Around the middle of September, a new Medicare handbook will be mailed to everyone who is on Medicare.  This book contains lots of information that can answer many of your questions about Medicare; what’s new, what Medicare covers and your Medicare rights.

You will remember that the open enrollment for prescription drug plans begins Oct. 15 and ends December 7.  Sometime shortly before that you will receive information from your present plan telling you what the premium is changing to, what drugs will be covered during the coming year and what the deductible will be, if any. 

After Jan. 1 we always have a few folks come into our office saying that they did not know that their premium was going to be so high, or that a particular drug that they take will not be covered.  For many people, there is nothing we can do to help because the open enrollment has closed. So please watch your mail for any information from your drug plan because it could make a big difference in what you pay for medicine next year.

Once you check out what the new costs will be (as long as it’s before Dec.7) if you are not happy with what you learn be sure and contact us at the Southeast Missouri Area Agency for Aging at 1-800-392-8771.  We will be happy to help you see if there is a better plan.

Please also remember open enrollment when people are looking at new drug plans is a very good time for the scam artist to kick into high gear.  They may be calling you telling you they are from Medicare and need your personal information (They are not!) Medicare has all your personal information that they need.  They may tell you they are from your insurance plan asking for personal information. (They are not!)  Your insurance plan has all your personal information they need. 

Don’t give people who call or come to your door uninvited any information, period.  Let’s all band together to make it so hard for scam artists that they finally give up and have to go out and get a real job just like we have done all our life!

CAPE GIRARDEAU – Southeast Missouri State University has named 784 students to its Dean’s List for academic achievement during the summer 2012 session.

Students named to the list earned at least a 3.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale and completed at least six degree credit hours during the summer session.

The following students from the ShowMe Times readership area made the list:

ADVANCE

Audrey M. Camren
Cory J. Cooper
Kendra N. Kalish
Katherine K. Touchette
Daryl G. Wade

BERNIE

Jeremy Algood

BLOOMFIELD

Lynn N. Brashear
Judi D. Hampton
Matthew T. Tompkins

DEXTER

Joseph B. Adams
Ashley J. Cogle
Whitney L. Hickman
Kody A. Hindman
Amelia M. Jibben
Ashley N. Long
Wesley D. Montgomery
Sarah D. Rinehart
Paulla K. Terrill
Logan B. Watson

ESSEX

James E. Cobb

PUXICO

Leigh M. Burch
Austin K. Doublin

Congratulations to all students! To view the full list, click here.

It has come to the attention of the ShowMe Times staff that the 'Bottle Caps Against Cancer' story, ran on August 8, 2012, was factually incorrect.

A ShowMe Times reader notified me this morning, via SMT's Facebook page, that the 'Bottle Caps For Chemo' activity outlined in the story was believed to be a hoax.

After reading the supplied source material and my own further research, this activity is indeed exactly that - a hoax.

According to a press release from the American Cancer Society - click here to view the full release - this hoax originated in 2008 in Virginia, and has spread across the nation in various forms.

The ShowMe Times and it's staff apologize for presenting our readers with false information in this instance, and will strive to not allow it to happen again.

- Andrew Cato 

GLENNONVILLE, Mo.- Rice producer-oriented emerging technologies and new developments in rice research will be presented on Rice Field Day, hosted by The Missouri Rice Council and assisted by Southeast Missouri State University-Malden Aug. 23, at the Missouri Rice Research Farm.

The Farm is located on Highway J in northern Dunklin County in Missouri.

The event is free. Registration begins at 8 a.m., and tours begin at 9 a.m. Speakers are scheduled from 9:15-11:30 a.m., after which lunch will be served.

The day will provide rice growers the opportunity to learn about participatory plant breeding, issues specific to Missouri, U.S. Rice Producers Association activities, seed treatment, soil fertility of rice-soybean rotations, rice water weevils, chemical spray drift issues, nitrogen fertilization, rice weed control, remote monitoring and control of irrigation, and site-specific agriculture.

“The Missouri Rice Council hopes their fellow rice producers will witness what is new in rice and make recommendations on future research to the Rice Council,” said Dr. Mike Aide, professor of agriculture and chair of the Department of Agriculture at Southeast Missouri State University.

Southeast faculty speaking at the event will be Dr. Donn Beighley, rice research fellow, along with Aide; and Roxane Magnus, instructor of agriculture. Additional speakers are Greg Yielding, field representative for the U.S. Rice Producers Association; Karen Ann-Kuenzel Moldenhauer, Holder, Rice Industry chair for variety development and professor of crop, soil and environmental sciences at the University of Arkansas; David Dunn, manager of the soil testing lab at the University of Missouri’s Delta Research Center; Sam Atwell, agronomy specialist-rice, University of Missouri Extension; Nathan Goldschmidt, crop consultant; and Earl Vories, irrigation specialist, University of Missouri Extension. A representative of Holt AgriBusiness of Sikeston, Mo., also will speak.

For more information, contact the Southeast Department of Agriculture at (573) 651-2106.

Jessi Braswell stopped by the ShowMe Times offices on Thursday (August 2) afternoon to pick up her prize for being the 1,000th person to 'Like' the ShowMe Times' Facebook page - a Kindle Fire tablet.
SMT Sports Editor Andrew Cato presented Braswell with her prize (photo by Leigh Ann Kincy).