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  The Poplar Bluff High School AP physics class is competing regionally in a MoDOT-sponsored model bridge building contest for a potential $10,000 civil engineering scholarship to a heartland university. Students were supplied 15 pieces of balsa wood, a bottle of glue and some string, then given four weeks to create a bridge design of their choosing between 16-20 inches long and 2-9 inches wide, with the ability to hold at least 7 pounds. The resulting projects will be judged based on structural efficiency on Thursday, Nov. 19, in Cape Girardeau. The annual competition, intended for juniors and seniors in the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Southeast District, was established 12 years ago. This marks the second year in a row

The newly instated Junior High Trap team competed in its first meet Friday, Oct. 16, at the Poplar Bluff Gun Club, showcasing some real potential despite having limited time to practice shooting, according to spectators. “Several coaches of other schools were impressed with the skill level of the team,” stated Sandy Pike, a parent. “Trap is one of the biggest up and coming sports, and it ties in well with all the conservation opportunities we have in this area.” In September, the Board of Education approved the establishment of a trap team at the Junior High level so students can gain two more years of competitive experience before entering high school. Josh Wesemann, a PBJHS social studies teacher, was

USA Team marathon runner Josphat Boit Skyped with the Poplar Bluff High School Cross Country team on Thursday, Oct. 22, by way of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., where he is training at 8,000-feet elevation for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Mules Cross Country Head Coach Beth Lewis-Muse, who was teammates with Boit at Central Methodist University in Fayette, arranged for the video call to take place prior to the Cross Country District Championship over the weekend. Boit answered student questions about his training regimen, recovery, nutrition and psychology. The Kenyan athlete played soccer in high school, he revealed, and only decided to take up running in order to land a scholarship to attend college in the United States. He has eight

Lake Road has reinstituted Club Day in place of special periods on Fridays in an effort to put role models in the lives of elementary students and offer them opportunities to learn trades that they may not otherwise be exposed to. The brainchild of the Bright Futures Poplar Bluff Site Council last school year, community members and high schoolers come in for an hour a week to teach younger students about various careers and hobbies including cheerleading, cooking, crafts, gaming, jiu-jitsu, piano and science.  

A special tribute to the surviving family of Sam Giambelluca took place Friday, Sept. 18, at Fred M. Morrow Stadium, prior to the Mules Football game. Beth Lewis-Muse, head girls coach for Track, presented the late Giambelluca’s wife Judy with a Missouri State High School Activities Association Class 4 championship ring from the Lady Mules victory in May. “One thing Sam wanted before he left this earth, we’re told, was for the Mules to receive a state championship in track,” announced Boys and Girls Club Director Chris Rushin to a standing ovation from the audience. “We’re proud to say his wish was granted. This spring, Sam’s alma mater won states in Track and Field for the first time in