CAPE GIRARDEAU – Lt. Col. Edward Gargas of Dexter has been appointed the new commander for the 1140th Engineer Battalion in Cape Girardeau.
The battalion has six units in seven locations - Headquarters Company in Cape Girardeau, Forward Support Company in Cape Girardeau, 880th Engineer Haul Team in Perryville, 1138th Engineer Sapper Company in Farmington and Fredericktown, 220th Engineer Company in Festus, and 1438th Multi-Role Bridge Company in Macon and Kirksville.
During a ceremony, the battalion guidon was passed to Gargas to symbolize the transfer of authority and responsibility.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge of leading one of the best battalions in the state,” said Gargas. “This battalion has an impressive legacy and I pledge to lead our officers, noncommissioned officers, and soldiers towards and beyond the goals set by our brigade.”
Brig. Gen. Randy Alewel, commander of the 35th Engineer Brigade, said his expectations for the battalion to continue moving forward are in good hands with Gargas.
"Lt. Col. Gargas was chosen because he’s a go to and get it done type of gentleman and officer,” said Alewel. “I’ve got all the confidence in him to lead the battalion and take it to the next level.”
Gargas’ military experience and history with the battalion also made him the right choice, said Alewel. Gargas enlisted in the Missouri National Guard in 1987 with the 1140th Engineer Battalion. Over the years he has had leadership positions with several of the battalion’s units, including platoon leader, executive officer, commander, and operations officer. He deployed with the battalion in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004-2005.
“I’m glad and honored I was selected to command the battalion I grew up in,” said Gargas.
Gargas and his wife Tina and son Nate live in Dexter. Gargas is a producer with County Wide Insurance in Dexter.
Links of Interest
Brett Dorton, vice president at First Commercial Bank in Dexter, has been appointed to the appointed to the Joint Interim Committee on State Employee Wages by President Pro Tem Rob Mayer, R-Dexter.
Mayer said Dorton is the only member of the public appointed to serve on the special committee by the Missouri State Senate.
The Select Committee met for the first time Wednesday in Jefferson City to begin its work. Dorton attended that meeting.
The Joint Interim Committee on State Employee Wages has been charged with examining the wages earned by Missouri state employees, currently ranked the lowest of any state employees in the nation. The committee will compare Missouri wages to other states, study and develop strategies for increasing wages of state employees. The Special Committee will report its findings to both the Senate and the House by the end of the year.
Missouri Senate members appointed to serve on the Special Committee include Senator Mike Kehoe of Jefferson City and Senator John Lamping of St. Louis County. House members include Rep. Jay Barnes and Rep Mike Bernskoetter both of the Jefferson City area and Rep. Jacob Hummel of St. Louis.
Photo Above: Brett Dorton in Jefferson City earlier today for the first meeting of the Joint Interim Committee on State Employee Wages. (Provided photo)
The race for U.S. Senate will make a stop in Dexter this week when Sarah Steelman brings her campaign to town for an early-morning gathering.
Steelman will meet with supporters at 7 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 26 at Airport Cafe.
Steelman, of Rolla, is in a three-way race for the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill in the 2012 general election. Her Republican opponents are U.S. Rep. Todd Akin and Germ-X manufacturer chairman John Brunner, both from St. Louis.
Businessman Brunner entered the U.S. Senate race earlier this month and is still acquiring his political legs. Akin was the guest speaker at the Stoddard County Republican Club meeting in Dexter last month, and has been busy travelling to festivals and events throughout the state.
After Brunner’s entry into the senate race, Steelman challenged both opponents to debate throughout the state. To date, neither opponent has accepted Steelman’s challenge.
Steelman is a lifelong Missourian and lives in Rolla with her husband David and their youngest son, Michael, a high school sophomore. Their oldest son, Sam, is a recent graduate from Drury University and is currently living and working in Springfield.
Steelman grew up in Jefferson City and is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Masters in Economics and a bachelor’s degree in History.
Steelman served as Missouri State Treasurer from 2004 until 2008. Prior to her serving as treasurer, she was elected to the state senate from the 16 District.
Photo Above: U.S. Senate candidate Sarah Steelman at the 2011 Stoddard County Lincoln Day banquet in Dexter. (SMT file photo by Annabeth Miller)
Deer are on the move as autumn progresses, and that includes crossing highways. Drivers can take steps to reduce the chances of deer-vehicle accidents.
Deer encounters near roads increase in late October because the cooler weather makes them more active and there is disturbance in their regular haunts as farmers harvest crops, said Joe DeBold, urban wildlife biologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). He added that as autumn foliage falls to the ground, deer are prompted to look for new hiding places.
“Then the peak season for deer movement usually occurs around the first three weeks of November during the rut, or breeding season,” DeBold said. “These changes increase the chances that deer may dart in front of moving vehicles.”
He noted that deer are most active during evening, dusk and dawn hours.
“Drivers should be alert, slow down and drive cautiously,” DeBold said, “especially when driving through wooded or rural areas. Keep an eye on the shoulders, ditches and field edges. Often deer can be seen feeding or waiting to cross a road. Sometimes they try to dart across a road as a vehicle approaches. Be especially alert on roadways posted with deer crossing signs.”
Motorists should use high-beam headlights at night when possible for a wider field of vision. “Watch for deer silhouettes or eyes glowing in the headlights,” he advised. “When one deer is spotted, more are often close behind.”
Slowing down is the best defense. If a deer does dart into the road, avoid panic braking or swerving, which can cause accidents.
Rural areas are not the only place where deer-vehicle strikes occur. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, in 2010, almost one-third of the traffic crashes involving deer happened in urban areas.
“If a vehicle does strike a deer, the motorist should immediately call 911 and report any injuries and the location of the accident,” DeBold said. “If the deer is still alive, the driver should wait for law enforcement personnel to arrive at the scene.”
He added that any motorist wanting to keep the meat, hide or antlers from a deer killed on the highway must contact a conservation agent in the county where the accident occurred and request a disposition form before taking the deer into possession.
By Annabeth Miller, SMT Edtior
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon on Friday signed into a law a bill that repeals a controversial one passed earlier this year that dealt with teachers, students and online social media sites such as Facebook.
Nixon's action wipes away a law enacted earlier this year that barred teachers from using websites that allow "exclusive access" with students or former pupils age 18 or younger. The law generated an unexpected backlash, with teachers raising concerns they would be barred from using popular social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter that allow private messages.
A judge temporarily blocked the law shortly before it was to take effect in August, declaring that it "would have a chilling effect" on free-speech rights guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution. Nixon then added the law's repeal to the agenda for the special session that began in September.
Legislators, who had voted for the law this spring as part of a broader legislation on teacher abuse of students, voted overwhelmingly this fall to repeal the restrictions. But the most recent bill sent to the governor also requires school districts to develop their own policies by March 1 on the use of electronic media between employees and students in order to prevent improper communications.
Nixon signed the legislation with some hesitancy. He said school districts could find it challenging to develop policies that prevent improper communications without also preventing appropriate on-line conversations.
"This bill is not as good as it should be, but to veto it would return us to a bill that would be far worse," Nixon said in a written statement announcing his decision.
The Missouri State Teachers Association earlier this year filed suit against the law. On Friday the state educators group, said that it would decide within the coming weeks whether to drop the case. The judge's preliminary injunction against the original law was to remain in effect until Feb. 20 so that a hearing could be held on a permanent injunction.
