Written by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Writer
Dexter, Missouri – With schools out for summer, many children go without food as they lose access to regular daily school lunches and breakfasts. These meals typically provide at least one-third of the nutrients that a child needs during the school year. Because families cannot meet this need, hundreds of families seek help each month. The Stoddard County Gospel Mission tries to fill this gap and provide nourishment for adequate mental and physical health and growth.
This morning, the Stoddard County Gospel Mission was pleasantly surprised when SEMO Electric Coop trucks and other vehicles pulled up to their doors.
The Elders of the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Dexter organized this summer snack drive for the children of our community and with the help of Sean Vanslyke, CEO of SEMO Electric Coop and several employees, they delivered and unloaded bag after bag.
Several Elders of the church were on hand helping including Mark Stidham, City of Dexter Administrator, Debbie Stidham, Kim Williams, Debbie Ellinghouse and Bill Boesin. Also present was City of Dexter’s Police Chief Sammy Stone supervising the transportation of goods across city streets!! Thanks to all who helped make this possible from donation to delivery!
The entire congregation of the Disciples of Christ Church donated money and snack type foods and filled the 350 white paper sacks with delicious goodies.
Ron Montgomery, President of the Board of Directors for the Stoddard County Gospel Mission was also on hand to help carry the bags into the warehouse. He is also the Purchasing Manager for SEMO Electric Coop.
Children under 17 will appreciate these summertime treats. Goodies included pudding, fruit cups, oatmeal packs, krispie treats, applesauce, pop-tarts, canned pasta, ramen, nutri-grain bars, peanut butter crackers, cheese crackers, cookies, and other delightful snacks. “I have to start calling families as soon as possible to get them scheduled to come in. We had over 400 children in the month of June who required our assistance,” stated Marty Starnes, Food Pantry Manager.
Students often have both parents working outside of the home during the summer months, leaving older siblings to cook for younger ones. These snacks will be easy to open and require little to no preparation.
Kim Slavings, SCGM Director smiled and said, “I am so grateful and I want to thank everyone who made this happen, especially the people at the First Christian Church. They are so generous!”
Kim continued, “We see so many each month needing assistance and with school out, children are not getting their normal lunchtime meals.”YOUcan help these families and their children by donating non-perishable foods such as can goods, canned vegetables, box drinks, dry goods, crackers, peanut butter, can tuna, and fruit snacks.
Hunger is a problem right here in our very own community. Please help a fellow neighbor and donate to those who are suffering. Start a food drive in your neighborhood, at work, at school or church. The rewards are unlimited!
The Stoddard County Gospel Mission is located at 207 N. One Mile Road in Dexter with the Food Bank open Monday – Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Please call 624-8979 to schedule a time to receive food.
Submitted by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Writer
State of Missouri - The Missouri State Highway Patrol, a premiere law enforcement agency, is testing for new troopers. The Patrol is encouraging qualified individuals of all backgrounds to apply, and will offer testing at nine different locations in Missouri. Those who successfully complete testing will be eligible to continue in the selection process for the 99th Recruit Class, scheduled to begin training on July 1, 2014. The application deadline is August 23, 2013.
To be eligible candidates must possess a minimum of 60 college credits, or two years of federal active duty military service with an honorable discharge, or two years of POST-certified, full-time law enforcement experience at the time recruit training begins.
Test locations and dates include:
Troop G (Willow Springs) -- July 20, 2013
Troop E (Poplar Bluff) -- July 27, 2013
Troop D (Springfield) -- August 3, 2013
Troop I (Waynesville) -- August 3, 2013
Troop A (Lee’s Summit) -- August 24, 2013
Troop B (Macon) -- August 24, 2013
Troop C (Weldon Spring) -- August 31, 2013
Troop H (St. Joseph) -- September 7, 2013
General Headquarters (Jefferson City) -- September 9, 11, 13, and 14, 2013
The starting salary for trooper is $3,095 per month while in training; $3,281 per month after six months; and $3,578 per month at two years of service. Other benefits include group health insurance, contributory retirement, career advancement, and more.
The selection process is a multi-phase testing procedure including: written examination, a physical fitness for duty assessment, polygraph examination, background investigation, and oral interview board. After a conditional offer of employment, the applicant must successfully complete a medical examination (to include vision and hearing), psychological examination, a psychological interview, drug screening, and final applicant review.
Interested persons can find out more about the qualifications by contacting a Patrol recruiter at telephone number 1-800-796-7000, or may apply online at www.motrooper.com.
The number of successful candidates being extended an offer of employment is contingent upon factors such as budget constraints and the number of vacant positions statewide.
Written by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Writer
Dexter, Missouri - Every year Americans empty their wallets buying fireworks for the Fourth of July holiday. According to the American Pyrotechnic Association, in the year 2010 alone Americans spent more than $600 million on fireworks. But how exactly do these creations work?
According to Dr. Nikolay Gerasimchuk, associate professor of chemistry at Missouri State University, fireworks are a type of inorganic chemistry that contains two very important classes of compounds: propellants and explosives.
The colors visible when a firework explodes are caused by a large volume of gases mixing with heat, which creates the ignition of certain particles within the firework:
Magnesium and pieces of burning foil create the look of a shower of white stars falling from the sky.
Barium nitrate and copper creates a bright green color.
Potassium mixed with lithium creates a soft lilac color in the sky.
Together with the mixing of certain gases we get many beautiful colors. Silver is the burning of aluminum, titanium, or magnesium powder or flakes. Yellow is the burning of sodium compounds and orange is created when calcium salts are burned.
Though the origins of fireworks was not associated with the 4th of July, but with New Year's Eve; however It has now become an annual tradition that everyone enjoys.
The Dexter Fireworks Display will be held at dusk on Wednesday, July 3rd. Bloomfield Fireworks Display will be held on July 4th.
Submitted by
Beth Farrah, SMT Writer
This has been another landmark year for Three Rivers College, as our efforts have resulted in continued unprecedented growth and major achievements in serving students and the region. The end of the 2013 fiscal year seemed a perfect time to review college accomplishments.
In April, Three Rivers was named one of the fastest growing community colleges in America by Community College Week, the nation’s leading periodical for community, technical, and junior colleges. Record enrollment last fall topped 4,600 students, marking a 50 percent increase over the past five years.
These enrollment numbers included a record number of dual credit students. The college is providing dual credit courses to more than 400 students at 40 high schools. Our dual credit program helps area high schools provide challenging coursework for high-achieving students and helps their parents save money.
Corresponding to record enrollment, Three Rivers set a record in May for the number of graduates. The Three Rivers Class of 2013 was awarded more than 700 degrees and certificates, up 14 percent over 2012.
Three Rivers continues to build toward the future. We are nearing completion of a $2.2 million transformation of the Academic Resource Commons (ARC) into a one-stop hub for all academic support services on the Poplar Bluff campus. This was done debt-free using state funds and college resources.
Inside the ARC will be a center for the college’s Transitional Math and English courses. These courses are the result of a faculty-led project to redesign developmental courses to more effectively and more quickly prepare students for college level work. The college received a $2 million U.S. Department of Education Strengthening Institutions grant for this innovative project.
In July 2012, Three Rivers signed transfer agreements with the University of Missouri to expand accessibility to higher education. The agreement allows several Three Rivers associate degrees to transfer directly into corresponding University of Missouri bachelor’s degree programs at MU and online. Programs include nursing, teaching, forestry, occupational and physical therapy assistant, and more.
We began administering Licensed Practical Nurse programs in Kennett and Hayti which will see its first graduates this summer.
In response to our efforts to better assist our growing veteran population, Three Rivers was accepted as a member of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges Consortium and earned a spot on the G.I. Jobs Military Friendly Schools List, putting the college among the top 15 percent of institutions nationwide noted for offering high-value education and a welcoming environment for veterans.
For the second consecutive year, Three Rivers was ranked among the top 10 safest college and university campuses in Missouri by StateUniversity.com.
Three Rivers has enhanced our efforts at serving high-performing students and experienced a large increase in membership in the Sigma Rho chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa, the official honor society for two-year colleges. We inducted 70 new members this spring, almost doubling our chapter’s membership.
For the 2012-13 academic year, the Three Rivers Endowment Trust awarded more than $32,000 in scholarships to Three Rivers students. The Endowment Trust, the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization designated by Three Rivers College to receive and manage gifts on behalf of the College, continues to work to support Three Rivers and its students.
Three Rivers continued efforts to strengthen the area workforce by securing grants and partnering with employers. Funds secured included:
• $1.1 million from Department of Labor for healthcare workforce training to offer Certified Nursing Assistant classes at no or little cost to participants.
• $250,000 from Missouri Foundation for Health for increasing retention of nursing students.
• $200,000 from Delta Regional Authority for mobile skills training lab.
• $265,000 in state money for firefighting and public safety training.
• $275,000 from the Missouri New Jobs Training Program to provide training for Invensys Controls in West Plains.
• $800,000 from the Missouri Job Retention Training Program to provide training for SRG Global in Portageville.
In October, Three Rivers College and Clearwater High School opened a Public Computing Center in Piedmont.
In November, Three Rivers College was selected as a stop on the 2012 Freshman Legislator Tour. About 80 new Missouri legislators heard the story of what Three Rivers is doing for our students and our region.
There have been numerous donations including 32.9 acres of land donated by Scott Matthews, valued at approximately $2 million. The land adjoins Matthews’ previous donation where the college is building our Eastern Campus.
We are continuing to build our staffing to meet needs, increasing payroll about 28 percent in the past three years.
And in June 2013, the Three Rivers Board of Trustees approved the largest budget in the history of the college, with $23.9 million in the operating budget plus $10.5 million in the capital budget. Combined, this $34.4 million budget will create a $206 million economic impact on the region as these dollars are spent in the area. Also contributing to the area economy is the more than $25 million in financial aid that Three Rivers awards to students each year.
Three Rivers is nearing completion of a $2.2 million transformation of the Academic Resource Commons into a one-stop hub for all academic support services on the Poplar Bluff campus.
Submitted by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Writer
Dexter, Missouri - Using consumer fireworks on New Years is a tradition. And it can be safe if a few common sense rules are followed, says Ralph Apel, the spokesperson for the National Council on Fireworks Safety. Consumer fireworks go through vigorous third party testing in China before being shipped to the United States. But he notes, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”), there were an estimated 9,600 fireworks related injuries during the Fourth of July season in 2011. Most of these injuries would not have occurred if the fireworks had been used under close adult supervision and if some basic safety steps had been taken.
The National Council on Fireworks Safety offers these common sense safety tips for using consumer fireworks in hopes that injuries to consumers can be greatly reduced this season:
- Know your fireworks; Read the warning labels and performance descriptions before igniting.
- Have a designated shooter to organize and shoot your family show.
- Alcohol and fireworks do not mix. Save your alcohol for after the show.
- Parents and caretakers should always closely supervise teens if they are using fireworks.
- Parents should not allow young children to handle or use fireworks.
- Fireworks should only be used outdoors.
- Always have water ready if you are shooting fireworks.
- Obey local laws. If fireworks are not legal where you live, do not use them.
- Wear safety glasses whenever using fireworks.
- Never relight a “dud” firework. Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water.
- Soak spent fireworks with water before placing them in an outdoor garbage can.
- Never attempt to alter or modify consumer fireworks and use them only in the manner in which they were intended.
- Report illegal explosives, like M-80s and quarter sticks, to the fire or police department.
The National Council on Fireworks Safety urges Americans to follow common sense safety rules in their holiday celebrations.
The National Council on Fireworks Safety is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization whose sole mission is to educate the public on the safe and responsible use of consumer fireworks. For a full list of consumer fireworks safety tips and a safety video, please visit www.FireworksSafety.org.
The Dexter Fireworks Display will be held at dusk on Wednesday, July 3rd. Happy 4th of July!
