Stories from Tuesday, June 26, 2012

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A severely malnourished 10-year-old Kansas City girl who was found locked in a closet remained hospitalized Monday and likely faces an extended recovery after an initial "failure to thrive" diagnosis, experts said. Police found the 32-pound girl Friday after responding to a call from a child abuse hotline. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. - The future needs and challenges facing Missouri's transportation system is the subject of a series of public forums across the state this summer. The meetings are sponsored by the Blue Ribbon Citizens Committee on Missouri Transportation Needs appointed by Missouri House Speaker Steven Tilley, R-Perryville, in early March...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. - A Dexter man was clocked at 123 miles per hour Monday night before being placed under arrest on a number of charges. Michael V. Knight, 22, was transported to the Butler County Jail following his arrest at 6:55 p.m. in Butler County. He is charged with speeding (123 in a 65 mph zone), C&I driving, having no insurance, and possession of drug paraphernalia...

Lyman Jerry "Nub" Jines, son of the late Lyman Lloyd Jines and Cora Mae Knight Jines, was born on March 5, 1934, in Sikeston, Mo., and died on June 24, 2012, at the Crowley Ridge Care Center in Dexter at the age of 78. Mr. Jines was a veteran of the United States Army, where he was deployed to Korea shortly after the Korean War began. He enjoyed fishing and old western movies. He was a resident of Dexter...

Beunah Hutchcraft, a resident of Dexter, Mo. died on Monday, June 25, 2012, at the age of 90. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced by the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

LeRoy Callanan 65, of Diehlstadht, formerly of Chicago, Ill., died Saturday, June 23, 2012, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Nunnelee Funeral Home at Sikeston is handling arangments. No service is scheduled at this time.

JEFFERSON CITY -- Gov. Jay Nixon today asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency (FSA) to conduct damage assessment reports for all 114 Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis to determine the extent of damage to crops and livestock because of the excessive heat and severe drought conditions persisting throughout the state. ...

A blisteringly hot Fourth of July is expected this year, with triple-digit heat forecast for multiple days starting later this week. "The high temperatures aren't unusual at this time of year by any means, but their persistence is a little unusual," said Robin Smith, National Weather Service meteorologist...

Volunteer Becky Almond conducts a lesson in nature at one of several stations during Saturday's Girl Scout Day Camp held at East City Park. The annual camp took place all day Saturday, concluding with a cooling off swim at the Aquatic Center. Additional photos may be found in Photo Galleries...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. - The Stoddard County Commission voted to accept the contract to replace a bridge on County Road 420 to Chester Bross Construction Company of Hannibal, Mo. at a cost of $343,418. The commission took the action at their regular meeting Monday morning. The county received four bids for the project and all four bids will be submitted to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) for approval...