Stories from Friday, July 25, 2014

By EMILY PRIDDY SEMO News Service PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A former police chief is about to become an inmate. Keith Tarrillion, who resigned from the Perryville Police Department in March 2013 amid allegations of professional misconduct, pleaded guilty Wednesday morning to a misdemeanor charge of making a false report...

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- A St. Louis area man pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to a multiple fraud charges stemming from fictitious real estate transactions involving property in the Poplar Bluff, Mo., area. Ronald L. Roberts, 54, of Town and Country, Mo., pleaded guilty to three felony counts of wire fraud and one felony count of mail fraud before U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer DEXTER, Mo. -- A rail car filled with liquefied petroleum gas was among 14 to derail early Thursday near an east Dexter neighborhood. No one was injured in the accident and the car is intact, said Mark Davis, Union Pacific public information officer...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer A community meeting will be held July 31 to discuss the latest effort by Neelyville schools to pass what district leaders say is a much-needed bond measure. Members of the Board of Education approved plans for the meeting Monday, during their monthly meeting. The board also narrowly approved changes to the student handbook with a 4-2 vote. Board members Dean Fisher and Jack Stull cast 'no' votes, while Steve Dennis was absent...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor PUXICO, Mo. -- Mary Ann Coutavas was folding clothes in her laundry room when "the lights flickered and the horrible winds blew" early Wednesday afternoon. She went into a closet with her two dogs and a cat due to the severe thunderstorm warning. Her husband, Peter, was not at home...

Have you ever sinned? I was just reading "Food Stamps for Felons." Somebody was complaining about it in Speak Out. You know if we sent them there felons out of the state and all the sinners out of the state and anybody who has ever committed any crime or sin or anything else out of the state, you know this would be an empty state. ...

When I was a small child, one of the most dramatic and effective business boycotts in the history of America occurred. This, of course, was the Montgomery bus boycott. By refusing to ride the bus, blacks who were being discriminated against were able to terminate many discriminatory practices not only in Alabama, but throughout the South. ...

Megan A. Schoor, formerly of Poplar Bluff, Mo. recently completed requirements for a Doctorate Degree in Public Affairs at the University of Missouri - Columbia. Dr. Schoor has been a doctoral teaching and research assistant for the Truman School of Public Affairs and the Institute or Public Policy at the University of Missouri during the past four years. ...

By MICHELLE MALKIN Philip Gara LaMarche is a secretive political operative who funnels billions of dollars from undisclosed donors to nonprofits and astroturf groups. But you won't hear unhinged Harry Reid railing Queegishly about him on the Senate floor. Why?...

Three Rivers scholarships Miranda Dunlap of Poplar Bluff, Mo., has received the Trustee scholarship to Three Rivers College. Dunlap is the daughter of Vicki and Donnie Dunlap of Poplar Bluff and a 2014 graduate of Poplar Bluff High School. Dunlap plans to study nursing while at Three Rivers...

Sacred Heart Catholic School 2014-2015 Supply List Please remember no rolling backpacks are allowed for students in kindergarten to third grade. Preschool Please write name on each item. Pack of regular size crayons - 16 pack; Pack of twister crayons - 10 pack; Box of washable markers - 10 pack; "Large" backpack; Package of baby wipe refills; Two four ounce bottles of glue; Box of facial tissues; Small or child sized blanket; Two reams of white copy paper; Small plastic box - size 8 x 5; Folder with pockets; Sleepy toy, if desired. ...

Registration for the 2014-15 school year for Naylor R-II School (grades K-12) will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 4-8 for walk-ins or if necessary, by appointment only. Parents and students need to bring their shot records, birth certificates, social security cards and address of their previous school...

Margie Thompson DONIPHAN, Mo.- Margie M. Thompson, 92, of Doniphan, died Tuesday, July 22, 2014, at the Current River Nursing Center in Doniphan. Visitation will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan. The funeral service will follow at 1 p.m. in the funeral home chapel...

Delavina Ferron Delavina Ferron, 92, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Tuesday, July 22, 2014. Arrangments are pending with Fowler-Sullivan Funeral Home in Poplar Bluff.

Holt gets law degree Sarah Katelyn Holt of Poplar Bluff, Mo., graduated in May with a juris doctorate degree from Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson, Miss. Holt is the daughter of Benny Holt and Debby Holt of Poplar Bluff. She is a graduate of Poplar Bluff Senior High School and The University of Mississippi in Oxford, Miss. ...

Juicy Missouri peaches are hitting the local markets. The variety, Loring, will hit the market this week. Local peach growers are saying that Loring is the most popular freezing peach and has taken the place of the Alberta variety. You should be able to find local peaches throughout the next few weeks. Some varieties to look for this week include Windblo, Fire Prince, July Prince, and Summer Gold...

Lindell Hunter Lindell Lee Hunter, 72, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Tuesday, July 22, 2014 at his home. Mr. Hunter was born July 8, 1942, in St. Louis, Mo., to the late Jessie Paul Hunter and Ruby Jewel (Kerr) Hunter. He was a truck driver for more than 50 years and worked for Paul Duckett for 30 plus years.  He was a charter member of Westwood Baptist Church and a member of the Teamsters. He enjoyed welding and horseshoe crafts...

SPRINGFIELD -- A steady start to the his first nine holes Wednesday paced Poplar Bluff native Carr Vernon to the 2014 Missouri Stroke Play Championship. Starting the day off one shot back from the leader, Vernon had rounds of 66 and 67 to finish 14-under-par on the tournament and a six-shot win over Joe Migdal of Ballwin and Brad Nurski of St. Joseph at Twin Oaks Country Club...

To the Editor: My son Glen is 14 years old and has autism. Last year we switched to the Neelyville School District due to a move we made to country living. Glen had attended a larger school district and had severe problems with bullying. Moving to Neelyville school has been one of the best decisions we have ever made. ...

Freida Sigman PIEDMONT, Mo.- Freida Mae Sigman, of Chaffee, Mo., formerly of Wayne County, died Tuesday, July 22, 2014, at her residence. Public visitation will be 5:30 p.m. Friday at Ruegg Funeral Home in Piedmont. The service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at New Hope General Baptist Church in Silva, Mo...

Silas Rhodes MALDEN, Mo.--Silas Asa Rhodes, infant, of Bloomfield, Mo., died Saturday, July 19, 2014, at St. Mary's Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. Survivors are his parents, Michael Edwin and Christi Wilson Rhodes, of Bloomfield; maternal grandparents, William and Cathey Wilson of Risco, Mo.; paternal grandparents, Don and Sandy Rhodes of Bloomfield; two uncles: Bryan Wilson of Poplar Bluff, Mo. and David Rhodes of Bloomfield; and one cousin, Dakota Wilson, of Poplar Bluff...

Rush gets scholarship Dylan Rush of Bloomfield recently was awarded a scholarship to attend Southeast Missouri State University for the 2014-2015 academic year. Many scholarship opportunities exist at Southeast Missouri State University. For more information, visit www.semo.edu...

The Poplar Bluff Muddogs debut as a 14-U Junior Babe Ruth team was a massive success this season. The Muddogs, a team consisting of mostly Poplar Bluff boys as well one each from Malden, Kennett and East Carter, dominated to a 25-2 record, three tournament championships and won the Missouri State Championship this past Sunday in East Prairie...