Stories from Tuesday, April 10, 2018

PUXICO, Mo. - Beverly R. Findley, 86, of Puxico, died Friday, April 6, 2018 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Visitation was from 5 - 7 p.m., Sunday April 8 at the Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Puxico. V.F.W. Auxiliary will have a service at 7 p.m...

Donald "Duke" Brannum, 64, of Ellsinore died March 30, 2018 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation was held April 5, 2018 and the funeral service was held April 6 at the McSpadden Funeral Home in Ellington. Pastor Randy Skaggs officiated. Burial followed in the Pine Lawn Cemetery...

Carol Eugene Whitehead, 77 of Wappapello, Mo. passed away on Monday, April 2, 2018 at his residence in Wappapello. Eugene, son of William and Zetha Lewis Whitehead, was born on Saturday, June 29, 1940 in Campbell, Missouri. He was a Journeyman for Associated Electric and was a member of the Puxico Church of Christ and was in the National Guard...

Beverly R. Findley, 86, of Puxico died April 6, 2018 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation was held April 8, 2018 at Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Puxico and the funeral service was April 9, 2018 in the funeral home chapel. Rev. Ray Placher officiated. Burial followed in the Puxico Cemetery with the Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Puxico in charge of arrangements...

Freddie L. Kester, 68, of Qulin died March 31, 2018 at his residence. Visitation and funeral services were held April 4, 2018 at the White-Sanders Funeral Home in Qulin. Rev. Gary Hancock officiated. Burial followed in the Brown Chapel Cemetery at Broseley...

George W. McAlister, 91, of Dandridge, Tenn., formerly of Wappapello died March 25, 2018. A Memorial Service with Military Honors will be held at a later date. Farrar Funeral Home of Dandridge, Tenn. in charge of arrangements.

PUXICO, Mo. - Beverly R. Findley, 86, of Puxico, died Friday, April 6, 2018 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Visitation was from 5 - 7 p.m., Sunday April 8 at the Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Puxico. V.F.W. Auxiliary had a service at 7 p.m...

Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which we have just commemorated and celebrated, we have a living Lord and Savior, instead of a dead one. What a difference it makes in our religion and life. Some may say they cannot see as it makes much difference, for we have His teachings recorded in the Bible. ...

PILOT KNOB, Mo. -The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff will lead a guided hike to the top of Pilot Knob National Wildlife Refuge Saturday, May 5, at 9:30 a.m. During the hike, staff and volunteers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will discuss the importance of Pilot Knob to the endangered Indiana bats and the historical uses of Pilot Knob Mountain, and unique geologic features. ...

MALDEN, Mo. -- Jacky Ray Vincent of Malden, 74, of Malden died Sunday, April 8, 2018 at his residence in Malden. Memorial services will be at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 14, 2018 at the Bernie Church of the Nazarene with Pastor Jon Humbert officiating. Landess Funeral Home of Malden in charge of the arrangements...

FISK, Mo. -- Artie Gale Smiley, 66, of Bernie, Mo., died Friday, April 6, 2018, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Mo. There will be private family service at later date. White Sanders Funeral Home of Fisk is in charge of arrangements...

By WALTER E. WILLIAMS It's often thought to be beyond question that black political power is necessary for economic power and enhanced socio-economic welfare. That's an idea that lends itself to testing and analysis. Between 1970 and 2012, the number of black elected officials rose from fewer than 1,500 to more than 10,000. ...

By MIKE JENSEN Let's talk about the Department of Housing and Urban Development. With the national headlines focused elsewhere, new HUD administrator Dr. Ben Carson is quietly transforming the massive bureaucracy in a way that has liberals in a tizzy...

Amy Lynn Irlas, 35 of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away April 8, 2018, at Poplar Bluff. She was born March 14, 1983 to Peggy (Usher) Irlas at Denton, Texas. She attended the Palace of Praise. Amy is survived by her mom, Peggy Irlas; son, Tyson Blocker; two daughters, Alexus Blocker, Taylor Blocker; sister, Casey (Raymond) Schmidt; brother, Joe Irlas Sr.; grandmother, Catherine Carey; grandfather Herbert Seals; two aunts, Cathy Powell, Rhonda Burdin; uncle, Ed Seals; niece, Jade Schmidt.; nephew, Joe Irlas Jr.. ...

GREENVILLE, Mo. -- Phillip Darrell Shrum, 43, of Trinidad, Colo., formerly of Greenville and Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Wednesday, March 28, 2018, at his residence. He was born Dec. 16, 1974, in Poplar Bluff, to Roberta Jo Shrum. Phillip was a loving father, brother and uncle. ...

Every year, I am honored to have the privilege of nominating outstanding young men and women from Southern Missouri for appointment to our nation's finest service academies. In the spring, I am overcome with emotion when calling many of the same students to tell them they have been admitted to one of our nation's prestigious service academies...

FISK, Mo. -- Kenneth Ray Key, 60, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, April 7, 2018, at his residence, in Poplar Bluff, MO. Mr. Key was born Oct. 3, 1957, in South Haven, Mich., son of the late Dalton and Nancy Key. He loved fishing and camping. On Aug. 12, 1979, he married Helen Councilor in South Haven, Mich. She survives...

Henry L. "Jack" Spencer, 92, of Doniphan, Mo., passed away Saturday, April 7, 2018, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Mr. Spencer, son of Will and Katie (Pyle) Spencer, was born Dec. 8, 1925, in Maynard, Ark. He was a veteran of the U. ...

FISK, Mo. -- Ruby Barnes, 80, of Qulin, Mo., died Thursday April 5, 2018, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Arrangements are pending with White-Sanders Funeral Home. Condolences: www.whitesandersfuneralhome.com

NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Luellen Sells went to be with her loving husband, Clyde Sells, at her residence in Hillsboro, Mo., on April 7, 2018. She was the daughter of Earnest & Laura (Collins) Roberts. She loved sitting at her kitchen table watching the squirrels and birds while drinking her morning coffee. ...

This year's Relay for Life Survivor's Dinner will take place on Monday, April 30, at the Bloomfield Assembly Church. The church is located at 20034 State Highway E in Bloomfield. The dinner is held annually as a preview of the Stoddard County Relay for Life event, which this year will be held on Friday, May 4. (See accompanying article)...

SEMO News Service In Puxico, Charles Fann had 49 votes for the Ward I alderman seat against Gary M. Wilfong, who had 24 votes. In Ward II in Puxico, Peter Coutavas ran unopposed. There were four candidates in Puxico's race for school board. Dusty Stroud took 365 votes and John R. David had 254 to earn the two available seats on that board. Charles Burns had 204 votes and Michael Owens had 170...

Described as a woman with unparalleled work ethic who builds exceptional relationships with students, parents, and her peers, fourth grade teacher Aleanna Moore is the Poplar Bluff Middle School 2018-19 Teacher of the Year. Nominated by fellow fourth grade teacher Katie Warren, Moore has been with the Poplar Bluff R-1 School District since 2010...

Nick Murphy and colleagues have rolled back to Jackson to continue work on their 1990s-set production -- "All Nite Skate" -- and they're on the lookout for equally ambitious Southeast Missouri-native cast and crew to make their throwback dream a reality...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH SEMO News Service Dayna Zoll Cookson is a planner, but nothing has gone as planned since she was diagnosed with uterine cancer last summer. Doctors first told the Puxico woman her cancer was contained to her uterus. However, it somehow spread through her lymph node system into other organs, and she recently learned it's now in her brain...

By DONNA FARLEY Associate Editor A free event with games and competitions for youth will be held from 6-9 p.m. Friday at the Black River Coliseum. The event was created as a drug, alcohol and tobacco-free event to provide fun activities for youth aged 10-17, explained Rebeca Pacheco, executive director of the Butler County Community Resource Council...

Last year, Ron Withrow walked into Dr. Randy Woods' office in Puxico, Mo., for a routine checkup of blood pressure and cholesterol. Donning his Three Rivers College jacket, Woods asked the alumni and basketball fan if he had been attending games. "I stopped going to the games," Withrow told his doctor. "I've been tired and having trouble walking."...

When Dorothy Snider talks about undergoing treatment for six different types of cancer over the last 45 years, she recalls friends who made a 10-hour, round-trip journey so she could leave the hospital and spend weekends with her three small children in 1977...

GREENVILLE -- Montana Buffington diddn't give up a run after the first inning as Doniphan beat Greenville 5-2 on Monday at Greenville. Buffington pitched 6 1/3 innings and allowed six hits, two walks and a hit batter with eight strikeouts. He escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third inning, but was relieved in the seventh after giving up a walk, bringing the tying run to the plate...

Plans are well underway for the 2018 Stoddard County Relay for Life event to take place at Dexter's East City Park on the evening of Friday, May 4. A host of activities are on the agenda for this year's Relay, with all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society to help fund cancer research and education. Relay is co-chaired each year by Jennifer Hartlein and Belinda Worley...

Richard Dean Hendrix, 79, of Idaho, formerly of Puxico, died March 14, 2018. A graveside service was held April 6, 2018 at Missouri Veterans Cemetery with full military rites. Rev. Ray Placher officiated. Morgan Sifford Funeral Home in Puxico in charge of arrangements...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Staff Writer GREENVILLE, Mo. -- A former patron of Brick's Off-Road Park was sentenced Monday to a total of 14 years in prison in connection with a drunk-driving crash that left a local woman paralyzed and his passenger injured...