Stories from Tuesday, January 21, 2014

The Dexter Bearcats wrestling team competed in a 12-team tournament at Owesville, Mo., Saturday. Dexter placed first in 10 events. Dexter's Dylan Bazarian, who is currently ranked No. 6 in Class 2 at 160 pounds, improved to 19-2 by pinning all of his opponents Saturday...

When T.S. Hill Principal Scott Kruse, along with Counselor Nancy Langley, proposed that the middle school launch a Jr. Beta organization in October 2012, neither could have imagined the impact the club would have on the students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades in Dexter...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- An autopsy conducted Sunday on a Jackson woman who's body was pulled from the Mississippi River confirmed the cause of death was drowning, Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Clifton said. Authorities discovered the body of Autumn D. Vinson, 62, in a Pontiac Bonneville submerged in five to six feet of water east of the Red Star boat access area, the Cape Girardeau Police Department reported Friday...

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- The scene is now clear after a tractor trailer accident Monday morning on Main Street in Scott City. The Scott City Police Department said the tractor-trailer ran off the road at 6:55 a.m. near Miller Drywall taking the heavily traveled road down to one lane as people were heading to work...

Beginning Monday, Feb. 3, 2014, two local volunteer tax preparers, Earl Young and Jack Norman, along with several other volunteers,will utilize IRS approved software to complete tax returns for local citizens at no charge. This program is sponsored by the University of Missouri Extension Service in cooperation with the IRS. All returns will be e-filed the day they are prepared...

Barbara Payne Belt, was born in Lilbourn, Mo., on April 17, 1943, and died at her home in Dexter, Mo., on Jan. 18, 2014, at the age of 70. Watkins and Sons Funeral Service of Dexter is in charge of all arrangements.

Homecoming royalty was crowned between the varsity and junior varsity basketball games Friday night at Dexter High School. Crowned Homecoming Queen, at center, was Shyann Jines. At right is first alternate, Alison Jarrell, and at left is Madison McGowan, who was selected second alternate...

Stoddard County 911 Services Administrator Carol Moreland, at the recent regular meeting of the board, told the board she had been asked to take the position of Region E representative for the Missouri 911 Directors Association. The former representative resigned. She said she had not accepted because she wanted input from the board...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Gov. Jay Nixon was expected to propose a significant funding increase for Missouri's public schools when he outlines his budget and policy priorities Tuesday during his annual State of the State address. The Democratic governor was likely to present an optimistic vision of Missouri's economy, which he contends will generate more revenue than Republican legislative leaders have projected...

Around 11 a.m. on Saturday, emergency personnel responded to a fire on Highway 25 north of Malden, just a few hundred yards south of the Stoddard County Line in Dunklin County. A large number of tires were on the property and caught fire. According to Malden Fire Chief Charlie Cooper, high winds contributed to fire rapidly spreading. ...

Editor's note: Part 2 in a two-part series on the Missouri Child Fatality Review Program's Annual 2012 Report

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A building in Bloomfield scheduled for demolition burned to the ground in a fire early Saturday morning. The building, located at 202 Salem St., served as the community's police station until June 2013 when mold was discovered and the department was moved to City Hall...

DEXTER, Mo. - The Dexter Bearcats varsity girls basketball team outscored the Park Hills Central Rebels by single digits in every quarter Monday night on its way to a 77-58 home victory. Dexter led 45-35 at halftime before it opened the second half with a 12-2 run to take its largest lead of the game at 57-37 with 5:54 remaining in the third quarter...