Stories from Monday, August 19, 2019

Difference Makers nominee Shelley Ploetze grew up in a large Catholic family in rural Jefferson County, Missouri, near St. Louis. She and her eight siblings were raised on the ethics of “hard work and service” by their parents. Her modest farm upbringing shaped Ploetze’s heart for service from an early age, a philosophy she and her husband, Bruce, passed on to their adult daughters, Lauren Houpt and Kristen Ploetze...

Campbell — Janice Marie Blume, 72, of Campbell, died Sunday, Aug. 18, 2019 at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 20 at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell with Rosary at 7 p.m. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, Aug. 21 at 10 a.m. at St. Teresa Catholic Church in Glennonville with Father William Hennecke officiating.

The Poplar Bluff City Council will hold a public hearing at 6:45 p.m. Monday in the council chambers at 301 S. 5th St. to hear citizens’ input relative to the property tax rates proposed to be set by the council. A regular meeting will follow at 7 p.m. in the council chambers...

Bobby Wayne Revelle, 82, of Poplar Bluff, died Sunday, Aug. 18, 2019 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 22 at Bluff City Apostolic Worship Center in Poplar Bluff. The funeral will follow at 11 a.m. in the church...

VAN BUREN — The motive as to why a Van Buren man allegedly fired upon officers attempting to serve him with an eviction notice Friday morning remains unknown. “I wish I knew,” said Carter County Sheriff Rick Stephens. “Sometimes, it’s difficult to wrap our minds around why people do some things.”...

NORRIS CITY, Ill. — Margaret Ann Weaver, 73, of Poplar Bluff, formerly of Grayville, died Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019 at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Graveside funeral services and burial for Margaret Ann Weaver, 73, will be held at 1 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 20 at I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Norris City, Ill.

Etta Marie Buttry, 83, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. died Friday, Aug. 16, 2019 at Westwood Hills Caring Center. She was born August 19, 1935 in Shook, to the late Warner Davis and Etta Mae Davis. She was a member of the Southside General Baptist Church. She married Bill Elmer Buttry July 6, 1960 in Poplar Bluff. He preceded her in death...

The Butler County Community Resource Council (CRC) in connection with numerous other members of the community will be working to get locals jobs at the annual job fair on Thursday.

The suspect in the shooting of two members of law enforcement made his first appearance before a judge Sunday during a hearing at Butler County jail. James D. Cummings, 31, is currently being held without bond at Butler County jail, charged with four felony counts each of first-degree assault and armed criminal action...

NEELYVILLE — Homer ‘Pete’ Sheridan, 85, of Poplar Bluff, died Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019 at his residence. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20 at Fowler & Sons Funeral Home in Neelyville. The funeral will follow at 1 p.m. in the funeral home. Burial will be in Naylor Memorial Cemetery...

Teresa Scudder, 58, of Poplar Bluff, died August 18, 2019 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Graveside funeral services will be at 10 a.m Wednesday, Aug. 21 in Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Poplar Bluff with Pastor Greg Gilberto officiating.

FISK — Olivet L. Fain Jr., age 69, of Arnold, Mo., formerly of Poplar Bluff, died Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019 at De Greeff Hospice House, in St. Louis. Mr. Fain was born August 18, 1949 in Poplar Bluff, son of the late Olivet Fain Sr. and Opal (Pettypool) Fain. He formerly worked as a clerk for the Rock Island Railroad...

NEELYVILLE — Marvin ‘Short’ Deckard, 70, of Springfield, Mo., died Sunday, Aug. 18, 2019 at Mercy Hospital in Springfield. Visitation will be after 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21 at Fowler & Sons Funeral Home in Neelyville. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 22 at the funeral home. Burial with full military rites will be in the Naylor Memorial Cemetery.

Decades of Poplar Bluff city workers have sacrificed raises to preserve the health insurance benefits recently cut by the city council, Municipal Utilities worker Sandy Walker said Monday, during a public comment period of the regular city council meeting...

Dear Friends, I wanted to take a moment and express my sincere gratitude to the members of the community, the Law Enforcement professionals throughout this area, state and nation, as well as all who have taken a moment to send up prayers, donate meals, services and time with the motive being only to increase the wellbeing and recovery of our officers and their families...

CAPE GIRARDEAU — A Poplar Bluff man was sentenced to more than two years in federal prison Monday for illegally possessing the firearms and ammunition found during a 2017 search of his home. Rickey Lynn Hurt, 32, was sentenced to 27 months in prison on the felony of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition by U.S. District Judge Ronnie White, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Sorrell...