Stories from Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Poplar Bluff Buddy Ball has seen big successes in its first five years, and the program is about to grow even more with the launch this spring of an adult league. “We’re super excited. We’ve been wanting to do this for a little while, and we kept making plans,” said Buddy Ball board president Alex Tinker...

CORNING, Ark. — Bruce McGrew, 51, of Corning passed away at his home Feb. 14, 2022. Bruce was born Dec. 1, 1970 in Pocahontas. He was the minister for Success Church of Christ and was passionate about spreading God’s word. He was also the technology director for Neelyville School District R4 in Neelyville, Missouri and loved working on computers. ...

Laura Evelyn Crews, 77, passed away peacefully Feb. 14, 2022. She was born in Poplar Bluff Missouri to Fred and Eva Brooks. She married John Crews Dec. 27, 1984. Laura loved cooking for her family and friends, especially ones that were sick. A batch of her potato soup would cure about anything. ...

Anna K. Bradley, 94, passed away Feb. 11, 2022 in St. Louis. She was born May 29, 1927 in Poplar Bluff, Missouri to Harry G. and Lydia Bradley. Ms. Bradley graduated from Poplar Bluff High School in 1945. After attending Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, she transferred to University of Missouri, Columbia and received a Bachelor of Journalism degree...

FosterAdopt Connect’s inaugural Tall & Small Ball Saturday raised $15,000 for foster and adoptive programs, as well as provided joy for the families of the children receiving services. The dinner and dance at the Westwood Event Center in Poplar Bluff were designed to help support and expand the group’s programs...

Peck West, 94, passed quietly Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, after a short hospital stay. He was born Oct. 10, 1947, to Buford and Rosie (Wills) West of Arab. He married Ella Dee Cookemboo June 18, 1949. Peck made his home in Wayne County on the Square W Ranch. He was buried next to Dee in the family cemetery on their ranch...

CAMPBELL, Mo. — James Howard Edwards, 56, of Fisk, Missouri, passed away Monday, Feb. 14, 2022 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. James, son of Jimmy and Mary Johnson Edwards, was born Thursday, May 20, 1965 in Kennett, Missouri...

Robert Gradon Taylor, 67, Charlotte, North Carolina, formerly of Malden, died Feb. 11, 2022, at his residence.

Colonel Eric T. Olson, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, announced the retirement of Major Gregory K. Smith effective March 1, 2022. Smith is commander of Field Operations Bureau with direct oversight responsibility for all nine troops, the Aircraft Division and the Water Patrol Division...

BUTLER COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT A resident of the 1300 block of County Road 306 reported at 11:43 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 6, that his/her home had been burglarized and several items were taken. _ James J. Beckham, 43, of Piedmont was booked Monday, Feb. 14, at the Butler County jail on a warrant for animal neglect...

A four-year old Dexter girl continues to defy all odds and improve after undergoing her third heart surgery in October 2021. Rylee Howard, the daughter of Jody Howard of Dexter and Jacinda Burgnere of Gideon, was born in 2017 and was diagnosed at birth with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, or HLHS...

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. - A Missouri man could spend more than six decades in prison following his sentencing for a 2018 murder. Eliot Bonner, 30, of St. Charles was formally sentenced Tuesday by Circuit Judge William Edward Reeves in Caruthersville for the Oct. ...

SIKESTON — January marked the coldest in Southeast Missouri and its surrounding regions in Kentucky and Illinois since 2018, according to the National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky. Monthly average temperatures ranged from 2 to 4 degrees below normal, theWeather Service said. ...