Stories from Saturday, January 13, 2018

Derek Renfroe has worked in the medical field -- specifically in medical laboratories -- for his entire adult career. A Poplar Bluff native, he has lived and worked in the Dexter area for more than 20 years and decided in 2017 to branch out and open a lab of his own.Along with routine testing such as cholesterol, Complete Blood Count (CBC), Metabolic Panels, Lipid Panels and kidney function tests, testing done at DexMo can determine paternity, genetic DNA and even genetic traits as related to weight loss and general health."There are 28 genetic traits related to a person's healthy aging, including skin health, mental function, organ health, sleep duration, vision and healthy weight," Renfroe explains. ...

Nollin Edward Terrell, 70, of Puxico died Friday, Jan. 5, 2018 at the Puxico Nursing & Rehab Center. Services were held Jan. 9, 2018 at the Cotrell Funeral Chapel in Poplar Bluff. Rev. Ray Placher officiated. Burial followed in the Shain Memorial Cemetery in Fisk...

A bridge replacement on County Road 488 Dudley Special is predicted by contractors to begin in about two weeks and last 90 days, depending on weather, Stoddard County Commissioners learned recently. A preconstruction meeting regarding the bridge was held during the Stoddard County commission meeting Monday morning between the county; Smith & Co., project engineer of Poplar Bluff; Pace Construction Company, project contractor of St. Louis and MoDOT...

Judy Ann Maupin, 72, of the Bootheel area died Thursday, Dec. 28, 2017. Services were held Jan. 3, 2018 at the H.S. Smith Funeral Chapel in Caruthersville.

WINONA, Mo. -- Missouri's elk herd continues to grow at a slow but steady pace, and managers with the Department of Conservation are optimistic about their future. "They're doing pretty darn good," cervid biologist Aaron Hildreth told the state's Conservation Commission recently, "and there's high public support."...

Ag Expo 2018 will feature both adult and youth based educational programs. The Expo will be held on Friday, January 19 and Saturday, January 20 at the Black River Coliseum in downtown Poplar Bluff. Admission is $1.00 for adults and free for youth...

By SCOTT BORKGREN NEELYVILLE -- In a bold halftime move, Puxico coach Nathan Martin switched to a defense the Indians have never run. The change worked perfectly. The Indians held Neelyville to four second-half field goals and ran away for a 66-46 win Thursday...

Today, more than ever, the elderly are targets for every scam from age-defying snake oil to emergency calls from young people posing as grandchildren. Without the proper tools and education, more and more seniors will find themselves cheated out of their hard-earned savings and retirement nest eggs. Knowing what to look for, how to react, and ways to protect themselves can go a long way in keeping them financially and physically safe...

The influenza virus has seen a massive rise in occurrence this season with 2,818 cases reported in the Southeast Missouri region this year. That number dwarfs last year's mark of 193 cases in the region at the same date. Laboratory-positive cases are up all over the state, according to the Missouri Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report, with 4,862 cases reported in Week 52 alone...

The 24th annual Missouri Junior Duck Stamp Contest had more than 1,000 student entries form across the state including students involved in Art Studio programs. Sixteen artists from the Puxico School District received honorable mentions in the state competition. ...

Carolyn D. Morgan, 73, of Wappapello died Monday, Jan. 8, 2018 at the Puxico Nursing and Rehab Center. Services were held Friday, Jan. 12, 2018 at the Wappapello Cotrell Funeral Chapel. Rev. Jim Schremp officiated. Burial followed in the Poplar Bluff City Cemetery...

"Launch out into the deep," said Jesus unto Simon, "and let down your nets for a catch." Luke 5:4. Though he had fished all night and caught nothing, yet, in obedience to the Master he launched out into the deep, let down his net and caught more fish than he could bring in...