Stories from Thursday, October 6, 2011

In their home country of Belarus, they cannot speak the name "Jesus" aloud. They can listen to a missionary's stories about "a man who is a friend to all," and other stories of "a man who tells us to love everyone," but the Son of God's name is unspoken...

Dexter Fire Dept. Asst. Chief Don Seymore and Firefighter Jeremy Freeman work to extinguish a truck fire Thursday morning on Hwy. 25 about two miles south of the city limits. The truck was abandoned and totally engulfed when firefighters arrived. No one was injured in the fire, but traffic on Hwy. 25 was stalled for about 40 minutes...

KENNETT, Mo. -- Kennett Indians girls tennis coach Janet Hilburn recognized her players were willing to put in the work needed to make a run at the school's fifth straight district title before the 2011 season started. "When we lost four [starters] to graduation I knew we had big holes to fill to come back and compete for a district title," coach Hilburn said. ...

The Dexter Green Head Chapter of Ducks Unlimited is hosting its 28th Annual Membership Dinner and Auction this Saturday, Oct. 8 at the Dexter Elks Lodge. Green Head Chapter Chairman Mike Wilburn says the night of activities will begin at 5:30 p.m. when the doors open for families of all ages...

Jessica Lynn "Jessy" Barker, daughter of Michael R. Barker and Kelly Ann Hempstead Banks, was born in Mid-land, Mich. on March 9, 1988, and died at her home in Dexter, Mo. on Oct. 4, 2011, at the age of 23. She had lived in Joplin, Mo. before moving to Dexter in 1995. She was a member of the Lighthouse Christian Center in Dexter...

Lois Margaret Goza, 87, of Sikeston, Mo. died Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011, at the Sikeston Convale-scent Center. She was born Nov. 7, 1923, in Marks, Miss., to the late John Scott and Mayne Juanita Lay Pratt. Living in both Scott and Stoddard counties, she was a housewife and homemaker, and a member of the Assembly of God Church in Sikeston...