Missouri's annual statewide tornado drill will be held at 1:30 p.m. today, Tuesday, March 13.
Participants will practice taking cover in their designated shelter locations. The three short videos below will show you how to protect yourself at school, in a home, and in a mobile home.
At 1:30 p.m., NOAA Weather Radios will alert listeners that the tornado drill has begun. Tornado sirens will also sound across Missouri. At this time, participants should practice taking cover in their designated shelter. If there is a threat of severe weather in any part of Missouri on March 13, the drill will be postponed until Thursday, March 15 at 1:30 p.m.
Schools, businesses and families are all encouraged to participate in the statewide tornado drill. Schools can also use the tornado drill as an educational tool for students by incorporating tornado facts and meteorological information and safety tips into their lesson plans.
Missouri’s annual Statewide Tornado Drill is part of Severe Weather Awareness Week, which includes:
The state agency has also launched new videos demonstrating tornado sheltering in schools, houses and mobile homes in preparation for severe weather season and the March 13 Statewide Tornado Drill.
Tornado Safety At School
Tornado Safety At Home
NEW MADRID – In February of 1862, Union troops under Brig. General John Pope occupied New Madrid and set up headquarters in the Hunter-Dawson home. The Union troops occupied the city until early April of that year.
This weekend, 150 years after the events during the Civil War, visitors to Hunter-Dawson State Historic Site in New Madrid will experience first-hand what a town under occupation may have been like during the Civil War.
Sponsored by Missouri State Parks, The Occupation of New Madrid living history event will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday. The event is free and open to the public.
Re-enactors will portray Company C of the 47th Illinois Infantry, which served as Union Gen. John Pope’s escort company. According to Hunter family tradition, Pope used the Hunter home as his headquarters after the fall of New Madrid in March of 1862. Part of the 47th Illinois Infantry served as his escort and bodyguard. Other re-enactors will portray the mostly pro-Confederate residents of New Madrid who were affected by the battles in the area and were not happy about the occupation of the town.
Visitors will be led by interpreters through the historic site and given the opportunity to see a variety of events and scenarios as soldiers and civilians go about their daily activities. The schedule on Saturday will include several drills, fatigue duty, patrols and inspections. Sunday’s schedule begins with church call followed by an inspection. Throughout the event, guests will learn what life may have been like for the people involved in these historic events and gain a better understanding of life in Missouri during the Civil War.
New Madrid was an important Confederate stronghold during the early part of the war and was fortified to help protect the Mississippi River from Northern advances. Combined with the fortifications at Island No. 10 just upstream, the defenses blocked the river and were needed by the Union as part of its strategy to split the Confederacy in two. Army and Navy units set out to capture the town and the island in early 1862. New Madrid fell in March, and troops on Island No. 10 finally surrendered about a month later.
Hunter-Dawson State Historic Site is located at 312 Dawson Rd. in New Madrid. For more information about the event, contact Hunter-Dawson State Historic Site at 573-748-5340. For more information on Missouri state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
Missouri Department of Natural Resources Video
By Annabeth Miller,
ShowMe Times Editor
Dexter’s city administrator has been tapped by the Speaker of the Missouri House to serve on a special statewide transportation panel.
Speaker Steve Tilley, R-Farmington, has appointed Dexter’s Mark Stidham to serve on the Blue Ribbon Citizens Committee on Missouri’s Transportation Needs.
The unique panel will work alongside the Missouri Department of Transportation and will meet several times and locations throughout the ShowMe State to discuss local issues and funding ideas. At each meeting the committee will observe a presentation on local projects fro MoDOT officials.
“With large transportation projects being proposed, I want to make sure all of Missouri’s transportation needs are considered and that we take a close look at how they are funded,” Tilly said. “The Blue Ribbon Citizens Committee on Missouri’s Transportation Needs is a great way to check the pulse of the state by provided an opportunity for Missouri’s citizens to voice their opinions.
Stidham, who has served as Dexter’s city administrator for 11 years, says he is honored to have been asked to serve on the special committee and helping to developed ideas and plans to improve Missouri’s transportation needs.
“I’m looking forward to listening to ideas throughout the state,” Stidham said Wednesday afternoon. “Hopefully the committee can come up with some good ideas for the future.”
Stidham said that as one of the only members of the panel from the Bootheel, he is hoping the committee will meet in Dexter to learn about the needs in this corner of the state. Duane Michie of Hayti, a former member of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission, has also been appointed to the panel.
The committee will be chaired by former Senate President Pro Tem Bill McKenna of Jefferson County and former House Speaker Rod Jetton of Marble Hill.
The Blue Ribbon Citizens Committee serves as a microcosm of Missouri citizens, representing numerous interest groups throughout Missouri,” Tilley said.
By Annabeth Miller,
ShowMe Times Editor
A clean annual audit report was presented to the Dexter Board of Aldermen, with some recommendations for future city operations. The report was present at the Board meeting this week.
“You have a clean opinion, which is the opinion you want to get from your CPA,” said Auditor Pam Jean of Jean and Company. Jean presented to the board an independent auditor’s report for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2010.
In its review of the city’s finances, Jean said that the auditors noted points that, if implemented, could strengthen the city’s operations. Among the audit’s suggestions were:
- Annual inventory – Jean mentioned the inventory could be done at any point in the year, but that the end of the year is the usual time. “A detailed inventory helps to account for all materials and be sure that all items are handled property,” the report stated.
- Internal control – the report mentioned that strengthened “internal control,” which relates to the structure, work and authority flows.
“Internal control has to do with out having adequate separation between who’s making the general ledger, who’s writing the checks, who’s reconciling the bank account, who’s receiving the money,” Jean explained. “We just want to increase as much as we can in that to have as much control as you can, so if a mistake or anything is made we can catch it as fast as we possible can. Sometimes – and I find this myself – when you’re checking your own work it’s harder to find an error.”
She mentioned that the more individuals share the responsibilities in those areas the better. Jean and city officials noted that that can be difficult to accomplish with smaller staff sizes, but she said that a meeting is planned with city management, auditors and accountants to find ways to add additional controls.
Aldermen unanimously approved the audit report.
Most city department heads had nothing to report to aldermen at the first meeting of March.
Library Director Pam Trammell did mention that the Annual Friends of the Library Fashion Show will be held Tuesday, March 12 at the Elks Lodge in Dexter. She said there were just a few tickets to the event still available.
A new cell phone company has been working with the city on the possible installation of a cell phone tower in the city. This is in addition to the tower Verizon currently maintains in the West City Park.
City Administrator Mark Stidham reported that he plans to present at the next meeting additional information for aldermen on the project plus a proposed ordinance permitting the tower.
Kudos were offered by Alderman Jerry Corder (Ward I) and Mayor Joe Weber to Welcome Center Director Angie Williamson and Stidham for the “Remember Our Fallen” opening ceremony that was held Saturday, March 3.
Ordinance Passed
Ordinance Number 4666 – Disbursements for February 2012
- Motion to accept by Alderman Taylor/Second by Alderman Battles
- Voting Yes – Aslin, Battles. Taylor, Corder, Essner; not present – Pixley
Photo Above: Pam Jean, CPA, presented the auditor's report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010 at the meeting of the Dexter Board of Aldermen.
