Stories from Friday, February 20, 2015

From Staff Reports New members elected to serve on the University Of Missouri Extension Council Of Butler County are Sheri Farmer, Roger Slayton, Wanda Gaebler, Bruce Beck, Don Robertson and Michelle DeGaris. They were selected from 12 candidates to fill six places on the University Of Missouri Extension Council of Butler County...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor GREENVILLE -- A Cape Girardeau man accused of killing another man and leading authorities on an extensive search earlier this month will make his first appearance today in a Wayne County courtroom. According to Wayne County Sheriff Dean Finch, Michael Burkman was transported back to Wayne County at about 8 p.m. Tuesday and will appear in court before Associate Circuit Judge Randy Schuller...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The boyfriend of an Arkansas woman was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison Tuesday afternoon for her strangulation death at a downtown Poplar Bluff apartment building. Circuit Judge Michael Gardner sentenced Jeremy Allen Winkle "to just what we agreed to," said Butler County Prosecuting Attorney Kevin Barbour...

Winter go away! Can you believe it's getting close to gardening time? Home gardeners get ready to plant your cabbage slips and similar vegetables. Cabbage has a lot of relatives that are planted during March. Cabbage belongs to the large Cruciferae family. The cousins include kale, broccoli, collards, Brussels sprouts, salad Savoy, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, Savoy cabbage, sea kale, and kohlrabi...

Bryant B. Brown, 25, of Poplar Bluff, was arrested 3:35 p.m. Saturday in the 900 block of Alice on a Poplar Bluff failure to appear warrant for dangerous drugs. He was processed at the police station and released. _ Tammy L. Davis, 34, of Poplar Bluff, was arrested 6 p.m. Saturday in the 1000 block of Kinzer on a Stoddard County failure to appear traffic warrant. She was booked at the Butler County jail...

Karla Turner DEXTER, Mo. -- Karla J. Turner, 51, of Dexter, died Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015, at her residence. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at the Lighthouse Christian Center in Dexter. The funeral service will follow at 1 p.m. Friday at the Lighthouse Christian Center with the Rev. Tim Russell officiating. Burial will be in the Matthews Community Cemetery in Matthews, Mo...

Norma Fortner DEXTER, Mo. -- Norma J. Fortner, 79, of Bloomfield, died Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015, at the Golden Living Care Center in Bloomfield. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the funeral home chapel with the Rev. Joe Payne of Dexter officiating. Burial will be in the Bloomfield Cemetery...

To the Editor: I have wondered if the average man really thinks about the many illnesses that are floating around to catch people, or is it just me, because I am a retired nurse, was around so much illness, that I do think of the many illness so much. ...

By BEN CARSON There has been much debate recently over vaccination mandates, particularly in response to the measles outbreak currently taking place throughout the country. At this juncture, there have been 102 confirmed measles cases in the U.S. during 2015, with 59 of them linked to a December 2014 visit to the Disneyland theme park in Southern California. ...

Becky Shacklee WILLIAMSVILLE, Mo. -- Becky L. Shacklee, 58, of Williamsville, died Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015, at the Mark Twain Nursing Center in Poplar Bluff. Visitation will be from 3 to 4 p.m. Friday at the Ruegg Funeral Home in Williamsville. The funeral will follow at 4 p.m. in the funeral home chapel...

John Jones PIEDMONT, Mo. -- John Jones, 82, of Piedmont, died Monday, Feb. 16, 2015, at St. Louis University Medical Center in St. Louis, Mo. The arrangements for John are pending at this time. Online condolences: www.rueggfuneralhome.com

Dale Conner Dale Medrin Conner, 92, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015, at The Cedargate Care Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Private interment in the Columbarium Wall will be Thursday at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield, Mo...

Shirley Graham WILDERNESS, Mo. -- Shirley Colleen Graham, 77, of Wilderness died Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015. Visitation will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Wilderness Freewill Baptist Church. The funeral will follow at noon at the church with the Rev. Tom McMurtry officiating. Burial will be in the Wilderness Cemetery. McSpadden Funeral Home of Van Buren is in charge of arrangements...

Greg Rogers LOWNDES, Mo. -- Greg Rogers, 50, died Monday, Feb. 16, 2015, at his home near Lowndes. Visitation will begin at 1 p.m. today at Community Church of Christ near Lowndes. The funeral will follow at 3 p.m. at the church. Burial will be in the church cemetery...

Carolyn Abbott CAMPBELL, Mo. -- Carolyn Abbott, 65, of Campbell, died Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015, at her residence. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Friday at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home chapel. Burial will be in the Woodlawn Cemetery, Landess Addition...

Calvin Jackson FISK, Mo. -- Calvin Jackson, 86, of Poplar Bluff, formerly of Broseley, died Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2015, at his residence. He was born June 15, 1928 at Broseley. Mr. Jackson was a farmer and carpenter. He was a member of the former Brown Chapel General Baptist church where he had served as deacon for several years. He enjoyed fishing and spending time with his family...

Mary Ella Epps Mary Ella Epps, 91, of Edwardsville, Ill., formerly of the Harviell area in Butler County, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015, at the Hospice House of Edwardsville. Mrs. Epps was born in Kevil, Ky. on Feb. 21, 1923, to Willie and Ora Casey Burnley. On May 20, 1946, she married John Richard Epps. He preceded her in death on March 11, 1986...

Glenda Phillips was hostess for the Feb. 11 meeting at the Twin Towers. There were five members present. The meeting was called to order by President Nancy Wujcik. There was no flag in the meeting room so the Pledge of Allegiance was unable to be recited. Roll call was answered with "How I met my husband or our first date."...

Bryant B. Brown, 25, of Poplar Bluff, was arrested 3:35 p.m. Saturday in the 900 block of Alice on a Poplar Bluff failure to appear warrant for dangerous drugs. He was processed at the police station and released. _ Tammy L. Davis, 34, of Poplar Bluff, was arrested 6 p.m. Saturday in the 1000 block of Kinzer on a Stoddard County failure to appear traffic warrant. She was booked at the Butler County jail...

PBHS Class '65 planning reunion Members of the Poplar Bluff High School Class of 1965 will celebrate their 50th Reunion Oct. 16-17. Janie Barbour Walters is gathering e-mail addresses. Her email is janebaustin@hotmail.com. Friday night there will be a mixer at the Poplar Bluff Museum (Old Mark Twain). Linda Bloodworth Thomason has generously donated the Bloodworth House for Saturday night's buffet dinner...

Two years ago, Malden's Toby Miller showed up at a Three Rivers College fall camp. His off-speed pitches weren't much back then. He was an easy throwing lefty who liked to rear back and fire. Miller did exactly that well enough that the Three Rivers coaches tucked his name away as a guy to keep an eye on...