Stories from Tuesday, April 2, 2024

David Boyer won the contested race for the Poplar Bluff City Council’s Ward 2 with 87 votes out of 122 cast, commanding a strong 69%. “I feel great and I can’t wait to get to work,” Boyer said. He will prioritize finalizing plans for a new city hall when he takes office...

With a total amount of 1,650 votes being cast, Poplar Bluff School Board incumbents Timothy Dale Gaebler and Ken Davis held their seats on the board. Gaebler received 588 votes and Davis 397. Challengers also receiving votes were Heather Rommel, 383, Jamie Hickson, 127, and Curtis Fouts, 155...

After almost two weeks of searching, one of three drowned fishermen is recovered in 1949 on Lake Wappapello. The men vanished on March 21 while boating in inclement weather. Other news on this date focuses on city and county elections.

Terry Shewell, 76, of Puxico died Saturday, March 30, 2024.

“Grandmother” as she was lovingly called by all her grandchildren and great-grands, Shirley LaVerne Shemwell Virdon, 93, of Springfield, departed this life peacefully at home with her family by her side on Saturday, March 16, 2024 to be reunited in heaven with her beloved husband, William “Bill” Virdon, whom she missed terribly since his passing in November, 2021...

Kenneth Anthony Michel, 90, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri passed away Sunday, March 31, 2024, at Westwood Hills Healthcare. Ken was born Oct. 31, 1933, to Herman J. and Ida (Dietrick) Michel in St. Louis, Missouri. He married Rose Marie Freeman on July 23, 1955, in St. Louis. She preceded him in death in 2004. He later married Gloria Moore May 17, 2008, in Poplar Bluff...

Beverly Anne Atkinson, 74, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri passed away March 30, 2024, at her home in Poplar Bluff . Beverly was born March 10, 1950, to John and Dorothy (Noah) Hilborn in Naylor, Missouri. She married Phillip Atkinson Sept.5, 1978. Beverly was a proud RN since 1971, a caregiver and worked as a private duty nurse for the last several years, she was a member of First Baptist Church, she was a sweet, loving soul and will be dearly missed by all who knew her...

On this date, 24% of city voters decide council races in 1974, and local tragedies are both closed and reopened in 1949. After two weeks of searching, the bodies of three missing fishermen have finally been recovered from Lake Wappapello. In Poplar Bluff, a house fire that killed three children last month is under new scrutiny by police after the victims’ mother received an incriminating letter...

The Neelyville and Twin Rivers school districts each decided contested races on Tuesday.

“I’m back,” resident Barbara Rexroat told the Poplar Bluff City Council on Monday. “The problem is still very confusing and has not been resolved.” Rexroat along with Michael Barrett repeated their concerns over a dog the Poplar Bluff Animal Control Board labeled dangerous and vicious March 12. Both residents repeated their frustration over not being able to reach animal control by phone. The animal is owned by Thomas Casey...

The stars figuratively aligned for a research team from Virginia Tech to come to Poplar Bluff for the eclipse. A group of 20 undergraduates and two graduate students led by research associate Kevin Sterne and doctoral candidate Ginny Smith will launch two high-altitude balloons in the Poplar Bluff area to live-stream the celestial event...