Stories from Tuesday, August 7, 2018

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. — Archie E. Garth Jr., 72, formerly of East Prairie, Mo., died July 16, 2018, at his home in Southaven. Following his 1964 graduation from East Prairie, Mo., High School, he relocated to Memphis, Tenn., where he had a 42-year career in the automotive parts industry...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. — James O'Connor, 77, died Aug. 5, 2018, at his home. Born April 16, 1941, in Charleston, son of the late Claude Elmer and Annie Jewel Holmes O’Connor, he was a member of the St. James Baptist Church in East Prairie and a former employee for Fitzgerald Marine in Belmont...

CAIRO, Ill. — Bertie Ann Cruthird, 66, died Aug. 3, 2018, at her home in Cairo. Born Aug. 10, 1951, in Cairo, daughter of late Harvey and Edith Gregory Cruthird, she was a member of New Hope Free Will Baptist Church in Cairo, where she was the church treasurer and a member of the usher board. ...

BLOOMFIELD -- The president of the Castor Township submitted his resignation Monday, the same day he was charged with stealing two dump trucks from the township. One week after Randall McCollum initiated an investigation into the alleged wrongdoings of the township’s trustee/ex-officio treasurer, Jacqulin Renea Bradshaw, he now finds himself facing charges...

SIKESTON — A modification in the city code by the Sikeston City Council Monday has changed the length grass is considered overgrown. Previously grass was in violation of municipal code at seven inches but the City’s online municipal code listed 10 inches as the violation. In order to be consistent, Council voted to modify the code and make 10 inches the height as the violation for overgrown vegetation and weeds...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. — Stoddard County voters approved two propositions that will help the sheriff’s department during Tuesday’s election. Voters approved Proposition 1 which enacted a countywide sales tax of one half of one percent for the purpose of maintaining the Stoddard County Jail and sheriff’s office operations with no sunset by a vote of 3,490 to 2,339...

NEW MADRID, Mo. — Following Tuesday’s primary, New Madrid County residents will have a local office to fill in November. Although running unopposed in their party’s primary, Republican Daniel Cornacchione Sr. and Democrat Edward Reeves will face each other in a bid to serve as 34th Judicial Circuit judge. Longtime 34th Judicial Circuit Judge Fred Copeland is retiring at the end of the year...

CHARLESTON, Mo. — Mississippi County will have a new presiding commissioner after incumbent Carlin Bennett was ousted in the primary Tuesday. Challenger James D. Conn defeated Bennett 1,127 votes to 600 in the Republican primary Tuesday. In November, Conn will face Dustin Poley, who defeated Blake Jones 285 votes to 239 in the Democratic primary...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri voters delivered a resounding victory to unions Tuesday, rejecting a right-to-work law against compulsory union fees that had been passed by Republican state officials but placed on hold for more than a year after organized labor petitioned for a referendum...

MINER, Mo. — A pedestrian died after being struck by a vehicle early Sunday in Scott County. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, at 3:20 a.m., one mile north of Miner, motorist William A. Luttrell, 45, of Millersville was traveling southbound on Highway H and struck the pedestrian, Ryan L. Beecham, 23, of Bradford, Tenn., in the roadway...

BENTON, Mo. — David A. Dolan will continue as the judge of the 33rd Judicial Circuit. In a vote total of 3,184 to 1,520, Dolan defeated his Democratic challenger, Rebecca A. Reed. “I would just like to thank everyone for coming out and voting,” Dolan said after votes had been tabulated...