Route 25 in Stoddard County will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform pavement repairs.
This section of roadway is located from Hunts Road to North Drake Street.
Weather permitting, work will take place Monday, Oct. 31 and Tuesday, Nov. 1 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
The work zone will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use extreme caution while traveling near the area.
For additional information, contact MoDOT’s Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/southeast.
Warm weather has subdued colors, but there are pockets of splendor to enjoy.
Cape Girardeau, Missouri - The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) says fall is at last in full splendor in southeast Missouri. White oaks, including post oaks, are moving to their russet colored leaves as the green is disappearing. Red oaks, including pin oak, shumard oak, and northern red oak also exhibit spectacles of auburn. Hickories continue their move, transforming into gold and flaxen qualities.
Jennifer Behnken, MDC’s community forester for the southeast region, says the region’s fall color has been delayed and subdued as compared to other years, due to warmer than usual temperatures. That doesn’t mean there aren’t views to enjoy though. Behnken recommends several routes in southeast Missouri that offer beautiful autumn-painted vistas and country scenes.
“I suggest Highway 21, especially in the Ironton and Arcadia Valley area for some pretty scenes,” Behnken said, adding a recommendation for driving views along Highways 67, 32, 25, 21, 72, and 49.
“Places on the must see list include Buford Mountain Conservation Area, Hughes Mountain Natural Area, Johnson Shut Ins State Park, Taum Sauk State Park, and Elephant Rocks State Park,” Behnken said.
In these areas, various species of trees add different colors to the scene. Eastern hophornbeam tints the forest mid-story with creamy yellow shades. Sumacs, dogwoods, and sassafras add ruby and pomegranate grandeur to accompany the tones of blonde. Silver maple trees join the group, some exhibiting lemony colors while others are ablaze in cherry. Sugar maples complete the color wheel, decorating the landscape in brilliance and beauty.
Behnken added that she’s noticed persimmon trees across the region are loaded with fruits and the area’s had a good overall crop of walnuts, hickories and acorns.
“Watch your footing as you enjoy a stroll through the neighborhoods, parks and conservation areas,” she cautioned. “Acorns, hickory nuts, and walnuts on the ground may require maneuvering adjustments to deter any accidental stumbles.”
Fall is a good time for actions other than enjoying the show, Behnken added.
“This is a great time for plantings,” she said. “I think fall planting is a bit better, since trees are entering dormancy and can focus growth on the roots instead of the leaves.”
But she cautioned fall planters to not forget to continue watering new plantings until the first frost sets in.
HEART HOSPITAL RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY
FOR FIFTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR
Cape Girardeau, Missouri - Saint Francis Healthcare System’s Heart Hospital is among the best in the nation for treating patients who have had a heart attack. Saint Francis received the ACTION Registry-Get With The Guidelines Platinum Performance Achievement Award from the American College of Cardiology NCDR ACTION Registry®-GWTG™ for the fifth consecutive year. Saint Francis Medical Center is one of only 223 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor in 2016.
In order to receive the award, Saint Francis met rigorous standards of treatment for eight consecutive quarters, scoring 90 percent or better. “The standards are meant to guide hospitals both in treating heart attack patients and in working with them to prevent another incident,” says interventional cardiologist Duc T. Nguyen, DO, at Saint Francis Medical Center.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 700,000 Americans suffer from a heart attack each year. This Platinum Performance Achievement Award recognizes hospitals that have consistently saved lives and improved outcomes in heart attack patients.
“Simply put, we are saving more lives and improving more outcomes for the heart attack patients we see, and that’s good news for hearts in the communities we serve,” says Steven C. Bjelich, FACHE-D, President and Chief Executive Officer of Saint Francis Healthcare System.
To learn more about this Heart Hospital honor, call 573-331-3996 or visit sfmc.net.
Saint Francis Medical Center is a 308-bed facility serving more than 713,000 people throughout Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas. Guided by its mission to provide a ministry of healing and wellness inspired by its Christian philosophy and values, the Medical Center has become a progressive, innovative regional tertiary care referral center. Saint Francis’ major service lines, which have received national recognition, include the Neurosciences Institute; Orthopedic Institute; Family BirthPlace, featuring the region’s first Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; Heart Hospital; Emergency and Level III Trauma Center; Cancer Institute; and Fitness Plus.
North and Southbound Interstate 55 in Cape Girardeau County will be closed as contractor crews perform utility repairs.
This section will be between Exit 96 and Exit 99. Weather permitting, work will be completed on Wednesday, Nov. 2 from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m.
Message boards and signs will be in place marking a detour route, using William Street, Mt. Auburn and Kingshighway. Motorists are urged to use extreme caution while traveling near the area.
For additional information, contact MoDOT’s Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636)
Sikeston, Missouri - Missourians will have an opportunity to provide input on the new license plate design to commemorate Missouri’s 200th anniversary of statehood. The public meeting will take place at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at Three Rivers College - Tinnin Fine Arts Center, Poplar Bluff, MO 63901.
State law requires the Department of Revenue begin a full reissuance of license plates with the new plate design no later than Jan. 1, 2019. The new design commemorating the bicentennial will replace the current Missouri bluebird license plate.
According to state law (301.125, RSMo), an Advisory Committee is responsible for determining the new plate design. The committee consists of the director of the Department of Revenue or his or her designee, the superintendent of the Highway Patrol, the correctional enterprises administrator, the director of the Department of Transportation, the executive director of the State Historical Society of Missouri, and the respective chairpersons of both the Senate and House of Representatives Transportation Committees.
The Committee invites public input into the final design through a series of public meetings.
Further details are available on the Department of Revenue site at: http://dor.mo.gov/motorv/bicentennial.php
