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A $250,000 grant has been awarded to Poplar Bluff Schools to add a preschool program that will further help serve the needs of the community in getting district children school-ready. The funding through the Missouri Preschool Program will allow the Early Childhood Center to enroll 60 students ages 3-5, and employ six staff members to manage three classrooms. Pending licensing by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, the plan is for the preschool to be operational by Monday, Sept 21. Enrollment will take place on a first come, first serve basis. Cost of tuition will be set on a sliding scale based on the income levels used for the free and reduced lunch program. “Studies have shown over

Rep. Todd Richardson of Poplar Bluff, the Missouri House speaker, visited the “I’m a Citizen, Too” class during the last day of summer school on Friday, June 26, role-playing with students how a bill becomes a law. Richardson’s guest appearance in the enrichment class has become an annual tradition since he was first elected to serve the 152nd Congressional District in 2010. Last year he was able to host the students at the state Capitol in Jefferson City. For at least 25 years, Jan Desgranges, a retired R-I educator, has led “I’m a Citizen, Too,” teaching students, grades 5-8, how to become productive citizens. Fourth grade teacher Shiela Boyles of Lake Road Elementary has co-taught the popular class since the 2006/07

They are society’s most vulnerable citizens. Unlike adults, they cannot chart their own course in life yet. According to the State of Missouri, about 23 percent of the state’s children live in poverty. That is a matter of concern, and the Child Concern Center in Poplar Bluff does its best to battle those figures. Child Concern Center Executive Director Derrick Miller has made it is personal mission to help these children and their families. He explains the group was formed in 1975, and to this day exists because of the efforts of its dedicated volunteers. They basically seek to turn one person’s junk into another person’s treasure. The group has a store at 601 Poplar Street, and for every $5

Sometimes, the universe just seems to align itself in perfect order for a set of events to come about. For organizers of the Iron Mountain Market, that’s the way it seemed when they realized that July 4 was going to fall on a Saturday, a natural market day, and then that it also happened to be the market’s monthly Yard Sale Day. “We got to thinking about it,” explained organizer Rhonda Belcher, “and we thought….hey….why not just make one huge day of it! We can even watch the fireworks from the market at the train depot!” So…the event has turned into a “Block Party”. “We just felt this was the perfect time for neighbors and friends to visit with one

So what is the verdict on this past weekend’s Music on Main event? Well….the temperatures were hot, but so was the music. “There were times when the street was so full, you could hardly walk through,” said event-organizer Randy Bailey. “The kids were having a blast in the Kids’ Zone, and folks gathered around for the Stars on Main Karaoke, and the two music stages looked and sounded great. We hosted a lot of very gifted local and regional bands.” Bailey said the event brought together the perfect mix of culture, music and vendors. Asked if weather hurt attendance, both from having to be rescheduled from its May date, and then Saturday’s hot and humid weather, Bailey said he didn’t