Stories from Monday, July 19, 2021

Harris named Presidential Scholar Lydia Harris was named a Presidential Scholar at the University of Central Arkansas. Harris is a senior from Malden. Harris was among more than 1,200 students named a Presidential Scholar. To qualify for Presidential Scholar honors in a given semester, a student must earn a 4.0 GPA on a minimum of 12 hours of undergraduate degree credit with no incomplete grades...

The potential for the addition of new manufacturing businesses in Poplar Bluff grew Monday morning with the announcement of the purchase of land for a new industrial park. “We’ve been working on this for four years. It’s exciting stuff,” said Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce President Steve Halter...

Byron ‘Vernon’ Ledbetter son of the late Byron Von Ledbetter and Geneva (Holsford) Ledbetter was born March 23, 1951 in Holcomb, Missouri and departed this life on July 17, 2021 at his residence in Ellsinore, Missouri. He had attained the age of seventy years, three months and twenty-five days...

Mary Evelyn VanDyke, 90, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, died Friday, July 16, 2021 at the Puxico Nursing Home. She was born September 24, 1930, to Norman and Nelle Hartman Holland. She was formerly employed at H.W. Gossard and as house manager at Haven House. She was a member of the Presbyterian Church in Poplar Bluff...

Robert Michael Divine, age 71, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, died Sunday, July 18, 2021, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, in Poplar Bluff. Mr. Divine was born February 16, 1950, in Poplar Bluff, son of the late Bill and Louise Divine. He was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting and fishing. He also loved spending time with his grandchildren. On February 5, 1977, he married Janice Kay Moody. She survives...

Virgie Lois Carter Alcorn Evans, 90, died July 17, 2021, at Riverways Manor Nursing Home in Van Buren, Missouri, where she had lived for four years since suffering a major stroke in March of 2017. In recent days her health had declined steeply; she had been sent to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center on the Sunday prior to her death, where she was diagnosed with pneumonia. ...

Leroy Dewayne Morse, joined our Lord and Savior on July 14, 2021 in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, at the age of 73, surrounded loved ones. Dewayne was born February 6, 1948 to Paul and Evelyn Morse. Dewayne was a combat veteran that honorably served our country on multiple tours of duty during the Vietnam War as a long-Range Reconnaissance Specialist. ...

Juanita E. Clayton passed away July 17, 2021 at Oakdale Care Center in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Juanita was born October 8, 1925 to the late Roy T. and Florence (Bratcher) Bounds in Griffithville, Arkansas. She graduated from Williamsville High School and Brown Business College. Juanita worked at Poplar Bluff Hospital and Missouri Natural Gas (Spire) from where she retired in 1987 after 30 years of service...

For people from Southeast Missouri, Louis P. Houck looms larger than life. Legends surround this man who has been deemed the father of Southeast Missouri. Dr. Joel Rhodes, a professor in the history department of Southeast Missouri State University, let residents peer behind the curtain and see the actual man during a presentation Friday at the Black River Coliseum...

Bonnie Norden, age 81, of Fisk, Missouri, died Monday, July 19, 2021 at her residence, in Fisk. Mrs. Norden was born April 14, 1940 in Broseley, Missouri, daughter of the late John and Ruth Reynolds. She is survived by one daughter, Sandra (Jerry) Hendley, of McDougal, Arkansas; one son, Michael (Sandy Bloom) Norden, of Broseley; one brother, Jerry (LaVerne) Reynolds, of Saint Peters, Missouri; four grandchildren, Amanda (Bryan) Logan, Tracey (Marcus) Knight, Jonathan (Brittany) Hendley and Jennifer Hendley; 15 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren and one loving outlaw, Clyde Hefner.. ...

“Act as if what you do makes a difference ... It does” said William James Retiring Butler County Reserve Deputy Tom Burns exemplifies that statement. He was honored Sunday during a celebration at Westwood Baptist Church. Burns is vice president of Sterling Bank but for 25 years has also served as a deputy...

The city of Poplar Bluff received a clean audit report Monday during a regular meeting of the city council, with several recommendations to improve how spending is tracked. The firm of Beussink, Hey, Roe and Stroder LLC reviewed financial reports relating to approximately $66.5 million in spending for the 2020 fiscal year...

KENNETT, Mo. — Poplar Bluff swimmers won the small-team title and finished third overall Saturday at the Southeast Missouri Swim Conference championship meet. The Piranhas finished 203 points in front of the Ste. Genevieve Stingrays for the small-team title. Poplar Bluff’s 1,253 points followed Kennett, which won with 6,390.5 points and River City at 3,679 in the eight-team event to end the season...