Stories from Thursday, April 13, 2017

The Senate Judiciary Committee recently held its confirmation hearings on Judge Neil Gorsuch’s nomination to serve as our nation’s next Supreme Court justice. Throughout the hearings, it was undoubtedly clear that President Trump made the right choice in selecting Judge Gorsuch to help shape the long-term view of the court...

MARSTON, MO – On Friday, Congressman Jason Smith was in Marston to tour the New Madrid Power Plant and discuss his work to relieve the regulatory burden on energy providers in Missouri.   Before touring the New Madrid Power Plant, Congressman Smith sat down with the hard-working people who keep the plant running and talked about recent actions by President Trump to eliminate Obama’s so-called “Clean Power Plan.” This was a major regulatory issue that would have increased production costs for the plant.. ...

RISCO, Mo. — Donnie Jenkins found himself back at the Risco High School gym Friday afternoon, but this time under very different circumstances. Friday was an opportunity to honor some hometown heroes, a group of men, women and one boy who helped save his life...

Grants assist with tree planting, inventory, removal, pruning and employee training.

VAN BUREN, Mo. - Ozark National Scenic Riverways will partner with Missouri State Parks to host “Outdoor Adventure Demonstration Day” at Current River State Park from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 15.   Visit with local outfitters, vendors, and agencies to discover activities available in the local area.  Try out a kayak or test drive a mountain bike. ...

The Portageville Bulldogs played a tight game against Caruthersville last Thursday, but Caruthersville pulled out the 21-9 victory. The game was tied at eight with Caruthersville batting in the top of the fourth when Taylor Moses singled off of Bailey Cook, driving in two runs...

In the great resurrection chapter of the Bible Paul writes, “So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 15:54-57)...

The Portageville FFA Chapter competed at District FFA contests on March 30 and April 1. The contests were held in Cape Girardeau at the Show-Me Center and the Cape Career and Technical Center. Portageville members competed in Dairy Foods Evaluation, Livestock Judging, FFA knowledge, Dairy Cattle Judging and Extemporaneous Speaking. ...

SIKESTON -- Wyatt Pratt spun a gem for the Sikeston Bulldogs baseball team striking out seven during their 8-4 win over conference mate Kennett on Wednesday at home. Pratt earned the win on the mound after six innings. He gave up three runs on five hits and walked four on 102 pitches. He also went 1 for 2 with two RBIs at the plate...

SIKESTON -- Thursday's 2-0 win over visiting Carbondale, Ill., was almost an exact replica of the Sikeston girls soccer team's victory 24 hours before. The Bulldogs jumped out in front during the first half and let their defense do the rest. The same happened against visiting Farmington during Wednesday's 3-1 win...

BENTON, Mo. -- Grant Menz hit a double and drove in two runs as a strong sixth-inning performance helped propel the host Hawks to the conference victory over the Red Devils. Jonathon Tyler went the distance on the mound to get the win for Kelly (7-7, 2-2 Scott-Mississippi Conference). He allowed four earned runs and tallied five strikeouts and one walk...

SIKESTON - Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill admitted some of her colleagues questioned the wisdom of her decision to hold eight town halls meetings this week in Missouri. Many of those meetings, they pointed out, are in areas which voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. - Two local men escaped serious injury Tuesday night when their vehicle was shot during an apparent drive-by shooting following some type of earlier altercation with a Sikeston, Mo., man. At about 9:35 p.m., Poplar Bluff police officers were sent to the area of 11th and Mary streets, where Cpl. Dusty Johnson found an unoccupied passenger car, with a broken window, in the 1100 block of North 11th Street...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Police have identified a man they believe robbed a Cape Girardeau man at gunpoint, stabbed him, and caused him to fall down a flight of stairs last week, but he remains at large. The Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney's Office charged Dominic T. Bradley, 22, of Sikeston, Missouri, with first-degree robbery, armed criminal action and first-degree assault Tuesday. All three charges are felonies...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- As planting season continues, area farmers may have dodged a bullet after a dry winter and a cold snap earlier this year. Anthony Ohmes, an agronomy specialist with the University of Missouri Agricultural Extension, said it's not clear the degree to which last month's weather will injure crops, especially wheat, but it's likely the first thing on many producers' minds...

SCOTT CITY, Mo. - One person is dead and another injured after a crash in Scott County on Wednesday. The crash, involving a tractor trailer and a car, occurred just before 11 p.m. Wednesday on Interstate 55 at mile marker 91.8, near the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport...

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- The case against the man charged in the August killing of Francisco Mendez appears to be heading for a jury trial. A trial date was set for Thursday, Sept. 14 at 9 a.m. inside the New Madrid County Courthouse. Josue Rivera is charged with first degree murder and armed criminal action following the Aug. ...

Miner Baptist Church held an Easter Egg Hunt Wednesday night.

SIKESTON - Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill admitted some of her colleagues questioned the wisdom of her decision to hold eight town halls meetings this week in Missouri. Many of those meetings, they pointed out, are in areas which voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump...

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Janet Mae Farrenburg Hall, 70, died April 10, 2017, at Sayre Christian Village in Lexington. Born May 31, 1946, in Sikeston, Mo., to the late Paul "Buck" Farrenburg and Lila Mae Snow Farrenburg, she was a wife, mother and grandmother, a graduate of Matthews High School and a retired licensed practical nurse...

BLOMFIELD, Mo. - Donald Ray Parks Sr., 78, died April 12, 2017. Born Dec. 27, 1938, he was the son of the late Doyle Ray Parks and Sarah Bernice (Shrum) Parks. On July 3, 1960, he married Alice L. Boyles. Survivors include four children and their spouses, Tina (Parks) and Larry Jarrell, Penny (Parks) and Aaron Conray, Donald (Bud) and Angie (Hood) Parks and Leebo and Sheri (Doerschlen) Parks; seven siblings, Mary Duncan, Bill Parks, Shirley Burton, Ruth Parks, Karen Sue Waggoneer, Bobby Parks and Onie Parks; 10 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.. ...

ORAN, Mo. - Donald Eugene Wilgus Sr., 87, died April 12, 2017, at his home in Oran. Born March 16, 1930, in Huntington, W.V., the son of the late Fred Wilgus and Elsie Rucker Wilgus, he served in the Army in 1951 as a platoon guide. Following his military service, he began a custom- home construction business. ...

CHARLESTON, Mo. - Mary ELizabeth Carr Shrum, 87, died April 13, 2017, at the Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at McMikle Funeral Home.

The Sikeston Kindergarten Center announced the Preschool Pups of the month for March. Pictured are front row: Kamiyah Herrion, Kyleigh Orlovski, Jaxon Allen, Matthew Halbert, James Kurzer and Assistant April Griffin; middle row: William Rodriguez, Ethan Gray, Everett Holley, Levi Atkins, Austin Sales and Charlotte Jacobsen; and back row principals Sarah Carbaugh and Jenny Hobeck...