A SMT News Report

Two soon-to-be college students from Dexter recently received scholarships to further their education.

Luke Robinson and Karsen Adams both received the Rotha Wilson Scholarship from the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Dexter. The $500 scholarships were presented on Monday. Adams and Robinson graduated with the Class of 2011 from Dexter High School and are now preparing to leave for college.

Adams is the daughter of Dana and Travis Adams of Dexter. She plans to attend the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) and major in mathematics and chemistry.

Robinson is the son of Mark and Rhonda Robinson. He plans to attend Truman State University in Kirksville. He plans to major in political science with a pre-law emphasis.

Rotha Wilson was a long-time educator in the Dexter Schools, teaching freshman English classes at DHS. She was a member of the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The scholarship was established by the local church in her memory and as a tribute for her many years in education.

The Rotha Wilson Scholarship Committee included Mark Stidham, chair, and Non Robinson, Darryl Orr, Kendall Mouser, Tommy Horton and Sue Daniels.

Photo Above: Dr. Larry Colvin (center), pastor of the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Dexter presented checks for $500 each to Karsen Adams (left) and Luke Robinson, recipients of the 2011 Rotha Wilson Scholarship.

SENATH – The search continued throughout the area today by law enforcement officials and volunteers in hopes of finding three year old Breeann Rodriguez. As of early Sunday evening, there had been no reports on the whereabouts of the young girl.

The FBI has joined the search, assisting the local Senath Police Department, the Dunklin County Sheriff’s Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

At approximately noon on Saturday, the young girl was riding her bike near her home on Ode Johnson Street in the small town of Senath, Missouri. Authorities said that Breeann was last seen wearing a pink shirt, pink shorts, riding a pink bike with her hair in pigtails.

A prayer vigil, sponsored by the Ministerial Alliance, attracted over 200 local community leaders and friends from throughout the area. Words of hope and encouragement were delivered to the group with few details about the ongoing search.

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Senath Mayor Joe Lane headed up the meeting along with area pastors. Each pastor offered prayers for Breeann’s safe and quick return to her family.

“We will always be affected by the disappearance of this young girl” commented Mayer Lane. “I have granddaughters and things will just not be the same.”

The local Hispanic community pastor was on hand to deliver prayers in Spanish. After his prayer, the pastor expressed his appreciation for the community's effort to locate the young girl.

“The Hispanic community is one with the Senath community”, added the pastor.

Many local businesses were appreciated at the event for their donations of ice and bottled water for those volunteers searching for the young girl.

One Senath resident commented that he lived about four houses down from the Rodriquez home. He commented that volunteers had walked every single row of the cotton fields located behind their street without any results.

Senator Rob Mayer was also on hand to offer support and assess the needs of those officials working to locate the young girl.

“When I learned about the young girl's disappearance on the news Saturday evening, I just couldn’t get this off my heart,” commented Senator Mayer. “I wanted to come down and just see if there was anything that I could do to help.”

Senator Mayer took a moment to speak with Senath city officials. He was also able to take a short moment to express his concerns to the Rodriquez family and his hope for Breeann’s safe return.

Many of the attendees noted that the Amber Alert had not been activated at this point, and concerns circulated about when this would take place. Local city officials noted that they were not involved with the investigation and had not been informed of the progress.

The Amber Alert System has criteria that are established and regulated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. In order for an AMBER Alert to be forwarded for dissemination via the Alert Missouri, program the following criteria must be met:

1. Law enforcement officials have a reasonable belief that an abduction has occurred, which meets the definition in RSMo. 565.110 or 565.115.

2. Law enforcement officials believe that the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death.

3. Enough descriptive information exists about the victim and the abductor for law enforcement to issue an AMBER Alert.

4. The victim of the abduction is a child age 17 years or younger.

5. The child's name and other critical data elements - including the child abduction (CA) flag - have been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) system.

Additional information regarding the Amber Alert guidelines can be found at the Missouri State Highway Patrol's website.

Until the decision is made to activate the Amber Alert, readers are encouraged share pictures and information of Breeann’s disappearance with others throughout our area via Facebook and other social media applications.

If you have any information or see Breeann Rodriquez, please contact the Dunklin County Sheriff’s Department at (573) 888-2424.

A SMT News Report

Missouri law enforcement are looking for a little Dunklin County girl this weekend.

The Dunklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri Highway Patrol issued an endangered persons advisory Saturday afternoon for Breeann Rodriquez, age 3, from Senath. The advisory was issued following an incident at 106 Ole Johnson Road in Senath at 12:40 p.m. on Saturday.

Authorities report that Breeann is a 3-year-old little girl with black hair, brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a pink shirt, pink shorts and had her hair in pigtails. She was last seen at 12:40 p.m. Saturday, riding a pink bicycle with training wheels.

Anyone seeing the missing person, suspect, associate, or vehicle, or anyone having any information related to the endangered missing person should immediately dial 911 to contact the nearest law enforcement agency or call the Dunklin County Sheriff's Department at 573-888-2409.

The top legislative leaders in Missouri say its time that the federal government got its fiscal house in order - but the path to setting things in order includes passage of a balanced budget amendment.

Missouri Senate Leader Rob Mayer of Dexter, and with Senate Majority Floor Leader Tom Dempsey, R-St. Charles, called on Congress this week to pass a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution by the end of this year.

Mayer says despite the agreement reached this week in Congress and the promise of substantial cuts in spending, the federal budget remains out of balance to the tune of trillions of dollars.

“It’s high time to bring our runaway debt under control.  Today, we call on Congress to move quickly and send the states a well-drafted balanced budget amendment,” said Mayer.  “We would like to make Missouri one of the very first states to ratify this important proposal.”

Unlike Missouri and many other states which cannot spend more than they take in — the federal government is not bound by any balanced budget provision.  This important safeguard, says Dempsey, forces the governor and lawmakers in Missouri to live within their means.  Dempsey says the solution to the problem of wasteful spending is to bring a healthy dose of common sense from the Show-Me State to Washington, D.C.

“I am convinced that voluntary budget cuts will not work over the long-term.  Real reform will only happen when the federal government is forced by a balanced budget amendment to control excess spending,” said Dempsey.  “Recently, I have written to the sponsors of the Balanced Budget Amendment in the U.S. Senate to let them know I will work to secure its ratification here in Missouri. When the Missouri Senate reconvenes in January, I will also ask my colleagues to approve an official resolution calling on Congress to send us a balanced budget amendment so that we can quickly ratify and put it into effect."

“The current levels of federal spending and borrowing cannot be sustained,” said Mayer.  “Rather than sit idly by as our children and grandchildren are saddled with mounting levels of debt, we must take action to give Washington a backbone when it comes to a balanced budget.”

Rob Mayer, R-Dexter, represents the 25th State Senatorial District in the Missouri State Senate and serves the state as the President Pro Tem of the State Senate.

The Missouri Highway Patrol announced this week it will conduct a sobriety checkpoint and saturation in the region during August.

Captain George E. Ridens, commanding officer of Troop E based in Poplar Bluff, announced this week that troopers will conduct a “driving while intoxicated saturation” during the month. A saturation is a mobile operation in which troopers saturate a specific area in an effort to arrest intoxicated drivers.

Ridens said the saturation will take place in Stoddard, as well as Dunklin, Pemiscot and New Madrid counties. Troopers will work in cooperation with other local law enforcement agencies in conducting this saturation.

In addition, a sobriety checkpoint will be held at some point in August in Cape Girardeau County. The checkpoint is an operation on a specific highway where law enforcement will check every driver to ensure they are sober.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol urges all citizens to report any vehicle they observe operating in a careless manner.  The public can contact the Highway Patrol toll-free at 1-800-525-5555.