Stories from Monday, May 19, 2014

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Donald Lafferty made his first court appearance on Monday since being extradited from Massachusetts over the weekend. Lafferty is accused of paying a Dexter couple to burn his rural Bloomfield home and kill his wife. He was arrested at 11:20 p.m. ...

Dorothy Rowland, daughter of the late Elmer and Effie Snow Suttlery, was born on May 24, 1928 in Dunklin County, Missouri and died in the Crowley Ridge Care Center at Dexter on May 16, 2014 at the age of 85. Mrs. Rowland was a member of the Sweet Prospect General Baptist Church and the Liberty Hill General Baptist Church, was a former line worker for International Hat Company in Dexter, was a former cook for the Dexter Public School System, a former Board member of the Stoddard County Farm Bureau, was a former member of the Tatum Extension Club and a resident of Dexter.. ...

James T. White, 87, of Belleville, Ill., was born June 14, 1926, in Bernie, Mo., to the late James E. and Sylvia Goodman White, and died May 18, 2014, at the Memorial Hospital in Bellleville, Ill. James worked as an educator for New Athens Unit 60 School District for over 25 years. ...

Verneal Durbin, was born in Strawberry, Ark., on Nov. 4, 1934, and died on May 17, 2014, at her home in Bloomfield, Mo., at the age of 79. Watkins and Sons Funeral Services of Dexter is in charge of all arrangements.

Leoma Beatrice (Nixon) Cravens of Kennett, Mo., was born on Jan. 31, 1919, and died on May 17, 2014. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Watkins and Sons Funeral Home of Parma, Mo.

Phylis S. Murphy was born in Bloomfield on Feb. 26, 1941, and died April 29, 2014, at the age of 73. Watkins and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.

Martha N. Burge, daughter of the late William R. Neely, Sr. and Cleona Batten Neely, was born on Sept. 6, 1927, in Tulsa, Okla., and died on May 17, 2014, at Washington County Memorial Hospital in Potosi, Mo., at the age of 86. Mrs. Burge was a member of the Essex First Baptist Church where she served as secretary, was a resident of Essex and had worked as a clerk at OTASCO in Dexter. ...

Ty P. Costello, 18, of Advance was arrested by the HIghway Patrol at 9:20 a.m. Monday in Stoddard County for DWI (drugs). He was taken to the Stoddard County Jail, where he was issued a summons to appear, and was released.

The Highway Patrol arrested three individuals in separate incidents over the recent weekend, each involving drug use. At 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Stephanie R. Cruz, of Whitewater was arrested on a Cape Girardeau County warrant for equipment violation and for not wearing a seat belt. She was taken to the Cape County Jail...

Dexter Police May 17-19, 2014 Police arrested Jean E. Sherfield, 42, of Poplar Bluff at 12:56 p.m. Friday on a warrant service at the local parole office. Property damage to a vehicle parked at 120 E. Grant St. was reported at 3:43 p.m. Saturday...