News

Joshua Koonce pled guilty Monday to the stabbing death of Jimmy Casey.  Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver said in a news release that Koonce entered the guilty plea 30 minutes before the trial was scheduled to begin and the state extended no plea bargain to the defense. Koonce plead guilty to the charges of murder and armed criminal action...

A death investigation is underway in Dexter. According to Dexter Police Chief Hank Trout, the Dexter Police Department responded to 122 Condor Drive, regarding a medical assist call of cardiac arrest on Monday. Trout said when officers and emergency personnel arrived, CPR was in progress on a 49-year-old male. The male was transported to Southeast Health in Dexter, where he was pronounced dead...

This Saturday evening the 13th annual Dexter Christmas Reading will take place in Downtown Dexter. The reading will be held on Stoddard Street across from Mathis Funeral Home. One of the event’s directors, Greg Mathis, said they are expecting a large crowd for the event, which will be the first reading outdoors in three years...

DEXTER — July 10 felt like a typical Saturday for 18-year-old Kaeli Wells until 120 mph winds blustered through Dexter, Missouri, at approximately 8:18 that night. Wells and four other members of her church’s youth group held a Saturday-night jam session at First Pentecostal Church. They played instruments and sang songs, but then around 8 p.m., the group noticed heavy rain began to pound on the church’s windows...

Boy Scout Troop 200 picked up food bags on Saturday as part of its “Scouting for Food” program. The troop delivered 2,333 cans of food to the Stoddard County Gospel Mission in addition to the boxed items as well. The scouts place the bags throughout Dexter the previous Saturday and pick them up a week later after residents put non-perishable food items in them...

On Veterans Day some veterans with the American Legion in Dexter received a surprise call from the Stoddard County ARC. They were asked to come to the ARC Day Center on Grant Street. Upon their arrival the clients and staff unveiled their surprise. They proceeded to honor the men for their service to the country with cookies, crafts, a poster signed by the clients and staff and more...

The Stoddard County Senate Bill 40 (SB40) Board held a public hearing prior to its November meeting. The public hearing held for the purpose of hearing public input into the annual budget. No members of the public were present to speak so chairman Josh Hester closed the hearing and moved to the regular meeting with approval from the board...

The Dexter School Board approved the purchase of a new quarter-ton truck for the maintenance department. Assistant superintendent Gavin Miller said currently the district has two work trucks and a van. Miller said two members of the maintenance staff use one truck, one uses the van and the fourth uses the final truck. ...

The Dexter Police Department is investigating an attempted armed robbery at Walmart. Authorities said a female was sitting in her vehicle a white 90s model Chevrolet pickup truck occupied by two white males and one black male pulled up beside her vehicle. One of the males approached her, displayed a firearm and demanded money.

Staff from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed safety inspections of both the Clearwater Lake and Wappapello Lake dams following Wednesday night’s earthquake in the region, something officials said is a routine safety procedure. “Following a local reported 4.0 magnitude earthquake, a precautionary walk-over inspection of all flood-damage reduction facilities at Wappapello Lake was completed on the morning of Nov. ...

Residents very close to Williamsville may have felt the ground shake a second time Wednesday night, but the force of the magnitude 2.5 aftershock was 50 times less than the main quake, according to researchers with the University of Memphis. A magnitude 4.0 earthquake was widely felt across Missouri, Arkansas and other parts of the region at 8:53 p.m. Wednesday, briefly alarming many residents who were confused by the rare larger quake...

An earthquake has shook the area this evening. Stoddard County Emergency Management Director Andrew Bohnert said the preliminary report is a 3.7 magnitude. Bohnert stated that could change once once the full analysis is complete. Bohnert said the it appeared the quake was centered near Williamsville north of Poplar Bluff and felt across the area...

BLOOMFIELD — The Stoddard County Commissioners said during Monday’s meeting that they have learned the fate of more than $12,000 in CARES Act payroll reimbursement. Some businesses mistakenly received CARES Act funds for payroll last year, and the county contacted those businesses to return the money...

A Dexter man was ordered Friday to stand trial in the Nov. 5 death of another man near Dexter. Stoddard County Prosecutor Russ Oliver originally charged Boyd Lippoldt with the Class A felony of first-degree murder, the unclassified felony of armed criminal action, the Class B felony of driving while intoxicated resulting in the death of another, the Class D felony of possession of a controlled substance and the Class E felony of tampering with physical evidence...

A Bloomfield man died and two others were seriously injured in a two vehicle crash late Friday afternoon on Highway 25 at Griffin Road. According to the Missouri Highway Patrol Christopher Tormino, 35 of Campbell was eastbound in a 2019 Ford F750 when he was struck by a northbound 2002 Ford Focus driven by Alice F. Wimberly, 61 of Bloomfield, as he crossed Highway 25...

The Webster Groves Police Department has issued an Endangered Silver Advisory for Linda Tomlin, 74. Authorities say Tomlin left a care facility at noon on November 12 and is not known to be out past dark. Authorities said Tomlin stopped for fuel in Fredericktown at 10 p.m. The clerk told authorities that she seemed confused trying to get back home...

The Dexter Tree Board planted three new trees in Downtown Dexter Tuesday morning as part of a beautification project. The trees are Yoshino dwarf cherry trees, which will produce white blooms in the spring and red leaves in the fall. Board member Wayne Jean said the trees were chosen because this is the type of tree that was originally seen lining Stoddard Street in Downtown Dexter. Other trees including crepe myrtles and Bradford pears now grow in the downtown area as well...

Vietnam Veteran Charles Long will be presenting the POW/MIA or “Missing Man” Table ceremony at the National Stars and Stripes Museum on Veterans Day, Thursday, November 11, 2021, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  The reading will be at 11 a.m. For more information, please call 573-568-2055...

The biggest dilemma many of us have at mealtime is trying to figure out which restaurant to go to or which cans to open to help prepare for our next meal. But there are many residents in this community who don’t have enough food to eat. Area Scouts intend to do their part to change that. The Annual “Scouting for Food” food drive not only helps provide food to those without, but also helps to make the young participants more aware of needs in their community...

The Bernie School Board began exploring the possibility of adding an EA Sports Club to the school at its November meeting. Superintendent Dustin Hicks said the district is gathering information at this point. Over 60 students attended a presentation regarding the club. ...

BLOOMFIELD — The City of Advance submitted a request for American Rescue Plan Act funds, the Stoddard County Commission announced during its Monday morning meeting. Advance requested $674,000 to help fund the expansion of the city’s water-and-sewer system to Lakeville, which is located near Advance on state Route O; a wastewater system upgrade; and an upgrade to the city’s water distribution system...

Evelyn Temples Hunt celebrated her 100th birthday last Wednesday at her home in Dexter. Family and friends dropped in with cards and well wishes. Visitors were served cake and spiced cider during the celebration. Hunt is the youngest of 11 children. She has four brothers and six sisters. She was born and raised in Pyletown. During WWII she worked as a riveter building planes in California. She was described by her family as a “Rosie the Riveter.”...

The Richland School District has again received high honors. Richland has been ranked as the No. 1 school district in Missouri by the Show-Me Institute, and Richland Elementary has been ranked as the No. 3 elementary school in Missouri by U.S. News and World Reports...

The Stoddard County Major Case was activated Friday evening after the discovery of a deceased male. Chief Deputy Andy Holden with the Stoddard County Sheriff's Department said in a news release the department was dispatched to a truck repair business near the intersection of County Road 517 and U.S. Highway 60...

Stoddard County Coroner Brent Stidham has confirmed a death outside of Dexter. Stidham said the SEMO Major Case Squad has been activated and an investigation in ongoing. More information will be released as it becomes available to the Dexter Statesman...