CORY E. SIMERL
Cory E. Simerl of Corpus Christi, Texas, passed away on October 6, 2025, at Corpus Christi Medical Center. He was born June 27, 1985, in Kirksville, Missouri, to Danny and Kimberly Simerl of Memphis, Missouri. Cory was their only child. After graduating from high school, Cory left Memphis and began a career as a welder, working on the road for several years. His work allowed him to travel and live in several states before eventually settling in Texas. On March 31, 2012, Cory was united in marriage to Shelly Matthew and her daughter, Alexis Sayre. To this union, two children…
Read MorePepsi-Cola Memphis Bottling Company Sold to WP Beverages After 96 Years of Local, Family Ownership
By Emily Bontrager A nearly century-long era of local, family-owned business in Memphis is ending. Pepsi-Cola Memphis Bottling Company, founded in 1929 and operated by three generations of the Johnson family, has been sold to WP Beverages, a Midwest-based Pepsi bottler and distributor. The transition in ownership took effect on November 3, 2025. The business began when J. Harold “Pop” Johnson and his wife, Muriel, opened Memphis Bottling Works in a small building at 204 S. Market Street. In the early days, the company bottled its own line of flavored soft drinks known as “Johnson’s Target Beverages.” After securing a…
Read MoreNortheast Missouri Schools Earn Strong Marks In 2024-25 Annual Performance Reports
By Mike Scott, NEMOnews Media Group The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has released its 2024-25 Annual Performance Reports (APR), giving a data-driven look at how public schools are performing across the state. For Northeast Missouri, the results are encouraging — every district remains fully accredited, and most continue to exceed state averages in attendance, graduation, and career readiness. The MSIP 6 reports measure academic achievement, student growth, attendance, graduation rates, and how well districts prepare students for life after high school. The numbers reveal a story of resilience, strong community support, and steady academic progress throughout…
Read MoreMiss Lewis and Clark County Pageants Held
The Miss Lewis & Clark, Miss Lewis & Clark’s Teen and Miss Clark County’s Teen competitions were held Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Clark County Middle School gym. From left, Celia Medeiros was crowned Miss Lewis & Clark’s Teen; Ananya Senthil, Miss Lewis & Clark; and Darby Rollins, Miss Clark County’s Teen.
Read MoreOld Dog Learns New Trick
There were four gadwalls circling over the lake. It looked like they were going to drop into the middle of the lake at any moment. Because of that, I hit them hard with the duck call. I don’t know what I said to them—or what they thought I said—but instead of landing, three of them took off down the lake, and a single hen came right at us. I thought all along the hen would change her mind and rejoin her friends. But I learned a long time ago that you can never figure out a duck. This one came…
Read MoreJOHN WESLEY REDDING
John Wesley Redding, 70, of Memphis, Missouri formerly of Fairmont, Missouri, passed away Sunday, November 2, 2025, at his home with his family by his side He was born November 18, 1954, in Carthage, Illinois to Robert Otis and Leola Maxine (Pruett) Redding. John was united in marriage to Linda (Webster) Redding on June 25, 1977, in Wyaconda, Missouri and she survives. John was a lifelong resident of Fairmont, Missouri until recently moving to Memphis. He was a man of quiet strength, a loving family man and a loyal friend. John’s passion for hunting, especially deer, was a lifelong pursuit.…
Read MoreScotland County’s Kierstyn Moore and Georgia Taylor Qualify for State at MSHSAA Class 1 – District 3 Meet
November 1, 2025 | Vandalia, MO Scotland County will be well represented at next week’s Class 1 State Cross Country Championships after Kierstyn Moore and Georgia Taylor both secured top finishes at the MSHSAA Class 1 – District 3 meet Saturday in Vandalia. Moore turned in one of the day’s most impressive performances, placing 4th…
Read MoreJO WICKERT
1936-2025 Melba Joann “Jo” Wickert, 89, of Memphis died October 29, 2025 at the Putnam County Care Center in Unionville, MO. She was born May 21, 1936, to Joseph William Tiemann and Viola Frederika Amelia (Hoehne) Tiemann and raised in LaGrange, graduating from LaGrange High School in 1954. She then attended and graduated from Culver…
Read MoreGorin Residents Press County Commission Over Railroad Closures, Emergency Access
By Echo Menges Gorin, Mo. – Concerns over emergency access and blocked trains dominated discussion during the Oct. 16 Scotland County Commission meeting as Gorin resident Tara Shultz urged commissioners to help the community address safety issues tied to recent railroad-crossing closures. Shultz said BNSF Railway closed the passive crossing at County Road 115 (Hicks),…
Read MoreHome at Last: Remembering a Civil War Soldier This Veterans Day
By Kevin Fox (original story, 2005) — Updated for Veterans Day 2025 MEMPHIS, Mo. — One hundred and sixty years after the guns of the Civil War fell silent, the story of Corporal John Payton Byrne still echoes through northeast Missouri — reminding us that Veterans Day is not just about the past, but about…
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