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Volunteers placed flags Saturday on graves in the veterans' section of the Poplar Bluff City Cemetery. A ceremony was held after with speakers sharing the importance of remembrance.

Poplar Bluff High School project graduation was held Thursday at the high school. Fundraising was held to provide games and prizes for students.

Poplar Bluff High School graduates received their hard-earned diplomas on May 25 at the Black River Coliseum. The Class of 2023 included 359 graduates, who earned more than $4 million in scholarships.

Three Rivers College held commencement ceremonies Friday, May 19, at the Libla Family Sports Complex. Graduation photos and interviews will appear in the Saturday, May 20, print edition of the Daily American Republic.

Special guest speaker and Poplar Bluff High School senior Abigail Murphy addressed fourth, fifth and sixth graders during an honors reception held Tuesday night at the middle school gymnasium. Murphy urged the honors students to embrace their uniqueness and strive for greatness.

Naylor High School graduation was held Saturday, May 12, at the Black River Coliseum in Poplar Bluff.

Poplar Bluff High School celebrated their prom Saturday evening at the Black River Coliseum. Students dressed according to the theme “Hollywood Glam” and participated in multiple photo shoots. Catering was provided by the restaurant Bread + Butter.

The stands were filled with cheering fans and adoring parents as the Poplar Bluff Junior High School hosted the Special Olympics, a tradition at Fred M. Morrow Stadium for over 25 years, according to education officials. Schools from all over the area attended the event, which was sponsored in part by the area Knights of Columbus. Troopers from the Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop E were also in attendance to assist.

Poplar Bluff High School students its 2023 Prom Saturday, May 6, at the Black River Coliseum. The theme of the evening was Hollywood Glam.

The Butler County Health Department Outreach Day proceeded despite cool, drizzly weather on Friday, May 5. This year's event included new organizations and free mammograms.

The next generation of outdoor enthusiasts flocked to Alley Spring on May 3 to learn about the Ozark wilderness, meet birds of prey, and be sworn in as Junior Rangers. The educational holiday is a yearly tradition at national parks across the nation. It was put on hiatus at Alley Spring during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Margaret Harwell Art Museum is hosting an exhibition from the Missouri Fiber Artists organization, beginning with a reception from 6-8 p.m. Saturday. The field of fiber arts encompasses embroidery, sewing, handmade paper, weaving, needle felting and more. The show runs through June 25.

Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center held its annual staff recognitions Thursday evening at the Westwood Center. Staff members were recognized for years of service, volunteerism and other contributions. CEO Rick Naegler presented recipients with their recognitions. Awards included the following: John Bowman, Daisy Award; Jessica Elkins, 5 years of service; Amy Ward, 5 years of service; Cristi Bogie, 10 years of service; Kim Clark, 10 years of service; Megan Jernigan, 10 years of service; Johnna Bristow, 15 years of service; Lorrinea Childress, 15 years of service; Royce Cate, 20 years of service; Deborah Merciers, 20 years of service; Cheryl Smith, 25 years of service; Deborah Talcott, 25 years of service; Cindy Dudley, 30 years of service; Sherry Harvell, 30 years of service; Anthony Littles, 30 years of service; Deborah Mallard, 30 years of service; Shawna Till, 30 years of service; Terry West, 30 years of service; Nancy Francis, Volunteer of the Year; Heather Ward, Employee of the Year; Gary Donson, Director of the Year; and Tiffany Rodery, Director of the Year.

A musical full of romance, comedy, passion and worker’s rights is set for the center stage as part of Three Rivers College’ musical “The Pajama Game.” Performances will take place at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Tinnin Fine Arts Center. Admission is free to the public.

Greenville High School prom was held Saturday, April 22, at the Westwood Center in Poplar Bluff.

The 23rd Annual Juried Regional High School Art Exhibit is on display at the Margaret Harwell Art Museum through the first week of May, and area students have put their best works on display. Teens from as far away as Farmington joined this year’s show. The winners in each category won $50, $35 and $20 prizes, and the Best in Show award came with a $500 prize.

The Ozark Foothills Conference held its 2023 softball tournament April 18-20 in Poplar Bluff, Tuesday at McLane Park and the remaining two days at J.D. Rains Field on the campus of Three Rivers College.

‘The Green Murders’ a screenplay written by PBHS Language Arts and Drama Instructor Nick McDaniel, follows Harold Green, who invites guests to his home for a will-reading after his father’s sudden death. But Harold suspects his father was murdered. When another guest is found dead, Harold’s suspicions are confirmed. The PBHS Drama Club said they are excited to showcase their hard work and dedication in their upcoming performances of “The Green Murders" at the Kay Porter Theater located at 1302 Victory Lane. The production will begin at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets to the murder mystery are $5 and can be purchased with cash or check at the box office before the event, cards can not be accepted.

Neelyville prom was held April 14, at the Westwood Center in Poplar Bluff.

The Incredible, Edible Book Contest returned to the Poplar Bluff Municipal Library on Saturday afternoon. The contest, used as a fundraiser for the Friends of the Poplar Bluff Public Library, encourages contestants to use edible materials to create an entry related to a book title. All entries were required to be at least 90% edible, although the taste was not a factor in judging.

Twin Rivers hosted its prom on Friday, April 8, at the Westwood Events Center in Poplar Bluff.

Naylor students gathered on Saturday to dance the night away. The prom was held at the Westwood Center in Poplar Bluff.

The Neelyville Daddy Daughter Dance held in April is organized by the school and benefits the cheer team.

Christway Ministries greeted morning commuters with smiles and crosses for Good Friday on Pine Street. The group is a faith-based women’s recovery center for women ages 18-60 struggling with substance abuse and alcohol addiction.

The Children’s Division Office of Poplar Bluff placed blue pinwheels Friday in along a stretch of North Westwood Boulevard for Go Blue Day, which is dedicated to preventing child abuse. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Around 900 gymnasts from studios across the state converged on Poplar Bluff last weekend for the 2023 Missouri USA Gymnastics Advanced State Championship, hosted at the Black River Coliseum. Seven gymnastics clubs came from Southeast Missouri. Poplar Bluff’s own Xtreme Gymnastics had 13 qualifying gymnasts in the championship: Naomi Akers, Macy Cote, Adilynn Buenaga, Rayne Owens, Lillith Williams, Samantha Painter, Iris Ray, Olivia Cummings, Addison Livingston, Julian Crabb, Makynlee Hassig, Natalya Johnson and Isabella Palma. All of them placed in the top three in at least one category within their division.

Kids and kids at heart flocked to Hendrickson park Saturday for the first Easter egg hunt of the year, sponsored by DLE Properties Group, Keller Williams Realty Three Rivers, Butler County Title Company, and USA Mortgage. Employees hid 2,000 eggs, and grilled 200 hot dogs to go along with all the candy.

Doniphan High School held its prom Saturday at the Westwood Center in Poplar Bluff.

Two iconic bands, the Atlanta Rhythm Section and Pure Prairie League, brought their southern and country rock stylings to Poplar Bluff’s Black River Coliseum on Saturday evening. Atlanta Rhythm Section is well-known for songs like “Imaginary Lover,” “So into You” and “Spooky," while Pure Prairie League is well-known for hits like, “Aime,” “Falling In And Out Of Love” and “Two Lane Highway.”

Police officials and their families gathered at the Poplar Bluff Elks Lodge 2452 for the annual event recognizing both officers and civilians for their outstanding service to their communities at the annual Law and Order Night on Saturday.

The Poplar Bluff Middle School held its boys and girls basketball championships Friday, March 10, at the Peters Gym.

Qulin Middle School students proved to be the cream of the crop at this year’s 67th Annual Southeast Missouri Regional Science Fair. The event was held Tuesday at the Show Me Center on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. With 30 students participating, Qulin captured multiple first and third place wins, said Qulin Junior High science instructor Scott Kirkman. A total of 243 students from 13 area schools submitted 150 projects for judging and public viewing.