Stories from Saturday, January 30, 2021

Our national headlines are filled with news that the tech industry — including giants such as Amazon, Facebook and Twitter — have targeted opinions they find objectionable. Hundreds of thousands of users have been banned from the platforms. Pro-Trump groups have been blocked, hosting companies are dropping pro-Trump sites, and retailers are refusing to sell Trump products...

Congratulations to the Poplar Bluff Mules golf program on its induction Sunday to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in Springfield. The Mules, who have won six MSHSAA state championships among 20 top-four finishes, are the first boys golf program to be honored. Poplar Bluff has produced 27 players that have earned all-state honors, including four individual state champions...

The CFO holds 445 scholarship funds that will provide nearly 1,000 scholarships for students across central and southern Missouri for the 2021–22 school year. The scholarships are open to students for higher education and technical training programs...

Demario L. Williams, 27, of the 700 block of North D Street was arrested at 11:56 a.m. Friday, Jan. 29, at his home on a probation warrant for possession of a controlled substance (amphetamine). He was booked at the Butler County jail. Kevin D. Kelly, 51, of Poplar Bluff was arrested at 11:41 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29, on suspicion of resisting arrest. He was booked into the Butler County jail on a 24-hour hold...

About 350 people were on hand for the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual banquet at the Black River Coliseum Saturday night as its 2020 Citizen of the Year was named. “I can guarantee you’ve heard of this year’s Citizen of the Year,” said Ressie Thomas before introducing local businesswoman and vice president of Sterling Bank, Miranda Fickert, as the 2020 Citizen of the Year...

Something the Daily American Republic, and a lot of journalists, have started realizing is that we need to do a better job of explaining what happens in our newsrooms. The old adage of “report the news, don’t be the news,” served our predecessors well in the days before social media and instantaneous conversations about the content we cover. But today, we understand that you have questions. Those questions generate conversations we want and need to be a part of...