Stories from Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Perry County Heritage Tourism will offer its 18th annual Christmas Country Church Tour from 2 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15, and Friday, Dec. 16. The self-guided tour features century-old rural churches in Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Perry and Ste. Genevieve counties in Missouri; and in Randolph County, Illinois...

Carl J. Ellsworth, 92, of Fisk, Missouri, passed away in his sleep on Nov. 19, 2022 in Illinois, where he resided for the past 11 years. Carl was born on June 19, 1930 in Bartonville, Illinois to the late William David Ellsworth and Martha Ionia (Boone) Ellsworth...

Norman Gayle Morgan, 76, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, passed away Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022, at his home. Norman was born on Aug. 31, 1946, to Albert and Lena (Johnson) Morgan in Morley, Missouri. Norman was active in the Veterans of Foreign Wars, serving as Adjunct Commander of Post #5368 in Morley. ...

After more than 50 years of service and memories in the same location on Vine Street, Jim Faiths’ Office Supply will close its doors for the last time by month’s end. First opened in 1971, Jim Faiths’ Office Supply has been a landmark in Downtown Poplar Bluff. Jim, along with his wife, Crystal, started the business, which has been a family affair for over half a century...

CASA Volunteer of the Year Gaylia Rowland’s life has revolved around helping children. She worked for Head Start for 23 years before retiring in 2018 and she began volunteering in 2019 with CASA, a program of the Butler County Community Resource Council...

Renee Dawn Gordon, 43, died Monday, Dec. 12, 2022 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff.

After almost 22 years in business, a landmark gas station and eatery is going under new management. Owner Leann Hendrix announced Rick’s 66 has been acquired by Casey’s. The decision to sell was a bittersweet one. She and her husband Wendle Hendrix felt ready to move forward in other business endeavors, but were sad to leave the network of employees and longtime customers...

A local Aire Solutions technician received national recognition at the ServiceTitan HVAC National Championship last month. Auston Pickard has worked for Aire Solutions for five years. This year he earned his NATE certification — a stamp of approval from HVACR collective North American Technician Excellence — and was invited to compete in an online, multi-round HVAC proficiency test. ...

Larry Austin Thompson, 67, of Fisk, Missouri died Monday, Dec. 12, 2022 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Mr. Thompson was born Nov. 23, 1955 in Doniphan, Missouri, son of the late William and Eldeen Thompson. On July 12, 1980, he married Barbara Jewell Thompson. She survives...

Jean Mansfield, 90, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri passed away on Dec. 11, 2022, at Westwood Hills Care Center in Poplar Bluff. Jean was born on Oct. 5, 1932, to the late Kermit and Ruth Ketchum in Bonne Terre, Missouri. She married Sam Mansfield. He survives...

As a federal employee for nearly two decades, and labor organizer with oversight of six southern Missouri field offices, allow me to share an uncomfortable truth: the Social Security Administration is in crisis. Right now, Social Security operates with 4,000 fewer field office and teleservice center employees than it did 12 years ago. The current workforce of less than 60,000 is a 25-year low, even as the number of beneficiaries has increased by more than 10 million...

Butler County Sheriff Cody Alen Mast, 36, of Poplar Bluff, was booked at the Butler County jail at 10:16 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, for parole violation with no bond. _ Elbert Jemall Cook, 34, of Poplar Bluff, was booked at the Butler County jail at 6:07 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13, for probation violation property damage in the first degree...

Poplar Bluff Police Department Alexis Wooden, 26, of Poplar Bluff, was arrested at Shoe Carnival at 747 North Westwood Blvd. at 1:02 p.m. Dec. 12. Wooden was booked in on a charge of stealing and she was released pending review by the prosecuting attorney...