Walter Dearing feels pretty good about his chances for being elected Mo. Dist. 150 Representative. Born in Kennett, Dearing was reared on a Dunklin County farm, where he "chopped cotton, picked cotton, pitched watermelons" and decided to pursue a career as a public servant. "I decided to go into law enforcement," he told SEMO TIMES. "I was a cop for 41 years." He began his career at the Poplar Bluff Police Department in 1973, where he earned $375 a month. Dearing served in Dunklin County's law enforcement community beginning four years later, and spent 29 years as an investigator for the prosecuting attorney's office. These days, Dearing manages the Missouri Community Services office at Kennett. "I've been in public service

Several Poplar Bluff High School students under the instruction of vocal music director Joshua Allen were named to the All-District Choir during an audition on Saturday, Sept. 27, at Cape Central High School. The students will participate in a concert on Saturday, Nov. 8, in Cape Girardeau. In addition, the upperclassmen will to eligible to audition to perform with the All-State Choir.

Poplar Bluff Police are currently investigating a reported drive-by shooting that occurred Tuesday evening at Bacon Park. Police received a report of shots fired at about 6:17 p.m. at the park. A traveling softball team was on the playing field at the time, and a pickup basketball game was going on at the area with the basketball court. Police received reports of the incident via cell phones of those at the park. Captain Don Trout says as of yet, they have no description of the vehicle involved in the incident, though two vehicles at the site were hit with bullets. No injuries were reported. Those with information concerning the incident are encouraged to call the Poplar Bluff Police Department.

SEMO TIMES is proud to announce our newest advertiser: County Tractor from Doniphan. For over 16 years, County Tractor has been selling KIOTI tractors in the Southeast Missouri and northeast Arkansas area. They are dedicated to providing the surrounding area with the best deals, service, and after-the-sale support. County Tractor customer’s come first and staff takes care of them like family. They provide parts, technical support, and service on the entire line of Kioti tractors and all other equipment sold. County Tractor's goal is to sell quality products, provide superior service and support, and sell tractors at the lowest price possible. Brands Available at County Tractor: Kioti Tractors Zetor Tractors Snapper Grasshopper Ferris Husqvarna Taylor Pittsburgh Implements Rhino Implements Parts for all the above

ST. LOUIS COUNTY – Gov. Jay Nixon today announced that he will create an independent commission to study and make specific recommendations for how to make progress on the issues raised by events in Ferguson.  The Governor said the effort must include a thorough and wide-ranging examination of the challenges that were exposed and exacerbated by the death of Michael Brown and its aftermath, and offer specific recommendations for overcoming them. “Throughout the history of our nation, we have struggled to treat all our citizens as equals,” said Gov. Nixon. “Too often we have fallen short of the guiding principles on which our great democracy was founded. For too many, the promise of unalienable rights of life, liberty and the

These days we not only need to protect our privacy from online hackers but from the federal government. The bulk data collection done by the National Security Agency unmasked earlier this year poses a threat to our civil liberties. National Cyber Security Awareness Month reminds us that the government needs to honor our constitutional right to privacy.  It also reminds us that there are bad actors in the online world, and we need to take necessary precautions to protect our privacy. I have worked to limit the amount of bulk data the federal government can collect on American citizens and to require the government to destroy any information that it collected unlawfully. In a report released last week, the National