ONE KILLED IN RIPLEY COUNTY WRECK

A Naylor woman has died following a single vehicle wreck in Ripley County. 

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 45 year old Katina Taylor was driving on Missouri Highway 142 Wednesday afternoon when her vehicle ran off the roadway and overturned. 

Taylor was allegedly not wearing a safety device an

THIS WEEK IS SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN MISSOURI

Missouri residents are being encouraged to learn about severe weather and how to protect themselves during Missouri Severe Weather Awareness Week this week. 

Today, Missourian’s should focus on flood and flash flood safety. 

According to the National Weather Service, motorists should never drive into a flooded area and you should be especially cautious at night when darkness will often hide flood dangers. 

If you live in a flood prone area, have a plan of action in case flooding strikes. Stay tuned to the latest weather developments and be ready to move quickly, including abandoning personal property and moving to higher ground.

REPRESENTATIVES OF MISSOURI ATTORNEY GENERAL TO SPEAK TO TORNADO VICTIMS TODAY

Representatives of Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley will be in Malden today to speak with victims of this past weekend’s tornado. 

The representatives will be at the Multi-Agency Resource Center from 2 to 8 pm to answer questions and provide guidance on disaster-related assistance to consumers affected by the tornado.

The Resource Center is located at the Malden Community Center. 

Congressman Jason Smith was in Malden and Matthews yesterday to meet with officials and discuss the extent of the damage in their areas.

POPLAR BLUFF SEVERE WEATHER RESPONSE TEAM RAISING FUNDS FOR NEW RADIO TOWER

The Poplar Bluff Severe Weather Response team is starting a fundraising effort to go towards a new radio tower in Butler County. 

According to the team’s website, their current tower location is not ideal for county-wide coverage and they will be moving the system to a new location. 

At the new location, they will need a new antenna and coax to achieve the greatest radio coverage in the area. It will also have to be licensed by the FCC and installed by professional communications installers.

Officials say that the transition will cost approximately $3,500 to complete. 

The team is selling Boston Butts to help raise funds for the equipment. You can find more information online at SemoWeatherCenter.com/fundraising or by going to the Poplar Bluff Severe Weather Response Team’s facebook page. 

MISSING SIKESTON TEENAGER FOUND SAFE

Updating a story we brought to you last week, an endangered person advisory for a Sikeston teenager has been cancelled. 

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 16 year old Reilidid Mendoza-Salinas had last been seen at around 3 pm last Thursday. She was believed to have left voluntarily with a male subject, who called her mother and stated she was with him and they would not see her again.

The Sikeston Department of Public Safety says that Mendoza-Salinas has been located safe and the endangered person advisory has been cancelled. 

JUVENILE ARRESTED ON TWO FELONY CHARGES IN CONNECTION TO SCHOOL THREAT

A juvenile is facing two felony charges in connection to a school threat in Northeast Arkansas. 

According to Greene County Sheriff David Carter, on Tuesday, February 20th, the Greene County Sheriff's Department received information that there was a possible threat of a school shooting to the Greene County Tech School District.

A juvenile suspect has been arrested and charged with two felony charges. Carter says that the matter is still under investigation.  

WEEKEND TORNADO RESULTS IN ONE DEATH IN NORTHEAST ARKANSAS

One death has been reported following three combined tornados in Southeast Missouri and Northeast Arkansas over the weekend. 

According to the National Weather Service, Saturday night an EF2 tornado, with estimated winds of up to 115 miles per hour, began just southwest of Knobel, Arkansas, before traveling into Southeast Missouri and ending at Malden.

Clay County Sheriff Terry Miller tells KWOC News that the tornado caused one fatality, 83 year old Albert Foster, of Knobel. 

Several people were injured and a number of homes received major damage, primarily in Malden.

In New Madrid County, an EF2 tornado, with estimated peak winds of 120 miles per hour, caused damage in the Matthews area. Numerous buildings were destroyed and dozens of homes had roofs partially or completely torn off. Officials say that a few injuries occurred due to windows being blown out of a rest home. 

In Mississippi County, Arkansas, an EF1 tornado began southwest of Keiser and traveled towards the northeast before ending near Osceola. 

The tornado had estimated winds of up to 90 miles per hour and damaged many homes and buildings in Keiser. One minor injury was reported near the end of the tornado.

FLOOD WARNING ISSUED FOR MULTIPLE COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND NORTHEAST ARKANSAS

A flood warning has been issued for multiple counties in Southeast Missouri and Northeast Arkansas. 

According to the National Weather Service, the flood warning is in effect for numerous counties, including Butler, Stoddard, New Madrid, Dunklin, Clay, and Greene Counties through 9:30 am this morning. 

At around 3:30 this morning Doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated widespread showers and isolated thunderstorms with heavy rain over the area. Repeat rains over already saturated ground could result in flooding. Weather officials say that up to two inches of rain has already fallen since Thursday evening.

Additional rainfall amounts of up to an inch to two inches are possible through the morning as waves of rain continue to pass over the area.

Motorists are being reminded to not attempt to cross over flooded roads. 

POPLAR BLUFF SCHOOLS PLACED ON LOCKDOWN WEDNESDAY DURING SEARCH FOR SHOPLIFTING SUSPECT

Police in Poplar Bluff are searching for a suspect in a shoplifting investigation. 

According to the Poplar Bluff Police Department, authorities were searching for 29 year old Andrew Millican yesterday in the wooded area near the Poplar Bluff Kindergarten Center. 

Millican is wanted in connection to a shoplifting investigation and has two active felony warrants for his arrest. 

FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND NORTHEAST ARKANSAS THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT
A flood watch has been issued for much of Southeast Missouri and Northeast Arkansas through late Saturday night. 

According to the National Weather Service, Multiple rounds of rain, moderate to heavy at times, will increase the risk for area flooding through the end of the week, primarily from Thursday night through Saturday night.

The main flooding concern will be along small streams and creeks that feed into already swollen rivers across the region, especially in areas that receive multiple rounds of moderate to heavy rainfall.

Weather officials say that six to seven inches of total rainfall is forecast for most of our listening area through Sunday. 

NEELYVILLE MAN DEAD FOLLOWING SINGLE VEHICLE WRECK

A Neelyville man died Sunday night in a single vehicle wreck. 

Butler County Coroner Andy Moore tells KWOC News that 63 year old Donald Teague was pronounced dead at the scene of the wreck on Highway 67, around eight miles south of Poplar Bluff. 

The wreck occurred shortly before 10 pm Sunday night when Teague lost control of his vehicle and ran off the side of the road and into a field, causing the vehicle to overturn several times. 

Authorities in Northeast Arkansas are searching for a missing teenager from the Blytheville area. 

According to the Mississippi County Sheriff’s Department, 18 year old Ashton Talley was discovered missing at around 3:50 am Saturday morning. The Sheriff’s Department says that she had received a text from a Washington state phone number at 3:16 am that morning and had responded a minute later. 

Officials say that Talley is a special needs autistic student that is described as being five feet, two inches tall, weighing 135 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. 

She was last seen at her home Friday evening at around 7:30 pm wearing a navy blue or gray hoodie with a black or gray Lynryd Skynyrd t-shirt, pink and blue striped shorts, and white tennis shoes.

We have a picture of Talley available on the KWOC Facebook page. 

Anyone who has information on Talley’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Mississippi County Sheriff's Department at 870-658-2242.

OFFICIALS SAY THAT NO THREATS WERE MADE AT KENNETT PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Police officials in Kennett say that rumors of possible threats at Kennett Public Schools are not true. 

According to the Kennett Police Department, they received multiple calls yesterday about possible threats that were made during school however faculty members said this was not the case.

Police say that there were no threats made or any type of incidents yesterday in any of the Kennett Public Schools or Higher Education Facilities that have been reported to the Kennett Police Department.