Stories from Thursday, May 12, 2016

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer A popular monthly event in downtown Poplar Bluff, Mo., for classic car enthusiasts will resume Friday. Cruise In Nights will be held from 6-9 p.m. on the second Friday of every month until October, according to Downtown Poplar Bluff Director Penny McGath. It is held at the Farmers Market pavilion in the parking lot of the Black River Coliseum...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Poplar Bluff Early Childhood Teacher of the Year for 2016 Mandi Webster believes that all children can learn, albeit in different ways. For more than 20 years Webster has served children in Missouri facing learning barriers, the past three as autism/students with individual needs instructor at the Early Childhood Center. To promote an effective learning environment, Webster has three not-so-secret weapons in her arsenal...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Poplar Bluff school food provider Chartwells says they will bring food preparation "out front" when the company's new café launches this fall at the new high school. Chartwells last week unveiled plans for its new Café Concepts eatery, which will feature an open kitchen/open-dining-area design that the company says allows students to be the "owners of their dining experience."...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor YORK VILLAGE -- Wayne County authorities arrested a person-of-interest Tuesday night who was wanted for questioning in connection with a homicide that occurred earlier in the day in Ferguson, Mo. At about 9:30 p.m., Wayne County Sheriff Dean Finch said, his department received a call from the Ferguson Police Department regarding a "person of interest in a homicide. ... They had information that this person was in our county."...

Charles Moffitt of Morse Harwell Jiles recently was honored in Branson, Mo., by Cameron Insurance Companies' President and CEO Brad Fowler at its annual President's Award Banquet. The event is held in honor of an elite number of independent insurance agencies that have qualified for the highest achievement with the company...

Arthur Hutchcraft Arthur Wayne Hutchcraft, 84, of Dexter passed away May 2, 2016 at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Services were held May 4, 2016 at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel in Dexter. Rev. Greg McGhee officiated. Burial followed in the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield. Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter in charge of arrangements...

Wiley McGhee Wiley McGhee, son of the late James Monroe and Lillie Frances Julian McGhee, was born in Bloomfield, Mo., on Jan. 13, 1913, and passed away at the Puxico Nursing and Rehab Center in Puxico on May 3, 2016, at the age of 103 years, 3 months and 20 days...

James Davis CAMPBELL, Mo. -- James Ronald Davis (Ronnie) from Van Buren, Mo., formally of Frisbee, Mo., departed this life on April 30, 2016, at the General Baptist Nursing Home in Campbell with his family by his side, at the age of 76. Ronnie was born Jan. 3, 1940, in Frisbee to Luther and Opal Sample Davis. He married Verna Dean Evans on June 8,1957...

Poplar Bluff High School senior Ashten Luttrull was awarded the $1,000 Dr. Michael D. Laseter Memorial Scholarship. Luttrull plans to become a registered nurse. She will begin her higher education during the fall at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau. She is currently completing the health occupations program through the Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center...

People have loved the taste of squash for over 10,000 years. Christopher Columbus was the first westerner to discover this veggie and cultivation began in Europe shortly after the discovery of America. However, today many shoppers pass winter squash by because they don't know how to prepare it...

Jimmie Alfred McMeans FISK, Mo. -- Jimmie Alfred McMeans, 79, of Qulin, died Thursday, May 5, 2016 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation will be at 1 p.m., Saturday, May 14, 2016 at Oglesville General Baptist Church in Oglesville. The funeral service will follow at 2 p.m. at the church with Rev. Mike Price and Bro. Bub Ham officiating. Burial will be at Qulin Cemetery with full military honors...

Glendon Pierce FISK, Mo. -- Glendon Pierce, 80, of Broseley, died Monday, May 9, 2016 at The Manor in Poplar Bluff. He was born March 30, 1936 at Broseley, to the late Willie and Gertrude (Fuson) Pierce. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War on the USS Princeton, the USS Missouri and the USS Aeolus. ...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN A Russian SU-27 did a barrel roll over a U.S. RC-135 over the Baltic, the second time in two weeks. Also in April, the U.S. destroyer Donald Cook, off Russia's Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad, was twice buzzed by Russian planes...

Funky rules of the forest Hello, everybody. I kinda like to issue a little warning to all you hunters. . . all US hunters. Anybody who loves to be outdoors. Mark Twain National Forest has some really funky rules. They give you two weeks to camp, but you've got to be gone for seven days maybe and then you come back another seven supposedly. ...

By PAT DAMEWOOD As part of the partnership with the Vietnam War Commemoration for the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War, the Poplar Bluff Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution announces Rev. David Huck as a "Vietnam Veteran of the Month" for May...

James Barton James Barton, 66, of Poplar Bluff, died on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Arrangements are pending with Moore Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff. Online Condolences: www.moorefuneralservice.com

Shelbey Johnson headed in a record-setting goal but the Poplar Bluff soccer team couldn't complete a comeback Tuesday night in the final game at Whiteley Park. Liberty-Mountain View scored three first-half goals and held off the Mules who scored both of their goals 24 seconds apart with 24 minutes left in a 3-2 loss...

Ethel Mae Johnson Ethel Mae Johnson, 90, of Poplar Bluff, died Sunday, May 8, 2016, at Oakdale Care Center. Visitation will begin at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, at First Church of God, 3482 S. Westwood Blvd. Funeral service will follow at 12:30 p.m., with Bro. David Knapp and Rev. Bill Wiles officiating...

To the Editor: Altrusa International of Poplar Bluff, Mo. Inc. would like to thank all the sponsors, volunteers, and members of the community who help make the 7th Annual Poor Man's Dinner a huge success. The fundraiser helps support Altrusa service projects such as the RSVP program, Northside Nurtition Center, Santa Land, PBRMC Children's Unit, Historic Train Depot steps, school reading programs and many more...

Sandra L. Hall Sandra L. Hall, 72, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. died Wednesday May 11, 2016 at The Manor. Arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service of Poplar Bluff.

Ethel Mae Johnson -- Poplar Bluff, Mo. Glendon Pierce -- Broseley, Mo. Jimmy Alfred McMeans -- Qulin, Mo. James Barton -- Poplar Bluff, Mo. Roger Dale Parris, II -- Matthews, Mo. Sandra L. Hall -- Poplar Bluff, Mo.

By RON SMITH The Prospect-News DONIPHAN, Mo. - With a May 17 deadline approaching, a community effort to raise money for a high school football program at Doniphan is about three-fourths of the way to its goal. Gary Pennington said Monday financial commitments were approaching $300,000. Pennington is president of Doniphan For Football Inc. (DFI.)...

Most people have come to know Tom Matukewicz as the outspoken Southeast Missouri State University football coach for the last two seasons. He enjoyed showing a different side Tuesday night. Matukewicz met a capacity crowd of more than 100 at the ninth annual Fellowship of Christian Athletes Banquet in Poplar Bluff, challenging local student-athletes and coaches to continue seeking success through faith...

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. -- Three unearned runs on a strange field stole the Lady Bears' hopes of advancing to the quarterfinals. A pitcher's duel collapsed into a rout and Greenville lost to West County 8-0 in the first round of the MSHSAA Spring State Playoffs on Tuesday...

BLOOMFIELD -- The Bloomfield School Board voted unanimously to begin girls basketball in the 2106-17 school year at their regular meeting Monday night. The high school will begin by playing a girls junior varsity schedule only in the coming school year, while Athletic Director Jason Karnes will attempt to put together a regular season schedule for middle school girls basketball. Girls basketball will also be played at the intramural level in fifth and sixth grades...

Roger Dale Parris, II Roger Dale Parris, II, 39, of Matthews, died at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Arrangements are pending with Moore Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff. Online condolences: www.moorefuneralservice.com

COOTER, Mo. -- The Greenville baseball team scored less than two runs for the first time in a year, resulting in a 3-1 loss in 10 innings to Cooter on Tuesday. The Wildcats ended the game in the bottom of the 10th on a walk-off, two-run home run. It was only the fourth loss since the start of the 2015 season for the Bears (18-2), who mustered three hits and scored a run in the fifth inning to tie the game...