Stories from Tuesday, December 18, 2012

BROSELEY, Mo. -- Dexter's Lady Bearcats basketball team has not been acting very 'Lady-like" at the Twin Rivers Lady Royals Christmas Classic tournament. Dexter, the tournament's top seed and defending champion, has delivered two dominating wins to move into Thursday's semifinals. The Lady Bearcats have out-scored their first two opponents by a combined score of 179 to 29...

Macy Roper, left, and Emily Voss each wanted to place a wreath on the grave of Clifford Musgrave, a US Army veteran who served in Korea. The two were with family at the Wreaths Across America ceremony held Saturday at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield. ...

Joshua Sandusky, 22, lost his life in an early morning fire on County Road 659 southwest of Pyletown Sunday morning. A female inside the home at the time of the fire escaped injury, according to Bernie Fire Chief Wayne Freed whose department responded to a call for help at about 6:20 a.m...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Stoddard County Prosecutor Russ Oliver stood his ground while being questioned by county elected officials and the commission about his intention to give his employees a $1,000 Christmas bonus this year. Oliver approached the commission last week about signing vouchers to authorize the bonuses, but both Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis and Commission-er Frank Sifford refused. Both said it was unfair to other county employees...

Herbert Dale Lacey, son of the late Reuben D. Lacey and Louise Crowell Lacey, was born Feb. 9, 1932, in rural Sikeston and died Dec. 15, 2012, at the Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau at the age of 80. Mr. Lacey was a member of The Church Of Christ, a former crane operator for Stupp Brothers Bridge and Iron Company in St. Louis, a member of King Solomon Masonic Lodge #95, a Shriner, a member of The Order of Eastern Star, and a resident of Dexter, formerly of Imperial...

Matthew Gifford Long, 35, of Republic, Mo., died at Barnes Jewish Hospital on Friday, Dec. 14, 2012, following a lifelong battle of congenital heart defects. He is our hero and who knows how many lives he will save in the future due to his pioneering efforts with his total artificial heart and the research that was gained. Matthew was a tissue and cornea donor and was able to save over 60 others with his final donation...

Nina Isabelle Sandusky, daughter of the late Virgil G. Allen and Viola Wheeler Allen, was born Aug. 14, 1939, in Portageville and died at her residence in rural Dexter on Dec. 15, 2012, at the age of 73. Mrs. Sandusky was a member of the Friendship Baptist Church in Dexter, a homemaker, and a resident of rural Dexter...

Jeanette West was born Oct. 26, 1928, in rural Stoddard County, the youngest child of the late William Joseph Smith and Edith Small Smith, and died Dec. 5, 2012, at Potosi Manor Care Center in Potosi, where she resided. She married William (Bill) Lee West on Dec. ...

Rose Harper, a resident of Dexter, Mo., died on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012, at the Golden Living Center in Dexter at the age of 72. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced by the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

Joshua Allen Sandusky, son of Charlie Sandusky and Mayra Del Rios Dias, was born in Vieques, Puerto Rico on July 31, 1990, and died at his home in Dexter, Mo., on Dec. 16, 2012, at the age of 22. He had lived in many places while his father was in the military and had lived the past 10 years in the Dexter area. He had worked in construction and excavating. He attended the Word of Faith Church in Bernie...