Stories from Sunday, October 18, 2015

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Barring an unusual winter, many Poplar Bluff R-I students will begin the 2016-17 year in new school buildings. Work on the district's massive $50 million construction project is on schedule, according to school officials. "The contractors have assured us they are still on schedule to meet their deadline," said assistant superintendent Rod Priest. ...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor As more and more crimes involve the use of computers, cellphones and other electronic devices, local judges and law enforcement personnel are learning the ins and outs of fighting cyber crime from the U.S. Secret Service...

A million dollars doesn't go far [email] It's sad to see the public library is no longer offering computer classes. I've taken several and they were great! However from what I was told this is just one of many services that are "being scaled back". Kind of makes me wonder what are they doing with that million dollar budget?...

By SHARON RANDALL Tribune News Service It's almost midnight. The turtles that sunned themselves this morning, lined up like helmets on a dead tree branch, are nowhere to be seen. The schools of crappie that darted all afternoon for chunks of bread that my husband tossed in the water are sleeping in the deep, exhausted, no doubt...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- America is more distant from the 1933 beginning of the New Deal (82 years) than that beginning was from the 1865 end of the Civil War (68 years). Both episodes involved the nation's understanding of equality: The war affirmed equality of natural rights, the New Deal addressed unequal social conditions. ...

Attention Missouri DNR: I write to you today to oppose your obscure Missouri Trustees Council plan, which diverts millions of dollars from the ASARCO - EPA lead mining settlement to purchase privately owned land in and beyond the scenic corridor of the Eleven Point River watershed for a 2463 acre "state park preservation area". I also oppose your future plans to purchase two adjoining tracts of 2209 acres and 5996 acres, respectively...

Kenneth Wilfong GREENVILLE -- Kenneth Wilfong, 86, of Warrensburg, Mo., formerly of Wayne County, died Friday, Oct. 16, 2015, at Missouri Veterans Home in Warrensburg. Visitation will be from noon to 2 p.m. Monday at Ruegg Funeral Home in Greenville...

Allen Henson MALDEN -- Kenneth Allen Henson, 61, of Malden died Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015, at his residence. Visitation will be 1-3 today at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. The funeral will be at 3 today in the Bradshaw Chapel. Burial will be in Mt. Gilead Cemetery at Clarkton...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Many residents of Butler, Ripley and Carter counties felt the earth shake at 3:26 p.m. Friday or heard what sounded like a sonic boom. The U.S. Geological Survey said it was a 3.4 magnitude earthquake which was followed 24 minutes later by a 3.2 magnitude aftershock...