Stories from Friday, November 1, 2019

Dear Editor, This letter is A Tale of Two City Projects, with apologies to Charles Dickens for such an awful pun. PROJECT NUMBER ONE: Poplar Bluff taxpayers deserve a new, purpose-built City Hall. They’ve not had one since 1982, when the city abandoned the long-antiquated red brick structure built in 1902 on the southwest corner of South Broadway and Cedar streets...

A 38-year-old Doniphan man was seriously injured when he was struck by a truck at 7:45 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, on U.S. 160, one-half mile west of County Road 160W-1, one mile west of Doniphan. According to the report, Robert D. Yount, 29, of Doniphan was operating a 2016 Chevrolet pickup westbound when it struck Jonathan R. Brewer, who was walking in the road...

Legacy Hospice of Poplar Bluff will be hosting a bereavement luncheon from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m Saturday, Nov. 2, at Fellowship General Baptist Church, 3581 Highway 67 North in Poplar Bluff. The purpose of the event is to honor deceased loved ones and offer support to their families...

MALDEN — Gene Autry Perkins, 76, of Jonesboro, Ark., died Monday, Oct. 21, 2019 at St. Bernards Hospital in Jonesboro. Visitation will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Malden Community Center. The funeral will follow at 1 p.m. with Rev. Robert Dennis officiating. Burial with full military rites will be in Macedonia Cemetery in Malden...

MALDEN — Dora Elizabeth Keaster, 87, of Lilbourn, Mo., died Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019 at the Delta South Medical Center in Sikeston. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2 at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3 at Bradshaw Chapel in Malden with Rev. Gene Lancaster officiating. Burial will be in Park Cemetery in Malden...

City firefighters responded at 2:25 a.m. Friday, Nov. 1, to an alarm at 2781 N. Westwood Blvd. It was investigation only. _ City firefighters responded at 2:44 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, to a report of an unauthorized burn at 2003 Tennessee Ave. According to the report, firefighters found a large pile of furniture and trash burning in a vacant lot next 2003 Tennessee and used 50 gallons of water to put out the fire...

MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL Jamie L. Dugan, 19, of Piedmont was arrested at 6:16 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was booked at the Wayne County Jail...

Holly Beard‘s eyes light up and her voice fills with zeal as she talks about amateur, or ham, radio. The Poplar Bluffian always knew she wanted a career in community service, which lead her into law enforcement, first working for a municipal police department in a Chicago, Illinois, suburb before being hired by the Missouri State Highway Patrol as a trooper. A work-related injury eventually ended her 12-year career, which left a void in her life...

VAN BUREN — Carmen ‘Susie’ Gail Weaver, 81, of Fremont, Mo., died Oct. 31, 2019 at the Riverways Manor Nursing Home in Van Buren. Visitation will be at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4 at the McSpadden Funeral Home in Van Buren. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5 in the funeral home chapel with Rev. Wayne Lunyou officiating. Burial will be in the Fremont Cemetery in Fremont...

Margaret Harwell Art Museum will host a reception Sunday for the 66th annual Poplar Bluff Artists Guild Regional Juried Art Exhibit. The event will be held from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, at the museum, according to organizers. Awards, including People’s Choice, will be presented at 3:30 p.m. The People’s Choice Award will be voted on by attendees of the reception. The exhibit will run through Dec. 1...

GREENVILLE — Drusilla “Peggy” Crutchfield, 68, of Greenville died Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019 at St. Louis University Hospital, St. Louis. Visitation will be at 11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 3 at Ruegg Funeral Home, Greenville. The funeral will follow at 2 p.m. in the Greenville chapel.

BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. —Kathie Reed, 75, of Blue Springs, formerly of Poplar Bluff, died Oct. 20 at her residence. Visitation will be from 9:30 - 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 11 at St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church in Blue Springs. Memorial services will follow at 11 a.m. in the church...

“It’s going to be a jewel in Southeast Missouri,” Dr. Scott Dill, Poplar Bluff R-I superintendent, said about the new Early Childhood Center, which will open next school year.

FREE ACCESS Poplar Bluff city officials will again ask voters on Tuesday to approve a use tax, a measure they say would help support struggling budgets. The ballot measure asks residents to allow the city to collect sales tax on certain online purchases in the same way sales tax is collected at a local brick and mortar business...