Stories from Tuesday, April 17, 2018

MALDEN, Mo. -- Angela D. Barnes, 49, of Malden, died Saturday, April 14, 2018 at Southeast Hospital, Cape Girardeau, Mo.. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at Landess Funeral Chapel in Malden followed by the funeral at 1 p.m. in the funeral home chapel. Rev. Dale Rickman will officiate. Burial will be in Rosewood Cemetery in Malden...

James L. Shepard, 29, of Wappapello, Mo. died April 4, 2018. Visitation was held April 13, 2018 at the Cotrell Funeral Chapel in Poplar Bluff and brief service followed. A Celebration of James's Life was held April 14, 2018 at the Llywelyn's Pub in St. Charles...

By MARC A. THIESSEN WASHINGTON -- In 2013, after Syrian dictator Bashar Assad crossed President Obama's red line and used chemical weapons on innocent civilians, a U.S. official told the Los Angeles Times that Obama's retaliatory strike would likely be "just muscular enough not to get mocked" but not so devastating that it would elicit a response from Iran and Russia. In the end, Obama backed away from even such a small, feckless strike...

By TERRY PAULSON The new drama "Chappaquiddick" captures the agonizing series of choices that resulted in Senator Kennedy's biggest scandal. Kennedy's tragic accident on Chappaquiddick Island in the summer of 1969 resulted in the death of Mary Jo Kopechne...

Your farm cannot survive by spending more than you make, neither can your business nor your household --the truth is, neither can your government, but politicians seem disinterested in fixing that problem regardless of what the repercussions may be. ...

Gary Lewis, 74, of Poplar Bluff, died Tuesday, April 17, 2018 at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Arrangements are pending with Moore Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff. Online condolences: www.moorefuneralservice.com

MALDEN, Mo. -- Joe Earl Johnson, 79, of Campbell, Mo., died Tuesday April 10, 2018, in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Visitation was held at 1 p.m. Monday, April 16, 2018, at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. Graveside Funeral services followed at 2 p.m. at Stanfield Cemetery with Rev. Andy Evans officiating. Burial was in the Stanfield Cemetery in Clarkton, Mo...

"Thou desirest not sacrifice; else I would give it: Thou delightest not in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, Thou will not despise," cried out the Psalmist. Burdened with a sense of guilt he could no longer endure, he knew going through the formality of offering sacrifices and burnt offerings unto God would not release him from his guilt. ...

According to preliminary data from Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), young turkey hunters harvested 1,723 turkeys during the 2018 spring youth season, April 7-8. Top harvest counties were Franklin with 51 turkeys harvested, Miller with 43, and Maries with 43...

Last year alone, Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center touched 50,000 lives, providing care for patients who were admitted to the hospital, in the emergency room and at outpatient visits. Emergency department physicians and staff saw nearly 36,000 patients seeking an urgent level of care last year. The hospital also admitted 10,532 patients and performed 7,500 surgeries. The Women's Center helped over 1,400 beautiful new babies enter the world...

Jo Ann McGowen, daughter of the late Everett and Myrtle Frye Hawkins, passed away Saturday, April 14, 2018. She was born April 15, 1932 in Kennett, Missouri. On May 21, 1949, she married Roy McGowen in Poplar Bluff. He survives. Mrs. McGowen was a full-time homemaker until her children attended school. ...

Gregory Allan Barger, 50, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, April 14, 2018 at the Flo & Phil Jones Hospice House in Jonesboro, Ark. A Celebration of Life will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 21, 2018 at Moore Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff. Online condolences: www.moorefuneralservice.com...

Ronald "Ronnie" Gayle Sheedy, 62, son of the late Robert Lee Sr., and Wilma Irene (Secrest) Sheedy, was born Aug. 6, 1956 in Taylorville, Ill., and departed this life on April 15, 2018 at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo., with his family by his side...

NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Dale Porter, 69, of Naylor, Mo. passed away Sunday, April 15, 2018 at his home. Mr. Porter was born on July 29, 1948 in Broseley, Mo. He was retired from the Chrysler Corporation of Fenton, Mo., after 33 years. He loved to go 4-wheeling and he loved his two dogs, Abby and Hashtag...

NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Robert (Dawy) Adams, 52, of Naylor, Mo. did Saturday, April 14, 2018 at his home. Visitation will take place from 9:30 - 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 18, 2018 at the Fowler & sons Funeral Home in Neelyville, Mo. A graveside service will follow ar 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Kinsey Cemetery in Harviell...

Makenna Moore opened the Ozark Foothills Conference Tournament with her second shutout in a row. Moore allowed two hits and three walks with seven strikeouts as No. 4 East Carter beat No. 5 Neelyville 5-0 at Rains Field at Three Rivers College. "She's improving every game. She's hitting her spots really well," East Carter coach Teresa Kearbey said. "Today she was on. Our hitting was good, our defense was good. We played well today."...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- The Cape Girardeau City Council has gone to bat for the community's newest baseball team. The council gave initial approval to proceed with planning for major improvements to Capaha Field. The entire project, including construction, is expected to cost about $1.5 million, city manager Scott Meyer said before Monday's council meeting...

By CHELSAE CORDIA Staff Writer A civil settlement with the federal government will cost Gamma Healthcare more than a half million dollars for allegedly committing false claim fraud. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, Jerrod Murphy and Jerry Murphy knowingly submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare for travel allowance fees on mileage that was neither prorated nor traveled by a Gamma laboratory technician...

Poplar Bluff City Council will hold a special meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the council chambers to decide if city administration will begin discussions with a possible police department union. A proposed ordinance would set the structure for the city to begin these discussions, city attorney Mark Richardson explained Monday, during the regular council meeting...

The city of Puxico Board of Aldermen set from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 5. as a time for the City-Wide clean-Up. As was done last year, a dumpster will be set up on the west side of the City Hall parking lot the morning on May 5. The dumpster will be there only the one day from 7 a.m. ...

After falling behind MCC-Maple Woods in the Region XVI standings Saturday, the Raiders reclaimed their spot Sunday. Three Rivers swept Maple Woods on Sunday, winning the opener 9-4 and the nightcap 12-11 a day after being swept to split the season series. With eight region games left, Three Rivers is sixth in the region standings, a half game ahead of Maple Woods, and can climb as high as fourth with eight region games left on the schedule...

Ward 1 representative Susan McVey will serve as mayor for the city of Poplar Bluff for the next year, following a 4-3 vote Monday. Council member at-large Steve Davis was unanimously selected as mayor pro tem. McVey and Ward 5 representative Robert Smith both received nominations for mayor. The positions of mayor and mayor pro tem are decided by a vote of the city council each year, at the first meeting held after the municipal election...

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages people to discover nature this spring by learning about the ruby-throated hummingbird. Missourians will begin seeing these birds this month as the tiny long-distance fliers return to the state as part of their spring migration...

The Neelyville R-IV Board of Education saw a couple changes following the April 3 election including a new president and member. Fifth year board member Paul Petty was elected as the new president and Gene Russom will serve as vice president. "Everyone here is more than qualified to be president," Petty said. "My main focus is to be here for the kids and teachers."...

One of the last official acts Monday of outgoing Mayor Ed DeGaris was to recognize the contributions one Poplar Bluff family has made for the growth of the city. Kelly and Judy Boyers, their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were given keys to the city and a plaque thanking the family for their support of the Shelby Road phase 2 extension...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A confirmed case of Hepatitis A in a Stoddard County school was quickly addressed in recent days by the county's Public Health Center in Bloomfield, with officials implementing control measures that included educating parents and students and working closely with the school to disinfect all suspected contaminated surfaces. ...

The Lady Raiders followed a big win with a big loss. Three Rivers split with Mineral Area in a pair of shortened games, winning the opener 9-0 in six innings and losing the 9-1 in five innings. "At this level, if you don't come out and compete you are going to get it handed to you and we did," Three Rivers coach Jeff Null said. ...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- The trial of a Puxico father and son that was scheduled to take place on Thursday, April 12, has been delayed until May.Garey G. Faries and his son, Wesley G. Faries are charged with hindering the prosecution of a felony and felony first degree involuntary manslaughter, respectively, surrounding the Feb. ...

Bids for Phase II of the Stoddard County Courthouse cupola repair project were accepted during the commissioners meeting April Monday. One bid was received from R.L. Persons Construction of Poplar Bluff, but the bid was substantially over the grant amount awarded to the county...