Friday, January 2, 2026
CANDIDATES SET FOR THE POPLAR BLUFF CITY COUNCIL ELECTION IN APRIL
There will be multiple competitive races for the Poplar Bluff City Council during the municipal elections in April.
According to Poplar Bluff City Clerk Lori Phelps, Robert Smith is running for reelection as the councilman of Poplar Bluff’s 5th Ward. He is being challenged by Richard Bruder and Barbara Moreno.
One of Poplar Bluff’s at-large councilmen, Billy DePew, has also filed for reelection. He will be joined in the race for the two open at-large seats by Michael Jones, Marty Paskel, and Bennie Hicks.
Missouri’s General Municipal Election Day has been scheduled for April 7th, 2026. You have until March 11th to make sure you are registered to vote.
FIVE PEOPLE TO CHALLENGE FOR THREE SPOTS ON POPLAR BLUFF SCHOOL BOARD
Three incumbents will be joined by two challengers in the race for the Poplar Bluff School Board.
School officials tell KWOC News that a total of five people submitted their paperwork to potentially serve on the Poplar Bluff R-1 Board of Education.
Three incumbents all filled for reelection, Dave Elledge, Larry Kimbrow, and Michael Price.
They are being joined by newcomers Jacob Hogg and Patty Robertson.
Voters will choose three candidates for the Board of Education during the election on April 7th.
PAWS AND PINTS BLOOD DRIVE SCHEDULED FOR TODAY
Get out and donate today for a Blood Drive in Poplar Bluff.
The 6th Annual Paws and Pints Blood Drive has been scheduled for 10:30 am to 3:30 pm today at Butler County EMS on Kanell Boulevard.
Anyone wanting to donate can call 1-800 Red Cross or visit RedCrossBlood.org to schedule an appointment.
All donors will receive a long sleeve t-shirt as a thank-you gift.
The blood drive is being held thanks to a partnership between the Red Cross, Butler County EMS, and Ozark Federal Credit Union.
PBHS DRAMA CLUB TO PERFORM MUSICAL THIS MONTH
The PBHS Drama Club will be performing a Dr. Seuss themed musical this month.
The Drama Club will be presenting “Seussical the Musical” beginning at 7 pm on January 15th.
There are additional performances scheduled for 7 pm on January 16th and 17th as well as a 2 pm matinee on January 18th.
The show will be performed at the Kay Porter Theater in Poplar Bluff.
DATES SET FOR THIS YEAR’S HUNTING SEASONS IN MISSOURI
The Missouri Department of Conservation has set the dates for the 2026 turkey and deer hunting seasons.
The regular spring season for turkeys will be April 20th to May 10th and the fall firearms season will be October 1st to October 31st.
For deer, the November firearms portion will run from November 14th to 24th. The antlerless portions will be held from October 9th to 11th and December 5th to December 13th.
Additional 2026 hunting dates are available online at mdc.mo.gov.
MISSOURI STUDENTS INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN NO MORE TRASH CONTEST
Area students are being invited to participate in a trash can decorating contest to help fight litter in the state.
According to MODOT, the 2026 “Yes You Can Make Missouri Litter-Free” trash-can-decorating contest will run through March 13th.
The contest encourages school-aged kids to join in the fight against litter by decorating a large trash can with the “No MOre Trash!” logo and a litter-prevention message using a variety of creative materials. Schools, or home school programs, may submit one trash can entry in each competition category.
Entries are judged based on creativity, adherence to the contest rules and effective use of the theme and logo.
First-place winners from each competition category receive $200 awarded to the sponsoring schools. All first-place winners are then eligible for a grand prize of $600 and a trophy awarded to the sponsoring school.
East Carter County R-2 was the 2025 Grand Prize Winner.
More information is available at modot.org.