Stories from Tuesday, October 31, 2023

As we've heard internal reports of U.S. Postal Service workers struggling to get the local mail out on time, the Southeast Missourian has been looking more into USPS' general operations. Here are 10 things you may not know about the Postal Service: n USPS delivered 127.3 billion pieces of mail in 2022. It was expected to deliver 120.9 billion in 2023. It reached its peak in 2006 with approximately 213 billion pieces delivered. The number of pieces delivered has dropped every year since...

U.S. Rep. Jason Smith said he is advocating for the U.S. Post Office to improve services for his constituents in Southeast Missouri. But it's unclear exactly how much power Smith, or any single representative, has in improving postal delivery as the USPS continues to slash expenses to reduce its annual shortfall while also enduring employee shortages...

MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL A 68-year-old woman sustained moderate injuries in a two-vehicle crash at 7:55 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, at the intersection of highways B and AA east of Poplar Bluff. According to the report, a 16-year-old male from Ellsinore was operating a 2012 Dodge Charger northbound when it failed to stop at a stop sign and struck an eastbound 2015 Ford Crown Victoria operated by Zenobia L. McGowan, 37, of Osceola, Arkansas...

The John J. Pershing VA Medical Center invites medical clinicians and community caregivers from around the region to Friday’s 2023 Caregiver Community Summit and Resource Fair. This no-cost educational event will be held from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Poplar Bluff, located at 500 N. Main St...

Students are getting to experience some rare celestial events this school year due in large part to Poplar Bluff’s locale in the heartland. In preparation for the total eclipse in several months, students at O’Neal Elementary had the opportunity to view the sun through one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s hydrogen-alpha solar telescopes and additional binoculars supplied recently...

The Three Rivers College Music Department will present its fall student concert at 7 p.m. Nov. 22, at the Tinnin Fine Arts Center. Students and community members will be sharing their music with friends and family in this concert. Admission is free...

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Wappapello Lake (USACE) has announced the opening and closing schedule of the Asher Creek, Lost Creek, and the Holliday Landing Waterfowl Refuges during the upcoming duck season, including all splits. These refuges were established to provide resting places for migrating waterfowl in the Mississippi flyway. No firearms hunting is permitted for any wildlife species in these refuges, and the hunting of any migratory birds by any method is prohibited...

Courteous, extremely dependable, valued and always smiling are ways coworkers and friends describe Martha Bean. While Bean’s 18-year career working at the Northside Nutrition Center ended Tuesday, she was surprised with an early retirement party Friday at the Twin Towers...

District 153 Rep. Darrell Atchison has announced he will not seek a second term in the Missouri House. Atchison said he made the announcement early so there would be time for candidates to come forward in advance of the November 2024 general election...

James William Kammerer, 75, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, passed away Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, at his home in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. James was born April 9, 1948, to Joseph and Mildred (Williams) Kammerer in East St. Louis, Illinois. He married Diana (Jester) Dec. 17, 1975, in St. Louis, Missouri...