Stories from Tuesday, February 21, 2012

M. Floyd Swinger, Jr., 71, died on Feb. 14, 2012, after a lengthy and valiant struggle with pneumonia. A resident of Burton, Texas, Floyd formerly resided in Hou-ston, Texas; Lafayette, La.; and Dexter, Mo. He was born on Aug. 8, 1940, in Gary, Ind. He was preceded in death by his parents, Maxwell and Wilma Swinger, and grandchildren, Sophia and Parker...

Caleb Trevor Kinder, 29, of Dexter died Feb.16, 2012, in St. James, Mo. He was born May 6, 1982, in Warrensburg, Mo., to Kenneth Wayne and Karen Kay Reinbott Kinder. He married Kelly LeAnn Stitz on Feb. 6, 2012, in Bloomfield, Mo. Caleb was a self-employed carpenter. He was of the Methodist faith...

Staff Reports On Thursday, Feb. 23, the Daily Statesman will join hundreds of newspapers across the country in charging for access to online content. Current print subscribers will maintain access as part of their basic subscription, but online-only users will be asked to pay after surpassing a limited number of story views per month. In addition to launching online subscriptions, the Daily Statesman will also unveil a mobile application for the iPhone and other mobile platforms...

By CHRIS BLANK Associated Press JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Gov. Jay Nixon on Friday called for Missouri lawmakers to pass new ethics legislation after the state's most recent law was thrown out this week by the Supreme Court because of how it was approved...

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH The Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Thousands of precariously leaning, rotting barns with peeling paint and missing boards dot America's rural landscape. The aging relics hold a certain romance for many, and interest is growing in numerous states in saving or at least documenting the rickety barns before they become victims of age and urban sprawl, the cost of maintenance too high when they no longer have a practical purpose...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- An earthquake that measured 4.0 occurred at 3:58 a.m. five miles northwest of East Prairie on Tuesday. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center, the depth of the quake was three miles...

By NOREEN HYSLOP Managing Editor Witnessing a classroom of seventh graders constructing bridges, rockets, race cars and robots out of Legos, one might question the level of educational value in Betty Huffman's English class at T.S. Middle School. In actuality, the students are learning how to master the skill of essay writing - one block at a time!...