Stories from Monday, June 15, 2020

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Some Missouri gardeners are finding a new type of flatworm in landscape soils. The hammerhead worm is a “voracious, top-level predator,” says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Kelly McGowan. “It will eat anything in its path,” she says. It primarily feeds on native earthworms...

GREENVILLE — Albert “Al” Wills, 85, Greenville, died Friday, June 12, at his residence. Visitation will be at 6 p.m., Monday, June 15, at Ruegg Funeral Home, Greenville Chapel. Funeral services will be at 10:30 am, Tuesday, June 16, also at the Greenville Chapel...

FISK — Barbara Stubblefield, 80, of Saint Louis, formerly of Qulin, , died Thursday, June 11, 2020, at Kindred Hospital, in Saint Louis. Mrs. Stubblefield was born Nov. 5, 1939 in Greeneville, Tennessee, daughter of the late Doug and Martha Willett. ...

Sikeston — Southeast Missouri Food Bank has scheduled three more COVID-19 Response Mobile food distributions to respond to the increased need for food assistance following business closures and temporary layoffs due to the outbreak of COVID-19. A COVID-19 Response Mobile food distribution will be held at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Doniphan Fire Department, 124 W. Jefferson...

The Mules Booster Club has named Emily Nelson and Noah Burkey of Poplar Bluff High School the May Athletes of the Month. Burkey, a baseball player and member of the Class of 2020, pitched for three years, throwing 99 strikeouts with an earned run average of 2.01, while batting a .382 his junior year with 44 RBIs. During the preseason, he was an all-state and honorable mention Perfect Game All-American pitcher. In the classroom, he maintained a 10.2 cumulative grade point average...

DONIPHAN — Two Poplar Bluff men escaped injury when their boats collided head on Saturday afternoon on Current River. Robert K. Persons, 43, was operating a 2014 Blazer boat southbound when it allegedly struck a 2004 Blazer boat being operated northbound by Standley D. Bullington, 56, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report.

To the Editor: The 50th anniversary of Earth Day was April 22. We were able to celebrate before and after this date, thanks to many people. A huge thank you goes to Ozark Federal Credit Union for sponsoring the T-shirt design contest. Davine Conover allowed us to have student and adult categories, with Jon Daniels winning the grand prize. ...

Butler County saw the largest single day increase in COVID-19 cases Monday morning, following a day with the second highest increase.

Southeast Missouri experienced a small earthquake Monday morning that originated a little closer to home than most New Madrid Seismic Zone temblors in recent months. A 2.8 magnitude event was recorded at 6:44 a.m., about 7 miles east of Williamsville, according to the University of Memphis Center for Earthquake Research and the U.S. Geological Survey. It had a depth of just over 1 kilometer...

MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL A 43-year-old Plamyra, Tennessee, woman was injured in a motorcycle crash at 1 p.m. Sunday, June 14, on Highway 160, four miles west of Fairdealing. According to the report, Teresa D. Ford was operating a 2016 Indian motorcycle westbound when it was making a left turn and overturned in the road...

City firefighters responded at 10:10 a.m. Friday, June 12, to a fuel spill at Huck’s, 703 N. Westwood Blvd. According to the report, firefighters found a small amount of fuel was leaking from a damaged hose. Maintenance personnel were on the scene and removed the damaged hose...

Butler County saw its biggest spike in new positive tests for COVID-19 to date as health officials announced six new cases of the virus Monday, a day after five were reported. The state is scheduled to fully reopen Tuesday, and enter Phase 2 of the Show Me Strong Recovery plan. During Phase 2, there will be no statewide health order. All statewide restrictions will be lifted, though local officials will still have the authority to put further rules, regulations, or ordinances in place...

Poplar Bluff City Council members have voted unanimously for Robert Smith of Ward 5 to serve a second term as mayor. At-large representative Steve Davis was also selected unanimously to continue as mayor pro tem for the next year. Davis, Smith and newcomer Chris Taylor were selected in the June 2 municipal election. Taylor fills the at large seat vacated by incumbent Ron Black, who did not seek re-election. Davis and Taylor won against seven other candidates, with 501 and 485 votes respectively. Both carried at least 19% of the 2,219 votes cast...

Poplar Bluff City Council members took action on several items Monday, including grant applications and two fireworks displays planned for community events. A public hearing was held prior to the council’s regular meeting to receive citizens’ input on a Community Development Block Grant used to complete a 11th Street road and bridge project. The grant paid for 85% of the $440,000 cost to replace a bridge and make other repairs...

A newly seated Poplar Bluff City Council will face tough decisions in July as they consider shuttering the fitness center and indoor pool to shore up budget shortfalls. Other options to overcome a $283,000 deficit could include suspending funding for Margaret Harwell Art Museum and moving police officers to shorter eight-hour shifts from the current 12-hour shift rotation, said city manager Mark Massingham...