POPLAR BLUFF DETECTIVE SHOT WHILE ON DUTY, WOUNDS ARE NOT LIFE THREATENING
A Poplar Bluff detective was shot while on duty Thursday.
Josh Stewart with the Poplar Bluff Police Department tells KWOC News that Poplar Bluff officers, along with the United States Marshals Service, responded to an apartment located on Kinzer Street yesterday in an attempt to arrest a man on an active warrant.
Officers entered the apartment, at which point the suspect opened fire. Poplar Bluff Police Detective Corey Mitchell received a non-life threatening wound and was transported to an area hospital for treatment. A Task Force Officer with the US Marshals Service was struck in his body armor, but had no additional injuries.
After the initial shooting, the suspect barricaded himself, along with a female associate, in a bedroom of the apartment. After a short standoff, 28 year old James Johnson Jr., of Poplar Bluff, surrendered and was taken into custody without further incident.
According to Missouri Case Net, Johnson is facing charges of assault 1st degree, resisting or interfering with an arrest for a felony, and armed criminal action. His bond has been set at one million dollars and his arraignment is scheduled for Monday morning.
WEATHER OFFICIALS SAY THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER EVENT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING
Weather officials say we could see severe weather today in addition to a heat advisory going into effect.
According to a Hazardous Weather Outlook from the National Weather Service, the potential exists for a significant severe weather episode this afternoon and evening. Isolated to scattered supercells with very large hail, damaging winds and even a few tornadoes are possible.
This evening, these storms could evolve into a line of thunderstorms, with a significant damaging wind threat.
A heat advisory will also be in effect today from 11 am to 7 pm. High temperatures are expected to be in the mid 90s with the heat index peaking between 104 and 108 degrees in the afternoon.
ARKANSAS MAN KILLED IN SINGLE VEHICLE WRECK NEAR PORTAGEVILLE
An Arkansas man has died from injuries he received yesterday in a single vehicle wreck in Southeast Missouri.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 38 year old Richard Johnson, of Lepanto, Arkansas, was driving on Highway 162 in the Portageville area when his vehicle ran off the side of the road and overturned.
Officials say the wreck occurred at around 3:30 pm.
Johnson was later pronounced dead at an area hospital.
BOAT CAPSIZES, KILLING AT LEAST 11 IN BRANSON
Authorities say at least 11 people have now been confirmed dead after a boat carrying tourists on Table Rock Lake in Branson capsized and sank.
Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader says seven people have been hospitalized and five others remain missing. Rader says stormy weather is believed to be what caused the Ride the Ducks boat to capsize Thursday night.
National Weather Service meteorologist Steve Lindenberg says the agency issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the Branson area Thursday evening and winds reached speeds of more than 60 mph.
The National Transportation Safety Board said on Twitter that investigators will arrive on the scene this morning.
PUBLIC CORRUPTION CHARGES FILED AGAINST FORMER GREENVILLE CITY CLERK
A former Southeast Missouri city clerk is facing public corruption charges.
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley tells KWOC News his office has filed felony criminal charges in Wayne County against former Greenville City Clerk Pamela Birmingham.
The complaint alleges that Birmingham misappropriated over $150,000 in currency over the course of her employment as City Clerk and forged an entry in the city’s check disbursement log.
Hawley says that Birmingham allegedly wrote herself several checks, without proper authorization, out of various bank accounts owned by the city.
Birmingham was employed by the City of Greenville between January 2014 and April 2016.
TWO ARRESTED ON DRUG CHARGES IN DUNKLIN COUNTY
Two men were arrested on drug charges Thursday morning in Dunklin County.
Officials with the Missouri State Highway Patrol tell KWOC News that 48 year old Michael Pickard and 38 year old Kenneth Church, both of Kennett, were each arrested Thursday on a felony charge of possession of a controlled substance.
Each man is also facing charges of possession of marijuana – 10 grams or less and possession of paraphernalia.
Following their arrest, both men were held at the Dunklin County Jail.
ATHLETE PHYSICALS SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK IN POPLAR BLUFF
Poplar Bluff High School and Junior High student athletes can get a free physical done next week at the High School.
Physicals will be conducted beginning at 5:30 pm on Thursday, July 26th for athletes in the 7th and 8th grades, beginning at 6:30 for 9th and 10th grades, and beginning at 7:30 for 11th and 12th grades.
First practice dates have also been set for Poplar Bluff High School and Junior High fall sports.
The first practice day for high school athletes is Monday, August 6th. Junior High athletes will follow a week later, on Monday, August 13th.
