Stories from Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Elsie L. Huff, 102, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Friday, April 13, 2018 at Mark Twain Caring Center. She was born Sept. 29, 1915 to the late John Gibson and Verna Mounts Gibson in the Chaonia community of Wayne County prior to the dam construction. She was a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church...

Marie Drake, 70, of Qulin, Mo., died Tuesday, April 17, 2018 at St. Louis University Hospital. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service.

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN "Ten days ago, President Trump was saying 'the United States should withdraw from Syria.' We convinced him it was necessary to stay." Thus boasted French President Emmanuel Macron Saturday, adding, "We convinced him it was necessary to stay for the long term."...

By WALTER E. WILLIAMS When World War II ended, Washington, D.C.'s population was about 900,000; today it's about 700,000. In 1950, Baltimore's population was almost 950,000; today it's around 614,000. Detroit's 1950 population was close to 1.85 million; today it's down to 673,000. ...

By STEPHEN MOORE There is an old saying that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, and we've learned that again with the Congressional Budget Office and its latest highly misleading fiscal forecast. For years, we've been trying to get the CBO to use real-world scoring that reflects how businesses, workers and financial markets react to changes in tax rates. But no go...

By Mark Bliss and Bob Miller Southeast Missourian Former Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter believes he solved Mischelle Lawless' murder, and had enough evidence to prove it. DNA tests proved, he said, that one of the suspects was lying about his version of events on Nov. ...

BERNIE, Mo. -- Eula Mae Carson, 97, of Bernie, died Monday, April 16, 2018, at Bernie. Visitation will be 5 - 8 p.m. Friday, April 20, 2018 at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Bernie. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 21, 2018 in Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Bernie. Burial will be in Chalk Bluff Cemetery of Rural Dexter. Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home of Bernie in charge of all arrangements...

Gary Harlan Lewis, 74, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. passed away Tuesday, April 17, 2018 at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in Saint Louis, Mo. He was born March 27, 1944, to William and Louise (Welch) Lewis in Holcomb, Mo. He served in Naval Intelligence during the Vietnam War. ...

Smith & Company Engineers are celebrating a man of vision this year, as they mark their 50th anniversary helping build communities across Southeast Missouri. Founder Sam Smith opened his one-man shop in 1968 with survey work. His first big project was the design of a water tank for the town of Fremont. It had to be filled the first time with a garden hose, according to a story he shared over the years with young engineers...

Naylor went from almost run-ruling Clearwater in the sixth inning to a somewhat nervous seventh. With two outs and nobody on base, Clearwater found a way to score six runs in the top of the seventh inning, but Naylor eventually found that final out and won 10-6 in the Ozark Foothills Conference Tournament semifinals on Tuesday at Rains Field at Three Rivers College...

Lynda Kae Norris, 63, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. passed away Tuesday, April 3, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. She was born May 26, 1954 to Louis and Alberta (Hughs) Norris in Springfield, Ill. She attended Divernon High School in Divernon, Ill. She worked at Hobb's in Springfield. After moving to Poplar Bluff she worked as a cashier at Heartland Express...

Marva Bergkoetter, 57, died on Tuesday, April 17, 2018 in Poplar Bluff. Arrangements are pending with Moore Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff. Online condolences: www.moorefuneralservice.com

Brooklyn Loftis made the most of her biggest opportunity. With the score tied in the top of the eighth inning, the East Carter center fielder hit a two-run home run to lift the No. 4 Redbirds to a 4-2 win over top seed Doniphan in the Ozark Foothills Conference Tournament semifinals on Tuesday at Rains Field at Three Rivers College...

Ernest "Dale" McCormack, 79, of Des Arc, Mo., died Sunday, April 15, 2018, at Riverview at the Park Nursing Center, Ste. Genevieve, Mo. Visitation will be held from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, April 21, 2018, at First Assembly of God Church, Des Arc, Mo. Services will follow at the church at 1 p.m. Burial will be at Three Rivers Cemetery near Farmington...

PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Marty G. Malloy, 61, of Wentzville, Mo., formally of Piedmont, Mo., passed away Tuesday, April 17, 2018, at SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital, Lake Saint Louis, Mo. Arrangements are pending with Ruegg Funeral Home, Piedmont, MO.

Bessie Beatrice Lawson Richey, 107, formerly of Poplar Bluff, passed from this life on April 13, 2018 at the Williard Walker Hospice Home in Fayetteville, Ark. She was born in Eaton, Ark., Oct. 7, 1910, one of 10 children born to the late James Clinton and Margaret Melissa Snider Lawson. She attended Old Lebanon School and married George Brooks Richey in 1927. He preceded her in death on May 15, 1997...

WILLIAMSVILLE, Mo. -- Lillian W. (Fleigle) Becker, 88, of Williamsville, Mo., passed away on April 2, 2018 in Poplar Bluff, Mo. She was born Aug. 25, 1929 near Frostburg, Md. to the late Walter "Casey" and Flossie (Lehr) Fleigle. After graduating from Beall High School, she worked at the Frostburg State Teacher's College and later at the National Grange in Washington D.C...

Two parents attended a public hearing regarding school protection officers prior to the Twin Rivers R-X Board of Education meeting to ask administration and members questions from liability to other safety options. "We are just taking the initial steps and giving ourselves the opportunity to do it (arm staff members)," Superintendent Jeremy Siebert said. "It's a long process so all we are doing is beginning it."...

By CHELSAE CORDIA Staff Writer When her grandson was born, doctors told Lisa Thomas he wouldn't survive the night. Nearly three years later, the toddler continues proving them wrong. Kayden Keith was born in May 2015 with Fryns syndrome, a rare developmental condition affecting various parts of his body...

Allison Pingel is the new single-season home run record holder at Three Rivers. Pingel, who was tied with Destiney Bolen for the record going into Tuesday, hit a pair of home run sin the opener as Three Rivers won 7-4. The Lady Raiders then won the nightcap 4-1 to sweep the day and the season series against the Lady Roadrunners...

Sewer rates for residents of the city of Poplar Bluff will go up this summer as part of a two-stage increase to pay for approximately $17.2 million in upgrades to wastewater treatment facilities. The upgrades were originally approved by voters in 2012 to meet new regulations from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources...