Stories from Tuesday, February 28, 2023

The Phillips family spent a year deciding what they could do together to help bring their dream of revitalizing the tiny town of Puxico to fruition, according to Steve Phillips, partial owner of the town’s brand new destination location, The Midway...

Circle Fiber has cut the ribbon for its interactive retail store in Poplar Bluff. The store will kick off their opening at 8:30 a.m. Friday, with a First Friday Coffee Event co-hosted with the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce. “We’re extremely excited to open our new interactive store in Poplar Bluff, where our customers can experience our advanced fiber technology first-hand,” said Circle Fiber General Manager Eric Arnold, who oversees the Poplar Bluff region. ...

Sterling Taylor is set to retire at the end of March after devoting 40 years of his young life to Hefner Furniture in Poplar Bluff. “I started in 1983 at this desk right here,” he said with a smile as he tapped the front desk at the Westwood Boulevard business with his pen. “There were only two salesmen here when I started.”...

The John J. Pershing VA Medical Center will host a PACT Act informational town hall event from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Brown-Mabry American Legion Post 153, located at 2320 Kanell Blvd. Doors will open at 5 p.m. This is the second of three planned events designed to bring attention to the PACT Act to area veterans, according to a press release from the VA...

CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Monday sentenced a man who broke into a Shannon County ranger station in 2021 and stole a National Park Service pickup to 37 months in prison, which will run consecutive to a probation violation in a state gun case...

Carl “Butch” Leonard Ward, 74, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri passed away Feb. 27, 2023 at his home in Poplar Bluff. Butch was born on May 7, 1948 to the late Burl and Geraldine Ward in Poplar Bluff. He married Joann (Craig) on March 1, 1968. She survives...

Mary Elaine Jenkins, 90, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri passed away Feb. 27, 2023, at Oakdale Care Center. Elaine was born on May 19, 1932, to Melvin and Donna (Hriber) Owens, in Browntown, Indiana. Elaine married Jimmie Ray Jenkins July 18, 1949, in Detroit, Michigan...

Willis Walter Rich, 80, was born on March 31, 1942. He passed away on Feb. 24, 2023 at St. Clair in Fenton, Missouri. Mr. Rich was a U.S. Army Veteran and a retired farmer. He is survived by his sons, Tommy Rich from Poplar Bluff, Missouri, Timmy Rich from Harrisburg, Arkansas and Shan Rich from Poplar Bluff; and a host of grandchildren, great-grands and great-great-grands...

Cynthia Lynn Robison, 63, of Fisk, Missouri, died Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, in Poplar Bluff. Ms. Robison was born Sept. 29, 1959, in Chicago, Illinois, daughter of the late Joe H. Robison and Katherine L. Wilson...

Helen Margaret Crites, 95, of Williamsville, Missouri, transitioned to her eternal home Feb. 24, 2023, at her residence. She was the first of six children born to James and Lois Duckett Oct. 20, 1927. Helen grew up on the family farm near Williamsville and graduated valedictorian of her high school in 1946. She married Clifford Crites in May of 1946. They were the parents of two children, Sandra and Alan...

Mary Frances Gillis, 95, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri went to be with the Lord Feb. 20, 2023, at her home in Poplar Bluff. Mary was born Aug. 24, 1927, to August and Irene Ristig in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. She and Glenn Gillis married in 1946. Mary was a member of Zion Lutheran Church, Zion Lutheran Quilters, Zion Lutheran Altar Guild and Kinyon Elementary PTA. She was a homemaker, very active in church and loved St. Louis Cardinals Baseball. Mary will be missed by her family and friends...

Donald Rex Hall, 85, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, went to be with his heavenly father Feb. 26, 2023, at Oakdale Care Center in Poplar Bluff. Donald was born June 29, 1937, to Carl and Anna Belle Spencer Hall in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Donald was a proud member of Temple Baptist Church, and love to sing about his lord. ...

Firefighters responded at 2:41 p.m Friday, Feb. 24, to a motor vehicle accident with injures at 844 Hart St. The single vehicle accident at the corner of North Main and Hart streets involved the vehicle, a power pole and a tree. The patient had a large open wound on his knee, which firefighters dressed and applied pressure to until Butler County EMS arrived and took over the patient’s care. ...

Butler County Sheriff's Department Lauren Elizabeth Andablo, 37, of Poplar Bluff was booked at the Butler County Jail at 8:40 p.m. Feb. 27, for fraudulent use of credit/debit device. Bond was set at $5,000. _ Kasey Denise Brown, 28, of Poplar Bluff was booked at the Butler County Jail at 10:45 p.m. Feb. 27 for parole violation, second degree burglary. A cash only bond was set at $20,000...