Stories from Friday, January 13, 2017

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer First responders spent much of Thursday morning rounding up cattle after a tractor-trailer overturned and caught fire on Highway 60 in Carter County. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the accident occurred shortly before 6 a.m. in the westbound lanes about one mile east of Ellsinore, Mo. A tractor-trailer driven by Johnathan S. Lewton, 39, of Flemington, Mo., traveled off the right side of the road in an attempt to avoid a deer and overturned...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Although contests have developed for spots on three Butler County school boards, city council candidates in Poplar Bluff, Fisk and Qulin remain unopposed. Filing closes Tuesday for the April 4 election. Each open position carries a three-year term...

By BEN KLEINE SEMO News Service JACKSON, Mo. -- Russell Mayberry, of Zalma, Missouri, pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree murder in front of Judge Michael Gardner in Jackson. Mayberry, 32, agreed to a deal with Bollinger County Prosecuting Attorney Heath Robins, capping his potential sentence at 12 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections and dismissing armed criminal action, abandonment of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence charges...

To the Editor: Well a New Year has come upon us like a bolt of lightning. The year 2016 went by so quickly, thank goodness. It just seems like yesterday we were thinking, where the heck did 2015 go? You noticed I threw that little thank goodness in there because 2016 was the year of the election of all elections. ...

By STEPHEN MOORE If America's competitors intentionally tried designing a tax system to destroy the American economy, they probably couldn't come up with a better plan than the way the United States currently taxes its own businesses. To fully appreciate the stupidity of the American corporate tax, consider this simple example: If you are an American company making cars in Michigan, you have to pay a 35 percent profits tax on the car made here. ...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- Any summation of Barack Obama's impact on domestic policy and politics should begin with this: In 2008, he assured supporters, "We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." Soon he will be replaced by someone who says, "I alone can fix it." So, Americans have paid Obama the compliment of choosing continuity, if only in presidential narcissism...

Poplar Bluff Junior High School students earning a spot on the second quarter honor roll include: Eighth grade highest honors: Blake Aikey, Kendall Armstrong, Morghan Armstrong, Gavin Brawley, Katlyn Brotherton, Jeffrey Clark, Nolan Foster, Taylor Hobbs, Dylan Mondy, Caleb Robison, Jonna Vaughn, Gracey Wilkerson...

"My Father's Dragon," a children's theater show performed by the Imaginary Theatre Company of St. Louis and presented by the Patrons of the Arts Society, will come to the Tinnin Fine Arts Center at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22. Admission is $5 per person, and the show is recommended for all ages. This Patrons performance is sponsored by Kissinger & Kirkman Investment Centre, LLC...

Students earning places on Qulin Middle School Honor and Merit Roll for the second quarter include: 5th Grade Honor Lindsey Grayson, Morgan Hardin, Savanah Herren, Timothy Lewis, Hailey Lucas, Anne Mittelstadt, Brett Robards, Simon Siebert, Zoe Stratton, Shane Vaughn...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor It's getting down to the wire for Missouri's bowhunters, and after a long few months, there's only a few days left to hunt in the archery season, which closes Sunday. Last weekend's bitter cold temperatures seemed to help hunters locally, with a little better bump in the harvest numbers than the last several weekends have shown...

By JOE JEREK Mo. Dept. of Conservation JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reports it has received final results from the more than 19,200 tissue samples tested for chronic wasting disease (CWD) following the Department's mandatory sampling of deer harvested on Nov. 12 and 13 in 29 counties in northeast, central, and east-central Missouri in and around where the disease has been found...

By FRANK CAMPA Mo. Dept. of Conservation When people think of outdoor activities this time of year, they may overlook one that is very important to conservation's "wise use of our resources without waste." That activity is trapping. Trapping is a time-honored tradition all over the state of Missouri that has not only kept our furbearing population of animals in check, but also literally provided warmth to several generations...

For the second time in three weeks the Neelyville Lady Tigers are prepping for revenge against a Dexter squad that has beaten them in three straight meetings. Last month in the Lady Royals Christmas Classic championship, the Lady Bearcats staged a comeback that cruelly ended Neelyville's shot at knocking off Dexter for the second time in four years...

ARNOLD, Mo. -- The Poplar Bluff wrestling team got a win against one of its new district opponents Wednesday. The Mules beat host Fox 45-34 by winning the final three matches with two pins while beating Class 1 Valle Catholic 66-18. Poplar Bluff will face Fox and 13 other schools in the MSHSAA Class 4 District 1 tournament in February after moving up a to the largest class this season...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A buck harvested in Sumner County during the recent muzzleloader season, has completed a step toward becoming a world record for a non-typical deer rack. Boone and Crockett officials spent several hours on Monday (Jan. 9) scoring the 47-point buck tabbed the "Tennessee Tucker Buck" as the Nashville headquarters of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. The buck was harvested by 26-year old Gallatin resident Stephen Tucker...

Hannah Noe scored in double figures Saturday after a three game drought, her longest of the season. She had 15 points, four rebounds and a steal for Southeast Missouri State in an 89-77 loss at Belmont. Noe, who is averaging 11.5 points and 1.1 rebounds in her junior season, was kept below 10 points against Tennessee Tech, Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee State. She was scoreless for the second time this season against Eastern Kentucky...

Darlene Garner MALDEN, Mo. -- Darlene Garner, 74, was born on July 5, 1942 in Floral, Ark. to the late Almus Williams and Mable Reives Williams. She departed this life on Monday, Jan. 9, 2017 at her residence in Malden, Mo. Mrs. Garner was a homemaker. She was united in marriage to Albert Garner on Jan. 10, 1975 in Poplar Bluff, Mo. He survives of the home in Malden...

Charlie Brooks Charlie Brooks, 36, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 at his home. He was born Jan. 7, 1981 in Poplar Bluff. On Nov. 22, 2004 he married Angela Marie Brooks. She preceded him in death Feb. 22, 2013. He is survived by his mother, Donna (Grace) Short and step-father, Jesse Short; children, Josef Bailey and Carley Brooks; step-grandparents, Jessie and Levear Short; a sister, Wenonnah Grace and sister-in-law, Jonia Davis; one brother, Doyle Brooks and sister-in-law, Dana Brooks, as well as brother-in-law, Brandon Metz and two aunts, Carol Wilson and Dee Brooks.. ...

Stephanie Marie Mellon and David Alan Tarantino of Corning, Ark. announce the birth of their son, Jordan Lee Tarantino, born Dec. 14, 2016 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Jordan weighed 6 lb. - 12 oz. and was 19.5 inches long. Grandparents are Carol E. Mellon of Poplar Bluff, Mo., Roy and Tammy Mellon of Doniphan, Mo., Alice Bagley of Corning, Ark. and Gary Tarantino of Pocahontas, Ark...

Jordyne Paige Miller and Jessy Dale Deffendall, of Wappapello, have chosen the name Chloe Ann Deffendall for their 7-pound, 11-ounce daughter born at 10:19 a.m., Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, at Saint Francis Medical Center's Family BirthPlace. Chloe was 20 1/4" long...

Robert D. "Bo" Anderson Robert D. "Bo" Anderson, 81, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Monday, Jan. 9, 2017 at The Cedargate in Poplar Bluff. Mr. Anderson was born Sept. 24, 1935 in Catron, Mo., to the late Phillip J. Anderson and Sally (Lewis) Anderson. He was a member of Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church. He enjoyed singing in the choir...

Thelma Payne Thelma Payne, 84, of Poplar Bluff passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 at her home. She was born May 20, 1932 at Acorn, Mo. She was a member of Liberty Church. Her hobbies were embroidery and planting flowers. Survivors include two children: Larry Payne and Alessa Payne; two sisters, Violet Brashear and Wilma Smith (Richard); a grandson, Benny Cook; nieces, Violet Paynter (Luther) and Debbie Foster (Phil); great-nieces, Victoria Drake and daughter, Emma Drake; great-nephew, John Griffith; and a special friend, Michael Willcut.. ...

Barbara Yvonne Keeble MALDEN, Mo. -- Barbara Yvonne Keeble, 83, died Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017, at her residence in Malden, Mo. Visitation will begin at noon Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017, at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. A funeral service will follow at 1 p.m. in the chapel with Pastor LL Williams officiating. Burial will be in Macedonia Cemetery in Malden, Mo...

Laura L. Chatman Laura L. Chatman, 96, died Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017 at Westwood Hills Healthcare Center in Poplar Bluff. Arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service of Poplar Bluff.