Submitted by Jill Temples
SMT Writer
Three Rivers College marked the continuation of a series of expansions and renovations across its 15-county service area with a groundbreaking ceremony for its Humanities and Social Sciences classroom building, held on December 18 on the college’s Poplar Bluff campus.
“We’re celebrating the continuation of the transformation of our Poplar Bluff Campus and the positioning of our institution to meet the demands we face as the primary job creator for Southeast Missouri,” said Dr. Devin Stephenson, President of Three Rivers College. “The building will also increase the collegiate feel of our campus, especially when combined with the newly renovated Academic Resource Commons. We want to make our institution a place that students are proud of when they walk on campus.”
Speakers at the ceremony included Dr. Stephenson; Darren Garrison, Chair of the Three Rivers Board of Trustees; Steve Halter, President of the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce; Riley Bock, Chair of the Three Rivers Endowment Trust; and Emily Parks, Director of Development for Three Rivers College and Executive Director of the Three Rivers Endowment Trust.
“When I read about other towns in the Midwest that are successful, that are prospering, the key is always education,” said Halter. “Three Rivers is that key to success for Poplar Bluff. They are behind the economic engine that is driving through our city.”
The 40,000-square-foot classroom building, when completed, will include the college’s first lecture hall, 16 state-of-the-art classrooms, and three computer labs. In addition, the structure will also contain a two-story FEMA-certified safe room capable of withstanding 200-mile-per-hour winds. The building will be located on the east side of the Poplar Bluff Campus by the Academic Resource Commons and the Westover Administration Building.
Construction is expected to cost $6.3 million and be completed in spring 2015. The project will be partially funded by a $2.6 million federal FEMA safe room grant, with the remainder provided through the fundraising efforts of the Three Rivers Endowment Trust and a bond issue.
During construction, parking by the Westover Building and the Academic Resources Commons will be limited, and the college will close the section of road between the Westover Building and the Bess Activity Center. The roadway leading from Three Rivers Boulevard to the Westover Building will become two-way for the duration of construction.
The Three Rivers Endowment Trust is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, designated by Three Rivers College to receive and manage gifts on behalf of the College. It acts as a trustee for donations to assure that gifts are distributed in the manner specified by the donor. To make a donation, contact Endowment Trust Executive Director Emily Parks at 573-840-9077, or Michelle Reynolds, development officer, at 573-472-6650. More information is also online at http://trcc.edu/development/endowment.php.
Three Rivers College is committed to contributing to the quality of life in Southeast Missouri with quality, affordable higher education opportunities and community services that support and encourage the economic, civic, and cultural vitality of the region. For more information about college and workforce programs and upcoming events, visit trcc.edu.
Submitted by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
Jefferson City, Missouri - Gov. Jay Nixon today announced that the Missouri Department of Insurance would notify health insurers serving the individual and small group markets in Missouri that any Missouri-compliant plans previously set to expire on Dec. 31 would be allowed to continue into 2014.
“Today’s announcement seeks to address the recent uncertainty and disruptions policyholders have faced as a result of federal regulations and is yet another example of how states are better-positioned to provide efficient and effective oversight of the insurance market,” Gov. Nixon said. “Here in Missouri, my administration has been committed from Day One to fostering a stable, predictable insurance market and making sure Missourians have access to quality, affordable health insurance options. I applaud Director Huff for his continued efforts to provide certainty in this area and ensure all Missourians, including those affected by recent disruptions in the insurance market, have access to quality, affordable health coverage.”
“In an effort to give Missourians as many insurance options as possible, the department will expedite the process for health insurance companies wishing to continue their Missouri-compliant plans into next year,” said John M. Huff, Director of the Missouri Department of Insurance. “The department has not identified any Missouri law prohibiting this coverage to continue, so we will continue to communicate with affected Missouri insurance companies to ensure that the best interests and needs of the consumers are met.”
On November 14, 2013, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a letter to states describing a transitional policy that would allow policyholders to continue their coverage that was in effect on October 1, 2013, which would otherwise have been cancelled for non-compliance with federal health care reforms.
A copy of the department’s bulletin to health insurance companies is available here.
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
Southeast Missouri - From the National Weather Service in
Paducah, Kentucky a Hazardous Weather Outlook has been
issued.
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .
DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY BEGINS THIS AFTERNOON AND LASTS THROUGH THE NIGHT FOR AREAS GENERALLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM DONIPHAN AND CAPE GIRARDEAU MISSOURI EASTWARD TO HARRISBURG ILLINOIS AND EVANSVILLE INDIANA.
PLEASE REFER TO THE ADVISORY PRODUCT FOR DETAILS.
DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WILL CONTINUE THROUGH NOON SATURDAY. PLEASE REFER TO THE ADVISORY PRODUCT FOR DETAILS.
SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. HOWEVER...REPORTS OF PRECIPITATION TYPE...SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS AND ROAD CONDITIONS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
Missouri - Gov. Jay Nixon today nominated retired veteran law enforcement officer Dennis Fowler, of Advance, to serve on the Board of Probation and Parole. The seven-member Board of Probation and Parole is responsible for determining whether a person confined in the Department of Corrections shall be paroled or conditionally released, and for supervising all persons on probation and parole.
Fowler served as a law enforcement officer for 38 years, before being elected in 2012 to represent District 151 in the Missouri House of Representatives. His law enforcement experience includes serving as the superintendent of detention at the Stoddard County Juvenile Detention Center from 2005 to 2012 and as a deputy sheriff with the SEMO Drug Task Force and Probation and Parole from 1993 to 2005. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy with the Naval Security Group Activity in Bremerhaven, Germany. Fowler obtained his degree in criminal justice from Southeast Missouri State University.
Fowler’s nomination will be subject to confirmation by the Missouri Senate.
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
MoDOT's Traveler Information Map, located at www.modot.org, offers real-time views of road conditions for Missouri's interstates and major highways. Conditions are color-coded, giving users accurate information at a glance. For more details, users can activate closed circuit video cameras along major routes for instant visual information. The map also shows message boards across the state, highways closures due to crashes or other incidents, and has links to similar maps for surrounding states.
For smartphone and tablet users, MoDOT's Traveler Information App brings the same information to your mobile devices. Users can select road condition and work zone options from the map's legend, and view the same cameras and message boards found on desktop version of the map. The app is available for free at the iPhone App Store and Android Marketplace.
If you prefer, tailor MoDOT's e-mail and text alerts to your specific needs. Sign up to receive information about individual counties or routes by subscribing to MoDOT's e-update system, at www.modot.org/eMoDOTWeb.
If MoDOT's electronic information isn't convenient for you, pick up the phone and call our toll-free customer service center at 888-ASK-MODOT (888-275-6636). Customer service representatives are available to take your call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They can give you current road conditions for anywhere in the state.
Remember, even light precipitation can cause roads to become slick with ice or snow. MoDOT crews will work hard to treat and clear state routes as the winter weather hits, but it's important to allow extra time for travel and check road conditions before you head out.
Find more information and winter driving tips at www.modot.org/road_conditions/winterdrivingtips.htm.
