Every morning this week they have been diligently learning – learning the music, learning the formations, learning how many steps to take between point A and point B.

The Dexter High School Marching Bearcat Band has been working hard this week to prepare for the fall field show. Band instructors Scott Rybolt and Jim Wade, and drum majors Kendra Stevenson, Joseph Greer, and Lauren Dudley are ready to lead the Marching Bearcats onto the field.

The music this fall will come from the hit rock band Chicago and will feature some of the group’s hit songs. Included will be “25 or 6 to 4,” "Make Me Smile," and more. Chicago is the first American rock band to chart Top 40 albums in five decades.

As a culmination on their pre-start of school rehearsals and to unveil the 2011 field show, the Marching Bearcats will perform at 6 p.m. Friday night on the Band Practice Field.

The Band Practice Field is near T. S. Hill Middle School, behind the school tennis court. It is suggested that those wishing to see the show arrive by 5:45 p.m. to allow time to walk back to the practice field before the 6 p.m. performance.

The Ben Kruse 18 FORE Life Foundation continues bring a caring impact to our community and surrounding area.

As a group that has always impacted new technologies, 18 FORE Life is nearing a milestone in the area of Twitter followers. Many of you may be unfamiliar with a "Tweet", however the concept of social media promotion is continually becoming more and more common within organizations and clubs worldwide.

"We are less than 50 followers to go and 18FORELife reaches 1,000 followers on Twitter!" commented Scott Kruse on his Facebook page. "Now that is crazy!"

This group has a very special way of building excitement. The list of events sponsored by 18 FORE Life continues to grow. The greatest part is that the purpose purely exists for fun and raising money for those in need of help.

"And when you see who all follows us (on Twitter), it gets even crazier!" Kruse also posted.

The coming year is full of events for you to become involved. It doesn't matter if you golf, fish, bowl or run, 18 FORE Life has something to fit you. Plus, you will always find something on the drawing board of Scott Kruse and his team.

"We are looking forward to a Fall Run, Fishing Tournament, and another Dig Pink Event at the BEC (Bearcat Event Center)", says Kruse. "Details will be coming soon."

Be sure to keep your eyes on the website and become a follower today of the 18 FORE Life Twitter account. Join in the fun today and be first to be informed of all 18 FORE Life events by following 18 FORE Life on Twitter.

As the 2011-12 school year approaches, members of the Dexter Bearcat Booster Club are busy making plans for a great year of fun and excitement for Bearcat Nation. Don’t miss out on becoming a member and supporting this incredible community organization.

New member sign-ups are set to begin immediately for the 2011-12 school year. Bearcat Boosters will be manning registration tables just inside the gate during all home football games and boys basketball games. A registration form can be downloaded and filled out here to speed up the registration process. Along with providing registration forms and fielding questions from potential members, the club will be selling Bearcat Fan Gear, including t-shirts, sweatshirts, stadium chairs, hats, car decals, and much more.

The Booster Club is a big part of our community, and has given much to the Dexter Public School system.

“[Our current] bylaws are dated 1995.   Since January of 2009, we have given $48,000 in some form or fashion back to the school,” DBBC Treasurer Kevin Bishop said, “whether it be through scholarships, banquets, or items needed for extracurricular activities.”

Some of the club’s ‘big ticket’ item purchases include new scoreboards for the DMS Gym, interactive classroom equipment for DMS and DHS, a portable water cooler for the football team, and annual donations to the Goodwill Games and Project Prom.

“Also, we have been a top sponsor of the Rib City Shootout for the past two years, and we are a member of the Dexter Chamber of Commerce,” Bishop added. 

On top of financial donations to the school, the club also sponsors several events during the year. All sports banquets are put on by the club, as well as several fundraising events throughout the year.

“Last year the DBBC sponsored the Donkey Basketball Tournament and this year we will be sponsoring a Dodgeball Tournament,” said vice president Dana Adams.  “This is an extra fundraiser for the club and all proceeds go directly back to the organization and, in turn, the Middle School and High School.”

“The Booster Club table will be set up at the BEC during registration on August 8 & 9,” Adams added.  “As an incentive to join the Booster Club during registration, all memberships received at registration will be entered into a drawing for a BEARCATS BIGGEST FAN gift basket.”

BEARCAT FOOTBALL JAMBOREE: The Booster Club year begins with the return of the Pre-Season Jamboree held at Charles Bland Stadium, held August 19 at 6:00 p.m.

This football extravaganza is taken to a new level with the Booster Club Membership Drive and Fanatic Fan Wear sales prior to the scrimmage games. Afterward, with the help of local businesses, the Booster Club will provide a post-game meal to players and coaches.

“We will feed all of the coaches, players, officials, and administration members for the participating teams after the jamboree,” Adams added.

The thing that sets this outstanding organization apart is that it isn’t just for the school’s athletic department: this organization benefits multiple extracurricular programs within the Dexter Public School system.


“The Dexter Bearcat Booster Club is different from many Booster Clubs in that we are not solely an athletic booster club, but a student activity booster club,” Adams said. “This means that we have helped out with several organizations such as Band, Chorus, Science Fair, Special Olympics, and many others.”

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For more information regarding the Booster Club’s activities, or to inquire about joining the club, visit www.bearcatbooster.com or email info@bearcatbooster.com

Students in Dexter schools are one step closer to the first day of classes with registration in the district held this Monday and Tuesday.

Dexter schools instituted a new “streamlined’ and “family friendly” registration process this fall. Instead of a day of registration in each of the four buildings in the district, two days of registration was held for all students in a central location.

All registrations were held at the Bearcat Event Center, with families registering all children at the same time. A large portion of the BEC was devoted just to school photographs, with a team of eight Inter-State Studio photographers on hand to snap the all-important school photo.

Students and parents were able then to move through the step-by-step process and update student information, and then visit appropriate building’s line and pay for school lunches, learn teacher assignments, and then move on and purchase a new PTO Bearcat t-shirt as well as a DHS activity pass. A special area was also devoted to registering new students to the Dexter district.

“It’s gone well,” said Dr. Kim Flowers, assistant superintendent for the district. She and fellow assistant superintendent Dr. Roger Alsup took time on Monday afternoon to step back and assess the positives and what can be improved for registration next fall.

Classes begin Thursday, Aug. 18 in Dexter with a half-day of classes. The first full day for students is Friday, August 19.

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New concepts in workplace injury prevention have been a big topic of conversation with employers for more than two centuries. As margins shrink and employee benefit costs rise, many business managers and human resource professionals continue to search for new, innovative ways to keep employees safe and free from on-the-job health hazards.

WorkSTEPS is a national health provider bringing a healthy impact to the bottom line of area businesses. They are heavily involved with employers involved in the manufacturing, transportation, construction, healthcare and hospital industries. WorkSTEPS offers their customers testing programs for employees based specifically on job-related criteria. Many of their top clients include MoDOT, the Kansas DOT and the Oklahoma DOT.

A customer of WorkSTEPS can expect a full evaluation of their own facilities, as well as a personalized plan designed to mitigate risk potentials. Specific physical tests are developed by simulation, or by using actual equipment from the job site. These tests require that employer-established competency and performance levels be achieved, and meet minimum standards for job performance.

A Comprehensive WorkSTEPS Test is comprised of a Complete Medical Background, Musculoskeletal Examination, Dynamic Lifting and Specific Job Function Testing based on specific job function tasks.

These proactive measures implemented by WorkSTEPS allow for the discovery of preexisting physical problems that have proven very costly to employers for years. Previous back injuries, repetitive stress injuries, as well as undetected health conditions are able to be addressed prior to the problem worsening.

Many costs associated with worksite injuries are associated to the direct expenses found in treatment for an injured worker. A reduction of injuries can provide hard cost savings to your insurance program, as well as the avoidance of other soft costs associated with lost time on the job.

The idea of managing and controlling losses at the worksite is not completely new. Many companies employ professional risk managers, as well as medical professionals, that focus on the prevention of future losses. WorkSTEPS increases the awareness of future losses by peeking into the ‘crystal ball’ of the past and present to determine loss potential in relation to worksite injuries.

With a strong presence throughout Southeast Missouri, the owner of WorkSTEPS, Austin Tinsley, has begun the processes of expansion to the Northeast Arkansas. Realizing the need for legally defendable functional testing, Tinsley began working with WorkSTEPS as a provider in the ‘90’s after developing his own testing methods. WorkSTEPS provides this testing on a Capable or Not Capable Test result for the employer.

Tinsley was on hand at a corporate WorkSTEPS seminar, held at the Delta Center of Economic Development in Jonesboro this week. He and his team shared their plans for moving into the area and how quickly they could get up and running.

“After a seven year football career as a A-State Indian/Red Wolf, it is a true fit that we (WorkSTEPS) expand our operations to the Jonesboro area,” noted Tinsley. “Jonesboro was the original location where I began my career of worksite health management.”

For further information regarding WorkSTEPS for your business, you may contact Sean Miller at seanm@ozarkfitnesscenter.net or by phone at 573.300.8692. Additional information can also be found at the WorkSTEPS website.

Austin Tinsley is the owner of Ozark Physical Therapy the WorkSTEPS Provider in Southeast Missouri and Northeast Arkansas. There are over 1,000 Providers nationwide in 48 States.