Stories from Monday, July 24, 2023

An 8-year-old boy drowned Saturday on the St. Francis River, according to authorities. The child was reported missing around 4 p.m. Saturday, the Clay County, Arkansas, sheriff’s department reported. The child was identified as Layton Boyster, a student at Piggott Elementary School...

Beverly Barnes, 73, of Clarkton died Saturday at her residence.

The Missouri State Fire Marshal is investigating a building fire to which Poplar Bluff firefighters responded twice during the weekend. Butler County firefighters assisted by supplying a water tanker. The first call to the fire at 2065 Iron Bridge Road was at 6:22 p.m. Saturday and the second was at 12:32 p.m. Sunday...

Clarence Ray Russom, Jr., 63, of Wappapello, Missouri, passed away peacefully in his home Saturday, July 22, 2023. Mr. Russom was born June 14, 1960 in St. Louis, Missouri, son of the late Clarence Ray (Clint) and Maxine Russom. He was a member of Rombauer GB Church...

The July meeting of the Poplar Bluff R-1 school board was the first for two new district administrators, Superintendent Dr. Aaron Cornman and Assistant Superintendent for Finance Charles Kinsey. While a new superintendent usually attracts the most attention, it was Kinsey who did most of the heavy lifting in a meeting where the emphasis was approving payments for a number of district maintenance and capital improvement projects...

Poplar Bluff emergency responders were called to two different accidents Saturday in the area of Davis, Bradley, Benton and Neat streets At 4:35 p.m. Poplar Bluff police and firefighters responded to a leaving the scene accident Bradley and Davis streets. A juvenile male reported his mini bike was struck by a maroon pickup, which left the scene...

Howard Denaman Jones, 83, of Harviell, Missouri, passed away July 21, 2023 at his residence. He was born, May 29, 1940 at Manila, Arkansas to the late Saul Jones and Lorine “Melton” Jones. On Oct. 8, 1960, He was married to Barbara Ellen French at Oxly, Missouri. She survives...

Jason Wade Banks, 48, of Wappapello was booked at Butler County jail Sunday, July 23, for failure to appear on the original charge of first degree burglary. _ Louis Van Buchanan, 49, of Poplar Bluff was booked at Butler County jail Sunday, July 23, to serve 10 days shock detention...