Stories from Monday, May 25, 2020

Poplar Bluff police have a suspect in custody related to a Sunday afternoon shots fired incident reported by an off duty officer and a subsequent vehicle chase that reached speeds in excess of 120 mph. Jaquise Hamblin was arrested at 8:47 a.m. Monday in the 300 block of Center Street, according to officers...

Mary Jo Drum, 84, of Poplar Bluff, passed away on Thursday, May 21, 2020 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Mary Jo, daughter of Andrew T. and Agnes A. Brady Barrett, was born on Monday, January 27, 1936 in Campbell. Mary Jo showed academic achievement throughout her life that lead to her being the valedictorian of her class in 1954. ...

Ronald E. Clark, Sr., 78, of Piedmont, passed away Saturday, May 23, 2020 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation will be held at noon Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at the Morrison Funeral Chapel in Piedmont. Funeral services will follow at 2 p.m. at the funeral home chapel with Rev. Brent Reed officiating. Interment will be in the Masonic Cemetery. Memorials have been requested to the Heart Fund or St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Online condolences may be left at www.morrisonfuneral.com...

Missouri’s economy has lagged the national average for many years. Over the past two decades, only a handful of states have expanded at a slower rate. Numerous causes have been suggested, among them a relatively weak educational system and an unfortunate mix of industries. Could one explanation stem from its urban-rural divide?...

From the outset, America has been a profound experiment. What began as a small cluster of colonies wedged between a great ocean and a vast wilderness, became the world’s epicenter of hope and opportunity. A resilient people changed the course of human history by dedicating themselves to a simple yet radical belief that they could rule themselves. ...

As the opioid epidemic continues to claim lives in Butler County, local officials are saddened that state legislators again failed to enact a statewide prescription drug monitoring program. The legislation would have created an electronic database to monitor the prescription and dispensing of all schedule II, III and IV controlled substances, including such painkillers as Hydrocodone and Oxycotin...

Center Stage will host auditions for “Shrek the Musical” the first weekend in June. The show itself will run the first two weeks of September. Director Suzanne Cowan, who directed “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Little Mermaid,” said people have recommended “Shrek over the past few years for Center Stage to perform...

The week after the Memorial Day holiday usually means the Scripps National Spelling Bee for the nation’s best spellers. But in a world dramatically changed by the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 is the first year since World War II that the national event will not be held...

Larry W. Hover, 56, of Harviell, Mo., died Saturday, May 23, 2020, at his home in Harviell. A lifelong resident of Butler County and the area, Mr. Hover was born Aug. 14, 1963 in Poplar Bluff. He was a farmer and a truck driver. His hobbies were playing cards, fishing, being on the river, watching Westerns and MASH on television. He enjoyed driving country roads and teaching his grandsons to drive country roads and to shoot...

Louise Teague, 98, of Fisk, Mo., died Sunday, May 24, 2020 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Mrs. Teague was born Nov. 11, 1921 in Savannah, Tenn. She was a member of Rombauer General Baptist Church where she attended until her health prevented her from attending. She was a homemaker and was a cook with the Twin Rivers School District at the Fisk campus...

Kelly Ray Davidson, son of Franklin Davidson and Jane Hunter was born Sept. 12, 1961 in Poplar Bluff, and departed this life on May 22, 2020 in Poplar Bluff. He attained the age of 58 years, eight months and ten days. Kelly had resided in Harviell for the past two years and was formerly of Poplar Bluff. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, gardening, cooking, looking for arrowheads and spending time with family and friends...

Don Barr, 80, of Qulin, Mo., died Thursday, May 21, 2020 at Barnes Jewish Hospital in Saint Louis. Mr. Barr was born April 30, 1940, son of the late Loyd and Willie Ira Lee Barr. He was a 32nd degree Mason. Don worked for the railroad in St. Louis. He was an avid gardener, hunter and fisherman, enjoyed visiting with family and friends and telling stories...

Dorothy May Griffith Kearbey, 90, went to be with the Lord on May 22, 2020 at her home in Longview, Texas. Dorothy was born January 12, 1930 in Hope, Ark. to the late Floyd Griffith and Stella (Stillwell) Griffith. Dorothy married her husband, Thomas Kearbey, on October 29, 1949 in Pocahontas, Ark...

POPLAR BLUFF POLICE DEPARTMENT Adam Gregory Gilberto, 37, of the 700 block of North Ninth Street was arrested at 5:10 p.m. Saturday, May 23, in the 1100 block of Maud Street on four warrants for probation violations. He was booked at Butler County jail...