FIVE SCHOOLS SET TO START TODAY IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
School opening week in Southeast Missouri will be wrapping up today with at least five more schools welcoming back students.
Naylor, Ripley County R-3, Ripley County R-4, Zalma, and Marquand Zion R-6 are all beginning their school years today.
With most schools having started, motorists are again reminded to be mindful of increased traffic on roadways as well as an increase in student drivers.
DIFFERENCE MAKERS BANQUET TO CELEBRATE THE POPLAR BLUFF COMMUNITY TONIGHT AT BLACK RIVER COLISEUM
The Poplar Bluff community’s response to the March Tornadoes will be celebrated at a banquet tonight.
The 7th Annual Daily American Republic Difference Makers Banquet will begin at 6:30 pm tonight at the Black River Coliseum. Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe will be the keynote speaker.
In previous years, area volunteers were honored at the banquet, however, this year organizers will celebrate the community’s efforts in response to the deadly tornadoes that ripped through our city on March 14th.
A silent auction is also being held to raise money for The Bread Shed.
TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR 38TH ANNUAL WOMEN AWARE CONFERENCE
Tickets are still available for anyone who wants to attend the 38th Annual Women Aware Conference in Poplar Bluff.
The conference will be held from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm on Thursday, September 18th at the Black River Coliseum.
The keynote speaker for this year’s event is Sally McRae, a professional ultra/mountain runner.
General admission tickets are $45, while tickets for the keynote session only are $25.
For more information visit WomenAwareInc.com.
MAN RECEIVES THREE CONSECUTIVE LIFE SENTENCES ON RAPE CHARGES
A northeast Arkansas man will be spending the rest of his life behind bars following his conviction on multiple rape charges.
According to the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney for the 2nd Judicial District, Kenneth Poore has been sentenced to three consecutive life sentences after being found guilty on three counts of rape of a child in Greene County Circuit Court.
Poore had a prior conviction for sexual assault in the first degree from 2011. Officials say he was paroled in 2020 and committed these offenses less than three years later.
Prosecuting Attorney Sonia Hagood tells KWOC News that this verdict ensures that Poore will never harm another child again.
MODOT OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE PROPOSED BRIDGE PROJECT IN DUNKLIN COUNTY
The Missouri Department of Transportation has announced plans to replace two bridges on Route UU and one bridge on Route 153 in Dunklin County.
The bridges to be replaced include the Route UU bridges over Lateral Ditches 78 and 79, southeast of Kennett, and the Route 153 bridge over Drainage Slough in White Oak.
Work to replace the bridges could begin as early as spring 2027. As construction is underway, the roadway will be closed in the vicinity of each structure for approximately four months.
Any person affected by this project may request that a public meeting be held in regard to the proposed improvements.
Requests for a public meeting shall be in writing and must be submitted by Tuesday, September 2.
For more information, call 573-472-5347.
MODOT OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE PROPOSED BRIDGE PROJECT IN DUNKLIN COUNTY
The Missouri Department of Transportation has announced plans to replace two bridges on Route UU and one bridge on Route 153 in Dunklin County.
The bridges to be replaced include the Route UU bridges over Lateral Ditches 78 and 79, southeast of Kennett, and the Route 153 bridge over Drainage Slough in White Oak.
Work to replace the bridges could begin as early as spring 2027. As construction is underway, the roadway will be closed in the vicinity of each structure for approximately four months.
Any person affected by this project may request that a public meeting be held in regard to the proposed improvements.
Requests for a public meeting shall be in writing and must be submitted by Tuesday, September 2.
For more information, call 573-472-5347.
MISSOURI RESIDENT WHO CONTRACTED RARE BRAIN INFECTION HAS DIED
Updating a story that we have been following for you, state officials have confirmed that a Missouri resident who contracted a very rare brain infection has died.
According to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, the patient died on Tuesday at a St. Louis hospital.
Last week, DHSS confirmed that the resident had a laboratory-confirmed infection of Naegleria fowleri. Naegleria fowleri is a microscopic single-celled free-living ameba that can cause a rare deadly infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis or PAM, also known as “brain-eating” infection.
The ameba is common and naturally present in warm freshwater such as lakes, rivers and ponds; however, PAM is extremely rare. Between 1962 and 2024, there were 167 reported cases of PAM in the United States. Typically, fewer than 10 people a year in the United States get the disease.
The source of the patient’s exposure is currently being investigated by public health officials. While not confirmed, preliminary information implies the patient may have been water skiing at the Lake of the Ozarks days prior to becoming ill. Recreational water users should assume that Naegleria fowleri is present in warm freshwater across the United States; however, infection remains very rare.
