National child passenger safety week is September 18-24

It's more than just a law

Is your child in the right safety seat? The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety wants to ensure all caregivers of young children know the importance of buckling children in an appropriate child restraint.

In 2015, four children were killed and 61 suffered injuries as occupants in motor vehicle crashes in Missouri. Thirteen percent of these children killed or seriously injured were not restrained in a car seat or safety belt.

Missouri law requires all children under eight to be in an appropriate child safety seat or booster seat, unless:
They are at least 80 pounds; or
They are at least 4'9" tall.
Motorists can expect increased enforcement of Missouri's child seat safety laws throughout this campaign.

"The goal is to make sure all parents and caregivers are correctly securing all children in the right car restraints for their age and size," said Bill Whitfield, chair of the executive committee for the coalition. "Safety seats prevent serious injuries and could save your child's life.

Child safety seat technicians will provide education and car seat inspections at locations across the states. In central Missouri, you can participate in the Roll & Read event at Ellis-Porter Riverside Park on Saturday, Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. A Car-Seat-Check will also be conducted by the Jefferson City Fire Department at the event. A list of car seat inspection stations and locations across the state can be found at seatcheck.org. Appointments may be necessary.

Also, remember that car seats also have expiration dates. Due to the extreme heat and cold that they're subject to, they can break down over time. Used car seats can also be dangerous, especially if you don't know the seat's history.

"We urge everyone to get their child safety seats inspected," said Whitfield. "When it comes to the safety of a child, there is no room for mistakes."

For more information on Child Passenger Safety Week, visit saveMOlives.com. You can also follow Save MO Lives on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

Former Dexter resident Brian Thompson was recently selected by regional peers to serve on the Missouri Economic Development Council (MEDC) Board of Directors.

MEDC is the authoritative voice on economic development and related issues in Missouri. A statewide, nonprofit association of economic development professionals and community leaders, MEDC has been the unified voice of Missouri economic developers since 1979. Each year, seven different MEDC districts elect district directors to leadership roles to help unite members within their respective boundaries. Thompson was one of two professionals picked to serve MEDC District 6, which covers 26 counties in southwest Missouri.

He is a 1999 graduate of Dexter High School and earned his associate of arts degree in pre-journalism from Three Rivers Community College (TRCC) in Poplar Bluff. He transferred to Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Ark., where he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism with an emphasis in public relations in 2003. He is currently the president/chief executive officer of Lebanon Regional Economic Development, Inc. (Lebanon-REDI).

“It is an honor to be chosen to a district leadership position within MEDC District 6,” said Thompson. “The opportunity to network with peers within the economic development realm is critical to becoming a successful professional for both my community and the state of Missouri as a whole.”

MEDC drives economic growth through program initiatives and alliances with other economic development entities. This collaboration gives MEDC members access to industry-leading professional development, public policy, legislation and marketing communications programs. Whether working independently or in cooperation with partners, MEDC, its members and professional staff are effective, efficient and reliable.

Thompson is the son of Jimmy and Thelma Thompson of Dexter.

For more information on MEDC, visit www.showme.org. Additional information on Lebanon-REDI can be found at www.LebanonREDI.com.

Dexter, Missouri - During the Stoddard County Fair the Dexter Lion's Club Funnel Cake booth will also sell "Back the Blue" bulbs. 

Supplies are limited to 200 and are available for $5.00 each.  Make sure you get there Tuesday after the parade and get your bulbs and support a great cause.

The proceeds will be split between the Stoddard County Sheriff's Dept and the Dexter Police Department.

Buy a bulb, show your gratitude and help the Lion's Club give these HEROES a small token of our appreciation!

POW/MIA Recognition Ceremony, hosted by the John J Pershing VA Medical Center

to be held at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery at Bloomfield

Bloomfield, Missouri - The ceremony will be held on September 16th, 2016 at 11:30am at The Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in the Committal Shelter Plaza.  

Since opening on September 29, 2003 the cemetery has conducted over 2400 interments.  The interments have included individuals from WWII, Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf War periods.  The cemetery is the final resting place for many veterans, including former Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action or Killed in Action.

Families and friends of those interred as well as the general public are invited to attend to help honor all veterans, former POW’s and remember those still Missing in Action.

For more information you may contact the cemetery at 573-568-3871.

Jefferson City, Missouri - Sunday, September 11th, 2016 marks the 15 year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93 which crashed in suburban Pennsylvania. Patriot Day serves as a remembrance of the lives lost on that September morning.

On Patriot Day, the President directs that the American flag be flown at half-staff at individual American homes, at the White House, and on all U.S. government buildings and establishments, home and abroad. The President also asks Americans to observe a moment of silence beginning at 8:46 AM Eastern time, the time the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center that morning.

In accordance with state law, the United States and Missouri flags at all government buildings statewide will be flown at half-staff on Sunday (Sept. 11) to honor those who died in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

“Fifteen years later, we continue to remember and mourn those whose lives were lost on 9/11,” Gov. Jay Nixon said. “This Sunday, Missourians will join all Americans in honoring those we lost, and thanking the brave men and women in uniform who protect us each and every day, at home and abroad.”