Stories from Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center is currently treating seven patients for COVID-19. Johnnna Craft, PBRMC director of risk management and facilities compliance officer, added Wednesday that the hospital was treating zero patients for coronavirus a week ago...

Election night was hampered in Butler County by “system” problems that delayed the release of results. Normally available by 9 p.m. on election night, the results were still pending as of 11 p.m. It is rare for Butler County to see lengthy delays in the tabulation of election results...

Butler County has a new public administrator and a new coroner. Newly elected public administrator Jeffrey Darnell, 56, started getting phone calls and text messages telling him he won, while he and his family were out picking up his campaign signs Tuesday night...

MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL David L. Wallace, 58, of Poplar Bluff was arrested at 10:43 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4, on a Butler County failure to appear warrant for dangerous drugs and on suspicion of leaving the scene of an accident. He was booked in the Butler County jail...

City firefighters responded at 12:35 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5, to reports of a system malfunction at Oakdale Assisted Living Center at 2711 Debbie Lane. According to the report, firefighters walked the facility and found no smoke or smell. The facility manager attempted to reset the system, but couldn’t and was directed to contact the company...

Great Circle’s Poplar Bluff shelter has racked up a long list of successes as it is approaching the two-year mark since its opening in October 2018. First and foremost, Great Circle has had around 200 placements of children since it opened almost two years ago, said Michael Turner, the director of the Poplar Bluff and Doniphan Great Circle shelters...

In a time when police funding has been questioned across the nation, Butler County voters sent a clear message Tuesday when they overwhelming supported a sales tax to benefit law enforcement locally. By a margin of 5,737 yes votes (65.9%) to 2,666 no votes (34.1%), voters approved a quarter-cent sales tax...

Wayne County Shiloh Cemeteries Association’s memorial service and lunch for 2020 has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing recommendations. Donations may be made to Shiloh Cemetery Association and mailed to P.O. Box 136, Wappapello, Mo. 63966...

Evelyn Bilbrey, 82, of Williamsville, Missouri, passed away Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020, at her residence. Visitation is Friday, Aug. 7, from 10-11 a.m. at Duncan Cemetery, Piedmont. Funeral service is at 11 a.m. ,also at Duncan Cemetery. Burial will follow...

Poplar Bluff High School’s trap team competed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday at the AIM Grand Nationals event in Sparta, Illinois, and as usual, team members had a strong showing and made their school and city proud. “It was very stiff competition, with shooters from all 50 states and Canada,” said coach Sandy Pike. “Again, these kids showed their grit and what they are made of. They represent Poplar Bluff well and make us proud each time they take the field.”...

The SEMO Friends of NRA is gearing up for its 28th annual banquet, which is set for Aug. 22 at the Black River Coliseum in Poplar Bluff. “We’re hoping for around 400 people,” said banquet chairman Andrew Heuiser, who noted the attendance will be lower this year than recent events because of the COVID-19 pandemic...

By FRANCIS SKALICKY Mo. Dept. of Conservation CAPE GIRARDEAU — Staff at the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Southeast Regional Office and Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center will soon be able to greet visitors with words they’ve been waiting to say since March: We’re open...

Being outdoors is good for us. Nature and fresh air can help us relax and feel less stressed. Most of us can sure use that after all we have been through, and still going through with the COVID-19 virus. We need to be taking care of our immune system to help battle this. Exercise, sunlight, and the outdoors have all been shown to help with that...

After a lengthy wait Tuesday night, the residents of Butler County heard election results, which included the defeat of two incumbents and the re-election of a third.