Stories from Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Staff Reports A West Plains man was injured and arrested Saturday following a collision with a log in Current River near Doniphan, Missouri. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Gary L. Blackwell, 60, was arrested 3:21 p.m. Saturday on Current River near the Highway 160 bridge on suspicion of boating while intoxicated...

By MARK BLISS SEMO News Service Southeast Missouri State University undergraduates won't pay more in tuition and general fees for classes next academic year. The Board of Regents voted unanimously Friday to hold the line on costs for undergraduate students at $233 per credit hour for in-state students and $412.50 per credit hour for out-of-state students...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Butler County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and local first responders had a busy evening Monday as strong storms passed through Poplar Bluff and surrounding areas. The most intense storms passed through around 9 p.m. Monday, part of a system that raised a weather alert in a three state area - Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Weather services confirmed several tornados in eastern Oklahoma...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Neelyville High School's gym was packed to capacity on Saturday afternoon in a display of support for the Class of 2016. Hundreds of friends and family and members of the school community turned out to see the 55 graduating seniors receive their diplomas. Superintendent Brad Hagood said he was "very proud" of the seniors, who he described as a talented class, and wished them the best...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer A Poplar Bluff woman who, in late April, allegedly abandoned her baby and checked herself into a hospital will face criminal charges. Poplar Bluff Police arrested 19-year-old Jasmine Baldazo at 9 p.m. Thursday following her release from the hospital. The warrant accused her of first-degree child abandonment, a Class B felony. Judge John Bloodworth will preside at her arraignment at 9 a.m. Thursday...

Oak Grove Elementary School teachers announce the following students are on the third quarter honor roll: A Honor Roll Third Grade: Jay Edmundson, Molly Maurer, Bryce Millner, Kylar Wilson, Makenna Decker, Erica Snow, Lauryn Wilkerson, Kennedy Zgaynor, Kole Bader, Hunter Clifford, Victoria Conover, Mackinley Cox, Camden Davis, Cynthia Edwards, Kyra Mizell, Aubrea Morrow, Katelyn Conover, Abbigail Hager, Destiny Jackson, Molly McGath, Kaitlyn Booker, Lucas Longhibler, and Connor Stevens...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN "The two living Republican past presidents, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, have no plans to endorse Trump, according to their spokesmen." So said the lead story in The Washington Post. Graceless, yes, but not unexpected. The Bushes have many fine qualities. Losing well, however, is not one of them...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- Gigantic government's complexity and opacity provide innumerable opportunities for opportunists to act unconstrained by clear law or effective supervision. Today's example, involving the government's expropriation of hundreds of billions of dollars, features three sets of unsympathetic actors -- a grasping federal government, a few hedge funds nimble at exploiting the co-mingling of government and the private sector, and two anomalous institutions that should never have existed.. ...

We all like an underdog. The written off school team that still plays with heart, the whistle-blower that stands up to do the right thing, or the small business owner that takes a risk and bets on themselves. We don't always recognize these "underdogs" in our community, but it is their resilience, perseverance, and ultimate success that forms the backbone of so many of our communities in Southeast and south central Missouri. ...

Pat Tonnee Farmer-Huston DEXTER, Mo. - Pat Tonnee Farmer-Huston, 71, of Bloomfied, Mo., died Sat., May 7, 2016 at Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, Indiana. Visitation will be from 1 - 3 p.m., Wed., May 11 at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. The funeral will follow in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel...

Darrell "Doc" Wayne Bates Lifetime Butler County resident, Darrell "Doc" Wayne Bates, 67, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Monday, May 9, 2016 at John J. Pershing VA Medical Center. He was born June 3, 1948 in St. Louis, Mo. He served his country in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He was a member of New Home General Baptist Church...

WEBSTER GROVES, Mo. -- Justin Capps walked off the 14th green at Algonquin Golf Club, wrote a 10 on his scorecard and moved on Monday afternoon. The Poplar Bluff junior bounced back with consecutive pars before a bogey-bogey finish tied him for 15th in the MSHSAA Class 4 Sectional 1 golf tournament...

James Charles Eakes DEXTER, Mo. - James Charles Eakes, 82, of Bloomfield, died Sunday, May 8, 2016 at the Golden Living Center in Bloomfield, Mo. Visitation will be from 5 - 8 p.m., Wed., May 11 at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. The funeral will be at 11 a.m., Thurs., May 12 in the Watkins & Sons Chapel in Dexter with Rev. Kenneth Biggs of Dexter officiating...

Maria Tinoco Belknap Maria Tinoco Belknap, 65, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer, on Mother's Day, May 8th, 2016 with her loving husband, children, and grandchildren by her side. Maria was born and raised in San Salvador, El Salvador on June 10th, 1950, and lived in Poplar Bluff, MO. ...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Talk about timing. Moments before the skies opened up for good, the Greenville baseball team found its timing at the plate, scoring two times on three hits in the top of the fifth inning to break a tie and pull out a 4-2 win over Chaffee in a rain-shortened, five-inning contest at Harmon Field on Monday...

Eduardo Martinez was like any foreign exchange student going to a new high school in a new country. "First thing I looked it up on the internet, where it is, what state is it," said Martinez, who is from the northwest region of Spain known as Galicia...

Class of '59 lunch meeting Thursday The Poplar Bluff High School Class of 1959 will meet for lunch at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at Myrtle's Place. All class members, spouses and guests are invited. Any questions, call 686-1019 or 718-5900.

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- After the fourth inning, the Green Wave had a solid lead and their coaches gathered them for a huddle near the dugout. This is a freaky game, they said, and it's their fate to win it. "Sometimes we feel like maybe things don't go our way, which happens," said Malden coach Angela Rodgers, who is in her first season coaching the team. "We kept it together. We didn't let those crazy things get in our heads and bring us down. We kept up and kept playing like we can play."...

Brandon Kyle Southerly NEELYVILLE, Mo. - Brandon Kyle Southerly, 23, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away on May 3, 2016. Brandon was born on July 21, 1992 in St. Louis, Mo. He worked as a construction worker for Harold's Parks Construction. His hobbies included hunting, fishing, riding ATVs and dirt bikes...

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. -- Carr Vernon was among five players to advance Monday into the sectional qualifier for the U.S. Open. The Poplar Bluff native shot a 2-under-par 68 for fifth in the local qualifier at Pasatiempo Golf Club according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel...

CAMPBELL -- Christian Deen homered, went 3 for 4, scored twice and drove in five runs as Campbell beat Neelyville 11-4 Monday. Nick Littrell also had three hits, an RBI and scored. Will Biggs went 2 for 4 with two runs and two RBIs for the Camels (3-13)...

Marty Harvey DONIPHAN, Mo. - Marty Harvey, 45, of Grandin, died Sat., May 7, 2016 at his residence in Grandin. Visitation was held Monday, May 9, 2016 at Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan. Graveside services were at 10 a.m. today, Tues. May 10 at Grandin City Cemetery in Grandin...

Vinis "Bo" Kelly, Jr. MALDEN, Mo. - Vinis "Bo" Kelly, Jr., 67, of Clarkton, Mo., died Friday, May 6, 2016 at his residence. Visitation will be at noon, Wed., May 11 at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. A memorial will follow 2 p.m. at the Bradshaw Chapel in Malden with Rev. Jack Allen officiating. Burial will be in Stanfield Cemetery in Clarkton with full military rites. www.bradshawfh.com...

Jimmie Paskel CAMPBELL, Mo. - Jimmie Paskel, 77, of Campbell, died Sat., May 7, 2016, as his residence. A graveside service will be at 1 p.m., Tues., May 10 at Woodlawn-Landess Addition Cemetery in Campbell with Rev. Aulden LeBlanc officiating. Burial will be in the Woodlawn-Landess Addition Cemetery in Campbell. Landess Funeral Home of Campbell is in charge of arrangements...

Lillian W. Orton DEXTER, Mo. - Lillian W. Orton, 80, of Dexter, died Sat., May 7, 2016 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Visitation will be from 5 - 8 p.m., Tues., May 10 at the Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. The funeral will be at 11 a.m., Wed., May 11 at the Watkins & Sons Chapel in Dexter...

Marian Elaine Evans VAN BUREN, Mo. - Marian Elaine Evans, 88, of Ellsinore, Mo., died Sat., May 7, 2016 at her residence. A memorial service will be held for Marian Elaine Evans and her late husband William "Sonny" Evans at 2 p.m., Sat. May 14 in the McSpadden Funeral Home in Van Buren. Online condolences may be made at www.mcspaddenfh.com...