Stories from Thursday, June 4, 2020

Two area counties will receive a combined $6.4 million in CARES Act funding to distribute to local governments and political subdivisions. Grant applications will be accepted by Butler County and Ripley County officials through June 15 and June 19, respectively...

An accident that left a passenger car sandwiched between two semi trucks Wednesday afternoon on U.S. 67 South was the second serious accident in seven minutes on that stretch of road, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports. The chain of events involved six vehicles and left two area women with serious injuries. No fatalities have been reported from these accidents...

BUTLER COUNTY’S SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT Kenneth Harold Betz, 44, of the 1100 block of Main Street was booked at the Butler County jail Wednesday, June 3, on a warrant for stealing. _ Cody Dillon Buffington, 21, of the 3600 block of South Westwood Boulevard was booked at the Butler County jail Wednesday, June 3, on suspicion of stealing and on a warrant for second-degree burglary...

City firefighters responded at 2:37 p.m. Wednesday, June 3, to a vehicle fire on the parking lot of Casey’s General Store, 1995 S. Broadway. According to the report, firefighters used 10 gallons of water to put out a small fire under a 2005 Dodge Caravan, owned by Emile David...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Beginning this week, Missouri State Parks, a division of the Department of Natural Resources, will open visitor centers, park offices and site offices on a limited basis. Programming will be limited and social distancing and additional cleaning measures will be in place...

Every year, thousands of law enforcement officers raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics Missouri through the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR). Due to COVID-19, Special Olympics Missouri (SOMO) had to cancel the in-person portion for the State Summer Games and the Torch Run...

Butler County residents received two notifications of new COVID-19 confirmed positive cases Thursday, bringing the county’s total up by three.

A positive COVID-19 test for a Butler County courthouse employee led Presiding Circuit Judge Michael Pritchett to revert back to earlier courtroom occupancy restrictions. This came four days after the courts in the 36th Judicial Circuit began operating in phase two, following 14 days of operation in phase one as directed by the Missouri Supreme Court...

DEXTER — Local and state law enforcement will be out in full force as part of the annual nationwide Youth Alcohol Enforcement Crackdown “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” substance–impaired driving crackdown. The crackdown, which will include high-visibility enforcement throughout Dexter, will run from Friday through June 14...

Seniors with the Neelyville R-IV School District can bring up to 10 guests to Saturday’s graduation rather than the original six.

A 9-year-old Naylor boy died Thursday when he drowned attempting to swim across Black River. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol report, the boy was swimming across the channel to an island north of the Highway 67 bridge when he began to struggle, submerged and did not resurface just before 5 p.m. Thursday...