OGLESVILLE — Authorities believe an armed suspect who fled into a rural Butler County residence Tuesday morning escaped before a perimeter could be set up around the home. The home was found unoccupied when SWAT members from the Sikeston Department of Public Safety entered sometime after 3:15 p.m., said Butler County Sheriff Mark Dobbs. Entrance was made pursuant to a search warrant, he said...

Filing for Butler County and statewide offices for the Aug. 4 primary election ended at 5 p.m. Tuesday, and 12 of them include multiple candidates. Races for three county offices from Butler County will be contested, according to county clerk Tonyi Deffendall, as will three township primaries and one Poplar Bluff position...

> Three Stoddard County incumbents will receive challenges in the upcoming Aug. 4 primary election. > The fields were finalized at 5 p.m. Tuesday, as the filing period ended. > Republican Tim McCoy is challenging Republican incumbent Carl Hefner for sheriff, Republican incumbent Steve W. Jordan and J.W. Mattingly will battle for first district commissioner and Republican incumbent Carol Jarrell, Jeff Riddle and Willard Adams will vie to become second district commissioner...

JEFFERSON CITY — Out of an abundance of caution and in response to recent events, Missouri State Parks will modify operations at five state parks to address overcrowding and concerns regarding public safety. The modifications, including the temporary closure of four of Missouri’s state parks and partial closure of one additional park, go into effect at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 2, and are scheduled to continue until April 30...

Butler County has had a resident test positive for COVID-19, according to a release shortly after 11 a.m. by the Butler County Health Department. This is the first COVID-19 diagnosis among Butler County residents. No additional information was released in the notification, which went out via the health department's app...