Popular Stories

One month missing: A timeline of events surrounding Michele Bell’s disappearance (1/9/20)

It has been one month since Michele Bell has been home. Outpourings of interest from media outlets and members of the public in the days after her disappearance have since trickled to a halt. Law enforcement search efforts have spanned two states and a web of jurisdictions, and all trails seem to go cold at Interstate 55 southbound exit 34, near Joiner, Arkansas...
Sikeston resident's death linked to recreational drug use (1/14/20)

SIKESTON, Mo. — A Sikeston woman’s death has been linked to recreational drug use while another is recovering from an overdose after the two were located in a locked vehicle Sunday in Mississippi County. According to Sgt. ...
Sunday shooting leads to 3 arrests on drug charges (1/14/20)

SIKESTON — An early morning shooting in Sikeston on Sunday has led to the arrest of three on drug charges. According to a release from Sikeston DPS, at 3:10 a.m. Sunday, Sikeston DPS received a call of a male who was shot three times at 905 Montgomery, Apartment B. ...
Lengthy sentence ordered in shooting (1/14/20)

NEW MADRID, Mo. - A Charleston man was sentenced to life in prison plus another 15 years for the attempted shooting of a Missouri State Highway Patrol officer. Demarcus Owens, 29, was formally sentenced by 34th Judicial Circuit Judge Edward Reeves on Tuesday. ...
4 seriously injured in accident (1/13/20)

ORAN, Mo. — Two men and two women were seriously injured in a one-vehicle accident early Saturday morning. According to the Missouri Highway Patrol crash reports, a vehicle driven by Steven Holman, 21, was eastbound on County Road 250, a half mile east of Oran at 1:03 a.m., when the vehicle ran off the roadway and struck a tree...
Dexter students opt for Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center over SCTC (1/11/20)

Dexter R-XI students will now join eight other school districts — and Westwood Baptist Academy — sending students to the Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center. The State Board of Education approved the switch from the Sikeston R-VI Career and Technology Center on Thursday morning as part of the consent agenda...
Tallapoosa man sentenced to 10 years for Butler murder (1/10/20)

NEW MADRID, Mo. — A Tallapoosa man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the 2006 killing of Teresa Butler. Melvin Ray Hufford Jr., 42, was sentenced Friday to seven years for the Class C felony of manslaughter and three years for the Class D felony of tampering with physical evidence. ...
Child sex case dismissed against son of Lambert’s restaurant founder (1/9/20)

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The son of Lambert’s Cafe founder had child sex abuse charges against him dismissed by a judge on Wednesday. According to a story in the Springfield News-Leader, state and private mental health experts both agreed that Benjamin Lambert is unable to assist in his own defense and is unlikely to get better. ...
Sikeston High School sophomore achieves top ACT score (1/14/20)

SIKESTON — A Sikeston High School sophomore is the school’s third student in four years to earn a perfect score on the ACT. Raghad Alkilani, daughter of Muhannad and Hadeel Alkilani, earned the highest possible ACT composite score of 36 after taking the exam in December...
Recent earthquakes spark concerns amongst Bootheel residents (1/11/20)

The recent activity along the New Madrid Fault Line has warranted concern for many local residents who wonder ‘What will we do’ should (The Big One) ever strike? The New Madrid Seismic Zone, sometimes called the New Madrid Fault Line, is a major seismic zone and a prolific source of intraplate earthquakes in the southern and midwestern United States, stretching to the southwest from New Madrid...