Stories from Friday, October 19, 2018

"I was a sophomore who had just moved to Malden, and she was a freshman," Kay Ables fondly remembers, of how she and life-long friend Linda Dowdy first met. "We were in biology, and Linda was so smart. I knew I had better sit beside her if I wanted to pass, so I moved over to the table she shared with Winston Gribble, and the rest is history."...

"Stay strong. Pray like you've never prayed before," advises Kathy Barber Jones of Dexter, when talking about her battle with breast cancer. "I drew such strength from prayer, and this experience totally changed my relationship with God." "In fact," she adds thoughtfully, "I came to know God in a completely different way because of it."...

Sherry Limbaugh has devoted her life to medicine, so when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000 at 38 years of age, she was frightened. "I knew the terminology and I understood what it meant," Limbaugh explains. "When I was told what I had, my first thought was, I am going to die."...

"I did not know what God had in store for me when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in late November 1990, but now, almost 30 years later, I see how my own experience is used to help others," breast cancer survivor Sally Yarbro says, reflecting on her five-year career as a certified bra specialist at Poplar Bluff's J.C. Penney store...

Judy Yardley of Ellington had a mastectomy on her 48th birthday. It seemed like the worst gift every. However, surgery was part of what it took to save her life -- in retrospect, gifting doesn't get any better than that. Yardley was diagnosed with Stage III triple negative breast cancer in February 2016. Her type of cancer is known to be extremely aggressive, therefore the treatment had to be equally aggressive...

Three months after Lori McGonigal ran her first marathon, she found the lump. "I knew this was something that needed to be checked out, but before I could do that my husband and I had to make sure we had health insurance coverage," she says. Ethen McGonigal and Lori are both teachers at West Point Christian Academy, where he is also principal and serves the church as children's pastor...

"My advice to women of any age is to pay attention to your body. If you are in tune with your body, it will tell you when something is wrong," says Kimberly Capps of Poplar Bluff. A seven-year breast survivor, Capps says she has been pro-active in her health care...

"Looking back, I can see God's hand in my situation. Bad things happen -- not because God caused them, but because that is life. What God does is use people and circumstances to help us deal with the bad stuff," reflects breast cancer survivor Carol Davis of Poplar Bluff...

MALDEN -- The Bloomfield Wildcats and Malden Green Wave might meet again. The Wildcats, seeded second in Class 2 District 2, defeated Malden, the top seed in Class 2 District 1, 25-17, 25-18 Thursday night at Malden High School. If both teams win their district, they would meet again in a sectional playoff Oct. 27 at Malden High School...

At the very end of "Tora! Tora! Tora!," a 1970 film about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto expresses his concern about attacking America: "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve."...

I couldn't help feeling guilty this week as we were forecasted to take a direct hit from Hurricane Michael. While we watched the Weather Channel, Michael barreled his way north directly towards the Florida Panhandle. There was absolutely no situation that could save us from damage, destruction, and possibly loss of life, yet Michael decided to shift east 10 miles, leaving us to simply deal with the outer bands. ...

By GEORGE F. WILL Early in his Marine Corps career, which he concluded as a four-star general, Walter Boomer was decorated for valor in Vietnam. He distilled into three words the lesson of that debacle: "Tell the truth." Max Hastings, an eminent British journalist and historian, has done that in a book that is a painful but perhaps inoculating re-immersion in what Americans would prefer to forget...

As a psychologist who found the testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford to be very credible, I believe that the Kavanaugh confirmation will contribute to voter enthusiasm for Democratic candidates at the midterm elections more than it will energize the Republican electorate...

PIEDMONT, Mo.-- Mary Margaret Statler, 65, of Piedmont, Mo. died Thursday, Oct. 18 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Arrangements are pending with Morrison-Worley Funeral Chapel and will be announced by the Piedmont Chapel.

Mary E. Pennington, 81, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., entered the Gates of Heaven Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018 at Black River Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Mary, the daughter of the late Hildren and Ada Woodruff Johnson, was born Feb. 12, 1937 in Pontiac, Mich. ...

As the Notre Dame bench erupted in cheers and half-ran, half-skipped onto the volleyball court, Alexa Clark fell to the floor. Overcome by emotion, the senior was on the verge of tears. Behind Clark's 12 kills and an outstanding defensive effort, Notre Dame had just won the SEMO Conference Tournament championship, beating defending champion Jackson, 25-19, 25-13, in Thursday's final at the Cape Girardeau SportsPlex...

PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Arvel "Red" Gowen Sr., 79, of Piedmont, Mo., died Friday, Oct. 19, 2018 at Clark's Mountain Nursing Home. Visitation will be at 11:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 22, 2018 at Ruegg Funeral Home, Piedmont. Funeral service will follow at 2 p.m. also at the chapel. Burial will be at the Anderson Cemetery, Piedmont, Mo...

Fred Moore, 75, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. passed away on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born on July 15, 1943 to Baxter and Lula (Wyatt) Moore in Montevallo, Ala. Fred retired from Robertson Bridge and Grading as a heavy equipment operator. His longtime girlfriend Benita Wilson preceded him in death in 2012...

Hillview gymnasium will get air conditioning for the first time following action Thursday by the Neelyville Board of Education. The board accepted a bid for $13,500 from Win Electric of Poplar Bluff for four units. Maintenance staff will install the five-ton units before next spring, Superintendent Brad Hagood said this morning...

A Southeast Missouri man who is a high-ranking military leader in Afghanistan was involved in killing an assassin Thursday, but not before the assassin killed several Afghan leaders in what is being described as an "inside job." American military officials confirmed three Americans were injured, but neither the head of U.S. ...

Louise Pratt, 82, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. passed away on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018 at her residence. She was born on May 5, 1936 to Carl and Letha Randall in Poplar Bluff, Mo. She married Andy Pratt on June 26, 1953. She loved her family and enjoyed sewing, raising flowers, and working in the garden...

Program evaluations for athletics and technology services were accepted by the Poplar Bluff R-1 School Board during Thursday evening's meeting. Athletic Director Kent Keith and District Informations Technology Director Aaron Badgley reported updates to the board within their programs and improvements they would like to work toward...

By SCOTT BORKGREN Sports Writer The morning of Poplar Bluff's Pink Out volleyball game, junior outside hitter Haley Slaughter walked out of her bedroom wearing a bright pink T-shirt. Her mom, Vicky Slaughter, barely caught a glimpse from the living room and asked, "What shirt is that?"...

Staff Reports Stacey Griffin's routine mammogram early this year led to a second test, a biopsy and a diagnoses of triple receptor-negative breast cancer. Reality quickly set in and life for the Poplar Bluff woman was no longer routine. While seeking information about her own cancer and treatment, Griffin immediately began a campaign to make certain friends were tested...

Claud (Sonny) G. Miller, 76, of Anniston, Ala., formally of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018 at Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center in Anniston, Ala. A graveside service with full military honors will begin at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Sparkman Cemetery in Butler County with the Rev. Jim Schremp officiating...

Economy depends on oil prices Hello Speakout. I'd just like to throw my two cents' worth out there, they're talking about the stock market going down and other things. But, if you'll look over the last 20 years every time there's been an increase in the price of crude oil there's been a decrease in the stock market and in other things that's going on in the economy. ...