Stories from Thursday, May 11, 2017

In an effort to show support for the Veteran's Administration whistle blowers and President Donald Trump's recent executive order to correct problems within the organization, a group of American military veterans will gather at noon Friday at the John J. Pershing V.A. Medical Center...

Clearwater Dam is operating as intended, officials said Thursday, viewing an overflow spillway that still has approximately 2,000 cubic feet per second of water crossing it. The amount is equal to nearly 900,000 gallons of water per minute, and is about one-third of the maximum volume seen during this flooding event, said deputy operations project manager Fred Esser...

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Carter County Sheriff's Department is expected to move into a temporary home today after flood waters recently destroyed its former home in downtown Van Buren. "The structure and buildings were a total loss" after Current River topped 37.2 feet on April 30, explained Sheriff Rick Stephens. "We lost our jail, dispatch center (and) records division," which were housed together in a cinder-block building near the courthouse...

(BPT) - For centuries, hardwood planks have been the ultimate material for residential floors. Combining exceptional durability with unrivalled good looks, oak, walnut, cherry or other solid-wood floorboards add value and beauty to any home they grace. ...

ears ago, the kitchen served a very utilitarian function - a place to prepare food and clean the dishes. Today, it's truly the nerve center of the house where people eat meals, discuss the day's events, plan calendars, do homework, check e-mail and entertain guests...

City officials say paperwork should come before picking out paint colors when it comes to home makeovers. Some work requires a permit, said city planner Dennis Avery, and this isn't just government red tape. Permits and city codes help protect property owners from shoddy work and keep people safe, according to Avery...

veryone looks forward to a shift into summer mode, with its sun-soaked days, flower-scented breezes and velvety nights under the stars. Now's the time to take advantage of a golden opportunity right outside your door. Celebrate summer and all it offers by recreating your outdoor space. Whether it's a balcony, a patio or a deck, a few touches are all you need to turn it into a highly functional living space...

(BPT) - If you're planning to tackle a home decorating project this year, here are the top trends you should consider: 1. Marble wallpaper: A lot of the 2017 trends are about going back to classic styles, and it doesn't get much more classic than marble. ...

or most of us, the idea of spring cleaning probably sounds refreshing after a winter of bundling up against the cold. Now that spring has arrived, it's finally time to get started! Sprucing up your home doesn't have to take lots of time, and is a great way to leave you feeling reinvigorated after a long winter...

By MIKE JENSEN Publisher Sikeston Standard Democrat Missouri's flagship university - the University of Missouri - is in a bit of a pickle. Enrollment has tanked, revenues are down by millions of dollars, seven residential halls - once packed with eager freshmen - are closed and tuition costs are expected to climb to make up for the financial shortfall...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor If you told someone Missouri's 2017 spring turkey season was a bust ... well, you'd be painting a pretty accurate picture. After it was all said and done, the harvest was the lowest since 2011 and the second lowest in 20 years...

This week the House made good on our promise to pass a fiscally conservative budget proposal to fund the essential priorities of state government while reducing unnecessary and wasteful spending, and ensuring your tax dollars are being spent in the most efficient manner possible. ...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Treeca Kay Curd, 65, died at her home in Bloomfield Wednesday, May 10, 2017. Visitation will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, May 12, at the Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home in Bloomfield followed by the funeral services at 1 p.m. at the Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home in Bloomfield. Burial will follow in the Walker Cemetery near Bloomfield with Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home of Bloomfield in charge of arrangements...

This week, I would like to mention two very important youth activities coming up soon. The first thing is the Discover Nature Girls Camp in Southeast Missouri. The Missouri Department of Conservation will be offering this free, three-day girl's camp aimed at introducing young ladies ages 11-15 to different outdoor skills...

Eva "Larada" Carmack, 82, of Greenville, Mo., died Wednesday, May 10, 2017, at her residence. Visitation will be held at 4 p.m. Friday, May 12, 2017, at New Hope General Baptist Church, Silva, Mo. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 13, also at New Hope General Baptist Church under the care of Ruegg Funeral Homes, Inc...

DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Ella Mell Mobley, 89, of Fairdealing, Mo., died Thursday, May 11, 2017, at her residence in rural Ripley County, Visitation will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 13, at the Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan. The funeral service will follow at 4 p.m. in the funeral home chapel. A burial will be in Bethany Cemetery...

The Poplar Bluff soccer team was 16 1/2 minutes from entering the postseason with some momentum from consecutive shutout wins. The Mules got the 3-0 win over Perryville but may have lost another player in the process Wednesday. Sophie Rowland broke her wrist in two places when the Poplar Bluff sophomore landed on her extended left arm after avoiding a collision with Perryville's keeper in the 65th minute at Mules Stadium...

FISK, Mo. - Thomas M. Birchfield Sr., age 71, of Broseley, Mo., died Monday, May 08, 2017 at Puxico Nursing Center, in Puxico Mo. Mr. Birchfield was born June 06, 1945 in Qulin, Mo. He served in the Army during the Vietnam War. He retired from the Army after 20 years of service in 1985. ...

Following a tight start to the MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 championship, the Poplar Bluff Mules saved the drama for the individual tournament. Nathan Smith and Ben Stewart won two of their first three games after fending off a break point but didn't drop a game in winning their doubles match Wednesday. They also each won in singles play along with Brett Keele as the Mules defended their title with a 5-1 win over Farmington...

ORAN, Mo. -- Jared Moses and Tyson Cox each hit their first career home runs and Matt Lambert drove in three with a pair of doubles Wednesday as the Poplar Bluff baseball team closed the regular season with an 8-3 win over state-ranked Oran. "A good test to get ready for the district tournament," Mules coach Steven Edwards said...

FISK, Mo. -- Trennis Lee Stearns, 91 of Fisk, died Tuesday May 10, 2017 at Westwood Hills Health Care in Poplar Bluff. Mr. Stearns was born Dec. 28, 1925 in Poe, Mo., son of the late William O. and Ruby Marie (Hartle) Stearns. He served in the Army during WW II serving in Italy. ...

QULIN, Mo. -- Fleeta Rodewald, 97, of Qulin, Mo., died Wednesday, May 10, 2017 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Mrs. Rodewald was born Nov. 24, 1919 in Wildersville, Tenn., daughter of the late G.E and Ora Lee Lewis. She was a homemaker, and a retired postal employee and farmed with her husband. She was a life long member of Osborn General Baptist Church at Qulin, Mo...

Charles B. Wright, 83 of Poplar Bluff, Mo., went to be with the Lord Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at his home. Mr. Wright was born June 13, 1933 in Butler County, Mo., to the late Robert and Mary Jane (Duley) Wright. He was a member of the Eagles Lodge in Poplar Bluff, Mo. and he retired from Lucy Lee Hospital in Poplar Bluff. He previously own multiple businesses throughout the Poplar Bluff area. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and camping. Charles was a friend to all...

Two days after flood waters from the Current River crept through Carter County, the once flat gym floor at Van Buren High School, home to decades of basketball games, was a wet, uneven mess, with the squish of trapped flood water sounding with each step...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball program is doing its best to move past a disappointing 2015-16 campaign, one that left its most lasting mark on Wednesday when the NCAA announced that Southeast is one of 17 Division I programs across the country ineligible for postseason play in 2017-18 as a result of low Academic Progress Rate scores over a four-year period...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Playing a second match in two days after breezing past Arcadia Valley in a semifinal, Notre Dame boys tennis coach Donna Ryan didn't think her squad always played its best on Wednesday, but one thing it wasn't lacking was toughness...