Stories from Thursday, April 2, 2020

Bears are invading Poplar Bluff and the surrounding area. Reportedly friendly, the creatures may remind you of a grizzly, black, brown, polar or the cuddly teddy bear. They are being spotted in windows, doorways, vehicles and on signs by families who are using the bear hunt as a safe way to practice social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic...

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Jason Smith (R-MO) praised the Trump Administration’s updated Medicare guidance announced on Monday, which will permit health care providers to evaluate seniors over the telephone instead of in person or requiring a video conference. Smith has been urging the Administration to make this change to Medicare’s telehealth requirements after hearing concerns from rural health care providers...

McDonald’s restaurants throughout Southeast Missouri are offering free beverages to those working extra hard to serve their communities at this time. Now through April 30, first responders and healthcare workers can show their employee badge or ID in the drive-thru for a free beverage of their choice...

Larry Victor Lade, 76, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. passed away March 31, 2020 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Larry was born April 8, 1943 to Victor and Pauline (Hornbeck) Lade in Texas. He married Deborah Lade Feb. 24, 2003 in Corning, Ark. She preceded him in death April 24, 2019...

MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL A 21-year-old Oak Ridge man was killed and three others injured in a one-vehicle crash at 8:22 p.m. Wednesday, April 1, on Larch Lane, south of Highway FF, in Cape Girardeau County. According to the report, Ashton J. McCants, 17, of Jackson was operating a 2006 Ford pickup southbound when it ran off the road. McCants reportedly overcorrected, which caused his truck to overturn, ejecting Bobby R. Spears...

City firefighters responded at 12:03 a.m. Thursday, April 2, to a report of a small trash fire behind 509 Poplar St. It was investigation only. _____

Leroy Dale Lovette, Sr., 84, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Wednesday, April 1, 2020 at his residence with his loving family at his bedside. Leroy, the fourth of 11 children of the late John Clifford and Mabel Isabel Lovette, was born April 29, 1935, in Parma, Mo. ...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Smaller local governments are issuing stay-at-home orders to slow the spread of the coronavirus in Missouri, where the governor hasn't issued a statewide order.

Butler County has confirmed a second positive case of COVID-19. The results were received Wednesday night, said Emily Goodin with the Butler County Health Department. The test was performed on Monday, March 30, she said. The individual is self quarantining at home, Goodin said...

About two weeks ago, Markie Madden was on her lunch break at JC Penney and went next door to Walmart. All she wanted was a can of beans. "They were completely wiped out of everything," Madden said. "That's literally all I wanted, was a bag of pinto beans or something."...

Gabrielle “Gwen” Gamble, 57, of Piedmont, died Friday, March 27, 2020. A visitation will be Saturday, 2-3:30 p.m., April 4, 2020, at Ruegg Funeral Home, Piedmont. Due to COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines, visitations are limited to a maximum of 10 people at a time in the building, plus staff. Our staff will ensure orderly flow of visitors throughout visitation hours...

Gary Lynn House Gary Lynn House, 62, of Poplar Bluff passed March 24. He married his childhood sweetheart, Jennifer, while dating in high school. Gary left this world, which he was passing through and woke up in Heaven. About six months ago, he earned he had stage 4 cancer. ...

Linda Sue Hackworth, 79, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Tuesday, March 31, 2020, at The Manor in Poplar Bluff. Linda, the daughter of the late Benjamin E. and Hattie A. Robinson Thornburgh, was born Aug. 12, 1940 in Greenville. She attended First Church of God in Poplar Bluff as well as the Cowboy Church at Fisk. ...

A life in the entertainment industry is what drew a pair of Poplar Bluff natives to the hustle and bustle of New York City, where they have lived for the last several years. Kelsey Sumrall, a 2011 graduate of Poplar Bluff High School, made it to New York after graduating with a degree in theater education from Harding University and enrolled in the prestigious Stella Adler Studio of Acting...

Court proceedings during the COVID-19 pandemic are a work in progress in the 36th Judicial Circuit. Adjustments are continuing to be made since the Missouri Supreme Court issued a series of orders, now suspending most in-person proceedings through May 1...

Residents living in public housing that have lost work or seen their income reduced due to the coronavirus pandemic can get help with their rent. Darrin Taylor, executive director of the Housing Authority of Poplar Bluff, said whenever a resident has a change in their income they can apply for an adjustment in rent...

Editor's note: This is a daily briefing updating the latest information on the COVID-19 pandemic at 4 p.m. each day. As the number of cases around Missouri and locally continues to climb, area officials want to stress that everyone can help slow the spread of COVID-19...

It’s time for Gov. Mike Parson to issue a statewide order for Missourians to stay home. We are one of only 12 states as of press time Thursday evening to not have either a shelter in place or a stay at home order. Although states have used different wording, the overall goal is the same — to keep people home except for necessities, which can include using outside areas while maintaining social distancing...