Stories from Sunday, August 28, 2016

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor A grand jury will soon be seated to decide whether a former prominent, local businessman is charged in connection with a December hit-and-run accident that killed a Poplar Bluff, Mo., teenager. Once empaneled, the jury will hear testimony surrounding a Dec. 9 leaving-the-scene accident as it pertains to Benjamin Ressel...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor The new Motel 6 on Highway 67 North was robbed for the second time in a month early Saturday morning by an armed robber authorities believe has now struck four times. "It looks like the same suspect drove a vehicle and parked it outside the Motel 6 at approximately 5 a.m." Saturday, said Butler County Investigator Wes Popp, who indicated the vehicle could not be identified as only headlights could be seen coming and going...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A Bloomfield parolee is being held in jail without bond after being charged Friday afternoon with nearly 20 felonies in connection with recent break-ins at eight Dexter, Mo., businesses. Edward D. ...

By CHELSAE CORDIA Staff Writer A Missouri State trooper saved the day Tuesday when Rick Quigley's United Cancer Assistance Network's patient-transport van had a tire blow-out on the side of the highway, while en route with a patient on-board to a scheduled treatment...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer hen Poplar Bluff, Mo. resident Kay Porter died in 2004, she gifted nine entities with approximately $1 million each. Porter had outlived her husband, nieces and nephews, said friend Jay Decker, and had asked those closest to her who in the community needed help. Decker was one of two executors of her will, who handed out the donations and still helps ensure Porter's wishes are followed...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Boys and Girls Club of Poplar Bluff, through a continuing partnership with Poplar Bluff Public Schools, will open a new site at the middle school this fall to serve approximately 120 students. Poplar Bluff schools will furnish the new site to the club pro-bono. Boys and Girls Club of Poplar Bluff currently has sites at all R-I elementary schools and the Kindergarten Center...

To the editors: In the not too distant past this newspaper has published various "updates" from both Representatives Richardson and Jacobsmeyer. One such missive dealt with the imperative of making Missouri a right to work state, another with a plan to require photo ID in order to vote. ...

Georgia Shelton CORNING, Ark. -- Georgia Shelton, 86, of Corning, passed away Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016, at St. Bernard's Medical Center in Jonesboro. She was a retired owner/operator of the Stateline Steak and Fish House Restaurant. She enjoyed gardening and watching Cardinal Baseball. She was a member of Corning First Baptist Church...

Emilee Faye and Craig Alon Cook have chosen the name Whitton Alltin Cook for their 6-pound, 13-ounce son born at 3:29 a.m., Sunday, Aug. 21, 2016, at Saint Francis Medical Center's Family BirthPlace in Cape Girardeau. Whitton was 19 3/4" long. Grandparents are Teresa Geter and Randy Curneal of Fisk and the late Terry Geter, and Gary and Doris Cook of Benton, Ill...

Donna M. Kiefer Donna M. Kiefer 64, of Wappapello, Mo. died at her residence, Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016. She had been a longtime resident of Poplar Bluff. She was born Feb. 5, 1952 in St. Louis to the late Lum Harwell and Mary Burton Harwell. Donna was a secretary at Amedisys Home Health of Missouri. She enjoyed playing cards...

Rebecca Jean Houchin MALDEN, Mo. -- Rebecca Jean Houchin, 87, of Malden, died Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016, at Golden Living Center in Malden. Visitation will be from noon - 2 p.m., Sunday at the Landess Funeral Chapel in Malden. Funeral services will follow at 2 p.m. at the chapel with Rev. Aulden LeBlanc officiating...

David Wayne Finch BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- David Wayne Finch, 25, died Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016, in Bloomfield. Visitation will be after 9 a.m. Monday, at the Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home in Bloomfield. Funeral services will follow at 11 a.m. at the Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home with Rev. Mike Lee officiating...

DEXTER, Mo. --Some extra work on special teams quickly paid dividends Friday night for the Poplar Bluff Mules. Jerrid Moore took the opening kickoff 80 yards in 11 seconds as the Mules raced past Dexter 41-8 at Charles Bland Stadium. "Really good job of blocking," Mules coach Mark Barousse said. "We put a little extra time into that yesterday."...

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. --Fox jumped on the Poplar Bluff softball team early and held on to win 5-2 Friday to open the Rockwood Summit Tournament before the Mules won three straight. Poplar Bluff bounced back to beat Hazelwood Central 16-0 in a three-inning, combined no-hitter Friday then beat Sullivan 12-4 and Cor Jesu Academy 5-3 Saturday...

MURPHYSBORO, Ill. -- Adam Vincent's hat trick helped the short-handed Mules soccer team earn their first road win Saturday. Vincent hammered home a pair of penalty kicks as Poplar Bluff overcame an early deficit and played a man down over the final 15 minutes of a 3-1 win at Murphysboro (Ill.)...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Katie Sliger ran away from the field and caught up with the boys while John Myers shredded his father's 30-year-old cleats Saturday morning as the Poplar Bluff cross country team opened the season. Sliger won the Junior Division race at the Jackson Invitational, which features a race for each class, by nearly a minute. She had the second-fastest time of any runner on the 2.35-mile course at 15 minutes, 26 seconds as Jackson's Megan Barnum won the Senior race in 15:01...

BERNIE -- The Bernie Mules were down 3-1 before rallying back to beat Holcomb 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh in the Bernie Wood Bat round robin on Saturday. With the bases loaded and the score tied, Alex Guzman singled to right and Dalton Hobgood scored the walkoff run for Bernie (3-2)...

CARTHERSVILLE, Mo. -- Malden took full advantage of a rare 19-hour delay. Head coach Joel Wyatt went over every possible scenario one more time Friday night after thunderstorms in the area postponed the start of Week 2 for the Green Wave before they even took the field...