With much anticipation, the Robbie D’s & Ultimate Flooring Wing Wars circuit was scheduled for today in Dexter. The numbers for the cook teams had grown to over 15 master chefs ready to “pit” against each other in a BBQ wing cookoff.

However, Mother Nature had another idea for this event as strong rains and thunderstorms rolled through the area early Saturday morning creating several team cancellations.

But the morning rain was short lived and by the afternoon, the scheduled Robbie D’s & Ultimate Flooring Wing Wars was back into action. Teams from Perryville, Sikeston, Puxico and Dexter rolled into the Dexter Inn parking lot with rotisserie cookers, smokers and kettles to share their cooking skills at the third stop on the Wing Wars tour.

Dallas Buchanan brought one of the most exciting attractions of the day with his BBQ Turtle. Comments throughout the day rang out from cooks, organizers and attendees about "the turtles running around in Dallas's BBQ Pit". Well over 200 pounds of chicken wings were served to attendees of the event throughout the day. Many attendees caught the action while just traveling by the area and caught a glimpse and smell of the BBQ smoke.

Brett and Carter Dorton were able to stop by and get a great sample. “I didn’t even know that I liked chicken wings,” commented Carter Dorton. Before the day ended, Carter earned the nickname by several cook team members as “The Chicken Eater”.

The Wing Wars became the vision of two friends, Jimmy Cantrell and Darrin Johnson. “We basically wanted to get people together for a good time and good food” added Darrin Johnson, owner of Ultimate Flooring and co-sponsor.

Jimmy “Shag” Cantrell is the driving force behind the success of the event. His passion for the project and his ability to encourage participants to join in on the fun has been the key to the growth.

In its second year, the Wing Wars continues to grow in popularity. Originating on the Castor River, events have been held at business locations in Sikeston, Bloomfield and other locations.

This year Wing Wars championship will held at the 2nd Annual King of the River BBQ Cook Off at the Twin Bridges Park in Grassy, Missouri on September 16th and 17th. Proceeds from the event will go to benefit the Marble Hill Optimist, Dreampursuits.org and BA Extreme Relay for Life.

For additional information, you can reach Jimmy Cantrell at cantrelljim65@gmail.com or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1509223809.

The Dexter Kiwanis Club is busy today selling BBQ Tenderloins and Boston Butts on the Parking Lot of Harps Supermarket. Several club members were on hand, working to help raise funds for the many projects they support locally.

A quick look at the makeup of the Dexter Kiwanis will tell that this group is full of strong, community-minded leaders. On hand for today's for the SMT picture were Kirby Taylor, Bill Aslin, Larry Colvin, Lehman Godwin, Harold Williams.

This is only one of four major events that the Dexter Kiwanis Club is actively involved in. Besides the meat sales, you will find these members annually at the corners of Vine Street & Walnut Street - as well as Business Hwy 60 and Walnut Street - passing out peanuts and accepting donations from the community.

You will also find team members handling the cooking duties for their annual Fall Pancake Day at the Catholic Hall.

Next is the annual Easter Egg Hunt, held at the West City Park, on the Saturday before Easter. The event is filled with smiles as the kids enjoy prizes and fun.

The Dexter Kiwanis Club is a service club dedicated to improving our community with a strong focus on young people.

You will find their list of supported groups and clubs to be long and valuable to our community: the club awards college scholarships to local students, and offers support to the Boys Scouts, Girl Scouts, Project Prom and many other youth-related activities.

Meetings are held weekly at the American Steakhouse in Dexter, where the club works to increase community awareness of important issues by hosting guest speakers.

Membership in this club is encouraged, and if you wish to join the club, you can contact the Kiwanis at info@dexterkiwanis.com.

Members of the Dexter Kiwanis Club

Kiwanis International is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child, one community at a time.

A SMT News Report

Travelers in Southeast Missouri should be aware of three major projects on Interstate 55 that will affect traffic in the region.

A stretch of I-55 will be closed this weekend due to the planned demolition of the Route H Overpass south of Blodgett.

The interstate will be closed from exit 80 at Benton, Mo., to exit 69 at Miner, Mo., for one 24-hour period during demolition of overpass. Traffic will be detoured to U.S. 61 from 9 p.m. Saturday, June 18 to 9 p.m., Sunday, June 19. There will be a potential for delays on U.S. 61. Residents should consider using other alternate routes if possible.

Route H will also be closed from Route HH to Route U as construction of the new overpass proceeds. The Route H closure will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday. Completion is anticipated in mid-August.

North- and southbound Interstate 55 between routes J and Z in Ste. Genevieve County will be reduced to one lane with a 16-foot width restriction June 20 through 24 while MoDOT crews perform bridge repairs. Weather permitting, the work will be done from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The work zone will be marked with signs.

The southbound Interstate 55 ramp in Pemiscot County will be closed so a contractor can make concrete paving repairs. The section of road that will be closed is the ramp from southbound I-55 at Hayti to Highway 84.

The detour, which will be marked with signs, will begin at exit 27 to Route J to Highway 84 and back to I-55 South. Weather permitting, the work will begin at midnight Saturday and is expected to be completed and the ramp reopened by midnight June 27.

For more information, contact the Missouri Department of Transportation's Customer Service Center at 888-275-6636.

By Annabeth Miiler,
ShowMe Times Editor

What happens when a caring community teams up with a major national product promotion?

If the community is Dexter, then the result could be a local project placing in the top 15 of Pepsi’s Refresh Project and receiving a $10,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant!

This spring Tanya Reiker looked at the playground equipment for pre-school children with special needs at Southwest Elementary. It’s a playground that has been pieced together through the years and with a lot of local elbow grease and effort and a big helping of care and concern. But there was still something needed – some adaptive playground equipment for children with special needs.

Pepsi’s “Refresh Projects” program began this spring with voting opening on May 1 for the Pepsi Refresh Project.

Each month, Pepsi is giving away more than $1 million to 60 ideas that move communities forward. This year, Pepsi is also offering consumers the chance to make their votes go even further for the ideas that they believe will create a better, more vibrant world with Power Voting – using the codes on Pepsi products to help their favorite projects rack up additional points.

Tania Reiker and fellow teacher Peggy Potts thought the idea of submitting a project was a good notion, but putting altogether was a bit daunting. Reiker said she went on a business trip with her husband Jim in April and she spent time studying the project and the process.

“I started working on the grant, and we got excited,” she said. She said they figured out to shoot a video and post on YouTube - one of the requirements in the Pepsi program - and maneuvered through the project process with national soft drink bottler.

Reiker said part of the reason for the project is the enormous cost of playgroup equipment and setting up a playground area for children with special needs. Reiker said equipment alone is quite expensive and federal, state and district funds would not cover the total cost of such a project. But the Southwest program did receive a federal grant to help get the playground process started – first by removing pea gravel in the area and then resurfacing the playground.

“There’s an adaptive swing that we’ve always wanted that is $4,000,” she pointed out. “When it all could do with this federal grant money was resurface the area.”

In addition to children in wheelchairs, the program will have youngsters using walkers and other equipment. Surfaces with pea gravel or other loose product are not appropriate these children. A substantial surface – yet one that is safe for kids – is want is needed for the new playground.

Plans call for the Pepsi grant money - if the Dexter project wins - is to actually purchase some equipment for the children.

“They take the top 15 vote getters – and there were thousands and thousands,” Reiker said. Then after Pepsi weaned the list to 150 for voting, and the Dexter project made it. By June 1Reiker and Potts received word the project made the cut and was one of those to be in the voting.

It’s been a gradual process, but as of Thursday the local project was ranked 8th in the voting. The top 15 projects in this category will each receive $10,000 from Pepsi, with voting ending June 30.

Support is coming from throughout the community – with signs on soft drink machine all over town, and a special collection box at the Dexter Parks Complex, the Aquatic Center, folks “dumpster diving” through trash cans at the park, and collecting bottle caps at the Rib City Classic.

“People are really getting excited and collecting lids,” Reiker said with excitement. “We really, really want some of this adaptive playground equipment. You know, a child in a wheelchair never gets to feel the wind in their hair – a simple thing. But with an adaptive swing – can you imagine?"

WHAT: Pepsi Refesh
LOCAL PROJECT: "Create a playground appropriate for special needs preschoolers."
WEBSITE TO VOTE: http://www.refresheverything.com/play2learn

Sunday, June 12, 2011

1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

501 W Bus Hwy 60, Dexter

You may hope to never need the professionals that work at the Stoddard County Ambulance District (SCAD), but Sunday, June 12th, 2011 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm is a great opportunity for our community to stop by and simply say "Thanks"!!!

Stoddard County Ambulance District will hold an open house tomorrow afternoon, and it is an excellent chance to better understand how fortunate we are in Stoddard County to have this level of emergency response and technology to protect us.

Tours of the new facilities will be conducted throughout the afternoon by staff members. Homemade cakes, cupcakes, cookies and punch will be provided to all attendees throughout the day.

You will quickly see that a facility of this nature was planned out by a group of people that have an incredible understanding for emergency response. From training facilities, to a bunker room, to the most advanced technology in the area, the citizens of our area can rest easy in the event of a disaster that SCAD is prepared and ready to provide the needed emergency services.

This facility doesn't happen by accident but by strong leadership. There are many leaders within the management team and the board of directors at the Stoddard County Ambulance District. However, everyone will also confirm that the heartbeat of SCAD lies in the heart and passion of David Cooper.

David's passion for excellence and dedication to developing an Ambulance District second to none has quietly been accomplished. His efforts have brought to our community the peace that when you need assistance, help is only a phone call away.

Be sure to take time to drop by the Stoddard County Ambulance District tomorrow for the open house to simply say "Thank You" to these servants to our community.