Stories from Sunday, February 4, 2018

Local cancer charity Lending a Hand is taking a knee-slapping approach to fundraising this spring. On Saturday, April 7, comedienne Heather Land will perform at a benefit comedy show to be held in the Van Buren High School Gymnasium at 7 p.m. The 90-minute show is part of Land's "I Ain't Doin' It" tour, made famous by her video series of rants, raves and observations uploaded to YouTube...

The 2017 "Office of the Year" for the Missouri State Highway Patrol's criminal investigation division is described as a leader who is well respected throughout Southeast Missouri. Each January, the patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control hands out its "Officer of the Year" award to a "worthy nominee" at its supervisors' meeting, explained Capt. Paul Kerperin, the division's director...

The Poplar Bluff City Council will hold a workshop and voting session Monday concerning contracts offering a 4 percent raise for each of the next three years to union members of Municipal Utilities. Contracts for members of the electrical department and water-sewer department were included in city documents released Friday afternoon...

"We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness," is a quote from Mark Twain's novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It is also the inspiration for Poplar Bluff native Kayla Huett, who uses photography to document the essence of life in rural Missouri...

Taxpayers may not see as much return on their investment as expected with money paid to the developers of Eight Points retail area, despite stronger than anticipated sales tax collections. Improvements of $75 million have been made with the majority of the Oak Grove Road property developed, falling short of the $123.5 million originally expected, according to information presented in late December to the Poplar Bluff City Council...

Take flu shot! Like I told Speak Out in the summer. Why don't these people prepare for winter better and get the flu shot!? Not so much work and school would be missed in January, February and whenever. Better to be prepared. Shots are available at Butler County Health Center. Thank you...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- The following students have been awarded scholarships to attend Southeast Missouri State University for the 2018-2019 academic year: Ranelle Huntsman of Dexter, Mo., has received the University Scholarship and Residence Life Leadership Award. Huntsman is the daughter of Randall and Monica Huntsman of Dexter, Missouri, and will be a 2018 graduate of Dexter Senior High School...

WASHINGTON -- In 1930, John Maynard Keynes was worried, but not about the unpleasantness that had begun the previous year and would linger long enough to become known as the Great Depression. What troubled the British economist was that humanity "is solving its economic problem."...

PUXICO, Mo. -- Bonnie L. Osborn, 66, of Puxico, died Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. Memorial services will be held at a later date with Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Puxico in charge of arrangements. Memorial donations may be made to Watkins & Sons Funeral Service, P O Box 96, Dexter, Mo. 63841...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN "All the News That's Fit to Print" proclaims the masthead of The New York Times. "Democracy Dies in Darkness," echoes The Washington Post. "The people have a right to know," the professors at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism hammered into us in 1962. "Trust the people," we were admonished...

PUXICO, Mo.-- Thomas F. Runzi, 77, of Puxico died Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018, at his residence. Visitation will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Morgan Sifford Funeral Home in Puxico followed at 2 p.m. with the funeral in the chapel. Krag Runiz will officiate. Burial will be in the New Hope Cemetery at McGee, Mo...

Benjamin "Ben" Andrew Salyer, 54, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018. Ben was born on March 13, 1963, in Poplar Bluff, Mo, to Jesse Clinton Salyer and Helen Lorene Farris Salyer. Ben was the grill chef of his family. Spending time with his family was one of the things he enjoyed most. He also loved reading and gardening...

Jackie (Stallings) Alexander, 65, of Warrenton, Mo., passed away Jan. 15, 2018, in Lake St. Louis, Mo. She was born Dec. 14, 1952, to Charles Edward Stallings Sr., and Rosella (Wilson) Hanner in Qulin, Mo. She was and avid horse enthusiast, enjoyed reading and spending time with family and friends...

GREENVILLE, Mo. -- Robert "Bob" Bailey Sr., 77, of Greenville, passed away on Jan. 31, 2018 at his residence. Robert was born on March 15, 1940 to Margaret Bailey in West Memphis, Ark. Robert worked as a lifelong machinist, and owner/operator of Bailey Machine until his illness retired him. On March 31, 1978 he married Dianne. Robert and Dianne lived in Greenville...

Betty L. Ezell, 78, of Poplar Bluff, died Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mrs. Ezell, the daughter of the late John Riley and Etta Belle (Russell) Dees was born Aug. 10, 1939 in Houston, Tex. She was of the Baptist faith. Mrs. Ezell enjoyed camping, baking and she also enjoyed cutting up and visiting with family and friends. On March 26, 1963 she married Jack Joe Ezell in Houston, Tex. He preceded her in death on July 19, 2008...

Cindi (Crossen) Ezell, age 62, of Poplar Bluff, died Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mrs. Ezell was born Aug. 1, 1955 in Cape Girardeau, Mo. She was the daughter of the late Troy and Jo Crossen. Cindi was a 1973 graduate of Poplar Bluff High School and was a member of New Life Christian Church United...

Frances Hughes Yeager Byers, 99, of Poplar Bluff, passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018 at Westwood Healthcare in Poplar Bluff. She was born on Dec. 12, 1918 in Arkadelphia, Ark., to Alvah and Lida May (Beaty) Hughes. Frances was a retired teacher where she taught in the Stuttgart School District for over 30 years. She has been a resident of Poplar Bluff since 2007...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Things went from bad to worse for the Poplar Bluff boys basketball team in the third quarter Friday night. Sikeston scored the first seven points of the second half to pull ahead before Poplar Bluff's Dominique Hardimon picked up his third and fourth fouls in the span of seven seconds. The Mules didn't sink a shot from the field for the opening five minutes as the Bulldogs extended their run to win 74-56 in a SEMO Conference game...

The Three Rivers Raiders took a step closer to climbing out of the cellar of Region XVI with an 88-73 victory over State Fair on Saturday night at the Bess Activity Center. Three Rivers held off a late charge by the Roadrunners to win its first regional game of the season. The Raiders improved to 9-13 overall an 1-5 in the region. State Fair fell to 17-6 and 2-3 and remains fourth in the standings...

The Three Rivers women's basketball team overcome a cold-shooting third quarter Saturday night. DeNayyia Holmes' driving layup with 8.7 seconds left lifted the Raiders to a 58-57 Region XVI win over State Fair at the Bess Activity Center. The Raiders led by as many as 14 points in the first half but scored only four points in the third quarter, and State Fair took advantage...

PIEDMONT -- Naylor ended five years of frustration Saturday in the Ozark Foothills Conference Tournament. The Eagles were perfect at the foul line in overtime and survived two shots by Clearwater to forced another period as Naylor won 47-45 in the opening round...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. -- Nobody expected this. With its 15-point halftime lead disappearing in the opening minutes of the third quarter, Malden put together a massive and perpetual run to beat Portageville 65-31 and win its first Bootheel Conference Tournament championship since 2007...

PIEDMONT -- With two patient, methodical offenses facing each other, it seemed at times like every single basket was its own run. Fifth-seeded Naylor eventually put together a pair of quality runs and held on to upset No. 4 Greenville 43-35 in the first round of the Ozark Foothills Conferent tournament...

DEXTER -- Rebounding was a point of emphasis for the Dexter Bearcats on Friday night. Gabe Jackson and his teammates demonstrated the importance of that in the closing seconds of the Bearcats' 60-56 win over Advance in a key Stoddard County Activities Association matchup at the Bearcat Event Center...