Stories from Wednesday, December 30, 2015

From Staff Reports First in a four-part series Weather was the big story as 2015 opened. First came ice and then it was snow and record cold. During February, 10 inches of snow fell on Poplar Bluff. In other news, City Manager Heath Kaplan's unfettered spending with computer company ISI continued. ...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Any donations made by businesses to St. Vincent De Paul Food Pantry before Jan. 1 will qualify for tax credits equal to at least 70 percent of the amount given. The food pantry has nearly $150,000 in tax credits which expire at the beginning of 2016, said St. Vincent de Paul Society President Robert Smith...

From Staff Reports Second in a four-part series Politics dominated the second quarter of 2015. A rumor surfaced in May that City Manager Heath Kaplan, under fire for uncontrolled and no-bid spending with a Michigan computer company, was fired. A day later the City Council confirmed it...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Thousands of gallons of water were pumped into the Black River from Hillcrest Park every hour Monday as city workers tried to keep up with flooding that closed streets and endangered homes. Workers were able to turn the pumps off at 6 a.m. today...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Butler County firefighters and the Missouri State Highway Patrol rescued a Harviell man from flood waters early Tuesday on Highway 158. The man, whose name was not available at press time, was transported to an area hospital for treatment of possible hypothermia, but was otherwise OK according to fire chief Bob Fredwell...

By DONNA FARLEY and DAVID SILVERBERG Staff Writers The Black River has topped one levee in Butler County, Mo., as of this morning and concerned residents say they plan to remain watchful as water levels rise to a predicted crest of 19.5 feet late tonight...

By MARTIN SCHRAM Tribune News Service As our holiday season morphs from the joy of gift-giving into the ritual of regifting - (and since the lines to see "Star Wars" are way too long, anyway) _ let's amuse ourselves by playing a new seasonal parlor game we've just invented...

Cassandra Breece DEXTER, Mo. -- Cassandra A. Breece, 72, of Jackson, Mo., died Thursday, Dec. 24, 2015, at the Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Visitation will be from 9-11 a.m. Tuesday at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will be follow at 11 a.m. at the funeral home with Rev. Ronnie Ledbetter of Essex officiating. Burial will follow in the Missouri Veteran's Cemetery in Bloomfield, Mo...

A detriment to Downtown I love history and the idea of preserving historical places. I believe our downtown district has done an excellent job considering what she has been given to work with; however, it has become painfully obvious that we have some huge obstacles to deal with before we are ever going to bring our downtown business district up to a positive economic position...

By TAYLOR BATTEN The Charlotte Observer Tribune News Service Lindsey Graham, meet Neil Postman. There were no tweets, no GIFs, no "likes," nothing going viral other than disease in 1986, when Postman wrote the prescient book "Amusing Ourselves to Death." But Postman's insights have only intensified 30 years later, and they partly explain why Graham dropped out of the presidential race Monday...

To the Editor: I completely agree with the editorial about carefully exploring all options for a new location for the city police department. An important decision such as this has dramatic effects on the community at large as well as the taxpayers' purse. Citizens should have input into the process and perhaps feedback could be obtained through public meetings and open forums with the police department and representatives of the City Council...

Ilvian "Jackie" Reed PUXICO, Mo. - Ilvian "Jackie" Reed, 89, formerly of Puxico, died today, at Huntsville Health in Huntsville, Ala. Arrangements are pending and will be announced by Morgan-Sifford Funeral Home of Puxico.

Jewell Tucker-Harris DONIPHAN, Mo. - Jewell Tucker-Harris, 95 ½, of Dallas, Texas, died Saturday Dec. 19, 2015 in Dallas. Visitation will be at noon, Monday, Dec. 28, 2015 at the Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan. The funeral service will follow at 2 p.m. in the funeral home chapel with Phillip Rainwater, nephew of Jewell, officiating. Burial will be in the Tucker Cemetery at Tucker, Mo...

By MONA CHAREN About 15 years ago, on Christmas Eve, our family departed from the traditional American Jewish observance of the holiday (ordering Chinese takeout) and elected to find an open restaurant. We drove to the local city center (or what passes for it in suburbia) and were stunned to find that not only were all of the restaurants open; they were packed...

Bank of Mo. announces merger Reliable Community Bancshares, Inc., parent company of The Bank of Missouri, headquartered in Perryville, Mo., has completed its merger with Bank Star of the BootHeel. Under the terms of the agreement, Bank Star of the BootHeel has merged with and into The Bank of Missouri...

Anna Chodrick POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Anna M. Chodrick, 89, of Poplar Bluff, formerly of Enid, Okla., passed away Dec. 18, 2015, at Oakdale Care Center in Poplar Bluff. Graveside services were held Dec. 22, 2015 at Sunny Side Cemetery in Logan Township, Okla. Mr. Tom Turner officiated...

By MICHELLE MALKIN Step one: Find an expert with an impressive-sounding academic title to legitimize shoddy advocacy propaganda. Meet Brian Levin. He's the one-man band behind something called the "Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism" at California State University, San Bernardino. ...

Lori Castaneda MALDEN, Mo. -- Lori Ann Mathews Castaneda, 52, of Wappapello died Dec. 18, 2015 at Aurora Zilber Family Hospice Center in Milwaukee, Wis. Services were held Dec. 23, 2015 at the Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. Rev. Jack Allen officiated. Entombment followed in the Pemiscot Memorial Garden in Caruthersville...

PBHS Class of '55 breakfast The Poplar Bluff High School Class of 1955 will meet for breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Friday at Myrtle's Place. All class members, spouses and guests are invited. Any questions, call 686-1019.

Hazel Vert POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Hazel Blanche (Kirkley) Vert, 99, of Poplar Bluff died Dec. 19, 2015, at her residence with family around her. Services were held Dec. 22, 201 at the Cotrell funeral Home in Poplar Bluff. Pastor Kim Thompson officiated. Burial followed in Kinsey Cemetery in Butler County...

Qulin Lions New Year's Day dinner Qulin Lions Club New Year's Day dinner will be held from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Friday. Menu will include; hog jowl, black-eyed peas, potatoes, green, cornbread, cooked cabbage. $8 at the door. Children under 12, $5. Children under five eat free. Drinks and desserts provided...

Norma K. Hix Norma K. Hix, 93, daughter of the late Charles Thomas and Minnie Hodge Glenn, was born in Cape Girardeau, Mo., on July 10, 1922 and passed away at St. Anthony Hospital in Alton, Ill. on Friday, Dec. 25, 2015. She was married to Roy Wilhelm. She later married Earl Cordell Hix and he preceded her in death on Nov. 26, 2007...

Kyle E. and Rechell R. Alcorn of St. Genevieve have chosen the name Kyle Edward Alcorn Jr., for their 6-pound, 14-ounce son born Saturday, Dec. 19, at 8:20 a.m. at the Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital. Kyle Jr. was 20 and 1/2 inches long. Grandparents are Andrew and Katherine Nored of Cuba and Joe and Patricia Alcorn of Wappapello...

Cassandra Breece DEXTER, Mo. -- Cassandra A. Breece, 72, of Jackson, Mo., died Thursday, Dec. 24, 2015, at the Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter handled arrangements on Tuesday with Rev. Ronnie Ledbetter of Essex officiating. Burial followed in the Missouri Veteran's Cemetery in Bloomfield, Mo...

Rickey Scrape Rickey F. Scrape, 60, of Noel died Dec. 23, 2015, at his residence. Services were held Dec. 28, 2015 at Morgan Sifford Funeral Home in Puxico. Burial followed in the Puxico City Cemetery.

SEMO News Service CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- A Cape Girardeau woman said she shot at an intruder Sunday in her home at the 2800 block of Lynwood Hills Drive, but she missed, and the suspect escaped. Cape Girardeau Police Department public information officer Adam Glueck said police received the call at 5:50 p.m. Sunday, and the victim said she heard someone in her home and retrieved her gun...

Shirley Barnes CAMPBELL, Mo.--Shirley Barnes, 73, of Campbell, died Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015, at her residence. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Wednesday at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell. Funeral service will follow at 1 p.m. at Landess Funeral Chapel with Rev. Randy Vaughn officiating...

Edward D. Pry BLOOMFIELD, Mo.--Edward D. Pry of Bloomfield, 86, of Bloomfield, died Friday, Dec. 25, 2015, at his home. Visitation will be after 10 a.m., Wednesday, at the Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home in Bloomfield. Funeral services will at 11 a.m., Wednesday, at the Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home...

Gary E. Launius DEXTER, Mo. -- Gary E. Launius, 71, of Bloomfield, Mo., died Monday, Dec. 28, 2015, at his residence. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday with the funeral services beginning at 1 p.m. in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel with Rev. Ronnie Stevens officiating. Burial will follow in the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield...

Bernard O. Marlow GREENVILLE, Mo. - Bernard O. Marlow, 82, of Silva, Mo., died Saturday, Dec. 26, 2015, at his residence in Silva. Visitation will be at 5 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 29 at Ruegg Funeral Home in Greenville, Mo. with Masonic services following at 7 p.m. The funeral will be at 1 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 30, at the Greenville Chapel...

James Huskey James Huskey, 54, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, Dec. 26, 2015 at his home. A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 31, in the Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Poplar Bluff. Fowler-Sullivan Funeral Home in Poplar Bluff in charge of arrangements...

After giving up a 9-point lead, the Poplar Bluff Mules forgot how they built it in the first place. Liberty Tech scored 10 straight points midway through the fourth quarter as the Crusaders handed the host a 62-52 loss in the opening round of the Poplar Bluff Showdown...

BLOOMFIELD -- When Lucas Moe went to the bench with three fouls in the second quarter, Doniphan lost a little bit of every aspect of its game. Malden took the lead for good with Moe sidelined and went on to win 59-47, advancing to the semifinals of the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament...

BLOOMFIELD -- On a day when upsets dominated the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament, Kennett didn't follow suit. The second-seeded Indians scored the first 10 points of the game, made 13 of 18 from the field in the first half and forced 20 turnovers on their way to a 64-46 victory over No. 7 Hayti...

BLOOMFIELD -- Dexter coach Josh Dowdy looked down at his offensive playbook at least a half dozen times before he realized he was looking for big plays on the wrong side of the ball. In a low-scoring, physical game that featured six ties and nine lead changes, Jason Jarrell's free throws with a minute to play broke one last tie in favor of the Bearcats when it finally dawned on Dowdy that a switch on defense was what his team really needed...

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. -- That Raider defense made it all the way to the Big Apple. Three Rivers further lowered its NJCAA-leading 34 percent opponents' field goal percentage in a 93-62 win over Globe Tech in the Monroe College Classic on Monday afternoon...

Vashon rallied with a big fourth quarter, Kenwood needed overtime to win and the two will meet for a spot in the 29th annual Poplar Bluff Showdown final. Manny Patterson scored a tournament-high 26 points to lead Kenwood of Chicago past Grenada (Miss.) 58-55 in overtime Monday night...

BLOOMFIELD -- The defending Bloomfield Christmas Tournament champions are still in line for a championship after Monday, just not the big one. Bernie pulled off the tournament's first upset when the 13th seed took out No. 12 Portageville 50-42 during the consolation quarterfinals...

DYERSBURG, Tenn. -- Poplar Bluff's 2-point halftime lead quickly vanished Monday night in the opening round of the Lady Trojan Christmas Tournament. Lausanne (Tenn.) scored 30 third-quarter points to run past the Mules 63-49. "Just having a hard time once things get tough on us we're not pulling ourselves together and getting through it," Poplar Bluff coach John David Pattillo said...