Stories from Friday, February 25, 2022

One person is dead after a fire broke out in a Butler County home early Friday morning. The victim, according to Butler County Coroner Jim Akers, is 63-year-old Bruce Morelan, who resided in the 600 block of County Road 323. “We got the call at 9:14 a.m.,” said Butler County Fire Chief Bob Fredwell...

The Poplar Bluff R-I School District ushered in new construction projects and created one new position during its Feb. 17 board meeting. The board approved plans to build a new culinary arts facility on the Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center campus. The program trains students in all aspects of restaurant work and prepares them to be immediately employable after graduation. It currently operates out of the Mules Cafe adjoining the district administration office, about 3.5 miles from TCC...

The Neelyville R-IV School Board named a Poplar Bluff elementary school instructional interventionist to be the new elementary principal. Amy Courtney will start with the district in the next school year, according to a decision made by the board Feb. 15...

Neelyville schools will look for a new health insurance carrier after a proposed 9.3% increase from the current provider. The school board received an update this month on renewal information from Education Benefit Association regarding health insurance with Anthem. The broker is Wallstreet Group...

FISK, Mo. — Troy Lee Crafford, 58, of Fisk, Missouri, died Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Mr. Crafford was born April 21, 1963, in Poplar Bluff to the late Donald and Helen Crafford. He loved tractors and enjoyed tinkering with them and vehicles. He enjoyed spending time with his friends...

Students of all ages attend the Succeeding in School tutoring program at Wheatley School. To them, Black History Month is a chance to dig deeper into the history and legacies of Black Americans. Former Poplar Bluff Mayor Robert Smith, who volunteers with the program, agrees. It is vital for children, regardless of skin color, to take advantage of the new horizons opening in the study and recognition of the past...

Susan Lee Combs, 56, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri passed away Feb. 23, 2022 at her home in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Susan was born Feb. 18, 1966, to the late Booker and LeFlora (Green) Combs in Sikeston, Missouri. Susan was a member of Mt. Calvary Church in Parma, Missouri. She loved to be around family and friends but most of all her kids, grandkids and siblings. She enjoyed Bingo and was always the life of the party...

National Weather Service Paducah has determined the wind event that flipped vehicles and tore open outbuildings near Neelyville on Tuesday morning was not a tornado, but a downburst. At 5:15 a.m. Tuesday, southeast of Neelyville, residents were already dealing with a storm when suddenly winds spiked to between 80-90 miles per hour. Buildings, trees and vehicles sustained varying levels of damage. There was some debate over whether the event was a short-lived tornado...