Friday, July 10, 2026

BATTLE OF THE BADGES BLOOD DRIVE SCHEDULED FOR TODAY

Reservations are now being accepted for the Battle of the Badges Blood Drive in Poplar Bluff.

The Blood Drive is scheduled for noon to 5 pm today at Larry Hillis Dodge on North Westwood Boulevard.

This will also be a friendly competition between local police, fire, and EMS teams, as you will choose which team gets credit when you donate.

There will also be food trucks, games, and a chance to receive an exclusive t-shirt.

Anyone wanting to donate can call 1-800 Red Cross or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter the code LarryHillis to schedule an appointment.

NEW AWARD TO HONOR INDIVIDUALS FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO POPLAR BLUFF SPORTS

The Poplar Bluff Hall of Fame has announced that they will be honoring members of the community for their contributions to area sports at the Hall of Fame’s 38th Induction Banquet this fall.

The new Sam Giambelluca President Emeritus Award will be presented to a person, or group, that provides significant contributions to sports in Poplar Bluff, including but not limited to monetary funding, time spent volunteering, or promotion for the betterment of the community.

Brian Roesner, president of the Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame says that the inaugural award will be presented to Dan Coffman, Dr. Jerry McLane Family, J.P. McLane, Bill Swafford, and Dr. Austin Tinsley.

Roesener tells KWOC News that they felt this group was the perfect way to start the award as each has made significant contributions to the community in a variety of ways.

Dan Coffman is a longtime supporter of Poplar Bluff athletics having been a member of both the Mules and Raiders booster clubs. He has been an avid fan and supporter of the Three Rivers Raiders over the past 50 years, sponsored teams in youth leagues and was an AAU basketball coach for five years.

Dr. Jerry McLane Family supported all Poplar Bluff athletic teams over the years. Dr. McLane also served on the City of Poplar Bluff’s Park Board, helping to create the municipal golf course. He provided facilities for park league basketball teams, sponsored and coached in youth leagues for many years, helped start and fund the annual Poplar Bluff Showdown basketball tournament, and was an avid supporter and fan of the Three Rivers Raiders. The land that became McLane Park was sold to the city at a greatly reduced price, helping create a new home for youth baseball and softball. McLane died in 1998.

J.P. McLane was a longtime supporter of Three Rivers College athletics and was inducted into the Three Rivers Athletic Hall of Fame in 2020. He was involved with the Raiders Booster Club for more than 40 years and was a fixture at Raiders games while working to benefit the athletic department. McLane died in 2020.

Bill Swafford contributed as a member of the Three Rivers Raiders Booster Club for nearly 50 years along with supporting Poplar Bluff athletic teams. He served on the Three Rivers College Board of Trustees for 18 years while his fundraising efforts helped create the college’s Libla Family Sports Complex and he was inducted into the Three Rivers Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022. A PBHS alum, Swafford was an All-SEMO football player at center in 1963.

Dr. Austin Tinsley supported Poplar Bluff athletics by serving as longtime team physician and provided free physicals for all athletes for 30-plus years. He won the Mule Skinner Award in 1987 for service to the Mules football team.

ART FOR ANIMALS BEGINS TODAY

The Animal Welfare Alliance of Southeast Missouri is gearing up for the opening reception of this year's “Art for Animals.”

The reception will be held tonight from 6 to 8 pm at the Margaret Harwell Art Museum in Poplar Bluff. Admission to the reception is free and open to the public.

The event also includes an online auction, and bidding will end during a free closing reception from 6 to 8 pm on Friday,

July 24, at the Art Museum. The public can view the competing artwork in person at no charge at the museum through July 24

Art for Animals is an annual fund raiser for the Animal Welfare Alliance, which operates a regional no-kill animal shelter in Poplar Bluff. More information is available at AWASemo.org.

CAMPBELL AMERICA 250 CELEBRATION SET FOR THIS WEEKEND

A celebration of 250 years of America will be held this weekend in Campbell.

The Campbell America 250 Celebration is scheduled for 4 to 9 pm on Saturday at Campbell City Park.

There will be food, live music, games, contests, a fireworks show, and more. Admission to the event is free.

ANNUAL POLLARD PICNIC SCHEDULED FOR JULY 11TH

The date for the Annual Pollard Picnic in Northeast Arkansas is coming up.

The event will be held on Saturday in Pollard, Arkansas, and will feature multiple attractions for the entire family as well as the annual Pollard Beauty Pageants.

The pageants will begin at 10 am and continue through the rest of the day. There will be multiple divisions from birth through 18 years old. The entry fee for each division is $30.

There is no pre-registration and entries should arrive 30 minutes before the scheduled beginning of their pageant.

All funds made during the pageant will go to the upkeep of the New Hope Cemetery in Pollard.

ARKANSAS OFFICERS TO CRACK DOWN ON SPEEDING FOR THE REST OF THIS MONTH AS A PART OF NEW CAMPAIGN

Law enforcement officers across Arkansas will be stepping up speeding stops as a part of a new campaign going on this month.

According to the Arkansas State Police, the high-visibility enforcement campaign, Speeding Slows You Down will be conducted through the end of July.

State Police Troopers, sheriff’s deputies and city police officers will join this campaign by providing high-visibility patrols and issuing speeding citations to drivers breaking the law.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, local roads are more dangerous than highways for speeders. In 2024, speeding was a factor in over 11,000 traffic deaths nationwide, accounting for 29 percent of all traffic fatalities.

Drivers in neighborhoods, school zones, or secondary roads should be especially aware of this campaign and their speed as Arkansas law enforcement officers will be concentrating their efforts in these areas.

SEAL COAT IMPROVEMENTS TO CAUSE DELAYS ON NEW MADRID COUNTY ROAD

Contractor crews will be making driving surface improvements on Route U in New Madrid County through the end of August.

According to MoDOT, drivers should anticipate short, intermittent lane closures on Route U between Route D and Route 61 during the project.

There will also be a 12 foot width restriction in place and traffic will be directed with the use of flaggers and a pilot car

Weather permitting, work will take place from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Monday, August 31.