Stories from Wednesday, June 17, 2020

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — State officials on Tuesday said they're reinstating requirements for unemployment and food stamps that were waived because of the coronavirus pandemic. Anna Hui, director of the state's labor department, said workers will need to comply with job search requirements to keep getting unemployment after July 4...

A 29-year-old Silva man was killed in a one-vehicle crash at 5:31 p.m. Tuesday, June 16, on Highway A, three miles east of Ellsinore. According to the report, Tyler M. Phelps was operating a 2007 Ford pickup westbound when it ran off the right side of the road. Phelps reportedly overcorrected, which caused his truck to travel across the road and strike a tree...

MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL A 26-year-old Blytheville, Arkansas, woman was injured in a two-vehicle crash at 12:10 p.m. Tuesday, June 16, on U.S. 6, three miles west of Risco in New Madrid County. According to the report, Jacob A. Latamondeer, 30, of East Prairie was operating a westbound 2017 Nissan Rogue, which was attempting to overtake a 1993 GMC truck as it began to make a left turn...

City firefighters responded at 1:41 p.m. Tuesday, June 16, to a motor-vehicle crash at the intersection of Sixth and Pine streets. According to the report, firefighters checked the vehicles’ occupants for injuries and assisted emergency-medical-services personnel in removing the injured occupants...

WAPPAPELLO — Land management practices have changed significantly over the years, with varying degrees of success, and some have resulted in unintended consequences. Today, open lands and prairies are diminishing, and with them, so are the number of pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, necessary for a complete ecosystem...

Sixteen teams fished last weekend’s Current River Smallmouth Association His and Hers tournament, which was based out of Van Buren. Anglers had to deal with higher than normal water conditions, with the river up about 6 feet high at the time. At the end of the day, the team of Alex Rutledge and Addy Rutledge took the win with a stringer weight of 11.56 pounds...

JEFFERSON CITY — The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages the public to discover nature this summer during frogging season. Beginning June 30 at sunset through Oct. 31, those with a fishing permit or small-game hunting permit may frog for bullfrogs and green frogs...

WAPPAPELLO — Officials at Wappapello Lake have announced immediate changes to group size restrictions at the lake’s 10 recreation area picnic shelters, which have been in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of Tuesday, all restrictions on group sizes at picnic shelters have been lifted, according to Park Ranger Andrew Jefferson...

AVA, Mo. — A Poplar Bluff man will spend the rest of his life in prison for the 2016 bludgeoning death of his fiancee’s grandmother. Eric Wyatt appeared Wednesday morning in Douglas County before Circuit Judge Robert Craig Carter for sentencing. The 43-year-old was convicted in September 2019 by a Howell County jury of the Class A felony of first-degree murder and the unclassified felony of armed criminal action (ACA) in connection with the Sept. 14, 2016, death of Marion A. Carter...

GREENVILLE — James “Bill” W. Payne, 71, of Greenville, passed away, Tuesday, June 16, at his residence. Visitation will be at 10 a.m., Friday, June 19, at Kime General Baptist Church. A funeral service will follow at 11:30, also at Kime General Baptist Church...

JEFFERSON CITY, MO — Governor Mike Parson on Wednesday requested that President Trump approve a major disaster declaration for Missouri to provide federal assistance to a total of 19 counties in response to severe storms and tornadoes that swept across the state on May 3 and 4, resulting in widespread destruction...

Poplar Bluff School District will take a cautious approach to two large events in the coming days, prom on Saturday and graduation on Tuesday, school personnel said during a briefing Wednesday with county officials. The events come as Butler County is seeing its largest spike in COVID-19 cases, and first among people under the age of 20...

The Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center expects growth over the coming years with additional schools and potential new programs.