Stories from Saturday, September 5, 2015

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer VAN BUREN, Mo. -- A new bridge could be in place at Big Spring recreation area by the summer of 2017. The National Park Service has begun a project to replace the nearly 40-year-old structure after a routine inspection noted decay and other concerns regarding the wooden bridge...

Circle your calendar for the Butler County Fair Sept, 16-19 in downtown Poplar Bluff at the Black River Coliseum and at the Ray Clinton Park. Events happening Sept. 16-19 at the Black River Coliseum include agriculture, horticulture and floriculture exhibits; home economics, 4-H, and youth exhibits; the silent auction; 4-H and FFA public speaking contest; and the beauty pageant, said Phyllis Flanigan of the University of Missouri Extension...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer The Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center will benefit from several new training items purchased through the recent award of a federal 50/50 matching grant. PBTCC received grant approval for $41,000 through the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006. Funds are distributed through the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The district will cover half the amount, about $20,000...

By KATHERINE WEBSTER SEMO News Service CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- A suspect arrested in Wednesday's robbery at a Cape Girardeau bank has been charged. Jeron Mister, 30, of Fairview Heights, Illinois, has been charged with second-degree robbery, online court records show...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN Ten weeks before the first U.S.-Soviet summit ever held in Moscow, in May 1972, North Vietnam, with Soviet-supplied armor and artillery, crossed the DMZ in an all-out offensive to overrun the South. President Nixon responded with air and naval strikes on the North...

By MICHELLE MALKIN Ooouuuch. My sides are still aching after last week's comical announcement by GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush that he had snagged the coveted endorsement of notorious electoral reject Eric Cantor, the former House majority leader kicked to the curb by disgusted voters in Virginia's 2014 primary election...

First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) announce Rev. Frank J. Chlastak of Frederick, Okla., has accepted the call as senior pastor. Rev. Chlastak is a graduate of the University of Louisianan at Monroe, La. (formerly Louisiana Northeast University) with a bachelor's of arts in journalism and a minor in history. He holds a master's of divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary with an emphasis in family counseling and a minor in American church history...

R-1 needs more custodians I would like to comment on the lack of custodial care for the school system and I'm deliberately using the phrase "lack of custodians" because I've noticed for years that the amount of work they have to do and wondered why there's not more help. Why more people couldn't be hired?...

Lluvia Conner has been named Sacred Heart's student of the month for September. She is the daughter of Guy Conner and Yesenia Hernandez. She has one brother, Guy Conner. She also spends time with her grandparents. She enjoys spending time and learning about her family. ...

Walton Chapel cemetery annual meeting will be held Saturday, Sept. 19, at Walton Chapel Community Center. A meeting will be held at 11 a.m., followed by a potluck dinner. Anyone not attending but wanting to make a donation may send it to Walton Chapel Cemetery Fund, c/o Barbara Crowley, Sec./Treas., 9786 Co. Rd. 410, Ellsinore, Mo. 63937...

Dora Nichols PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Dora Nichols, 78, of Piedmont, Mo., died Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2015 in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Services are pending with Ruegg Funeral Homes, INC. Online condolences: www.rueggfuneralhome.com

By GEORGE F. WILL "It is a sordid business, this divvying us up by race." Chief Justice John Roberts WASHINGTON -- Sordid, always. And sometimes lethal, as some Native American children could attest, were they not, like Declan Stewart and Laurynn Whiteshield, dead. They were victims of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), which as construed and applied demonstrates how identity politics can leave a trail of broken bodies and broken hearts...

By BARBARA ANN HORTON News Editor Award winning singer Carman will come to Poplar Bluff for a special concert Thursday. Carman's ministry will visit the Palace of Praise, 1400 Herschel Bess Blvd., with his No Plan B Tour at 7 p.m. When Randy West, associate pastor of Palace of Praise, received an email about Carman's tour, he realized the local church met all the requirements and the only thing needed was to make a request for the seven time Dove winner to appear locally...

PIEDMONT -- When Terry Luce first got to Clearwater a few short months ago, he told his players about one of the best seasons he's ever had as a coach. "I told them at the beginning of the year that my state championship team in Mississippi averaged 11.3 runs a game, and so they kind of want to beat that," Luce said...

Yvonne Hampton MALDEN, MO.--Yvonne Hampton, 70, of Warren, Mich., formerly of Malden, died Saturday, Aug. 29, 2015, at her residence in Warren. Visitation will be from 3-4 p.m., Friday at the Landess Funeral Home Chapel in Malden. The graveside service will be held at 4:30 p.m. Friday at the Elder Cemetery in Campbell, Mo., with Rev. Doug Messer...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- It had been 13 days since the Jackson soccer team played a game, and the Indians picked up right where they left off. Led by two goals each from Josh Scholl and Justice Crosnoe, Jackson cruised to a 7-2 victory over Poplar Bluff in the first game of the Notre Dame SoccerFest on Thursday...

Terisa Eads Paynter Terisa Eads Paynter, 78, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. passed away Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2015 at Westwood Hills Heath Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Visitation will begin at noon Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015 with the service at 1 p.m. at Dickins Funeral Home in Mississippi, with the Rev. Murphy Eubanks officiating. Burial will be at Center Hill Cemetery...

Through three games, Bloomfield's successes and failures have revolved around serve-receive. Poplar Bluff, and junior Lauren Rowland in particular, took advantage of the Lady Wildcats' occasional struggles to win 25-14, 25-17 Thursday at Peters Gym...

Two people were injured in a collision Thursday morning in Ripley County. One of the drivers was arrested for drugs and driving while intoxicated. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the accident occurred at 8:50 a.m. on Route 142 just east of Route E. An eastbound 2001 Dodge Ram driven by Michael D. Harrison, 33, of Oxley, struck the rear of an eastbound 1996 Ford Explorer driven by Betty R. Rhoads, 71, of West Plains...

Shay Amoss had two touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversions as the Poplar Bluff eighth grade football team beat Jackson 30-17 Thursday at Morrow Stadium. Austin Tinsley also had two touchdowns and Chaz Casey caught a two-point conversion. Coach Jason Lance said the defensive line of Dylan Wells, Jeffery LeGrand, Ryan Colvin and Casey were the players of the game...

GREENVILLE -- Down to their final out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Will VanMatre stroked the Bears' only hit of the game, a single to left field, to give Greenville the 1-0 walk-off win over Cooter on Thursday. Grant Miller was hit by a pitch to begin the inning, stole second and scored on Van Matre's base knock...