Stories from Saturday, May 30, 2015

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor Local authorities are asking for help in identifying items allegedly taken from graves after information provided by a cemetery caretaker led to the suspected thief. On May 13, Devon Scott, the caretaker at Memorial Gardens Cemetery on Highway 67 South, contacted Butler County Deputy Nick Brasser regarding thefts from graves in the cemetery...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer The Black River Coliseum has been asked to hold a date in November for a performance by country singer Martina McBride. McBride is represented by Outback Concerts, the same promoter which brought Styx to the coliseum in April, Director Bobby Godwin explained Thursday during a coliseum advisory board meeting...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer As construction at two Poplar Bluff school campuses will officially kick off next week with ground-breaking ceremonies, district officials have outlined some of the major components to be completed in the summer of 2015. When entirely complete in 2016, the $50 million project will see the current 5th & 6th Grade Center revamped into a new high school with a $3.2 million sports complex. ...

To the Editor: To our friends and supporters in the community: Our sincerest thanks from the Northside Nutrition Center for all those who supported our recent Friends of the Northside Nutrition Center dinner event. We had a wonderful evening and thanks to your generosity raised $5,000. We especially want to thank the following:...

Unsafe drivers on M Highway This message is for everyone that travels M Hwy. out toward Stringtown. I have lived and traveled M Hwy. for over 40 years and the traffic has increased at least tripled in the last 10 years I've noticed, but I'm sure the yellow line in the center of the road are still there to separate the traffic. ...

By MICHELLE MALKIN Socialist genius Bernie Sanders has figured out what's really ailing America. Our store shelves have too many different brands of deodorant and sneakers. Just look at all those horrible, fully stocked aisles at Target and Walgreens and Wal-Mart and Payless and DSW and Dick's Sporting Goods. ...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN The fall of Ramadi, capital of Anbar, largest province in Iraq, after a rout of the Iraqi army by a few hundred ISIS fighters using bomb-laden trucks, represents a stunning setback for U.S. policy. When President Obama declared that we shall "degrade and defeat" the Islamic State, he willed the ends, but not the means. The retreat from Ramadi makes clear that the Iraqi army, even backed by 3,000 U.S. troops, cannot drive ISIS out of Anbar and Mosul and back into Syria...

Neelyville R-IV School - Hillview Elementary Semester Honor Rolls Second Semester Principal Roll First Grade: Maggie Adams, Nicole Akers, Reign Coston, Zak Cowley, Lily Davis, Parker Ernst, Shane Fisher, Corey Garvin, Leslie Guthery, Andrew Hall, Infinity Isom, Hayden Leach, Madelyn Lumby, Landon Lunsford, Darrion Mann, Miah Martin, Glen Rapert, Emma Sheehy, and Corey Shipp...

More than $9.2 million in prizes of $1,000 or more were awarded to Missouri Lottery players during April. Winners of $1,000 or more in April include the following: Pick 4 winners: Syreeta Barnes, Malden, $14,000 Club Keno winners: Michael Kitchen, Bernie, $1,151...

TOPS Mo. 734 Take Off Pounds Sensibly was called to order at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 13. Leader Linda Morgan called the meeting with 13 Tops and three KOPS present. Lou Ann Wrather read and approved the secretary's report. The best losers this week were Sonya Steels for TOPS and Gladys Hill for KOPS...

The May meeting of the Missouri Star Quilters' Guild had 16 in attendance when the President Dori Caldwell called the meeting to order May 14. The April minutes were approved and the treasurer's report was presented. The June meeting will be a salad supper. Everyone is asked to bring a dish. The Sunshine committee sent one card this month...

"Every Hero has a Story" is the theme of the Children's Summer Reading Program at the Poplar Bluff Municipal Library. Starting June 1 and ending July 31, the free program is open to children and young adults between the ages of 3 to 17 and features prizes, performers, and events...

Altrusa International of Poplar Bluff met with Betty Absheer as hostess. Nila Keller offered the Accent using a handout of a handprint to exhibit recognition, loyalty, amity, flexibility and helping hands of Altrusa. Rob Myers was guest speaker and brought the club members up to date on the emergency management system. Leslie Gragg reported on her first visit to District Eight Conference. She also recalled the history of "Add an Altrusan" month, which is the month of April...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor NEELYVILLE -- Three area members of the Missouri SkillsUSA championship welding fabrications team are preparing for national competition. Cole Gentry and Triston Uhl, who will be seniors at Neelyville High School, and Hunter Crumley, who graduated from Doniphan High School, comprise the Current River Career Center Team which will compete at the SkillsUSA National Convention in Louisville, Ky., June 22-26...

The Agee Community Club met on May 22 at the home of Nadine Johnson. Nickey Orton was the hostess. Club President Cathy Womack opened the meeting with the ladies repeating the club motto, "When the heart is full of love the world is full of beauty." Jeanie Figgins offered the invocation...

Cassidy Harris earned all-state honors in track and field as well as swimming, qualifying for state for four straight years in both sports. But when it came time for the Poplar Bluff senior to pick her college destination, the sport was the easier decision...

Marolyn Starnes Hunt PATTERSON, Mo.--Marolyn Starnes Hunt, 47, of Patterson, died Friday, May 22, 2015. A Celebration of Life Event will be held from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saturday at the Colton's Community Center (next to Colton's Restaurant). Continued festivities to follow beginning at 2 p.m. at the Hunt Home in Patterson...

Charles Issac Farmer DEXTER, Mo.--Charles Issac Farmer, 90, of Dexter, died Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at Crowley Ridge Care Center in Dexter. Visitation was held Thursday evening. Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. today in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral chapel with Rev. Robert Bentley, Rev. Darrell Faire and Rev. Jeff Wells officiating...

James "Jim" Wesley Crouch VAN BUREN, Mo.--James "Jim" Wesley Crouch, 51, Ellsinore, died Wednesday, May 27, 2015 in Van Buren. A visitation will be held for the public at 6 p.m. Sunday at McSpadden Funeral Home in Van Buren, and a graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at the Aldrich Valley Cemetery...

Emilye Garner DEXTER, Mo.-Emilye Garner, 88, of Dexter, died Saturday, May 23, 2015 in the Mulberry Manor at Dexter. Visitation and funeral services were held Wednesday at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter with Rev. Paul Pierce officiating. Burial followed in the Chalk Bluff Cemetery...

Poplar Bluff junior Denzell Britton wasn't happy when he failed to get past his preliminary heat and into the finals of the 100-meter dash at last year's state meet. He'll get a chance to improve on that time and compete in two more events as he leads the young Mules squad to the Class 4 state meet today in Jefferson City...

QULIN, Mo.- Lila Mae "Stratton" Taylor, 72, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., formerly of Oglesville, Mo., died Thursday, May 28, 2015, at The Manor in Poplar Bluff. She was born Feb. 10, 1943 in St. Louis. She was a member of Oglesville General Baptist Church and enjoyed fishing, gardening, flying kites and singing...

Jerry Pierce Jerry Pierce, 74, of Doniphan, Mo., died Thursday, May 28, 2015, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation will be 2-5 p.m Sunday at Moore Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Funeral Services will be at 11 a.m Monday in the Moore Funeral Service Chapel...

Debra Thrasher Debra Lynn Thrasher, 54, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Thursday, May 28, 2015 at her residence. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

Thurm Willard PUXICO, Mo.- Thurm Lee Willard, 78 years, 3 months, 16 days, of Bloomfield, Mo., formerly of Puxico, died Friday, May 22, 2015 at her daughter's residence in Puxico. Daughter of the late Charley H. and Sylvia Marie "Johnson" Smith, she was born in Pocahontas, Ark., Jan. 6, 1937. She lived in the Puxico and Bloomfield area for 65 years...

There's been an exciting and most-of-all successful atmosphere surrounding the Poplar Bluff girls track and field team this spring. The Lady Mules will send 10 athletes to compete in 16 events in the MSHSAA Class 4 state meet at Lincoln University's Dwight T. ...