following in Chalk Bluff Cemetery...

Steven Cooper MANKATO, Mich. -- Steven Wayne "Coopie" Cooper, 50, of Mapleton, Mich., died Friday, Nov. 22, 2013, surrounded by his family at his residence following a long battle with cancer. Steven was born Aug. 6, 1963, in Poplar Bluff, Mo., to Randall and JoAnn (Poffinbarger) Cooper. ...

Joseph Tinsley POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Joseph Tinsley, 90, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., was born in Lilbourn, Mo., Jan. 15, 1923, and passed away at his home Nov. 24, 2013. He was married to Dona Lewis in Lilbourn Christmas Day 1941. She preceded him in death Nov. 25, 2010. He was also preceded in death by his parents, Gustavus and Amanda Tinsley; brothers, Charles and Lawrence; and sisters, Jennie Jacobucci, Ann Haily, Rosalee Wagner and Zallah Bell...

Larry Johnson Larry Thomas Johnson Sr., 70, of Doniphan, Mo., died Saturday, Nov. 23, 2013. He was born June 10, 1943, in Pemiscot County. He was a long time resident of Butler and Ripley counties. Larry retired from the VA Hospital as an LPN. He served in the U.S. Army during Vietnam. He was a member of the Oglesville General Baptist Church, and he enjoyed playing cards and visiting with friends...

Louise Cook MALDEN, Mo. -- Agnes Louise Pickard Cook, 83, of Gideon, Mo., died Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Ms. Cook was born Nov. 26, 1929, in Salem, Ark. She married Dillard Franklin Pickard on Oct. 19, 1946. He preceded her in death on Dec. 22, 1993...

Linda Hardin Linda S. Hardin, 61, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Ms. Hardin was born Dec. 26, 1951, in Poplar Bluff. She was a member of Palace of Praise Church in Poplar Bluff. Survivors include her son, Micheal Hardin (Christy); two brothers, Teddy Kirkley (Linda) and Tony Kirkley (Brenda); two grandchildren, Jonathan and Jeffry Hardin; two nieces, Cheryl Lorentz and family and Jeanna Tipton and family; and four nephews, Nathan Kirkley and family, Tony Kirkley Jr., Mark Kirkley and family and Rick Kirkley and family.. ...

Water Dist. 1 board meets The Butler County Public Water Supply District 1 will have a board meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the district office. Agenda items include financial reports, payroll committee report, project updates, new well and 2014 budget...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor A burglary investigation culminated late Friday night with the execution of a search warrant in which the alleged suspect fled on foot and subsequently pulled a gun on officers, resulting in a struggle to disarm the man...

Rep. Steve Cookson received the Missouri Community College Association's Distinguished Legislator Award at a ceremony held in St. Louis on Nov. 1. Cookson serves Missouri's 153rd House District, which includes Carter, Ripley and part of Wayne counties...

The holiday season is upon us and it's a time of year when things can become extremely hectic with numerous family and community events, shopping for presents, and oftentimes a considerable amount of travel. As things tend to speed up and the hours of the day seem to evaporate too quickly, it is important that we do our best to slow down and take a moment to appreciate the here and now, and the many blessings we are fortunate to have as Missourians and Americans...

R-1 schools out Wednesay Poplar Bluff R-I schools will be dismissed Wednesday for a teacher collaboration day. Classes will not be held Thursday or Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday. Classes will resume Monday.

By MIKE JENSON Publisher Sikeston Standard Democrat Let's face it - the past week was less than kind to our President. And the same can be said about the embattled but still arrogant Alec Baldwin. But these two kindred spirits of the far political left have similar problems because they made similar mistakes...

t's frustrating to think about it, really. Just one more 3 pointer. Surely nobody would have minded a few extra attempts in that 66-point win or the 84-point drubbing. Or maybe if that leg would have lasted just a few minutes longer against Farmington...

arch 2nd, 2013 will go down as a historical day for the Ozark Foothills Conference. On that Saturday, three girls teams played in state quarterfinal games in three different classes. Although none of them won that day, each could go home knowing that they were in their respective game until the end...

As we are preparing food for the upcoming holiday meals I always think of serving turkey. Many people only purchase and prepare turkey around the holidays. If you are looking for a different way to serve the same meat consider frying a turkey this year. Your Thanksgiving guests will enjoy this traditional bird prepared in a nontraditional way. Fried turkey cooks a lot faster but requires special care and handling...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor The Bank of Missouri has purchased the former Super D Drug Store building and Dexter Bar-B-Que Inc. will replace The Branding Iron restaurant. Both purchases were announced during the Poplar Bluff Planning and Zoning Commission meeting Monday night...

The local charity Project Christmas Promise begins its fifth year having delivered more than 9,400 gifts to Butler County children through the generosity of area residents. The program was started, according to organizers, to ensure no child in Butler County went without on Christmas morning. In addition to toys, many of the children also receive badly needed essentials, like shoes and warm winter coats...