Stories from Friday, February 21, 2014

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Plans for relocating Barron Road to make way for the possible construction of a bank were discussed during the Poplar Bluff Regional Transportation Development District board meeting Wednesday. Attorney Mark Richardson, who represents Larry Hillis, requested Barron Road be restored between Municipal Utilities and Highway W if it can be moved north of where it was previously located...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor BLUFFVIEW, Mo. -- Autopsies will be performed Friday on the bodies of a Reynolds County couple who were found early this morning after having been missing for nearly three weeks. The bodies of 54-year-old William Talley and 47-year-old Jordy Wagner were found around 2 a.m. Thursday in the woods about three miles from their Bluffview area home, according to Reynolds County Sheriff Tom Volner...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Three Rivers College trustees put into writing Wednesday a policy prohibiting romantic relationships between certain employees, as well as staff and students. Need for the policy was driven by incidents in the last year and a half, according to Dr. Devin Stephenson, college president...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- A former First Midwest Bank employee was sentenced to more than two years in federal prison Wednesday morning and ordered to pay more than $400,000 in restitution. Leslie Ann Eastwood Kirby, who had been the bank's teller supervisor, was sentenced to 27 months on the felony of theft or embezzlement/misapplication by a bank officer by U.S. District Judge Rodney Sippel, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer Twenty-four of Poplar Bluff's finest chili cooks will converge on the Black River Coliseum Saturday for the Ninth Annual Mason Dixon Chili Society Chili Cook Off. Offering samples from each booth, the free event is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Funds raised will benefit the United Gospel Rescue Mission...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Three Rivers College trustees began discussion Wednesday of raises for employees. College officials presented a variety of proposals at the monthly meeting, including additions to base pay and percentage raises. They also discussed ongoing progress and costs of building projects...

As a child growing up in Detroit and Boston, I had many opportunities to experience the ugly face of racism and witnessed the devastating toll exacted by its mean-spirited nature. I was a victim of the racism of low expectations for black children, but in retrospect, I can see that many of those attitudes were based on ignorance. ...

By MIKE JENSEN Publisher Sikeston Standard Democrat Secretary of State John Kerry was in Indonesia last week to promote the ongoing charade of global warming. He picked the perfect time to discuss global warming as he fled the Northeast and the record ice and snowfall and bitter temperatures...

During the first weeks of February, we delivered the first Senate bills over to the House of Representatives for its consideration, including one that relates to the process of placing candidates' names on the election ballot. Senate Bill 630 provides for fair placement of candidates' names by allowing representatives of military candidates and candidates with disabilities to draw numbers to establish ballot order. ...

Recently I had a client who wanted to know how long raw hamburger meat would last in the refrigerator. That does happen to be one meat that doesn't last long, has a color change, and smells funny when it's too old. Ever wonder just how long you can keep that leftover bowl of delicious spaghetti, potato salad or package of ground chuck?...

The Lions District 26-M-1 will hold its annual convention in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21-22 with guests arriving Friday evening. A reception will be held Friday from 6-10 p.m. at Las Margaritas. The banquet will be held from 6-9 a.m. Saturday at the Aad Grotto Lodge...

The University of Missouri fall semester 2013 graduation list has been released. Students from this area named are: Grace Erin Griffith, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Nursing-BSN and Kyle James West, Bachelor of General Studies, General Studies-BGS, both of Poplar Bluff, Mo.; Denise M. ...

Lurlyne Myers PHOTO DEXTER, Mo. -- Lurlyne Myers, 72, of Wappapello, Mo., formerly of Dexter, died Monday, Feb. 17, 2014, in West Plains, Mo. Mrs. Myers, daughter of the late Reed Hardy and Pauline Patterson Hardy, was born Jan. 14, 1942, in Little Rock, Ark. ...

Ronald Browning PHOTO Ronald "Joe" Browning, 75, of Harviell, Mo., passed away peacefully Monday, Feb. 17, 2014, at Westwood Hills Health Care Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Joe was born at home in Hamilton, Ohio, on Feb. 2, 1939. Later, the family moved to Arizona where Joe graduated from Benson Union High School in Benson, Ariz., in 1957. ...

After three years of falling a win shy of the MSHSAA state wrestling championships, Poplar Bluff's Aaron Vincent had to battle through an extra 2 1/2 minutes to get there. The Poplar Bluff senior will make his debut in Columbia when the 84th state tournament starts Thursday afternoon at Mizzou Arena...

Ricky Reeves PARMA, Mo. -- Ricky Darrell Reeves, 54, of Malden, Mo., died Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014, at his residence. Visitation will be held after 10 a.m. Friday at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Parma. Funeral services will follow at 1 p.m. Friday at the chapel in Parma. Burial will be in the Memorial Park Cemetery in Malden, Mo...

JR Landers PHOTO FLAG MALDEN, Mo. -- Walter Landers Jr., 87, of Risco, Mo., died Monday, Feb. 17, 2014, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. JR was born Dec. 25, 1926, to the late Walter Sr. and Daisy Young Landers in Kennett, Mo. He had served with the U.S. Army Air Force in WWII and was a retired businessman/land owner/farmer. He was a member of Pleasantview General Baptist Church in Risco, involved in Kiwanis and was president and on the board of directors of Farm Bureau, P.C.A...

Morgan McAtee's start in competitive swimming started at age 6 by mistake. "I accidentally got put on the swim team," McAtee said. "My mom was just so scared that when we went to the river that I was going to drown, that she said I had to be in swimming lessons."...

Wayne Maynard POCAHONTAS, Ark. -- Wayne Maynard, 76, passed away Friday, Feb. 14, 2014. The family will hold a memorial service at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Church of God of Prophecy in Pocahontas with Dan Avery officiating. Memorial donations may be made at the memorial service...

Patsy Householder QULIN, Mo. -- Patsy Householder, 64, of Paragould, Ark., died Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center at Paragould. She was born July 30, 1949, at Qulin. On July 31, 1986, she married David Householder. He survives...

Geneva Wills GREENVILLE, Mo. -- Geneva Murl Wills 86, of Greenville died Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014, at her residence. The visitation will be held at 9:30 a.m. Friday at Ruegg Funeral Home in Greenville for the family and 10 a.m. for the public with the service following at 11 a.m. also at the Ruegg Chapel. Online condolences: www.rueggfuneralhome.com...

Geneva Wills GREENVILLE, Mo. -- Geneva Murl Wills 86, of Greenville died Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014, at her residence. The visitation will be held at 9:30 a.m. Friday at Ruegg Funeral Home in Greenville for the family and 10 a.m. for the public with the service following at 11 a.m. also at the Ruegg Chapel. Online condolences: www.rueggfuneralhome.com...

Wayne Maynard POCAHONTAS, Ark. -- Wayne Maynard, 76, passed away Friday, Feb. 14, 2014. The family will hold a memorial service at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Church of God of Prophecy in Pocahontas with Dan Avery officiating. Memorial donations may be made at the memorial service...

Ricky Reeves PARMA, Mo. -- Ricky Darrell Reeves, 54, of Malden, Mo., died Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014, at his residence. Visitation will be held after 10 a.m. Friday at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Parma. Funeral services will follow at 1 p.m. Friday at the chapel in Parma. Burial will be in the Memorial Park Cemetery in Malden, Mo...

The Lady Raiders have been cooped up in the gym all winter, cracking 15-foot line drives into a wall of nets, throwing curve ball inbounds passes and pretending the wood of Gene Bess court can replicate the grounders they will see on Rains Field. In preparing for the 2014 season, the Three Rivers softball team has only managed to fully practice on their field one time...

Patsy Householder QULIN, Mo. -- Patsy Householder, 64, of Paragould, Ark., died Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center at Paragould. She was born July 30, 1949, at Qulin. On July 31, 1986, she married David Householder. He survives...

JR Landers MALDEN, Mo. -- Walter Landers Jr., 87, of Risco, Mo., died Monday, Feb. 17, 2014, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. JR was born Dec. 25, 1926, to the late Walter Sr. and Daisy Young Landers in Kennett, Mo. He had served with the U.S. Army Air Force in WWII and was a retired businessman/land owner/farmer. He was a member of Pleasantview General Baptist Church in Risco, involved in Kiwanis and was president and on the board of directors of Farm Bureau, P.C.A...

Lurlyne Myers DEXTER, Mo. -- Lurlyne Myers, 72, of Wappapello, Mo., formerly of Dexter, died Monday, Feb. 17, 2014, in West Plains, Mo. Mrs. Myers, daughter of the late Reed Hardy and Pauline Patterson Hardy, was born Jan. 14, 1942, in Little Rock, Ark. ...

Ronald Browning Ronald "Joe" Browning, 75, of Harviell, Mo., passed away peacefully Monday, Feb. 17, 2014, at Westwood Hills Health Care Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Joe was born at home in Hamilton, Ohio, on Feb. 2, 1939. Later, the family moved to Arizona where Joe graduated from Benson Union High School in Benson, Ariz., in 1957. ...

CLARKTON -- After a shaky start in the first quarter, Clarkton took to running and rebounding for a 67-38 win over Delta-Deering on Wednesday. "We took all the energy the third quarter," Clarkton coach Dustin Ferguson said. The Reindeer, who led 31-17 at halftime, finished 22-for-30 from the foul line...