Stories from Wednesday, May 13, 2015

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer A special meeting of the Poplar Bluff City Council has been set for 5:30 tonight at city hall. Notice of the meeting was given at 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Following citizen's input, the council will discuss and vote on board member appointments to the Industrial Development Corporation...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor DONIPHAN -- A shooting at 4:23 p.m. Monday at 107 W. Summit St. in Doniphan is under investigation by the Doniphan Police Department. "I can confirm there was a shooting, the victim is in the hospital and the suspect is in custody," said Sgt. Joe Joiner...

From Staff Reports As of Tuesday morning, the Butler County Sheriff's Department continues to search for a trusty that walked away from the jail on Thursday. Jeremy Allen Hicks, 25, of Fisk, was discovered missing from the Butler County Justice Center just after 12:30 p.m. Surveillance footage shows Hicks walking from the sheriff's department across Second Street and then running across Pine Street toward Vine Street before the camera lost sight of him...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer A proposed $11 million dollar sports complex at Three Rivers Community College is one step closer to reality after what officials would only describe as a "seven-figure" donation presented Monday in the Tinnin Fine Arts Center. ...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Twin Rivers R-X graduated 49 seniors during ceremonies on Sunday at the high school in Broseley. "They are an extremely good class," said high school principal Misti Lovelace. "They are a small class, one of the smallest we have had in a while, but they are exceptional students. We had a lot of scholarship recipients."...

Twin Rivers valedictorian Ashley Malkowski will be the first student in the history of the school to graduate with both a high school diploma and an associates degree. Malkowski, who will enter Harding University College of Pharmacy in the fall, walked to the podium during a Mother's Day graduation ceremony on Sunday at Twin Rivers High School in Broseley with a 4.0 GPA and more than 90 college hours at Three Rivers Community College...

Just mail your license off I've seen repeated articles in the paper complaining of the license bureau here in Poplar Bluff and how slow it is and the possibility of going to another town. If you read the information carefully when you get your report from the state about your license all you have to do mail it in to the state --all the information is there-- they have very prompt services. Of course this applies only to the licenses not the driver's licenses...

Juanita Williams MALDEN, Mo. -- Juanita Aline Williams, 81, of Malden died Sunday, May 10, 2015, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Visitation will be at 6 p.m. today at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. The funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home chapel with burial following at Memorial Park Cemetery in Malden...

EUREKA -- By avoiding the water on the finishing holes at Aberdeen Golf Club, the Poplar Bluff Mules punched their ticket to the MSHSAA Class 4 state tournament Monday. Nick Woolard, Hunt Nagy, Tyler Norton, Nathan Woolard and Jake Richardson combined to shoot 3-over on Nos. 9 and 18 and ended up winning the sectional tournament by a stroke...

Linda Rieverts DEXTER, Mo. -- Linda Sue Rieverts, 61, of Dudley, Mo., died Sunday, May 10, 2015, in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will follow at 11 a.m. at the funeral home chapel with Jeff Miles officiating. Burial will follow in the Dexter Cemetery...

Unless something changes, the Poplar Bluff Speedway will not have any events this year. James Larue and Gary Hart, who own the land, did not agree on a new lease with former race organizers Vernon Barker and Butch Knuckles. Both Barker and Larue said it was a business decision...

James Prosise FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. -- James Prosise, 83, of Poplar Bluff, died on Sunday, May, 10, 2015, at his residence. Visitation will be from 10-11 a.m. Wednesday at Lake View Funeral Home in Fairview Heights, Ill. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home...

FARMINGTON -- Entering the Region XVI Tournament, 11 Raiders on the preseason roster were not available for one reason or another. It finally caught up to the Raiders with two games to go. Three Rivers lost to Maple Woods 9-0 in seven innings in the final of the elimination bracket Sunday at Wilson-Rozier Park, ending the Raiders' season...

Betty Higgins MALDEN, Mo. -- Betty Jean Higgins, 85, of Malden died Saturday, May 9, 2015, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Visitation will begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. The funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home chapel. Burial will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery in Malden...

Terry Belcher Jr. DEXTER, Mo. -- Terry Edmond Belcher Jr., 36, of Dexter died Saturday, May 9, 2015. Arrangements are being handled by the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

James Miller James Bryant Miller, 87, of Wappapello, Mo., died Tuesday, May 12, 2015, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Wappapello, Mo

Wilma Hathaway Wilma Joyce Hathaway, 81, of Poplar Bluff, died Sunday, May 10, 2015, at Westwood Hills Healthcare Center in Poplar Bluff. Mrs. Hathaway was born Oct. 20, 1933, in Gideon, Mo., to the late William and Freda (Mead) Fletcher. She was a member of South Poplar Bluff General Baptist Church, where she was a member of the Quilting Club and was a homemaker. Mrs. Hathaway enjoyed spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and quilting...

The Raiders have signed a recruit with a famous uncle, but it's not a Sprewell. Kavion Pippen of Hamburg, Ark., has signed with Three Rivers. Pippen, the nephew of NBA Hall of Fame forward Scottie Pippen, is a 6-foot-9 forward. Three Rivers assistant coach Bryan Sherrer said Pippen is a long, skilled player who is quick on the floor...

Donald Vancil FISK, Mo. -- Donald Raymond Vancil, 83, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, May 9, 2015, at John J. Pershing VA Medical Center at Poplar Bluff. Mr. Vancil was born Oct. 18, 1931, at Broseley, Mo. He was a teacher in the public school system and had served in the Army...

Sharon Smith FISK, Mo. -- Sharon Rose Smith, 68, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Sunday, May 10, 2015, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center at Poplar Bluff. Mrs. Smith was born Dec. 11, 1946, at Portageville, Mo. She had lived around Qulin and Fagus most of her life and was a member of Ash Hill General Baptist Church. She enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren...

Dewayne McClain DEXTER, Mo. -- Earl "Dewayne" McClain, 59, of Fenton, Mo., died Saturday, May 9, 2015, at the St. Anthony's Medical Center in St. Louis, Mo. Visitation was held from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services followed at 2 p.m. at the funeral home with Rev. Allen Haislip officiating. Burial followed in the Bernie Cemetery in Bernie, Mo...

Joe Russell Joe Russell, 83, of Williamsville, Mo., died Tuesday, May 12, 2015, at his residence. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

An account for Poplar Bluff Councilwoman Angela Pearson, who is suffering from Stage 4 melanoma cancer, has been set up at First Midwest Bank. Anyone desiring to help Pearson may make a donation at the bank. Pearson was a patient in St. Francis Medical Center at Cape Girardeau from April 20 through May 6...

Wanda Whittenburg Wanda Whittenburg, 66, of Kissimmee, Fla., formerly of Poplar Bluff, died Monday, May 11, 2015, at Osceola Regional Hospital in Kissimmee. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff...

Mariece Bruce FISK, Mo. -- Mariece Bruce, 83, of Moscow Mills, Mo., died Saturday, May 9, 2015, at St. Joseph Hospital West in Lake Saint Louis, Mo. Mrs. Bruce was born June 10, 1931, at Greenway, Ark. She had formerly lived at Qulin and had attended the First Missionary Baptist Church at Qulin before moving to Moscow Mills. She enjoyed visiting with family and friends...

A pedestrian was struck by a vehicle at 8:59 p.m. Saturday near the US 60 Route AD overpass in Dexter. According to Dexter Police, Terry E. Belcher Jr., 36, was located in the US 60 median and pronounced dead at the scene. Police reported that Belcher was struck by an eastbound pickup truck while attempting to cross the highway on foot. No arrest was made in the incident and the driver was released from the scene...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor The weekend thunderstorms kept Ozark Border Electric Cooperative crews busy restoring power to a total of approximately 1,500 customers at seven locations, according to general manager Stanley Estes. Saturday morning, 223 customers at Campbell and 360 east of Poplar Bluff were without power for one hour due to lightning strikes...