News

Two bald eagles sit in a field as a combine cuts soybeans Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in Scott County. There were 7.0 days suitable for fieldwork in the week ending Oct. 20, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Missouri Crop Progress and Condition Report released Wednesday, Oct. ...

SIKESTON — On Oct. 11-13, eight members of the local Boy Scouts of America Troops 4041 and 4025 earned their Professional Association of Diving Instructors, or PADI, Open-Water Scuba certifications. The troops have been busy of late — as the past two months have included training with Cape Dive and Travel personnel — and completing their confined water dives at Southeast Missouri State University and open-water dives at Mermet Springs in Belknap, Illinois...

BLOOMFIELD — The Stars & Stripes National Museum and Library has announced its upcoming Fifth Annual Spirit of Democracy Banquet & Silent Auction. This cornerstone fundraising event will take place Nov. 2, at the Osage Center in Cape Girardeau. Doors will open at 5 p.m...

Three Rivers College Patrons of the Arts present the “Vienna Boys Choir” at 7 p.m. November 16, at the Tinnin Fine Arts Center. Christmas in Vienna showcases gifted child musicians with unforgettable voices in a program featuring Austrian folk songs, classical masterpieces, popular songs, and holiday favorites. Tickets are $15 and are available online at tinnin.ticketleap.com. Tickets will be sold at the door, if any remain. All seats reserved...

Three Rivers College will host “Honeymoon from Hell” by Eileen Moushey, a Murder Mystery dinner, at 6 p.m. Nov. 2, in the Holiday Inn Ballroom. Presented by Black River Outdoors, all proceeds go to benefit Three Rivers College scholarships. Anything that CAN go wrong, HAS gone wrong aboard the S.S. Amore, a not-so-luxurious honeymoon cruise ship. Captain Giovanni Della Robbia is trying to calm the passengers, with the assistance of the cruise director, Gina...

First Grade Bryer Billingsley, Van Bolt, Hazel Cain, Tanner Collier, Hollis Gregory, Benjamin Grooms, Gabriella Grooms, Liam Johnson, Karson Kimbrel, Lucas Lawson, Nolan Robeson, Hudson Schultz, Greyson Smith, Rhett Vaughn, Eli Waller, Nathaniel Williamson...

Friday, Oct. 25 Pie & Box Supper The annual Gravel Hill Pie & Box Supper Fundraiser will be at 6:30 p.m. Please come for an evening of old-fashioned fun and help support the cemetery maintenance. Saturday, Oct. 26 Barktober Fest Barktober Fest will be from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, at Lucy’s Dog Park...

The 2024 Enchanted Forest Prom featured a day of dancing, food, prizes and horses. The annual event provided a unique experience for residents from Stoddard, New Madrid, Dunklin, Scott and Pemiscot counties to dress up and have fun. The adult prom was sponsored by Family Matters Adult Day Center on Oct. 17 at the Lair Event Center in Dexter...

NEW MADRID, Mo. — According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of electricians is projected to grow 11 percent from 2023 to 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations. Those statistics don’t come as a surprise to students in Steve Clark’s Electricians Pathways class at the New Madrid County R-1 Technical Skills Center. ...

The closure of possibly thousands of Walgreens drug stores nationwide is starting to take place, but Poplar Bluff’s location will be unaffected for now. Walgreens Chief Executive Officer Tim Wentworth warned up to 25% of the chain’s retailers would close...

In a significant stride toward modernizing emergency response systems, the Bootheel Region of Missouri, including Stoddard County, has been awarded a substantial grant to implement Next Generation 911 (NG911) services. This initiative marks a pivotal moment for emergency response capabilities, promising enhanced communication and coordination across the region...

BLOOMFIELD — A special meeting of the Stoddard County Commissioners convened Thursday morning in order to hear some concerns publicly being asked by a concerned citizen.

The Bloomfield School Board convened for its regular monthly meeting on Monday, Oct. 14, with a focus on evaluating district needs and planning for the future. FFA Presentation A highlight of the meeting was a presentation by three Future Farmers of America (FFA) officers: Caleb Upchurch, Katie Hendley, and Danyella Madrano. ...

BLOOMFIELD — Stoddard County Commissioners have called a special meeting for 9 a.m. Thursday at the Bloomfield courthouse. The meeting will be with Donnie Hovis, Democrat candidate for state representative District 151. Hovis has presented the commission with several items he would like to discuss, including a recent ruling by a judge that Stoddard County Sheriff Carl Hefner violated the Sunshine Law in response to a Freedom of Information Act request regarding body camera footage in the death of a dog.. ...

his fall, third grade classrooms across Missouri are harvesting knowledge as students participate in Agriculture Education on the Move™ (Ag Moves). Through this initiative of Missouri Farmers Care, students discover how their lives are intertwined with agriculture through hands-on learning led by passionate educators in their classrooms...

By SHERMAN SMITH Contributing Writer Dexter R-XI’s new Curriculum Director Michelle Carmode reviewed current testing growth data during the regular school board meeting on Tuesday. Growth data helps understand if students are making expected improvements regardless of where they started. This approach emphasizes progress even for students who may not be proficient according to state standards...

Halloween is coming up. Yep, in just a couple of weeks, kids (and some adults) will be dressing up in the silly, the macabre, and the scary. Many costumes will be in honor of heroes and heroines. I remember when dressing up as a cowboy was the cool thing to do. ...

Friday, Oct. 18 Movie night at Arby’s Arby’s will host a movie night and opportunity to take photos with Scooby-Doo and his friends. Event starts at 7 p.m., movie will start at 7:30 p.m. Arby’s will provide hotdogs, beverages and each child will receive a goodie bag. The movie will be “Trick or Treat Scooby Doo.” Bring a chair or blanket for the event. Anyone under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Baked goods will be for sale from 6-8 p.m. All proceeds go to No Kid Hungry...

PUXICO — Waylon Powell had already taken the ACT and achieved a score that most high schoolers would be happy with. But, Powell is no ordinary high schooler. “I had gotten a 30, but I didn’t want to settle for a 30,” Powell remarked. “So I focused on beating that score.”

BLOOMFIELD — A Dexter man recently received a 20-year sentence as a result of being found guilty of first degree rape, second degree statutory rape and possession of child pornography.

“She was an unforgettable soul Puxico lost way too soon,” was how former student Kylie Miller described teacher Barbie Davis, affectionately known by many as “Mama Davis.” She passed away Sept. 28 at the end of a battle with chronic illness and after 30 years as an educator, mostly with Puxico School District. District Superintendent Cindy Crabb recounted her strong impact on the student body over the decades...

BLOOMFIELD — In a strongly worded ruling, Stoddard County Sheriff Carl Hefner has been found guilty of knowingly violating Missouri’s open records law in failing to release body camera footage in the 2003 killing of a dog by a deputy. Judge Wade Pierce found that Hefner’s defense — whether or not the matter of safety/security something was something that took precedence over a records request — was an attempt to hide what happened. Hefner has been fined more than $6,000...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. — A Mississippi County community is heartbroken following the death of one of its longest and strongest supporters. Former State Rep. James Stephen “Steve” Hodges Sr., 75, died Wednesday, Oct. 9 at Life Care Center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri...

Cape Girardeau — In a hands-on approach to learning, Future Farmers of America members from Dexter High School immersed themselves Oct. 2 in agriculture during Southeast Missouri State University’s FFA Field Day. Dexter High School Agriculture teacher Jordon Massey said, “The day started off by exploring the Charles Hutson greenhouse.”...