Stories from Thursday, April 9, 2020

Route Z in Wayne County will be closed as Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace a pipe under the roadway. This section of roadway is located 1 mile west of Route TT. Weather permitting, work will be performed Monday, April 13 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m...

MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL A 23-year-old Poplar Bluff woman was injured in a one-vehicle crash at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday, April 8, on County Road 542, six miles north of Poplar Bluff. According to the report, Hannah T. Helton was operating a 2004 Ford Escape eastbound when it ran off the left side of the road and overturned...

City firefighters responded at 8:18 p.m. Wednesday, April 8, to a report of an unauthorized burn at the intersection of Alice and Valley streets. According to the report, firefighters found leaves burning in a roadside ditch and used 10 gallons of water to put out the fire...

Karen Batson Fox, age 61, died Monday, April 6, 2020, at her home in Charleston. Born Feb. 3, 1959, at Poplar Bluff, Mo., to the late James Shelby Batson and Katherine Batson, she had lived in Poplar Bluff a number of years and was a graduate of Three Rivers Community College with a Bachelor of Science in Business and Science.  She moved to Charleston 22 years ago where she was a member of the United Methodist Church in Charleston and had been employed with the Missouri Department of Transportation until she retired.. ...

Shirley Joann Montgomery, 79, of Piedmont, Mo., passed away Wednesday, April 8, 2020, at Clarks Mountain Nursing Center in Piedmont. Visitation will be 12:30-2 pm, Friday, April 10, 2020, at Ruegg Funeral Home in Piedmont. A private funeral will follow...

CAPE GIRARDEAU — The community-wide Coronavirus Test Collection Center will reduce hours beginning Friday, April 10. The Center will now be open from 1-6 p.m. Monday through Friday. “We have seen a steady decrease in the number of tests performed at the center due to the accessibility at other testing locations throughout our region and the fact that our community is taking the shelter in place order very seriously,” said Jimmy Wilferth, vice president of Foundation and Marketing at Saint Francis Healthcare System. ...

COLUMBIA — The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications for grants to fund Missouri projects that could stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) generally fund pilot projects, field demonstrations and on-farm conservation research...

The Missouri Bicentennial Commission is excited to announce the Bicentennial Poster contest. The contest is open to all students in grades 3-12 in Missouri. Judges will select four posters to commemorate Missouri’s bicentennial of statehood. Selected posters will best interpret the theme “Sharing Missouri’s stories: past, present, and future.”

Betty Lillian Teal, 90, of Piedmont, died Wednesday, April 8, 2020 at Phelps County Hospital in Rolla, Mo. Visitation will be held from 11-12 p.m. Saturday, April 11, 2020, at Ruegg Funeral Home in Piedmont. A private funeral service will follow. Online condolences: www.rueggfuneralhomes.com...

Bronda Rose Ashworth, age 76 of Dexter, Mo., died Wednesday, April 08, 2020 at her home, in Dexter. Mrs. Ashworth was born Dec. 12, 1943, in Portageville, Mo., daughter of the late Edgar and Edna Lacy. She was a homemaker and had worked at Whispering Oaks Boarding Home for several years...

Gov. Mike Parson just announced Missouri school buildings will be closed for the rest of the school year during his daily press conference. Officials say the school year will continue remotely. State officials say they are working in conjunction with the governor’s office to answer questions, such as problems with internet access across the state, what will happen with summer school, and what will happen with important milestones such as graduations for the class of 2020...

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson issued a “stay-at-home” order late last week for residents of the state as an effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. A lot of confusion has surrounded the order, which took effect Monday, with many people believing they must stay inside their homes until the order is lifted...

Selma Lorain Morgan, 92, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, passed away peacefully, April 7, 2020 at her residence. She was  born Oct. 8, 1927 at Poplar Bluff, Missouri to the late Granville Hanks and Elsie “Romine” Hanks. On Nov. 12, 1948, at Piggott, Arkansas, she was married to Tom Morgan. He preceded Her in death on Sept. 4, 2009...

GREENVILLE — Additional felonies were filed Wednesday against a Piedmont man who is charged in connection to the recent stabbing death of his mother. Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Anderson filed an amended complaint with the court now charging Daniel Ross Adams with the Class A felony of first-degree murder, the unclassified felony of armed criminal action, Class D felony of tampering with physical evidence and the Class E felony of abandonment of a corpse...

Ronnie Eugene Wiley, 73, of Fairdealing, Missouri, passed away peacefully, Wednesday, April 8, 2020 at 6:40 .pm. at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Although his family grieves his passing, Jesus chose to take Ronnie Home to be with Him where there would be no more pain and suffering...

Paul Harlan Jarrell, Jr., passed away peacefully on March 31, 2020. He is survived by his wife, Roberta Jarrell.  Paul — called Papa by his grandchildren — was born on August 11, 1940. in Poe, Mo., to Mr. Paul “Cotton” Jarrell, Sr., and Mrs. Daisy Jarrell. He had three younger siblings: Jesse Jarrell, Ruth Warren, and the late Larry Jarrell...

Walter Hollowell, Jr., 87, of Poplar Bluff, went to his Heavenly Home on Wednesday, April 8, 2020. Walter was born Dec. 25, 1932 in Broseley, Mo., to the late Walter Howell, Sr. and Era (Johnson) Howell.  He had one brother, Arth “Bud” Hollowell, who preceded him in death and one sister, Marge Garner who survives...

Clarebel Hogg Gray, 95, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Wednesday, April 8, 2020, at Oakdale Care Center. Mrs. Gray, the daughter of the late James B. and Mae (Hart) Hogg, was born Jan. 15, 1925, in Poplar Bluff. She was a faithful member of First Baptist Church, where was a Sunday School teacher and a member of the church choir.   Mrs. ...

In an effort to bring the community together during the state’s stay-at-home order, local leaders are turning tax day into All Caring Together and Serving (ACTS) day.

Area superintendents aren’t surprised by Gov. Mike Parson’s Thursday afternoon announcement to keep schools closed for the rest of the school year.

Children are able to contract and spread COVID-19, according to local physicians, but may not exhibit symptoms. Dr. Chris Montgomery and Dr. Michael Caldwell sat on an hour-long conference call with members of the public Thursday night to answer what questions they could about the virus. One of the questions brought up to them was the ability for children to contract COVID-19...

Editor's note: This is a daily briefing updating the latest information on the COVID-19 pandemic at 4 p.m. each day. WIth the announcement by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson that school buildings will remain closed for the remainder of the academic year, students will learning online...

As the end of the school year approaches and Gov. Mike Parson acknowledges that students will not return due to COVID-19, the Neelyville R-IX school district is looking at an alternative graduation.