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$500,000 in loans approved for Neelyville farmer

$500,000 in loans approved for Neelyville farmer

BUTLER COUNTY, MO (KFVS) - State Treasurer Clint Zweifel announced Thursday he authorized emergency approval of $1.1 million in low-interest loans to a local farm and business.

One loan was approved for a farm owned by Ricky Talbott in Neelyville, Mo. and Fronabarger Concreters in Oak Ridge, Mo. from the Missouri Linked Deposit Program.

The loan applications received 24-hour emergency approval through the HELP or Harmed-area Emergency Loan Priority system.

Rte. 142 reduced for bridge repairs

Rte. 142 reduced for bridge repairs

BUTLER COUNTY, MO (KFVS) - Route 142 will be reduced to one lane while MoDOT crews make routine bridge repairs.

Crews will be working on the section of road between County Road 267 and Route EE, the bridge over Cane Creek.

Weather permitting, work will be done Thursday, July 7 and begin again Monday, July 11 through Thursday, July 14 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

Copyright 2011 KFVS. All rights reserved.

Poplar Bluff hospital to expand to more than 100 beds

Poplar Bluff will soon get a new hospital.

The Black River Community Medical Center is under construction.

Poplar Bluff Medical Partners is currently renovating its existing surgery center to a three-bed in-patient hospital.

It's short term stay for patients with conditions like COPD, diabetes or illnesses like pneumonia.

The new hospital will partner with Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau.

The plan is to open the three-bed hospital by the end of the year, and quickly expand to 100 to 150 beds.

Copyright 2011 KFVS. All rights reserved.

Butler County gets new weapon on wheels

It's a county lately known for a high number of traffic deaths.

But, new statistics from 2010 show a dramatic decline in Butler County fatalities. Local law enforcement want to keep it that way. 

Butler County is the only county in southeast Missouri to receive a new tool to not only target speeders, but drunk drivers as well.

According the Butler County Sheriff's Department, in 2008 there were 13 deadly crashes. In 2009 there were 11. Then, there was a sharp drop last year with 6 fatalities reported.

"Our goal is to make sure people get home safely, and we don't have to give someone a knock on the door that nobody wants to hear," said Sheriff Butler County Mark Dobbs. 

While statistics improved, Sheriff Dobbs isn't ready to let his guard down. That's where a new weapon on wheels comes in.

Three Rivers' All-American Athletes

Three Rivers' All-American Athletes

POPLAR BLUFF, MO (KFVS) - Two student athletes from Three Rivers College have been named Academic All-Americans by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).

Baseball player, Cody Holt of Deepwater, MO earned the Pinnacle Award for his 4.0 GPA and softball player, Bethany LeGrand from Ellsinore, MO received the Exemplary Academic Achievement.

Holt is expected to play for Park University in Kansas City, MO next year.

“It’s pretty unique for an athlete to go through two years of college with straight As, while also contributing to our baseball team like Cody did.  It was just amazing," said Three Rivers head baseball coach Stacey Burkey.

Head softball coach Jack Childress had similar words of praise for LeGrand, an East Carter high school graduate who helped the softball team reach its overall GPA of 3.37.

$200 million in low-interest loans awarded in Mo. so far in 2011

BUTLER COUNTY, MO (KFVS) - The Missouri State Treasurer Clint Zweifel announced Wednesday he has awarded 654 low-interest loans totaling more than $200 million so far to farms and small businesses in the first half of 2011.

The loans are made through the Missouri Linked Deposit Program and have impacted nearly  4,000 jobs and farmers across the state. With the Harmed-area Emergency Loan Priority system, emergency 24-hour approvals  have totaled more than $20 million and impacted about 700 jobs and farmers.

“Farmers, small business owners and local governments across the state are using the Missouri Linked Deposit Program at decade highs,” said Treasurer Zweifel. “Low-interest capital has reached new businesses and farmers in nearly every county in the state. We are supporting the entrepreneurial spirit of the Missouri small business and agribusiness communities.

Second Annual Veteran Poker Ride event

POPLAR BLUFF, MO (KFVS) - The 2nd Annual Veteran Poker Ride will be Sunday, July 10.

The ride will start at 9 a.m. at John J. Pershing VA Medical Center located at 1500 North Westwood Boulevard.

It costs $10 per rider and $5 for an extra hand. The proceeds will go to help buy needed items for the veterans.

For more information, you can call 573-785-9675.

Copyright 2011 KFVS. All rights reserved.