Stories from Saturday, October 3, 2020

Hall of Famer Bob Gibson, the dominating St. Louis Cardinals pitcher who won a record seven consecutive World Series starts and set a modern standard for excellence when he finished the 1968 season with a 1.12 ERA, died Friday. He was 84. The Cardinals confirmed Gibson's death shortly after a 4-0 playoff loss to San Diego ended their season. He had long been ill with pancreatic cancer in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska...

The COVID-19 conversation Friday turned to the fact President Trump and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus. It’s an announcement that amplifies the uncertainty we’ve all felt over the last few months. After eight months, we’re all tired of talking about COVID, and tired of thinking about what precautions we need to take while still trying to go about our lives of family, work and school...

Hometowns: Heather Dawn Kayser and Dalton Swift are both from Poplar Bluff, where Heather’s parents, Jeanna and James Tipton, and Dalton’s parents, Lisa and Eric Pennington, also live. Best friends take the plunge: Heather and Dalton met years ago at their church, First Liberty Missionary Baptist. They became best friends in November 2019, and later began dating...

Poplar Bluff city leaders expect to take a closer look in early 2021 at funding for a new city hall. These decisions will need to come after officials have a better picture of the final cost of the new police department, said city manager Matt Winters...

Residents have questioned what will happen with the former Second Street complex and parking garages, both of which are considered unsafe for public use. The city has looked at costs to demolish the Second Street complex and the possibility of repairing the parking garages, said city manager Matt Winters...

JEFFERSON CITY — After months of few or no COVID-19 cases among veterans at Missouri’s Veterans Homes, five of the seven homes have reported active veteran cases this past month. Two new veteran cases were reported at one home for the first time Friday. There also have been active cases among staff members at six of the seven homes...

NEELYVILLE — James Franklin, age 51, of Neelyville, Missouri, passed away on Friday, Oct. 2, 2020, at the Ray and Kay Eckstein Hospice Care Center in Paducah, Kentucky. James was born in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, on May 9, 1969, to Mary Jo Franklin and the late Donald Franklin. ...

Some walked on city streets. Some walked on county roads. Others walked in city parks, but they all walked for the same purpose Saturday — to raise money to find a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease. This year’s Poplar Bluff Walk to End Alzheimer’s looked much different than its prior four years. There was no large, in-person walk, but participants still were asked to walk, albeit on their own.

BUTLER COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT Bethany Marie Payne, 28, of Advance was booked at the Butler County jail Friday, Oct. 2, on a warrant for possession of a controlled substance. _ Ronnie Ardell Pullum, 38, of the 1400 block of Vine Street was booked at the Butler County jail Friday, Oct. 2, on warrants for stealing and third-degree domestic assault and a capias warrant for probation violation on an original charge of stealing...

County firefighters responded at 12:54 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, to a fire involving a backhoe at 96 County Road 321. According to the report, the John Deere backhoe was destroyed. _ City firefighters responded at 5:24 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, to a report of smoke in the 2633 Woodstone St. residence owned by Shahid Choudhary...