Stories from Tuesday, July 25, 2017

More than 60,000 Missourians who received help paying for their prescription drug costs lost that assistance on July 1. Lisa Reynolds Insurance Agency recently hosted the Regional Healthcare Foundation of Dexter to share options that might help those affected...

Work should begin in August on improvements to the C Street railroad crossing on the lower east side of Poplar Bluff, according to city officials. The work needs to be complete before Union Pacific closes the B Street crossing, officials say. "They are going to close a crossing regardless and we have determined C Street is the most viable to leave open," said city planner Dennis Avery. "C Street has better width and access to the east side."...

Officials said today the city of Poplar Bluff does not have cryptosporidium in its water and has never tested positive for the organism, which can cause a diarrheal disease. A mistake made by the Butler County Health Department set off a string of concerned phone calls Monday to Municipal Utilities from residents, an urgent care facility and others...

JONESBORO, Ark. - Sharon Gail Kearbey, 68, of Jonesboro, Ark., died Friday, July 21, 2017 at her residence. Visitation will be at 1 p.m., Wed., July 26 at Emerson Funeral Home in Jonesboro. The funeral will follow at 2 p.m. at the funeral home with Rev. Jim Hillyer officiating. A graveside service will follow in Jonesboro Memorial Park Cemetery. Online guestbook: www.emersonfuneralhome.com...

Myrtle Book, 96, of Wappapello died Wednesday, July 12, 2017 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. A visitation service was held Wednesday, July 18, 2017 at Fowler-Sullivan Memorial Chapel of Neelyville. A funeral procession and burial at the Piggott Cemetery at Piggott, Ark...

Berneice Flanigan, 93, formerly of Wappapello, died Monday, July 17, 2017 in Corning, Ark. Graveside services were held Wednesday, July 19, 2017 at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield. Rev. Lonny Mittag officiated.

Pastor Kenneth Lambert and the members of the Puxico First General Baptist Church with hosting a Fifth Sunday Singing 6 p.m. July 30. There will be fellowship time afterwards. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Time away from family and friends, missing the birth of their sons and daughters, deployed overseas during holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving, anniversaries gone by... these are just a few things the men and women who serve in the U.S. Armed Forces give up in order to defend our freedom. ...

By GEORGE F. WILL MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- It is said that America's armed forces have been stressed by 16 years of constant warfare, the longest such in the nation's history. For the Air Force, however, the high tempo of combat operations began 26 years ago, with enforcement of the no-fly zone in Iraq after Desert Storm. ...

WASHINGTON -- The Russia scandal has entered a new phase and there's no going back. For six months, the White House claimed that this scandal was nothing more than innuendo about Trump campaign collusion with Russia in meddling in the 2016 election. Innuendo for which no concrete evidence had been produced...

Michael Wayne Hawkins Sr., 69, of Poplar Bluff entered into Heaven July 22, 2017 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. Hawkins was born June 28, 1948 in Okmulgee, Okla., to the late Spirl Hawkins and Marjorie (Smith) Hawkins. Mr. Hawkins retired from the United States Army in 1986 to begin his pastoral ministry. ...

Sharon Gail Kearbey, 68, of Jonesboro passed from this life on Friday, July 21, 2017 at her home surrounded by family. She was born to Roy and Ada Hicks on January 29, 1949 in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Sharon worked as an executive assistant at the General Baptist World Headquarters in Poplar Bluff. After moving to Jonesboro in 1982, she worked as an executive assistant at the YMCA for 30 years...

DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Thomas Swigart, 83, of Grandin, Mo., died Sunday, July 23, 2017 at his residence. A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m., Wednesday at the Grandin Cemetery in Grandin. Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences: edwardsfuneralhome.org...

VAN BUREN, Mo. - Marvin Edwin Ninneman, 97, died Saturday, July 22, 2017 in Van Buren, Mo. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, July 26, at 9:30 a.m. at the First Assembly of God Church in Van Buren, Mo.; with the Funeral Service following at 11 a.m. in the church chapel. Rev. Dave Truncone will be officiating. Burial will be in the Van Buren City Cemetery in Van Buren, Mo...

Ardell Osmer Kennedy, 96, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Sunday, July 23, 2017 at the John J. Pershing V.A. Medical Center. Mr. Kennedy, the oldest son of John Osmer Kennedy and Jenetta Irene (Hargraves) Kennedy, was born Nov. 19, 1920 in Holcomb, Mo. He was a member of the Fellowship General Baptist Church, where he served as a Deacon. ...

MALDEN, Mo. - Helen Crety Cowart, 96, of Cape Giradeau, Mo., formerly of Malden, died Sunday, July 23, 2017 at Fountainbleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau. Visitation took place at 9 a.m., today, July 25 at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. The graveside service followed at 11 a.m. at Memorial Park Cemetery in Malden with Rev. Raymond Cowart officiating. www.bradshawfh.com...

FAIRDEALING, Mo. - Brenda Jane Emery, 65, of Fairdealing, died Sunday, July 23, 2017, at her residence. She was born in Poplar Bluff, Mo. to the late Clifford Robertson and Reva Mae Lee Robertson. She had been a longtime resident of Poplar Bluff. She is survived by one son, Jesse Keith Emery of Jackson, Mo.; one daughter, Jamie K. ...

The 12th annual Mingo Swamp Friends Flora and Fauna Photo Contest is open for entries until Aug. 15. Youth, adults and professional photographers may enter photos. Premiums of $10, $15 and $25 will be awarded to third, second and first-place winners in each category and age group. Best-of-Show will be awarded $50...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Final paperwork was signed by the Stoddard County Commission last week to obtain a grant for further rehabilitation of the cupola of the Stoddard County courthouse. The grant is being provided by the State Historic Preservation Office in the Department of Natural Resources. The courthouse is included on the National Register of Historic Places...

By AMY WALKER 'Building a Better Community' is the theme for the Puxico Public Library's Summer Reading Program and Tuesday, July 18, the theme for the weekly story hour was construction and how it takes a village to raise a child. After Librarian JoLeah Tettleton read the story the children created crafts and participated in worksheets...

Puxico's 71st Annual V.F.W. Homemcoming will be Aug. 8-12. The event is sponsored annually by the V.F.W. Puxico Memorial Post 7822 and the V.F.W. Auxiliary to V.F.W. Puxico Memorial Post 7822. There is something for everyone - carnival rides, beauty pageants, baby contests, square dancing, music, a church service, attendance drawings, parade, class reunions, Puxico High School alumni meeting and world famous goatburgers...

With the water at Wappapello Lake mostly stable for a while now, fishing has been pretty good, if not a bit uncomfortable in the oppressive heat. "The crappie fishing has slowed down," said Nathan at Sundowner Marina, "but the bass, bluegill and catfish are good."...

Although we may be into the "dog days" of summer, it will not be too long before school is back in session and our fall hunting seasons will be upon us. So, now is the time to prepare for the fun this fall. For many, this will mean becoming hunter education certified...

Bluff Imaging and Women's Center is excited to offer 3D Mammography exams, utilizing advanced breast tomosynthesis technology. 3D exams are clinically proven to significantly increase the detection of breast cancers, while simultaneously decreasing the number of women asked to return for additional testing...

Tickets are on sale for the John Berry concert, which will serve as one of the opening activities of the Missouri Peach Fair in Campbell. The show will be Saturday, Aug. 19, beginning with opening act Michael Gardner at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance and $17.50 night of show. Purchases can be made at Sugar Shack Drive-In, Vancil's Foods, City Light and Water, Peach Fair Board members or by mail by contacting Tina Finder at (573) 217-9620...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A judge sentenced a Dexter, Mo., man to 20 years in prison this week after a jury earlier convicted him of sexually assaulting a young girl. Christopher E. Noble, 28, was convicted June 1 of the unclassified felony of first-degree statutory sodomy by a Stoddard County jury, according to Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver, who indicated the jury deliberated about 50 minutes before reaching its verdict...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- The Stoddard County Commission tabled action on an appointment to the SB 40 Sheltered Facilities Board, opting to speak with two candidates for the position prior to making a decision. The commission met July 17 in regular session...

Two area men were injured in a two-vehicle crash at 7:40 a.m. Monday on Highway 25, one mile south of Bloomfield, Mo. According to the report, Zachary S. Mitchell, 26, of Bloomfield was operating a 2009 Kia Spectra southbound when it struck the rear of a 1967 Ford...

Three Rivers College has begun offering a wide variety of academic and professional exams through its nationally certified Testing Services department on the college's Poplar Bluff Campus. The tests are available to all qualifying applicants, and admission to Three Rivers College is not required...

"He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase," says the writer of Proverbs. Proverbs 5:10. A sheep wants only to be led out to green pastures and when filled to lie down contentedly to rest and digest his food. ...

The members of the United Methodist Church Clothes Closet will be holding its Back to School Clothing Giveaway noon to 2:30 p.m. Aug. 2, 4:30-7 p.m. Aug. 3 and 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 5. Parents and students of all ages may come by the Clothes Closet located at 342 East Harbin Avenue and pick up clothes and shoes that can be used as they return to school...

More than 60,000 Missourians who received help paying for their prescription drug costs lost that assistance on July 1. Lisa Reynolds Insurance Agency recently hosted the Regional Healthcare Foundation of Dexter to share options that might help those affected...

The Heartland Writers' Guild will be hosting the Heartland Book Festival on the Mississippi from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.Oct. 28 at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau.Crafters who wish to get a jump on the Christmas buying season need to register. Booths that are 10' X 10' will be available for displaying their creative talents. Cost for booth space is low to encourage crafters to get involved with this first-time event...

If you love archery, muzzle loading, shotguns, pistols or rifles and working with youth? If so, 4-H is the place for you. 4-H is looking for volunteers to expand the shooting sports project in the Butler County area. This would consist of meeting with youth at least once a month for a minimum of one hour each month. Hours are very flexible since you can set the schedule yourself! The county has archery and rifle equipment that needs to be put to good use...