Stories from Thursday, July 19, 2012

A morning of art, crafts, and ice cream sundaes was enjoyed Wednesday at the final day of Keller Library's Summer Reading Series, "Dream Big." Above, Sydney Booker, daughter of Mark and Kristie Booker, gets a little assistance with her craft project. Additional photos from the "Nifty Night Crafts" activities appear on page 14 of today's paper and online in Photo Galleries at www.dailystatesman.com...

Several school policies were revamped and reviewed, a resignation was accepted, bids were approved, a van was purchased, and the approaching school year was discussed at Tuesday night's meeting of the Dexter Board of Education. A total of 10 polices were revised for manuals that will be available for the 2012-13 school year. ...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A Dexter woman accused of stealing nearly $500,000 was sentenced to prison Thursday. Kathy Ellsworth, 48, of Dexter, pled guilty on June 21, 2012 to forging what is currently believed to be a total of $485,000 in checks from her employer...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. - Two brothers from Puxico have been sentenced following an assault on a law enforcement officer on Friday, June 15. Brandon Lynn Payne and Dustin Thomas Payne were both arrested and charged with the Class C felony of assault of a law enforcement officer...

Dexter's inaugural youth football camp came to an end Wednesday. Over 60 campers in grades three through 6 spent three evenings working on a variety of football skills under the direction of Bearcats head football coach Aaron Pixley and his staff along with a host of volunteers. The final day of camp included some live Bearcat football play and a tour of the high school weight room. Here are some photographs from Wednesday's action...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. - A Dexter man has been arrested and charged with multiple counts of possession of child pornography. Verl J. Cato, 41, was arrested on July 9, 2012, by the Stoddard County Sheriff's Department. He has been charged with six counts of the Class B felony of possession of child pornography...

Linda F. Wages, 75, of Bertran, Mo., died July 17, 2012 at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Linda was born Jan.16, 1937 in Deventer, Mo., to the late Lendell and Mary Slayden Hunt. Linda moved to Bertrand in 1990 and was a long time member of Abundant Grace Church in Bertrand. ...

John H. Flanigan, son of the late John and Inez Hare Flanigan, was born in Morehouse, Mo., on Jan.13,1945, and died at the Crowley Ridge Care Center in Dexter, on July 13, 2012, at the age of 67. He had lived in Essex most of his life until moving to Dexter in 2006...

Wanda Critchlow, age 96, died at 2:38 p.m. July 17, 2012, at Clearview Nursing Center in Sikeston, Mo. She was born Wanda Fern Radcliffe on Novem-ber 6, 1915, near Matt-hews, Mo., to Frank and Bertha Evans Radcliffe. She grew up on the farm and graduated from Matthews High School...

Marcia Louise Nolen, 64, a resident of Charleston, died Tuesday, July 17, 2012, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born Aug. 7, 1947, at Charles-ton to the late Marshall and Mary Dicie Richmond Dean, and had lived in Charleston her entire life. She was a member of the Elm Street Baptist Church in Charleston...