Stories from Sunday, April 17, 2016

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer VAN BUREN, Mo. -- A hearing Tuesday could decide the fate of the city of Van Buren's newly elected mayor. A petition filed last week with a Carter County court questions Mike Hoerner's right to hold office, alleging Hoerner owes more than $9,000 in delinquent taxes from 2011...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Former city manager Heath Kaplan has new legal problems after being named in a lawsuit by Muskegon County, Mich., accused of conspiring with a technology company for financial gain. Kaplan and Michigan-based tech company Information Systems Intelligence have been the subject of controversy in both Muskegon County and Poplar Bluff. Both communities have begun investigations concerning possible fraud which may have been committed by Kaplan and ISI owner Ryan Leestma...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Poplar Bluff police on Friday arrested four individuals in a suspected check forging operation following a high-speed pursuit by Clay County, Ark. deputies into Butler County. Michael D. White, 28, Keyante K. Bettis, 18, Dion D. Misher, 19, all of Chicago, Ill. and, Damaun D. Johnson, 23, of Markham, Ill., were arrested 1:40 p.m. on U.S. Highway 67 near Route 158 on suspicion of one count each of possession of forging instruments, a class C felony...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor The next technological advancement for the Poplar Bluff Police Department went live earlier this month as its officers began issuing electronic tickets. The e-tickets work in conjunction with the mobile-data terminals in place in each of the patrol cars...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer WILLOW SPRINGS, Mo. - Three Rivers College says it will discontinue courses at the South Central Education Consortium due to low enrollment. Three Rivers entered a memorandum of understanding with Missouri State University (MSU) at West Plains in October of 2013 to provide certificate and degree programs, forming the South Central Education Consortium at Willow Springs...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer A small, but visionary, group of literary-minded citizens a century ago this April opened the doors of what would become one of the area's most beloved and valuable institutions, Poplar Bluff Municipal Library. The Library celebrates its centennial anniversary this month. Through depression and recession, world wars, segregation and natural disasters, it has stayed the course as a place for all citizens to honor and explore the world of literature...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- There is a consensus that aggression by one nation against another is a serious matter, but there is no comparable consensus about what constitutes aggression. Waging aggressive war was one charge against Nazi leaders at the 1946 Nuremberg war crimes trials, but 70 years later it is unclear that aggression, properly understood, must involve war, as commonly understood. ...

Discipline is answer [MAIL] It's Past Time Another comment on the local school situation. Discipline seems to be out of control in our local school system. At least in the upper grades. Disruption, and everything else that is taking place; apparently there no consequences. Hopefully the new superintendent will address the problem. No cell phones would be a good place to start. There is more to be done after the cell phones are gone...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN This week, SU-24 fighter-bombers buzzed a U.S. destroyer in the Baltic Sea. The Russian planes carried no missiles or bombs. Message: What are you Americans doing here? In the South China Sea, U.S. planes overfly, and U.S. warships sail inside, the territorial limits of islets claimed by Beijing...

Kameron Misner and the Mules flashed some leather to stay unbeaten in SEMO Conference play. The senior center fielder made a pair of diving catches, one to end an inning to save a pair of runs, as Poplar Bluff beat Cape Central 5-2 on Saturday. "Two incredible catches," starting pitcher Tanner Tibbs said. "Then we had infield with lots of ground balls. Good effort all around."...

Butch Rushin Butch Rushin, 71, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Friday, April 15, 2016 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. Rushin was born March 21, 1945 in Poplar Bluff., Mo. Mr. Rushin was a member of Grace Christian Fellowship. For 30 years he operated Rushin Towing and was also a retired insurance adjuster. He enjoyed race cars, fishing, hunting and watching his grandkids play ball...

Carroll Morgan Carroll Morgan, 72, of Poplar Bluff, died Friday, April 15, 2016 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. Morgan was born Feb. 28, 1944 in Biggers, Ark. Mr. Morgan attended Fellowship General Baptist Church and worked at Greg's Auto Sales. His hobbies included watching NASCAR and fishing...

Judy Ann Hall Judy Ann Hall, 66, of Poplar Bluff, passed away on Monday, April 11, 2016 at her residence. She was born on July 26, 1949 to Guadlupe Bernal and Floy (White) Hearn in Forrest City, Ark. She was a member of The Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses. She enjoyed reading and most especially spending time with her grandchildren...

Raymond Simmons Raymond Simmons, 42, of Poplar Bluff, passed away suddenly on Thursday, April 14, 2016 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Raymond was born on Feb. 1, 1974 at Lucy Lee Hospital in Poplar Bluff, Mo. to the late Raymond Taylor and Nancy Morley. He was later adopted by Allen and Diana Simmons. He attended Poplar Bluff and Neelyville schools. On April 18, 1997, he married the love of his life Kimberly Vaughn...

Rosia Harley Rosia M. Harley departed this life on Sunday, April 10, 2016. Rosia was born on March 13, 1923 in Linda, Mo., to Jessup and Ella M. Williams. She accepted Christ as Lord at a young age. Rosia met and married the love of her life, Tommie D. ...

William Reynolds William Eugene (Billy) Reynolds, 63, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Tuesday, March 22, 2016. Born Sept. 10, 1952, he was the son of the late Glen and Wilma Reynolds. One brother, Mike Reynolds, and his parents preceded him in death...

The Mules had to hit the road for their own tournament and couldn't catch Jackson on Friday. Poplar Bluff's home-course advantage in the PB Invitational was washed away when rain Monday postponed the event, forcing a move to Ozark Ridge Golf Course...

Bettie Raulston Bettie Sue Pitt Raulston, 72, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, April 16, 2016 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation will be 6 p.m. Monday, April 18, 2016 at Fowler-Sullivan Funeral Home in Poplar Bluff. The funeral will be at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 19, 2016 at the funeral home. Burial will follow in the City Cemetery. A complete obituary will follow in the Tuesday edition...

After another excellent pitching performance by Destiny Bolen, the Lady Raiders struggled to find a second arm. Bolen struck out nine in a complete game, 2-1 win over the Arkansas State University club team before Three Rivers coach Jack Childress gave four different arms a chance in the nightcap, which the Lady Raiders lost 12-5 on Saturday at Rains Field...

GRAVES, Kentucky -- Greenville junior Trey McDaniel tossed a one-hitter as the Bears took care of St. Mary's with ease in a 7-0 victory at the Dinger Wooden Bat Tournament Friday. It was the 100th victory for coach Jeff Null in a Bears uniform. Senior Grant Miller was 2 for 4 with three RBIs to lead Greenville (10-1) and Wyatt Barks added a two-RBI double in the third inning...

Can anyone beat Naylor? It has been a little over a year since the Lady Eagles last lost more than two Ozark Foothills Conference games in a season and they will once again march into the OFC Tournament with an air of invincibility. Eleven teams have tried to beat the Lady Eagles this spring. All but one has failed...

For 14 innings, the Raiders held St. Louis scoreless. Three Rivers got two strong starts from two strong Tylers, but ended up with two dissapointing losses and got swept 3-2 and 5-2 by St. Louis Community College on Saturday at Roger Pattillo Field...