Poplar Bluff, Mo. - When the nation's Veterans Affairs Health system came under fire because of a scandal that grew out of a Phoenix, Az., VA Hospital, U.S. Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill stepped to the forefront immediately to work to improve healthcare for U.S. Veterans. The scandal arose because veterans were not getting treatment soon enough, and because fraudulent records were being used to keep track of how long it was taking veterans to get the help they needed. McCaskill visited the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff on Tuesday to announce that the Poplar Bluff facility is being added to a survey system to keep track of how VA Centers are performing in the eyes of

Poplar Bluff, Mo. - Super-fast gigabit-class Internet is coming to Poplar Bluff, Missouri. NewWave Communications is deploying Version 3.1 of DOCSIS (the Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification), the next generation and new standard in cable technology, in the fourth quarter of 2014 and expects to deliver 1-gigabit Internet service. The upgrade of NewWave’s Poplar Bluff system has been underway for months beginning at the time the system was purchased from The City of Poplar Bluff in April 2014. NewWave’s investment in new technology for its small-to-mid sized markets will make available Internet speeds up to 100 times faster than the national average. While other companies are promoting gigabit speeds in select major metropolitan cities, NewWave is proud to be at

It takes a special breed of person to run a jet sprint boat at speeds up to 100 mph in a narrow channel in depths of water less than two feet, with 22 directional changes. “Yes,” there will be crashes,” says Peggy Castillo, the wife and former navigator of her husband and sprint boat driver Juan. “The only question is how bad will it be?” Within minutes of her explanation of the sport, one of the boats didn't make a sharp turn, hit a bank, and flipped, landing upside down in the water. Crew members rushed to the boat to get it upright, and to unstrap the driver and navigator. The driver appeared to possibly be hurt. An ambulance backed

Sikeston, Mo. - Driven by deep faith in God and love of her family, friends and community, country singer, Anna Catherine DeHart, is a very talented young woman on a mission; to pursue her passion for music and singing. Raised in Sikeston, MO., Anna Catherine stepped foot on the road of performing at the age of 12, and is following that road all the way to the big time in Music City. At the rate she is going, that day may not be so far away. I was driving somewhere recently and listening to Poplar Bluff’s KKLR, when a really good song grabbed my attention; it was ‘Rhinestone Lover’. I actually heard it twice that day and realized it was

photo by Becky Shock Kathy Frey Lightner might look like a mild-mannered bank auditor for Southern Bank by day, but last weekend she turned into a navigator for jet sprint boat racer Kyle Patrick. “I heard there were some racers who were unable to bring their normal navigators with them for this race, and they were looking for local people to act as navigators. She explained, “The job description was basically someone who weighed 120-125 pounds and wasn't afraid!” She and five other people decided to answer that call to what some people might consider madness. Every racing team is made up of a driver and a navigator. The navigator is extremely important, because basically, it is very difficult for