Stories from Thursday, July 25, 2019

A special prosecutor will not seek charges against Stoddard County Clerk Cecil Weeks following an investigation by the Missouri State Highway Patrol into whether the April 2 municipal election was fraudulently certified. "After looking through reports and questioning witnesses of my own, I've come to the conclusion that I would not be able to meet the elements necessary to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Cecil Weeks willfully and fraudulently certified that election," said Butler County Prosecuting Attorney Kacey Proctor, who was appointed the case.. ...

DEXTER — All of my life I have always heard the saying, “It takes a village.” Usually this saying is in reference to raising children, but this past June it happened to apply to a set of parent killdeer birds. The killdeer prefer to lay their eggs on the ground. ...

City firefighters responded at 10:35 a.m. Tuesday, July 23, to a motor vehicle accident on North Westwood Boulevard. No injuries were reported and firefighters cleared the scene. ————

Warm temperatures attract people of all ages to Missouri’s many lakes or rivers to go swimming and to cool off. Beating the heat in this manner is part of summer. “It’s fun to go swimming,” said Captain Matthew C. Walz, director of the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Water Patrol Division, “but understanding the risks and taking proper precautions is important. It’s common for children and teens to overestimate their swimming ability, which is why adult supervision is so important.”...

BLOOMFIELD — A Bernie man has been sentenced to life in prison for first degree statutory sodomy, according to a press release from Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver. Jimmy Sloan, 70, was originally arraigned in November 2018 on felony charges related to deviate sexual intercourse with a person younger than 12 years old...

Natasha Duelley and Isaac Branson, students with the Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center, traveled to Louisville, Kentucky for a week to compete in their chosen skills. Duelley competed in nail care and Branson competed in collision repair and technical information. Both were able to travel to the competition after placing first in the state competition back in April...

The featured artist at Margaret Harwell Art Museum in August will be the late Ted Herlofson, who retired to the Ozarks after many years working in commercial and fine art. An opening reception will be held from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3 at the museum...

Progress is being made on the new Early Childhood Center in Poplar Bluff. Assistant Superintendent of Business Dr. Amy Jackson provided an update on the progress to the R-1 School Board at its monthly meeting Thursday. “They’re making wonderful progress if you haven’t been out there,” Jackson said. “It’s going to be an amazing facility.”...