Around Southeast Missouri

Dexter works to get landowners to clean up

DEXTER, Mo. -- City officials are still working to get landowners to clean up their property across the city. Dexter Building Commissioner Jerry Jenkins said that a total of eight houses are no longer part of the city's efforts to clean up the city. "Fortunately we haven't had to go through the complete condemnation process on many of these," he said. "Some have been fixed by the owners and others have been either demolished or sold with a new house built in its place." Of the houses currently facing condemnation, four have yet to be resolved and six more are in the process of being cleaned up. As building commissioner, it is Jenkins' job to go out and inspect a house when he receives a report on it.

-- Dexter Daily Democrat

Jailer arrested over sex relation with inmate

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Stoddard County Sheriff Carl Hefner said Tuesday afternoon that an employee of his department was arrested Monday and charged with felony sexual contact with a prisoner. William R. Dowdy, 29, of Dexter turned himself in at the sheriff's department and was released Wednesday on a $7,500 bond. According to Missouri State Highway patrolman Scott Rawson, the one-time event began with a fire in the jail. According to the probable-cause statement two female inmates were assigned cleanup duty after a fire there. Dowdy allegedly met one of the women in a laundry room for sex during the cleanup. The prisoner reportedly admitted that she and Dowdy "had consensual sex" when interviewed by police. If convicted of the charge, Dowdy faces up to a four-year prison term.

-- Dexter Daily Statesman