Friday, January 30, 2026
ARCTIC COLD FRONT TO BRING DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS TO THE AREA THIS WEEKEND
Another arctic cold front is moving through the region this weekend bringing dangerously cold wind chills to the area again.
According to the National Weather Service in Paducah, wind chills will bottom out in the low to mid single digits this morning.
Wind chills will be even worse from Friday night through Saturday morning, with wind chill values getting down to around negative six degrees in Poplar Bluff.
A cold weather advisory will be in effect from midnight tonight to noon on Saturday for most of Southeast Missouri.
Officials say that you should try to stay indoors during extremely cold weather and any trips that you do make outside should be as brief as possible.
SETTLEMENT ANNOUNCED IN LAWSUIT AGAINST BLOOMFIELD HOUSING AUTHORITY
A settlement has been reached in connection to a lawsuit concerning sexual harassment in Bloomfield.
The United States Justice Department announced Thursday that the Housing Authority of the City of Bloomfield and its former executive director, Eddie Joe Hankins, have agreed to pay $35,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that Hankins sexually harassed a female housing applicant in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
The Justice Department’s lawsuit, filed in September of 2025, alleges that in 2021, Hankins subjected a female housing applicant to unwelcome sexual comments and touching without her consent, and offered to place her on the wait list for housing in exchange for sex.
The lawsuit also alleges that the Housing Authority is vicariously liable for Hankins’ unlawful conduct.
Under the settlement agreement, the Defendants must pay $35,000 to the housing applicant. The settlement agreement permanently bars Hankins from managing residential rental properties and requires employees of the Housing Authority to complete Fair Housing Act training.
EAGLE DAYS PROGRAM AT MINGO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE CANCELLED
An annual event honoring eagles Mingo National Wildlife Refuge near Puxico has been cancelled.
According to officials, Eagle Days 2026 was originally scheduled for this Saturday, but was cancelled due to inclement weather.
Currently, there are no plans to reschedule the event for this year. MDC encourages the public to attend other Eagle Days events around the state.
THREE RIVERS COLLEGE TO HOST JAZZ FESTIVAL NEXT WEEK
The Three Rivers College Music Department will be hosting their Annual Jazz Festival next month.
Jazz performers from schools across Southeast Missouri will be performing live at the Tinnin Fine Arts Center in Poplar Bluff on February 5th and 7th.
Both nights will feature performances from the Three Rivers College Jazz Band, which will be joined on February 5th by junior high, high school, and college jazz groups from across the region.
The February 7th performance will feature the Southeast Missouri All-District Jazz Band, which consists of select high school jazz musicians.
Both shows will begin at 7 pm and admission is free.
HUNTERS ASKED TO REMOVE TREE STANDS FROM MDC AREAS BY THE END OF THE MONTH
January is coming to an end so Missouri hunters need to make sure that their tree stands have been removed from conservation areas.
The Missouri Department of Conservation is reminding hunters that portable tree stands must be removed from conservation areas by February 1st.
This applies to areas where black bear, deer, or elk hunting is allowed, allowed by special-use permit, or except as otherwise authorized in the Wildlife Code of Missouri.
Any tree stand found on conservation areas after February 1st may be removed and seized as evidence by conservation agents until an owner can be determined or a court order for its disposition can be obtained.
PUBLIC MEETING SCHEDULED FOR NEXT MONTH TO DISCUSS INTERSECTION PROJECT NEAR MATTHEWS
The Missouri Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing next month to discuss improving the intersection of U.S. Route 61 and Route 80 near Matthews.
The hearing will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, February 10th at the Nutrition Center in Matthews.
During the meeting, MoDOT will share two alternatives for this safety improvement project—installing traffic signals or constructing a roundabout.
Tentatively, construction could begin as early as June 2027. Once work begins, it will be underway for approximately nine months. Motorists should anticipate delays, but the intersection will remain open to traffic during construction.
The public hearing will be open house style, and visitors can stop by anytime between 4 and 6 p.m. to discuss the details of the proposals with the project team.