OCTOBER
2 -- A Dexter woman is behind bars and a 6-month-old baby injured following an August incident.
2 -- The Stoddard County Commission heard an update from Engineer Bill Robison with Smith and Company, Engineering in Poplar Bluff on the status of four bridge projects underway in the county.
3 -- A Sunday afternoon drive through the country will soon convince the traveler that our Southeast Missouri barns, once the pride of every farm, are disappearing at a rather alarming rate.
3 -- The federal government shut down that began Oct. 1 is having an impact in Stoddard and Wayne Counties with the shut down of the Mingo Wildlife Refuge and the Corps of Engineers recreation areas at Wappapello Lake.
4 -- Dexter's Faurecia plant surpassed all previous years' donations recently when they presented the Stoddard County Gospel Rescue Mission with a total of 16,600 pounds of food for their Food Pantry.
4 -- A Dexter man accused of recklessly exposing more than 300 people to HIV waived his right to a preliminary hearing Thursday. David Mangum is in Stoddard County Jail facing 21 counts of the Class B felony of recklessly exposing another to HIV.
4 -- In spite of extreme budget cuts over the past few years, Dexter's Parents as Teachers (PAT) Program is not only alive and well, but thriving these days. The program's director, Melanie Stoelting, presented an overview of her program recently to the Dexter Board of Education and again at the recent PAT Advisory Council.
6 -- On Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013, in a private ceremony at the Stoddard County Justice Center, J. Aaron Mitchell was sworn to practice in the State of Missouri.
6 -- In 1994 George Cox was diagnosed with prostate cancer with a PSA count of 31.9. A normal PSA count is between 0-4. He underwent 38 radiation treatments, and his PSA count dropped to 5. Two weeks later it was down to 2. He has been cancer free ever since.
8 -- The Stoddard County Commission made one new appointment and re-appointed four others to the Stoddard County Mental Health Board at their meeting Monday at the Government Building. The board recommended the appointment of Danny Hillis for a three-year term on the board to represent the Essex area of the county, and the re-appointment of Catherine Bockhold, Amy Grobe, Nora Statler and Deneen Schweiss.
8 -- Before the first police car reached the Stoddard County Justice Center, rain began to fall on the Bloomfield Fall Fest Parade. Despite the weather, the crowd of several hundred mostly stayed for the parade and the festivities that followed.
8 -- A small, but resolute group of protesters took a stand against the current government shutdown by demonstrating at the entrance of Mingo Wildlife Refuge Sunday afternoon.
9 -- Patrons who don't return items to the Bloomfield Public Library on time could soon find themselves facing city fines. While the project is still in the very early stages, Bloomfield Librarian Linda Myers said this is something they need badly.
9 -- Jacob Robinson is going to have some tough choices to make in the coming year. But every high school senior should be so lucky. The Dexter High School senior will most likely have to choose between Harvard, Washington University, or Yale for his college destination.
9 -- Larry Rogers was appointed to the Dexter Board of Aldermen following the late-August resignation of Ward 2 Alderman Kent Essner.
10 -- According to the Highway Patrol, Shayna N. Bess, 17, sustained moderate injuries and was taken by a private vehicle to St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau after her 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt left the left side of Route H, overcorrected, and ran off the right side of the roadway, then overturned. The wreck occured around 9:30 p.m. as Bess was westbound on Route H.
11 -- The Stars & Stripes Museum/Library in Bloomfield will be hosting an educational World War II event on Saturday, Oct. 19. The 6th Corp Living History Group of St. Louis will set up camp at the museum on Friday, Oct. 18 in preparation for a day of public activities on Saturday.
11 -- Upgrades to equipment within the Stoddard County Ambulance District are now complete and in operation.
12 -- A series of vandalisms were discovered early Saturday morning in the city of Dexter. Ten or more instances of damage to vehicles have been reported, including damage to the Daily Statesman vehicle while parked overnight on the office parking lot.
13 -- Members of Girl Scout Troop 70141 paid a visit to the Stoddad County Gospel Mission recently, donating some needed non-perishable items for the mission's Food Pantry.
13 -- A big portion of the Bloomfield School Board meeting this week was devoted to interviewing three candidates to fill an open position on the board.
13 -- Dr. John David Simmons hung out his shingle 35 years ago when he began to practice family dentistry in Dexter and today announced that he will be retiring.
15 -- A rash of incidents involving property damage to vehicles parked within the city of Dexter were reported to police over the recent weekend and are under investigation. On Friday, Oct. 11, at 9:11 a.m., police responded to E. Grant Street to find two vehicles that had been sprayed with paint.
15 -- All around Stoddard County, the effects of the government shutdown are beginning to take a toll. The offices of the USDA offices on Highway 25 north of Dexter have been silenced. Mingo Wildlife Refuge is inaccessible.
17 -- Marching bands from both Dexter High School and T.S. Hill Middle School came away victorious from the recent weekend's Southeast Missouri Band Directors Association Marching Competition at Charleston.
17 -- Among the many interesting things to be experienced when hunting or hiking in our state, Missourians can now include the chance of seeing a mountain lion. Officially listed as extirpated in Missouri (The last known native specimen was killed in the Bootheel in 1927.), the number of verified sightings has been increasing since the first confirmed one in 1994.
17 -- A recent inspection of the City of Bloomfield's two water towers showed a series of issues due mostly to age, but partially to vandalism.
18 -- According to Det. Cory Mills of the local department, more than $7,000 in property damage to businesses and vehicles has occurred over the past several weeks, with 10 instances discovered early Saturday morning, Oct. 12, and more continuing as recent as Thursday when two vehicles on S. Sassafras Street were found to have windows broken out.
20 -- The Bloomfield Board of Aldermen are trying to decide if they should demolish the city building found to contain mold.
22 -- The third annual Ben Kruse Charity Crappie Tournament was held Sept. 7 at Wappapello Lake. Over $13,000 for the 18 Fore Life Charity was raised at the event. 71 teams registered for the event, which was the largest turnout in tournament history.
22 -- Local American Legion Post 59 will be hosting a visit on Saturday, Nov. 2 from the National American Legion Commander Dan Dellinger of Vienna,Va. Dellinger's stopover in Stoddard County is part of a five-day tour around Missouri.
22 -- The Stoddard County Commission has decided to become more involved in a study about the proposed corridor for I-66, an east west interstate route.
23 -- Ruth Gibson, a retired art teacher from Dexter, was named recipient of the Annual Bess Truman Award at the recent Stoddard County Democrat Club's 21st annual event which recognizes an individual who has worked faithfully for the local Democratic party.
24 -- Almost half of Dexter High School's graduates in 2013 were eligible for the district's A+ Scholarship. Fifty-six of the 125 most recent graduates , representing 44.8 percent of the class, had met the criteria necessary to meet A+ standards.
24 -- A Marble Hill, Mo. Man was sentenced to 15 years in prison Wednesday for his role in the death of Amanda Allenbaugh in 2012. Allenbaugh was killed in a crash following a high-speed chase with police. At the time of the crash, Donald Smith, Jr. was being pursued by an Advance police officer for suspicious activity around a business in Advance.
25 -- The Bloomfield School Board voted unanimously Wednesday evening to appoint Vince Lockhart as the new board, filling a vacancy left when Don Lafferty resigned from the board.
25 -- A Puxico, Mo. man charged in connection with assaulting multiple law enforcement and emergency workers, was denied an amendment to his bond conditions this week. Glenn Richard Spikes, 60, was charged with two Class C felonies of felonious restraint, the unclassified felony of armed criminal action and three Class C felonies of second-degree assault on a law enforcement officer/ emergency personnel.
27 -- Stoddard County Commissioner Greg Mathis pointed to an increasing amount of kudzu appearing in Stoddard County and the need to start an eradication program before it causes problems in drainage ditches and croplands.
29 -- One person was injured in an accident Monday morning on County Road 442 three miles north of Dexter. According to a report from Trooper C.B. Christian, Chelsee J. Eagle, 26, of Dexter was driving a 2007 Grand Prix in the middle of the county road when she struck a 2013 Fusion driven by Dale E. Jackson, 43, of Dexter.
29 -- The Stoddard County Commission heard a request from County Public Administrator Pam Lape to provide funding to make a part-time position in her office a full time position.
30 -- A Puxico man faces numerous charges following an early morning traffic stop in Stoddard County Wednesday. Twenty-three-year-old Brandon M. Nance is charged with felony possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) with intent to distribute, driving while suspended, failure to register a motor vehicle, displaying the license plates of another vehicle, littering, failure to equip a motor vehicle with a license plate light and for not wearing a seat belt.
31 -- Both the Bloomfield and Richland School Districts will begin offering an archery unit within their physical education curriculum in the next term, beginning in January 2014.
NOVEMBER
2 -- National Weather Service workers surveyed extensive damage within the county following the storms that came through the area on Halloween night.
2 -- The National Weather Service office out of Paducah, Ky. confirmed an EF-2 tornado within Stoddard County on Halloween night was responsible for the damage.
3 -- The Stoddard County Commission voted to approve making a position in the Stoddard County Public Administrator's office a full-time position in a special meeting Thursday morning.
4 -- Mandy Spain of Puxico remains behind bars at the Stoddard County Jail under a $75,000 cash only bond, facing a number of drug-related charges including four felony charges for the possession of heroin.
5 -- The national commander of the American Legion was provided an opportunity Saturday morning to see firsthand the efforts that are put forth in Stoddard County to better the lives of its military veterans.
6 -- Much of the Monday meeting of the Stoddard County Commission dealt with renewing the county's health insurance policy. The projected adjustment to keep the same employee health coverage was an 8.85 percent increase.
6 -- The case against a Dexter murder suspect has been passed to Nov. 21. Glen Scott Evans, 45, faces two counts of armed criminal action and one count each of first-degree murder and first-degree robbery in connection with the shooting death of Sean Crow, 34, whose body was found Feb. 20 in a truck outside a fast-food restaurant in Advance, Mo.
6 -- The Bernie Board of Aldermen awarded a $22,680 contract to Fields Construction of Dexter to make repairs and paint the Communty Center at their regular meeting Monday night.
6 -- Jason Banken was appointed by the Dexter Board of Aldermen to fulfill the remainder of Ray Pixley's term following his recent resignation.
7 -- Stoddard County Sheriff Carl Hefner has disputed a claim by Missouri State Auditor Tom Schweich that his audit findings on the department were poor.
7 -- Bear encounters are reportedly on the rise in Missouri.
8 -- The Missouri Office of Administration announced that it is now accepting management contract bids for the Dexter License Office.
8 -- A Veterans Day observance will be held at the Misssouri State Veterans Cemetery at Bloomfield beginning at 1 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 11. The featured speaker will be Blair Moran, a liife-long resident of Southeast Missouri and a Vietnam veteran.
8 -- A former Bloomfield resident and military veteran was inducted into the R.O.T.C. Hall of Fame last weekend at the University of Missouri. Col. Larry W. Matthews (Ret.), a highly decorated officer in the US Army, was inducted during halftime festivities of the Missouri/Tennessee game.
10 -- A series of feature stories on local veterans were included in this edition of The Daily Statesman in honor of Veterans Day.
12 -- A series of Veterans Day remembrance ceremonies took place throughout the county. Full stories on each were available in today's edition.
13 -- In a routine meeting of Bernie's Board of Education this week, members were reminded of filing dates for terms expiring for board members, Denny Riddle, Kenneth Walters and Rick Beaird.
13 -- A short delay has been granted in the case against a Stoddard County man accused of assaulting multiple law enforcement and emergency personnel. Glenn Richard Spikes, 60, was charged with two Class C felonies of felonious restraint, the unclassified felony of armed criminal action and three Class C felonies of second-degree assault on a law enforcement officer/ emergency personnel in April.
13 -- The Bloomfield School Board approved taking bids for the replacement of the roof on the high school library at their regular meeting Monday night.
14 -- Monie Brehmer really believes in the benefits of 4-H and the opportunities it offers the youth of Stoddard County. It was why she decided to leave the family farm south of Dexter to take the job as 4-H youth program assistant, a part-time job at the Missouri Extension Service office in Bloomfield.
15 -- A Dexter woman accused of shaking her young child had a preliminary hearing on Wednesday afternoon. Megan Kirby, the child's mother, sits behind bars, charged with the Class B felony of abuse of a child and the Class C felony of endangering the welfare of a child.
17 -- A Stoddard County man accused of a 2012 violent rape and abduction near Advance has pled guilty to a portion of the charges. Steven Clark Rendleman, 52, will still face a three-day jury trial on Dec. 3-5, 2013.
18 -- Endangered Person Advisory State of Missouri Endangered Person Advisory The Dexter Police Department has issued an Endangered Person Advisory for a missing person incident that occurred at 1101 West Grant Street at 11 a.m. on Nov. 13, 2013.
19 -- Three Dexter High School students are confirmed to have been referred to Juvenile Services following an incident involving illegal narcotics.
19 -- Dexter man accused of recklessly exposing as many as 300 people to HIV may not have his case heard in Stoddard County. David Mangum is in Stoddard County Jail facing 21 counts of the Class B felony of recklessly exposing another to HIV.
19 -- It was learned from the Highway Patrol that the search for 14-year-old Gracie May Stephens has ended. The Dexter teen was located Tuesday morning and is reportedly fine. No other details were released by authorities.
20 -- Engineer Jeremy Manning informed the Stoddard County Commission that a requirement by the Little River Drainage District would add approximately $30,000 to the cost of replacing a bridge on County Road 784.
20 -- A group of volunteers from Stoddard County closed up shop this week, but for all the right reasons. The Long Term Recovery Committee (LTRC), chaired by Kathy Cato of Dexter, was activated in the months following the flooding of 2011 and then the Leap Day tornado that devastated an area in rural Puxico in 2012.
22 -- All those looking to take the General Educational Development (GED) test in Missouri will have to wait until after the first of the year due to a change in Missouri's current test series, known as the 2002 Series GED Test. A new test will start being administered on Jan. 2, 2014.
24 -- A second opinion on the findings regarding Bloomfield's water towers has rebutted some of the initial beliefs regarding the poor condition of the city water towers.
24 -- Museum officials announced this week that the Stars & Stripes Museum/Library will cease one of its longtime fundraisers. As of Jan. 1, 2014, the museum will no longer accept orders for memorial bricks.
24 -- Stoddard County elected officials and employees are among many across the country to be impacted by the Affordable Health Act which is to begin implementation in 2014. The Stoddard County Commission was presented information from Anthem Blue Cross that premiums would rise 8.85 percent for the coming year, which would be an increase of around $40,000.
26 -- Those working to protect the history of Bloomfield have made a little more progress. A ceremony will take place on the morning of Thursday, Dec. 5, at 10 a.m. in the northwest section of Bloomfield City Park high atop the ridge overlooking the small log cabin for the dedication of a new historic marker.
27 -- A Dexter man faces multiple felony charges following a high-speed pursuit with law enforcement over the weekend. Kyle W. Brashear, 21, is charged with felony distribution, delivering, manufacturing producing or attempting to possess a controlled substance and felony charges of resisting arrest/detention/stop by fleeing and creating a substantial risk of serious injury/death to any person.
29 -- A Dexter woman, Leatrice J. Larsen, 86, sustained minor injuries Wednesday afternoon on Rt. AD, just north of Dexter's city limits, when her vehicle crossed the centerline and struck a pickup truck pulling a farm implement.
29 -- The Bootheel Solid Waste Management District is sponsoring an e-waste recycling day on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Bootheel Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission (BRPC) office at 105 East North Main (the old Armory building).
DECEMBER
4 -- If you haven't seen city trucks spreading salt water in your neighborhood yet, it's likely you will before Thursday. On Monday, crews began making early preparations for the potential winter weather heading into the region later this week and weekend.
5 -- The Salvation Army is looking not only for bellringers to help out during the Christmas season, but also musicians who might be willing to accompany the bellringers as they collect for the needy just prior to the Christmas holidays.
5 -- Missouri senators passed legislation Wednesday offering up to $1.7 billion of incentives over two decades for Boeing to assemble a commercial airplane in St. Louis. The Senate's 23-8 vote in a special session sends the measure to the House with just a few days remaining before what Gov. Jay Nixon has said is a Tuesday deadline to submit a proposal to Boeing.
5 -- A group that advocates for the legalization of marijuana will hold a town hall meeting Dec. 12 at Three Rivers College. Show-Me Cannabis will present a panel of speakers who advocate for change in Missouri law.
6 -- A merger involving the parent company of the hospitals in Kennett and Poplar Bluff is another step closer to reality.
6 -- The freezing rain and sleet ended in Stoddard County Friday morning and converted to snow with approximately six inches predicted to fall by the end of the day.
6 -- Long before Thursday night's storm hit Stoddard County, emergency personnel were in place at the County Ambulance District (SCAD) board room, preparing for the worst. Kent Polsgrove, in his position as director of the county's Emergency Management Agency, faced his first potential ice storm since taking on the position.
8 -- The Department of Conservation has been cited in a recent audit by Missouri State Auditor Thomas A. Schweich for having provided pay raises that were not provided to other state employees and for having exceeded estimates to reintroduce elk in the state.
8 -- Dr. William T. Kane, a general dentist in Dexter, was recently named the 2013 Missouri Dental Association (MDA) Dentist of the Year.
10 -- Two Essex residents sustained injuries in an accident Sunday morning on Hwy. 153 at County Road 780 in Stoddard County.
10 --An audit for the year ending December 2012 by the office of Missouri State Auditor Thomas A. Schweich found the overall performance of Stoddard County government "good."
11 -- A Dexter man arrested for stealing a car in Puxico earlier this year will serve time in prison. Christopher D. James, 29, of Dexter, was originally charged with the Class C felony of stealing a motor vehicle.
11 -- The Dexter city pond is still working to get its fish population back into shape after losing many fish during its 2012 natural kill.
12 -- Forty families will have a bright Christmas this year, thanks to the generosity of a caring and giving community.
12 -- A Dexter woman accused of having shaken her infant child will know her trial date in February.
13 -- Starting in fall 2014, Southeast Missouri State University will offer an associate degree program at its satellite campuses in Southeast Missouri.
13 -- A Cape Girardeau County circuit judge on Thursday denied a defense motion to suppress statements a Dexter, Mo., man made to police during the investigation into a homicide in Advance.
15 -- A Puxico woman accused of murdering her husband at their home has had her case continued. Victoria Isaac, 48, is charged with the Class A felony of murder in the first degree.
15 -- According to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), DNA testing will help determine if a canine shot in Wayne County in late November by a private landowner while hunting is a gray wolf, coyote, or other canine species.
18 -- The Bloomfield School Board awarded the bid for a new roof on the high school library to Swift Roofing of Murray, Ky., at a cost of $65,470 at their meeting Monday night.
18 -- Nearly 300 visitors attended the recent Breakfast with Santa at Southwest Elementary School, hosted by Dexter's Parents as Teachers organization.
19 -- Dexter Fire Chief Don Seymore presented a review of the 2013 year at the department's annual banquet Tuesday night.
19 -- A Dexter businessman has lost his life while vacationing in Mexico, it was confirmed Wednesday. Brent Cooper, Vice President of Sales with US Poly of Dexter, died in a cave diving accident on Tuesday, Dec. 10. He was 52 years old.
20 -- A planned expansion and overall improvement project by Public Water Supply District 4 is in the design stage with Waters Engineering in Sikeston as the engineering firm.
20 -- The Dexter Board of Education worked through a lengthy agenda this week at their regular monthly meeting which included a review of current construction within the district, an agreement to adopt a new website application, and a vote on when two of the recent snow days taken will be made up.
22 -- The filing period for the April 8 election for municipalities and school boards began Dec . 17 and already some positions will be contested in the election.
24 -- Heavy rain pummeled the region Friday into Saturday, causing flooding in many areas. Nearly four inches of rain fell across the area, filling roadway ditches and leaving many residents baling water from basements.
24 -- Heavy rain pummeled the region Friday into Saturday, causing flooding in many areas. Nearly four inches of rain fell across the area, filling roadway ditches and leaving many residents baling water from basements.
24 -- The Stoddard County Commission Monday discussed adding more bridges to the three already programmed for replacement using Off-System Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Program (BRO) funds.
24 -- A Bloomfield man has learned firsthand about the true meaning of giving this holiday season. Forty-two-year-old Robbie Anderson is the recent recipient of a new heart.
26 -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon on Tuesday released $40.1 million that he previously had frozen for projects at the Capitol and state parks and for several state government programs.
27 -- It takes too long to find permanency for children removed from their parents' care because of drug related problems, according to state Sen. Doug Libla of Poplar Bluff (R-Dist. 25). Libla has pre-filed a bill he will introduce in January regarding the termination of parental rights.
29 -- One of the criminal cases against Keith Monia is going back to Stoddard County, Mo.
29 -- The flag blowing in the breeze as the Honor Guard fires a 21-gun salute, marking the death of another soldier... The blowing of Taps on the bugle... These are memorable images at military funeral where family and friends gather to remember their loved one.