Helping Hand For Children

The Stoddard County Real Estate Board recently made a donation to the Stoddard County Children’s Home. The Board presented the home with $1000 plus arranged for a new American flag to be presented by State Senator Rob Mayer at the home. On hand for the presentations were (front row, from left) Frank Killian, Judi Boyle and Lauren Mayer of the Children’s Home; Shirley Carney and Jim Tweety of the Stoddard County Real Estate Board, and Brad Jarrell representing State Senator Mayer;  (back row, from left) Mary Worley, Sherry Burnett, Sue Horn, Audrey Holifield, Kathleen Dover, Melanie Miller, Jeanie Barker, Jane Flowers, Scott Chesser, Sherry Hubbard, Linda Collier, and Michele Horton. (SMT photo by Annabeth Miller)

The 3rd Annual Cotton Ramble Bicycle Ride was held on October 8, 2011 in Sikeston. With over 200 bicycle enthusiasts participating in the event, the day was only complimented by the beautiful sunshine for the ride.

With cotton harvest in full swing, the Cotton Ramble was appropriately named. Starting in downtown Sikeston, riders had a choice of a 13-mile course, a 26-mile course and a long 65-mile for the more serious rider.

All participants started the routes at the historic train Depot through a designed course, passing by shaded, tree-lined streets with majestic homes. Those riders that took the longer routes traveled along fields of cotton as well as soybeans and corn to Vanduser and near Bloomfield before returning to the start/finish line.

Organizers of the event had many activities planned for participants including festival events, cotton gin tours and a spaghetti lunch. Random prize drawings were also made available to riders at the ride completion.

The organizers really do a great job with this event. Participants were from all over Southeast Missouri, as well as many places far beyond. One 65-mile rider from St. Louis was able to complete the course in a little over 3 hours.

Other riders from Dexter included Jerry Dorton, Mark Zabelin, Shanan Zabelin, Tracy Hedrick and Alan Hedrick.



Special Thanks for Rodney McConnell for the use of his pics from the Cotton Ramble.

It's not everyday that a girl goes out and becomes an expert marksman. But that's just what Dexter native Jessica Freeman did last week. Jessica is an Airman First Class serving in the U.S. Air Force and is stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina. Out on the shooting range last Monday,  Jessica shot an amazing 47 out of 50 to become "expert." Jessica is a 2005 graduate of Dexter High School, and the daughter of Tammy and Wayne Freeman of Dexter.

The halls of Dexter High School were a little … well, - nerdy on Tuesday.

It’s Homecoming Week 2011 this week, and the student body celebrated on Tuesday with Super Nerdy Nemesis Day. And bold black eyeglasses taped together, “high rise” jeans, odd combinations of clothing, suspenders, look-alikes for television character Steve Urkel and interesting wardrobe combinations.

Wednesday is Super Side Kick – or Twin Day at DHS and T.S. Hill Middle School as Homecoming Week continues. The students at Southwest and Central schools are celebrating Wednesday with Crazy Hair Day.

Homecoming Week activities will kick it up a notch on Thursday with the Lady Bearcats’ home volleyball DIG PINK game to raise awareness and funds to fight breast cancer. A silent auction will kick off the special evening of Bearcat volleyball at 5 p.m. in the lobby of the Bearcat Event Center.

The Lady ‘Cats will don special pink uniforms as they meet the Poplar Bluff Mules on the BEC court. The junior varsity match-up begins at 6 p.m., following by the varsity game.

Homecoming 2011 activities include:

Thursday

• Super Fashion Disaster Day (Mix & atch or Crazy Hay Day) at DHS; Rick & Roll Day at Middle School; Camo & Animal Print Day at Central and Southwest.
• DIG PINK Volleybal game against Poplar Bluff; 6 p.m. in the BEC

Friday

• SUPER BEARCAT DAY - Wear your Red& Black and show your school spirit!! (At DHS, Middle School, Central & Southwest)
• Fellowship of Christian Athletes Breakfast at 7:20
• DHS Pep Rally at the BEC during seventh period
• HOMECOMING 2011 TAILGATE sponsored by ontgomery Bank & County Wide Insurance; begins at 4:30 on Brown Pilot Road between Faith Lutheran Church and the Dexter School Administrative Offices.
  
• Presentation of the Homecoming Court and crowning the 2011 Homecoming Queen in pre-game festivities on Bearcat Field in Charles Bland Stadium; 6:30 p.m.
• Kickoff of the 2011 Homecoming game againt Caruthersville, 7 p.m.
• Fifth Quarter festivities with music by The BUZZ, at Faith Lutheran Church parking lot.

Saturday

• Bearcat Booster Club Dodge Ball Tournament & Mr. DHS contest; 6 p.m. in the DHS Gym

By Kim Lacy, SMT Writer

On a much-anticipated day in April, a dream came true for Greg and Kara Lummukka: Ian Gregory was welcomed into the loving arms of his parents. Their journey to get to that day on April 8 began when Greg and Kara were dating and talking about their future together - adoption was very important to Kara and Greg. To give a child a loving home was foremost in this decision, and Greg knew from being adopted himself what impact they could have on a child that needed a family.

That plan was set into motion during their first year of marriage - the process of adopting a child - by deciding which agency to work with. Kara tells about it being not such a hard process, but very time consuming. She noted that they had months and months of paperwork and waiting to tackle.

Kara and Greg decided to make a beautiful video for birth mothers to review that would show them what they had to offer as a family. Too many times birth mothers that choose to give their child up for adoption have a stigma attached to them - this should not happen, as this is a very selfless and difficult decision. Greg and Kara will be forever grateful for this young woman’s decision.

Greg and Kara were matched up with a birth mother and told to be ready to make the trip to bring Ian home - they got ‘the call’ in the early morning hours of April 8, 2011. The birth mother was in labor, and baby Ian would be arriving soon.

The Lummakkuas were at the hospital within hours, and were whisked away to the NIC unit to see their new arrival. After a few days in the hospital and a seven to ten day wait for the paperwork to be processed was all that stood between taking the newborn home.

Some adverse conditions extended the waiting period into 21 days in a hotel room, but Kara’s parents were able to come and stay a few days. Luckily, this was when all the flooding was going on in the area, so the family was lucky to miss out on that.

Tense sometimes but they did great and were able to bring Ian home to Missouri.

The thing that stands out most in the minds of Greg and Kara is how quickly they became attached to the little guy - they cannot imagine their life before Ian came into it. This is one little boy that is truly loved by many.

The joy he brings daily now that he is part of this great family with his bright eyes is beyond compare. Ian is a cherubic, happy, and very loving baby; he grins constantly and it’s not much of a stretch to say he knows how very fortunate he is to have the Lummukkas to call Mommy and Daddy!