Stories from Friday, February 15, 2013

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Cape Girardeau police apprehended three Arkansas suspects Thursday night, including one who had been the focus of an intense 35-hour manhunt and was considered so dangerous that those who lived near the search were cautioned to stay in their homes...

Taylor Farms Retail Inc. has issued a voluntary recall of select organic baby spinach products potentially contaminated with E. coli. Two Taylor Farms products under recall in Missouri are Simple Truth Organic 5-ounce baby spinach trays and Taylor Farms Organic 16-ounce baby spinach trays...

CARTER COUNTY, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Conservation confirmed the sighting of another mountain lion earlier this month, bringing the number of confirmed sightings in the state to 39 since 1994. The latest verification comes from a photo taken Feb. 2 in the Peck Ranch Conservation Area, a wildlife refuge operated by the department in portions of Carter and Shannon counties...

The 2013 Valentine king and queen were crowned just prior to Thursday's Valentine Dance at the Stoddard County ARC. Seated, at left, is Queen Diana Wallace with King Cody O'Neal. Standing are the 2012 king and queen, Mystee Corlies and Dustin McGhee...

Martha Ann Landers, daughter of the late Walter and Thelma Bishop Landers, was born in Dexter on April 18, 1937, and died at her home in Dexter on Feb. 11, 2013, at the age of 75. She had lived all of her life in Dexter and was a member of the First Baptist Church in Dexter. ...

Otis E. Swinger, son of the late Hershal and Gladys Snider Swinger, was born near Dexter, Mo., on April 27, 1926, and died at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo., on Feb. 13, 2013, at the age of 86. He had lived in Dexter most of his life until moving to Wappapello eight years ago. ...

Retha M. Sissum, 85, of Dexter died Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013, at Cypress Point Skilled Nursing Center. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Puxico.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Dexter had three wrestlers still in contention for medals after the first day of action at the Class 2 state tournament at the Mizzou Arena on the University of Missouri campus in Columbia. Top-seed Trevor Waldner (132) won his first-round match, while Ethan Stevens (145) and Dylan Bazarian (152) both lost in the first round but won their first match in the wrestle back part of the bracket...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Lane Below scored 23 points to help the Hornets finish the regular season with a 76-52 road win over SCAA rival Bloomfield thursday night. Ethan Barr bucketed 20 points for Advance (19-7) and Curtis Gilliland added 16 points. Tyler Middleton had 10 points for the Hornets...

The Twin Rivers Lady Royals might have had an inkling of what was in store for them on a night when Dexter basketball fans turned out to honored two of the most prolific Lady Bearcat players of the past four years. Seniors Katelynn Frazier and Brittany Harris took center stage on Senior Night at the Bearcats Event Center and the pair didn't disappoint in leading the Lady 'Cats to a 73-27 win in their final regular-season home game...

DUTCHTOWN, Mo. -- Dustin Schmidt's house in rural Dutchtown isn't included on any postal delivery route. Last year, the post office where he picks up his mail was studied for closure, along with thousands nationwide, to reduce costs. Instead, to his relief, its hours were reduced...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A renewed effort to force Missouri voters to show photo identification cleared the Republican-controlled House on Thursday, but its chances of swiftly advancing beyond that appeared uncertain after the GOP Senate leader said the issue isn't a top-tier priority...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Following through on Republican opposition, the top budget writer for the Missouri House outlined a spending plan Thursday that omits Gov. Jay Nixon's proposed Medicaid expansion. The plan by Budget Committee Chairman Rick Stream also provides a smaller increase for public colleges and universities, early childhood initiatives and various other programs the Democratic governor had proposed for the 2014 fiscal year...

Through a cooperative effort between the Missouri Department of Conservation and Ducks Unlimited, a major project is underway to benefit several waterfowl species at the Duck Creek Conservation Area near Puxico. According to local Ducks Unlimited SEMO Regional Coordinator Michael Wilburn of Dexter, who works through the local Green Head Chapter of Ducks Unlimited, species including mallards, Northern Pintails, Gadwalls, Northern Shovelers, and both Greenwing and Bluewing Teals are among just a few of the ducks to benefit from what has been labeled the Legacy Greenwing Program at three Missouri Department of Conservation Areas, one of which is Duck Creek. ...