Stories from Friday, March 29, 2024

JEFFERSON CITY — Drew Atchison, convicted in the deaths of a Wayne County couple and their 17-month-old daughter, will be appearing in court April as the trial portion of his penalty phase will be public. A motion by Atchison’s attorney for mediation has been denied, according to a recent ruling by the Cole County Judge Jon Edward Beetem...

Voters will take to the polls Tuesday and decide who will fill two seats on the Poplar Bluff R-I Board of Education. With numerous potential issues facing school districts throughout the state of Missouri, school boards have been attracting much attention for issues such as curriculum and budget constraints...

Poplar Bluff Ward 2 voters have three candidates to choose from Tuesday. David Boyer, Mack Campbell and Marty Paskel are each seeking the seat currently held by Jerrica Fox, who has decided not to run for re-election. Campbell did not return requests for an interview...

In a time of budgetary concerns, with an eye focused toward the future, voters will have to decide Tuesday from three candidates to fill two board seats on the Twin Rivers Board of Education. Among the three candidates is one incumbent, Keith Parker, who is completing his first term on the board. Jerry Whitlow and Monica Woolem are also vying for seats, and each candidate feels they have something unique to bring to the position...

Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center reported more than 331,000 patient encounters in 2023, served at the hospital on Oak Grove Road and the network of Regional Physician Services clinics and other outpatient sites of care. PBRMC also sees about 40,000 emergency department visits each year, according to information released by the provider...

DEXTER — Dexter Police are currently investigating a rash of vehicle break-ins they believe are also tied to two different reported stolen vehicles. Officers with the Dexter Police Department responded at 4:08 a.m. Saturday, March 23, to a report of a stolen vehicle in the 700 block of West Elk Street, according to officers. A short time later, the vehicle was recovered inside the city limits of Dexter. The vehicle was processed for evidence...

Tornadoes tear across the region in 1924, destroying barns, homes and utilities. Population centers like Poplar Bluff and Sikeston were largely spared while rural Stoddard and Scott counties bore most of nature’s fury.

Mark Twain National Forest spans 1.5 million acres. More than a third of that land will be within the path of the solar eclipse on April 8. Preparations are being put in place in case large crowds of people decide to utilize the Forest as a place to view the eclipse. ...

It’s a busy weekend in history. Across the decades, Butler County seeks President Harry Truman’s attention, warily watches FBI agents and faces slim chances of saving a historic building. It all wraps up with a Boy Scouts Scout-O-Rama exhibition and its equally American competition, the pinewood derby...

Tracy Lynn Brotherton, daughter of Charles Brotherton and Dorothy Miller Brotherton, was born Oct. 16, 1969, in Fredericktown, Missouri, and departed this life March 27, 2024, at her residence in Wappapello, Missouri, at the age of 54 years. Ms. Brotherton worked with her parents at Sundowner Marine in Wappapello and in the wintertime she was an actor. ...

Two people are competing for one seat on the Board of Aldermen for Qulin. Charles Galbraith Jr and Cheryl Johnson both have their sights set on Qulin Ward One. When contacted, Galbraith opted to not participate.

Poplar Bluff High School will host the Missouri Association of Student Councils State Convention next year, a three-day workshop projected to bring to the community 1,000 students and 100 advisers. For the first time in school history, according to educators, PBHS will play a role in leading the statewide organization this year, having been named the State President School during the 76th annual MASC Convention held March 14-16 at Carthage High School...