Stories from Thursday, February 28, 2019

EMINENCE — Officials hope to be able to lift an emergency closure of a section of the Jack’s Fork River by mid-March. The closure has been in place for almost a year near a damaged concrete pedestrian bridge at Alley Mill. Contractors began the process this week to dismantle the 42-year-old structure, said Dena Matteson, chief of interpretation, planning and partnerships for the Ozark National Scenic Riverways...

A short respite from what has seemed like an endless onslaught of rain over the last month or more (8.4 inches in Poplar Bluff since Feb. 1) has allowed our local lakes to begin dropping back toward their intended winter pools, but they still have a long way to go...

PIEDMONT, Mo. — Arlene Parker, 63, of Des Arc, Mo, died Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Visitation will be at 5 p.m. Friday, March 1 at Ruegg Funeral Home, Piedmont. The funeral will follow at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 2 at Victory Baptist Temple in Piedmont. Burial will follow at Mt. View Cemetery, Des Arc. Online condolences can be made at www.rueggfuneralhomes.com

Sometimes God sends us gifts disguised as problems. A few months after living in our car and finally getting a roof back over our head, I gave in to my son’s cry for a dog. Not just any dog, a border collie. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the breed, they require constant interaction and must stay busy with jobs/duties or attention from the owner...

City firefighters responded at 2:50 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, to a report of a grass fire at the 1301 Lurlyn Road residence owned by Ronald Cummings. According to the report, firefighters found a brush fire burning behind the residence. Firefighters used rakes and water to start putting out the fire and later used “brush lines” to put out hot spots...

Neal Holloway, 94, of Puxico, Mo., died Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m., Saturday, March 2 at Watkins & Sons Funeral Service in Puxico. The funeral will be at 2 p.m., Sunday, March 3 in the funeral chapel with Rev. Ray Placher officiating.

With Boys and Girls Club of Poplar Bluff, sophomore Shelby Lutes believes she is part of something bigger then herself. Club is a home away from home, Lutes said Thursday evening after accepting the recognition of 2019 Youth of the Year. It is a place where staff members remind youth they are not disadvantaged, but advantaged, she told stakeholders who gathered for a banquet at the Black River Coliseum. ...

FREE ACCESS The National Weather Service calls it the weather event of the decade, but for local residents, the 2009 ice storm probably still seems even more significant. The full brunt of that weather front left over 1 million people without power across nine states, including entire communities, like Dexter and Corning. The area saw as much as 2 inches of “catastrophic” icing and another 2-10 feet of snow accumulation between Jan. 26-28, 2009...