Local News
Missouri Selects Hillary Starnes for Delta Leadership Program
October 30th 2017 by Dee Loflin
Missouri selects 4 fellows for Delta leadership program
Delta Regional Authority effort encourages regional collaboration
Mississippi River Delta Region - Missouri is sending four leaders from across the southeastern portion of the state to the Delta Regional Authority’s (DRA) Delta Leadership Institute (DLI.) They will join fellows from seven other states and participate in the 10-month DLI Executive Academy program to help further their skills in community leadership and policy development to promote regional collaboration and local economic growth across DRA’s eight- state region.
Missouri’s DLI fellows will attend six sessions across the region, visiting each of the eight states in the DRA footprint. They will engage in policy and program development, advocacy training, case-study discussions, and on-the-ground field experiences aligned with DRA’s priorities for the region. Those priorities include: transportation and infrastructure; workforce training and education; entrepreneurship and disaster resilience for small businesses and communities; public health; policy and governance; and culture and tourism.
“DRA is pleased to begin working with this new class of leaders from southeast Missouri who are committed to learning from each other and working together with their fellow leaders from other states to build a strong future for the Delta,” said Peter Kinder, alternate federal co- chairman of DRA. “As a Missouri native, I am proud to announce this group and support their collaborative efforts with their colleagues from other Delta-region states.”
The fellows, who were selected by Gov. Greitens and DRA leadership, represent a diverse cohort of community leaders. The class includes seven members from Alabama; eight from Arkansas; five from Illinois; five from Kentucky; seven from Louisiana; eight from Mississippi; four from Missouri; and seven from Tennessee.
Missouri’s 2017-2018 DLI Executive Academy fellows are:
• Kelli Behrle of Perryville | Project Coordinator at the Southeast Missouri State University’s Economic and Business Engagement Center
• Trish Erzfeld of Perryville | Director of Perry County Heritage Tourism
• Jay Lancaster of Sikeston | Director of Public Works for the City of Sikeston
• Hillary Starnes of Dexter | Executive Director of the Dexter Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development
Since 2005, DLI has worked to strengthen the knowledge and skills of community leaders across the Delta by broadening their understanding of regional issues and building a corps of alumni that have a regional and national perspective. Upon graduation, the 51 new members will have a toolkit of resources for addressing issues facing their local communities and providing the training and professional development needed to extend the pipeline of skilled local leadership within Delta communities.
About the Delta Regional Authority and the Delta Leadership Institute
The DRA is a federal-state partnership created by Congress in 2000 to help create jobs, build communities, and improve lives through strategic investments in economic development and infrastructure projects in 252 counties and parishes across eight states. DRA has provided leadership development to nearly 500 community leaders over twelve years and strengthened regional collaboration through the Delta Leadership Institute. DLI is a program of the Delta Regional Authority in partnership with three institutions of higher education from the DRA’s states: the University of Alabama, Arkansas State University-Jonesboro and the University of Louisiana Monroe. Learn more at www.dra.gov/leadership.
Last Updated on October 30th 2017 by Dee Loflin
https://showmetimes.com/Blogpost/v8ut/Missouri-Selects-Hillary-Starnes-for-Delta-Leadership-Program
Stay Safe This Halloween
October 29th 2017 by Dee Loflin
Stay safe this Halloween
From the National Safety Council
Kids love the magic of Halloween, but for moms and dads, often there is a fine line between Halloween fun and safety concerns, especially when it comes to road and pedestrian safety.
The reality is that children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year,
Follow these tips to keep your Halloween safe and fun:
Safety Tips for Children
Put electronic devices down.
Keep heads up and walk, don't run across streets.
Properly cross roads and intersections.
Stay in areas with good lighting and wear light colored clothing.
Never dart or run into the roadway.
After dark, fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags, or use glow sticks.
Safety Tips for Motorists
Put electronic devices down.
Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs.
Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully.
At twilight and later in the evening, watch for children in dark clothing.
Discourage new, inexperienced drivers from driving on Halloween.
Last Updated on October 29th 2017 by Dee Loflin
https://showmetimes.com/Blogpost/v8uf/Stay-Safe-This-Halloween
Halloween is a Dangerous Night for Impaired Driving
October 29th 2017 by Dee Loflin
From downtown costume parties to back road bonfires, many celebrations will likely include alcohol. Make your plans for this year's Halloween fun, but keep in mind that one of the best choices you can make is to drive sober or designate a sober driver to get you home safely.
With an increased number of impaired drivers on the road and an increase in pedestrian traffic as children trick-or-treat, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration classifies Halloween as a statistically dangerous night for impaired driving. That danger can be prevented if drivers just plan ahead.
"Every year there are still some people who think they can drive after drinking," says Bill Whitfield, executive chair of the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety. "The only sober driver is one that has consumed no alcohol."
In 2016 there were 11 fatalities and 56 serious injuries from traffic crashes during the Halloween holiday weekend. Eight of those crashes involved impaired drivers, resulting in four fatalities and five serious injuries.
The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety recommends these simple tips for a safe Halloween:
Before the Halloween festivities begin, plan a way to safely get home at the end of the night.
Always designate a sober driver.
If you've been drinking, take a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation.
Walking impaired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving. Designate a sober friend to walk you home.
If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local law enforcement.
If you know someone who is about to drive or ride impaired, take their keys and help them make safe travel arrangements to where they are going.
Enjoy your Halloween holiday and make your memories those of great times with friends and family, not those of tragedy and loss. Don't drive impaired.
Last Updated on October 29th 2017 by Dee Loflin
https://showmetimes.com/Blogpost/v8ug/Halloween-is-a-Dangerous-Night-for-Impaired-Driving
MoDOT Prepares for Winter with Statewide Drill
October 27th 2017 by Dee Loflin
The chill in the air and the falling leaves mean winter weather will be here soon. To prepare, MoDOT is stocking salt and preparing equipment to be ready when winter weather is here. To test our crews' readiness, MoDOT will hold a statewide drill on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017.
The drill tests MoDOT's winter battle plan to ensure its readiness to get travelers back on Missouri roadways as quickly as possible after winter storms.
"Over 3,200 MoDOT employees are involved in our winter operations, including every maintenance crew across the state," said State Maintenance Engineer Becky Allmeroth. "The annual drill helps to make sure we all know our roles during a storm, and we can do our jobs successfully."
During the drill, MoDOT employees will react to a simulated forecast of significant snow for the entire state. The department's emergency operations centers will activate and maintenance employees will be deployed to MoDOT's 1,500 trucks. Emergency communications systems will also be tested.
"One of the most valuable parts of the drill is to measure our snowplow assignments by driving routes we may have modified since the previous winter season. As we open new roads and lanes we must modify our snow removal plans." said Allmeroth. "It also allows our newest snow fighters the opportunity to drive a snowplow over some of their proposed routes so they are aware of obstacles and obstructions that might be hidden in a storm by snow or ice such as curbs and raised islands."
Motorists may notice increased numbers of MoDOT vehicles on state routes during the drill. In rural areas, crews will deploy after 8 a.m. In urban areas, the drill will not begin until after 9 a.m. The exercise should be completed by 3 p.m.
Last Updated on October 27th 2017 by Dee Loflin
https://showmetimes.com/Blogpost/v8ui/MoDOT-Prepares-for-Winter-with-Statewide-Drill
Dexter PD to Participate in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
October 26th 2017 by Dee Loflin
Dexter, Missouri - On Saturday, October 28th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, the Dexter Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration will give the public its 14th opportunity in 7 years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.
Bring your pills for disposal to the lobby of the Dexter Police Department at 305 Cooper Street, in Dexter. (The DEA cannot accept liquids or needles or sharps, only pills or patches.) The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
Last April, Americans turned in 450 tons (900,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at almost 5,500 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,200 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 13 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 8.1 million pounds—more than 4,050 tons—of pills.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.
In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
Last Updated on October 26th 2017 by Dee Loflin
https://showmetimes.com/Blogpost/v8uh/Dexter-PD-to-Participate-in-National-Prescription-Drug-Take-Back-Day
