KENNETT MAN SENTENCED FOR ASSAULTING ONE YEAR OLD CHILD
A Dunklin County man is set to spend three decades in prison for assaulting a one year old child.
Dunklin County Prosecuting Attorney Nicholas Jain tells KWOC News that 33 year old Matthew Estes, Jr., of Kennett, was sentenced Tuesday to 30 years in the Department of Corrections on the charge of assault in the first degree and 16 years on the charge of abuse of a child causing serious physical injury.
The sentences are to be served concurrently.
Jain says that in April of 2016, Estes’s girlfriend found her 21-month-old son with bruises all over his face and body. The child was airlifted to an area Children's Hospital where he was diagnosed with three skull fractures and a buildup of blood on his brain, among other injuries.
Jain added that while the victim in this case does not have lasting injuries, the assault was serious enough that it could have killed the child.
A Dunklin County jury found Estes guilty of the charges after a three day trial in September.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI WRECK LEAVES ONE DEAD
A wreck Tuesday morning on US Highway 60 has resulted in one death.
Officials with the Missouri State Highway Patrol tell KWOC News that a vehicle driven by 25 year old Wyatt Borgman, of Mountain View, struck the back of a large truck, half of a mile east of Birch Tree.
Borgman was pronounced dead a short time later by Shannon County Coroner, Sam Murphy.
No injuries were listed for the driver of the truck.
FUNDS MADE AVAILABLE TO AREA AIRPORTS THROUGH BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW
Multiple area airports will have funds available to them to invest in a variety of ways thanks to the bipartisan infrastructure law.
The Federal Aviation Administration has announced it will award $2.89 billion to over 3,000 airports around the nation.
This includes $159,000 being made available to the airports in Poplar Bluff, Corning, Dexter, Malden, and Kennett. $110,000 is available to the airports in Piggott and Piedmont.
The money can be invested in runways, taxiways, safety, and sustainability projects, as well as terminal, airport-transit connections, and roadway projects.
Airports can submit proposals to the FAA for review in the coming weeks. The FAA is encouraging applicants to prioritize projects that increase airport safety, equity and sustainability.
POPLAR BLUFF SCHOOL GETS NEW PLAYGROUND
A Poplar Bluff school has gotten a new area for students to play in.
A new playground is available for Poplar Bluff Middle School students on what was formerly Strenfel Stadium. The playground includes a jungle gym with slides, a swing set, volleyball nets, a set of soccer goals, and a backstop for games such as kickball.
The project has been a collaborative effort both internally and through community partnerships, according to school officials.
Fundraising under the PTO, on top of a donation from the PBHS Class of 1972, helped finance the pavilion, while much of the playground equipment has come directly out of the Middle School’s budget.
PUBLIC HEARING TO BE HELD IN RIPLEY COUNTY TO DISCUSS BLOCK GRANT
A public hearing will be held next week in Ripley County to discuss a grant application.
Ripley County will hold a public hearing at 10 am on Thursday, December 30th at the Ripley County Courthouse in Doniphan to discuss the county’s submission of an application for the fiscal year 2021 Community Development Block Grant Covid-19 program.
The county is proposing to request additional grant funding to assist in covering the increased costs of labor and materials needed for construction of the Ripley County Jail project. The total request amount is $470,783.
For more information on the proposed project, contact Presiding Commissioner Jesse Roy at 573-996-2623.
TWO ARRESTED IN STODDARD COUNTY ON DRUG CHARGES
Two people have been taken into custody in Stoddard County on drug charges.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 48 year old Danny Sweatt, of New Madrid, and 28 year old Janay Thacker, of Risco, were arrested within 30 minutes of each other Monday night.
They are each facing charges of unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, and felony possession of a controlled substance – methamphetamine.
It was not released if the two arrests were connected.
