Stories from Saturday, May 5, 2018

Lorene Taylor, 95, of Farmington died April 28, 2018 at her residence. Visitation was held May 7, 2018 at White Sanders Funeral Home is Fisk. Graveside services followed at the Brown Chapel Cemetery. Rev. Bill Orr officiated. Online condolences to the family may be made at www.whistesandersfuneralhome.com...

I did not have the usual problem of a subject to write about this week, for a very special day is coming for some very special people--Mother's Day. If anyone deserves to be honored by a special day, it is mothers. Dads are, of course, special in their own way, but mothers have won the heart of the world's people...

Colonel Sandra K. Karsten, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, would like the public to make safety a priority this Memorial Day weekend. The long weekend is an opportunity to visit family or friends, go to one of Missouri's lakes, or enjoy any number of recreation opportunities in the state...

Charles David Hendrix, 73 of Puxico, Missouri died Sunday, April 29, 2018 at his home. Services were held May 3, 2018 at the Morgan Sifford Funeral Home Chapel. Rev. Ray Placher officiated. Burial followed at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery at Bloomfield with full military honors...

FISK, Mo. -- Jimmy Dale Crum, 81, of Wappapello, Mo., died Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation will begin at 6 p.m. today at White-Sanders Funeral Home in Fisk. There will be a private family burial at a later date...

SIKESTON, Mo. - The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission awarded contracts for Southeast District projects during its regular meeting May 2. Awarded contracts include bridge improvements, a bridge replacement, and concrete and asphalt repairs...

Former state senator Jerry Howard wants to return to the Missouri Legislature, only this time on the state House side where he served before becoming a state senator. The Dexter, Missouri, Democrat is a candidate for state representative in District 151, encompassing Stoddard County and part of Scott County...

Former Puxico area resident Crystal Jones has been named assistant director for Ozark Foothills Regional Planning Commission. In this role, Crystal will function as the region's primary economic development planner and will join Commission Director Felicity Ray, Transportation Planning Coordinator Andrew Murphy, and Special Initiatives Coordinator Samantha Rodgers as they work with member communities to develop projects improving the quality of life in the Butler, Carter, Reynolds, Ripley and Wayne Counties.. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that turkey hunters checked 34,055 birds during Missouri's 2018 regular spring turkey season April 16 through May 6. Top harvest counties were Franklin with 760 birds checked, Texas with 732, and Laclede with 657. Young turkey hunters harvested 1,729 birds during the 2018 spring youth season, April 7-8, bringing the overall 2018 spring turkey harvest to 35,784...

By NOREEN HYSLOPSEMO News Service BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- There seems to be no better fit for Tammy Smith than to serve as director of the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield. Prior to being named to the top post at the cemetery Smith served for 15 years under the former director, Ken Swearengin...