Thursday, September 10, 2026
BODY RECOVERED OF PERSON WHO WENT MISSING AFTER JUMPING INTO SWIMMING AREA TO HELP CHILD
Authorities in Northeast Arkansas have recovered the body of an adult who went missing in the swimming area of Crowley’s Ridge State Park.
According to Greene County Sheriff Brad Snyder, shortly before 8 pm Monday, a state park life guard was doing a final check after the swimming area shut down, when they heard a young person scream for help.
The juvenile, who was in the water, was able to be retrieved by the state park lifeguard. The juvenile said that they were struggling to stay above water, and that an adult had come to help get them onto one of the inflatables and to safety. During that attempt, the person in question went under and never resurfaced.
After several hours, a search for the person was postponed shortly after midnight Tuesday morning.
On Tuesday, deputies worked alongside the Craighead County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, as well as Arkansas Game and Fish and Arkansas State Parks, to continue the search. At approximately 1:20 pm Tuesday, Craighead County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team members were able to locate the body of the missing person.
Snyder says that the identity of the deceased is being withheld until positive identification is established and the next of kin is notified. The body will be sent to the state crime lab for an autopsy.
POPLAR BLUFF R-1 TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT RECEIVES AWARD FROM MSHP
The Poplar Bluff R-1 Transportation Department is being recognized by the Missouri State Highway Patrol for maintaining exceptional safety standards across its entire fleet of over 50 buses.
According to school officials, the department has earned a Total Fleet Excellence award.
The district achieved an approval rating of 92.3 percent, with 48 out of 52 buses earning a perfect score. The remaining buses that received point deductions were greenlit after minor repairs were performed on-site, R-1 Director of student success Jon McKinney reported to the Board of Education following the spring safety inspection.
The 2026 approval rating exceeds the state average by 2.36 percent. The percentage also tops last year’s score by 11.5 percent, and the district's five-year average on McKinney's watch by 8.7 percent.
RESIDENTS CAN SIGN UP TO GET NOTIFICATIONS ABOUT TRAFFIC SHIFT ON US HIGHWAY 67
The previously reported traffic shift is coming up soon for US Route 67 and residents can now sign up to receive notifications about the project.
The Missouri Department of Transportation is preparing for new traffic patterns along U.S. Route 67 between U.S. 160 and Route MM in Butler County in the coming weeks.
During the transition, construction crews will shift traffic from the existing U.S. 67 roadway to the newly constructed four-lane facility.
To minimize the duration of impacts, construction crews will work continuously to complete the transition within an anticipated 36-hour period. An exact date has not been set at this time.
Residents and local travelers who live or travel along the section of U.S. 67 between U.S. 160 and Route MM are encouraged to provide their contact information to MoDOT at modot.org/futureI57 to receive an alert once an exact date is established.
STODDARD COUNTY FAIR BEGINS SEPTEMBER 22
The 99th Stoddard County Fair will begin in less than two weeks.
The fair will kick-off with the parade in downtown Dexter on Tuesday, September 22nd at 5:30 pm.
There will be multiple nights of entertainment and events through September 26th, including the livestock auction, FFA/4H tractor rodeo, demolition derby, and more.
For more information, including the full schedule, go to www.stoddardcountyfair.com.
SHOTS FIRED NEAR LARGE GATHERING IN SIKESTON, THREE PEOPLE INJURED
Authorities in Sikeston are investigating a shooting from the Labor Day Holiday weekend.
According to Sergeant Tyler Rowe, during the early morning hours on Sunday, a large gathering of around 100 to 200 people were congregating in the area of Branum and Lora shortly after 3 am.
At 3:40 am Sikeston DPS Officers received a ShotSpotter Alert and Officers in the area called out on the radio the gunshots as well. ShotSpotter indicated possible fully automatic gun fire in the area of Luther and Osage which was within walking distance of where the crowd had been.
When Officers arrived on scene they were informed of 3 gunshot victims. Of the three victims, one remains in serious condition at a trauma hospital. The other two victims received gunshot wounds to their lower extremities and have already been released from the hospital. Rowe says that the names of the victims are not being released for their privacy.
During the course of the investigation, officers located a total of 32 spent shell casings, in three different calibers, as well as one firearm that was recovered near the scene.
Anyone with information that could help the investigation is encouraged to contact Sikeston DPS Criminal Investigations Unit at 573-471-4711, or they can contact the anonymous tip line at 573-475-3774.
SENIOR HEALTH FAIR TO BE HELD THIS MONTH IN POPLAR BLUFF
A free health fair for area residents ages 50 and up will be held this fall in Poplar Bluff.
The 29th Annual Senior Health Fair from the Butler County Community Resource Council and AmeriCorps Seniors, has been scheduled for 10 am to 1 pm on Tuesday, September 22nd at the Twin Towers in Poplar Bluff.
There will be multiple services available, including health screenings, vaccinations, community resource information, and more.
For more information, call 573-686-8624.