Stories from Thursday, July 3, 2014

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor The Missouri Department of Employment Security recently filed a judgment against the SEMO Times LLC for nearly $5,000 owed for unemployment taxes, interest and penalties. Documents filed last week with Butler County's Circuit Court indicate on March 18 the Division of Employment Security certified orders of "assessment of contributions, interest and penalties" against the SEMO Times, an employer, having a business or property in Butler County...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Hundreds of area residents are expected Saturday at the largest one-day event held at Wappapello Lake. The annual Ranger Willie B. Safe's Wet 'n Wild Waterfest will offer a variety of activities for children and families before fireworks are set off over the lake at dusk, said project manager Cindy Jackson...

By ALEX WEST Staff Writer One Poplar Bluff, Mo., organization's expansion brings with it a new name. Poplar Bluff Federal Credit Union will become Ozark Federal Credit Union beginning in July. Since 1952, the federally chartered credit union has served those who have lived, worked, been a student or worshipped in Butler County. ...

Dr. Frank Braxton of Nephrology Associates of Poplar Bluff, Mo., will be welcoming two new doctors to the practice in July. Shuang Ying Bao completed her nephrology fellowship at Cornell University. She is internal medicine board certified and specializes in CKD management and kidney transplant management. She is also educated in hypertension management...

Taxed to death in PB Thank the good Lord the business leaders here in Poplar Bluff don't get to vote on the gasoline tax. We're already taxed to death, people. Need country on city cable To all of you on City Cable that like country music join with me and see why we cannot get RFD on 79 channels instead of paying more to get Channel 165 to get Nashville country music on Saturday night...

Pioneer Museum is closed July 4 The Pioneer Museum in Ellsinore, Mo., will not be open unless by special request on Friday due to the picnic at the ball park.

Dr. Derek J. Melton, a major and optometric physician for the Indiana National guard, was presented with the Army Commendation Medal by Capt. Christian Martinez of the 7212th Medical Service Unit of the Army Reserves for "Outstanding primary eye care services in support of Operation Healthy Delta (Army Innovations Readiness Training)."...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Steve Halter, president of Poplar Bluff Industries and the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce, attended the Missouri Economic Development Council's 2014 Annual Conference at the Camden on the Lake at Lake Ozark, Mo., June 10-12...

By WALTER E. WILLIAMS A couple of years ago, President Barack Obama, speaking on the economy, told an audience in Osawatomie, Kansas: "'The market will take care of everything,' they tell us. ... But here's the problem: It doesn't work. It has never worked. ... I mean, understand, it's not as if we haven't tried this theory." To believe what the president and many others say about the market's not working requires that one be grossly uninformed or dishonest...

Steve Corrigan OLIVE BRANCH, Miss.- Steve Corrigan, 65, of Olive Branch, died Sunday, June 29, 2014 surrounded by his siblings. He was born May 21, 1949 in Poplar Bluff, Mo. He was preceded in death by his parents James V. Corrigan and Eileen Forrest Corrigan and Grandparents John C. and Effie Sikes Corrigan and Charles E. and Anna Gertken Forrest...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor A quick morning squirrel hunt a few days ago turned out to be quite productive for a friend and I. Success wasn't unexpected because I'd seen far more than the normal amount of squirrels during the spring turkey season...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor PUXICO, Mo. -- Nature photographers in the region have about four weeks to gather their best images for the Mingo Swamp Friends' annual photo contest. The deadline for the contest this year is Aug. 1, and all entries should be received at the refuge visitor center by 4 p.m. on that day...

Dr. R.J. Jones MALDEN, Mo. -- Dr. R.J. Jones, 80, of Maumelle, Ark., died Saturday, June 28, 2014. Visitation will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Bradshaw Funeral Home. A graveside service will begin at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Elder Cemetery, Campbell, Mo...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN Barack Obama has asked Congress for $500 million to train and arm rebels of the Free Syrian Army who seek to overthrow the government. Before Congress takes up his proposal, both houses should demand that Obama explain exactly where he gets the constitutional authority to plunge us into what the president himself calls "somebody else's civil war."...

Sammie Lou Frederick Sammie Lou Frederick, 65, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. died Thursday, June 26, 2014 at Mark Twain Caring Center in Poplar Bluff. A graveside service will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Marble Hill Cemetery in Poplar Bluff. Online condolences: www.cotrellfuneralservice.com...

By JOHN PRATT Mo. Dept. of Conservation This is the time of the year ticks and other pests become a real problem if you venture outdoors. Tick bites are a very real concern, considering the number of tick borne diseases that have been identified. Today we are going to examine a chemical that is important in avoiding tick bites. The chemical I am writing about is Permethrin. Permethrin is commonly found in stores under the name of Permanone...

Robert Adair PIEDMONT, Mo.- Robert "Bob" Eugene Adair, 80, of St. Louis, Mo. and Piedmont, died Tuesday, July 1, 2014 at the de Greeff Hospice House in St Louis. Visitation will be held at 12:45 p.m. on Thursday at Ruegg Funeral Home in Piedmont, with the service following at 1 p.m. Burial will follow at Clay Cemetery in Piedmont...

The last time the Clearwater Tigers went to the MSHSAA final four, Ethan Devenport was a sophomore second baseman. Nine years later, Devenport is the newest head baseball coach at his alma mater. "That's a big part of it, being able to come back to your hometown and give back to the community," Devenport said. "That's something that you're raised to do."...

Donald Melton PUXICO, Mo.- Donald E. Melton, 82, son of the late Mattie Christine Melton, was born in St. Louis, Mo. on Nov. 26, 1931, and passed away at his home in Puxico on Monday, June 30, 2014. He lived in Lee Vining, Calif., Houston, Texas, and St. Louis before moving to Puxico in 1980. He worked for the St. Louis County Water Company and at Arvin Automotive. He was a member of the Puxico Christian Church. He served in the U. S. Air Force...

Thomas Griffin DEXTER, Mo.- Thomas H. Griffin Jr., 94, of Gulfport Miss. died on Thursday, March 6, 2014. Memorial services will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday July 3, 2014, at the Missouri Veteran's Cemetery in Bloomfield, Missouri with full Military Honors Conducted...

PINEHURST, N.C. -- Carr Vernon is tied for 27th at the North & South Amateur Championship after the opening round of the 114th event at Pinehurst Country Club No. 8. Will Seger of Jasper, Ind. shot a 6-under-par 65 to lead the field with McCormick Clouser of Bluffton, Ind. second, three shots back. In all, nine players broke par in the first round at the 7,044-yard course...

On Thursday, July 3, at 10 a.m., the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo., invites veterans and the public to a special flag-raising at the main flagpole in front of the medical center. The flag to be raised is the "holiday ensign" (largest available flag) from the USS Briscoe (DD 977). The Briscoe is known as one of the first ships to launch Tomahawk missiles at targets in Iraq, at the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom...