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Dexter, Missouri - The Dexter Police Department has issues a news release:  Crack Down on Child Restraint Violations!

For More Information Contact: Sergeant J.T. Benton 914, 573-624-5512

Dexter Police Department Will Crack Down on Child Restraint Violations

Missouri Law Requires Children under Eight to Be Buckled Up

Dexter – Missouri law requires all children under the age of eight to be in an appropriate child safety seat or booster seat unless they are 80 lbs or 4’9” tall.

Dexter Police Department announced today they are joining with law enforcement

September 14-20 for an aggressive Child Passenger Safety Week Law Enforcement

Campaign to crack down on Missouri’s child safety seat law violators and to reduce highway fatalities and injuries to children.

Car crashes are the number one killer of kids. Nearly 73 percent of all child restraints are not used correctly. Is your child safe?

Chief Sammy Stone said regular child safety seat and safety belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes.

For more information, visit www.saveMOlives.com.

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Stoddard County Presiding Commissioner, Greg Mathis, shown talking with Doug Siler of the Duck Creek Township Board and Bill Robison, representing S. H. Smith & Company of Poplar Bluff, prior to the Commission's, Monday meeting.

The commission was meeting with the board members of Stoddard Counties Township and Special road districts, to explain the recent purchase of $650,000 of soft-match money to be used for the replacement of deficient bridges in Stoddard County.

Stoddard County recently traded with Greene County, $350,000 in cash for $650,000 in soft match credit, which is used for Stoddard Counties 20% match in qualified bridge replacement projects. The remaining 80% is funded thru the Federal BRO-Bridge fund, of which Stoddard County has 1.8 million dollars ready to be used.

Stoddard County currently has four bridge projects underway and are hoping to program an additional six in the very near future. According to Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis, there is not another county in the state of Missouri that has more than two bridge projects underway.

Submitted by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor

Missouri - The Missouri State Highway Patrol reminds drivers that schools throughout the state are starting their 2014-2015 school year.

Young people will be walking, biking, and driving to school. It is critical for drivers to be alert, especially near school zones, playgrounds, and bicycle paths. Traffic patterns will change as school buses and parents taking their children to school join other motorists on the road and affect the morning and afternoon commute. Whatever route you drive, expect this additional traffic and prepare by allowing extra time to reach your destination.

Afternoons can be especially dangerous. Most traffic crashes involving young drivers (under the age of 21) in 2013 occurred between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., when school typically lets out. Drivers need to be aware of the increased traffic during this time—not just in areas around school, but all around town.

Remember: Many of these drivers are inexperienced. It is important to encourage those young drivers to remember driving is a full-time job. Using a cell phone, texting, or adjusting the radio can be the distraction that leads to a traffic crash. Texting is against the law for anyone under the age of 22.

Missouri law also states that on a two-lane road, if a school bus is stopped and displaying warning signals while loading or unloading children, drivers must stop when meeting and following the bus. However, it is only necessary to stop on a four-lane highway when following the bus. Drivers, when you see a stopped school bus, be alert. Children may not be aware of traffic and dart unexpectedly into the roadway.

In 2013, two people were killed and 150 people were injured in school bus crashes. Missouri experienced 945 traffic crashes involving school buses last year. It’s important for drivers to pay attention, especially in areas where schoolchildren are traveling to and from Missouri's schools. Parents are encouraged to talk to their children about riding a bus or walking to school in a safe manner. If they ride a bike, please make sure they wear a helmet and follow traffic laws. Let’s help Missouri students return to school safely.

Written by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor

Dexter, Missouri – The Rotary Club of Dexter is hosting a Blood Drive on Monday, August 18^th from noon – 5:00 p.m. at the Sacred Heart Church.  Members of the Rotary Club volunteer their time quarterly to set-up and offer assistance to the American Red Cross and ask local Stoddard County residents to donate blood.   

If you received a call from the American Red Cross and scheduled an appointment, please come on Monday.  You can save 3 lives by donating blood.

The American Red Cross continues to have an urgent need for blood and platelet donations.  Though thousands of people have answered the urgent call to donate that was issued on July 22, 2014.

Through the end of July, the Red Cross saw an increase of approximately 7.5% in the number of donors coming to give blood, resulting in more that 11,800 additional donations beyond what was expected.

The Red Cross is grateful for those who stepped up to give this lifesaving gift and reminds eligible donors that hospital patients are still counting on them to roll up a sleeve.

Right now blood donations are being distributed to hospitals as quickly as donations are coming in.  Like the emergency room of a hospital, the Red Cross needs to be prepared to respond to patient emergencies 24/7/365.  After the donation, it takes approximately three days for the blood to be tested, processed and available for distribution to hospitals.

Simply call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visitredcrossblood.orgto make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visitredcross.orgor visit us on Twitter at@RedCross.

"Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ Campaign Will Target Drunk Drivers"

Dexter, Missouri - From mid-August through Labor Day, local police will be out in force as part of the annual nationwide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” crackdown on drunk driving. The crackdown, which will include high-visibility enforcement throughout Dexter, will run from August 15 through September 1, 2014.

The effective nationwide drunk driving crackdown will include high-visibility enforcement, high-profile events, and will be supported by national paid advertising, creating a comprehensive campaign to curb drunk driving in August and through the Labor Day holiday weekend.

Dexter Police Department said its Officers will be aggressively looking for drunk drivers during the crackdown and will arrest anyone caught driving drunk.

Although it is illegal in all 50 States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to drive drunk (having a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher), far too many people across the nation get behind the wheel after consuming too much alcohol. The latest statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration underscore the serious nature of the nation’s continuing drunk driving epidemic.

“Every year, about one third of all motor vehicle traffic deaths involve one or more impaired drivers or motorcycle operators,” said Chief Sammy Stone. “In 2013, 223 people died in Missouri crashes involving impaired drivers. That works out to approximately one impaired driving fatality every 1 ½ days.”

Chief Sammy Stone added that holidays such as the Labor Day holiday are particularly dangerous.