Wednesday May 20, 2020

Wednesday May 20, 2020

POPLAR BLUFF MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON IN RAPE, SODOMY CASE

A Poplar Bluff man was sentenced to time in prison in a rape, sodomy case.

According to officials from the Poplar Bluff Police Department, 47 year old Robert Chavez, of Poplar Bluff, was charged on 1st degree statutory sodomy, and 1st degree statutory rape.

These charges stem from multiple witness, law enforcement, and victim testimonies – as well as a letter read by the victim – which state that Chavez began sexually abusing the then 13 year old victim in October 2012, and continued the abuse until June of 2014.

A SAFE examination by the victim, as well as several months worth of messages between the two, were also used as evidence in court trials.

Chavez is currently incarcerated at the Butler County Jail, and will be serving 55 years jail time – 25 years on statutory sodomy, and 30 years for statutory rape.

Stoddard County Patient That Tested Positive for COVID-19 has Died

A resident of the Crowley Ridge Nursing Home in Dexter, who tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, has died.

According to Stoddard County officials, though the patient had tested positive for the coronavirus last week, the cause of death is currently undetermined. Additionally, of the 27 total patients from the nursing home who tested positive for the virus, five of them are currently hospitalized.

At this time, no personal information about the resident will be released.

Tuesday May 19, 2020

Tuesday May 19, 2020

NEW CASES OF COVID-19 REPORTED IN BUTLER AND CARTER COUNTIES

New cases of the COVID-19 virus have been reported in both Butler and Carter County.

According to the Counties’ Health Departments, one new case was reported in Butler County, the first new case since May 13th, raising the total cases in the County to 28. Of these, 24 have recovered.

In Carter County, health departments have reported its first confirmed case since April 6th, making the total number of patients in the County four.

Both patients have been self-quarantined at their homes, and local health departments will be working with the CDC to contact anyone who may have been in contact with them while they were active.

In Missouri, the total positive cases of the coronavirus has reached 10,945, and 605 deaths have been directly linked to the disease.

Monday May 18, 2020

Monday May 18, 2020

BUSINESS AFFECTED BY COVID-19 OUTBREAK; MULTIPLE CASES REPORTED FROM DEXTER NURSING HOME

The ongoing outbreak of the COVID-19 virus has left a business bankrupt, and a nursing home in Dexter has reported multiple positive cases of the virus.

According to the Stoddard County Health Department, 22 cases of the disease were confirmed in a Stoddard County nursing home, including 20 residents and 2 employees. All of the infected patients have been hospitalized, and the rest of the staff and residents have been tested.

Any further patients will be moved to a separate wing of the nursing home.

In business, the JCPenney company filed for bankruptcy on Friday afternoon, with officials from the company stating that the COVID outbreak was the last nail in the coffin after a decade of poor decisions, damaging market trends, and executive decisions.

The company has started a turnaround plan that will allow it to stay in business, however an unknown number of its 846 stores will be shutting down.

Officials with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services state that as of Sunday, there have been a total of 10,789 confirmed cases in Missouri, and 594 deaths in the state have been directly linked to the disease.

If you are showing symptoms of the coronavirus, you are advised to contact your primary healthcare provider before visiting any hospital or emergency room.

Friday May 15, 2020

Friday May 15, 2020

COVID-19 CASES CONTINUE TO RISE IN MISSOURI; COUNTIES OPENING THEIR DOORS

The number of cases of the coronavirus in Missouri have continued to increase.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reports that as of Thursday, there have been a total of 10,317 cases of the COVID-19 virus in Missouri, and there are now 562 reported deaths in the state that are directly linked to the disease.

According to the Pemiscot County Health Center, the County’s stay at home order and curfew will be ending on Monday, however businesses and churches are still required to maintain proper social distancing and hygiene guidelines.

If you are showing symptoms of the coronavirus, such as shortness of breath, fever, and persistent coughing, you are advised to contact your primary healthcare provider before visiting any hospital or emergency rooms.

Thursday May 14, 2020

Thursday May 14, 2020

LAKE WAPPAPELLO CAMPGROUNDS SET TO REOPEN SOON

The campgrounds of Lake Wappapello are scheduled to open its doors to the public soon.

The Lake Wappapello Corps of Engineers announced on Wednesday that the grounds will be opening on May 22nd, including Greenville, Peoples and Redman Creek, as well as all primitive campgrounds and camping.

To ensure the safety of visitors and staff, the grounds will only be available through reservations. These reservations must be made in advance, and are only available online at www.Recreation.Gov.

All beaches, playgrounds, fish cleaning stations, and the Visitor Center will remain closed until further notice, and all special events will remain canceled until June 30th.

Wednesday May 13, 2020

Wednesday May 13, 2020

BUTLER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE LAYING OFF EMPLOYEES DUE TO BUDGET SHORTAGE

Five employees at the Butler County Sheriff’s Department will be laid off due to a budget shortage.

Butler County Sheriff Mark Dobbs says that funding shortfalls have forced authorities to lay off several officers and a custodian. The layoffs began in March, and so far a deputy process server and the custodian of the Department has been let go.

There will be three more deputies that will be laid off for an indefinite amount of time, including supervisors and ranking members of the department.

The employees will be able to collect unemployment benefits, and it is unknown at this time if the layoffs will be permanent.

New Case of COVID-19 Confirmed in Butler County; First Since April 26th

Health officials in Butler County are reporting it’s first case of COVID-19 in over two weeks.

Amanda Fitzwater with the Butler County Health Department tells KWOC News, they have confirmed a new case of COVID-19. The last positive case in Butler County was confirmed on April 26th.

Local Health Department staff will be monitoring the case and additional follow up contacts will be done. They have already received a list of people from the patients’ contacts.

The patient is currently hospitalized and will soon be released for self-isolation. No other information will be released about the two patients.

The health department reports there are 27 total positive cases of COVID-19 in Butler County. Of the 27 total cases, 23 have fully recovered.

Tuesday May 12, 2020

Tuesday May 12, 2020

MAN ARRESTED IN POPLAR BLUFF FOLLOWING VEHICLE PURSUIT

A man was taken into custody in Poplar Bluff after he crashed his car following a vehicle pursuit.

Lt. Keith Hefner with the Poplar Bluff Police Department tells KWOC News that authorities were involved in a vehicle pursuit after they had attempted to stop a car near the intersection of South 11th and Martin Street for careless driving.

The vehicle failed to yield and, following a vehicle pursuit by officers, overturned and crashed into a utility pole at the intersection of 6th and Lester Street.

The driver was identified as 31 year old Seth Parker, of Poplar Bluff, who was taken into custody on a felony charge for resisting arrest, careless and imprudent driving, and multiple minor traffic violations.

An investigation into this incident is currently ongoing, and more information will be available as it proceeds.

Monday May 11, 2020

Monday May 11, 2020

LONG TIME THREE RIVERS COLLEGE COACH RETIRES AFTER 50 YEARS

Three River College Basketball Coach Gene Bess has announced his retirement.

Bass has 1,300 wins to his name after his 50 years working as a basketball coach for the college, and was the first college basketball coach to reach 1,000 wins in 2006, 1,100 wins four seasons later, and 1,200 in 2015. His final home game win marked his 1,300th win.

He finished his career with a record of 1,300-416.

The 85 year old coach taught two classes each semester while working as the college’s Athletic Director, and his son, Brian Bess, who has been an assistant coach for 27 years, will be taking his place.

Friday May 8, 2020

Friday May 8, 2020

DRIVER KILLED IN VEHICLE INCIDENT IN NEW MADRID COUNTY

A driver was killed in an incident that occurred in New Madrid County on Thursday.

Officials with the Missouri State Highway Patrol tell (Station Name) News that the event took place on Highway F, north of Portageville, where a vehicle pulled into the path of an oncoming freightliner’s towed unit.

The driver, 20 year old Dylan Emmons, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Thursday May 7, 2020

Thursday May 7, 2020

TORNADO CONFIRMED BY WEATHER SERVICE IN CARTER COUNTY

A tornado was reported to have touched down in a town in Carter County on Monday.

According to the National Weather Service, an EF0 Tornado was confirmed about 2 miles west of Grandin, and traveled around 4 miles along Highway 21 through Grandin and the Ripley County Line. It pulled trees and ripped out multiple electrical poles in its path, and ripped the roof off a home.

The tornado’s wind speed was about 85 miles per hour, and no injuries were reported from the event.

Wednesday April 6, 2020

Wednesday April 6, 2020

AREA MAN SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON IN 2018 DEATH CASE

A Poplar Bluff resident was sentenced to time in federal prison in regards to a 2018 death case.

According to the Poplar Bluff Police Department, 26 year old Skylar Carter has been sentenced after pleading guilty to a felony charge on 1st degree involuntary manslaughter.

The incident allegedly occurred in November of 2018, where Carter struck 59 year old Daniel Lashley in the chest, leading to his death from blunt-force trauma. He was found in a ditch near Henry Street and taken to Poplar Bluff Regional, where he passed away.

Witnesses state that Lashley had been in an altercation with Carter in the ditch, where Carter had struck and kicked Lashley, leading to his injuries.

Following his trial, Carter has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.

Tuesday May 5, 2020

Tuesday May 5, 2020

THUNDERSTORM DAMAGE AND POWER OUTAGES REPORTED ACROSS THE AREA

Damage to homes and cities in Southeast Missouri has been reported following yesterday’s thunderstorms.

There were several incidents reported in Gideon, ranging from structure damage, homes losing their roofs, and trees blocking Main Street. Road blockage was also reported along Highway 158 near Harviel, Highway 53 in Campbell.

There have also been reports of multiple downed trees and power lines, as well as residence damage in Butler County.

Residents will be hard at work clearing the recent storms damage on top of the incidents caused by Sunday’s thunderstorms, which resulted in about 12,000 houses losing their power, and caused extensive damage across multiple counties.

Monday May 4, 2020

Monday May 4, 2020

THUNDERSTORMS LEADS TO POWER OUTAGES ACROSS SOUTHEAST MISSOURI

Thunderstorms that struck on Sunday led to several Counties losing their power.

The storm caused extensive damage to homes, and downed several trees which caused roadways to be blocked and power to be cut off from residents. There were no injuries reported, however an estimated 12,000 homes lost their power starting at around 3:30 in the afternoon.

Power outages spread throughout the day in Butler, Wayne, Carter, and Ripley Counties as the storm moved, with downed trees and power lines being reported in Poplar Bluff, Fremont, Van Buren, Ellsinore, and Neelyville.

Poplar Bluff Local Katy Ormsby's St. Jude Story

November 14, 2012 at 16 years old I was diagnosed with B-Cell Lymphoma by Dr. Jones here in Poplar Bluff. He immediately called St. Jude’s and within an hour of being diagnosed an Oncologist from St. Jude’s called my mom to reassure her I was going to get the best care.

November 17, 2012, I walked into St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital for the first time.

Poplar Bluff Local Dustin Cook's St. Jude Story

I am nearly 11 years cancer-free, and man, does that feel good to say.  My journey with St. Jude started May 19, 2009.  Up until that point I was just your average 12-year-old kid.  I loved reading, playing video games, and spending time with family.  I enjoyed school and made straight A’s.  I honestly don’t remember when things began to change, but I believe it was near the beginning of 2009.

Wednesday April 29, 2020

Wednesday April 29, 2020

ONE HOSPITALIZED, ONE ARRESTED FOLLOWING DOMESTIC DISPUTE

A man was hospitalized, and another was taken into custody following an aggressive domestic dispute.

According to the Poplar Bluff Police Department, officers responded to a stabbing from the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, where 39 year old Jeffery Logan entered the hospital with multiple 6 to 7 inch deep cuts and lacerations along his stomach.

According to Logan, he received the injuries from his boyfriend, 39 year old Joseph Adams, over an argument about his unemployment. Logan went on to state that he drove himself to the hospital after Adams grabbed a knife and began slashing at him.

Adams was booked at the Butler County Jail early Tuesday morning, on suspicion of assault - 1st degree, unlawful use of a weapon, and armed criminal action.

Tuesday April 28, 2020

Tuesday April 28, 2020

DRIVER DIES FROM VEHICLE CRASH IN STODDARD COUNTY

A driver was killed following a vehicle crash in Stoddard County on Sunday.

Officials from the Missouri State Highway Patrol tell KWOC News that a vehicle was traveling down Missouri 153, north of Parma, before it overcorrected and ran off the left side of the roadway, striking a ditch and overturning, causing the driver to be ejected from the vehicle.

The 24 year old driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

Monday April 27, 2020

Monday April 27, 2020

GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES MISSOURI OPENING MAY 4TH; EXTENDS EMERGENCY DECLARATION

Missouri Governor Mike Parson announced in a press conference on Friday that the state will be re-opening next week.

Governor Parson stated during a COVID-19 briefing that Missouri’s Stay at home order will be officially lifted next Monday, May 4th, and announced that he will be extending the states Emergency Declaration to June 15th.

The Governor has said that his plan to reopen Missouri will depend on a two phase recovery plan, including the protection and care of healthcare workers, as well as reopening specific businesses that are supported by testing data and insights from workers.