2009-Year In Review

September

* 1 - Hike in health insurance premiums is topic at regular session of SCAD board of directors.

* 1 - Dexter opens with win over Lady Rebels

* 2 - Stoddard County's new Government Building is ahead of schedule in construction. The $2.85 million project was slated for completion in Jan. 2010 but appears to be weeks ahead of schedule.

* 3 - Following the tragic death of David Dowdy, his family speaks out on safety issues on the farming front.

* 4 - Type A flu moves in; no confirmed H1N1 in county

* 4 - Circuit Judge Stephen R. Sharp asked the Stoddard County Common Sewer District #1 board of directors to submit to the court the names of four or five individuals along with a similar list of names from three property owners who have not signed easements the rural sewer project west of Dexter.

* 6 - The city of Dexter is spending $700,000 to construct a turn lane on Grant Street that stretches from Southwest Elementary School, past the new Bearcat Event Center and Dexer High School and then ends on the western edge of school property.

* 9 - The City of Dexter honored a gentleman, a public servant, and a friend, Sam Huey, with a special presentation to the Huey family.

* 9 - Cancer claims life of former state representative, Marilyn Williams.

* 11 - Richland School Board hold steering committee meeting to discuss upcoming $750,000 bond issue for the purpose of improving elements throughout the district.

* 13 - Time is drawing near the 82nd Annual Stoddard County Fair. The 2009 event will kick off with the downtown Stoddard County Parade at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22.

* 15 - Lady Bearcats win cross country meet at Kelly Invitational Saturday.

* 15 - Adult flu clinics have been scheduled at the Stoddard County Public Health Center beginning with a clinic at the Bloomfield center on Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 29 and 30.

* 15 - Hedrick gets 2 years probation; felonies dropped.

* 17 - Stoddard County Sheriff's Dept. brings down another "shake and bake" drug lab.

* 20 TRCC President Dr. Devin Stephenson announces tentative plans for TRCC to expand into local area.

* 23 - It was a picture perfect afternoon for a parade and for opening day of the 2009 Stoddard County Fair. Although skies threatened showers early Tuesday, the clouds parted and temperatures in the 70s made for an ideal setting for Fair Week kickoff.

* 26 - For the second straight year the Bearcats made Malden their first win of the season, this time 26-14 at Charles Bland Stadium in Dexter Friday night.

* 27 - Area flying enthusiasts will be flocking to the Dexter Airport on Saturday, Oct. 3 for the Crowley Ridge Flyers' annual Fly-In.

* 29 - The first of several adult flu clinics in Stoddard County commence today.

* 30 - Saturday's Bootheel MS Walk for a Cure marked the 15th consecutive year for Brenda Blackman of Campbell, Laura Robinson of Dexter and Tamara Terry, also of Dexter, to walk the oval track at West City Park in support of MS awareness to help find a cure for multiple sclerosis.

October

* 1 - Stoddard County 911 Services has received a $43,000 federal grant to purchase equipment and improve emergency response time to people calling the 911 dispatch center. The state of Missouri received $1,694,889 to help 911 calls centers to improve their ability to locate people calling from wireless and internet connected phones.

* 3 - Bloomfield slips past Advance; Bernie downs Gideon

* 4 - City of Dexter obtains grant for sewer project at Tyson

* 6 - Campbell woman is charged in death of infant.

* 7 - A call from the Missouri Municipal League to the City of Advance has put a stop to the Nov. 3 special election for mayor, much to the dismay of everyone concerned.

* 7 - The Regional Healthcare Foundation is once again looking for a "few good folks" who are making a positive impact upon their local community by participating in a project that is "Make a Difference."

* 8 - DHS students soar at Delta Fair Art Contest

* 8 - A celebration this Saturday in the Southwest Elementary gym will mark the 25th year the Parents as Teachers Program has been operating within the Dexter School System.

* 10 - Bearcats celebrate Homecoming victory against Caruthersville.

* 14 - Bernie Students rebound from illness; board wared of 2010-11 funding cutbacks

* 14 - Construction on the new Stoddard County Government building is now complete and in just over a week employees will begin moving into their new homes.

* 16 - In a surprise announcement that came at Thursday's Regional Healthcare Foundation's luncheon, it was learned that the Foundation has purchased Cox's Corner, formerly Patricia's Tearoom.

* 18 - Timothy Anschultz, 32, faes $500,000 bond for rape charge.

* 19 - Bloomfield sweeps SCAA tournament titles

* 20 - Controversial Heather Ellis case comes to Stoddard County.

* 21 - Advance and Bloomfield libraries awarded Libri grant

* 21 - Area farmers are busy harvesting the soybean crop which is late due to both a wet planting season and now a rainy harvest season.

* 22 - A Richland High School junior suffered serious injuries in a crash Wednesday afternoon. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report site, Bradley G. Lane, 16 of Essex, was traveling westbound on Highway 114 about two miles west of Essex at about 3:30 p.m. when his 1992 Chevrolet ran off the right side of the road and struck a culvert.

* 23 - Patriot Production Company of St. Louis was in Dexter Wednesday to record interviews with Stoddard County veterans for the Missouri Veteran Stories project.

* 27 - Stoddard County Women's Democratic Club presented their annual Bess Truman Award Friday evening to Peggy Barks of Dexter.

* 28 - A Zalma man charged with involuntary manslaughter following an accident in May has pled guilty this week. Nickolas Jackson, 23, surprised the court when he pled guilty to in the case of the accident that killed 54-year-old Tommie Bates who was a passenger in Jackson's vehicle.

* 28 - Stoddard County stands to lose $329,207.09 in bridge replacement funding after the funding was rescinded due to a clause in the 2005 transportation bill.

* 29 - Waterfowl is limited for huters at Duck Creek this season.

* 29 - A total of 217 residents in Stoddard County are confirmed victims of Type A Flu, according to Stoddard County Public Health Center's Director Debbie Pleimling.

* 30 - Ample deer harvest in Stoddard County is predicted as season begins.

November

* 1 - Diana Lanpher was named Concert Master for the upcoming 2009 All-District Orchestra and performed last weekend in a solo performance before the MSBA annual conference at Lake of the Ozarks.

* 3 - Drowning was the cause of death for all three Poplar Bluff High School students who died when a car overturned in a flooded creek at 7:31 a.m. Friday, according to Butler County Coroner Jim Akers.

* 3 - Dr. Alan Chen, who has practiced medicine in Dexter for the past 20 years, was presented with the Lt. Governor's Senior Service Award.

* 3 - It was announced Monday that a European-based company, Faurecia, has acquired EMCON Technologies, making the company the world leader in emissions control technologies.

* 4 - Bernie, Essex and Richland Schools all had bond issues pass in yesterday's general election.

* 5 - A Dexter man died, apparently of smoke inhalation, in a house fire just after midnight Tuesday night. J.H. "Bo" Taylor, 77, was found dead on the kitchen floor of a residence at 714 W. Oak St. after the fire department received a call from a neighbor reporting that the house was on fire.

* 5 - Don White, longtime Stoddard County Clerk, announced this week that he would retire following 23 years of service.

* 8 - After 17 years of serving as director of the Stoddard County Gospel Mission, Betty Lemons has decided to step down at the end of the year.

* 8 -- The Bellwether genetically altered rice trial starts today.

* 12 -- Veteran's Day ceremonies took place all over the county yesterday with hundreds coming out to honor those who have served the nation.

* 12 - The Bernie Board of Aldermen voted to purchase a 2009 Chevrolet 2500 service truck at a cost of $24,586 at a special meeting Tuesday night.

* 12 - Bernie School Board members voted this week to relinquish their ties to the Malden Alternative School beginning with the 2010-11 school year, and instead conduct their own in-house classroom for students assigned to in-school suspension (ISS).

* 13 - The death of a 77-year-old Dexter man in a Nov. 4 house fire has been ruled accidental following an investigation by State Fire Marshall Butch Almond from the Cape Girardeau Fire Marshal's office.

* 17 - The Monday night meeting of the Dexter Board of Aldermen heard a lengthy debate on the installation of a handicap parking space in the downtown area.

* 17 - A crowd of people gathered at a rally for Heather Ellis chanted, "No justice, no peace," in Kennett on Monday, claiming that the allegations against the black woman accused of assault on police are false.

* 21 - Under a plea deal announced late Friday, 24-year-old Heather Ellis avoided a felony conviction for her part in the scuffle at a Wal-Mart store in the southeast Missouri town of Kennett in January 2007.

* 22 - A Bloomfield attorney, Russell Oliver, has announced a bid for the Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney seat that is up for election next year.

* 24 - Patrick R. Autry, 29, is accused of molesting an eight-year-old girl at his home in Dexter.

* 24 - The Stoddard County 911 Services Board was told by Administrator Carol Moreland that a new recorder, laptop and software has been ordered to upgrade the service at their regular meeting Nov. 19.

* 25 - The 2009 deer harvest in Southeast Missouri is shaping up to be better than last year with the numbers for opening day of firearm season up in Stoddard and Wayne Counties and slightly down in Bollinger County.

* 25 -- Marilyn Gill of Bloomfield narrowly escapes a scam this week.

* 25 -- Eight people were sentenced to prison on the most recent Law Day.

* 25 - Rep. Billy Pat Wright (R-159) has announced his intention to run for a fourth and final term in Missouri's House of Representatives.

* 27 - Dexter officials have completed a new building at their Animal Control Shelter in the eastern part of the city that will provide a temperature controlled environment for up to 34 dogs. The new facility is 1,300 square feet and cost approximately $40,000.

* 29 - A recent traffic stop resulted in the arrest of an area man for DWI from allegedly using inhalants.

December

* 1 - During the extended Thanksgiving traffic crash counting period, troopers assigned to Troop E investigated 30 crashes, resulting in 11 injuries, but no fatalities, and made 17 arrests for driving while intoxicated.

* 1 - A Caruthersville man, Matthew Kingston, was arrested in Dexter following a weekend stabbing incident that injured two.

* 2 - According to Republic Services (formerly Allied Waste) General Manager Dan Rigazio, in approximately two weeks the company will be issuing blue, 95-gallon, wheeled trash containers to all of their Bloomfield residential customers.

* 2 - Wreaths Across America reached their goal this year of getting sponsorship for enough wreaths to place one on each grave site at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery at Bloomfield.

* 4 - Three Dexter residents are behind bars today following arrests made in two separate investigations by the Stoddard County Sheriff's Department. Those arrested are Ruben "Don" Prunty , Keith Craft and Katherine Craft.

* 8 - A St. Louis jury found Germany-based Bayer CropScience AG and several of its affiliates negligent in the first of several "bellwether trials" scheduled for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, and awarded over $2 million to two Stoddard County long-grain rice farmers.

* 9 - The Monday night meeting of the Dexter Board of Aldermen was a time of reflection on a total of 110 years of combined service to the city. A total of four employees were honored including Fire Chief Al Banken for 45 years, Assistant Fire Chief Don Seymore for 30 years, Assistant Chief of Police Sammy Stone for 25 years, and Tammy Fields for 10 years with the police department.

* 9 - A stolen pickup truck, driven by Shawn Tucker, 32, of Dexter, was reportedly crashed into the ditch at Harris Dr. and Westport Dr., but only after first crashing into a tree at One Mile Rd. and Westport. Ticker was arrested.

* 9 - The Bernie Board of Aldermen awarded a $9,148.32 contract to Progressive Industrial Electric in Benton to wire and install two generators in the city's water treatment plant at their regular meeting Monday night.

* 10 -- City Administrator Mark Stidham addressed the Chamber of Commerce with the current status of the community.

* 11 - A recent change in Bloomfield Middle School policy will mean "little or no homework" for BMS students.

* 12 - The Sikeston Department of Public Safety incident report on the initial investigation of felony assault charges against former Missouri House speaker Rod Jetton details numerous items of physical evidence along with the statements made by the woman who claims he beat her during a sexual encounter.

* 13 - Tuesday, Dec. 15 marked the official opening day for candidates to file for the April 6, 2010 municipal election. Candidates may file for office until January 19.

* 15 - The effort to immunize children in the county against the H1N1 virus has moved into the local school systems, with children being immunized today on all four Dexter School campuses.

* 15 - A large crowd of families and friends of veterans buried at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield braved the cold, blustery temperatures on Saturday to lay wreaths on the graves of men and women who served their country as part of Wreaths Across America.

* 16 - The Bloomfield School District Board voted to purchase Power School student information software at a cost of $34,213.50 over a three-year period at their meeting Monday night. The board also approved repairs to a 2004 school bus at a cost of $12,712.50.

* 16 - Heather Ellis will serve four days in the Dunklin County Jail between Dec. 19 and Dec. 23, in compliance with a plea bargain that she entered into with Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle, of Cape Girardeau County, following a three-day trial in Kennett last month.

* 16 - Gary Kinder was the recipient of the 2009 Firefighter of the Year Award, presented by Dexter Fire Department's Assistant Fire Chief Don Seymore during Tuesday night's annual Christmas Award Banquet held at Hickory Log.

* 17 - The annual Daily Statesman Operation Santa 2009 program has concluded, with 22 county families having been adopted. Individuals, church and civic groups, families and businesses have come through to assure 22 families a bright and merry Christmas season.

* 17 - The city of Dexter received eight bids on a sewer project to install a duplex pump station and 5,600 feet of 10-inch force main sewer line to handle wastewater from the Tyson Foods plant in eastern Dexter. The apparent low bidder was G&C Construction of Perryville with a total bid of $235,400. The city received a $355,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from federal stimulus funds to pay for the project.

* 17 - In a lengthy meeting of Bernie Schools' Board of Education this week, it was decided that with the start of the 2010-11 school year, middle and high school students would be reverting back to the traditional seven-period school day.

* 18 - The recent Stoddard County law Day resulted in a number of cases being wrapped up including 12 guilty pleas, 14 probation sentences and seven prison sentences, including probation sentences for two Dexter residents, Jerry and Lizzie Heflin.

* 20 - Richland Supt. Mike Kiehne accepted a new three-year contract from the Board of Education in executive session following the regular session of the board Thursday night.

* 22 - Many farmers may see substantial tax increases on their land if a proposal by the Missouri State Tax Commission stands.

* 22 - A public comment hearing has been set for Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2010 at the Dexter Armory at 105 E.N. Main Street for the purpose of discussing a proposed rate hike for local customers of Ameren UE.

* 23 - With filing now in full swing for the April municipal election, a number of people have filed for available positions throughout the county.

* 24 - Six employees of the Stoddard County Ambulance District (SCAD) were honored with Star of Life Awards last Saturday at the annual Christmas party. These awards are given to employees whose actions during an emergency response resulted in saving a life.

* 27 - Honoring 17 years of service to the Stoddard County Gospel Mission, the mission's governing board, their families and friends, along with volunteers and employees of the mission, joined recently in celebration of the retirement of Betty Lemons.

* 29 - A Missouri State Highway Patrol helicopter from Troop C in St. Louis entered the search effort Monday for Shirley Stratton, the Bernie woman who was swept into the flood waters along U Highway about one mile west of the Powe community early on Christmas Eve morning.