Poplar Bluff Archives

Southeast Missouri congressman considering U.S. Senate run in 2022; pledges to fight for working families (AUDIO)

March 30, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

A southern Missouri congressman who serves as the ranking Republican on the House Budget Committee says he’s considering a run for the U.S. Senate in 2022. U.S. Rep. Jason Smith (R-Salem) spoke to Missourinet Monday evening outside the Statehouse in Jefferson City, after he met with the governor about the issue of feral hogs.

U.S. Rep. Jason Smith (R-Salem) is outside the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on March 29, 2021 (Brian Hauswirth photo)

“I will just say that I would put my record fighting for working-class families, farmers, small business owners and my conservative credentials amongst any names that’s been out there or suggested for the United States Senate,” Smith says.

Former Governor Eric Greitens and Attorney General Eric Schmitt, both Republicans, have announced they’re running for the Senate. Former State Sen. Scott Sifton (D-Affton) and Jefferson City native Lucas Kunce are two Democrats who have announced. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas has also been mentioned as a possible Senate candidate.

Incumbent U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R) is retiring. He’s finishing his second six-year Senate term on Capitol Hill.

Smith, who represents 30 counties in southern and southeast Missouri, emphasizes that he hasn’t made a decision yet.

“I was elected by the good people of southeast Missouri to do a job in Washington D.C. as the Republican leader of the (House) Budget Committee. I’m fighting everyday for our rural way of life to make sure that (President Joe) Biden doesn’t take away our freedoms and liberties, and that is my focus right now,” says Smith.

The Budget Committee is chaired by U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Kentucky), and Smith is the committee’s top Republican.

Smith, who’s served in Congress since 2013, was re-elected in November with 77 percent of the vote against Festus social worker Kathy Ellis. The sprawling Eighth Congressional District includes Cape Girardeau, Farmington, Poplar Bluff, Portageville, Kennett, West Plains and Rolla.

Meantime, Congressman Smith and 70 other congressional Republicans have signed a letter, calling for an investigation into the suspension of the southern border wall construction. Smith says President Biden’s decision has fueled a crisis at the border.

“What the president did on his first three hours in office, by a declaration, was to halt funding that was appropriated by Congress in a bipartisan way. You’re talking about billions of dollars that was appropriated in a bipartisan way, and he halted the construction of the southern border,” Smith says.

President Biden issued a January 20 proclamation, saying that building a massive wall that spans the entire southern border “is not a serious policy solution.” President Biden described it as a waste of money that diverts attention from genuine threats to our homeland security. President Biden says his administration is committed to ensuring that the United States has a comprehensive and humane immigration system that operates consistently with our nation’s values.

As for the feral hog issue, Governor Mike Parson says State Sen. Jason Bean (R-Holcomb) also participated in Monday’s meeting with Congressman Smith, as well as Missouri Department of Conservation Director Sara Parker-Pauley and representatives from the USDA and U.S. Forest Service.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s interview with U.S. Rep. Jason Smith (R-Salem), which was recorded outside the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on March 29, 2021:

Missouri House Special Committee on Redistricting wants to hear from 8th District constituents on Tuesday (AUDIO)

March 29, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

A Missouri House committee on congressional redistricting wants public input Tuesday morning from residents in the sprawling Eighth Congressional District, which covers 30 southern and southeast Missouri counties. The district has about 20,000 square miles.

Missouri House Special Committee on Redistricting Chair Dan Shaul (R-Imperial) speaks on the House floor in Jefferson City on March 25, 2021 (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

House Special Committee on Redistricting Chairman Rep. Dan Shaul (R-Imperial) says in-person and written testimony will be accepted tomorrow morning at 8.

“And what we’re looking for is just information on what makes the 8th District good, what makes it bad. Good things, you know, characteristics of the district, what’s worked for it being the district it is,” Shaul says.

The district goes from 20 miles south of St. Louis to ten miles east of Branson. The massive district includes Cape Girardeau, Sikeston, Poplar Bluff, Kennett, Farmington, West Plains, Rolla and Ava.

One of the biggest challenges the district has faced involves health care. The rural district has seen five hospital closing since 2016:

** Parkland Health Center in Farmington (2016)
** Southeast Health Center of Reynolds County in Ellington (2016)
** Southeast Health Center of Ripley County in Doniphan (2018)
** Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center in Kennett (2018)
** Black River Medical Center in Poplar Bluff (2019)

U.S. Rep. Jason Smith (R-Salem), who has represented the 8th District since 2013, calls the closings unacceptable, saying people die when hospitals close.

Transportation is another issue in the district, which includes both I-55 and I-44. Chairman Shaul says agriculture is another common denominator in the district.

“Agriculture is a huge part of the state of Missouri, huge part of that district,” says Shaul. “It’s just good people working hard, and that’s what I like so much about the 8th District.”

The district hasn’t sent a Democrat to Washington since the late Congressman Bill Burlison (D-Wardell), who served from 1969 to 1981. When U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson (R-Cape Girardeau) unseated Burlison in 1980, every state senator and all but one of the district’s state representatives were Democrats. Today, every state lawmaker in the 8th District is a Republican.

Congressman Smith faced Democratic challenger Kathy Ellis, a social worker, in November. Smith won with about 77 percent of the vote. Smith received 253,811 votes, while Ellis received 70,561 votes.

State Rep. Hannah Kelly (R-Mountain Grove) serves as vice chair of the House Special Committee on Redistricting. State Rep. Jerome Barnes (D-Raytown) is the ranking Democrat.

The Missouri Legislature won’t redraw the state’s congressional districts until later this year, when they receive numbers from the 2020 U.S. Census.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and House Special Committee on Redistricting Chairman Rep. Dan Shaul (R-Imperial), which was recorded on March 26, 2021:

Poplar Bluff lawmaker proposes Rush Limbaugh Day each January 12 in Missouri

February 20, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

A state lawmaker from southeast Missouri describes the late talk show host Rush Limbaugh as a legend. State Rep. Hardy Billington, R-Poplar Bluff, has filed legislation to designate January 12 as “Rush Limbaugh Day” in Missouri.

Talk show host Rush Limbaugh was inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians on May 14, 2012 in Jefferson City. He spoke in the Missouri House chamber that day (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The 70-year-old Limbaugh, who grew up in southeast Missouri’s Cape Girardeau, died this week at the age of 70, after battling lung cancer. January 12 was his birthday.

Limbaugh was inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians in 2012 in Jefferson City.

“Rush Limbaugh’s contributions to broadcasting and the conservative movement cannot be overstated. He was, simply put, a legend who cannot be replaced. This is one way we can recognize the outstanding impact Rush Limbaugh has had on our state and country,” Billington says, in a statement.

Billington says Limbaugh also raised $1.7 million for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America, in his annual Cure-a-Thon radio program.

Former President Donald Trump awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom last year to Limbaugh, in Washington. That’s the highest honor a citizen can receive from the president.

Former House Speaker Steven Tilley, R-Perryville, inducted Limbaugh into the Hall of Famous Missourians in May 2012. At the time, some Missouri House Democrats criticized Tilley’s decision, because Limbaugh had described a Georgetown law student as a “prostitute”, after she testified before Congress regarding contraceptives.

Former Speaker Tilley told Missourinet this week that he and his caucus stood firm, and were honored to induct Limbaugh into the Hall of Famous Missourians.

Click here to read Representative Billington’s House Bill 1200. It’s a one-page bill.

Missouri Senate cancels session all week due to snow and ice; winter storm warning continues in Bootheel

February 15, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

The statewide winter storm hitting the Show-Me State has caused the Missouri Senate to cancel session for this week in Jefferson City.

The Senate and House had already canceled session for Monday, due to the snowstorm and the dangerously cold temperatures.

Missouri Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden (R-Columbia) speaks before Governor Parson’s State of the State Address on January 27, 2021 in Jefferson City (file photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, tweeted an update today that the Missouri Senate will not be in session this week.

“With additional snow and ice in the forecast for much of the state, we want to be sensitive to the safety of our staff and members. Next week’s forecast looks great – excited to get back to JC (Jefferson City) and get back to work,” Leader Rowden tweeted.

House Majority Leader Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres, tells Missourinet the House will not be in session on Tuesday, due to the winter weather. All Missouri House committee hearings scheduled for Tuesday are now canceled.

For now, the Missouri House has hearings scheduled for Wednesday.

A winter storm warning remains in effect for southeast Missouri until tonight. That’s a region where residents are still trying to recover from last week’s two-day ice storm.

The National Weather Service (NWS) Paducah office says the highest snow totals are in rural Ripley County’s Oxly, which has already seen six inches of snow. Poplar Bluff and the Bootheel towns of Kennett and Malden have seen four to six inches of snow.

The winter storm warning across the southern Missouri Ozarks has expired, but travel remains difficult.

The NWS Springfield office says southwest Missouri’s Joplin has seen five inches of snow. Springfield has received four inches, while three to four have fallen in Lebanon.

In southern Missouri’s Salem, there’s been five inches of snow. Missourinet Salem affiliate KSMO reports snow drifts of about a foot are blowing against buildings. KSMO reports ice has refrozen under the snow.

The NWS Springfield office also notes more snow is expected across the Ozarks from Tuesday night through Thursday. The heaviest snow will be near the Missouri-Arkansas border, where Branson and West Plains should see four to six inches of additional snowfall.

Snow forces Missouri House and Senate to cancel Monday session; Rowden emphasizes safety

February 14, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

A winter storm in Missouri that began Sunday and will continue into Monday has caused state legislative leaders in both chambers to cancel session for Monday in Jefferson City.

Missouri Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, presides over the Senate in Jefferson City on March 4, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Senate Communications)

Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, announced Sunday on Twitter that because of brutal cold weather and potential for snow accumulation, the Missouri Senate will not be in session on Monday. Rowden also says the Senate will take the rest of the week one day at a time, to keep people safe.

Snow is expected in much of Missouri, including Jefferson City, throughout the week.

Leader Rowden tells Missourinet that Senate committees will not meet on Monday either.

As for the 163-member Missouri House, Majority Floor Leader Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres, tells Missourinet the House will not be in session on Monday.

All Missouri House committee hearings originally scheduled for Monday are now canceled, and will be rescheduled for sometime this week.

The National Weather Service in Paducah has issued a winter storm warning for southeast Missouri (February 14, 2021 graphic courtesy of NWS Paducah Twitter)

A winter storm warning is in effect for much of eastern and southeast Missouri.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Paducah says towns like Cape Girardeau, Poplar Bluff, Kennett and Malden could see a total of six to 12 inches of snow, by Monday.
That region is still trying to recover from last week’s two-day ice storm, which closed schools and shut down heavily-traveled I-57 near Sikeston for a time.

The NWS in St. Louis says road conditions are still poor across a majority of the state, adding that roads have been deteriorating in Missouri from west to east.

Monday is Washington’s Birthday, which is a federal, Missouri and county holiday. While it’s a state holiday, the Legislature planned to be in session, until the snowstorm.

Most state employees will be off on Monday, which will keep several thousand cars off the road. More than 14,000 state employees work in Cole County, making state government Jefferson City’s largest employer.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol will be working on Monday, and crews from the state Department of Transportation (MoDOT) will continue to treat and plow roads.

Southern Missouri’s I-44 corridor to see heaviest snowfall Sunday and Monday

February 12, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

While all of Missouri is expected to see snow on Sunday evening into Monday, the National Weather Service (NWS) expects the heaviest snow to be along the heavily-traveled I-44 corridor in southern Missouri.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Springfield expects Springfield, Joplin and Lebanon to receive three to six inches of snow Sunday into Washington’s Birthday (February 12, 2021 graphic courtesy of NWS Springfield Twitter)

NWS Springfield meteorologist Eric Wise tells Missourinet they’re expecting three waves of snow, bringing a total of three to six inches in Joplin, Springfield, Lebanon, Waynesville and up to Rolla. Three to six inches of snow is also expected along the Missouri-Arkansas border, impacting towns like Branson and Thayer.

Temperatures and wind chills will remain dangerously cold in the Ozarks and across the state through next week.

Meantime, the National Weather Service in Paducah has issued a winter storm watch for most of southeast Missouri for Sunday night through Monday evening. The NWS Paducah office says Cape Girardeau, Sikeston, Poplar Bluff and Kennett are in the watch area. Four or more inches of snow is likely, and drifting is expected because of 20-mile per hour winds.

The NWS recommends that Missourians fill up their gas tanks before the winter storm.

Friday’s vaccination event in southeast Missouri is a go; Poplar Bluff crews work to clear ice

February 11, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

State officials say Friday’s mass vaccination clinic in southeast Missouri’s Poplar Bluff will continue as scheduled, despite a two-day ice storm.

Members of the Missouri National Guard gather in southeast Missouri’s Poplar Bluff for the January 22, 2021 vaccination event (file photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

About 1,900 people received their first Pfizer COVID vaccinations in Poplar Bluff on January 22. Friday’s event will be for the second COVID shot.

The State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and Butler County health officials say Friday’s event will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Black River Coliseum (BRC). The BRC is a 5,000 seat multi-purpose arena.

Butler County health officials say Poplar Bluff Police and street crews have been working to clear ice and ensure that sidewalks and the parking lot are safe.

Golf carts from the Poplar Bluff parks department will be used to help those unable to walk from the parking lot to the front door. And the Black River Coliseum’s top drive is open for anyone dropping off or picking up those who will be receiving their COVID vaccination.

Poplar Bluff was hit hard by the ice storm that hit Wednesday and Thursday. Parts of southeast Missouri received about a half-inch of ice during the storm. That half-inch included sleet, which came after freezing rain.

Most schools across southeast Missouri have been closed. The ice storm also caused numerous crashes on I-55 and I-57.

Half-inch of ice is possible in southeast Missouri; MoDOT urges residents to stay home (AUDIO)

February 10, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

Freezing rain has been causing numerous crashes across southeast Missouri on Wednesday. Much of the region remains under an ice storm warning. Poplar Bluff, Kennett, Malden and Caruthersville are just some of the towns in the warning area.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Paducah is receiving numerous reports of crashes along I-55 in southeast Missouri and in the Poplar Bluff area (February 10, 2021 graphic courtesy of NWS Paducah Twitter)

Up to a half-inch of ice is possible in parts of southeast Missouri, through tomorrow morning. National Weather Service (NWS) Paducah meteorologist Derrick Snyder is urging southeast Missourians to stay home.

“Now we’ve had another round of moderate to heavy sleet that has fallen on top of that freezing rain that’s really caused a mess on the roads, especially the untreated side roads and parking lots, sidewalks,” Snyder says.

State Department of Transportation (MoDOT) crews are working continuous 12-hour shifts throughout southeast Missouri. MoDOT emphasizes that chemicals used to treat the roads start to lose their effectiveness below 25 degrees. They’re urging you to have a full tank of gas.

“As we go through tonight with the freezing rain continuing, there is the potential for some scattered power outages, especially in the Missouri Bootheel area and then further north to around Poplar Bluff,” says Snyder.

Snyder also says there have been numerous reports of crashes in the Poplar Bluff area and along I-55, and motorists are also reporting black ice on bridges and overpasses.

Missourinet Cape Girardeau television partner KFVS reports that Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop E in Sikeston has received 137 calls for service, which includes 68 crashes and 49 stranded motorists due to ice.

Missourinet Farmington affiliate KREI reports almost all schools in their southeast Missouri listening area have canceled classes. Our Kennett affiliate KBOA reports the same, throughout the Bootheel.

Much of the ice storm warning area was also hit by the deadly January 2009 ice storm, which brought three days of ice, sleet and snow to the region.

The Delta Center in Portageville notes the 2009 storm left about 100,000 people without power from Poplar Bluff to the Bootheel to southern Illinois. More than 100 shelters were opened across southeast Missouri, because of that ice storm.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s interview with National Weather Service (NWS) Paducah meteorologist Derrick Snyder, which was recorded on February 10, 2021:

Power outages are likely in southeast Missouri, where ice storm warning takes effect at midnight

February 9, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

Far southeast Missouri will be under an ice storm warning starting at midnight Wednesday. That warning goes through 6 on Thursday evening.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Paducah has issued an ice storm warning for far southeast Missouri (February 9, 2021 graphic courtesy of NWS Paducah Twitter)

Poplar Bluff, Dexter, Kennett, Caruthersville and Malden are all in the ice storm warning area. That includes heavily-traveled I-55. The Bootheel could receive more than one-third of an inch of ice. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Paducah describes this as a significant ice storm, adding that ice accumulations will likely cause scattered power outages in far southeast Missouri.

Much of the ice storm warning area was also hit by the deadly January 2009 ice storm, which brought three days of ice, sleet and snow to the region.

As for Wednesday’s storm, Perryville and Marble Hill will see some ice. Those two towns are not in the warning area.

The state Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is urging motorists across Missouri to get a full tank of gas tonight, noting that light snow and freezing precipitation will impact much of the state on Wednesday and Thursday. The winter storm will impact both the morning and evening commute on both days, for a number of areas.

MoDOT is urging you to prepare to double or triple your average commute time, once the precipitation starts falling. They also urge you to have extra blankets and gloves in your vehicle, as well as water and snacks. Your cellphone should also be fully charged.

In mid-Missouri, Columbia and Jefferson City will see snow again on Wednesday. Columbia could see up to three inches, while the Capital City is expected to see one to two inches.

The weather will get even colder this week. High temperatures across northern and central Missouri on Saturday and Sunday will be between zero and ten degrees. NWS Pleasant Hill meteorologist Emily Klaus tells Missourinet Columbia, Jefferson City, Moberly, Kansas City and Marshall will be impacted by the frigid temperatures.

Flood watch issued for much of southeast Missouri; Cape Girardeau and Poplar Bluff in watch area (AUDIO)

October 28, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Most of southeast Missouri will be under a flood watch from 7 o’clock tonight until 10 Thursday morning. National Weather Service (NWS) Paducah meteorologist Sean Poulos tells Missourinet that Cape Girardeau, Sikeston, Poplar Bluff and Dexter are in the watch area.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Paducah has issued a flood watch for southeast Missouri from 7 p.m. on Wednesday until 10 a.m. on Thursday (October 28, 2020 map courtesy of NWS Paducah Twitter page)

“We’re anticipating rain moving up into those areas here later this afternoon and continuing pretty heavy this evening into the overnight hours, and then gradually trying to lessen in intensity as we get through the day tomorrow,” Poulos says.

New Madrid and Doniphan are also included in the flood watch area.

The NWS warns southeast Missouri could see three to four inches of additional rain, with the ground already saturated. Flooding is likely in low-lying and poor drainage areas.

“We’re concerned with flooding, especially in areas that get over three inches,” says Poulos. “In southeast Missouri we have a lot of low-lying, hilly terrain out there.”

The NWS is urging motorists who are traveling in southeast Missouri tonight and overnight to be careful, noting flooded roadways are hard to see in the dark.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with National Weather Service (NWS) Paducah meteorologist Sean Poulos, which was recorded on October 28, 2020: