Stories from Sunday, January 1, 2012

The Daily Statesman will once again be sponsoring its First Baby of the Year contest, with gift certificates and gifts to be presented to the "First Family." Notification from the hospital or facility in which the baby is born must be submitted to the paper by Jan. 11, 2012. The parents of the new baby must be residents of Stoddard County...

By COREY NOLES Statesman STaff Writer BLOOMFIELD, Mo. - While most people haven't even begun to think about it yet, workers at Stoddard County Clerk Joe Watson's office are preparing for yet another election. Tuesday, Dec. 13 marked the official opening day for candidates to file for the April 2011 municipal election. Candidates may file for office until January 17...

By SCOTT MOYERS SEMO News Service NEW MADRID, Mo. - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is getting $800 million in federal disaster relief funds to make repairs along the flood-ravaged Mississippi River, corps officials announced Thursday. And the corps called fixing the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway the top priority with those dollars...

Photo courtesy of Shannon Putnam Megan Trewatha is a senior at Dexter High School and is The Daily Statesman's January 2012 Calendar Girl. She is the daughter of Steve and Deana Trewatha and is a member of the Dance Team, FCCLA, and Future Teachers of America. Calendar Girls are comprised of the 12 finalists in the Miss Dexter competition, sponsored annually by the DHS Vocal Music Program...

By DEANNA CORONADO SEMO News Service CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. - It will be after the New Year before anything further develops in the case against the City of Caruthersville's Chief of Police, Chris Riggs, who has been charged with allegations of forgery and stealing thousands of dollars from the city's Criminal Investigation Fund...