Doniphan man pleads guilty to drug possession

Doniphan man pleads guilty to drug possession

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- A Doniphan man was placed on probation this week after pleading guilty to a drug possession charge in Carter County Circuit Court.

Butler County prosecuting attorney Kevin Barbour said Jon Braschler, 31, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine.

Braschler was placed on three years of supervised probation.

Stoddard receives state funding for justice center

DEXTER, Mo. --The Missouri Department of Public Safety has awarded Stoddard County $156,000 for the county's justice center.

Presiding county commissioner Jerry Elder said the commission had hoped for $300,000 to $400,000 but was satisfied with the state grant.

Pioneer Days planned Oct. 6 at Dexter

DEXTER, Mo. -- The annual Pioneer Days will be held Oct. 6, with a day full of activities at the grounds of the Dexter Heritage House.

Among the activities will be candlemaking, churning butter, popping corn on an open fire, checking out the scrub board lady and cooking johnny cakes.

In addition, the Youth Community Betterment group will sponsor a craft tent for youngsters where they will be able to make several items, including rag dolls.

Other demonstrations will include shucking corn and sewing marble bags with an old treadle sewing machine. L.E. Caudle will teach youngsters to play marbles, and Don AuBuchon will show his Native American artifacts.

The group The Missourians will give shows at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. The first show is called "Serving a Writ," complete with a old saloon set-up, gunfight and marshal arriving to arrest patrons. The second show is called "Quick Draw and Mounted Shooting Contest," which will a scene of the Old West.

In addition, Red Burns and Jerry Brown will show their teams of mules.

Dexter downtown group to sponsor Fall Fest

DEXTER, Mo. -- The annual Fall Fest will be held in downtown Dexter the weekend of Oct. 6.

The Historic Downtown Dexter Association plans activities, including beauty pageants and a farmers' market.

Association president Donna West said Oct. 6 will begin with a farmers' market south of Walnut and Stoddard streets.

Pageants will be held for girls in divisions through age 21. Other activities include the band Southern Country at 1 p.m. and a special "chicken scratch" scramble for youngsters at 3:30 p.m.

Butler County man faces prison on sodomy plea

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff area man faces between five and 20 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to a sodomy charge this week in Butler County Circuit Court.

James Stires, 40, of Broseley, Mo., pleaded guilty to forcible sodomy.

Stires, who is in the Butler County Jail, was accused of assaulting a 17-year-old Poplar Bluff woman on May 19 after he and Kevin Eugene Hayes allegedly picked her and a male friend up at the Parkway Bar.

The case against Hayes, also of Broseley, is pending. He is charged with first-degree robbery and forcible sodomy.

-- Southeast Missouri News Service reports