Wednesday, April 29, 2026
STORM DAMAGE REPORTED AFTER TUESDAY STORMS
Storm damage was reported in Ripley and Butler counties Tuesday following a storm system that crossed the area.
According to the National Weather Service, an outbuilding was blown into a house in Naylor. Officials also reported trees and power lines down.
In Oxly, buildings were rolled over and multiple trees and telephone poles were snapped.
Hail that was estimated to be over an inch was also reported in Ripley County.
In Butler County, winds were measured at 70 miles per hour in Neelyville and there were also multiple reports of damage to buildings in the Neelyville area.
A tractor trailer was also blown over one mile north of the Arkansas state line.
Ping pong to golf ball size hail was also reported in Holcomb.
Trees were also reported down in Dunklin County.
RIVER RADIO TO HOST ST. JUDE RADIOTHON THIS WEEK
This week River Radio will be devoting 24 hours of air time to help the kids at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
The River Radio St. Jude Radiothon will be held Thursday and Friday from 6 am to 6 pm each day.
During the radiothon, call in to become a partner in hope and help the kids at St. Jude.
OFC SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT TO BE BROADCAST TODAY ON KWOC FACEBOOK AND YOUTUBE PAGES
The Ozark Foothills Conference softball tournament is scheduled to begin today.
The tournament, featuring eight area schools, will be held over two days in Naylor.
The shortened schedule is due to the severe weather from earlier this week.
Today’s lineup will include Doniphan taking on Greenville at noon, followed by Twin Rivers vs. Naylor at 2 pm, Clearwater against Puxico at 4 pm, and finishing with a matchup between East Carter and Neelyville at 6 pm.
The semifinals, third place game, and championship game will all be played on Thursday.
All eight games of the tournament will be broadcast live on the Today’s Talk KWOC Facebook page at facebook.com/TodaysTalkKWOC and the River Radio Youtube page at youtube.com/RiverRadioPB.
STORM DAMAGES SCHOOL IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
The overnight storm system caused damage at a Southeast Missouri school.
According to the Steele Fire Department, firefighters were dispatched at 11:39 pm Monday night to South Pemiscot Central Elementary School after a passerby reported what appeared to be a possible fire.
On arrival, crews encountered multiple downed power lines across the roadway and significant storm damage to the structure.
Firefighters located a broken natural gas line at the rear of the building that was actively burning, with heavy flames present.
The Cooter, Hayti, and Caruthersville Fire Departments responded to assist and crews were able to contain the fire to the immediate area and prevent further extension into the structure.
Officials with the South Pemiscot County R-5 School district say that the campus experienced the loss of a large portion of the building’s metal roof and the fire destroyed two or three classrooms.
South Pemiscot R-5 schools were not in session on Tuesday so school officials could conduct a full assessment of the damage.
POPLAR BLUFF PROM GRAND MARCH TO BE STREAMED ONLINE
The 2026 Poplar Bluff Prom is set for this weekend.
According to officials with Poplar Bluff High School, the prom will be held on Saturday, May 2nd at the Black River Coliseum.
Doors will open at 6 pm, with the Grand March scheduled to begin at 7 pm.
Admission to Grand March is $2 per person and the march will also be streamed on the Mules Media Youtube page.
RIPLEY COUNTY SHERIFF TO HOST CONCEALED CARRY CLASS
A Southeast Missouri sheriff will be hosting a concealed carry class this weekend.
Ripley County Sheriff Rad Talburt and Corporal Rich Medley will be instructing the course from 8 am to 4 pm on Saturday, May 2nd, at the Old Current River Career Center on East Spring Street.
The class costs $100 to attend, and you must register ahead of time by calling 573-996-7031 or 573-996-2129.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE SET FOR POPLAR BLUFF SPRING TENNIS LEAGUE
The deadline has been set to register for the 2026 Poplar Bluff Spring Tennis League.
According to Poplar Bluff Parks and Recreation, the final day to register is May 1st. League play will begin on May 18th, with matches played at Poplar Bluff Middle School and Hillcrest Park.
The cost to register is $30, and more information is available at PBParks.RecDesk.com.