Stories from Thursday, March 23, 2017

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor Two local emergency medical responders were reunited Tuesday afternoon with the injured German shepherd they recently rescued after she was struck by a vehicle. "We were getting fuel at Break Time for our ambulance" Friday morning, said Alexandria Petty, an emergency medical technician with Butler County EMS...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- A Campbell, Mo., man was sentenced to nearly 13 years in federal prison Wednesday afternoon for a string of five armed robberies. Alexander Trent Whisnant, 23, pleaded guilty in December to five counts of armed robbery, plus an additional count of using a firearm during a crime of violence before U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh Jr...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Poplar Bluff High School seniors who wish to work or attend college once they near graduation may soon have more ability to do so. School administrators hope to increase participation in an long-standing but seldom used program...

By CHELSAE CORDIA Staff Writer BROSELEY, Mo. - Renovations will soon be underway in the Twin Rivers R-X school district. At last night's board of education meeting, members unanimously approved nearly $2 million in lease purchase financing through St. Louis based L.J. Hart & Company...

Determining one's own sex or that of another used to be a simple matter. First, there was the matter of appearance, whether a person looked like a male or looked like a female. If appearance produced some uncertainties, one could determine sex by examining a person's birth certificate. If appearance and a birth certificate produced uncertainties, the ultimate, absolute proof of sex was a person's chromosomes; XX marked a female, and XY marked a male. Case closed...

To the Editor: I want to thank all those who attended the Poplar Bluff town hall Tuesday night. Each day, we serve our Veterans and receive very kind words of thanks and encouragement, but we also need and welcome frank feedback on how we can improve. Town hall meetings are one way of gathering that feedback. The information we collected Tuesday showed we are on the right path in many ways, and still have work to do in others...

Poplar Bluff's track and field program is already seeing the benefits of having an on-campus facility with more students running, throwing and jumping this spring. A total of 30 freshmen boys and girls are on the roster that features 10 returning state qualifiers...

Emily Knoppe found her power at the plate because of her work ethic and a few special coaches. Now, the hours spent perfecting her swing and working on her fielding skills have paid off. The Twin Rivers senior, who led the Lady Royals in nearly every offensive category last fall, signed a letter of intent last week to continue her softball career at Greenville College in Illinois...

SENATH, Mo. -- The Neelyville Tigers baseball team fought back after falling down by four runs, but its comeback fell short in a 4-3 loss to Senath-Hornersville on Tuesday. The Lions scored three runs in the third inning and one more in the fourth for the only lead they needed...

Dorothy Juanita (Rice) Isbell FISK, Mo. -- Dorothy Juanita (Rice) Isbell, 88 of Poplar Bluff, Mo. died on Monday, March 20, 2017, at Woodland Manor in Arnold, Mo. Visitation will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 25, at White-Sanders Funeral Home is Fisk. Funeral service will follow at 11 a.m. in the funeral home chapel with Rev. Jim Sanders officiating. Burial will follow at Mole Hill Cemetery in Broseley, Mo...

Dennis D. Scott Dennis D. Scott, 65, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Tuesday, March 21, 2017. Dennis was born Jan. 31, 1952, in Poplar Bluff, to Grover D. Scott and the late Ruby E. Freeman-Scott. He grew up in Poplar Bluff and graduated high school there in 1970. He went on to be a construction contractor for many of the Poplar Bluff community builders...

Ruth Patterson Ruth Patterson nee' Boyer, 85 of Festus, Mo., formerly of Wayne County, Mo., died Wednesday, March 22, 2017, at Mercy Hospital, St. Louis, Mo. Services are currently pending with Ruegg Funeral Homes, Inc.

Bob Becker Bob Becker, 59, of Williamsville, Mo. died Saturday, March 11, 2017 at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in Saint Louis, Mo. Visitation will be held from 4 - 8 p.m. Friday, March 24, 2017 in the Christian Life Center at the First United Methodist Church in Poplar Bluff. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 25, 2017 in the Sanctuary at the First United Methodist Church. Moore Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements...

J. B. Tolliver NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- J. B. Tolliver, 85, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Friday, March. 10, 2017, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center emergency room. Mr. Tolliver was a commercial hauling truck driver. He was born Feb. 2, 1932, in Poplar Bluff. A long time resident of Butler County, Mo., he had lived in St. Louis and Dallas, Texas, before moving back to this area...

Twila Hope Dunscombe WAPPAPELLO, Mo.-- Twila Hope Dunscombe, 80, of Wappapello, Mo., passed away Sunday, March 19, 2017 at her daughter's residence in Imperial, Mo. surrounded by her loving family. Twila, the daughter of the late Samuel Edward and Mary Rowland Phillips, was born Aug. ...

Wintfard James White, Sr. GREENVILLE, Mo. - Wintfard James White, Sr., 84, died Friday, March 17, 2017 at his home near Silva, Mo. Memorial services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Open Word Apostolic Church in Patterson with Pastor Jerry Montgomery officiating...

Anita Link Anita Link, 87, of Jefferson City, Mo., formerly of Poplar Bluff, died Wednesday, March 22, 2017 at Capital Regional Medical Center in Jefferson City. Arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service of Poplar Bluff.

Charles B. Adams Jr. DEXTER, Mo. -- Charles B. Adams, Jr., 84, son of the late Charles B. Adams and Sadie Rae Whitehead Adams was born on April 22, 1932 in Powe, Mo. and departed this life on Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at his residence in Dexter, Mo. Mr. ...

Jewel E. Hale Jewel E. Hale, concluded her life on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017 at Cedargate Healthcare in Poplar Bluff at the wonderful age of 100. Mrs. Jewel E. Hale was born Aug. 20, 1916 in Ackerman, Miss. to Vanderbilt and Luelvia Miller Clark. She attended Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Poplar Bluff but was a member of the Augustine Cathedral Catholic Church in Tucson, Ariz...

Marsha McCluskey Marsha McCluskey, 70, of Poplar Bluff died Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation will be held from 6- 8 p.m. Thursday, March 23, 2017 at Moore Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, March 24, in the Moore Funeral Service Chapel. Rev. Steve Patterson officiating. Burial will take place in the Poplar Bluff City Cemetery...