Stories from Monday, April 7, 2014

PB utility rate One of lowest in state By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor City Manager Doug Bagby is challenging Ward 5 City Council candidate Peter Tinsley's figures when he talks about lowering electric rates during his campaign. Bagby said Tinsley compared the Municipal Utilities rate and the Ameren rate at Dexter, Mo., for one winter month instead of for the entire year...

Editor's note: This is the last of three stories concerning how funds from the tax levy proposal would be used, if it is approved. Band offers Mickey Ursery a special place at Poplar Bluff High School, one the 16-year-old says lets her know there is something she does well...

Editor's Note: This is the second article about a Poplar Bluff mother's campaign to learn why her adult son serving in the military died after a routine procedure at a military medical facility. By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer Air Force Master Sgt. ...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor GREENVILLE, Mo. -- Wayne County voters again are being asked to pass a proposition Tuesday to make its prosecuting attorney a full-time position. Since taking office Aug. 1, 2008, after his gubernatorial appointment, and then his subsequent election, Robert Ramshur has split his time between the prosecuting attorney's office and his private civil office...

By BARBARA ANN HORTON News Editor Each spring for nearly a decade, the Horizon Award winning Tribute Quartet travels to Broseley, Mo., to join the congregation of the Black River General Baptist Church, Highway AA, in raising their voices in worship and praise and to help area cancer victims. Giving from their hearts, Tribute Quartet will be in concert at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 17, at the church to help raise awareness and funds for the United Cancer Assistance Network (UCAN)...

Hillview Elementary School has released its third quarter A and B honor rolls for the 2013-2014 school year. Students named to the honor rolls follow. A Honor Roll First Grade: Mrs. Stull's class: Jade Crosswhite, Hayden Dugas, Shalynn Hanna, Bridget Million, Zara Newcomb, September Preslar and Casen Stephens; Mrs. ...

Poplar Bluff Municipal Library unveils the "Declaration for the Right to Libraries" during a community signing ceremony on April 14. The public ceremony will take place at the Poplar Bluff Library Board Conference Room, beginning at 4 p.m. Similar events are taking place in libraries across America...

Each year, thousands of volunteers in Missouri donate their time and energy to make their communities a better place to live. These volunteers will be among the millions across the country who will be spotlighted during the 40th anniversary of National Volunteer Week, April 6-12...

By CAROLYN SMITH Staff Writer Helen Gray of Piedmont, Mo. will sign copies of her new book, Ozark Sweetheart, at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Poplar Bluff Walmart. Ozark Sweetheart is the first of three books which will be published for the Heartsong Presents line published by Harlequin. ...

Two Southwest Baptist University students attended the Great Plains Student Psychology Convention held at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, March 21-22. Emily Gilmore of Poplar Bluff, Mo., is the daughter of David and Jamie Gilmore. Jewell Wonnell of Kansas City, Mo., is the daughter of Mark and Amy Sullenger. Both students are psychology majors and members of SBU's chapter of Psi Chi, the international honor society for psychology majors...

Neelyville Elementary School has released its third quarter A and B honor rolls for the 2013-2014 school year. Students named to the honor rolls follow. A Honor Roll Third Grade: Ryan Brown, James Buffington, J.D. Burton, Joseph Charest, Brock Davis, Keith Donnell, Ella Eaker, Preston Goodnight, Tanner Kelsey, Ryan Moore, Ryleigh Moore, Alexis Robinson and Austin Sheppard...

Take care of animals People who own dogs should either train them not to bark constantly, keep them indoors or not live inside city limits. I live on Ethel Street here in Poplar Bluff. At least three of my neighbors on this block have dogs chained outside that often bark off and on day and night. ...

By BARBARA ANN HORTON News Editor As the voices of the Tribute Quartet Gary Casto, Josh Singletary, Riley Harrison Clark and Anthony Davis fill the sanctuary of the Black River General Baptist Church, Highway AA, Thursday, April 17, Debbie Solomon of Fisk, Mo. understands why her fellow church members sponsor the annual benefit to raise awareness and funds for the United Cancer Assistance Network (UCAN)...

John Hunter PIEDMONT, Mo. -- John Hunter, 87, of Patterson, Mo., died Thursday, April 3, 2014, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The service will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Piedmont Nazarene Church with burial at Patterson Cemetery. Donations may be made to Piedmont Church of the Nazarene for "World Evangelism Fund" or Patterson community center...

Government oversight. In today's vernacular it's become a bad word. A surefire way to ruin a good thing is to have politicians meddling with it. Instead of being run professionally, it will become politicized. There will be wrangling. There will be pet projects, overspending, micromanaging and, oh yes, in many cases corruption. Not a good formula for continued success...

By CAROLYN SMITH Staff Writer Although the Child Concern Center has relocated to their new facilities at Sixth and Poplar streets, Poplar Bluff, Mo., and is open for business, there will be an open house for the community as well as a ribbon cutting ceremony at 4 p.m., Friday, April 11, to make it official. ...

Barbara Taylor DEXTER, Mo. -- Barbara Ann Taylor, 77, of Godfrey, Ill., formerly of the Dudley area and Florissant, Mo., died Thursday, April 3, 2014, at the Eunice Smith Nursing Home in Alton, Ill. Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. Sunday at Watkins & Sons Funeral Service in Dexter. Funeral services will be held on at 10 a.m. Monday at the Watkins & Sons Chapel in Dexter. Burial will follow in the Hagy Cemetery in Dexter...

Over the course of the past three years, and especially during the last few months, I have been heartened by the amount of public support the school has received on our buildings plan from parents, students, alumni, educators, retirees, legislators, city officials, law enforcement, doctors, business folks, the real estate community, religious leaders, media personalities, civic clubs, the nonprofit sector, etc...

Fredie Talcott Fredie "Fred" J. Talcott, 78, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. died Thursday, April 3, 2014 at John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Mr. Talcott was born Oct. 12, 1935 in Poplar Bluff to the late Preston G. and Phebe J. Malone Talcott. ...

Leroy Wineman Sr. FISK, Mo. - David Leroy Wineman, Sr., 83, of Broseley, Mo., died Thursday, April 3, 2014 at John J. Pershing VA Medical Center at Poplar Bluff, Mo. He was born Dec. 15, 1930 at Malden, Mo. He had served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War...

Sara Renee Rackley and James Alan Smith of Jackson, Mo. have chosen the name Porter Alan Smith for their 7-pound, 5-ounce son born at 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 28, 2014 at Saint Francis Medical Center's Family BirthPlace in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Porter was 19 and three-quarter inches long...

Gaston Hyde Gaston C. Hyde, 96, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away, Thursday, April 3, 2014, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. Hyde was born Aug. 21, 1917, in Gatewood, Mo., to the late Jesse T. and Rosa F. Henderson Hyde. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff and was a retired insurance salesman. ...

Following a rocky start, Poplar Bluff's Kameron Misner and Neelyville's Lane Spencer settled in Friday. But the Mules scratched across a run in four straight innings to rally past Neelyville 8-4 at Strenfel Memorial Field. "We stranded a lot of runners," said Mules coach Stan Bullington of the dozen left on base, including the bases loaded in three innings...

Like most teams in Region XVI, the Three Rivers Lady Raiders have struggled with Crowder. Saturday afternoon at Rains Field, they had a breakthrough. The Lady Raiders jumped early on the Lady Roughriders for all of their runs in the first inning of a 3-1 win in the opener. Three Rivers then brought the winning run to the plate with no outs in the bottom of the seventh in Game 2 but couldn't knock anyone home in a 3-1 loss...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Poplar Bluff schools want to spend more than $49 million to make significant changes district wide. How the money will be spent High school students would be moved to the current 5th & 6th Grade Center campus on Oak Grove Road, where an addition to the front of the building would more than double the structure's size...

JACKSON -- Minus two relays and their top sprinter, the Poplar Bluff girls track team managed to still finish second at the Jackson Invitational on Saturday. Cassidy Harris won two events and took most outstanding field event honors, Lexi Hafford won one event and tied for first in another while Soley Webb won for the Lady Mules...

PARK HILLS -- The Three Rivers Raiders picked up a pair of wins at Mineral Area College Saturday afternoon by scores of 5-0 and 9-8. In the first game, the Raiders (16-10, 10-4 XVI) got a big outing by freshman Dylan Slayton on the mound. Slayton allowed just two hits for the complete-game shutout of the Cardinals. He struck out six and walked just two...

VAN BUREN -- Brock Beacham was lights out on the mound for the Campbell Camels as they defeated Van Buren 3-0 with a no-hitter Saturday at the Van Buren Sterling Bank Wood Bat Weekend. The Camels also defeated Mountain View-Liberty, 13-9, earlier in the day...