Part II 2009 Year in Review

* 1 - Both General Motors dealerships in Dexter remained optimistic about their future following a video conference with their corporate office.

* 1 - Three Dexter residents are in Stoddard County Jail, mother and son, Thomas Allen Dement, 19, and Cathy Jo Dement, 52, along with 54-year-old Rickey Volz, each facing the Class B felony of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and the Class A misdemeanor of drug paraphernalia.

* 1 - The Heritage House on Cooper Street served as a virtual island after heavy rains saturated the area, delaying the start of Dexter Schools by two hours and flooding city streets.

* 5 - Dexter aldermen Terry Battles (Ward I), Rick Hux (Ward II) and John "Kirby" Taylor (Ward III) took the oath of office again as they began another two year term.

* 5 - A Puxico man, 54-year-old Tommie J. Bates, who was a passenger in a vehicle that crashed on Hwy. 51 Friday night was pronounced dead at the scene by Stoddard County Coroner Morgan Sifford.

* 5 - Stoddard County has been chosen to receive $12,790 to supplement emergency food and shelter programs in the county

* 5 -- Emcon Technologies announced temporary cutbacks for nearly half the employees that currently make up the local plant's work force.

* 6 - Charles W. Copen Jr., 45, of Bloomfield, has been charged with two Class A felony counts of child molestation in the first degree due to an incident that took place on April 25.

* 7 - Michael W. Houston, 35, of Bloomfield, and Jeremy J. Rossi, 25, of Bernie, were questioned after buying an undetermined amount of pseudoephedrine in the Malden area and later admitting to attempting to manufacture methamphetamine.

* 7 - Henry J. Lippert, 59, of Malden, died Wednesday night, the result of injuries suffered in a one-vehicle wreck just before 8 p.m. on Rt. 53, two miles south of Campbell.

* 8 - A Zalma man, 22-year-old Nickolas J. Jackson, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter following the death last Friday night, May 1, of 54-year-old Tommie Bates, who was a passenger in the vehicle in which Jackson was driving.

* 10 - The 100-Mile Yard Sale has made the push into the 21st Century by launching a modern website that yard salers can use for a variety of functions. The site can be viewed at 25yardsale.com.

* 10 - Economic Development Coordinator Janet Coleman states that Downtown Dexter has experienced a good year despite the economic downturn.

* 12 - Public Water Supply District (PWSD) #7 is in the midst of a $1.23 million rural water project which will bring treated water to nearly 200 customers in the southeast portion of Stoddard County.

* 13 - The Department of Economic Development (DED) has announced that Enhanced Enterprise Zone state tax credits totaling $996,165 have been approved for an expansion at the Nestle Purina PetCare Company in Stoddard County.

* 13 - More than two years since they began, the City of Dexter is still working to clean up the town's dilapidated and dangerous properties.

* 15 - The Stars and Stripes Museum/Library and the Library of Congress have partnered together to interview WWII veterans in an effort to preserve their stories.

* 17 - With nearly 800 Chrysler dealerships nationwide being told their franchises would not be renewed Thursday, Blackwell-Baldwin in Dexter can now breathe a sigh of relief after being notified that they would still be in operation.

* 19 -- Three Stoddard County residents are dead following motorcycle accidents over the weekend.

* 19 - Michael D. Norman is charged with involuntary manslaughter following a recent motorcycle crash.

* 20 - Neither Autry Morlan Chevrolet Cadillac nor Allen Christian Buick-Pontiac-GMC were among those dealerships to have received a letter from GM on May 15. This means that the dealerships will continue to operate as usual.

* 20 -- A proposed ordinance before the Dexter Board of Aldermen suggested the city code be amended to prohibit sale of farm produce and products on city properties, streets or easements.

* 22 - The Sheriff's Department and the Advance Police Department located an active "shake and bake" meth lab at 33311 State Hwy. 25 in Advance. Charged were Victoria Lela Nalley, 32 of Advance; David J. Best, 30 of Advance; Keifer A. Clay, 20 of Advance; Michael R. Mayo, 44 of Advance; Meghan L. Bell, 26 of Advance and Christopher L. Parsons, 45 of Puxico.

* 24 - Lance D. Shockley of Van Buren stood solemnly, showing little emotion, as Presiding Circuit Judge David Evans sentenced him to death Friday afternoon in a Carter County courtroom in Van Buren.

* 26 - Two wrecks in Troop E over the Memorial Day weekend resulted in moderate injuries to three Stoddard County residents.

* 27 - Another shake and bake meth lab has been discovered in Stoddard County this week. This marks the second time in 10 days a lab of this type has been discovered within the county.

* 28 - The Bootheel Regional Planning and Economic Development District (BRPD) submitted 30 projects to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for consideration from their six-county area, and of those, 20 have been asked to submit complete applications. The City of Dexter has seven projects that will move on to the next phase.

* 29 -- An area author depicts the life of Puxico's Chris Sifford in "18 Minutes and a Lifetime."

* 31 - An 86-year-old Advance man, Raymond C. Mayberry, was killed in a two-vehicle wreck Friday at Hwy. 25 and Rt. OO near Advance.

June

* 3 - Senator Rob Mayer, R-Dexter, announces the Missouri Senate recently confirmed the nomination of Rodger Owens of Wappapello to the Missouri State Safe Drinking Water Commission.

* 4 - A special ceremony was held during court yesterday, lasting well over an hour, to honor the lifetimes and service of two lifelong Bloomfield attorneys: Elvis Alexander Mooney and Joe Cobb Welborn.

* 4 - A historic New Madrid home was destroyed by fire Wednesday morning, but inhabitants escaped and no one was injured in the massive fire.

* 5 - Tyler R. Hardin, the 19-year-old from Dexter who has been housed at the Stoddard County Jail since November 2008 on charges related to the death of 21-year-old Bryan Maslinski, was released following a sentencing hearing. He received five-years of probation.

* 7 -- A vintage WWII Navy dive-bomber landed at the Dexter Municipal Airport yesterday.

* 9 - With the help of the US Postal Service, the Stoddard County Sheriff's Department confiscated approximately 10 pounds of marijuana at a rural Bloomfield residence and charged a husband and wife team with illegal drug possession and related charges.

* 10 -- After 30 years of business Chrisman Art Gallery announced this week that it will close in July.

* 11 - Members from two area amateur radio clubs will be setting up camp around the barn next to the Stars & Stripes Museum/Library to operate a special event amateur radio station this weekend.

* 11 - Customers inside The Launderer on One Mile Road Wednesday afternoon just after 5 p.m. were literally "shaken up," but no one was hurt when this Lincoln Town Car came crashing into the Dexter facility.

* 12 - It was learned this week that Jessie Short, 32, of Cape Girardeau, pled guilty to one of the five counts of the Class D felony of dogfighting following an Oct. 2007 dogfighting bust in rural Stoddard County.

* 14 - Three Cape Girardeau residents were arrested on drug charges Thursday and remain in custody in the Stoddard County Jail, each in lieu of a $250,000 cash only bond.

* 16 - As a result of a search warrant, Stoddard County deputies seized another shake and bake meth lab along with undisclosed quantities of marijuana and finished methamphetamine that was located in a nearby farm shed.

* 16 - Four Bloomfield residents sustained moderate injuries in a Friday night wreck on Highway AD, two miles north of Dexter and two Dexter teens were also hurt in a separate wreck Sunday afternoon on Highway 25, two miles north of Bernie, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

* 17 -- The Stars & Stripes Museum/Library announced this week that it is in financial trouble and needs assistance in any way it can receive it.

* 18 - Armed with those sentiments, a group of about 60 individuals appeared at a meeting Wednesday night at the local Chamber of Commerce office complex to discuss the pending sewer project that will affect about 400 rural Dexter residents.

* 19 - At Monday evening's meeting of the SEMO Task Force Board of Directors, Stoddard County Sheriff Carl Hefner was selected as a new board member.

* 19 - Dexter firefighters were at the scene of a home fire Thursday afternoon after a caller reported seeing smoke rise from the circulating vents atop the home of J.D. Braswell at 708 S. Park Lane. The cause of the blaze was undetermined.

* 23 - The Stoddard County Sheriff's Department reports the seizure of yet another methamphetamine lab in Stoddard County. The lab, of the shake and bake type growing in popularity in the region, marks the sixth busted by county officers in the past six weeks.

* 23 - The sudden surge in temperatures accompanied by more than normal rainfall in the past few weeks has led to a an outbreak of "blow-ups" on highways in Stoddard County that have kept Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) employees working around the clock.

* 23 - Ricky Moore, a 25-year-old father of four from Dexter, drowned in Bollinger County on Saturday while in the process of attempting to rescue both his niece and his brother during a family swimming outing on the Castor River near Zalma.

* 24 - Stoddard County Sheriff Carl Hefner and Deputy Keith Haynes spoke out last week on what they believe has brought meth back to the county.

* 25 - The City of Dexter and the Dexter Tourism Committee will open bids June 30 on a proposed project to restore the train depot located on Southwest Main Street between Walnut and Mulberry Streets.

* 26 - Dexter has been named a Tree City USA community by the Arbor Day Foundation to honor the city's commitment to community forestry. It is the 16th

consecutive year that Dexter has received this national recognition.

* 30 - DaVita Dexter Dialysis opened their doors to patients Monday morning. The new dialysis center is located at 2010 N. Outer Rd. in Dexter, just west of the old Hickory House Service Station.

* 30 - The SEMO Democrat Caucus rally Saturday night provided a time for area Democrats to celebrate the success of the Democratic Party in the 2008 elections and look toward the future.

July

* 1 - Search and rescue workers scoured the Hidden Valley Campgrounds area in an effort to find Robert Peters, 43, a businessman from Dexter, who went missing from his campsite.

* 1 - Residents within the Stoddard County Common Sewer District No. 1, met at Dexter's Chamber of Commerce offices to discuss a pending sewer project in west of Dexter.

* 2 - Richard J. Bascom, 42, a Poplar Buff attorney arrested for selling prescription drugs in Stoddard County, had a trial date of Jan. 22, 2010 set.

* 3 - A command center was established in Bollinger County in a continuing effort to locate 43-year-old Robert Peters. He went missing in the Castor River area of Wayne County.

* 5 - A "microburst" storm carrying straight-line winds that at times exceeded 75 miles per hour caused damage in the area, including snapping four utility poles on Two Mile Road.

* 5 - Shea McMunn, 38, of Dexter and James Kyle Irwin, 22, of Brosley were charged with felony resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

* 6 - Bernie Aldermen held a public hearing to consider a bond proposal to replace the sewer system in the city.

* 6 - Dexter Aldermen accepted a bid for $221,997 from Chas. Hampton and Son Construction for the restoration of the Dexter Historic Train Depot, accepted a bid for $96,001.20 from Robertson, Inc. for removal of sludge from the East Lagoon and accepted a bid from G&C Contracting for $653,124 for the One Mile Rd. and Grant St. improvements.

* 10 - A 10-year-old Malden boy was initially listed in serious condition in a St. Louis hospital, but is reportedly improving, after getting behind the wheel of a Chevy Cavalier and taking it for a drive, eventually crashing into parked vehicles. He underwent surgery at a St. Louis hospital.

* 14 - The search for Robert Peters began winding down with Bollinger County ending their participation. Though two witnesses had accounts of seeing Peters in Sikeston and in Cape Girardeau, the leads proved fruitless.

* 16 - Peter Coutavas of Puxico was appointed the new chairman of the Executive Committee of the Bootheel Regional Planning and Development District.

* 17 - The Dexter License Office was awarded to Elizabeth Rowland of Dexter. Rowland is the current manager of the office and the spouse of the current agent. The office will remain at 1525 Business 60 West, Suite B.

* 19 - Dexter Community Regional Healthcare Foundation, Dexter, was approved for $206,484 in NAP tax credits by the Department of Economic Development.

* 22 - Brian Charles Nalley, 42 of Advance, was sentenced to 60 months in prison on one felony count of possession of five grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

* 25 - Mark John Wiseman, 32, of Advance, and Louis H. McGee, 49, of Puxico were arrested on drug charges. Wiseman was also charged with theft of an automobile.

* 17 - Sam Winford Huey died at the St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was a longtime member of the Fair Board and was named Dexter Man of the Year in 1966.

* 27 - Bernie Aldermen approved putting a $5 million revenue bond issue on the November ballot to construct a new sewer system.

* 27 - Lonnie Cornet, 37, of Malden was injured in an accident at Stokes Mayberry Grain in Malden. The accident resulted in the amputation of his right leg.

* 30 - SEMO Drug Task Force received a $237,276 grant through the Recovery Act.

August

* 31 - Relay for Life raised over $85,000 for the American Cancer Society's cancer research campaign. The event is held annual and again drew a crowd to West City Park.

August

* 4 - Storms packing winds in excess of 60 mph ripped through the area. Power outages were reported in all over Stoddard County, with Ameren UE reporting a total of 6000 residents without power in an area between Dexter and Charleston.

* 5 - US Rep. JoAnn Emerson (R-8) spoke with a small group of area farmers at the Bradley Minton farm located southwest of Dexter as part of a farm tour to discuss the Cap and Trade bill in the hands of the Senate, inheritance taxes that many attest is destroying the family farm, and the issue of inadequate stimulus money going toward the small agri-businessman.

* 7 - Dexter High School was selected the grand prize winner of the 2009 Southeast Missouri Youth Initiative for Southeast Missouri Schools.

* 10 - Senator Claire McCaskill hosted a public forum on health care reform at Southeast Missouri State University-Kennett.

* 12 - David Dowdy, 61, died in a farming accident off County Road 651 north of Highway H, near Pyletown. He was working in a grain bin when he fell and was suffocated.

* 12 - Tony Lee Stephens, Jr., 30, and Gina K. Farris, 39, were arrested and charged with a Class B felony manufacturing marijuana.

* 12 - Edna Swinger and Drucille Ayers were honored for helping organize a chapter of Church Women United in the community.

* 14 - A 210-pound bearcat was put into place atop the front of the Bearcat Event Center. The bearcat is a fiberglass model and was handcrafted by local artist and craftsman Alan Gibson.

* 16 - Frances Moore and Jim Mayo were both honored recently by the Missouri State Genealogy Society for their lifetime efforts to preserve family and community history.

* 17 - Jennifer D. Hux, 28, of Essex, sustained serious injuries in a one vehicle wreck on Highway 28 south of Dexter.

* 18 - Johnny T. Smith of Bernie was arrested and charged with two counts of second degree burglary, two counts of felony stealing and one count of first degree property damage in connection with an attempted bank robbery in Malden.

* 18 - Robert A. Deveau, of Dudley, 26, was killed by a tractor-trailer while walking along Hwy. 60 three miles west of Sikeston.

* 19 - The late Warren E. Hearnes, 46th governor of Missouri from 1965 to 1973, was honored in a state funeral at the Missouri State Capitol and the funeral was held Charleston Aug. 21.

* 20 - The Richland School District voted to pu a $750,000 bond issue on the November ballot for the purpose of completing energy efficiency improvements.

* 23 - State Sen. Rob Mayer, R-Dexter was named to serve on the Joint Committee on Missouri's Energy Future.

* 25 - The death of Max A. Ellison over the weekend signaled the end of the investigation into the 1979 murder of Deborah L. Martin.

* 25 - 74-year-old Winford R. Towe, and 68-year-old Betty L. Vaught, both of Morehouse were pronounced dead at the scene of an accident on Highway 60 and Highway E in New Madrid County.

* 25 - James R. Hanner, 35, of Dexter, co-owner of Lucas Florist, was charged with the Class B felony of distribution of a controlled substance (Xanax) and the Class B felony of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute.

* 28 - Construction neared completion on the $2.3 million new addition of the Stoddard County Ambulance District administrative office building in Dexter.

* 28 - Abbie Warren was crowned the 2009-2010 Miss DHS during half-time of the Bearcat-Ste. Genevieve Dragons football game.

* 30 - The MoDOT Safe and Sound Bridge program announced that 21 bridges in Stoddard County will be rebuilt or replaced.