Butler County officials were in discussion 75 years ago about how to reorganize they county’s 68 school districts and six high schools to better serve students, while 50 years ago, a local district had to close three days early for Christmas break because their fuel distributor’s monthly allocation was cut and not enough gas was available for all of the buses.
__Dec. 21, 1923__
• Police are searching for the driver of an automobile which struck a wagon owned and driven by Rube Northcutt, throwing Northcutt and Pete Nance off the wagon and painfully injuring them. The accident occurred in front of the home of S.P. Davidson on North Main Street shortly after 5 o’clock last night (Dec. 20). Nance was able to be at his shop today but Northcutt was confined to his bed. Neither of them could tell how the accident happened, as both were either dazed or knocked unconscious because of the impact.
• Sam and Walter Bagwell, who were arrested late yesterday afternoon (Dec. 20) following the discovery of 10 gallons of liquor on a barge tied to their houseboat on Black River north of the Vine Street bridge, were released from the Butler County jail this afternoon on $500 bond. Sam’s bond was signed by V.E. Estes and Frank Morris, while Walter’s bond was signed by D.B. Deem and A.J. Stover.
__Dec. 21, 1948__
• Tomorrow (Dec. 22) is M day in Poplar Bluff, with M day being the day when you start dropping pennies and nickels in those bright, shiny new meters for the privilege of parking in Downtown Poplar Bluff. The Poplar Bluff City Council passed an ordinance last night (Dec. 20) regulating and controlling the use of the new parking meters, defining parking meter zones, authorizing a method of payment for the meters and providing for enforcement and penalties for violations thereof.
• Members of the Butler County Board of Education met Dec. 18, in the office of the county superintendent of schools at the Butler County Courthouse and began consideration of a proposed reorganization of the county’s school districts. There are currently 68 school districts in Butler County, with six of those 68 having high schools. The reorganization plan would, if adopted, divide the county’s school districts into about five large administrative units.
__Dec. 21, 1973__
• While one of the worst snowstorms in years this week forced the shutdown of many schools in eastern Missouri until after the first of the year, pupils in Piedmont schools started their Christmas vacation early for another reason: there was no longer enough fuel to run the school buses. Superintendent Ronnie L. McCormick said school was dismissed Monday, Dec. 17, three days earlier than scheduled because of the fuel shortage. He said the district needed 1,250 gallons of fuel to run the buses, but could only get 1,000 gallons after the local distributor had his monthly allocation cut.
• Rising food service costs and the need for extensive buildings and repairs dominated deliberations of the Poplar Bluff R-I school board meeting last night (Dec. 20). R-I superintendent Fred M. Morrow renewed his request for a bond issue at the meeting and suggested the proposal be prepared for a vote by May 1974.