Stories from Saturday, July 11, 2020

The city of Poplar Bluff is facing some difficult decisions this month as it tries to balance a budget that has been in the red for many years. Some years it has been relatively small compared to its $12 million to $15 million budget. It may have been less than $50,000...

I can’t remember a time when so much effort was invested in silencing Americans’ right to express themselves. In one town in California, arsonists targeted homes of those flying the American flag. On social media, conservative voices are being erased through intimidation, threats, and outright censorship. ...

Visitors to the Butler County Courthouse will be required to wear a face covering starting Monday after four employees there recently tested positive for COVID-19. Presiding Circuit Judge Michael Pritchett issued an order Saturday that said, “all who seek entry to the courthouse must wear a mask while present until further order of the Court. Please observe signs and other directives as social distancing will be strictly enforced.”...

An 18-year-old Poplar Bluff man died Saturday when he drowned in Black River. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol report, James A. Muller was swinging from a rope into the water 1/4 of a mile south of County Road 608 in Butler County. Muller began to struggle then submerged and did not resurface...