SB I-55, Route 61 Reduced at Center Junction for Repairs
Mile Marker 99
Contractor crews will soon begin repairs to the southbound Interstate 55 bridge at mile marker 99 between Cape Girardeau and Jackson, Missouri. Damage was caused during a traffic incident involving a tractor-trailer truck.
Both the bridge and safety barrier were inspected and are structurally sound. Repairs will be made to the concrete.
Contractor crews will be in the area today (Monday, Feb. 28) to remove any loose material. Icy conditions had previously prevented the contractor from getting equipment on the bridge.
Weather permitting, the repair work will begin Wednesday, March 2 at 8:30 a.m., following morning rush-hour traffic. As work is underway, the southbound I-55 bridge will be reduced to one lane. The lane reduction will be in place 24 hours a day until repairs are completed.
In addition, the right eastbound lane of Route 61 will be closed beneath the bridge. The lane reduction on Route 61 will only be in place as work is underway overhead.
Completion is anticipated by Monday, March 7, weather permitting.
Stoddard County Collector Josh Speakman announced Monday, February 14, 2022, that his office will handle tax collection for the city of Essex beginning March 1, 2022.
The Stoddard County Commission voted 3-0 to collect all personal and real estate taxes for Essex residents beginning March 1st.
Speakman said in a press release, "It will allow for the city of Essex to spend less time, labor and revenue on tax collection, all the while making it a one-stop shop for taxpayers, saving the city tax revenue. The County will not be out any revenue for the extra line item on the tax bill for the city of Essex residents. They will no pay online, in person or by mail to the Stoddard County Collector's office."
City taxes will be now be included with the county’s tax bill, which will be sent out each November.
The commission also voted to add guidelines for the Family Medical Leave Act to its employee handbook.
The passage reads as follows:
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: The employee must have worked for the employer for at least 12 months before taking leave.
LEAVE ENTITLEMENTS: The birth of a child or placement of a child for adoption or foster care; To bond with a child (leave must be taken within one year of the child’s birth or placement); To care for the employee’s spouse, child or parent who has a qualifying serious health condition; For the employee’s own qualifying health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the employee’s job; For qualifying exigencies relate to the foreign deployment of a military member who is the employee’s spouse, child or parent:
The employee must present the Elected Official/Supervisor a signed letter requesting the leave. If approved, the letter with the employee and Elected Official/Supervisor signatures must be submitted to the Human Resources Department (County Clerk’s Office) before payroll is due to be placed in the files.
Upcoming dates to remember
• Feb. 22 is the first day for candidate filing for the Aug. 2 primary election.
• Feb. 22 is the first day for absentee voting for the April municipal election.
Minutes were not available prior to publication.
Route ZZ in Stoddard County will be closed as Missouri Department of Transportation replace a culvert under the roadway.
This section of roadway is located from County Road 642 to County Road 659.
Weather permitting, work will take place Monday, Feb. 28 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The work zone will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use extreme caution while traveling near the area.
For additional information, contact MoDOT’s Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT
Dexter, MO - The Dexter Board of Alderman met on Monday, February 7, 2022 in a regular meeting at city hall. The Alderman passed four new city ordinances.
At 7 p.m. Mayor Jason banken called the meeting to order.
Aldermen present: Mike Shepard, Terry Battles, Tim Aslin, Frank Killian, Larry Rogers, and Glen Robinson. Also present were city administrator Trevor Pulley, City Clerk Crystal Bishop and City Attorney Yewell Lawrence, Jr.
City Auditor's Report: C.P.A. Eddie Cato presented the financial report for December 2021. The report showed the city had nearly $7.9 million in cash and investments. In December receipts of $1,285,550.80 exceeded disbursements of $1,201,326.24 by $84,224.56.
The December Sales Tax was $167,472.58, Capital Improvement Tax was $92,973.55 and Park and Recreation Tax was $92,973.58. the receipts for the month included property, sales and use taxes and franchise tax. The disbursements for the month included 3 pay periods and capital improvements.
Ordinance #5021: This ordinance was presented by city attorney, Yewell Lawrence, Jr. and was an amendment regarding the responsibility for repairs to water lines. The ordinance states that the city is responsible for repairs to lines from the main to the property and the property owner is responsible for repairs on the property. It also states the property owner is responsible for repairs to the meter in the event of freezing or other damages. The owner is also liable for all expenses for failure to furnish a safe place for the meter.
Ordinance #5022: This ordinance allows for horse-drawn carriages or wagons on the streets of Dexter. A permit must be acquired from city hall for $25 per week or $100 per year. The carriage or wagon must be equipped with proper equipment to contain all feces and urine from the horses. In the event the waste is not completely contained, the permit holder must promptly clean up all waste.
Ordinance #5023: This ordinance corrected the permit price for the operation of a UTV in Dexter. There was an error with the price when writing up the original ordinance. The price of $50 in the ordinance was higher than allowed by the state of Missouri. The new price is $15 with a $35 processing fee, which is allowed by the state equalling $50.
Ordinance #5024: This ordinance requires resident to have functional running water in their dwelling in the city of Dexter. The ordinance states that at least one sin, lavatory, bathtub or shower, drinking fountain, water closet or other plumbing fixture is required to be connected to the public water system. In the event that the water service is disconnected the owner and/or resident must have the water restored within five business days.
New Water/Wastewater Supervisor: The board of Aldermen named Jimmy Overall, water dept employee, as the new water/wastewater supervisor. Tom Espey, former supervisor, retired. Overall stated in his first report that a water pump is currently out at the East Water Plant. A new pump was ordered 8 weeks ago and was expected to arrive in 16 weeks, therefore 8 more weeks to go.
Economic Development: Dexter Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Alish Trammell reported on her recent trip to the Chamber Institute of Organizational Management in Arizona.
Trammell also stated that the Dexter Chamber had 313 members as of the end of 2021.
Mayor Jason Banken reappointed Mike Howard to a four-year term on the Planning and Zoning Board. Bank also appointed Dexter R-XI School District Asst. Superintendent Gavin Miller and Dexter Chamber Executive Director Alisha Trammell to the Southeast Missouri University - Sikeston Campus Advisory Board. Banken stated someone from the school district and the chamber economic development were required to be on the board. The appointments were then approved by the board.
Dexter Police Chief Hank Trout said the department has applied for multiple grants. The first is a MoDOT grant for $56,000 that would help replace the computers in all of the police vehicles. The second is a public safety grant for $8,800 to upgrade the officer body cameras. The third is a MoDOT online driving grant, which would pay for all online training for all officers. Trout said the department received a $6,592 grant for the fingerprint system.
Jimmy Kirkman was hired by the board as a Dexter PD communications officer and also appointed Justin Robey to the fire department.
Fire Chief Don Seymore reported also at the public safety committee meeting they recommend to appoint Mr. Justin Robey as a paid-on call fireman. Mayor Banken appointed Mr. Robey as a paid-on call fireman.
Seymore reported there were no incidents during the recent winter weather, but prior to the storm they had six structure fires.
City Clerk Bishop reported thirteen (13) UTV permits have been issued since February 1, 2022.
On January 19, 2022 Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver announced that he is running for re-election for a fourth term as Prosecuting Attorney.
Oliver said “we are so very proud of the work we have done over the last 12 years. When I took office, Stoddard County Law Enforcement had not won a jury trial in over 7 years. Since then we have secured guilty verdicts in 98% of all jury trials conducted. That’s child molesters, rapist, murders and drug dealers that are in prison and not on the streets with our families. There is not a single street that’s unsafe to walk at night in Stoddard County. Throughout every Major Case Squad investigation, I am sitting next the squad commander. Through the hard work and collaboration of our law enforcement officials and myself, there has not been one unsolved murder since I took office.”
While crime rates in surrounding counties have surged, Stoddard County has defied that trend and crime has went down significantly during Oliver’s tenure.
Oliver further explained “Having the experience, skill, and being able to win jury trials is essential to a successful prosecutor’s office. If you don’t know how to win jury trials, defendants don’t plead guilty. Because defendants know I can and will beat them at trial, we have secured numerous life sentences in child molestation and murder cases as a result of guilty pleas. That means child victims were not re-victimized by having to testify against their abuser and we still obtained life sentences.”
Over the past 12 years Oliver says that he has been executing his community based plan to fight drugs. “We send drug dealers to prison and work to get drug users freed from addiction. Through our partnerships with John 3:16 ministries and similar programs, we have been restoring men and women as productive citizens through the transformational power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” Oliver is currently leading a group that is building a 70-bed faith based recovery program here in Stoddard County.
In 2015, Oliver was named Arson Prosecutor of the Year for the entire State of Missouri by the Association of the State Fire Marshalls.
Oliver was the first area prosecutor ever to receive Commendation from the DEA for his work in combating bath salts and synthetic drugs.
In 2013, Oliver filed suit against the Missouri Department of Revenue to protect the second amendment rights of concealed carry permit holders whose information was being shared with the Obama Administration in violation of Missouri law. Oliver was appointed by the Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives to an investigative committee which discovered 167,000 concealed carry permit holder’s information had been shared with the Obama Administration. The practice of the DOR was immediately halted when Oliver subpoenaed sitting Democrat Governor Jay Nixon to testify at a deposition.
Oliver continued, “the prosecutor is the one man who stands between our families and criminals being released back on the streets. No one can try your cases for you. This is not a game. The safety of the 30,000 citizens of Stoddard County rests squarely on the prosecutor’s shoulders.”
During the last 12 years Oliver has secured convictions on some of the most dangerous criminals. When Steven Rendleman kidnapped a woman from an Advance bar and raped her in a remote graveyard, Oliver secured guilty verdicts after a week-long jury trial obtaining two life sentences plus 163 years. When Ed Lusk terrorized downtown Dexter for months, burning law offices and destroying business, Oliver obtained a sentence of 120 years in prison. The following are just a few of the convictions Oliver has obtained during his tenure in office:
Don Lafferty- 50 years- Attempted Murder/Arson
David Madsen- LIFE- Child Molestation
Steven McWhirter- 3 LIFE Sentences- Forcible Rape
Jimmy Sloan- LIFE- Statutory Sodomy 1st Degree
Donald Smittle- LIFE- Child Molestation
Matt Cook- Life- 1st Degree Murder
Chad Anderson- LIFE- Child Molestation
Glenn Evans- 25 years- Murder 2nd degree
Ed Lusk- 120 years- Arson/Burglary
Moses Grayson- 50 years- Forcible Rape
Charles Lebarre- LIFE Child Molestation
Chris Strickler- LIFE Child Molestation
Verl Cato- 23 years- Child Pornography
David Mangrum- 30 years- HIV Exposure
Aaron Aarrant- 18 years- Trafficking Meth
Rodney Bowen- 25 years- Armed Robbery
William Cook- 20 years- Armed Robbery
Victoria Isaac- LIFE plus 20 years- Murder
Oliver concluded, “to coin the phrase of Ronald Regan, "Its morning in Stoddard County, why would we want to go back to where we were just a few short years ago.”
