Stories from Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Thanks to a state grant, Three Rivers College will be able to help local businesses train dozens of highly skilled workers through the Missouri Registered Apprenticeship Program (MORAP). This grant allows students to enter factories and complete one-on-one training while also learning in the classroom...

DEXTER -- Supporters of a new Stoddard County program created to the serve the developmentally disabled made another plea Thursday, Nov. 15, for funding, but will not be included in the 2019 Senate Bill 40 budget. SB40 board members approved spending of just over $400,000 in the next year, including $65,500 for an existing shelter workshop...

Staff Reports One of the largest farm trade shows in the region, Ag Expo 2019, will kick off Friday and Saturday, Jan. 18-19, at the Black River Coliseum in Poplar Bluff. Six thousand people attended last year's two-day event. The expo, sponsored by Butler County University of Missouri Extension Council and the Ag Club of Three Rivers College for 33 years, promotes agriculture, said Stephanie Milner with University of Missouri Extension in Butler County. ...

Sheri 'Sam' Pessin, 54, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018 at her residence. A gathering of family and friends was at noon Monday, Nov. 19 at Cotrell Funeral Chapel to commemorate Sam's life. Cotrell Funeral Service is honored to serve the family of Sheri "Sam" Pessin; online condolences may be expressed at www.cotrellfuneralservice.com...

NEELYVILLE, Mo. - Dewane Hart, 59, of Success, Ark., died Sunday, Nov. 18 at his home. Visitation will be at 11 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 21 at the Fowler & Sons Funeral Home. The funeral will immediately follow at noon in the chapel. Burial will take place in Roberts Cemetery in Neelyville...

It's always great to receive recognition for serving in some branch of the United States military. The eateries in Poplar Bluff were very generous to the veterans in the area by serving them free meals and other food related items. Veterans Day recognition on Sunday and Monday of last week saw the local businesses in the area make sacrifices of their own in honoring those of us who served in the various armed forces with great dinners, sandwiches, donuts, etc. ...

Sally Anne Boyd, 63, of Ellsinore, Mo., died Friday, Nov. 16 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. A private memorial will be held at a later date. Online condolences: www.mcspaddenfh.com

The Dexter Christmas Reading will mark its 10th anniversary this year at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24. The community reading was created when Dexter resident Greg Mathis felt the city needed something to kickoff the Christmas season after the city discontinued the annual Christmas parade...

The world's oldest political party has developed an aversion to discretion. The Democratic Party is manacled to an overcaffeinated base that believes that deft government can deliver parity of status to everyone while micromanaging the economy's health-care sector, which is larger than all but three foreign nations' economies. Inconveniently, the party must appeal to voters who, living in dread of their next interaction with the Department of Motor Vehicles, yearn only for governmental adequacy...

VAN BUREN, Mo. - Raymond Carlos Sanders, 96, of Carter County, Mo., died Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018 at his residence. Visitation will be at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 20 at the McSpadden Funeral Home in Van Buren. The funeral will be at 2 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 21 at the First Baptist Church with Rev. Ron Robinson officiating. Burial will be in the Van Buren City Cemetery in Van Buren...

Well another election day has come and gone. Don't worry, there will be another two years from now. But for now the campaign ads will cease for about six months then here we go again, more smear ads and tactics by both sides of the forum for about 18 months. Just as bad as starting Christmas commercials on television in September...

Sheri "Sam" Pessin, 54, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018 at her residence. Sam, the daughter of the late Olen and Mary Grant Myers, was born Jan. 12, 1964 in Frankfurt, Germany. She worked as a Healthcare Professional. Sam, with her passion for Art, created many masterpieces that will be on display during visitation. ...

MALDEN, Mo. -- Mary Kathleen Phillips, 76, of Malden, died Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018, at a residence in Corpus Christi, Texas. Visitation will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2018, at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. The funeral will follow at 2 p.m. at the funeral home with Rev. Greg Mullins officiating. Burial in Memorial Park Cemetery in Malden...

Richard "Tommy" King, 86, of Poplar Bluff, passed away on November 18, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born on December 26, 1931 to James and Ellen (Vandover) King at Poplar Bluff. Mr. King enjoyed playing golf, fishing and watching baseball. ...

I was a regular Facebook user for about 10 years, and I still keep an account open that I check from time to time. But, shortly after my children were born, I decided that using Facebook was not helping me to live my life in a meaningful way and might have been adding to my re-emerging feelings of depression. ...

FISK, Mo. - Donna Jean Woods, age 57, of Fisk, died Friday, Nov. 16, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Mrs. Woods was born, March 8, 1961 in Sikeston, Mo., daughter of the late William "Pete" and Ina Mannon. She was of the Pentecostal faith. Mrs. Woods was a homemaker and enjoyed being around her family...

The University of Missouri Extension will hold a food safety workshop Dec. 7 for commercial fruit and vegetable growers and others interested in learning about produce safety, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule and Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs)...

Earl T. Jones, 93, of Williamsville, Mo., died on Monday, Nov. 19 at his residence. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Friday, Nov. 23 at Moore Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff. A private family burial will be in St. Louis. Online condolences: www.moorefuneralservice.com...

Southeast Regional Recovery informational meeting will be held from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 3, at Fellowship General Baptist Church, Poplar Bluff, Mo. Admission is free, but to have an accurate lunch count, contact Jane Pfefferkorn at 573-481-0505 or 573-380-7847 or Lois Shearrer at 573-429-8286 before Wednesday, Nov. 28...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Southeast Missouri trooper was among 17 first responders across the state honored earlier last week by Gov. Mike Parson for their exemplary service. Trooper Ryan Windham, a two-year veteran of the Missouri State Highway Patrol and a Dexter native, received a Missouri Public Safety Medal of Merit from the governor...

Andrea (Hogg) Freeman-Hagerty, 36, of Cape Girardeau, Mo., died Monday, Nov. 19, 2018 at her home. Visitation will be from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 23 at Moore Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff, Mo. The funeral will be at 10 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 24, in the Moore Funeral Service Chapel with Brandon Spain officiating. Burial will be in the Memorial Gardens Cemetery...

Coats-big coats, little coats, all sizes of coats-are needed, but especially needed are youth sizes 10-12 and 14-16. Boxes have been placed at Bill's Market, the Dollar General Store and City Hall in order to collect coats and hoodies that can be given to anyone in need. ...

Dorothy Key, 89, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Monday, Nov. 19, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation will be from 10 - 11 a.m., Wed., Nov. 21 at Moore Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff. The funeral will follow immediately at 11 a.m. in the Moore Funeral Service Chapel. Burial will be in the City Cemetery...

As we approach the time of the year when we set aside a day of national thanksgiving, I think it is appropriate that we pause from our overly busy lives to take a good, long look at our lifestyle, our sense of values and our general attitude toward these things...

DONIPHAN -- The Donettes started their season on the right foot. Doniphan handled Corning (Ark.) 52-35 Monday and didn't allow more than 10 points in any quarter. Senior Timberly Masching led Doniphan with 14 points on four made shots. Senior Alexis Day was Doniphan's only other player in double figures with 12 points as she led the game with four made 3-pointers...

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that deer hunters in Missouri harvested 99,567 deer during the opening weekend of the November portion of the fall firearms deer season Nov. 10 - 11. Of the 99,567 deer harvested, 55,887 were antlered bucks, 9,573 were button bucks, and 34,107 were does...

Cruising along 63 yards away, the 8-point buck made his way past John Blaich's stand on the second day of Missouri's firearms deer season. "I'd already decided I was going to shoot anything that came by because all I saw on Saturday was does," said Blaich, who was hunting on his family farm in Butler County...

Cape Girardeau should construct a new city hall on the grounds of the existing facility, an architectural firm advised the city council Monday. The city hired St. Louis-based Chiodini Architects to study possible sites for a new city hall. The firm looked at the existing property at 401 Independence St. as well as the historic Common Pleas Courthouse and Annex site, and the site of the former police station on Sprigg Street...

Staff Reports A voluntary manslaughter charge was dismissed Monday afternoon during a preliminary hearing for a Bunker, Mo., woman, while her husband will stand trial for a similar charge in the beating death of a Brick's Off-Road Park patron. After hearing four witnesses and arguments from the state and attorneys, Associate Circuit Judge John Bloodworth found sufficient evidence to order Rickey Brunelle Holt to stand trial for the Class B Felony of voluntary manslaughter, but dismissed the same charge against his wife, Brenda Michelle Holt, 41.. ...

Filing for Ward 1 and Ward 3 Poplar Bluff City Council representatives will open Dec. 11 and run through Jan. 15. These positions are currently held by Susan McVey of Ward 1 and Barbara Horton of Ward 3. City council terms are three years. Interested individuals can file at the Poplar Bluff City Hall, 501 Vine St...

The Poplar Bluff Police Department is asking for help regarding an alleged shooting that took place around 12:30 a.m. Monday that left one man in the hospital. According to Detective Corey Mitchell, officers responded to the area of the Dollar General on Highway 53 to reports of shots fired...

A possible new factory could bring at least 45 full-time jobs to Poplar Bluff, according to officials, who believe it will be at least February before any announcements can be made. The unnamed company was discussed Monday with the Poplar Bluff City Council, who held a public hearing regarding grant funds for road and bridge repairs prior to their regular meeting...

The Neelyville R-IV School District received its annual audit for the previous school year during Monday evening's Board of Education meeting. According to CPA Dwayne Clark, the fund balance is "very healthy" for a district the size of Neelyville and the annual expenditures the district incurs...