Stories from Friday, December 18, 2015

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper who rescued a motorist clinging to a tree in a flooded Wayne County creek was honored Wednesday for his actions. Cpl. Richard L. Ayers was among nine public safety officers from across the state to be awarded the Missouri Medal of Valor for their courageous and exceptional efforts to save lives and protect the public in 2014...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- A Doniphan, Mo., woman was sentenced Wednesday morning to nearly two years in federal prison for possessing handguns stolen from Dennis Outdoors. Kelsi Leah Ann Vickers, 22, was sentenced to 21 months on the felony of possession of stolen firearms by U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh Jr., according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Sorrell...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer The nearly $2.8 million city equipment and building repair budget proposed for 2016 relies strongly on cash reserves, but reinstates critical fire department needs cut this year to fund phone and computer purchases. The Poplar Bluff City Council is expected to vote Monday on general fund and utility spending plans for the next fiscal year...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Everything at the Ozark Family Resource Agency is built around a premise as simple and as difficult as three short words, "Kids lives matter." The agency's core programs create wrap-around services across seven counties meant to help children who have been victims of abuse and intervene for families in crisis, while educating the public on ways to stop child abuse...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor Investigators are processing a black Ford pickup for evidence possibly linking it to a hit-and-run accident last week that killed a Poplar Bluff, Mo., teenager. Although Poplar Bluff Police officials are not releasing the name(s) of the truck's owner or who might have been driving it the night of the crash, rumors are rampant in town that the person may be a well-known, local businessman. He has not been arrested...

To the Editor, After all the hand wringing about various attacks on Americans, it is past time for some factual statements concerning Muslims, aka Islamist, aka "a peaceful religion." First and foremost, Muslim's are NOT just a religious organization, but in fact are a form of totalitarian government whose entire aim is to either make everyone else "convert" to be a Muslim or kill them. There is no in between, You either bow to the Quran's teachings or DIES!...

Don't eat the raw cookie dough!!! Many Americans like me love to bake and eat cookies during the holiday season, as well as throughout the year. In the past I would love to pop some of the raw dough into my mouth when I was baking. Also in the past, the general thinking was that if one would just use pasteurized eggs in making the cookies or just buy refrigerated cookie dough, any harmful organisms that might be present in the eggs would be eliminated and thus the dough would be safe to eat raw. ...

You may be a citizen scientist, and have a good time doing so. This is a great time to see birds. Winter has its own set of birds, some that are here year-round and many that come from farther north to enjoy our milder climate and abundant winter foods. ...

Not one word in the DAR December the 7th, 1941--a date which will live in infamy. Dec. 7th, 2015--not a mention of Pearl Harbor anywhere in the DAR! That's a shame! Before judging hear the facts This is the person who is complaining about the person (Assistant Director) at the library driving a new shiny Lincoln SUV. In the first place it is not new. In the second, she deserves to own whatever she wants...

To the Editor: Not only does the city not need a tree board, but it doesn't need an arborist. The tree issue started at a town hall meeting about a year ago when a resident expressed concern about how his trees were trimmed and another resident said "And they didn't charge residents for cutting trees on private property." Imagine how different it would have been if Kaplan had said, "I'll check into it and may have to send a truck out to correct it," and "it was a one-time thing and was right after the ice storm, was only on the side of the street where utility lines would be downed by trees and was for the benefit of the community, not the homeowner." An arborist's focus is on the health and safety of the tree, the tree trimmers focus is on the health and safety of the town in high winds and ice storms. ...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Two Poplar Bluff High School Sseniors have been selected to perform with the prestigious All-State Choir on Jan. 30 at Tan-Tar-A resort in Osage Beach, Mo. Seniors Mathew Pickard and Christian Cmehil-Warn were selected during the All-District Choir - also highly selective - performance in November at Cape Central High School. During that event, singers from across Southeast Missouri can audition for a limited number of slots in the All-State Choir...

James R. "Jimmy" Hudson GRANITE CITY, ILL.--James R. "Jimmy" Hudson, 20, of Granite City, passed away Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015 in Greenville, Mo. He was born Oct. 20, 1995 in Maryville, the son of James W. and Angie (Helm) Hudson. He was a student attending Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. ...

Edward Murphy MALDEN, Mo. -- Edward Lee Murphy, 69, of Paris, Tenn., formerly of Malden, died Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015, at Barnes Jewish Hospital - St. Louis, Mo. Visitation will begin at 6 p.m. Friday at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Bradshaw Funeral Home Chapel in Malden with Brother Larry Dukes officiating. Burial will be in Stanfield Cemetery in Clarkton with military rites...

Bertha Portwood DONIPHAN, Mo.-- Bertha Lee Portwood, 77, of Doniphan, died Monday, Dec. 14, 2015, at her daughter's residence in Doniphan. Visitation will be at noon, Saturday, at the Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan. The funeral service will follow at 2 p.m. in the funeral home chapel with Brother Harold Shepard officiating...

Willie Walker NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Willie Walker, 81 of Naylor, Mo. died at his residence Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015 in Naylor. Arrangements are pending with Fowler-Sullivan Memorial Chapel of Neelyville, Mo.

The run to the state championship turned into four all-state picks for Malden. The MSHSAA Class 2 runner-up saw senior linebacker and Southeast Missouri State commit Nick Thompson, senior defensive end Zach Gray and senior defensive back Kylus Thompson all land spots on the Missouri State High School Coaches Association first team...

Afredia Freeman VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Alfredia Lynn Freeman, 60, of Van Buren died Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015 in St. Louis, Mo. A visitation for the public will begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 17, in the McSpadden Funeral Home in Van Buren with her funeral service beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 18, in the funeral home chapel. Rev. Wayne Lunyou will officiate. Burial will be in the Yount Memorial Cemetery at Garwood, Mo...

O'Neal Elementary School has named their Students of the Month for November. Alec Carda, son of Brooke and Garrett Vermillion and Jake Catelli, was nominated by his first grade teacher, Olivia Love. His hobbies are: playing X-Box, playing with his sister and with his toys. His favorite subject is computer lab...