Stories from Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Before former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg threw his hat into the 2020 presidential race, he defended the New York Police Department's use of "stop, question and frisk" policing. At a United States Naval Academy's 2019 Leadership Conference, Bloomberg said, "We focused on keeping kids from going through the correctional system ... ...

Is career and technical education important today? Definitely! The future of career education is increasing rapidly, and the Poplar Bluff School District is working to meet those needs so current and future students are prepared for success. The president of the United States recently released a proposed budget increase in career and technical education (CTE) of over $900 million. ...

"We're full, our system's full, our country's full!" That was President Donald Trump last year at our southern border. "Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families." That was Trump in January 2017 at his inaugural address...

Poplar Bluff and Butler County will be testing the outdoor warning sirens on Saturday and Tuesday, according to Butler County Emergency Management Director Robbie Myers. Saturday’s testing will occur between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. “On Feb. 29, Poplar Bluff Severe Weather Response Team members and other community volunteer partners will be assisting in testing sirens while we also conduct some onsite maintenance at each siren. ...

The general public construction job fair will still be held Wednesday and Thursday at Three Rivers College despite the college being closed for the of the week. Sponsored by TRC and the Associated General Contractors of Missouri, the job fair to be held between 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday and from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday at the Bess Activity Center on the Three Rivers College campus...

Two local banquets highlight the weekend calendar for area sportsmen, and they’re both being held Saturday evening. The first is the fifth annual Outdoorsmen With a Mission banquet, which will be held at Poplar Bluff’s First Baptist Church. The doors will open at 5 p.m. for a social hour, followed by a barbecue and fish dinner and a live auction...

For the second consecutive night, the Poplar Bluff Police Department is investigating reports of shots having struck a home. At about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, a homeowner in the 1900 block of Sanders Street reported hearing six shots, one of which struck her home, said police Lt. Josh Stewart...

DONIPHAN — A Doniphan woman was arrested Tuesday on a warrant charging her with possessing pornographic images of prepubescent females engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Rosemary H. Straughn, 29, was arrested at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at her residence by the Missouri State Highway Patrol on a Ripley County warrant for the Class D felony of possession of child pornography and a Ripley County failure to appear warrant for a drug offense...

City firefighters responded at 6:36 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25, to a report of a structure fire at the 609 Lindsay St. residence occupied by James Bean and owned by Jim Hobbs. According to the report, Bean told firefighters there had been a small fire in the bathroom, and he had put it out...

MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL Robert C. Widding, 48, of Doniphan was arrested at 4:45 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, on suspicion of first-degree drug trafficking, tampering with a motor vehicle, no valid license, DWI, possession of drug paraphernalia, no seat belt and no insurance and a Carter County warrant. He was booked at the Ripley County Sheriff’s Department...

WAPPAPELLO — The summer holiday fireworks display at Wappapello Lake, traditionally presented during the weekend nearest the Fourth of July, has been rescheduled this year and now will occur on the Memorial Day weekend in late May. It’s a move organizers hope will prevent the loss of visitors on a Saturday when several other local communities will host their own displays...

The Mules Booster Club has named Kiley Bess and Quinten Bell of Poplar Bluff High School the January Athletes of the Month, presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors. Quinten, a senior wrestler, is 31-6 this season with 14 pins, adding to his career total of 121 wins, the seventh all-time highest. ...

When sold to the citizens of Butler County in 2007, the Poplar Bluff Community Supervision Center was to be a facility housing local, nonviolent offenders. Now, 12 years later, Butler County and Poplar Bluff officials are concerned the facility’s purpose and clientele has changed, causing it to morph into a “half-way house,” where sex offenders are being housed...

A group of Poplar Bluff Middle School fifth graders made a $200 donation to the Animal Shelter on Thursday, Feb. 20, after spearheading a weeklong T-shirt campaign.

Glen Estel Urich of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020, after a 16-year battle with cancer. Glen was born in Poplar Bluff on May 10, 1942, to Roy and Geneva Urich. He married Mary Clanahan Urich in June of 1963, and they had one son, Kelly...

Officials continue to investigate the network disruption that occurred Tuesday afternoon at Three Rivers College.