MAN SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON ON RAPE CHARGEA man has been sentenced to life in prison on rape and sodomy charges.

According to Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russell Oliver, Steven McWhirter was sentenced Monday to three life sentences by a judge in Cape Girardeau County.

On August 18th, McWhirter pled guilty to forcible rape in the first degree and two counts of statutory sodomy in the first degree. On Monday, Judge Benjamin Lewis imposed a life sentence on each count.

The two statutory sodomy life sentences were ordered to be served concurrent to one another but consecutive to the forcible rape life sentence.

DEXTER MAN WINS $100,000 THANKS TO SCRATCHERS TICKET A Dexter man recently claimed a top prize from a Missouri Lottery Scratchers Ticket.

According to the Missouri Lottery, Donnie Williams won $100,000 from a “$100,000 Money Multiplier” Scratchers ticket he purchased for $5 at a Dexter convenience store.

The same store sold another $100,000 scratches ticket winner to a Dexter woman in April.

POPLAR BLUFF POM SQUAD KIDDIE CAMP SCHEDULED FOR NEXT MONTH The Poplar Bluff Pom Squad is holding a dance camp for girls in preschool through 6th grade next month.

The camp is scheduled to be held at the Poplar Bluff Kindergarten Center Gymnasium from 6 to 7:30 pm on Tuesday, October 10th and Thursday, October 12th. Pre-registration will be held from 5 to 7 pm on October 2nd in the Poplar Bluff Kindergarten Center lobby.

The cost is $25 per child and will include a T-shirt and Pom Poms.

A performance will be held following the camp on Monday, October 16th during the Mules 9th grade football game at the High School Football field.

ARREST MADE IN CONNECTION TO SHOOTING IN NEW MADRID COUNTY Authorities in New Madrid County have arrested a man in connection to a shooting on Monday.

According to the New Madrid County Sheriff’s Department, shortly after 8 am on Monday, deputies were called to Lilbourn in reference to a possible shooting.

When the deputies arrived, they located a victim who had an apparent gunshot wound in the chest. The victim was airlifted to a Memphis hospital, where he remains in serious but stable condition.

New Madrid County Sheriff Terry Stevens says that the victim identified the suspect as Alandre Newsom.

Newsom was apprehended several blocks away from the crime scene and taken to the New Madrid County Sheriff’s Office where he was booked in and charged with assault 1st degree, stealing a firearm or explosive, and two counts of armed criminal action, among other charges.

FOUR INJURED IN PEMISCOT COUNTY WRECK Four people were injured in a single vehicle wreck Sunday night in Pemiscot County.

Officials with the Missouri State Highway Patrol tell KWOC News that 47 year old Lisa Rawls, of Kennett, was driving on Route NN shortly after 11 pm Sunday when her vehicle traveled off the roadway and overturned.

Rawls, along with 47 year old Shonda Groves, of Steele, were seriously injured in the wreck. Groves was flown to a Memphis hospital while Rawls and two other passengers were taken by ambulance to a Kennett hospital.

POPLAR BLUFF STUDENT NAMED NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP SEMIFINALIST A Poplar Bluff student has been named a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist.

Poplar Bluff High School senior Adeesh Mishra is one of approximately 16,000 Semifinalists nationwide in the program. Adeesh has been invited to write an essay as part of a checklist for a chance to be named a finalist in the program.

Semifinalists have an opportunity to continue in the competition for around 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $32 million that will be offered next spring.

2017 DELTA FAIR PARADE TO BE HELD TODAY IN KENNETT Residents in and around Kennett are preparing for tonight’s parade.

According to the Kennett Police Department, the 2017 Delta Fair Parade will be held tonight beginning at 5 pm.

Officers will begin shutting traffic down around the high school area, including the North Bypass from North Street to Saint Francis Street, at around 4:15 pm.

Traffic will then be shut down along the parade route from Wal-Mart to Route O beginning at 4:45 pm.