PROPOSAL TO REDUCE PINE STREET IN POPLAR BLUFF TO TWO LANES WITH A TURN LANE RUNS INTO OPPOSITION FROM LOCAL LEADERS
A proposal to reduce Pine Street in Poplar Bluff is being met with opposition from city leaders.
The proposal from the Missouri Department of Transportation calls for changing Pine Street from a four lane road to a three lane road including a center turning lane.
Poplar Bluff Fire Chief Mike Moffitt tells KWOC News that he is not in favor of the change. He believes if MoDOT forces this change that traffic will be grid locked during peak times. Fire, Police, and EMS responses during these times will also be delayed due to the traffic. He feels like it would create a safety issue for motorists traveling on Business 60 as well as emergency responders.
Poplar Bluff Chamber of Commerce President Steve Halter tells KWOC News that the community has concerns that the project may not effectively reduce accidents as predicted by MoDOT.
Halter says ”Given these concerns, I respectfully ask that MoDOT reconsider the new configuration. If the project moves forward, we recommend establishing a clear timeline with specific metrics for accident reduction and traffic flow improvement, which should be communicated to all community partners as well as the general public. If these metrics are not met within the specified timeframe, we urge MoDOT to revert to the original design.”
Halter added that he received a call from MoDOT District Engineer Mark Croarkin who was open to the community’s concerns. Croarkin plans to revisit the issue before any final decisions are made.
MoDOT officials tell KWOC News that within the coming week they are hoping that information will be made available on their website to help educate and inform the public about the proposed project.
DEXTER MAN IN CUSTODY ON STATUTORY RAPE WARRANT
Officials in Stoddard County have arrested an area man on a statutory rape warrant.
According to the Stoddard County Sheriff’s Department, 35 year old Gentry Jackson, of Dexter, has been taken into custody on a Stoddard County warrant for 2nd degree statutory rape and two counts of 2nd degree statutory sodomy.
During an interview with authorities, Jackson reportedly admitted to having inappropriate contact with a juvenile multiple times.
Jackson was held in custody on a $50,000 cash only bond.
POPLAR BLUFF MAN SERIOUSLY INJURED IN SINGLE VEHICLE CRASH
A Poplar Bluff man was injured Wednesday afternoon in a single vehicle crash.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 19 year old Austin Shepherd was driving an ATV on Butler County Road 459 when the vehicle traveled off the right side of the roadway and overturned.
Shepherd, who was not wearing a safety device, was flown to a St. Louis hospital with serious injuries.
DONATIONS FOR HURRICANE VICTIMS TO BE ACCEPTED AT RIVER RADIO IN POPLAR BLUFF
Area residents who want to donate items to help victims of the recent hurricane in North Carolina will have an opportunity to drop off items here at River Radio this weekend.
Lee Wright and the Poplar Bluff Knights of Columbus will be accepting items, including new coats, gloves, sleeping bags, little green propane canisters, and small propane heaters, from 10 am to 6 pm today and from noon to 5 pm on Sunday.
Organizers are asking that people not bring water, clothes, diapers, food, or paper products as those items were already collected and taken on a previous trip.
If you are not able to make it to the drop off times, you can still take items to the Knights of Columbus Hall and tell them it is for Lee Wright.
PUBLIC HEARING TO BE HELD NEXT MONTH IN BUTLER COUNTY TO DISCUSS BLOCK GRANTS
A public hearing has been scheduled for next month concerning proposed block grants in Butler County.
The County will host a public hearing beginning at around 8 a.m. on November 13th, at the Butler County Courthouse to discuss the city's submission of an application for a Community Development Block Grant.
The city is discussing the submission of at least five potential applications for the program.
For more information, contact County Clerk Donna Hillis at 573-686-8050.
$100,000 LOTTERY TICKET SOLD IN MISSOURI BOOTHEEL
An Arkansas resident is $100,000 richer thanks to a scratchers ticket he purchased in the Missouri Bootheel.
The lucky winner purchased the winning extreme cash scratchers ticket at a business in Cardwell.
The winner says he thought he was looking at the ticket wrong when it said he won $100,000.
Once he was certain his eyes were not playing tricks on him, he quickly tucked the ticket away for safekeeping.
