Stories from Friday, December 15, 2023

Polly Jo (Brian) Hurst, 81, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, passed away Friday, Dec. 8, 2023. Memorial gathering will be held from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, at Thousand Hills Cowboy Church in Fisk, Missouri. Memorial service will follow beginning at 1 p.m. with Brother Kevin Murray...

Linda Kay Cuker, 82, of Saint Peters, Missouri, passed away peacefully Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, at her home. Linda was born April 10, 1941, to Jesse and Thelma Priest of Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Her first marriage was to Tom Thacker also of Poplar Bluff. They had two sons, Tom Thacker II and Jonathan Thacker. Linda would later be re-married to William Cuker...

Election filing remains open for school and city elections in Butler County. The majority of candidates filed when races opened, but voters choices have slowly increased. Candidates must file in person. Filing remains open until Dec. 26. Those interested should check with the district or governing agency involved about specifics regarding business hours...

Miracle on Hazel Street Thursday attracted a crowd of more than 100 people of all ages Thursday at the Twin Towers. Popping in to participate in the festivities were Santa Claus and the Grinch, who were available for photos. The Gnome Tree decorated by Ross Services Residents captured the most votes...

Scottie Hunt kept a promise to his wife and four children Thursday night. Hunt accepted his high school diploma during a ceremony at The Excel Center, along with 11 other adult graduates. For all of them, it may have been a little later in life than they planned, but it was with pride in their accomplishment and the loving support of friends, family and school staff...

Butler County Health Department Administrator Emily Goodin and Butler County Emergency Management Director Robbie Myers recently co-presented at a national conference regarding preparedness in health care. The 2023 National Health Care Coalition Preparedness Conference was held the last week of November in Las Vegas, Nevada. Goodin and Myers helmed a workshop called “Engaging Rural Health Care Coalition Members.”...

Dec. 16, 1948 • The last-minute shopper is the bane of the counter clerk — but for the next seven shopping days, he’s the hope of the merchants of Poplar Bluff and the nation in general. For six weeks now, retail sales have been falling behind those in similar weeks last year, but last Saturday (Dec. 11) was the first actually good day of the shopping season in Poplar Bluff, according to several downtown merchants...