Stories from Wednesday, July 30, 2014

By SAMANTHA RINEHART SEMO News Service As the Aug. 5 election draws near, some of the lesser known amendments on the ballot are receiving more attention. Compared to the amendments dealing with farming rights and a transportation tax, those calling for stronger gun rights and the creation of a lottery ticket to benefit veterans services have garnered far less notice...

Class of '64 needs RSVP by August 1 The Poplar Bluff High School Class of 1964 will have its 50-year reunion Oct. 3-4. Class members who have not received and invitation or anyone who would like information about the reunion may call Sandy Gilliam Nunley at 573-714-2410...

Editor's note: All messages to Speak Out, mail, email or phone, are transcribed as submitted. We do NOT edit your message. Pre-paid fuel a joke Yes, I would just like to say that I think this pre-paid fuel ordinance that went through the Poplar Bluff city council is a joke! The council to do their job and quit making it hard on everybody else. Thank you...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama's request for billions of dollars to deal with migrant children streaming across the border set off Democrats and Republicans. Lawmakers in both parties complained that the White House -- six years in -- still doesn't get it when it comes to working with Congress...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN In 1933, the Holodomor was playing out in Ukraine. After the "kulaks," the independent farmers, had been liquidated in the forced collectivization of Soviet agriculture, a genocidal famine was imposed on Ukraine through seizure of her food production...

Mary Wheelis Mary Lucille Wheelis, 83, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, July 26, 2014, at her residence. She was born Nov. 15, 1930, in Butler County. Mrs. Wheelis was a member of Memorial Baptist Church. On July 18, 1969, she married Ogden Wheelis. He survives...

By SHARON RANDALL McClatchy-Tribune News Service For a writer, it's a gift to know someone reads your writing. For a storyteller, it's high praise to hear a story in return. Have I mentioned I love getting mail? In the mountains where I grew up, storytellers were once known as "liars." This was not an insult. The tales they told were often more fabricated than factual. But they were entirely true of the human condition, intended not to inform, but to entertain, enlighten and inspire...

By MONA CHAREN Hamas, with perhaps unwitting help from President Barack Obama, is achieving its war aim: to legitimize Islamic supremacism and Jew-hatred, and take it global. Jews are no longer safe in Europe or even in some places in the U.S. Who now recalls that when Hamas was elected, the world responded with disgust? Hamas was on everyone's terrorist list. ...

By MICHELLE MALKIN The White House pretended to champion American workers with gimmicky initiatives on federal job training and "workplace innovation." But far from the Beltway dog-and-pony show, a group of American workers ruthlessly shafted by the Obama administration was finally getting some real support -- and inching toward justice...

TOPS Mo. 734, Take Off Pounds Sensibly, meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 23, with nine TOPS and four KOPS present and leader Linda Morgan in charge of the meeting. Following roll call, Lou Ann Wrather read the secretary's report, which was approved. Ruth Finder for TOPS was the best loser this week...

Sylvia M. Rose PIEDMONT, Mo.- Sylvia M. Rose, 76, of Patterson, Mo., died Sunday, July 27, 2014, at her home. Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at the Morrison-Worley Funeral Chapel in Piedmont. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home chapel with the Rev. Danny Robinson officiating...

Mae Swindell DEXTER, Mo.- Mae Swindell, 85, of San Diego, Calif., formerly of Dexter, died Monday, July 21, 2014, at Elmcroft of Point Loma in San Diego. Visitation will be held from 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. Thursday at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter...

Vote no at Campbell This is a notice to the working people of the Campbell school district. You are about to be called on to give your hard earned money to the liberals in our area to "help the kids" and build a new school! Look at all the signs, they spent enough on those to buy all new computers. But they know if they say this is for the "kids" they will get your "yes" vote...

The Morse family reunion will be Saturday, Aug. 2, at the Wappapello State Park pavillion at end of Highway 172, for descendants of Lewis and Jerusha (Berry) Morse. For more information, contact Marcia Morse at 573-686-2278 or Margaret Shackleford at 573-785-7509...

Cook-off benefit for Qulin FD The Qulin Fire and Protection District will have its second annual Bar-B-Qulin amatuer cook-off and beauty contest Saturday, Aug. 2. A full day of family fun is planned, including bounce houses, dunking booth and games for the kids. All proceeds will go to the Qulin Fire and Protection District...

Class of '55 breakfast meeting The Poplar Bluff High School Class of 1955 will meet for breakfast at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 1, at Myrtle's Place. All class members, spouses and guests are invited to attend. For more information, call 573-686-1019...

Thelma Colter YAKIMA, Wash.--Thelma Jeanette Colter, 79, of Yakima, passed away Saturday, May 31, 2013 at Yakima Memorial Hospital. She was born Dec. 27, 1934 in Irondale, Mo. to Pastor C. W. Wilson and Nancy Ann Wilson, the youngest of 10 children...

Harry H. Swinger DEXTER, Mo.- Harry H. Swinger, 92, born July 30, 1921, passed away Sunday, July 27, 2014, at the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Poplar Bluff, Mo. He will be greatly missed by his many friends and family. He was preceded in death by his father, Hershel Swinger, who passed in 1933, and mother, Gladys Snider Swinger, who passed in 1983. ...

Kenneth Mueller WAPPAPELLO, Mo.--Kenneth G. Mueller, 77, of Wappapello, passed away, Monday, July 28, 2014 at his residence. Mr. Mueller was born Oct. 15, 1936, in Jackson, Mo., to the late Tony and Agnes Brown Mueller. On Sept. 9, 1961, he married Wanda Rodgers in St. Charles, Mo. She preceded him in death on Nov. 27, 2010...

Allen Black MALDEN, Mo.--Allen Black, 89, of Malden, died Saturday, July 19, 2014, at John J. Pershing VA Hospital in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Visitation was held Saturday at Landess Funeral Chapel in Malden. Funeral service followed with Rev. Tom Zych officiating...

John Swift KENNETT, Mo.--John Russell Swift, 45, died Sunday, July 27, 2014 at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. He was born Jan. 8, 1969, to Janis Lucille (Kilburn) Swift and Jerry Russell Swift in Kennett. He was a member of First Baptist Church in Kennett...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Nick Woolard said he never played golf on such a nice day. Unusually low July temperatures and a cool breeze gave Woolard the impression that the weather would translate into a successful day on the course, and it did -- just not in the way he envisioned...

Elsie Blakeney Elsie L. Blakeney entered into eternal rest on Friday, July 25, 2014. Mrs. Blakeney was born Dec. 15, 1914 in Poplar Bluff, Mo. She was married to the late Hal R. Blakeney on Feb. 11, 1940. A mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and aunt, she was loved dearly by her family and friends. She will always be remembered for her love of cooking, gardening and canning...