Stories from Tuesday, February 10, 2015

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Proposed changes to Poplar Bluff building regulations could shorten the time it takes for the city to remove dangerous structures. The Building and Standards Committee could give property owners a minimum of 10 days to ask for an extension or prove they are willing to make repairs to a property determined to be a health and safety risk, according to city planner Dennis Avery...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor No one knows when a fire will destroy a house and take the lives of the occupants, but seven times a day, someone dies in a U.S. home fire, according to the American Red Cross. Unfortunately, a Poplar Bluff fire claimed three lives in the midst of a Red Cross campaign to distribute smoke detectors to homes...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer For the 25th consecutive year Poplar Bluff R-I students are raising money to fight cancer by taking part in the St. Jude Children's Hospital Math-A-Thon. R-I schools grades K-8 have raised more than $800,000 for St. Jude since 1989. Last year alone the schools raised $46,063...

Adam and Lisa Crowder of Couch, Mo., have chosen the name Kelsie Ray Crowder for their 3-pound, 15-ounce girl. Kelsie was born at 12:02 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2014, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. She was 17 inches long. She has an older sister, Ellie Ann Crowder. Grandparents are Keith and Carolyn Leroux of Gatewood, Mo., and Jim and Phyllis Crowder of Couch. Maternal great-grandmother is Beulah Coonce of Gatewood...

By MICHELLE MALKIN To call President Obama's Afghanistan policy a mess is a colossal understatement. To call it a coherent "policy," for that matter, is a gut-busting exaggeration. It's a bloody, incompetent and treacherous disaster. Our military heroes and families, God bless them, refuse to stay silent about the consequences. Consider these three national security fiascos:...

By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER WASHINGTON -- Amid the ritual expressions of regret and the pledges of "never again" on Tuesday's 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, a bitter irony was noted: Anti-Semitism has returned to Europe. With a vengeance...

Jasper Cochran Jasper Franklin Cochran, 103, of Poplar Bluff, died Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015, at Cedargate in Poplar Bluff. Arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service.

Eva Gregory Eva Jane Gregory, 88, of Parma, died Friday, Feb. 6, 2015, at the SoutheastHEALTH Center of Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9, at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. The funeral services follow at 1 p.m. in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Roy Sherfield officiating. Burial will follow in the Parma Cemetery...

To the Editor, At the risk of sounding like some paranoid conspiracy theorist, with the way President Obama is ignoring our Constitution and writing his own laws while Congress looks on and does nothing, I would not be surprised at anything he might do---or try to do--- during his last two years in office. ...

Carl "Dub" Griffin DEXTER, Mo. -- Carl Lee "Dub" Griffin, 81, of Puxico, passed away Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015, at his home. He was the son of the late Thomas H. and Ruby Harvey Griffin. He was born in Vanduser, Mo. on Sept. 25, 1933. Dub had lived in the Puxico most of his life. He had worked at Arvin and was a member of the Duck Creek Baptist Church in Puxico...

Howard Gentle Jr. Howard B. Gentle, Jr., of Doniphan, died Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015, at Southeast Health Center in Doniphan. Arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service.

Deborah Pollack Deborah Diane Pollack, 60, of Winter Garden, Fla., formerly of Poplar Bluff, died Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015, at Dr. P. Phillips Hospital in Orlando, Fla. Arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service.

Elbert "Red" Osgood PIGGOTT, Ark. -- Elbert H. "Red" Osgood, 63, of Poplar Bluff, took his last ride cross the bridge and laid down for eternal rest on Saturday, Feb 7, 2015, with his family at his side. Red was born Dec. 16, 1951, in Poplar Bluff, and was the son of Cassius F. Osgood and Lorene A. Reagan Osgood. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a granddaughter, Amber Skye Osgood...

Lavonne "Dale" Davis FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Lavonne "Dale" Davis, 75, of Farmington, passed away Friday, Feb. 6, 2015, at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. He was born on June 27, 1939 in Broseley, to the late Louie and Audrey Davis. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by two brothers, Laverne Davis and Benjamin Ramsey; and a nephew, Gary Davis...

The Raider reunion was capped off by highlighting two of Three Rivers' most impactful coaches Saturday night. At halftime of the Raiders game, former cheerleading coach Cheri Ramsey was honored with Three Rivers' first Alumni Award. Ramsey was a volunteer coach of the Three Rivers cheerleading team 29 years while also teaching humanities, speech and theater at the college...

Virginia Rodgers-O'Dell VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Virginia Lee (Campbell) Rodgers-O'Dell, 90, of Branson, formerly of Van Buren, departed this life Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015, in the Golden Living Center in Branson. She born on Nov. 17, 1924 in Arlington, Mo., to Roy L. and Beulah E. (Lewis) Campbell...