Stories from Thursday, October 28, 2021

Sandy Jo Taylor, daughter of the late William Howard Shaffer II and Aliece Bewley Shaffer was born May 18, 1963, in Hayti, Missouri, and departed this life Oct. 27, 2021, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. She had attained the age of 58...

Helen Kearbey, 85, passed away Oct. 28, 2021 after a short battle with follicular cancer. Helen was born Sept. 2, 1936. She grew up in Poplar Bluff and worked at the shoe factory and Gates. She is survived by her daughters, Vickie Lee and Terena Whitworth and her husband Steve Whitworth. Another daughter, Regina Teague, passed away in 2005. Husbands Alfred Prenzel and Lyndle Kearbey also preceded her in death...

Fall colors and cooler temperatures have arrived in the region. Wappapello Lake offers several trails to enjoy the colorful foliage at Lake Wappapello State Park, as well as Corps of Engineers-operated properties. This includes the Allison Cemetery Trail, Asher Creek Trail, Lake View Trail and Lake Wappapello Trail at the state park. ...

The Boys & Girls Club of Poplar Bluff is now the Boys & Girls Club of the Heartland. Along with the new name announced Thursday, the local group has received two new grants valued at a total of $2,884,290 over a five-year period for six sites. The name change, along with the grants, will enable the group to expand services throughout not just Butler County, but the heartland...

The Poplar Bluff Historic Depot Restoration Committee will host a quilt and apron show Saturday, Oct. 30, with displays, raffles and other activities. “Making quilts has been around for more years than any of us can remember. Grandma used scraps of left-over clothes to make the family warmer in winter. Today, many of the quilts are truly works of art,” said Stephanie Knoppe, president of the Poplar Bluff Historic Depot board...

A Poplar Bluff pastor and business owner will attend the United Nations COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, through the Christian Climate Observers Program. Parker Williams, who is currently parish administrator for Holy Cross Episcopal Church, is scheduled to attend the international conference being held Oct. 31-Nov. 12...