POPLAR BLUFF HIGH SCHOOL SOPHOMORE SELECTED TO ATTEND MISSOURI FINE ARTS ACADEMY

A Poplar Bluff High School sophomore will be attending a prestigious academy this summer.

According to school officials, Virginiagrace Vandewarker has been selected to participate in the Missouri Fine Arts Academy.

She is the only student from this region among 100 total across the state to attend the two-week residential program through the Reynolds College of Arts and Letters at Missouri State University in Springfield.

POPLAR BLUFF WOMAN REPORTED MISSING

A Poplar Bluff woman has been reported missing.

According to the Poplar Bluff Police Department, 30 year old Aimee Ross was last seen in the early morning hours of May 12th.

Ross is described as a white female, four feet, 11 inches tall, weighing 105 pounds, with red hair and brown eyes.

NEW COACH HIRED FOR TWIN RIVERS GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM

A new coach has been selected for the Twin Rivers High School Girls Basketball team.

Twin Rivers Superintendent Rob Brown tells KWOC News that Michael Snider was hired by the Board of Education during Thursday night’s meeting.

Snider has served as the Holcomb High School Boys Basketball coach since 2019 and Baseball coach since 2021.

PIEDMONT MAN KILLED IN ARKANSAS WRECK

A Piedmont man has died following a single vehicle wreck Wednesday night.

According to the Arkansas State Police, 34 year old Nathan Spears was driving on State Highway 367, in Jackson County, when his vehicle ran off the left side of the roadway and traveled into a ditch. The vehicle overturned multiple times in the wreck.

Officials say that Spears was killed in the crash. A passenger in the vehicle was injured and transported to an area hospital.

HOLCOMB MAN KILLED IN DUNKLIN COUNTY WRECK

A crash in Dunklin County has left one person dead.

Officials with the Missouri State Highway Patrol tell KWOC News that the crash occurred Wednesday morning when a vehicle driven by 50 year old Shane Hillhouse, of Kennett, failed to yield to another vehicle at the intersection of US Highway 412 and Highway NN.

The driver of the second vehicle, 57 year old Kevin Nelson, of Holcomb, was transported to a Pemiscot County hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

CITY COUNCIL APPROVES RATE HIKES FOR SEWER AND WATER IN POPLAR BLUFF

Water and sewer rates will be going up for citizens in Poplar Bluff.

During the regular City Council meeting Monday night, the council approved rate increases for Municipal Utilities.

According to information supplied by Municipal Utilities, the average water user will see an increase of $2.79 per month for 2023. The proposed rate track will have the water rate per 1,000 gallons go from the current $2.88 to $3.84 in 2027.

DETAILS RELEASED ABOUT FATAL TWO VEHICLE CRASH IN NORTHEAST ARKANSAS

Officials have released the name of a person killed in a two vehicle crash over the weekend.

According to the Arkansas State Police, the wreck occurred Saturday evening when 48 year old Dawn Eaton, of Paragould, drove through a stop sign and into the path of an oncoming vehicle.

The crash was located at the intersection of Walcott Road and the US Highway 412 Bypass in Paragould.

MAN FACING ASSAULT AND WEAPON CHARGES FOLLOWING SHOOTING IN POPLAR BLUFF

One person is in custody in connection to a weekend shooting in Poplar Bluff.

Lieutenant Josh Stewart with the Poplar Bluff Police Department tells KWOC News, that the shooting occurred at around 10 pm Saturday night, in the parking lot of the Walmart Supercenter.

Stewart says the shooting was the result of a family dispute. One person received a non life threatening gunshot wound to the leg area. The victim was transported to a Poplar Bluff hospital before being transferred to a Cape Girardeau hospital.

ST. LOUIS WOMAN IN CUSTODY FOLLOWING MULTI-COUNTY PURSUIT

A St. Louis woman is facing multiple charges following a multi-county pursuit in Southeast Missouri.

According to authorities, the pursuit began Thursday morning in Ripley County before coming to an end in Butler County on Business 60 at Route NN, east of Poplar Bluff.

The subject arrested has been identified as 30 year old Kimberly Worley, of St. Louis. She is facing charges of assault, endangering the welfare of a child, and resisting arrest by fleeing.

TEEN REPORTEDLY DISTRIBUTED MARIJUANA BROWNIES TO SOUTHEAST MISSOURI MIDDLE SCHOOLERS

A teenager has been taken into custody after he reportedly distributed marijuana brownies to middle school students in Southeast Missouri.

On Tuesday, the Caruthersville School Resource Officer received a report that several students at Caruthersville Middle School may have been under the influence of narcotics.

Several students had admitted to eating “marijuana” brownies that were given to them by a 14 year old juvenile male student at the Middle School. The 14 year old student had purchased the brownies from a 17 year old male juvenile student of the High School.

LAYOFF DATE ANNOUNCED FOR REVERE PLASTICS IN POPLAR BLUFF

Over 70 workers will be affected by layoffs this Summer at Revere Plastics Systems in Poplar Bluff.

The company told employees last week that the Poplar Bluff facility will be closing.

According to a WARN Notice posted on Jobs.Mo.Gov, the closing will affect 79 employees and the layoff date has been set for July 2nd.

MONDAY NIGHT STORMS RESULT IN DAMAGE ACROSS SOUTHEAST MISSOURI

A late Monday night storm system resulted in reports of damage across Southeast Missouri.

According to the National Weather Service, a tree fell on a house in the Sikeston area. No information was available on if anyone was injured in the incident.

Officials in Stoddard County reported a downed tree was blocking a roadway in the Bloomfield area last night at around 10 pm.

DONIPHAN MAN FACING DRUG TRAFFICKING CHARGE FOLLOWING WEEKEND ARREST

A Doniphan man is facing multiple charges, including drug trafficking, following his arrest over the weekend.

Officials with the Scott City Police Department tell KWOC News that officers responded to a call of a suspicious male Saturday afternoon.

The male subject had allegedly displayed a firearm to a citizen while attempting to sell illegal narcotics.

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING BASKETBALL COACH AND MISSOURI SPORTS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE PASSES AWAY

A Missouri state championship winning basketball coach and member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame has passed away.

Carroll Cookson died on May 1st at the age of 88.

Cookson coached in both Arkansas and Missouri, winning state championships in 1972 and 1975 while coaching in Advance.

REVERE PLASTICS SYSTEMS IN POPLAR BLUFF TO CLOSE

A Poplar Bluff factory will be closing down.

Revere Plastics Systems told employees on Wednesday that the Poplar Bluff facility will be closed.

An exact date for the closing of the facility was not available.

DATE ANNOUNCED FOR 8TH ANNUAL ST. JUDE VIP BANQUET

The date has been announced for the 8th Annual St. Jude VIP Banquet in Poplar Bluff.

The event, put on annually by Poplar Bluff Heroes, is scheduled for Friday, August 11th at the Black River Coliseum.

Officials say that doors will open at 5 pm for social hour, with dinner beginning at 6:30 pm.

TWO BUTLER COUNTY SCHOOLS TO RECEIVE SIX-FIGURE SCHOOL SAFETY GRANTS

Two Butler County School Districts have been selected to receive six-figure grants from the state.

On Monday, Governor Mike Parson announced 169 school districts and charter schools have received grants from the newly created School Safety Grant Program.

The Twin Rivers R-10 School District was selected for an $150,000 grant, while Neelyville R-4 will receive a $100,000 grant.

ENDANGERED PERSON ADVISORY ISSUED FOR MISSING BABY OUT OF FREDERICKTOWN

The Madison County Sheriff’s Department has issued an endangered person advisory for a missing newborn baby.

The advisory was issued Friday night for 8 day old Kai Noel Joseph Gutierrez Nickel, who was supposed to have been taken into protective custody.

Officials say that the baby’s biological mother, 28 year old Sarah Jane Diggs, is believed to have him and has not been located.

RIVER RADIO TO HOST ST. JUDE RADIOTHON THIS WEEK

This week River Radio will be devoting 24 hours of air time to help the kids at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

The River Radio St. Jude Radiothon will be held Thursday and Friday from 6 am to 6 pm each day.

During the radiothon, call in to become a partner in hope and help the kids at St. Jude.

On Friday during the Radiothon, PB Realty will be making hotdogs in the River Radio parking lot. They will also be accepting donations that will go to St. Jude. Last year PB Realty raised over $5,700.

ELLSINORE WOMAN FLOWN FROM THE SCENE OF A BUTLER COUNTY CRASH

An Ellsinore woman was flown from the scene of a side by side wreck Sunday afternoon in Butler County.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 33 year old John Miller, of Poplar Bluff, was driving the vehicle on private property when it traveled into a ravine.

A passenger in the vehicle, 22 year old Mariah Pinnell, of Ellsinore, was seriously injured in the crash and flown to a St. Louis hospital.