Stories from Friday, February 28, 2020

According to CNN, Bernie Sanders "has been consistent for 40 years." Some find this reassuring. Sanders is not a finger-in-the-wind politician who tacks this way or that depending upon what's popular. On the other hand, if someone has never changed his mind throughout 78 years of life, it suggests ideological rigidity and imperviousness to evidence, not high principle...

Dale Kennedy and Abby Hanner presented a program about CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate program) to the Butler County Retired Teachers and School Personnel Feb. 19. The group also heard from Kadi Dare about a marker recycling program being instituted in Poplar Bluff elementary schools...

Not until well into the Democratic debate Tuesday night did the COVID-19 coronavirus come up, and it was Mike Bloomberg, not a CBS moderator, who raised it: "The president fired the pandemic specialist in this country two years ago," the former New York mayor said. "There's nobody here to figure out what the hell we should be doing. And he's defunded the CDC."...

Not a single member of Congress should reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act program that's coming up for a vote mid-March unless significant reforms are made that protect Americans' civil liberties and privacy. This includes protections for the current president of the United States, and future administrations and their associates, who should never be spied on for illegitimate and political purposes like we saw during the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane operation against Donald Trump and his campaign in the lead up to the 2016 election.. ...

Mark Jr. and Amber Hackworth of Piedmont are the parents of a son born at 9.16 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, 2020, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. They selected the named Cody James Hackworth for their 8-pound 5-ounce son who measured 20 inches. He joins two sisters Haylee and Ashlee in the home...

In the 11-plus years since sales for the Missouri Lottery’s Show Me Cash game began, Paul Taylor of Poplar Bluff said he has won $250 a few times by matching four out of five numbers drawn. On Feb. 17, however, Taylor was matched all five numbers to win a $50,000 jackpot...

Robert “Rob” Miller Hentz, 60, of O’Fallon, Mo., died Friday, Feb. 21, 2020, from injuries sustained in a traffic accident. Rob was born on Feb. 20, 1960, in Poplar Bluff, Mo., to the late William G. Hentz and Raona Miller Hentz Nilsson. He was the oldest of their seven children. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, – Saint Francis Healthcare System will hold the 15th Annual Indoor Triathlon at Fitness Plus at 8 a.m. March 7. The 2020 Indoor Triathlon includes a 300-yard swim in the lap pool, five-mile ride on a stationary bike and two-mile run on the 1/8-mile indoor track. Participants may compete as individuals or as part of a team...

Mark Jr. and Amber Hackworth of Piedmont are the parents of a son born at 9:16 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, 2020, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. They selected the named Cody James Hackworth for their 8-pound 5-ounce son ,who measured 20 inches. He joins two sisters Haylee and Ashlee in the home...

Rita Belinda White, 61, passed away Feb. 23, 2020, at Riverways Manor in Van Buren, Mo. Rita was born Oct. 20, 1958, in Wyatt, Mo., to parents Otis Eugene and Pansy Ann (Parker) Poynor. In Rita’s lifetime, she had many jobs. She loved spending time with family and friends, going to church, spending time in the sun, and enjoying life! Rita was also involved in the RU program at Westwood Baptist Church. ...

City firefighters responded at 4:51 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, to a call about an unauthorized burn at the 825 Lester St. home owned by Jason Scaggs. According to the report, firefighters used 20 gallons of water to extinguish the backyard fire and told Scaggs about the city’s burn ordinance...

_ William Dale Obarr, 32, of the 350 block of South 11th Street was arrested at 8:54 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, at Probation and Parole on a failure to appear warrant for sterling. He was booked at the Butler County jail. _ Terry L. Atkins, 35, of the 500 block of North Sixth Street was arrested at 9:15 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, at Main and Apple streets on a Probation and Parole warrant for larceny. He was booked at the Butler County jail...

Thomas Castillo, 77, of Wappapello died Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020 at his residence. Mr. Castillo was born Tuesday, June 2, 1942 in Nueveo Leon, Mexico to the late Thomas and Guadalupe Castillo. He was a member of New Home General Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff. On June 30, 1961 he married Doris Adams. She survives...

A nearly month long search for Desean R. Bell ended early Friday morning after authorities received a tip saying he was seen driving on a Poplar Bluff street. Authorities had been searching for the 21-year-old since Feb. 1 when he allegedly shot Keith L. Whitehead, 27, of Neelyville...

The Butler County Community Resource Council named Tracy Campbell, health educator with the Butler County Health Department, as the Person of the Year 2019 on Friday.

City council The Poplar Bluff City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Monday in the city council chambers at 301 S. Fifth St. Workshop items include: • Discussion of a recommendation for architectural service for the proposed police station building. • Discussion of a recommendation authorizing the Mayor to enter into a loan agreement with First Midwest Bank of Poplar Bluff for a short term loan for the acquisition of the real property along Shelby Road in Poplar Bluff for the construction of a police station from Fist Missouri State Bank of Poplar Bluff.. ...

Qulin Middle School recently released the honor roll and merit roll for fourth through eighth grade students from the first semester.

BOLIVAR, Mo. – An area student has been awarded scholarships for her efforts in Southwest Baptist University’s Scholars Day event, hosted on the Bolivar campus.

The administration and faculty of Poplar Bluff Junior High School announced the February Students of the Month for Physical Education.

BLOOMFIELD — Stoddard County Sheriff Carl Hefner reports after an extensive narcotics investigation concerning distribution of methamphetamine, a search warrant was served on Jeremy Lott’s residence located in rural Bloomfield

Just in time for the spring storm season, the Poplar Bluff Severe Weather Response Team has a new weapon in its arsenal to protect the citizens of Butler County. For the last several months, the team has been testing an internet-enabled camera, which will help them see approaching storms from a better vantage point...

A ransomware attack at Three Rivers College caused the shut down of most operations earlier this week and continues to impact systems, officials have released.

The Cane Creek Club held a heartfelt meeting Feb. 19 at the home of Wilma Rains. The meeting was called to order by praying “The Lord’s Prayer” and reciting the Pledge to the Allegiance. The roll call, telling a New Year’s resolution, was answered by the four members present...

I loved Adam Holtz’ devotional in the May 18, 2018, edition of Our Daily Bread. He shared a time when his brilliant solution to a clogged toilet was to flush it again. The result was the opposite of what he had hoped, and he watched helplessly as instead disappearing, the contents of the toilet spilled onto his bathroom floor. Him yelling “No! No! No! NO!” did nothing to change things...