Stories from Saturday, February 2, 2019

Trailing by 15 points midway through the fourth quarter, the Poplar Bluff Mules staged a furious rally Friday night. Sikeston held on with six free throws in the final 19 seconds after its lead was cut to a single point as the Mules fell short 103-96 in front of a standing-room only homecoming crowd at the Senior High Gym...

PIEDMONT, Mo. — Norman C. Barks, 99, of Piedmont, died Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019 at the Clark’s Mountain Nursing Center in Piedmont. Visitation will be held at noon Monday, Feb. 4, 2019 at the Morrison-Worley Funeral Chapel in Piedmont. Funeral services will follow at 1 p.m. Monday at the funeral home chapel...

PIEDMONT, Mo. — Norma G. Ross, 84 of Piedmont, died Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019 at the Clark’s Mountain Nursing Center in Piedmont. Visitation will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Morrison-Worley Chapel in Piedmont. Funeral services will follow at 3 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home chapel...

Area school districts, including Poplar Bluff R-1 and Twin Rivers R-X, have learned how their students performed on the state’s annual testing program with either increased scores or holding very close to the previous year’s score. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) announced statewide results Friday morning for both the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) and district Annual Performance Reports (APR) for the 2017-18 school year...

NEELYVILLE, Mo. — Gina Renee Preston, 47, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Ms. Preston was born Oct. 24, 1971 in Poplar Bluff and was a restaurant waitress. She is survived by her significant other: Ron Kerr; four children: William McGavock, Kara Kissee, Jared Noblin and Tanya Phelps; one brother: Salvador Vitello; and seven grandchildren: Ryli, Baylee, Skylah, Ralie, Jacob, Steven and Colton...

An autopsy was performed Saturday on a 4-year-old student who died Friday at the Poplar Bluff Early Childhood Center when two safety latches on a wall mounted table failed and struck the boy. The autopsy was performed by Dr. Russell Deidiker in Farmington, Mo., according to Butler County Coroner Andy Moore...

When it opens today, the Libla Family Sports Complex will usher in a new era for the Three Rivers College athletics program. The state-of-the-art arena will be a whole new ballgame for fans and the college. Gene Bess Court is at the center of $10.5 million project that took a little over three years to complete after nearly a decade of planning...