Stories from Tuesday, August 21, 2018

The Wappapello Civic Center will have country music and dance from 7-10 p.m. each Saturday unless notified otherwise. This week's entertainment will feature Charlie Barker and Route 66 Band. The WCC is a smoke and alcohol free facility inside the building...

Your life as a Christian is a ministry, for you were saved to serve not to be ministered unto. Even the Son of God said, "I came not to be ministered to, but to minister." What impels a Christian to serve his fellowmen? Is it not primarily an extension of Jesus' life and ministry? And that ministry is to extend beyond close friends to every person in need whether their need be physical, material or spiritual. ...

Patricia Faye Freed, 54, of Dexter died Aug. 11, 2018 at her home. Services were held Aug. 14, 2018 at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. Junior Smith of Darnell, Arkansas officiated. Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Dexter in charge of arrangements...

The members of the Pleasant Valley Baptist Church will be hosting a Sunday Singing 5 p.m. the last Sunday of each month. Anyone and everyone is invited to attend. Bring your instrument, voice or just yourself to listen. A pot-luck meal will be served afterwards...

Evelyn I. Wheetley, 82, of Bloomfield, formerly of Advance died Aug. 13, 2018 at the Bloomfield Living Center. Services were held Aug. 16, 2018 at the Morgan Funeral Chapel in Advance. Rev. Randy Fuller officiated. Burial followed in the Morgan Memorial Park in Advance...

Joe Howard Peyton, 86, died Aug. 13, 2018 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. A memorial graveside service was held Aug. 25, 2018 at the Little Brushy Cemetery in Wappapello for family and friends. Cotrell Funeral Service in charge of arrangements...

Evelyn "Marie" Hicks, 64, of Dexter died Aug. 14, 2018 at the Crowley Ridge Care Center in Dexter. Services were held Aug. 18, 2018 at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home chapel in Dexter. Rev. Ronnie Stevens officiated. Burial followed in the Chalk Bluff Cemetery...

Larry Ward, 44, of Poplar Bluff died Aug. 9, 2018 in Poplar Bluff. A Gathering of Friends and the funeral service was held Aug. 13, 2018 at the White-Sanders Funeral Home in Fisk. Rev. Darren Baker officiated. Online condolences: www.whitesandersfuneralhome.com...

From Staff Reports Plans are underway for the 30th Annual Haven House Trail Ride, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 22. Ted and Cindy Evans will once again host the shelter's biggest fundraiser. This year's major sponsors include Missouri Foundation for Health, Lisa Reynolds Insurance Agency and Dr. Lance Yeoman...

WASHINGTON -- Governments, seemingly eager to supply their critics with ammunition, constantly validate historian Robert Conquest: The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies. Consider North Carolina's intervention in the medical-devices market...

With the continuing hysteria about Donald Trump's presidency, a few questions come to mind. The first: Can a bad man become a good president? The second: Does one's being a good man guarantee he'll be a good president? Third: Does having a good president require a good man? Is there any evidence of Lord Acton's argument that "great men are almost always bad men"?...

Donald Brady Casselberry, 59, of Poplar Bluff, died Sunday, Aug. 19, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Arrangements are pending with Moore Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff. Online condolences: www.moorefuneralservice.com

Most of us spend much more time with digital media than we did a decade ago. But today's teens have come of age with smartphones in their pockets. Compared to teens a couple of decades ago, the way they interact with traditional media like books and movies is fundamentally different...

Charles "Rick" Richard Plemmons, 67, of Poplar Bluff, passed away on Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born on Dec. 13, 1950 to Charles and Wanda (Graham) Plemmons in St. Louis, Mo. and was of the Baptist faith. ...

Barbara Sue Voshage, 47, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. died Friday, Aug. 17, 2018 at her home. Visitation and memorial service will be from 5 - 7 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 21 at Fitch-Hillis Funeral Home. Pastor Stephen Koerner will officiate. Online condolences: fitchhillisfh.com...

CORNING, Ark. - Rachel Ballard, 17, of Corning, Ark., passed away Friday, Aug. 17, 2018 in Moark, Ark. Ms. Ballard was born in Poplar Bluff, Mo., on March 9, 2001. She was a senior at Corning High School. She was a member of the Corning Chapter of FFA, currently serving as Reporter, also a member of the Clay County Junior Fair Board and the High School Yearbook Staff. ...

A group of nearly 25 Stoddard County citizens packed the commission chambers the morning of Aug. 13 to express their concern to commissioners about taxpayer money and how it's spent in the midst of the Senate Bill 40 and Sheltered Workshop disagreements...

If a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, how does a comfort food tour begin? With a single recipe? With a kind word? With a generous, loving offer of safe harbor? Emily Nunn's journey of a thousand miles began with all of those things, leading her down a road reconnecting with friends and family she had thought lost to her, and into a kind of healing she needed more than anything in life, and which she thought would never come. ...

NEOSHO, Mo. -- Timothy Morrison recalled in court Monday the shock of finding the slain body of his friend Nolan Karch inside Karch's home near Aurora. Karch's son, Clay, had called him from Texas on Jan. 2, 2017, asking if he'd check on his 82-year-old father, something Morrison did fairly regularly as his neighbor and friend. Clay Karch had not been able to reach his dad by phone and was worried...

Recently, The Baltimore Sun's editorial board, like many editorial boards across the country, received a message from The Boston Globe asking us to join with them and "publish an editorial on August 16 on the dangers of the (Trump) administration's assault on the press."...

A bronze statue of a black, Civil War-era, Union soldier could be erected by next June in Cape Girardeau's Ivers Square, project proponents told the city council Monday. Denise Lincoln, who has researched the history of Cape Girardeau's former slaves who joined the Union Army, wants the statue erected in their honor...

NEELYVILLE, Mo. - Mary Jane Browning, 51, of Fairdealing, died Friday, Aug. 17, 2018 at Southeast Health Center of Ripley County in Doniphan, Mo. A graveside service will be at 2 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 22 at Cypress Creek Cemetery near Fairdealing with Rev. Charles Whitmer officiating. No visitation is planned...

MALDEN, Mo. - Joseph E. Pehlman III, 81, of Malden, died Sunday, Aug. 19, 2018 at General Baptist Nursing Home - Campbell. Visitation will be at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 22 at Bradshaw Funeral Home - Malden. The funeral will follow at 11 a.m. in the Bradshaw Chapel - Malden. Private burial will be in Farmington Cemetery in Farmington, IL. Memorials may be made to: Malden Senior Citizens Nutrition Center, P.O. Box 172, Malden, MO 63863...

COLUMBIA -- While Missouri brings back 10 of 11 starters on offense from last season, the depth behind the starters is especially concerning for head coach Barry Odom. Look no further than wide receiver. The Tigers lost J'Mon Moore and Dominic Collins to graduation and junior college transfer Harry Ballard is currently away from the team for personal reasons. ...

Ask Michael Minner how he's doing, and undoubtedly the response is always the same. "Livin' the dream." At first blush it might appear to be a tongue-in-cheek throwaway line, especially from a man who admits he's done some hell-raising in his time, describes himself as "a kid for going on 39 years" and has been known to loosen up a room with a one-liner or two. But about this, he is completely serious...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The Missouri football player who wins what could be the most contested position battle in preseason camp might get very little playing time this fall. But the implications of the No. 2 quarterback derby could be huge. As All-Southeastern Conference quarterback Drew Lock begins his senior season, Missouri's staff is still working to identify his backup, a player who doesn't figure to get many Saturday snaps as long as Lock stays healthy, which he's done throughout his college career. ...

From Staff Reports Plans are underway for the 30th Annual Haven House Trail Ride, scheduled for Sept. 22. Ted and Cindy Evans will once again host the shelter's biggest fundraiser, according to organizers. This year's major sponsors include Missouri Foundation for Health, Lisa Reynolds Insurance Agency and Dr. Lance Yeoman...

FiSK, Mo. -- Tabitha Whitaker, 46, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. died Monday, Aug. 13, 2018 at her residence in Poplar Bluff. There was a visitation from 3 until 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018 at White-Sanders Funeral Home in Fisk. Condolences: www.whitesandersfuneralhome.com...

Ryan Anthony Ray Elwell, 33, of Poplar Bluff, passed away on Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born on Jan.26, 1985 to John Elwell and Laura (DeGaris) Greco in Poplar Bluff, Mo. He worked for Brick Oven Pizza and Maya's in Poplar Bluff...

VAN BUREN -- Less than $40,000 in expenses may stand between the repair or replacement of Carter County's historic stone courthouse. The Federal Emergency Management Agency estimates repair of the building would cost 53 percent of the amount to replace the structure, which was built in 1936 by members of Pres. Franklin Roosevelt's public works administration...

Stoddard County Commissioners on Monday addressed requests made last week regarding a decade's worth of financial documents related to Stoddard County Sheltered Workshop. "Give me a little more time and I will try to find more answers," Commissioner Carol Jarrell said to citizens in attendance. "But I think you could find some answers at the SB40 board office from (administrator) Dana McClure and if you want more answers I think you could go straight to Sheltered Workshop board members."...

VAN BUREN -- Carter County commissioners promised Monday to pause discussion of construction of a new courthouse while other options are considered for preservation of the historic stone structure that has served as the county seat for 82 years. Another public meeting was set for Aug. ...

From Staff Reports Plans are underway for the 30th Annual Haven House Trail Ride, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 22. Ted and Cindy Evans will once again host the shelter's biggest fundraiser. This year's major sponsors include Missouri Foundation for Health, Lisa Reynolds Insurance Agency and Dr. Lance Yeoman...