Stories from Tuesday, May 26, 2020

BLOOMFIELD — The courts of the 35th Judicial Circuit, including Stoddard County, will begin reopening and conducting more in-person proceedings after Memorial Day. No administrative order has been issued by Presiding Circuit Judge Robert Mayer directing the courts to reopen; however, he recently sent a memorandum to attorneys practicing in the circuit regarding court operations and a notice to the Supreme Court...

Five new cases of the COVID-19 virus were reported in Stoddard County over the holiday weekend, all resulting from a gathering at a Malden church a little over a week ago, according to Stoddard County Presiding Commissioner Danny Talkington. Talkington reported during Tuesday’s weekly conference call that three positive cases were reported Saturday, one Sunday and one Monday in the county. Three cases are in Dexter and two in Bernie...

The Dexter School Board agreed to a contract with a new food service management company for its breakfast and lunch programs and renewed its SRO contract with the city. New food service contract The district received seven bids from six companies for the food service management contract. ...

The Stoddard County SB40 board returned from a COVID-19-caused hiatus to work through a short agenda Thursday evening. Both the Stoddard county Sheltered Workshop and Stoddard County ARC delivered reports to the board. Stoddard County Sheltered Workshop...

Stoddard County Warranty Deeds County Recorder Kay Asbell May 11-15, 2020 • Terry Rowland and Martha Rowland to Hyatt Logan Hairston and Heather Tidwell. Section 18 Township 25 Range 10. • Gill Family Properties vs. Shut the Front Door. SEC 23 TWP 25 R 10...

Robert “Bob” Mayer of Dexter passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 19, 2020 after a short battle with Covid-19. He was born on October 15, 1931 in East St. Louis, Illinois to Norman and Irene Mayer. He married his high school, sweetheart, Ruth Esther Worley on January 12, 1951, and found happiness again when he married his second wife, Betty Sue Garner on February 18, 2012. ...

Josephine Koch Hueckel, daughter of the late Joseph Koch and Edith Berry Koch, was born on December 23, 1928, in Dudley, Missouri and departed this life on May 18, 2020 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, at the age of 91 years...

Pansy Leona Zimmerman 94 of Bernie, died May 19, 2020 at her home.  Visitation was Friday, May 22, 2020 in Mathis Funeral Home in Bernie from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m.  Funeral services were conducted at 11 a.m. in Mathis Funeral Chapel in Bernie.  Interment followed in Bernie Cemetery.  ...

Robbie Leroy Pennebaker III, son of the late Robbie Leroy Pennebaker Jr. and Sharon Cain Lawson, was born on May 27, 1977, in Farmington and departed this life on May 18, 2020 at Southeast Health of Cape Girardeau at the age of 42 years. A memorial service will be planned for a later date...

Edward Taylor, son of the late Tommy Taylor and Doney Page Taylor, was born on August 2, 1937 in Alabama and departed this life on May 23, 2020, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, in Poplar Bluff, Missouri at the age of 82 years. Friends may call at Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter on Thursday, May 28 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Funeral services will then be conducted in the Mathis Funeral Chapel on Friday, May 29, 2020 at 2:30 p.m. Interment will follow in the Dexter Cemetery...

Gabriel Bolt, a student at Richland Schools, was the Dexter Elks Lodge Americanism Essay 5th and 6th grade division I contest winner and the Elks district contest winner. Bolt’s essay was sent on to the state competition. The theme for this years contest was “Freedom of Speech and What it Means to me”. Bolt’s essay can be read below:...

Ben Godwin, Director of the Stoddard County Health Center, has confirmed the 5th COVID-19 related death in Stoddard County. Godwin said the patient was a case related to the nursing home outbreak and had been hospitalized.

Seven people died in traffic crashes and boating accidents over the 2020 Memorial Day weekend, including one in the Troop E area. The counting period included over 300 traffic crashes, and ran from 6 p.m., Friday, May 22, through 11:59 p.m., Monday, May 25. Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers investigated the following over the 2020 Memorial Day holiday weekend, according to a press release:...

A $100,000 cash only bond has been issued for the suspect in a series of incidents Sunday that include gunshots, and a high speed chase in a vehicle stolen from a mortuary. Jaquise Arictea Hamblin, 20, of St. Louis was captured at 8:40 a.m. Monday by officers, who had received a tip from a concerned citizen. He was riding a bicycle in the mini park area on Harper Street at the time, according to information released Tuesday by Chief Danny Whiteley...