Stories from Friday, October 24, 2014

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer While Poplar Bluff city manager Heath Kaplan agrees many people replied to a chamber of commerce survey on buying local, Kaplan doesn't feel the responses offer any useful information. The Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce released the results Wednesday of a survey of its membership, asking if local entities should keep their dollars in the community and for information on other concerns of businesses...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer A Poplar Bluff early childhood special education teacher has been on paid administrative leave since Oct. 10, following non-sexual abuse allegations, according to school district officials. An investigation is being conducted by Poplar Bluff School District, children's division and local law enforcement, said Superintendent Chris Hon...

Below is the un-edited introduction to the survey, which City Manager Heath Kaplan says skewed the results. The full Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce report on the results of the shop local survey can be found at www.darnews.com. Spend Local Survey...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Architects are finalizing plans to move the Three Rivers College nursing and allied health program back to the main campus, the Board of Trustees learned Wednesday, during their monthly meeting. The program is currently located at the former south campus of Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center...

What types of winter squash do you like - hubbard, turban, buttercup, banana, or acorn? This veggie has been enjoyed by families for a long time. It originated in Central America and has been loved for more than 10,000 years. Unlike summer squash, winter squash are picked when they are fully mature. ...

To the Editor: Every election season we hear and read advertisements in which candidate A says that candidate B is lying. Then in the next one it's just the opposite. They all sound sincere and credible so, unless we choose to vote a straight party ticket, we're left to wonder who's telling the truth...

Timmie "T" Hampton DEXTER, Mo.-- Timmie Louis "T" Hampton, 64, of Memphis, Tenn., formerly of Essex and Malden, Mo., died Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014, at his residence Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday in the funeral home chapel with Pastor Robert Beecham of Memphis, officiating. Burial with be in the Macedonia Cemetery in Malden...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN Normally a synod of Catholic bishops does not provide fireworks rivaling the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where Mayor Richard Daley's boys in blue ran up the score on the radicals in Grant Park. But, on Oct. 13, there emanated from the Synod on the Family in Rome a 12-page report from a committee picked by Pope Francis himself -- and the secondary explosions have not ceased...

Donald T. McCoin MALDEN, Mo.-- Donald T. McCoin, 84, of Malden, died Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014 at his residence. Visitation will be at noon Friday at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. The funeral will follow at 1:30 p.m. at the funeral home chapel. Burial will be in Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield, Mo. with military rites...

To the Editor, It is unfortunate when an elected office is vacated prematurely. In Butler County and in the 8th Congressional District, we have seen our share, from the 8th Congressional Seat in 2013 to the Butler County Collector in 2014. Thankfully, the Missouri Constitution tells us how these vacancies are to be filled and has for at least 35 years. ...

By WALTER E. WILLIAMS The Food and Drug Administration can make two types of errors. It can approve a drug that has dangerous unanticipated side effects, or it can reject or delay approval of a drug that is safe and effective. Let's look at these errors, because to err on the side of under- or over-caution is costly...

Phillip L. Barnes ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Phillip L. Barnes, 61, of St. Louis, Mo., formerly of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2014, at his residence. Visitation was at 10 a.m. today at the Layne Renaissance Chapel of the Austin Layne Mortuary on Natural Bridge, St. Louis followed by the funeral at 11 a.m...

Gulielma "Gula" Geraldine Shulse, 99, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., formerly of Ellington, Mo., died Monday, Oct. 21, 2014 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. A graveside service will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Ellington Memorial Cemetery on Highway 21, five miles south of Ellington. Her grandson, Gene Shulse will officiate...

Reba Thompson Shivley Reba Thompson Shivley passed away Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014. Reba was born Oct. 15, 1920 to Anna and J. Sam Thompson, who preceded her in death. Survivors include two sons, A. W. "Buddy" Shivley and wife, Carolyn, of Marietta, Ga., and John Joseph Shivley and wife, Marsha, of Poplar Bluff; eight grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; a brother, Homer Thompson; and three sisters, Anna Hudgins, Martha Jumper and Sammye Rottluff...

DEXTER -- Dexter volleyball coach Carmen Morgan tells her players "rhythm is your friend in volleyball and hesitation is your enemy." The Bearcats remained in search of its friend after dropping the first set of the MSHSAA Class 3 District 1 championship match Wednesday night...

FESTUS -- After a thrilling comeback in a MSHSAA Class 2 District 3 first-round match against Herculaneum two nights earlier, the fourth-seed Clearwater Lady Tigers felt like they were ready to face top-seeded Valle Catholic in the semifinals Wednesday evening at Jefferson High School...

SIKESTON -- Farmington once again blocked Poplar Bluff from the Mules' first volleyball district title, this time quite literally Wednesday night. The Knights threw up block after block early to build a lead then held Poplar Bluff at bay to end both games for a 25-20, 28-26 win in the MSHSAA Class 4 District 1 championship match...

All that stands between the Poplar Bluff football team and a spot in the MSHSAA Class 5 District 1 championship game is a pair of teams with the same record. But as the sixth seed the Mules must -- barring an upset -- win two games on the road starting Friday at Rockwood Summit...

MOUNTAIN VIEW -- Van Buren had six runners earn Big Springs All-Conference status and the Bulldogs won the Big Springs Conference title over Alton and Ellington. Todd Wilcoxon, Matthew Shrontz, Tristan Hollis, Brandon Newman, Zach Griffin and Jenny Morey all finished fast enough to earn the designation...

The Poplar Bluff Police Department has begun conducting compliance checks on registered sex offenders living in Poplar Bluff, Mo., in preparation for Halloween. Any person convicted of a sex offense after Aug. 28, 2008, must: Approved signs, which are free of charge, are available at the front desk of the police department...