By Annabeth Miller,
ShowMe Times Editor
It was a brisk early spring morning, with the flags whipping in the wind as people gathered Saturday to remember the ShowMe State’s fallen in the War on Terror.
A special exhibit – “Remembering Our Fallen” - is at the Dexter Welcome Center until Thursday. People gathered at the historic Dexter Welcome Center for the Opening Ceremony for a special ceremony to officially open the exhibit during its stay in Dexter. Each Missourian killed in American’s War on Terrorism is featured in this special exhibit.
Speakers paid tribute to the young men and women killed in the War on Terror and honored all veterans who have fought to defend America’s freedoms. Guest speakers for the ceremony were Brig, Gen. Charles Kruse, USA, ret., and Maj. Roger Alsup, USA, ret. Master of Ceremonies was Dexter Mayor Joe Weber, himself a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.
“Freedom is something we take for granted until it is taken away,” Weber said. “This exhibit today spotlights the sacrifices made by the 137 Missourians in our current War on Tterror. Dexter and Stoddard County have a rich history of volunteerism from World War I until the present.”
An honor guard from the American Legion presented the American colors and the Pledge of Allegiance was led by a patrol from Boy Scout Troop 200 from Dexter. The National Anthem was presented by Miriam Brehmer and her string students. The Rev. Phil Warren offered the invocation and benediction.
“It says a lot about a community when we come together at an event such as this,” Kruse said. “We are here to honor our fallen heroes – those who have given their lives since 9-11 when our country was attacked.”
Kruse recalled a Statler Brothers song – “It’s More Than Just A Name On A Wall.” He noted that the photos in the exhibit – “they mean something special to all Missourians and especially to the families of those who have fallen in defense of America.”
“We are honored to be in the presence of these fallen heroes and their family members,” he said. “Today it is sometimes said that it is hard to find heroes. People that say that are just wrong. We are looking inside this building at photos of 137 heroes.”
Kruse, who was a brigadier general in the Missouri National Guard, pointed out that none of those featured in the exhibit were ordered to go into “hard’s way.”
“Nobody made them go. They all volunteers,” he said. “When duty called, they stepped forward on behalf of all of us. The Bible says that ‘Greater love hath no man than he laid down his life for his friend.’ Every one of these people did just that – they truly are our heroes. We can all hope and pray that we as a nation will never loose sight of the fact that freedom isn’t free and that we would be the land of the free if we weren’t the home of the brave.”
Alsup also served in the National Guard, and was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in June 2005 and was at Camp Fallujah during his time in Iraq.
“It is important that we have programs like this to honor our veterans,” Alsup said. “Missouri is known as the ‘Show Me State’. When it came time to stand up to terrorism, Missouri’s service men and women ‘showed them’ our resolve to fight.”
Alsup noted that most of those men and women featured in the “Remember Our Fallen” exhibited enlisted in the military after 9-11.
“These men and women volunteered knew full well that they would likely be asked to go to war. Make no mistake about it: It is war. The 137 who are honored by this exhibit symbolize the character of Missourians by their willingness to give their lives for their country. They United States is still at war, and our service men and women continue to put themselves into harm’s way.”
Alsup noted that exhibits like “Remember Our Fallen” honor those who “have – and will – make the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedom.”
Among those attending the Saturday morning ceremony were Missouri State Senator Rob Mayer, State Rep. Billy Pat Wright, Judge Steve Mitchell, and Dexter City Councilman Jerry Corder.
The ceremony closed with City Administration Mark Stidham and Center Director Angie Williamsom reading the 137 names of Missourians featured in the exhibit while the musicians played “Amazing Grace. Taps was sounded by Scott Rybolt and Adam Clark.
“Remember Our Fallen” is at the historic depot in Downtown Dexter through Thursday, March 8. The depot will be open from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. daily, and admission is free. School groups are invited to attend and arrangements may be made by contact Williams on 573.820.2208.ShowMe Times Photo Gallery
By Annabeth Miller,ShowMe Times Editor
They served their country in a new kind of war – a war on terrorism. And a total of 137 Missourians have given the ultimate sacrifice in the War of Terrorism since 9-11-2001.
An exhibit which honors those men and woman is now at the Dexter Welcome Center (The Old Depot) and a special ceremony will be held Saturday, March 3 to pay tribute to those honored in the exhibit, “Remembering Our Fallen.”
The ceremony will be held beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday. Keynote speakers will be Dexter natives Brigadier General Charles Kruse, Retired, and Major Roger Alsup, Retired, will be keynote speakers. Invocation and benediction will be offered by the Rev. Phil Warren, and the Pledge of Allegiance will be led by members of Boy Scout Troop 200. The welcome will be given by veteran and mayor Joe Weber.The National Anthem will be performed by Miriam Brehmer and her students. Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), the American Legion and the Patriot Guard will all be on hand.
Taps will be sounded by members of the Dexter High School band under the direction of Scott Rybolt.
The public is invited to participate in the opening ceremony.
The exhibit is a stark reminder of the sacrifices of all 137 Missourians killed in The War on Terror. The display was first unveiled in July 2011 at the capitol rotunda in Jefferson City. The exhibit was developed by Bill and Evonne Williams of Omaha, Neb., and is sponsored by Bellevue University.
The exhibit will be open Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., and from 9 .m. until 7 a.m., Monday, March 5 through Thursday, March 8. On Sunday, March 4, the exhibit will be open from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.
Admission to the Dexter Welcome Center and the exhibit is free.
There will be a few daily schedule adjustments at Dexter High School next fall, due to action approved this week by the Dexter R-11 Board of Education.
The board unanimously approved a proposal presented by DHS Principal Corey Mouser that includes three adjustments:
- Elimination of the Advisory Period
- Increasing each class period approximately two minutes
- Moving from three lunch periods to two.
Advisory Period is a unique 18-minute period at the high school. Students have the same teacher for the period for all four years at the high school.
“We’ve met and think that our minutes can be utilized better by putting them back into the instructional time in each class,” Mouser told the board. The plan is to increase each class to 50 minutes.
Mouser also said that with three lunch shifts at the school the lunch periods overlap. This creates a situation were some class es meet in to parts, with the lunch period sandwiched in between. He said this is a non-stop situation for the cooking staff, for preparation.
“We’ve looked at it and believe we can go to two lunch shirts like the middle school did a couple of years ago and give everyone more time to eat and also have some time between the shifts it they are running low on something,” he said.
Assistant Supt. Dr. Roger Alsup also mentioned that the time between shifts would allow time for cleaning dishes.
The board unanimously approved the revised daily schedule for the high school.
Summer is right around the corner and the board approved a tentative plan for summer school. Under the tentative plan teachers would report for a work day on Friday, June 1 and summer school classes would begin Monday, June 4. The plan calls for:
- Students attend a 20-day summer session from 7:30 a.m until 1 p.m.;
- Summer school would be by “invitation only” for at-risk students in Communication Arts/Math and for students entering kindergarten in the fall of 2013;
- Extended SchoolYear (ESY) for qualifying IEP students on Tuesdays and Thursdays;
- No Driver’s Education program.
Board members approved the tentative plan as presented.
In other action in open session, board members:
- Approved the 2012-1013 school calendar;
- Approved the OPAA! Renewal contract for food service;
- Learned of the recycling project currently underway at Southwest Elementary
The board adjourned the public open session and convened in closed Executive Session. During Executive Session, the board:
- Approved the re-employment of the assistant superintendents, the Southwest Elementary principal, Central Elementary principal, T. S. Hill Middle School principal and assistant principal, and Dexter High School principal;
- Accepted the resignation for next year from Bailey Christian as Dance Team sponsor; Mike Vipperman as the middle school boy's basketball coach; Marc Thrower as middle school wrestling coach; Melissa Whitaker as middle school/high school freshman cheer coach; accepted the resignation of Chuck Powers as high school assistance principal/athletic direcctor at the end of the 2011-2012 school year;
- Accepted the resignation of Kay Rowe as a high school special services aide at the end of the 2011-2012 school year;
By Annabeth Miller,
ShowMe Times Editor
When the sun rose Wednesday morning, many in Southeast found homes and belongs strewn across the countryside from an early-morning tornado that cut a path through northern Stoddard County, leaving at least one person dead.
The severe weather set off storm alarms in many areas of the county. The storm left a path of damage from Puxico northeast to Leora. Approximately 13-15 homes were damaged as well as the Rafter K Rodeo Co. near Leora.
Mark Champlin of County Road 267 near Puxico died of injuries sustained after his mobile home was destroyed around 4 a.m. Wednesday.
Reports from the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency for Stoddard County and surrounding counties include:
Stoddard County
- 10 to 15 homes with minor damage
- 1 fatality
Bollinger County
- 8 homes with minor damage
- No injuries or deaths reported
Cape Girardeau County
- 492 homes with minor damage
- 12 homes with major damage
- 1 injury
- 1100 without power
- Oak Ridge School Complex closed due to minor damage
Scott County
- Some reports of barns destroyed
- No injuries or deaths
ShowMe Times reader Tom Love caught some of the devastation from the storm and sent his photographs to the ShowMe Times. Thanks, Tom!
JEFFERSON CITY - Secretary of State Robin Carnahan has released the 2011–2012 edition of the Official Manual of the State of Missouri (the Blue Book). For the first time, this edition of the Blue Book will only be available online in an electronic format, as directed by the Missouri Legislature.
The electronic Blue Book provides Missourians with the same valuable information about our local, state and federal governments they have come to expect, and it offers an easy to use, printer-friendly format that can be downloaded onto any computer.
The Blue Book, which is published by the secretary of state every two years, is the definitive source of information about Missouri state government. It includes an overview of state government services and contact information for government officials and departments.
"The Blue Book is a great tool to make government more open and accessible to people," Carnahan said. "I’m pleased to be able to provide this important resource to all Missourians who wish to interact with their government."
The 68th edition includes the winning submissions from the Great Missouri Treasure Hunt, a contest in which Missourians were encouraged to explore records held by public institutions and submit stories, along with scans of documents, photos or videos, to share their findings for a chance to earn prizes. Winners were selected from the following categories: Missouri History, Family History, Civil War History and Best Photograph.
Additionally, the Missouri State Archives has placed more than 40 historic Blue Books online through the Missouri Digital Heritage Initiative.
The idea for the Official Manual began in 1878, when Secretary of State Michael McGrath published an informational pamphlet, called the "State Almanac and Official Directory of Missouri," which included election figures and lists of state and county officers. In 1891, Secretary of State Alexander L. Lesueur secured legislation to mandate the publication of an "Official Manual" to depict the progress and development of the various branches of state government.
Links of Interest
Video From Secretary of State Carnahan
Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan Presents: The 2011- 2012 Official Manual from mosecofstate on Vimeo.
