(Editor’s note: This is the first of a week-long series)
It may be hard for some of us to remember, but January 2021 kicked off with news of COVID-19 vaccine availability.
By Jan. 6, hospitals in our area had begun vaccinating frontline health care workers.
Poplar Bluff would on Jan. 22 be the site of the first mass vaccination clinic held in the state. An article announcing the opening of registration for this clinic was the third most read online story in January and February.
Officials acknowledged after the Jan. 22 mass vaccination event — which saw major traffic congestion as people lined up hours ahead of the opening — that there were significant challenges. But this event also helped the state get the details worked out before moving on to other areas, said health personnel at the time.
A second event two weeks later saw major improvements in scheduling and coordination, area officials later commented.
Butler County had about 13,500 of its approximately 42,500 people vaccinated as of early December, or almost 32% of residents.
As of early January, new locations for Rally’s and Taco John’s were also under construction.
State and county offices saw new faces as those elected in November were sworn in.
The Daily American Republic also published accounts from family members who expressed concern about how outgoing coroner Andy Moore had run his office during his four-year term. By the end of the year, Moore would be facing unrelated criminal charges.
An article on a high-speed crash in front of John J. Pershing VA Medical Center and an article on plans to renovate the former Hays Music Store came in second and first respectively in the most-read stories of January and February.
Rounding out the top 5 was an article on Ozark Border warning of possible rolling outages due to extended, extreme cold in February and an article on the aftermath of an apartment fire on West Harper Street.
Jan. 2
• Information concerning the swearing in of Butler County elected officials is shared. They included assessor Chris Rickman, treasurer Tammy Marler, county commissioners Boots LeGrand and Butch Anderson, public administrator Jeff Darnell, coroner Jim Akers and sheriff Mark Dobbs.
• Twin Rivers School district makes plans to replace the 75-year-old gym floor at Qulin Middle School.
Jan. 5
• Poplar Bluff City Council receives seven bids for construction of the new Poplar Bluff Police Department on Shelby Road, with a low bid of $8 million and a high bid of $9.3 million. A construction budget for the project had been set at $8.3 million.
• James Sisk is named city planner for the city of Poplar Bluff, Greg Smith is named director of the Black River Coliseum and Bobby Godwin is named golf operations manager at Oak Ridge Golf Course.
• Stacy Andrew Gipson is arrested the previous day in West Virginia on charges of murder related to a home invasion on Dec. 1, 2020, in the 100 block of Begley Street, that left one dead and another seriously injured.
Jan. 6
• Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center vaccinates 360 frontline health care workers against the COVID-19 virus. It was the facility’s first shipment of the Pfizer vaccine.
• The John J. Pershing VA Medical Center makes plans to begin vaccinating veterans age 85 and older against COVID-19, with the expectation that they would receive 700 doses of Moderna.
Jan. 7
• Outgoing Sen. Doug Libla (R-District 25) reflects on eight years serving the region. Libla advocated for an increase in the state’s fuel tax and improving access to computer science education.
Jan 8
• Outgoing state Rep. Jeff Shawan (R-District 153) shared that his term in the House of Representatives was a privilege that offered a chance to serve the region.
Jan. 12
• Information is shared about construction nearing completion on locations for Rally’s and Taco John’s.
• A Dexter teen killed Jan. 8 is reported as the first traffic fatality of 2021, following a one-vehicle accident on County 651, five miles southwest of Dexter.
Jan. 13
• Three Rivers College reports the COVID pandemic had led to enrollment changes, including a 34% increase in online class enrollment.
• Filing for the Ward 4 Poplar Bluff City Council spot becomes a contested race, with Robert E. Durbin opposing incumbent Shane Cornman.
Jan. 15
• Christopher “Jantzen” Gilmore is ordered to stand trial for murder in the Dec. 1 shootings that killed one person and injured a second in a home invasion in the 100 block of Begley Street.
Jan. 16
• Families share concerns about the operations of former Butler County Corner Andy Moore, with complaints that included delays in receiving information about loved ones’ deaths, as well as delays in receiving official paperwork related to deaths.
• Missouri’s first mass COVID vaccination event is planned for Jan. 22 in Poplar Bluff, with plans to provide the first of two Pfizer doses to approximately 2,000 Missouri residents.
Jan. 19
• A celebration is held at Wheatley Park to honor Martin Luther King Jr.
Jan. 20
• Registration opens for the Jan. 22 mass vaccination event, with the Daily American Republic and Poplar Bluff Municipal Library offering to assist residents with the online-only process.
• Incoming state Sen. Jason Bean (R-District 25) talks about his first weeks serving the area, including conversations about the Interstate 57 expansion.
• Jay Jay’s Cab Service is put on six months probation following a car accident with a police car.
Jan. 21
• It takes less than a day for the 2,000 spots for a Jan. 22-mass vaccination event to fill up.
Jan. 23
• It is reported the state’s first mass vaccination event, held Jan. 22 at the former Hydro Adventures, sees traffic snarls and other logistical issues as residents flock to the site hours early.
• Courts in Butler and Ripley counties make plans to pull back on COVID-19 restrictions as vaccinations become available, and local positive cases begin to drop.
• Poplar Bluff’s first medical marijuana dispensary makes plans to open the following week.
Jan. 26
• It reported another mass vaccination clinic is held Jan. 23 in Poplar Bluff.
Jan. 28
• Poplar Bluff schools report the graduation rate in 2020 was the highest in nine years, at 94.3%. The rate is based on the number of students who graduate in four years.
Jan. 30
• Poplar Bluff city officials say the pandemic helped create the largest sales tax growth in five years, with collections growing 6% in 2020.
Feb. 2
• Miranda Fickert is named the 2020 Citizen of the Year by the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce on Jan. 30.
• The Mules golf program is inducted Jan. 31 into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
Feb. 3
• The Mayberry/Bieller family is recognized for having a century farm.
Feb. 4
• The Dr. Gus T. Ridgel library annex is reported open on Kanell Boulevard.
• Plans are made for a second mass COVID-19 vaccination event Feb. 12 in Poplar Bluff.
Feb. 10
• Former Poplar Bluff police officer Brandon M. Hopper is sentenced to 300 months in prison for one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, after pleading guilty in October 2020 to the charges involving an 11-year-old girl.
Feb. 11
• Information is shared concerning the escape of residents in the 1200 block of West Harper from a weekend fire that destroyed eight apartments.
Feb. 12
• Area pharmacies are able to begin offering the COVID-19 vaccine.
• Joseph Fernando, a former Poplar Bluff pediatrician, is arrested for sexual contact with a 14-year-old boy.
Feb. 13
• Residents praise a second mass COVID-19 vaccination event held in Poplar Bluff, which many said offered better scheduling and less congestion.
Feb. 14
• Poplar Bluff Vietnam War hero Famous Lee Lane is recognized nationally when his story is shared in an American Legion magazine. It raised awareness across the country of Lee who was killed April 20, 1966, in South Vietnam, and was recognized with the Distinguished Service Cross.
• The Poplar Bluff Post Office reports it will reduce lobby hours due to vandalism.
• Poplar Bluff resident Michelle Webb talks about her work during the pandemic to write a book with a message of finding a way to belong.
Feb. 17
• Electric companies ask residents to reduce usage as the area battles extreme cold.
• It is reported local road crews are working to remove up to 7 inches of snow from area roadways.
Feb. 18
• Tallies for snowfall across the region reach up to 15 inches in some areas.
• Residents rally to open shelters, including in Poplar Bluff and Harviell, as frigid temperatures continue to grip the area.
Feb. 19
• Courts in Butler and Ripley counties prepare to resume jury trials. COVID-19 restrictions meant only two jury trials were held in 2020 in Butler County and none in Ripley County.
Feb. 20
• Local officials share that Butler County Health Department will take a lead role in efforts to get COVID-19 vaccinations out to the Region E area, including coordinating mass vaccination events.
Feb. 23
• Anthony Jenkins Sr. is charged with murder in the shooting death of Timmy D. Carwile, 62, of Bernie. Jenkins told officers the shooting was done in self-defense.
Feb. 24
• Poplar Bluff city officials report that pipes frozen and broken due to unusual cold temperatures double city water usage, with 21 water main breaks reported between Feb. 12 and Feb. 22. Approximately 200 residents also requested meter service due to frozen or broken pipes, officials said.
Feb. 26
• The Poplar Bluff Housing Authority is awarded a federal grant for $1.3 million, which was expected to help pay for new roofs, other repairs.
• Jeff Arnold is recognized for 40 years serving the Manufacturer’s Assistance Group.