Stories from Tuesday, June 4, 2019

The Dexter Board of Aldermen approved an “inflated” $12.2 million operating budget at its Monday night meeting and hired three police department employees. The budget is inflated by about $2 million because City Administrator Mark Stidham budgeted $1.3 million in possible federal grant money for airport improvements and about $700,000 in possible grant funding for the city’s walking trail...

BLOOMFIELD — The repair of a bridge east of Bell City was the topic of choice Monday at the Stoddard County Commission meeting. Representatives from Smith and Company, of Poplar Bluff; Fricke Management and Contracting Inc., of Murphysboro, Illinois, and Missouri Department of Transportation were on hand for a preconstruction meeting concerning repair work on the bridge located on County Road 502...

Walter Nichols, son of the late Edward Carl  and Ida Hazlip Nichols, was born in Dexter on April 2, 1934, and passed away at the Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. on May 25, 2019, at the age of 85 years. He had lived most of his life in St. Louis, Mo. ...

Michelle Williamson, was born on December 22, 1963 in Lansing, Michigan and departed this life on May 23, 2019 at her residence in Dexter, at the age of 55 years. A memorial service was conducted at Faith Fellowship Bible Way Assembly Church on Saturday, June 1, 2019...

June Norman, was born on May 11, 1919 in Sikeston, Missouri and departed this life on May 30, 2019 at Southeast Health of Stoddard County at the age of 100 years. Friends may call at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter on Thursday, June 6, 2019 from 1 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Funeral services will then be conducted in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel on Thursday, June 6, 2019 at 2 p.m. with Rev. Paul Pierce officiating. Interment will follow in the Dexter Cemetery...

Shirley Marian Edwards daughter of the late Marion “Tuck” McMullin and Edna Prater McMullin was born on May 24, 1932 in Gray Ridge, Mo. and departed this life on May 28, 2019 in Mexico, Mo. at the age of 87. A private graveside memorial service will be conducted at a later date...

Kerri Kruse opened the banquet with a quote from legendary college basketball coach Jim Valvano’s ESPY speech, “If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day.” “We are going to do all three tonight,” Kruse told roughly 500 in attendance at the Dexter Elk’s Lodge...

The Summer Reading Program at the Keller Public Library kicks off on Wednesday, June 12 at 11 a.m. This year’s theme is “A Universe of Stories,” celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing and 60 years of NASA achievement in space exploration. With live shows, hands-on activities and exciting stories, imaginations are sure to be sparked as participants learn new and wondrous things about our solar system. ...