The University of Missouri has named Anita Cates the Pre-Employment Transition Services Teacher of the Year for the Southeast Region due to her advocacy in helping students with disabilities transition to life after graduation.

Dr. Valerie Ivy has been named High School Principal of the Year for the region, the first recipient representing Poplar Bluff High School in recent memory, officials of the Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals confirmed.

The Poplar Bluff School District has been awarded an $8,000 competitive grant to certify its school-based therapist in play therapy, a research-developed intervention designed for young students.