Stories from Saturday, June 13, 2015

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Poplar Bluff native, veteran chef and Culinary Institute of America graduate Stephanie Letassy will head up the Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center Culinary Arts Program/Mules Cafe when classes resume this fall. Letassy has a resume that would be the envy of many Food Network celebs with more than 33 years experience in the industry. She replaces long-time instructor Chef Aaron Hudlow, who recently moved to Tennessee...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Work is expected to start soon on a nearly $1 million project at John J. Pershing VA Medical Center that will improve handicapped accessibility, the main entrance driveway and patient drop-off areas. Construction will take about eight months, according to project manager Zach Swavely...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer A Poplar Bluff man is in serious condition after being allegedly stabbed multiple times by his girlfriend's 17-year-old son as she held him down. Butler County Sheriff's Deputies arrested Desean R. Bell and April L. Noyes, 37, both of the 600 block of Hart Street in Neelyville, on suspicion of first-degree assault at 1:15 a.m. Friday in the 100 block of Lyla Lane...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer A children's program at Margaret Harwell Art Museum has gotten so popular, staff found themselves turning students away long before summer art classes began. The museum holds weeklong classes in June and July for youth age 7 to 12...

By SHARON RANDALL Tribune News Service Coming back from the post office, I drove past a school. The parking lot sat empty, the place looked abandoned, like a dry well waiting for the rain. Summer vacation. The thought made me smile. At an intersection, I stopped at a red light and saw something zip past my window: A boy, 10 or 12 years old, in baggy shorts, T-shirt and tennis shoes. ...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN Toward the end of the presidency of George H.W. Bush, America stood alone at the top of the world -- the sole superpower. After five weeks of "shock and awe" and 100 hours of combat, Saddam's army had fled Kuwait back up the road to Basra and Bagdad...

By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER WASHINGTON -- The Republican nominating race is a mess: a strong field, but with 10 declared candidates and a half-dozen more to come, we need a bouncer to keep order. I've given myself the job. Rope lines separate the four categories...

Hannibal-LaGrange University Spring Dean's List was recently announced by the University administration. To qualify for the Dean's List, the student must maintain a grade point average of 3.5 or higher while taking 12 credit hours of classes. Local students named to the Dean's List are: Charity Barks, Jennifer Hankins, and Cassie Templemire all of Dexter; James Hunt, Natalie Killian, Keely Taylor, and Halle Wicklund, all of Doniphan; Katrina Stromatt, Dustie Collins, and Klarissa Webb, all of Ellsinore; Rhonda Drake of Fairdealing; Marilyn Lowery of Gatewood; Jessica Uhl of Harviell; Brandon Bennett, Madison Matthews and Lacey Smothers, all of Malden; Bridgette Cockrell and Teresa Miller of Naylor; Melissa Arrington of Neelyville; Sarah Bangert, Alexander Bolt, Grace Brooks, Sara Davis, Abby Hanner, Heather Klusmeier, Misti Lambert, Rebecca Lance, Lyndsee Moon, Jessica Moore, Jessica Nance, Kyla Nunn, Anna Patterson, Alexandra Tinker, Katherine Warren and Deena Whelan, all of Poplar Bluff; Samantha Craft, Janae Hancock and Abby Leutert, all of Qulin; Mara Hill, Billie Keeney and Daniel Newberry, all of Van Buren.. ...

There will be an informational meeting for the Lake Wappapello State Park at 5 p.m., Saturday, June 20, at the Park Office and Nature Center. Park representatives will provide information on future plans for the facility and answer questions. Visitors are invited to share feedback and suggestions about park services and operations...

Poplar Bluff 5th and 6th Grade A and B Honor Roll for 4th Quarter 5th Grade A Honor Roll Alexis Allred, Jacob Baller, Luke Barousse, Aden Bedell, Nicholaus Brumitt, Kannon Carr, Avery Casey, Seth Champlin, Emilee Cheek, Angel Cheshire, Caleigh Chilton, Emberleigh Clenney, Aaliyah Coleman, Tymber Colvin, Morgan Courtney, Jacob Crawford, MacKenzie Decker, Zarek DeWitt, Payton Dobbs, Piper Duncan, Emma Eubank, Alexandra Ferguson, John Fortner, Collin Glick, Maria Golightly, Dawson Greenwall, Haile Hall, Rileigh Hart, Josephine Haywood, Lexis Hesselrode, Allison, Hicks, Madilyn Hillis, Jayce Jay, Kendric Jones, Jacob Joseph, Trista Judd, Sean Kirby, Addison Kirkman, Olivia Kirkman, Hannah Lane, Garrett Lazalier, Elizabeth Ledbetter, Emily Lovette, Adriane Lutton, James Martin, Logan Massey, Kylyn Maxwell, Salah McCormack, Kitiara Melton, Jonathan Moreno, Natalie Murphy, Carson Nagy, Jakeim Pigg, Morgan Pyle, Dustin Ramsey, Kennedy Ray, Isaac Reid, Rylan Roach, Alexis Rowland, Kennedy Rowland, Abagail Ryman, Shae Sarabia, Mattilyn Stacy, Emalee Starling, Austin Stoner, Emma Sutton, Gatlin Taylor, Lukas Tinsley, Christian Todd, Beau Traxel, Gavin Vaughn, Jada Vaughn, Davis White, Breann Williams, Alexander Wiseman and Ella Zgaynor.. ...

Kathryn "Kathy" Watson MALDEN, Mo.--Kathryn "Kathy" Elizabeth Watson, 61, of Bernie, died Wednesday, June 10, 2015 at her residence. Visitation will be begin at noon, Friday and continue until service time at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. Funeral will follow at 2 p.m. Friday at Bradshaw Chapel...

Othella Tanner PUXICO, Mo. -- Othella Tanner, 100, of St. Louis, formerly of Puxico, died Thursday, June 11, 2015, in St. Charles. The visitation will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Morgan-Sifford Funeral Home in Puxico. The funeral will follow at 1 p.m. Saturday in the funeral home chapel. Burial will be in the Puxico City Cemetery...

Charles Bowman DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Charles Bowman, 77, of Doniphan, died Thursday, June 11, 2015, at the Current River Nursing Center in Doniphan. The funeral arrangements are pending with Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan and will be announced upon completion...

Joe McPherson Joe McPherson, 81, of Poplar Bluff, died on Thursday, June 11, 2015, at his residence. Arrangements are pending with Moore Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff. Online condolences: www.moorefuneralservice.com

David Hughes SIKESTON, Mo. -- David Edward Hughes, 77, of Fisk died Sunday, June 7, 2015 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. until the time of the funeral services at noon Saturday at the New Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in Haywood City. The pastor, Rev. Alex Sims will be officiating...

Tedford Ralph Massey Tedford Ralph Massey, 74, of Williamsville, died Wednesday, June 10, 2015 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born June 14, 1940 in Wright County and was a former resident of St. Louis. Mr. Massey served in the U. S. Army, 1960-1963, in Germany. He retired from Ford Motor Co., where he was known as "Massey from Chassie." Mr. Massey was a member of the Eagles Lodge at Wappapello...

Vida White Vida "Tootie" White, 90, of Fisk, went to be with the Lord Wednesday, June 10, 2015 at her residence. She was born Nov. 18, 1924 at Gideon, and was a member of Twin Rivers General Baptist Church. She enjoyed music and played the mandolin with a band at church...

Jeff Wilkerson MALDEN, Mo. -- Jeffrey D. Wilkerson, 50, of Malden, died Wednesday, June 10, 2015, in Dallas, Texas. The visitation will be at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the funeral home chapel. Burial will be in the Stanfield Cemetery in Clarkton...

The season ended more than two months ago, but the accolades keep rolling in for Three Rivers catcher Abby Tillotson. Tillotson was recently named to the National Fast Pitch Coaches Association NJCAA All-Region and All-American teams. She made the first Midwest team, a region that includes several states along with Missouri, and to the third team All-American squad...