Stories from Wednesday, November 14, 2012

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- County Clerk Joe Watson reported that the Nov. 6 election results have been certified to the state and that the election "judges did a good job." Watson reported that 13,052 ballots were cast in Stoddard County, which was slightly below the 13,449 ballots cast in the 2008 presidential election. The 2008 total was the highest in the county...

ST. LOUIS -- Stoddard County will benefit from nearly $34,000 in grant money from the Missouri Foundation for Health, it was learned through a news release late Tuesday. Named for a one-year grant of $25,000 was the Stoddard County Public Health Center in Bloomfield. The grant is intended to help purchase equipment and supplies to assist the department in serving the health care needs of county residents and to improve the health of county residents, especially the uninsured and underserved...

There is a sport in Southeast Missouri that is consistently gathering more and more participants. No special training is required. No experience is necessary to participate. First-timers are always allowed on the field, and uniforms consist of whatever is appropriate for current weather conditions. The only special equipment needed might include a pair of binoculars and a reference book...

Bloomfield's 8th grade basketball team (above) poises for a team picture after winning the annual SCAA junior high tournament Tuesday night at Bernie. The second seeded 8th grade Wildcats defeated top seed Advance, 37-33, to take the tournament's top prize. In the 7th grade title game, top seed Bernie defeated No. 2 Dexter, 48-30. In third place action, Dexter's 8th grade team defeated Bell City, 51-31, while Puxico downed Woodland, 56-36, to take third place in the 7th grade bracket...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Stoddard County has a new county surveyor, even though the individual received the least amount of votes in the Nov. 6 election. No one came forward as a candidate for county surveyor when Dan Fisher made the decision not to re-file for the post. What ensued was a number of write-in votes to fill the position -- 599 in all with 139 different names submitted. Of those votes, Jason Williams of Bloomfield received the most nods with a total of 38 write-in votes...

On Tuesday afternoon, one of the greatest men I've ever had the pleasure of knowing left a St. Louis hospital en route to Heaven. Kevin Eskew, pastor of First General Baptist Church in Bloomfield, was so much to so many people. Following surgery to remove a tumor from his pituitary gland, Kevin developed meningitis. As his condition deteriorated, following a few glimmers of hope, he then had a series of strokes that finally took his life...

Rev. Kevin Eskew, longtime pastor of the First General Baptist Church in Bloomfield, died at Barnes Jewish Hospital on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at the age of 60. Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Joan Kittel, a resident of Bernie, Mo., died on Nov. 13, 2012, at her residence in Bernie. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced by the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Bernie.