Friday, June 26, 2026
FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY, TO BE FOLLOWED BY HOT TEMPS ON SUNDAY
Possible heavy rainfall could cause flood conditions through the first part of this weekend.
According to the National Weather Service in Paducah, a flood watch is in effect for most of Southeast Missouri through Saturday morning. Multiple rounds of thunderstorms are expected through Friday night and officials say that repeated rounds of heavy rainfall from the storms could produce flash flooding.
On Sunday, temperatures are expected to rise to the low to mid 90’s, possibly reaching the high 90’s by mid week.
Heat index values are forecast to be over 100 degrees beginning Monday and continuing for multiple days.
VISITATION FOR GENE BESS TO BE HELD TODAY AT FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH IN POPLAR BLUFF
Visitation will be held today for Hall of Fame Basketball Coach Gene Bess.
Last Friday, Bess passed away at the age of 91 at his home in Poplar Bluff.
Bess is the winningest college basketball coach of all time, finishing his 50 year tenure as head basketball coach at Three Rivers College with 1300 wins and two national championships.
In addition to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Bess is also a member of the Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame, the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, and the NJCAA Hall of Fame.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 pm tonight at First Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff. Funeral services will follow on Saturday in Charleston.
POPLAR BLUFF JROTC CADETS FINISH IN TOP 11 AT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Four Poplar Bluff High School students finished in the top 11 of a national competition earlier this month.
According to school officials, four cadets from the PBHS JROTC represented the school at the prestigious JROTC Leadership and Academic Bowl National Championship in Washington, D.C.
Poplar Bluff’s team consisted of senior cadets Ayema Ahsan and Victoria Pennell, along with junior cadets Levi Ferguson and Kayleigh Henderson. The Poplar Bluff team was one of 32 teams from the JROTC Army division and went 6-4 overall to finish in the top 11.
The JLAB National Championship brings together elite four-person teams from all branches of JROTC and challenges students to showcase both academic excellence and leadership skills.
GOAT TO BE SHOWN AT MOVIE IN THE PARK TONIGHT
The Spillway Recreation area at Wappapello Lake will be converted to a movie theater tonight.
Movie in the Park will begin at dusk tonight at the Spillway Recreation Area.
The film Goat will be shown, free of charge, and there will also be one free snack and drink available per person. Attendees should remember to bring a lawn chair or blanket.
The Spillway Recreation area is located off of Highway T right before the dam.
FIREWORKS TO LIGHT UP LAKE WAPPAPELLO ON SATURDAY
Lake Wappapello will be illuminated by fireworks this weekend ahead of the Independence Day holiday.
According to the Wappapello Lake US Army Corps of Engineers, “Fireworks at the Lake” has been scheduled for Saturday at the Redman Creek Recreation Area.
Multiple attractions will be at the Recreation Area that day beginning around 3 pm, including live music, food trucks, and a petting zoo.
Officials say that the fireworks will start when it gets dark.
More information is available on the Wappapello Lake US Army Corps of Engineers Facebook Page.
ALABAMA MAN SENTENCED TO OVER TWO DECADES IN PRISON FOR BURGLARY AND CHASE IN MISSOURI BOOTHEEL
An Alabama man will spend over two decades behind bars in connection to a burglary in Southeast Missouri.
According to Dunklin County Prosecuting Attorney Nicholas Jain, 31 year old David Jerome Evans, of Birmingham, Alabama, has been sentenced to 25 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for the March 2025, burglary of a Kennett pharmacy.
Following the burglary, Evans led officers on a high speed chase before eventually crashing in Pemiscot County.
Evans pleaded guilty to burglary in the second degree, delivery of a controlled substance, stealing a controlled substance, and aggravated fleeing. The sentences on each of the four counts were imposed consecutively, totaling 25 years to serve in the Missouri Department of Corrections.
Evans was previously sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for his role in the burglary, and he faces additional charges in Alabama and Kentucky related to other pharmacy burglaries.