Stories from Tuesday, November 17, 2015

CHARLESTON -- The body of a man was found in the Mississippi River Tuesday afternoon near Dorena. "At this point, an unidentified white male was reported floating at the Dorena-Hickman Ferry landing in Mississippi County," said Mississippi County coroner Terry Parker. "He's believed to be 40 to 60 years old -- maybe older."...

SIKESTON -- A phone number change early this month may be to blame for a decline in donations to provide local foster children with Christmas gifts. JoAnn McCauley, president of the Foster Parents Association for the 33rd Circuit, which includes Scott and Mississippi counties, said with the annual Christmas party for foster children in those counties two weeks away, 55 of the 163 children in foster care have been spoken for through the Division of Family Service's angel adoption program...

There is an 80 percent chance for showers and possibly a thunderstorm today mainly before 5 p.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5 p.m. with a high near 70 and a south southeast wind 15 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph while...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Quinton David Combs, 24, of Cape Girardeau was identified as the victim a fatal shooting at 2 a.m. Sunday in the 500 block of South Frederick Street, Cape Girardeau police announced Monday. Cape Girardeau Police also have identified a person of interest, Darion Treyshaun Harris, 19, of Cape Girardeau, who they believe has information about Combs' death. ...

ZALMA - A Zalma, Missouri, man reportedly told police he molested a underage relative Nov. 10 and had sex with her multiple times over the past two years. Brian David Ely Jr., 17, is charged with felony counts of sodomy and incest and a misdemeanor count of child molestation...

DEXTER - More than 30,000 minutes of free calling time has been provided to U.S. soldiers serving overseas through the generosity and thoughtfulness of Stoddard County residents. According to Shirley Alexander of the Dexter Elks Lodge 2439, who serves as Veterans Committee Chairperson for the local lodge, over 1,500 pounds of old, used cell phones and ipads have been turned in to the lodge, and that transfers into free calling minutes for the soldiers...

NEELYVILLE -- Friends of Damon Creach and his family plan to line U.S. 67 and wave flags as his body is returned to Neelyville from Amman, Jordan, where he was shot and killed Nov. 9. Holly Arrington Dobbins, who is the elementary school counselor at Neelyville and a friend of Damon's sister, Sherri Jennings, announced the family support event on Facebook...

POPLAR BLUFF - While the Department of Agriculture (MDA) has yet to list specific punishments, two local pesticide providers are facing civil violations related to chemical drift incidents in the spring of 2015 in northeast Butler County. Following a months-long investigation by the MDA Bureau of Pesticide Control found Aerial Farm Services of Portageville and Southeast Cooperative of Puxico violated Missouri pesticide control laws...

POPLAR BLUFF - A Poplar Bluff, Mo., man is in jail suspected of kidnapping and sexually assaulting his estranged wife, who authorities say he has victimized in the past. Just before 9 a.m. Monday, Poplar Bluff Officer Robert Reed was sent to a home in the 600 block of Cleveland Street in reference to a possible missing person...