Stories from Tuesday, October 23, 2012

There were no surprises Monday at the Class 3, District 1 volleyball tournament at Dexer's Bearcat Event Center as the MSHSAA playoffs opened across the state. While Class 3, District 1 top seed Notre Dame Regional High School was home resting with a bye, the other six teams were battling for a spots in the semifinals...

Marilyn Elaine (Long) Lewis, 81, of Jackson, died Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born April 18, 1931, in Marble Hill, Mo., the daughter of Bee-cher and Hester Barks Long. Marilyn married Wayne Lewis in Desloge on Aug. 16, 1953. He preceded her in death on Dec. 8, 1996...

Tracie Dawn Willard, daughter of Glenda Martin and the late Claude Martin Sr., was born in Sheffield, Ala., on July 14, 1970, and died at Missouri Southern Healthcare on Oct. 12, 2012, at the age of 42. She was a former resident of Bloomfield and a homemaker. ...

Anna Simmons, a resident of Parma, Mo., died Friday, Oct. 19, 2012, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center. Funeral arangements are under the direction of Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Parma, Mo.

BERNIE, Mo. -- Past Bernie FFA members, advisors, and supporters, along with their families and guests, are invited to a dinner in the Bernie School cafeteria commemorating the Bernie FFA Chapter's 60th anniversary. The event will take place on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012...

Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis was shy and quiet, said one person who shared the faith. He had no car, so sometimes he would make small talk with those offering rides to his apartment on Pacific Street. Former classmates found him likable enough, with one recalling Nafis making several comments that true Muslims don't like violence...

The prefabricated concrete walls have been erected for the FEMA Safe Room at the Bloomfield School campus. Sides Construction of Cape Girardeau is the contractor at a cost of $1,615,949.75. The size of the building will be 8,723 square feet and will feature a hardwood gym floor to be used as a gym for the Middle School. ...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- The Stoddard County Commission was notified that an inspection of the County Road 499 bridge over the St. Francis River in the western part of the county would be performed on Monday and Tuesday of next week. The inspection is being done by Horner and Shifrin, Inc., an engineering firm in St. Louis, in conjunction with the Department of Transportation...

There is nothing quite like the look of wonder and anticipation on the face of a child during the Christmas season. Even though the brilliant colors of fall are just beginning to make their appearance in Southeast Missouri and temperatures this week are expected to be more like summer than fall, some folks in Stoddard County already have this year's holiday season on their minds and are working toward making the 2012 holiday the best that it can be...