Stories from Thursday, February 4, 2021

Waterfowl hunting is quickly winding down in Missouri. The final segment of the South Zone duck season closed last weekend, leaving only goose hunting as an option, and it’s about to go away as well. Saturday is the last day of the regular goose season in Missouri...

ROLLA — Mark Twain National Forest is looking for campground hosts for the 2021 season. Campground hosting is a fun and rewarding volunteer experience that gets people outside and serving the public. There are multiple locations across the forest in need of a host this year. If you are interested in hosting at one of these sites, contact the individual(s) listed for that Ranger District...

Pike Creek Reorganized Common Sewer District’s regular board meeting will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the district office, 4550 Highway PP, Poplar Bluff. Along with routine business, the group will review the system performance report by Ron Keeney and the engineer report/phase 4...

City firefighters responded at 1:55 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3, to a report of an unauthorized burn at 1402 Spring. Firefighters found an unattended fire of leaves burning in a barrel and used 20 gallons of water to put out the fire. Easton S. Kirchner, 18, of the 700 block of Mill Street was booked at the Butler County jail Wednesday, Feb. 3, on suspicion of first-degree assault...

When Justin Benefiel accepted the role as lead pastor of New Home General Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff, he knew it would be a challenge. What he couldn’t have known was that he would be a new pastor in the midst of the COVID pandemic. Benefiel accepted the position at New Home as the successor to Rev. Calvin Buhler, who retired after 38 years as lead pastor at the church, located at the intersection of highways B and AA in Butler County...

We must learn to trust God for everything. It is easy to say I trust God! It may actually be another thing to really trust Him. Trusting God must be in all the situations in life. When we have enough and more food, clothes, houses and other physical things, we can say I trust God. Look what he has given me! Would we trust him if we were hungry, cold and homeless? I am wondering when we have plenty if we are trusting God or if we are trusting in things...

Noted youth speaker, Ken Davis, did a presentation in his college speech class that neither he nor his professor will ever forget. His grade was to be determined by how well he could drive home the point of his speech. The title of Davis’ presentation was very bland, The Law of the Pendulum. ...

February’s featured artist at the Margaret Harwell Art Museum in Poplar Bluff is local photographer Corey Matthews. “We are really excited to have a local talent like Corey to represent Black History Month,” said museum director Steve Whitworth. “We were looking for some way to celebrate that, and I was thrilled to death to have the opportunity to showcase his talent.”...

Betty Louise Bryant, age 80, of Dexter, Missouri, formerly of Poplar Bluff, died Wednesday, February 3, 2021 at her residence. Mrs. Bryant was born August 3, 1940 in Potosi, Missouri, daughter of the late Howard and Myrtle Evans. On November 8, 1957 she married Arvil Bryant. He preceded her in death on January 9, 2004...

Judith ’Judy’ Baldwin, 79 of Poplar Bluff passed away February 3, 2021. Judy was born February 16, 1941 to William and Marie (Boeving) Clarkson in Poplar Bluff. She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Thomas ‘Tommy’ Clarkson; her sister, Carole Bedell and her daughter, Jan Elizabeth Baldwin...

Former state representative Steve Cookson’s health issues, which lead to his liver transplant Jan. 29, began decades ago when he was in high school. While Cookson, 62, is recovering “remarkably well” at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, according to his sister, Lorie Grossheider of Cape Girardeau, she is speaking for the family to thank everyone for the continued prayers, as well as his donor’s family...

A second mass vaccination event will be held Friday, Feb. 12 in Poplar Bluff, and information will be released late Friday, Feb. 5, concerning a link and toll-free phone number for Missouri residents to sign up. Registration is required and the event is limited to the number of vaccines available. Once those registrations are filled, registration will be closed, local officials said...

The Twin Rivers R-X school district is looking at ways to expand both internet connectivity and computers available to students.