News

Three Stoddard County incumbents will receive challenges in the upcoming Aug. 4 primary election. The fields were finalized at 5 p.m. Tuesday, as the filing period ended. On the Republican ballot, Tim McCoy will challenge incumbent Carl Hefner for sheriff, incumbent Steve W. Jordan and J.W. Mattingly will battle for first district commissioner and incumbent Carol Jarrell, Jeff Riddle and Willard Adams will vie to become second district commissioner...

Dexter – Bank of Advance officials reported Wednesday morning that two staff members at the branch in Dexter recently tested positive for COVID-19. "In order to minimize the spread, and for the safety of our staff, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily close the Dexter branch as of Thursday, April 2 to allow for thorough sterilization of the facility. We plan to reopen no later than Tuesday, April 7," according to a press release from bank officials.

OGLESVILLE — Butler County authorities apprehended the suspect they spent much of the day Tuesday looking for after he allegedly fled during a second attempted stop. Steven Don Rick, 48, of the 3100 block of Highway N was arrested at about 7:40 p.m. on suspicion of failure to yield to an emergency vehicle and resisting arrest by Deputy Dakota Loggains...

The Stoddard County Health Department has confirmed three new cases of COVID-19 in Stoddard County, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to six. All are in quarantine at their respective homes. The health department is working to contact individuals the new patients may have come into contact with...

JEFFERSON CITY — Out of an abundance of caution and in response to recent events, Missouri State Parks will modify operations at five state parks to address overcrowding and concerns regarding public safety. The modifications, including the temporary closure of four of Missouri’s state parks and partial closure of one additional park, go into effect at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 2, and are scheduled to continue until April 30...

Butler County has had a resident test positive for COVID-19, according to a release shortly after 11 a.m. by the Butler County Health Department. This is the first COVID-19 diagnosis among Butler County residents. No additional information was released in the notification, which went out via the health department's app...

Regulations are in place at larger facilities in stoddard county to protect employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stoddard County Health Center Administrator Ben Godwin said currently any employee at a larger factory type facility can leave work without penalty...

All Stoddard County Schools have extended the COVID-19 wellness break until April 24. The schools: Advance, Bell City, Bernie, Bloomfield, Dexter, Puxico, Richland and Woodland released a joint statement with the decision Monday afternoon. The eight superintendents at each school have been in contact with each other regularly during this situation. ...

EDITOR’S NOTE: While a document issued by the Stoddard County Commission does include the phrase “stay at home to limit social contact,” it is not considered a true stay-at-home order. The order is based on limiting social contact and slowing the spread of COVID-19 and is not a lockdown, according to Associate Commissioner Carol Jarrell...

All Stoddard County Schools have extended the COVID-19 wellness break until April 24. The schools: Advance, Bell City, Bernie, Bloomfield, Dexter, Puxico, Richland and Woodland released a joint statement with the decision Monday afternoon. The eight superintendents at each school have been in contact with each other regularly during this situation. ...

Churches from the area are embracing technology to spread their message during the COVID-19 pandemic. Westwood Baptist Church of Poplar Bluff, Sacred Heart Church of Dexter; St. Ann Church of Malden, St. Teresa Church of Glennonville and Doniphan Church of Christ are making Sunday sermons available online...

The Puxico Board of Aldermen closed city hall and other facilities to the public and authorized Mayor Rick McLean to declare a state of emergency amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Bill 20-01, which authorizes the declaration of a state of emergency within the city, calls for proactive measures to be taken to protect the public's health, safety and welfare. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri – Gov. Mike Parson has signed Executive Order 20-04 to begin mobilizing the Missouri National Guard to assist in the state’s COVID-19 response efforts. This will increase the amount of coordination among state government partners in combating the spread of COVID-19...

Two triage tents have been erected outside SoutheastHEALTH of Stoddard County as a precaution, according to Stoddard County Ambulance District (SCAD) Manager David Cooper. “This is just part of our plan that we have been discussing in the past several weeks in the event an outbreak would occur in our counties,” said Cooper. “So its all precautionary, since we had our first case in the county we decided to go ahead and initiate the tent out here at the hospital.”...

The Stoddard County Commission activated an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on Thursday in response to the COVID-19 situation. Stoddard County Emergency Management Director Kent Polsgrove said the three partners in the EOC are the Stoddard County Health Center, SouthHEALTH of Stoddard County and the Stoddard County Ambulance District...

WAPPAPELLO LAKE — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) recreation areas, including campgrounds, visitor centers, beaches, fish cleaning stations, and the lake management office areas at Wappapello Lake will continue to remain closed. Day use areas and boat ramps will remain open until further notice...

The Stoddard County Relay for Life at Dexter's East Park on May 1 will not take place. The American Cancer Society has suspended all events through mid-May based on current guidance and out of an abundance of caution amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Relay for Life event will move to a digital format this year. Details regarding the digital event will be released at a later date...

The Dexter School Board approved the insurance plans for employees and Superintendent C.A. Counts addressed the school outlook amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The board elected to increase the district's insurance contribution to $500 an employee to help staff with the current state of the economy. The policies saw a total increase of 17 percent...

BLOOMFIELD — Stoddard County officials began setting up video-conferencing systems in the county’s courtrooms this week amid the continuing concerns over COVID-19. Circuit clerk personnel and the Office of State Court Administrator are setting up “video conferencing in our two courtrooms,” said Associate Circuit Judge Joe Satterfield...

Butler County Coroner Andy Moore announced Wednesday afternoon the patient who died while under investigation for possible COVID-19 tested negative for the coronavirus.

VAN BUREN — The Carter County Health Department said Wednesday that a person tested positive for COVID-19. The individual is currently hospitalized but no other information will be provided about the patient, the department said in a statement. “The Carter County Health Center is working with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) and the CDC to identify and contact people who may have come in contact with the individual while they were infectious and will monitor them for fever and respiratory symptoms,” the department said.. ...

As counties limit access to government offices in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, some also are making staffing changes to reduce the number of employees potentially at risk of exposure to the coronavirus. County officials report the limitations are in place through April 3, at which time they will be reevaluated...

BLOOMFIELD — Stoddard County has its first confirmed case of COVID-19, the Stoddard County Health Department reported via Facebook. The patient is a male in his early 40s, and the case in contact related. The patient currently is quarantined at home.

The Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center has confirmed the second positive case of COVID-19, which was reported by a commercial laboratory in Cape Girardeau County. The individual is a male in his 40’s and is in isolation. Public health officials are investigating the situation and tracing any close contacts to the case. The method of transmission is likely travel related. The case will continue to be monitored by the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center...

Several area businesses, law enforcement and schools have reached out to help those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some restaurants have offered free meals, schools are providing breakfast and lunch bag pickups at various pickup points. The area schools have stayed in contact with students and posted on their respective Facebook pages where pickups would take place...