Stories from Wednesday, November 11, 2020

For now, the 17th Annual Santa Land will be held Tuesday, Dec. 1, at the Black River Coliseum, but the event certainly will be different for the community and the volunteers, said organizers who met this week.

Bobby Dewaine Cole, 68, of Poplar Bluff, died Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Mr. Cole was born Nov. 4, 1952 in Poplar Bluff as the son of the late Alvin William and Hilma Estell Cole. He is survived by two brothers, Raymond Cole of Mill Spring, Mo. ...

Butler County saw 27 new COVID-19 cases announced Wednesday afternoon, bringing the total of positive cases since March to 2,071.

While some took Wednesday off as a holiday, local veterans, families and community members made their way to the Black River Coliseum for a Veterans Day program organized by the Butler County Veterans Council.

Lacey “Peter” Cornelius Gainwell Jr., 63, of Poplar Bluff died Friday, Nov. 6, 2020 in St. Louis. Peter was born July 27, 1957 in Yazoo City, Mississippi to Magnolia Gainwell and the late Lacey C. Gainwell Sr. Peter worked for Purolator Industries until 1995 before moving to Columbia, Missouri and working for Kraft Foods until 2014...

Wanda Ann Halliburton, 59, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Nov. 8, 2020 in the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. She was born Dec. 29, 1960 to Haywood Adams and Anna Belle Benjamin. Visitation for Wanda will be Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020, starting at 9 a.m. with the funeral following at 11 a.m. in the Fowler and Sons Funeral Home at Neelyville. Burial will be in the Neelyville Cemetery with Minister Gary McCain and Minister Ronald McCain officiating...

Sharon Kelly, 72, of Broseley joined the Heavenly angels on Monday, Nov. 9, 2020. She was born Jan. 16, 1948 in Gideon, Missouri. She enjoyed fishing, turkeyshoots, canning and dancing with her grandkids. She was a member of RSVP and had formerly been a board member of the Broseley Senior Center and History Club...

Diana Maclin Simpson, 62, of Poplar Bluff, died Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mrs. Simpson was born February 14, 1958 in Elkhart, Ind. She was a 1977 graduate of Twin Rivers High School and had formerly worked as a nurses aid at Central Gardens in Dexter...

With profound sadness, we announce the passing of Jan White, 79, of Poplar Bluff, on Nov. 7, 2020. She was a loving and devoted mother and friend to all lives she touched. Jan was born Feb. 9, 1941 in Rhinebeck, New York, daughter of the late Homer and Gertrude Staley. She is survived by son Michael White; daughter-in-law Ashley White; and three grandchildren Dylan, Brady and Georgia...

Funeral services for Terry Butler, 62, of Poplar Bluff, who passed away Sunday, Nov. 8, are postponed. A new service time will be announced at a later date.