Stories from Friday, February 1, 2019

Butler County Coroner Andy Moore has confirmed a student fatality due to an accident at the Poplar Bluff Early Childhood Center this morning. More information will be updated as details are released.

KENNETT — Two Malden teenagers were ordered to stand trial earlier this week for their alleged roles in the death of another teen, who authorities say was beaten over a dispute involving money and drugs. On Monday, Dunklin County Prosecuting Attorney Nicholas Jain amended the charges against Jalen Dashawn Miller and Malcomb Townsend McBride...

A Poplar Bluff woman made her first court appearance Thursday morning on murder charges stemming from the death of a man whose body was found at the end of a county road in eastern Butler County and on an unrelated drug charge. Shanesha Burns appeared before Associate Circuit Judge C. Wade Pierce for arraignment on the Class A felony of first-degree murder and the unclassified felony of armed criminal action or in the alternative second-degree murder, also known as felony murder...

A warrant was issued Wednesday for the arrest of a Poplar Bluff woman wanted for drug- and weapon-related charges stemming from an earlier traffic stop. Erica Renee Justice, 34, was charged with the Class E felony of unlawful use of a weapon, the Class A felony of first-degree drug trafficking, two Class C felonies of delivery of a controlled substance and the Class D misdemeanor of unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia by Butler County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Derek Spencer...

Poplar Bluff’s first PEO Chapter KB is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, but that’s a third the age of the international organization which is commemorating its 150th anniversary. P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization) is one of the oldest women’s organizations in North America, which started as a bond of friendship among seven young women in 1869 in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. ...

Margaret Harwell Art Museum will feature the alternative fired pottery of Van Buren artist Cindy Martin in a show that opens Saturday. Martin’s process creates a unique “crackling” appearance to the glaze of her pottery. Her pieces are removed from the kiln at 1,800 degrees, while they are glowing, and placed into containers with combustible materials...

Video Included The entire Neelyville R-IV School District gathered Thursday afternoon in what everyone believed was going to be a motivational speech. The only “motivational” news staff and students needed to continue their hard work was soon delivered. The district scored a 100 percent on the 2018 Annual Performance Report (APR) report for Missouri public school districts and charter public schools...

I must of been about 10 or 11 years old, and my family and I were living in De Soto, Missouri. It was on a warm, cloudless, summer day that my friends and I decided to ride our bikes over the railroad tracks and Joachim Creek to the high bluffs that run the length of De Soto. Our legs worked hard as we continued up to explore the rocky bluff that was hundreds of feet above the creek and railroad yards...

Larry Edward Bruce, 72, of Wewahitchka, Fla., formerly of Butler County, Mo., went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019 at his residence. He was born on Sept. 13, 1946 in Butler County and was of the Baptist faith. Mr. Bruce was an eight year US Army veteran and retired as the former Chief Deputy of Wayne County Mo. His hobbies were fishing, cooking and being around his grandchildren...

CAMPBELL, Mo. — Tom Everett, 86, of Campbell, died Friday, Feb. 1, at his residence. Visitation will be from 6 - 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 2 at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell. The funeral will be at 2 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 3 at the funeral home with Mr. James Powell and Mr. Robert Ferguson officiating. Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery in Campbell...

GREENVILLE, Mo. — Uvonne Elizabeth Bollinger, 74 of Greenville, died Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019 at her residence. Visitation will be at 5 p.m., Monday, Feb. 4, at Ruegg Funeral Home, Greenville. The funeral will be at 1 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 5, also at the Greenville chapel. Burial will be in the Crossroads Cemetery...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Dora Catherine Alexander Jennings, passed away Friday, Feb. 1, 2019 at Oakdale Residential Care Center. Catherine, the daughter of the late John H. and Ella M. Rutledge Stovall, was born Oct. 16, 1929 in East Prairie, Mo. She moved to Butler County in 1937, where she resided most of her life. Catherine was a member of Fairview Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff...

By DENISE KINDER Staff Writer

A Poplar Bluff Early Childhood student has died following what is being described as a “tragic accident” at approximately 10 a.m. Friday. The name of the child, a 4-year-old boy, is not being released at this time, officials said. According to Poplar Bluff Superintendent Dr. Scott Dill, students were participating in a physical education class where multiple adults were supervising children...

That Cindy Jackson grew up in a town called Amity — it means friendliness — must seem pretty appropriate to the approximately 200 guests who helped celebrate her retirement this week. That she was a shy kid and once wore skirts and heels to a job at a bank might seem a little harder to picture...

The University of Missouri Extension Council of Butler County elected seven people for a two-year term, according to Butler County Engagement Specialist Stephanie Milner. The winners are Dean Dye, Stephanie Knoppe, Jared Lane, Joe Clark, Faye Smody, Sharon Beck and David Johnson...

Poplar Bluff is rich. Perhaps not rich in the sense of material wealth but rich in history and stories which make us who we are. As a result of visiting our museums and participating in public events we learn where we have been and where we are going. ...

Missouri State Highway Patrol has confirmed there was a fatality in an accident on Highway ZZ in Stoddard County, occurring around noon. No further information will be available until next of kin is notified, according to the patrol. The accident occurred at the bridge, 3/4 of a mile off Highway 60...