Stories from Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Bloomfield firefighters responded to a house fire on Hwy. AB northeast of Bloomfield Saturday evening. According to Fire Chief Justin Bell, the call came in around 8:45 that a home belonging to Don and Midge Lafferty was on fire. When firefighters arrived, they discovered fire in the front room and smoke filling the house. The fire was quickly extinguished, but the home sustained serious water, smoke and heat damage in addition to the fire. No one was injured in the blaze...

Bobby Earl Kleffer died Sunday, Jan. 13, 2013, while surrounded by his family at the Delta Community Hospital in Sikeston, Mo. Bob was born on March 8, 1931, to John Steven Kleffer and Nola Mae Kleffer in Flint, Mich. When Bob was a child, the family moved to the Essex area where he remained a lifelong resident...

Delbert E. Gilooly, son of the late James Hamilton Gilooly and Vivian Delores Crick Gilooly, was born on March 26, 1949, in Sikeston and died on Jan. 13, 2013, at his residence in Bell City at the age of 63. Mr. Gilooly was a rice consultant and a resident of Bell City...

Monroe Statler, son of the late Louis Statler and Annie Mae Robinson Statler, was born on Jan. 11, 1923, in Catron, Mo., and died on Jan. 12, 2013, at the Golden Living Center in Bloomfield at the age of 90. Mr. Statler was a retired car salesman and a resident of Bloomfield...

Juanita Umfleet, daughter of the late Richard and Nora Pullum Gibson, was born in Dexter, Mo., on July 7, 1922, and died at her home in Dexter on Jan. 13, 2013, at the age of 90. She had lived in Bloomfield before moving to Dexter in 1946. She had attended the Second General Baptist Church since 1946, and had volunteered at the Gospel Mission in Dexter for over 20 years...

PUXICO, Mo. -- The weekend before Valentine's Day is the perfect time for Southeast Missouri women to relax and have fun hunting rabbits, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). The MDC announces the annual free Women's Rabbit Hunting Clinic is scheduled for Feb. 9, beginning at 8 a.m. at Duck Creek Conservation Area (CA) on Highway 51 north of Puxico...

Dexter Police Jan. 12-14, 2013 An accident at Stoddard and Poplar Sts. at 3:42 p.m. Friday involved Quation Sanders, 43, of East Prairie and Stacy Delight Stevenson, 39, of Bernie. Police state the Sanders vehicle struck the Stevenson vehicle in the side...

By NOREEN HYSLOP Managing Editor The 8th Annual National Wildlife Turkey Federation (NWTF) Crowley's Ridge Limbhangers Chapter Hunting Heritage Banquet and Auction is set for Saturday, Jan. 19 at 6 p.m. at the local Elks Lodge. A host of local merchants and individuals annually donate items to be auctioned off following the banquet, including original art and several hunting-related items...

By MIKE MCCOY Statesman Staff Writer BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- The Stoddard County Commission gave the highest rating to Smith and Company Engineers of the five statements of qualifications received from engineering firms interested in designing a new bridge on County Road 784. The bridge is located in LaValle Township in the extreme southeast part of the county. The second highest rating went to...

By DAVID A. LIEB Associated Press JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Gov. Jay Nixon recalled Missouri's bloody history in the Civil War during his inaugural address Monday while encouraging Democrats and Republicans in charge of the state's politically divided government to come together for the common good...

By COREY NOLES Statesman Staff Writer For years, recycling in Stoddard County has been more of an afterthought than an active initiative. Republic Services is hoping to change that. On Nov. 15, the company launched an initiative that will make recycling easier than it has ever been...