Stories from Thursday, May 15, 2014

 Hobby Lobby Stores, a privately held national retail chain of craft and home decor stores, opens in Poplar Bluff, Mo., at 9 a.m. Memorial Day, May 26, with a ribbon cutting ceremony and official grand opening celebration. The Poplar Bluff store is Hobby Lobby's 17th location in Missouri. Ralph Stief is the store manager of the 49,000 square-foot retail facility in the Valley Plaza Shopping Center...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Elimination of a one-lane bridge on Highway 142 between Naylor, Mo., and Doniphan, Mo., has been selected by members of the Ozark Foothills Regional Planning Commission's Transportation Advisory Committee as the top project in five area counties if additional funds become available through a proposed statewide sales tax for road work...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor A Qulin, Mo., woman accused of conspiring with other family members to kill her stepmother in 1999 was led out of a Butler County courtroom in handcuffs Tuesday afternoon after her bond was revoked for failing to abide by the court-ordered condition of having no contact with any witnesses in her case...

Are workers special people? [website] Why is it that the workers at the city cleanup can have anything they want that is thrown away but this man just ask for a little bike for his little girl and they said no you cant have it and made him put it back in the trash? What a waste that people can't have things they need instead of just throwing away what the workers don't want? Are the workers special people? I don't think so they are just people who are down there working so they can have whatever they want to get for free. ...

To the Editor: Malden Takes Care of Its Senior Citizens. My wife, Gloria, and I live on Highway J five miles west of Malden on top of Riddle Hill, for 14 years. I will turn 85 my next birthday. I am not silly enough to tell you my wife's age. During the past weeks we have had snow storms, winds and rain washing away my roads, making it impossible to get into town. ...

Donald Sterling, Los Angeles Clippers owner, was recorded by his mistress making some crude racist remarks. Since then, Sterling's racist comments have dominated the news, from talk radio to late-night shows. A few politicians have weighed in, with President Barack Obama congratulating the NBA for its sanctions against Sterling. ...

Florence Nichols Florence Marie Nichols, 65, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. died Tuesday, May 13, 2014 at The Manor in Poplar Bluff. Arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service.

William Sanders MALDEN, Mo. -- William E. Sanders, 84, of Malden died Tuesday, May 13, 2014, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Arrangements are pending with Landess Funeral Home of Malden.

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor And then, it was over - the turkey season that is. At times, hunters had to deal with a lot of wind and rain, along with non-gobbling turkeys, but they topped last year's harvest by 2 percent, taking 43,273 birds during the three-week season...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors EditorV Despite a smaller crowd than in recent years, the Three Rivers Buglers chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation still managed to match last year's fundraising total during Saturday's 16th annual big game banquet at the Black River Coliseum...

Mary Faughn Mary Dollie (Loy) Faughn, 89, of Odessa, Mo. (formerly of Poplar Bluff, Mo.) died Monday, May 12, 2014. Mary was born Jan. 4, 1925, in Sommersville, Mo., daughter of Edwin R. Loy and Osa Mae (Thomason) Loy. She was preceded in death by her husband, James G. Faughn in 2006 and a daughter, Margaret Sue, in 2003. Margaret's children are Kimberly and Shane of Arizona...

Emma Holland BLOOMFIELD, Mo.-- Emma Evelene Holland, 74, of Sullivan, Mo., died Saturday, May 10, 2014, at her home. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday at the Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home in Bloomfield. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at 1 p.m. at the funeral Home in Bloomfield, with Bro. Ryan Ryals and Joseph Weaver officiating...

Kassey Jones PUXICO, Mo.-- Kassey Lee Jones, 19, son of Danny Jones and Alana Wheeler Jennings, was born in Poplar Bluff, Mo. on Feb. 12, 1995, and passed away in Searcy, Ark., Saturday, May 10, 2014. He had lived in the Puxico area all of life until moving to Searcy, months ago. He had attended the Apostolic Church in Puxico...

Karen G. Watkins DEXTER, Mo. -- Karen Geane Watkins, 63, of Dexter died Monday, May 12, 2014 at the Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo.. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until noon on Thursday at the Lighthouse Christian Center in Dexter with funeral services conducted at noon with Rev. Tim Russell officiating. Burial will follow in the Sadler Chapel Cemetery in Dexter...

Freda E. Rayfield PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Freda E. Rayfield, 90, of Piedmont died Wednesday, May 14, 2014 at Poplar Bluff Regional Hospital in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Arrangements are pending at this time with Ruegg Funeral Home in Piedmont. Online condolences: www.rueggfuneralhome.com...

Willard Howell DONIPHAN, Mo. --Willard Howell, 83, of Doniphan died Friday, May 9, 2014, at Southeast Health of Ripley County. Mr. Howell, son of Nathan and Muriel (Wilson) Howell, was born Aug. 3, 1930, in Hayti, Mo. He had been a general laborer and was of the Baptist faith. Mr. Howell was a veteran of the U. S. Army...

Adam Banks DEXTER, Mo. -- Adam Butch Banks, 31, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away on May 1, 2014 in Poplar Bluff. The son of Harold Gordon Bright and Teresa Ann Weathers Bright of Poplar Bluff, Mo., he was born on Aug. 5, 1982 in Elwood, Ind. Mr. Banks had worked as a carpenter in construction and as a motorcycle mechanic...

David Kern FISK, Mo. - David Kern, 70, of Fisk died Monday, May 12, 2014 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center at Poplar Bluff, Mo. He was born Aug. 7, 1943. He had worked for the Dial Corporation in St. Louis. He was a member of Twin Rivers General Baptist Church and enjoyed hunting and fishing...