Stories from Monday, December 30, 2024

The April 8 election so far has only one contested race across three Butler County school districts and the city of Poplar Bluff as of Monday. For the Neelyville R-IV School District board, Matthew Marshall, Page Reinbott, and Jordan Thomas all filed for the two three-year positions available. Marshall is the only incumbent of the group after Jill McGruder decided not to run for re-election...

Part 1 The beginning of 2024 is marked by planning for the April 8 eclipse, business changes and honors for Poplar Bluff natives. Scott Innes and Chelsea Edmundson appear in a movie with a national star, while David B. Knight, founder of Ole Hickory Pits smokers is named to the BBQ Hall of Fame and retiring chief juvenile officer Shonda Hill is honored...

A wave of revitalization is sweeping through Downtown Poplar Bluff, breathing new life into this historic heart of the city. New businesses are popping up, facades are getting fresh coats of paint, and a palpable sense of optimism fills the air. This transformation is evident in the success of events like the Eclipse Festival in April, and the 2024 Iron Horse Festival, a beloved tradition now in its 15th year...

A three-alarm fire Friday night in a vacant single story house at 415 W. Harper St. is being investigated by the Missouri State Fire Marshal.

Butler County Presiding Judge Kacey Proctor welcomed all newly elected Butler County officials into a crowded Division I courtroom Monday afternoon.

Beverly Barth, 69, of Fulton, Missouri, died Tuesday, Dec. 24, in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Visitation is at 1 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 2, at Ruegg Funeral Home, Piedmont Chapel. Memorial service following at 2 p.m., also in the Piedmont Chapel. Online condolences: www.rueggfuneralhomes.com...

Joseph Morgan Traughber, 37, of Essex, Missouri, passed away Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024, in his home. He was born March 13, 1987 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Joseph attended Spirit and Truth Worship Center in Bloomfield. He loved spending time with family, making knives, playing guitar, and going on family trips. ...

Tim Frye passed away Dec. 29, 2024. He was surrounded by his loving family when he quietly left. He was 71 years old, born June 20, 1953, the son of John Vernon and Dana Garrison Frye (Pettit) Frye. Born in Cassville, Missouri, and with intermittent moves Columbia, Poplar Bluff, and Jackson, Missouri. ...

Karen Danise Woolard, 62, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Dec. 21, 2024, after a brief battle with cancer. Karen was born Sept. 18, 1962, in Little Rock, Arkansas to Danner and Shirley McCauley. She graduated from Poplar Bluff High School in 1980. After high school Karen joined the family business, Gamma Labs, where she worked until it sold in 1991. She then owned and operated Sunset Travel Agency. Karen and her husband, Dieter, formed Woolard’s Lawn Care in 2001...

Terry Wayne Withrow, 71, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024 at Aspire Nursing Home. He was born June 24, 1953, in Butler County, Missouri, to Earl Withrow and Lorene (Mayes) Withrow. He served in the United States Navy. Terry enjoyed fishing, playing basketball, woodworking, working on cars. He especially enjoyed spending time with his family...

On Dec. 20, Leon Lamb became the second person to be charged in the 1992 murder of Angela Mischelle Lawless. Lamb was indicted by a grand jury on charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action. He is the fifth person to be the subject of a grand jury relating to this murder...

Leonard Westmoreland, 80, of Patterson, died Dec. 29, 2024. Visitation is at 11 a.m., Friday, Jan. 3, at Ruegg Funeral Home, Piedmont Chapel. Funeral following at 1 p.m., also in the Piedmont Chapel. Burial is in Patterson Cemetery, Patterson. Online condolences: www.rueggfuneralhomes.com...

Officers, while patrolling Monday, Dec. 30, conducted a traffic stop near the intersection of S. Broadway St. and Ashcroft Road. During the investigation that followed, the operator was discovered to have an outstanding arrest warrant. Sheldon Smith, 32, of Poplar Bluff, was arrested for an outstanding arrest warrant. The vehicle was towed away due to no insurance coverage. The operator was cited for operation without proof of insurance...