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Poplar Bluff - A total of 11 students from the Graduation Center were awarded certificates for completing the Gateway 2 Jobs program with distinction on Thursday, Oct. 23, at the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce. This is the fourth year the Chamber has hosted G2J as a way for students to better position themselves to land a job following school. Chamber President Steve Halter credits Sharon Kissinger of Sharon Kissinger Investments for helping the Chamber with the conception of the program, which includes a series of visits from business leaders and exercises such as mock interviews. For the first time this year, the Three Rivers Endowment Trust awarded a $500 scholarship for a G2J graduate to attend the

Poplar Bluff - The Poplar Bluff Public Library hosted its first Local Author Fair—featuring two recently published authors from the R-I school district—on Saturday, Oct. 4, during the Iron Horse Festival. Communication arts teacher Rachel Stiber of Poplar Bluff Junior High School released “Elise’s Choice” via Creative Prose Publishing based in Utah on Aug. 25. “Elise’s Choice” is a fantasy novel about a young lady who must make a choice that ends up affecting her life as well as the lives of everyone in her village, according to Stiber, who writes as a hobby. Art teacher Charles Gearhart of O’Neal Elementary School released “Never Nurse a Grudge” via Rocking Horse Publishing in St. Louis on Sept. 23. “Never Nurse a

Emily Parks wants to be Butler County’s new County Collector. She feels she has both the experience and the desire to do an outstanding job in the position. “I’m a sixth generation Butler Countian,” said Parks. She knows the county well, and with a degree in business administration from the University of Missouri, she feels that she is well-equipped for the position. Since graduating with that degree in 2004, she has held three different positions. She started her career as an account manager in political fundraising, and in 2008 she was appointed by then Missouri Matt Blunt to fill a vacancy of the position of Circuit Court Clerk in Butler County. Then in 2010, she became the Director of Development

Photo - Employees at The Loft prepare espresso for a cappuccino After Jonesboro, Ark., native Brian Crawford retired from Lowe's, he knew he was too young to sit around and watch paint dry. Instead, he bought an old building in downtown Dexter and began applying paint himself. He modeled and remodeled, ordered furniture and dry goods from Europe, coffees and teas from places some folks can't pronounce, truffles and candies from faraway lands and opened a store perhaps best described by Louis Carroll as "curioser and curioser." He called it The Loft. That was about five years ago, he said. Then, just when the place was a bright star in its infancy, came the dark time. "We lost the store to

SEMO TIMES Editorial - also see our news coverage regading the Health Insurance selection and our Publisher's take on the local Rust-owned daily newspaper's reporting. Here’s a survey question for you: Do you support and encourage parents taking their child to the doctor if a broken bone is protruding from their arm or leg? It’s a question with only one legitimate answer. Late last week, Poplar Bluff Chamber President Steve Halter informed city council that the chamber was going to survey its members to “gauge the level of support…on the ‘shop local’ issue.” The survey question posed to its members by the chamber reads: Do you support City of Poplar Bluff Ordinance No. 7476 §1, 2-3-2014 http://ecode360.com/29105589  and encourage organizations such as our