Stories from Monday, February 15, 2021

Tanya Hillis, 44, of Silva, died Friday, Feb. 12, at her residence. Weather permitting, a visitation only will be held at 5 p.m. Tuesday, February 16, at Ruegg Funeral Home, Greenville Chapel. Please check our website often for any changes or updates. Online condolences: www.rueggfuneralhomes.com...

Poplar Bluff Street Superintendant Jerry Lawson arrived at 6:30 a.m. Monday, a half hour early, in anticipation of the day’s expected snowfall. Sunday night’s dusting wasn’t enough to send the plows out, but Lawson was expecting as much as 10 inches to fall in the city boundaries Monday afternoon...

Poplar Bluff’s post office has changed the open hours of its lobby area, where patrons can check their post office boxes. Previously, the lobby was open around the clock, seven days a week, but going forward its hours will be limited to when staff is on hand...

The story of a Vietnam veteran from Poplar Bluff who gave his life while serving his country and trying to save the lives of those he served with recently was shared nationally in “The American Legion” February 2021 magazine. Vietnam War hero Famous Lee Lane was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the United States Army’s second-highest military decoration for soldiers who display extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force...

Poplar Bluffian Michele Webb started cultivating the idea for her book “Dexter Fittin’ In” a few years ago, but her fast-paced career limited her time to write. Working in a global business world for 35-plus years, Webb’s career with American Express normally keeps her life filled with travel as well as virtual meetings...

POPLAR BLUFF FIRE DEPARTMENT City firefighters responded to a call at 1206 Grand Avenue Sunday, Feb. 14, and found a vacant building fully engulfed in flames. The fire was extinguished and a search for occupants found none. The owner showed up and confirmed the house was vacant. Firefighters used 5,000 gallons of water to put out the fire...

Poplar Bluff Street Department crews were out in force late Monday afternoon to clear roads covered with around 6 inches of snow. “We actually broke everything out about 2:30 p.m.,” said Superintendent Jerry Lawson. Lawson said he has crews in every sector of town, working their way through priority areas first, then into residential areas...

The Butler County Health Department will be working with the Missouri National Guard once more to distribute another round of the COVID-19 vaccine. The next clinic will be from 8a.m.-4p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17, at the Black River Coliseum. This is a primary dose (first dose) clinic, and will be open to those who fall in the current tiers and phases of the Missouri State Plan...

The recent stretch of much-colder-than-normal temperatures, combined with a pair of winter storms, is leading to unprecedented demand on power grids in Southeast Missouri and across the Midwest. Ozark Border Electric Cooperative has issued a peak alert effective through Friday and is asking members to reduce the use of electricity as much as possible to ease stress on the power grid...