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POPLAR BLUFF - A local court dismissed Doug Bagby's breach of contract case against the City of Poplar Bluff. Judge Kelly Parker ruled that there was no legal basis for former City Manager Bagby's claim that he had a three-year contract for life. In ruling for the City, and as SEMO TIMES reported earlier this year, the court determined that the claim was too weak to require a trial before a jury. The judge determined in Bagby's case that contracts greater than one year were against the law and, therefore, Bagby served at the pleasure of the City Council. This ruling follows longstanding state laws and local city ordinance. The City terminated Bagby's employment earlier this year.  After an extensive nationwide

JEFFERSON CITY – Friday the Office of Public Counsel (OPC) Friday filed a request to the Public Service Commission (PSC) on behalf of the entire state to provide Noranda with a reduced electric rate because losing Noranda would adversely affect all consumers on the Ameren grid. The proposal is an effort to save hundreds of jobs at Noranda and local economies throughout Southeast Missouri. The new stipulation and agreement was filed in the wake of a recent rejection by the PSC to grant a rehearing for Noranda regarding its original power rate reduction request filed last spring. The OPC's previous proposal garnered support from 37 consumer and corporate organizations; and local, state and U.S. elected officials. Friday's OPC document was backed

Congratulations to the Poplar Bluff Mules Cheerleaders who won the Coaches Association 2014 State Championship. This is the teams second year in a row to win the title.   Photos courtesy of Jim Hoyt

POPLAR BLUFF - With a crowd estimated at over 3,000, area youth came together for the Fellowship of Christian Athlete's annual event, Fields of Faith.   Photos by Bill Clanahan [flickr_set id="72157647999332431" images_height="200"]

JEFFERSON CITY - Parents and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) came to blows as they began work on the development of Missouri’s standards for the public schools across the state as part of HB 1490 signed into law by Governor Jay Nixon in July of this year. HB 1490 was supported by parents and citizens from across the state because the intent was to allow parents and teachers to work together to develop Missouri’s educational standards. Throughout the process of lobbying for HB 1490, parents and citizens sought to redress much of the Common Core Standards adopted by the Governor in June of 2009. Regardless of the intent of HB 1490 to allow the groups involved to work