Stories from Saturday, January 12, 2019

Poplar Bluffian Erin Ceesay will be the keynote speaker for the local Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration beginning at 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 21, at the Historic Wheatley School, 921 Garfield St. Ceesay “is a young progressive person from the community,” a planning committee member said. She is a graduate of Rust College and Liberty University, where she earned a master’s degree. She is a quality assurance specialist with the Missouri Department of Mental Health...

Shortcomings in revenue will necessitate the Butler County Sheriff’s Department eating into its dwindling reserves to cover a nearly $250,000 shortfall in its 2019 budget. “The (projected) revenue from our law enforcement (sales) tax was basically the same as last year’s; it’s not growing any,” Butler County Sheriff Mark Dobbs explained...

A Friday burglary investigation may result in a Broseley man facing federal charges for illegally possessing a firearm. At about 9 a.m. Friday, Butler County Cpl. James “Bo” Skinner was contacted by Dallas Tanner who reported Nathern Carlton Wombles has broken into his Highway Z residence and was still there...

Last day to file is Tuesday.

When he moved back to his hometown after retiring from a career in public education in 1988, Tom Lawson recalled his wife asking, “You have been busy all your life. What are you going to do when we get to Poplar Bluff.” As it turned out, a lot. There was help in getting a half-cent capital improvement tax passed, his 12 years as city manager during which the Black River Coliseum was built, the library expanded as well as parks and more city streets were paved...