Stories from Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Craig Lansford of Century 21, Terri Whitten of Century 21 and Tom Wright of Miracle Ear

The Poplar Bluff Kindergarten Center was able to significantly expand its playground in April with equipment designed for gross motor skill development through fundraising efforts. Three sets of monkey bars have been added to the outdoor play space east of the facility, with height gauged by students of varying sizes, and a balance beam was added along with other pods. ...

The Three Rivers Buglers chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will kick off its third decade of conservation work May 11 when it hosts its 21st annual big game banquet at the Black River Coliseum in Poplar Bluff. “We expect a great crowd,” said committee member Rick White, who anticipates 400 or more people to attend. “It’s amazing the support we get from the community, and we appreciate it.”...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Ronnie Lavell Webb Jr. 36, of Poplar Bluff died Tuesday, April 23, 2019 at his residence. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m on Friday April 26 at Mt. Calvary Powerhouse on Speedway Drive. Funeral services will follow at 11 a.m at the church. Interment will follow in the City Cemetery.

NEELYVILLE, Mo. — Calvin Ray Byrd, 53, of Doniphan, Mo., died Tuesday, April 23, 2019 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Private services will be at Fowler & Sons Funeral Home in Neelyville. Burial will be in the Naylor Memorial Cemetery.

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo.— Anne Francis Williams, 51, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, April 13 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. There will be a memorial service at a later date. Condolences: www.cotrellfuneralservice.com

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Lori Anne Steward Hardin, 53, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Sunday, April 21, 2019 at her residence. Visitation will begin at 11 a.m. Friday at Cotrell Funeral Chapel with the funeral service following at noon. The Rev. Nathan Kirkley will officiate. Burial will follow in the Woodlawn section of the City Cemetery.

PIEDMONT, Mo. — Richard G. Lake, 56, of Piedmont died Wednesday, April 24, 2019 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation will be at 4 p.m., Saturday, April 27 at Ruegg Funeral Home, Piedmont. Memorial will follow at 5 p.m. also in the Piedmont Chapel...

Missouri’s turkey season is rolling along, and we’ve just passed the halfway point. Typically, the second week tends to see the lowest harvest of the three, so you could say we’re in that mid-season lull. As of Wednesday afternoon, the statewide kill was at 23,079 birds, and checking last year’s numbers over the same period, it looks like the harvest currently is up about 14%. ...

Kechi Okwuchi, a finalist on “America’s Got Talent” during the television show’s 12th season and one of two survivors of a plane crash, will be the afternoon keynote speaker for the 32nd annual Women Aware Conference on Sept. 19 at the Black River Coliseum in Poplar Bluff...

The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 3.7 magnitude earthquake rumbled the region at 5:56 a.m. Wednesday. Centered 7 1/2 miles north, northwest of Dyersburg, Tennessee, at a depth of nearly 9 miles, it was the strongest earthquake along the New Madrid seismic zone since a 3.6 magnitude quake in January 2018...

The area’s top teachers were honored during the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual Teacher of the Year Banquet on Wednesday evening. Seven teachers from Three Rivers College, Poplar Bluff R-1, Sacred Heart and Westwood Baptist Academy were recognized for their dedication and service to area students...

Fourth grade students will join fifth graders at Qulin Middle School next year in the gymnasium to better utilize the building space and teacher’s strengths. The Twin Rivers R-X Board of Education unanimously approved the move in a 6-0 vote Wednesday during a special meeting with member Donna Sue Ashcraft-Fincher absent...