EXCLUSIVE: POPLAR BLUFF POLICE CHIEF SPEAKS ON PANHANDLING IN POPLAR BLUFF
Many Poplar Bluff residents have noticed an increase in panhandling recently in the city.
In an exclusive interview, Poplar Bluff Police Chief Danny Whiteley spoke with KWOC News about the legality of panhandling and his thoughts on the matter.
“With today’s rulings in court, it is not a crime to do panhandling. There has been a case just recently in St. Louis where an individual was awarded $150,000.
The local authorities had contested him doing that and in federal court, under first amendment rights, he was awarded $150,000. So that’s made everybody rethink and relook at their ordinances on panhandling. If you have a complaining witness that says someone was interfering with traffic as a victim, that’s something that we can look at. But you have to have someone willing to testify and someone willing to sign a statement before that can be done.
My suggestion is if you don’t have people that are contributing to the various, what appears to be, or we know one group is an out of town group of panhandlers. To give to your local charities, through the Bread Shed or through Bishop Webb’s church, or stuff like that where it’s all known.
They will get it to the local people in need. If they don’t have enough contributions to make it worthwhile to come here, they are going to go other places, and that would be my suggestion.”
BUTLER COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT NOW CARRYING PFIZER VACCINE FOR AGES 12-17
Butler County health officials say that teenagers will have opportunities to get vaccinated for COVID-19 before the school year begins.
According to the Butler County Health Department, they are now carrying the Pfizer vaccine for anyone between the ages of 12 and 17.
The vaccine will be offered during the weekly Friday vaccine clinics at the Health Department.
For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call 573-785-8478.
13TH ANNUAL MULE SKINNER GOLF TOURNAMENT SET NEXT WEEK
The 13th Annual Mule Skinner Golf Tournament is coming up next week.
The 4 person scramble tournament will be held on Friday, August 13th at the Westwood Hills Country Club in Poplar Bluff. Check in time is 11:30 am with a shotgun start at 1 pm.
Organizers say the entry fee is $600 per team, which includes a cart and lunch. Hole sponsorships are available for $100 per hole.
All proceeds will go to benefit Poplar Bluff Mules athletics programs.
For more information, contact Ed Norton at 573-776-7358.
NEW STATEWIDE CAMPAIGN ENCOURAGES SAFE DRIVING AROUND LARGE TRUCKS AND BUSES
The Missouri Department of Transportation has kicked off an almost month-long campaign urging motorists to drive safely around large trucks and buses.
Drivers will be seeing “Respect the Load. Share the Road” across the state as a part of the campaign.
Officials say that commercial motor vehicles make up 20 percent of Missouri’s interstate traffic and research shows that in most crashes involving CMVs, drivers of passenger cars unnecessarily endanger themselves by not paying attention and driving aggressively around the large vehicles.
PARAGOULD BACK TO SCHOOL BASH TO BE HELD AT REYNOLDS PARK
The Junior Auxiliary of Paragould will be hosting a “Back to School Bash” this weekend.
The event has been scheduled for 2 pm on Sunday, August 8th at Reynolds Park in Paragould.
In addition to free school supplies, there will also be backpacks for the first 100 students as well as snowcones and games.
