Stories from Wednesday, May 13, 2020

A mysterious boom in Stoddard County Tuesday evening is being investigated by authorities. Stoddard County Sheriff Carl Hefner said residents located five miles north of Bloomfield, 10 northwest of Bloomfield and some in Dexter reported hearing a large boom about 10 p.m. Tuesday. Hefner said some of the reports stated it shook their homes...

JEFFERSON CITY – Memorial Day public ceremonies have been cancelled at all five Missouri State Veterans Cemeteries due to COVID-19 concerns. Missouri State Veterans Cemeteries continue to follow CDC and National Cemetery Administration cautionary guidelines on large gatherings of 10 or more individuals...

The deadline to submit applications for an absentee ballot for the June 2 election is May 20. Stoddard County Clerk Cecil Weeks said residents should call his office at 573-568-3339 to request an application. The absentee ballot will have to be notarized unless the individual is incapacitated or confined by illness or physical disability. ...

WAPPAPELLO LAKE – Keeping in line with state and federal guidelines, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently announced the corps operated campgrounds at Wappapello Lake will open for the season just in time for the Memorial Day holiday weekend. All corps campgrounds will open on Friday, May 22. This includes all of Greenville, Redman Creek and Peoples Creek campgrounds (developed campgrounds), as well as all primitive campgrounds and primitive camping...

Bell City High School has named Jacob Brown the valedictorian and Taylor Finney the salutatorian of the Class of 2020. Brown is the son of James Brown and Louis Wells.  His future plans include attending Truman State University and majoring in political science and economics and minor in english.  He then plans to attend law school at Vanderbilt to pursue his juris doctor degree...

Ben Godwin, director of the Stoddard County Health Center, confirmed a new case of COVID-19 in Stoddard County. This brings the total in the county to 30 cases with 10 active. Godwin stated this case is not connected to Southeast Correctional Center at Charleston...