Stories from Saturday, July 26, 2014

By SAVANNA MAUE SEMO News Service CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Kenny Pincksten has been a car enthusiast since he was 12. He now owns two Corvettes, a 1963 model and a 2014, and is looking forward to attending the first Corvette Caravan to stop in Cape Girardeau...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer A stretch of damaged railroad track was expected to reopen by 3 p.m. today, about 36 hours after a train accident east of Dexter, Mo. The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but the last of the 14 derailed cars should have been cleared by 9 a.m., said Mark Davis of Union Pacific Railroad...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Five years ago, five local banks entered into an agreement with the city so the Butler County Veterans Wall Committee could borrow $85,000 to complete the memorial project in front of the Black River Coliseum. "We are pleased to tell you that thanks to all the donors, the balance has been reduced down to $42,849," said Tucker Davis, the committee treasurer, told the Poplar Bluff City Council Monday night...

By MARK BLANTON SEMO News Service Despite expecting a 10 percent increase in corn yields this growing season, Dan Jennings said decreased corn prices and other factors are cutting into profits. "It's going to be really tough to make money this year," he said...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor The Highway 67 Corporation Board, which obtained approval of a half cent Poplar Bluff sales tax for the four-laning of U.S. 67 between Poplar Bluff and Fredericktown, Mo., voted unanimously Thursday to support a proposed three-fourths cent statewide sales tax for 10 years...

By EMILY PRIDDY SEMO News Service CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- A federal lawsuit filed earlier this month accuses a Cape Girardeau neurosurgeon of altering his practice to benefit his fiancée's business as part of an illegal kickback scheme. The five-count complaint alleges Dr. ...

By GEORGE F. WILL MENLO PARK, Calif. -- Fifty Julys ago, up the road near San Francisco, in the unfortunately named Cow Palace, the Republican National Convention gave its presidential nomination to Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater, who knew he would lose: Americans were not going to have a third president in 14 months. Besides, his don't-fence-me-in libertarian conservatism was ahead of its time. His agenda, however, was to change his party's national brand...

By MONA CHAREN The bodies of 298 passengers and crew of Malaysia Air Flight 17, 80 of them children, lie unburied in a Ukrainian field while Vladimir Putin's men fire their weapons into the air to keep international investigators from approaching the site. Yes, "Putin's men." Calling them "Russian separatists" unnecessarily dignifies them. They are supplied, armed and trained by the despot in the Kremlin...

Annual Suckerfest Fishing Tournament will be held Friday, Aug. 1. Sign up will be at Handy Dandy Convenience Store located at K Highway junction, Doniphan, Mo. Entry is $20 per boat (2-man team) and $5 per boat (team) for biggest fish (optional). Competitors will launch from Deer Leap boat landing off Y Highway just north of Doniphan on Current River at 7 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. The event will be paying three cash places and many more prizes...

To the Editor SALES TAX??? Why did our great politicians in Jefferson City decide to try pushing this 3/4 of one percent sales tax upon the people of Missouri? It's all because they are for large business and forgetting about the people that voted to put them there. Of course the contractors and large businesses are supporting and pushing to have this tax approved, but, who are the ones that will have to pay for it?...

The Agee Community Club met at Ryan's Family Steak House Inc. Thursday, July 17. Club president Cathy Womack was the hostess. She opened the meeting with the group repeating the club collect, "Be still and know that I am God." Nadine Johnson offered the invocation. Nickey Orton read the devotional from Romans 8:35-39. Jeanie Figgins gave the secretary and treasurer's report. There was no new or old business...

The Oak Grove Homemakers Club met at noon, Wednesday, July 16, at the home of Martha Dee for a luncheon. Clara Freeman offered thanks for the meal. Members each brought a favorite entrée to the luncheon. The devotional was "The Advantages of Being a Christian" by Marvin Duncan, read by Helen Birdsong...

Poplar Bluff R-I Board of Education met in closed session July 17, following the monthly meeting. The board:...

Health dept. needs to act Yes. I'm calling about the Farmer's Market. I was there Saturday and it was "okay." But when they were serving the tea and they were cutting up their fruit they were not wearing no gloves and I would think the Health Dept. would be on them to be sanitizing for no health problems. ...

Students from Poplar Bluff, Mo.-area high school and college technical education programs won the nation's highest awards at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference. Industry leaders representing over 600 businesses, corporations, trade associations and unions recognized the students for their demonstrated excellence in 99 hands-on occupational and leadership contests, such as robotics, criminal justice, aviation maintenance and public speaking. ...

Sen. Blunt's mobile office here Tuesday U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt's staff will host a Mobile Office from 9-10 a.m. Tuesday at the Mark Twain National Forest Service Office, 1420 Maud St. Mobile Offices are opportunities for Missourians to discuss their questions or concerns with the federal government one-on-one with members of Sen. Blunt's staff...

Church Expo 2014, "Catch the Wave," will be held from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Saturday at the historic Wheatley School, 921 Garfield St. The purpose of the Expo is to "create an atmosphere for participation. The goal: prayer, praise, thanksgiving and worship...

Hazel I. Hurley DEXTER, Mo.--Hazel I. Hurley, 81, of Bloomfield, Mo., died Wednesday, July 23, 2014 at Golden Living Center in Bloomfield. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Sunday at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Monday in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel with Rev. Dale Holman officiating...

Rev. Richard Whitmer NEELYVILLE, Mo.--Rev. Richard Maxwell Whitmer, 79, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Thursday, July 24, 2014 in the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born June 14, 1935, at Poplar Bluff to the late Charles and Agnes (Sullivan) Whitmer...

Jonathan and Hayley Wilson of Poplar Bluff, Mo., have selected the name Presley Lauren Wilson for their 6-pound 12-ounce daughter born at 3:22 p.m. Thursday, July 10, 2014, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. She was 19 and 1/2 inches long...

A golf league has sprung up in the parks behind Poplar Bluff High School. Not entirely unlike the links located on the south side of town, disc golfers have taken it upon themselves to start a Thursday night league at Hendrickson Park. With tee times starting at 6 p.m., complete with closest to the pin competitions, a dozen people or so have been showing up each week for about a month now...

Verda Russell NEELYVILLE, Mo.--Verda Jeane Russell, 67, of Naylor, Mo. died Wednesday, July 23, 2014 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. She was born April 14, 1947 to Jim and Jessie Landis Morley in Ponder, Mo. She married Willard "Dutch" Russell April 24, 1962 in Doniphan, Mo. He died Feb. 24, 1995...

Brian and Robin Woolard of Naylor, Mo., have chosen the name Larrin Dawn Woolard for their 6-pound, 2-ounce daughter born at 1:22 p.m., Friday, June 27, 2014 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Grandparents are: David and Pam Blankenship of Pollard, Ark., Eddie and Linda Snell of Dexter, Mo., Don and Alice Woolard of Neelyville, and the late Larry Woods of Corning Ark. and the late Jean Blankenship of Pollard...

Johnny Rice MALDEN, Mo.--Johnny Dalton "Slim" Rice, 84, of Malden died Wednesday, July 23, 2104 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Saturday at the United Pentecostal Church in Malden. The funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at the United Pentecostal Church with Rev. Bobby Moore officiating...