Stories from Tuesday, April 4, 2023

Promises. That’s what this election holds that the four that came before it didn’t. If the city is allowed to collect a use tax that could generate an expected $800,000 from citizens’ internet purchases, it will hire three firefighters and two dispatchers with the funds, plus much more, city manager Matt Winters shared at a recent series of city meetings...

An election will be held Tuesday to fill three seats on the Neelyville Board of Education. Seven candidates are vying for the three-year terms. Candidates in the running are incumbents Paul Petty and Robert Burgett, as well as Marco Gavino, Chuck Reinbott, Berley Wayne Willcut, Amanda Wolfram and Adam Couch...

The Twin Rivers School District has five candidates vying for three available board seats which will be decided April 4. Candidates in the running are returning incumbent Josh Johnson and new candidates Brandon Vancil, Bobby King, Jennifer Morse and Kade McBroom...

Priscilla June (Brooks) Pitchie, 92, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, passed away Friday, March 24, 2023. June was born Oct. 21, 1930, to Charles and Lois Brooks in St. Louis, Missouri. She married Richard G. Pitchie Aug. 7, 1953. June attended Senath, Missouri schools and earned her Registered Nurse pin from St. ...

Shannon Marie Wallace, 43, passed away March 29, 2023, at her home. Shannon was born Feb. 11, 1980, to Robert and Olivia Wallace of Poplar Bluff. Visitation will be held from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, April 7, 2023, at Fowler-Sullivan Funeral Home. The service will be at 1 p.m...

Four candidates vying for positions on the Poplar Bluff R-I School Board. Incumbent Michael Price, who rejoined the board last year after a hiatus, is running against Anthony Curnutt, Dave Elledge and Larry Kimbrow. Candidate Raymond Webb announced he is dropping out of the race...

Peggy Plafcan, 86, of Piedmont, died Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation is at noon, Wednesday, April 5, at Ruegg Funeral Home, Piedmont Chapel. Funeral service is at 2 p.m., also in Piedmont Chapel. Burial is in Clay Cemetery, Piedmont...

The National Weather Service in Paducah predicted storms could move through the area in the overnight hours during a severe weather conference hosted Tuesday. “There is a good amount of uncertainty on exactly where the storms initiate and if they initiate,” said an NWS weather forecaster...

Berley Wayne Willcut received 272 votes to top the Neelyville School Board candidates in the Tuesday election. Robert W. Burgett got 242 and Harley Paul Petty picked up 174 votes. Willcut, 66, is a retired self-employed saw miller. Willcut said, “I just want to thank everybody in the county for voting for me and supporting me throughout this campaign.”...

Poplar Bluff residents will wait until Monday to learn who won a third seat on the city council, but bids Tuesday by Robert Smith and Mark Massingham were successful. The city’s use tax also failed, 423-608. Officials from the city were not able to comment on the use tax by press time...

The votes are in, and the Poplar Bluff R-I School Board’s three contested seats have gone to incumbent Michael Price, David Elledge and Larry Kimbrow. Price won the most votes with 1,258, Elledge came away with 1,219 votes and Kimbrow won 1,140 votes. The fourth candidate, Anthony Curnutt, trailed behind with 833 votes. Despite backing out of the race, Boys & Girls Club of the Heartland President Raymond Webb received 568 votes. There were 5,018 votes cast in total...

Brandon Vancil, Kade McBroom and Bobby King won positions on the Twin Rivers School Board during Tuesday’s elections. Vancil received the most votes with 291, McBroom was a close second with 286 votes and finally, Bobby King filled the third vacancy with 260 votes. Votes were counted from Butler and Stoddard counties...

The use tax on Tuesday’s ballot inspired many voters to take to the polls Tuesday. “We need the use tax,” said voter Barbara Rexroat at the Ward 4 polling place at Temple Baptist Church. The use tax, city manager Matt Winters has said, stands to generate an additional $800,000 in funds from taxing certain out-of-state internet sales. Those funds will be utilized by the city to hire three more firefighters and two dispatchers, plus much more, officials have promised...

Recreational marijuana taxes passed in five area communities Tuesday. Butler, Ripley and Stoddard counties, as well as the cities of Doniphan, Dexter and Malden sought a 3% tax on the retail sales of adult use marijuana. Results for Malden were not available as of press time, but the other communities passed the tax easily (see graphic above), according to uncertified results released by county clerks...

A competition has developed for Poplar Bluff’s Ward 5 seat, which will be decided by voters Tuesday. Two seats for at-large council members are also open. Only one candidate filed by the deadline to run for the position, but a second candidate has announced a write-in campaign...

Butler County Sheriff Aron Allen Atkisson, 22, of Poplar Bluff, was booked at the Butler County jail at 1:38 p.m. April 4, for stealing $750 or more. _ Madeline Paige Emmons, 19, of Poplar Bluff, was booked at the Butler County jail at 1:36 a.m. April 5, for possession of 11-35 grams of marijuana...