NEW COMMANDING OFFICER NAMED FOR TROOP E OF THE MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROLAn Air Force veteran and former member of the Missouri Air National Guard will be the new commanding officer for Troop E of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Jeffrey Vitale will be promoted to captain and take over the post on April 1st. In addition to the Air Force and Air National Guard, Vitale has served for the St. Louis County Police and various positions in the Highway Patrol.
Vitale has been a Lieutenant in Troop E since 2006. Troop E, which is based in Poplar Bluff, serves 13 counties in Southeast Missouri.
POPLAR BLUFF SCHOOL BOARD TO DISCUSS FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM AT MEETING TONIGHT The food service program is one of many items on the agenda for the Poplar Bluff R-1 Board of Education meeting tonight.
We spoke with Poplar Bluff Superintended Chris Hon about the meeting.
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Additional issues to be discussed include additional staffing for the next school year and a technology proposal for middle school students.
The next school board meeting has been scheduled for March 17th.
RAPE SUSPECT ARRESTED IN KENNETT Authorities say a rape suspect has been arrested in Kennett.
Officials with the Kennett Police Department tell us that officers were dispatched to an area early Wednesday morning in connection to a reported rape.
A suspect was identified during an investigation and later taken into custody. The suspect, a 36 year old male from Malden, was taken to the Dunklin County Jail following the arrest.
POPLAR BLUFF MAN SERIOUSLY INJURED IN SINGLE VEHICLE WRECK Authorities say a Poplar Bluff man is facing charges following a single vehicle wreck in Pemiscot County.
According to the Highway Patrol, a vehicle driven by 42 year old Jason Pratt ran off the left side of Route NN early Wednesday morning and overturned.
Pratt was taken to Pemiscot Memorial Hospital in Hayti with serious injuries.
Pratt is facing multiple charges including driving while intoxicated - drugs, driving while revoked, failure to drive on the right half of the roadway, and felony possession of a controlled substance - methamphetamine.
BUTLER COUNTY CLERK DISCUSSES UPCOMING ELECTIONS Elections season is starting to ramp up here in Missouri and we spoke with Butler County Clerk Tonyi Deffendall about some upcoming dates that voters need to know.
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Deffendall added that if you have questions about registering or your local voting location, you can contact the Butler County Clerk’s Office at 686-8050.
MAN ARRESTED ON DRUG CHARGE AFTER BEING FOUND PASSED OUT IN A VEHICLE A man has been arrested after he was found passed out in a vehicle in Kennett.
According to the Kennett Police Department, Kennett police were dispatched to the Central Street area earlier this week in reference to a man slumped over the steering wheel of a vehicle.
At the scene, officers found 47 year old Ronald Wake passed out. Wake was later arrested for possession of a controlled substance and was held in the Dunklin County Jail.
POPLAR BLUFF STUDENTS GIVEN TEN DOLLARS AND ASKED TO DO SOMETHING FOR THE COMMUNITY Poplar Bluff students in a senior composition class were recently tasked with doing something kind and simple for the community.
The project was a part of a book study on the book, “The Ultimate Gift.” Students had to complete a journal entry for each chapter in the book, which focused on a different type of gift, material or otherwise.
The final project had each student given 10 dollars and asked to do something for the community.
Students donated to organizations and funds such as Haven House and the Kaitlyn Pullam Scholarship; paid a portion of a hotel for someone traveling for medical care; gave money to a random stranger at Wal-Mart; taped the $10 to a car seat; and bought diapers, meals, cards, school supplies, and materials for a blanket.
The funding came from a mini-grant supplied by the nonprofit Academic Assistance Group.
