TWO ARRESTS MADE IN CONNECTION TO BUTLER COUNTY DEATH INVESTIGATION
Two people are in custody in connection to the death of a man in Butler County.
According to Butler County Sheriff Mark Dobbs, on Sunday night an unresponsive man was dropped off at Poplar Bluff Fire Station Number Three by two men who then left the station.
The subject, identified as 40 year old Travis Hicks, of Poplar Bluff, was transported by ambulance to a Poplar Bluff hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
An investigation was started by the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, with the cooperation of the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Butler County Coroner’s Office.
Dobbs says that two subjects have been arrested due to the investigation. 42 year old Carl Markham has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, with his bond set at $100,000. 36 year old Laura Adkinson is facing a charge of felony possession of a controlled substance and her bond is set at $25,000.
Sheriff Dobbs added that additional charges may be requested as the investigation continues and autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday.
STAY SAFE DURING THE SCORCHING HOT TEMPERATURES
The Excessive Heat Warning continues today and you should make sure that you are staying safe from the heat.
River Radio Chief Meteorologist Dan Holiday tells us more about how you can help ensure the safety of yourself and your family during these dangerous heat conditions.
“Most of us think we're pretty tough when it comes to heat like this, but it doesn't take much to wear you out no matter how old you are. So it's important to start work early if you can. If you work outdoors and end early in the day, maybe start just right around sunrise and wind down by early to mid-afternoon. Because the real window for hot weather is going to be between two and five, that's when we have peak heating going on. Same story goes for keeping an eye out for elderly neighbors that may have issues with air conditioning or don't have an air conditioner. May not remember to turn on the fan, they can become very warm and overwhelmed quickly. And also watch your pets, livestock as well too, because it won't take long for them to be overheated. And if you've got somebody staying in the car while you run inside, maybe making an errand or something, make sure and keep the air conditioner on high while you're away.”
You can find a map of cooling centers in your area by going online to data.mo.gov and searching Cooling Centers.
AT LEAST 20 MORE SCHOOLS IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI TO BEGIN SCHOOL YEAR TODAY
School opening week in Southeast Missouri continues today with at least 30 more schools welcoming back students.
The school year will begin today for kids in the Twin Rivers, Malden, Sikeston, Holcomb, Van Buren, and Clearwater school districts, among others.
At least 11 more schools will start on Wednesday, including Neelyville, Doniphan, Puxico, Advance, and Bloomfield.
MULES SEASON OPENER DELAYED AN HOUR DUE TO HEAT
Poplar Bluff football fans will have to wait a little bit longer for the Mules 2023 season to kick off.
According to Poplar Bluff Athletics Director Kent Keith, the kick off for the Friday night Mules season opening game has been pushed back an hour due to the extreme temperatures forecasted for this week.
Kick-off for the game against Park Hills Central will now be held at 8 pm on Friday. Keith says that the gates will open at 6:30 pm.
Every Poplar Bluff Mules game this season will be broadcast live on Today’s Talk KWOC 93.3 FM and 930 AM as well as on the KWOC Facebook and River Radio Youtube pages.
CAMPBELL MAN CONVICTED OF MANSLAUGHTER IN 2021 SHOOTING DEATH
A Campbell man will be sentenced next month following his conviction on a manslaughter charge.
Dunklin County Prosecuting Attorney Nicholas Jain tells KWOC News that 62 year old Phillip Cooper was found guilty of shooting
and killing Jerry Ott in October 2021.
Cooper was tried and sentenced by a jury in Butler County last week.
The Butler County jury deliberated for more than 3 hours and ultimately sided with Jain despite Cooper’s claim that Ott had pulled a firearm before he was shot.
Cooper was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter, armed criminal action, tampering with physical evidence, and abandonment of a corpse.
The jury recommended the maximum possible sentence on three of the four counts, 15 years in the Department of Corrections for voluntary manslaughter, three years for armed criminal action, and four years for both tampering with physical evidence and abandonment of a corpse.
A formal sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 26th following a sentencing assessment report by the Division of Probation and Parole.
DEXTER MAN FOUND WITH OVER 30 GRAMS OF METHAMPHETAMINE, FACING DRUG TRAFFICKING CHARGE
A drug bust in Stoddard County has one man facing a trafficking charge.
According to a probable cause affidavit, shortly before 8 am on Sunday an officer made contact with 51 year old Darren Ashworth, of Dexter, after receiving a report of a subject riding a bike around a home and yelling loudly.
The officer found Ashworth to be in possession of a baggy containing over 31 grams of a white crystal like substance that was later field tested and showed a positive presence of methamphetamine.
Ashworth was taken into custody on a charge of trafficking drugs 2nd degree due to the weight of the substance.
According to Missouri Case Net, Ashworth is scheduled to make his initial appearance in court this morning.
INTERSTATE 55 ON RAMPS CLOSED THIS WEEK FOR PAVEMENT REPAIRS
Two Interstate 55 on ramps will be closed this week in Southeast Missouri
The Southbound I-55 on ramps at Exits 17B and 19 in Pemiscot County will be closed this week as contractor crews perform pavement repairs.
According to MoDOT, work will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m daily through Friday. The work zone will be in place 24 hours a day until work is completed.
The work zone will be marked with signs and motorists are urged to use extreme caution while traveling near the area.
