Stories from Sunday, May 21, 2017

As national parks take on the selfie generation, how best to serve an increasingly technology-reliant public has to be incorporated into the natural beauty of places like Wappapello Lake. That is one of the many changes long-time park ranger Dan Camden and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Louis district Col. Anthony Mitchell have seen...

As the soon-to-be graduates of Three Rivers College filed into the Black River Coliseum for the 49th annual commencement ceremony Friday evening, a sense of pride, accomplishment and excitement filled the air. Graduation candidates of all ages and nationalities slowly filled the rows of chairs lined before the stage, some of them just two years out of high school, others who have been out for 52 years...

Mary and Thomas Steffan of Poplar Bluff will celebrate 50 years of marriage, Saturday, May 20. The couple was married May 20, 1967 in Sereno, Mo. They have four children: Toni, Michele, Theresa, and Joseph; eight grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and one "heavenly" great-grandchild...

David Wayne and Susan Marie Carroll announce the engagement of their daughter, Jennifer Lynn Carroll to Dustin Eugene Urich, son of Kenneth and Sandy Urich, all of Poplar Bluff. The couple will be married at 3 p.m., Saturday, June 17, 2017 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Poplar Bluff. A reception will follow at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Poplar Bluff...

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Lance announce the engagement of their daughter, Amanda Lance Willard, to Todd Bullington, son of Mr. and Mrs. Stan Bullington Amanda graduated from Twin Rivers High School in 2004. She later graduated from Mckendree University in 2008 with a bachelor of science degree in elementary education and 7th through 9th grade history and English. ...

A big shout-out to Animal Welfare Alliance Speak Out, I just read the marvelous letter from Mark Massingham thanking everybody for their help during the flood. He did leave out one very important organization and that's the Animal Welfare Alliance. Had it not been for them many people would have lost their pets. ...

WAPPAPELLO, Mo. - Educating students about the environment was the goal of Ecology Day at Lake Wappapello last month, just a week before devastating flood waters took a toll in the Wappapello Lake area and various other parts of the state. Fourth grade students from Twin Rivers, Sacred Heart and Malden traveled to the Bill Emerson Memorial Visitor Center for the event, sponsored by the Butler County University of Missouri Extension Office...

PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Stephen Willard Torlina, 72, of rural Piedmont, died Tuesday, May 16, 2017, at his residence. There will be a memorial service planned at a later date. Online condolences: www.rueggfuneralhomes.com

Devora Lee Kingery, 59, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Friday, May 19, 2017 in Butler County, Mo. The arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN "With the stroke of a pen, Rod Rosenstein redeemed his reputation," writes Dana Milbank of The Washington Post. What had Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein done to be welcomed home by the Post like the prodigal son? Without consulting the White House, he sandbagged President Trump, naming a special counsel to take over the investigation of the Russia connection that could prove ruinous to this presidency...

MALDEN, Mo. -- Kenny Collins, 64, of Malden died Thursday, May 18, 2017 at his residence. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Sunday at Landess Funeral Home in Malden. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Landess Funeral Chapel in Malden with Pastor Dale Hartle...

Jack Miller, 76, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Thursday, May 18, 2017 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born Oct. 28, 1940 to Carl and Grace (Scott) Miller in Poplar Bluff. Jack graduated from Poplar Bluff High School in 1958. He received degrees in Aeronautics and Hotel/Motel Hospitality Management. He married Ann Webber, June 2, 1966, in Poplar Bluff...

WILLIAMSVILLE, Mo. -- Melvin Dewayne Anderson Sr., 82, of Williamsville, Mo., passed away Friday, May 19, 2017, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Melvin was born Dec. 18, 1934, to Harrison and Alpha (Keele) Anderson. Melvin grew up in the Williamsville area and attended school there. ...

Ralph Muzny, Jr., 63, of Williamsville, passed away Tuesday, May 16, 2017 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born Feb. 27, 1954 to Ralph and Shirley Muzny in Oklahoma City, Okla. Ralph obtained his Masters in Public Administration from University of Arkansas Little Rock and his Masters in Social Work from University of Missouri St. ...

CUBA, Mo. -- George William Grady, 76, of Cuba, Mo., was born to the union of Bernard and Eva Jeanne Grady June 26, 1940 in Portageville. He left from this life after a long illness surrounded by family, Friday, April 21, 2017. George was a 1958 graduate of Poplar Bluff High School and a 1962 graduate of the Illinois Institute of Technology with a degree in Fire Protection and Safety Engineering. ...

WASHINGTON -- It is implausible that FBI Director James Comey was fired in May 2017 for actions committed in July 2016 -- the rationale contained in the memo by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. It is implausible that Comey was fired by Donald Trump for having been too tough on Hillary Clinton, as when, at that July news conference, he publicly recited her various email misdeeds despite recommending against prosecution...

Dorothy Zahner, 90, died Friday, May 19, 2017 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Arrangements are pending with Moore Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff. Online condolences: www.moorefuneralservice.com

Kenneth Lee Burke, 89, of Cape Girardeau, Mo. formerly of Pontiac, Mich. died Tuesday, May 16, 2017, at the Mo. State Veterans Home. He was born May 19, 1927 in Dexter, Mo. to the late John J. Burke and Clara Etta Pyle Burke. He was a member of the First Baptist Church...

NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Neelyville School board members learned Thursday night about the summer projects planned to spruce up the district's campuses and hired a new early childhood teacher. During his report to the board, Superintendent Brad Hagood said, he outlined the projects district maintenance personnel expect to complete this summer, including replacing sidewalks at both the Neelyville and Hillview campuses...

From Staff Reports A 59-year-old Poplar Bluff, Mo., woman was killed in a two-vehicle crash at 8:51 a.m. Friday on County Road 452, three miles north of Poplar Bluff. According to the report, Devora P. Kingery was operating a 2008 Ford Focus eastbound at the same time Daniel K. Hendrickson, 25, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., was operating a 2009 Pontiac G6 westbound. The two cars allegedly struck head on...

PUXICO, Mo. -- Misty Diane Hare, 39, of Dexter, Mo., died Friday, May 19, 2017, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Visitation will be at noon Monday at Morgan Sifford Funeral Home in Puxico followed by the funeral at 2 p.m. in the chapel. Burial will be in the Dexter City Cemetery. Morgan Sifford Funeral Home in Puxico is in charge of arrangements...

Hours after visiting the site of a shuttered aluminum processing plant in New Madrid, Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens asked the more than 125 people attending a rally Saturday at the Black River Coliseum to join him in fighting to bring jobs back to that plant and to Southeast Missouri...

It all started when Justin Chilton got hit in the head. He was in the batting cage before school back in September. The baseball team was preparing for the Big Spring Conference Tournament. The senior was hungry and wanted to get breakfast after one last pitch...

At first glance, it's easy to see the camaraderie the Twin Rivers baseball team has with its coaching staff. That's because second-year head coach Jared Stockton and assistant Chris Newsom aren't far removed from their playing days. Stockton helped the Royals capture a district title in 2002 while Newsom won three championships with East Carter from 2013-2015...

The Poplar Bluff and Rockwood Summit baseball teams have a lot in common. Both are led by a senior-heavy roster, both are back in the state playoffs after having 20-plus-win seasons end early last year and both enter with double-digit win streaks. Each team relies on pitching and defense but can also score runs in bunches...

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. -- Poplar Bluff got 10 individuals and a relay through to the MSHSAA Class 5 state track and field championships Saturday. Krisman Eakin and Isaiah Johnson each advanced in a pair of events with Johnson also running a leg on the 400-meter relay with Adam Vincent, Wyatt Murphy and Jarrid Moore that finished third...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. --Malden's 400-meter relay of Vonneicia Herrion, Jaycie Jones, Onerica Reed and Tebrya Benford placed second at the MSHSAA Class 2 state championships Saturday. The Green Wave followed Caruthersville across the finish line by 0.4 seconds at Adkins Stadium in the final...