News

Ben Godwin, Director of the Stoddard County Health Center, has confirmed 42 new cases of COVId-19 since the previous update on July 30. Godwin has also confirmed the 72nd COVID-19 related death in Stoddard County. There are now 157 active cases of COVID-19 in the county and 3,592 confirmed cases since the pandemic began...

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson made a stop in Dexter Monday morning as part of his Missouri 2021 Bicentennial Tour. Gov. Parson is visiting historic sites and communities in Missouri during the tour, which will lead up to Statehood Day on Aug. 10 and the Bicentennial Parade and Bicentennial Inaugural Ball on Sept.18...

PUXICO — Right now, nobody knows how many contracts with Morgan-Sifford Funeral home exist, how much money is outstanding, or where the money is at. Some time ago, Morgan-Sifford lost its license but continued to perform and sell funeral services. The funeral home has since been shut down, and the owner has passed away, but there’s a concerning lack of a paper trail for many customers...

A Washington County man sits in the Butler County jail after being charged with stealing a motorcycle and a trailer earlier this month. Jeffery S. Walker, 34, of Belgrade, Missouri, has been charged with two Class B felony counts of stealing a motor vehicle, watercraft or aircraft as a prior stealing offender. He also is charged with the Class D felony of stealing...

With homeschooling and hybrid learning disrupting classroom learning for the past 18 months, it’s easy to forget what preparing for a “normal” school year might look like. In addition to buying new clothes and stocking a child’s backpack with the right supplies, an annual physical and the proper immunizations will start a child’s new school year on a healthy foundation, Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center officials believe...

Stoddard County Health Center Director, Ben Godwin has confirmed 76 new cases of COVID-19 as cases continue to rise in the county. The new cases bring the county to 158 active cases of COVID-19. The county has seen 3,516 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic and 71 COVID-19 related deaths...

Dexter — Significant progress continues to be made at Southeast Health Center of Stoddard County in the aftermath of an EF2 tornado that moved through the Dexter area July 10. SoutheastHEALTH stated in a news release that extensive testing has been completed to assess the impact of the damage to the inpatient units, the Emergency Services Department and Behavioral Health Unit. Damage was moderate, but further testing was done to ensure the ultimate in patient safety...

On Tuesday Stoddard County Sheriff Carl Hefner confirmed in a news release there are active COVID-19 cases in the Stoddard County Jail. “Since the COVID outbreak began we at the Stoddard County Jail have taken precautions in preventing COVID from being in our jail,” said Hefner. “Even with the precautions taken it was inevitable that COVID would get in our jail facility. We have been very fortunate to this point to not have had any cases in our jail.”...

BLOOMFIELD — The Stoddard County ARC and Stoddard County Sheltered Workshop reported cases of COVID-19 at their facilities to the Senate Bill 40 board at Thursday night’s meeting. Stoddard County Sheltered Workshop Director Devin Miller said a couple of his clients contracted COVID-19 and the workshop was closed from July 9 until July 20 in response...

Dexter R-XI School District Superintendent Amy James presented the board of education with the end-of-the-year transportation summary at the Tuesday, July 20, meeting. The number of miles traveled by the district’s busing fleet was 160,280 miles, up 24,277 from the 2019-20 school year. The numbers were down during the previous school year because the district shut down early because of the COVID-19 pandemic...

BLOOMFIELD — The Stoddard County Commission learned last week of changes in federal requirements for the Off-System Bridge Replacement Program. The BRO program pays 80 percent of the cost through federal funds for the replacement or rehabilitation of bridges owned by local agencies...

The Stoddard County Farm Bureau’s annual meeting Friday commemorated Missouri’s Bicentennial, and included speakers on state and local matters. U.S. Rep. Jason Smith served as guest speaker, while two area students were awarded scholarships. The event was held at The Gathering in Dexter. A silent auction followed, with the money raised going to fund additional student scholarships...

New cases of COVID-19 in Stoddard County continue to rise. Stoddard County Health Center Director Ben Godwin, has confirmed 32 new cases of COVID-19 since the last update on Friday. He additionally confirmed two COVID-19 related deaths, bringing the total deaths in Stoddard County to 71. The county now sits at 119 active cases of COVID-19...

Two people were injured seriously in a pair of weekend accidents, one on Highway 25 south of Dexter Sunday morning and the second a boating accident on Clearwater Lake in Reynolds County Saturday afternoon. Angelia M. Turner, 28, of Ellington suffered serious injuries in a boating accident at Webb Creek Marina on Clearwater Lake at 2 p.m. Saturday...

A Poplar Bluff man sits in the Butler County jail and is facing sexual abuse and sexual misconduct charges after an incident that reportedly happened at a local retailer on Sunday. Donald A. Raymer, 31, of the 1700 block of Garfield Street, has been charged with the Class C felony of first-degree sexual abuse after he allegedly inappropriately touched a juvenile female at JCPenney’s. ...

Roberto C. Rodriguez Penaflor, of Senath, graduated from the Missouri State Highway Patrol Law Enforcement Academy on Friday in Jefferson City and has been assigned to Stoddard County. The 111th recruit class reported to the academy on Feb. 1 to begin the 25-week training to become a trooper. Penaflor will report to duty Aug. 9...

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Wappapello Lake announces the annual duck blind drawing and registration to be held Aug. 21 at 9 a.m. at the Bill Emerson Memorial Visitors Center. Anyone wishing to participate must be registered prior to 9 a.m. If you are not signed up by 9 a.m., you will be required to wait until the drawing and placement process has concluded. Upon conclusion of the placement process, late arrivers will be allowed to register and choose a location...

SIKESTON - Route VV in Stoddard County will be closed as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform pavement repairs. This section of roadway is located from Route Z to the end of state maintenance. Weather permitting, work will take place Wednesday, July 28 through Thursday, July 29 from 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily...

SIKESTON - Route JJ in New Madrid and Stoddard counties will be closed as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform pavement repairs. This section of roadway is located from Route D in New Madrid County to the end of state maintenance in Stoddard County...

BLOOMFIELD — The mayor of Dudley and a business owner from Puxico approached the Stoddard County Commissioners to request some of the county’s American Rescue Plan funds at Monday’s weekly meeting. The county was awarded $5,637,766 in ARP funds with the first half deposited into the county’s bank account in June and the remainder coming next year...

BERNIE — The Bernie School Board accepted a bid for the tuckpointing and sealing of the annex gym, as well as approved the purchase of furniture. The board approved an $11,862.30 purchase of new office furniture. The new furniture will go in Superintendent Dustin Hicks’ office, elementary principal Tommie Ellenburg’s office and other staff. ...

PUXICO — The Puxico School Board quickly worked through a light agenda Thursday evening at its July meeting. Superintendent Cindy Crabb informed the board that work on the junior high roof and the district’s baseball fields will begin the week of July 19. The new double doors for the junior high building have arrived and are in the process of being painted and installed. She also stated that teachers have been working on campus during the summer to complete training...

Route KK in Stoddard County will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform pavement repairs. This section of roadway is located from Route 114 to the end of state maintenance. Weather permitting, work will take place Tuesday, July 20 through Thursday, July 22 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily...

SoutheastHEALTH has released an update on the status of the SoutheastHEALTH of Stoddard County facility in Dexter. Significant progress is being made at Southeast Health Center of Stoddard County in the aftermath of an EF2 tornado that moved through the Dexter area Saturday night...