Stories from Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Austin and Ashley Tinsley of Poplar Bluff, Mo. announce the birth of their twins, daughter, Blake Makinley Tinsley and son, Beckham Bennett Tinsley. The babies were born at 37 weeks, six days gestation on February 21, 2019 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Blake was born at 3:05 a.m. weighing 6.3-pounds and was 19.5 inches long. Beckham was born at 3:12 a.m. weighing 5.14-pounds and was 20 inches long...

MALDEN, Mo. — Dejuan Nicholas Thompson, 39, of Malden, died Monday, May 20, 2019 at Southeast Health of Stoddard Co. in Dexter, Mo. Visitation will be from 2-3 p.m. Saturday, May 25 at the Landess Chapel in Malden. The funeral will follow at 3 p.m. in the chapel with Rev. Cleveland Brown officiating. Burial will be in the Macedonia Cemetery in Malden...

Saturday is a big day for sportsmen in Missouri, because that’s when the statewide squirrel season and the black bass season in Ozark streams both open. For squirrels, the daily limit is 10. The tool of choice for most squirrel hunters is a scoped .22 rifle shooting hollow-point ammunition, but given the heavy leaf canopy in the trees right now, some prefer to use a shotgun with No. 6 or 7.5 pellets...

ROLLA, Mo. — Joining with the Missouri Department of Conservation and St. Louis District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as part of the Missouri Feral Hog Partnership, the Mark Twain National Forest has begun the process to potentially ban the hunting of feral hogs on the 1.5-million-acre forest...

Hamtown Church Cemetery, County Road 535, cleaning will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday. For more information, call 573-727-9189. To send money for the cemetery upkeep, mail donations to Hamtown Cemetery, 4859 CR 534, Poplar Bluff, Mo. 63901.

City firefighters responded at 6:52 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, to a report of an unauthorized burn at the intersection of Relief Street and Grand Avenue. According to the report, firefighters found a small unauthorized burn at the 303 Relief St. residence occupied by Kimberly Colburn. Colburn reportedly put out the fire...

The Designing Women Foundation recently awarded five $1,000 scholarships to college-bound female seniors for their academic achievements in a presentation at the Bloodworth House. Poplar Bluff High School recipients of the annual scholarships were: Cara Bubanovich, who plans to major in nursing at Missouri State University; Marina Johnston, who plans to major in nursing at Southeast Missouri State University; Katelyn Moeller, who also plans to major in nursing at Central Methodist University; Jillian Page, who plans to major in international finance at the University of Alabama; and Sophia Rowland, who plans to major in engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology.. ...

The first time Robert Louis Smith ran for city council, he simply told the voters he was active in the community and knew the town. Nine years later, as he sought his fourth term, Smith said he had gained both experience and a passion for service. On Wednesday morning, approximately 100 people gathered to recognize Smith and mark a moment of change in Poplar Bluff history...

The progress of Poplar Bluff today stands on the shoulders of the men and women who have stepped up and served the community as its mayors and city council members, Rep. Jeff Shawan said Wednesday morning. He spoke during the mayor’s prayer breakfast at Mt. Calvary Powerhouse Church, where recently elected Mayor Robert Smith (see main story) and 11 former city mayor’s were recognized...

Head Start graduate Rose Wallace proudly posed for photos with family and friends after celebrating a milestone moment in her life. Next school year, she will join the “big kids” as a kindergarten student. “I’m excited I get to ride the bus and play with my friends next year,” she said. “My sister told me about the big playground.”...

Cultivating vegetables helps veterans raise more than fresh food, it helps lift their mental well being. Each year in conjunction with Earth Day, the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center staff, as part of the wellness program, help vets plant tomatoes and peppers...

Helping the unemployed is the goal of Missouri Job Center workers. In an effort to reach more people, the South Central WorkForce was awarded a Skill Up grant to assist people on food stamps with finding employment or paying for a short-term training program...