Stories from Friday, February 21, 2014

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Two of 10 Dexter wrestlers who qualified for the state wrestling tournament remain in contention for state titles following opening-round action Thursday at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo. Dexter senior Trevor Waldner (37-3) won by fall over Mexico junior Jadin Taylor (30-18) in his first round match in the 138-pound weight class Thursday. Waldner will wrestle Odessa sophomore Taylor Airrington (30-10) in a quarterfinal Friday...

SCOTT CITY, Mo. - The Dexter Bearcats varsity boys basketball team outscored the Scott City Rams in every quarter Thursday night on its way to a convincing 68-45 road victory. Scott City led 7-3 three minutes into the first quarter before a 7-0 run put Dexter on top 10-7. Scott City never led after...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- The soul of creativity is in starting with the ordinary and making something extraordinary from it. Deana Luetkenhaus has been doing it for decades, first as an instructor and supervisor of the costume shop at Southeast Missouri State University's Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts and more recently as the owner D'Tails, an upcycle exchange...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Corporate visitors, a luncheon, plant tours and a ribbon cutting ceremony highlighted the celebration marking the completion of the first phase of the $36 million investment Briggs & Stratton Corporation is making in its small engines manufacturing plant in Poplar Bluff, Mo...

Gordon Waller, President/CEO of First State Bank and Trust Company, Inc. recently announced, Christine B. Young will serve as Community Bank President at First State Bank and Trust in Dexter. "With over 30 years in banking Christine brings a wealth of loan and community banking experience to our Dexter location and the Dexter community," said Waller...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Lawmakers could block spending cuts enacted by the Missouri governor under a proposed constitutional amendment that cleared the House on Thursday. The Republican-controlled Legislature has voiced displeasure with budget cuts in recent years by Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon, including the freeze of several hundred million dollars last year while he campaigned to sustain his veto of a tax cut...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Missouri has found a new supplier of its execution drug, days before convicted killer Michael Taylor is scheduled to be put to death, according to a court document filed on behalf of Attorney General Chris Koster. The Missouri Department of Corrections uses pentobarbital in executions. On Monday, a Tulsa, Okla.-based compounding pharmacy reached a settlement in a suit filed by Taylor and agreed that it won't provide the drug for the execution scheduled for 12:01 a.m. Wednesday...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- An effort to nullify federal gun control laws and jail any federal agents trying to enforce them cleared the Missouri Senate on Thursday, but a court challenge and another potential veto by Gov. Jay Nixon could ultimately block the legislation even if the House approves it again...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- With many colleges in Missouri implementing -- or considering -- smoke- or tobacco-free policies, Southeast Missouri State University is conducting a survey on whether it should follow suit. However, students interviewed by the Southeast Missourian on Thursday don't think the school's policy should be revised...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon will be presiding over a discussion about the National Guard and emergency preparations during a national gathering of governors. Nixon is heading to Washington, D.C., this weekend for the winter meeting of the National Governors Association...

VAN BUREN, Mo. (AP) -- Officials are planning several prescribed burns in southeastern Missouri's Ozark National Scenic Riverways. Park officials say the burns reduce the threat of unplanned wildfires by reducing the stock of potential fuel. The managed fires also aid native species of plants and animals and help restore habitat...

TROY, Mo. (AP) -- Authorities say an 83-year-old Missouri man is the victim of fraud, a crime allegedly committed by another man the same age. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/1gQXhSk ) reports that Charles Day of Lincoln County had power of attorney for the victim from August 2011 to February 2013. Police say Day improperly used his authority to raid the victim's bank accounts, a CD and credit union, taking more than $75,000...

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (AP) -- The Fort Leonard Wood Army base in south-central Missouri is expected to lose 1,000 soldiers by October 2015. Base spokeswoman Tiffany Wood confirmed the cuts to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ( http://bit.ly/1bORfSF ). She says it is part of budget cuts throughout the U.S. military...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Nearly 7,300 Ameren Missouri residents are still without power following storms and high wind in eastern Missouri. The unsettled weather on Thursday brought wind gusts of 60 mph and more. Most of the outages are in the St. Louis area...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) -- A middle-school football coach accused of kidnapping and killing a 10-year-old girl is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Friday, as her southwest Missouri community struggles with a mix of anger and memories of a vivacious, trusting little girl...

Genesis Home Care is sponsoring a fundraiser for the Dexter Nutrition Center on Sat., Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. Bingo will be played for prizes and refreshments will be served. The cost is $5. Prizes include gift cards to local restaurants and businesses and gift baskets...

ESSEX, Mo. -- Richland R-1 Schools will have their Kindergarten/Preschool Screening/Enrollment for 2014-2015 on Thursday, March 27 from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Richland R-1 Elementary School. Children entering kindergarten in the fall must be five years old before Aug. 1, 2014 to enroll...

Michelle Bollinger, a resident of Dexter, died on Feb. 21, 2014, in the Saint Francis Medical Center at Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later by the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

Anna Ruth Dial, daughter of the late Clyde and Mildred Stobaugh Scroggins, was born in Conway, Arkansas on March 22, 1935, and died at her home in Granite City, Ill. on Feb. 19, 2014, at the age of 78. She had lived in Dexter, Mo. for many years until moving to Granite City, Ill. several years ago to be near her family. She was a lifetime member of the Amvets in Granite City, Illinois...

BLUFFVIEW, Mo. -- Autopsies were to be performed Friday on the bodies of a Reynolds County couple who were found early Thursday morning after having been missing for nearly three weeks. The bodies of 54-year-old William Talley and 47-year-old Jordy Wagner were found around 2 a.m. Thursday in the woods about three miles from their Bluffview area home, according to Reynolds County Sheriff Tom Volner...

The Stoddard County Ambulance District (SCAD) Board of Directors approved changes in the way Medicaid bills are coded to conform with new federal regulations at their meeting Wednesday night. They also approved sending two employees to a training seminar on the new ambulance Medicaid code requirements...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A Bloomfield attorney believed to be a favorite for the Democratic nomination in the 151st Dist. special election has decided to run...as a Republican. Brandon Cooper said in a telephone interview that he considered the Democratic ticket due to a misunderstanding regarding the Republican nomination...

Bill Drury brought his motivational business seminar to Dexter Thursday morning with the focus on attracting and keeping customers. The seminar was sponsored by the Dexter Chamber of Commerce. The seminar drew 32 area business people. The theme for the seminar was, "Passion for Service: How to Win Customers and Reduce lost Sales."...

The mystery home at left that was first pictured in the Feb. 19 edition of The Daily Statesman, has been identified and is still standing near downtown Dexter. The home is located on W. St. Francis Street just west of Walnut Street, and has seen significant change since being built in the early 1900s. ...

Ricky "Rick" Lynn Stone, son of Wilma Sue Cochran Stone of Dexter and the late Billy Raymond Stone, was born on July 26, 1963, in Memphis, Tenn., and died on Feb. 19, 2014, at his residence in Aid at the age of 50. Mr. Stone was employed at Tyson Foods, Inc. in Dexter...

Joyce D. Moore Kazban age 82 of Lemay, Mo., died Feb. 4, 2014. Joyce was married to Walter Kazban. He survives of the home. She is also survived by two sons and one daughter-in-law, Donald (Georgia) Sherbourne, Jr., and Terry Sherbourne; four step-daughters, Dawn (Mark) Beshears, Belenda (Michael) Maddax, Lela (Larry) Baker and Amanda (Andy Warden) Miner; and one step-son, Jason (Kelly) Kazban; eight sisters, Virginia Franks, Joann Thornton, Patricia Tilley, Sharon Tilley; Maxine Hester, Marilyn Boehner, Linda Hopkins and Margie Moore; and one brother, Floyd Moore; 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.. ...

Lillie Mae Lane, a resident of Dexter, died on Feb. 21, 2014, at the Golden Living Center in Bloomfield at the age of 98. Funeral services are currently incomplete and will be announced later by the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

Michelle D. Bollinger, daughter of Junior Pyle of Dexter and Lois Parker of Dexter, was born on March 7, 1970 in Dexter and departed this life on February 21, 2014 at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri at the age of 43. Michelle was a member of Fagus General Baptist Church in Fagus, Missouri. She was the branch manager of First Midwest Bank downtown location in Dexter. She loved music, enjoyed going to Current River, scrapbooking and being with friends...