Local Schools
Three Rivers College Enhances Welding Program with Virtual Welding Machines
March 19th 2019 by Dee Loflin
Three Rivers College recently added virtual welding machines to its Welding program, located at Three Rivers – Dexter. The virtual welding machines offer a realistic way for students to practice welding in a controlled environment.
“When the students put on the virtual welding helmets, their experience is incredibly close to actual welding,” said Derek Joplin, Three Rivers College Welding Instructor. “The electrode retracts like the rod does with real welding, and the students see the molten pool and sparks.”
Being able to practice welding virtually is especially beneficial to those without any previous welding experience. It’s also cost-effective because it allows students to practice without using expensive materials.
“These virtual machines will help us keep costs down for our welding students, while letting them build their welding skills,” said Joplin.
Individual profiles in the welding system allow students to do assignments, take exams, view their results, and even do live replays of their welds.
“Our welding programs offer an efficient and affordable gateway into a high-demand career,” said Dr. Dan Lauder, Chair of Career Studies and Workforce Development at Three Rivers. “In as little as a year, a student in these programs can be ready to apply for well-paying welding jobs anywhere in the nation.”
Students in Three Rivers’ welding programs in Dexter can obtain a one-year certificate in Welding Fabrication or Maintenance Welding, or a two-year Associate of Applied Science Degree in Engineering Technology – Welding Option.
There are 13 students currently enrolled in the TRC Welding program, with a maximum of 15 spots available. Spring welding classes are underway, but classes will begin again in Fall 2019.
Current Three Rivers students can register for Fall classes starting March 18, and registration is open for all on April 1. Prospective students can visit trcc.edu or call 573-840-9605 for more information on all of Three Rivers’ programs of study. To apply for admission to Three Rivers, visit trcc.edu/admissions. Prospective students must possess a high school diploma or high school equivalency credential.
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.
Pictured: Carter Petty of Neelyville practices his welding skills on a virtual welding machine at Three Rivers College – Dexter. The monitor plays a live feed of what Petty sees inside the virtual helmet.
Last Updated on March 19th 2019 by Dee Loflin
https://showmetimes.com/Blogpost/vcbj/Three-Rivers-College-Enhances-Welding-Program-with-Virtual-Welding-Machines
PBJHS Students Tour Garfield Street Landmarks
March 18th 2019 by Dee Loflin
Poplar Bluff Junior High seventh graders toured Wheatley School, Rattler’s Grocery and Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church—all of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places—to learn about the cultural significance of the landmarks within the community.
The English class recently read “The Watsons go to Birmingham” about the civil rights movement, and then on Tuesday, Feb. 26, had the privilege of hearing from local black leaders about their firth-hand experiences growing up through integration, in recognition of Black History Month.
“School was everything; it was the hub of the community,” recalled Carolyn Cooper, who retired from teaching at Junior High after 34 years. She noted that going from home life out into society “was like living in two different worlds.”
Cooper was a graduate of the Wheatley Class of 1957, the last year before integration took effect within the Poplar Bluff school system beginning with upperclassmen at the secondary grade level. This was three years following Brown vs. the Board of Education, the milestone United States Supreme Court decision that established equal education in public schools.
She was accompanied by another lifelong educator, Genell Cole, who attended school for one year at Wheatley in the seventh grade before transferring to Junior High. “They prepared us intellectually… but not emotionally,” Cole said. “Suddenly, I was the only little black child in class, like Ruby Bridges.”
During a tour of the old classrooms upstairs—now a museum—Colvin McDonald shared about the legacy of the Wheatley Tigers, the school basketball team he was a member of prior to attending PBHS as a senior during the year of integration.
McDonald informed students that the varsity Tigers won the first state championship for Poplar Bluff in 1937 through the Missouri State Negro Interscholastic Athletic Association. Before blacks and whites competed in sports together, he said, they would occasionally scrimmage against the Mules outside of the public eye. “We beat those guys most of the time,” McDonald claimed.
Serving as chaperone for the day, Tammie Newman, a Junior High communication arts teacher, shared how she attended fifth and sixth grade at Wheatley when the building was a neighborhood school within the R-I district in the mid-1970s, showing the students her former classrooms.
Afterward the students went across the street to Rattler’s Grocery, a corner store that recently celebrated its 60th anniversary, and Newman remembered how her classmates used to look forward to going there after school for penny candies. The second-generation owner, Rex Rattler Sr., reminisced how he grew up helping his parents operate the store, and also attended school and church, all within a block radius on Garfield Street.
From there the students visited Pleasant Hill, next door to Wheatley, and learned about the over 100-year-old congregation from church secretary DaRonda Robinson. She took the seventh graders to the kitchen, explaining how Wheatley did not have its own cafeteria, so the students would often eat there over the lunch hour.
Katherine Harris of the Wheatley Historical Preservation Association was credited for organizing the event. She received assistance from a group of volunteers of the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center, whom she made a connection with during the recent Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration at Wheatley.
“We are proud of the growing partnership we have with the Wheatley Historical Preservation Association, and feel that this unique relationship presents an opportunity for our students in Poplar Bluff that are not available in other communities,” stated Dr. Scott Dill, R-I superintendent. “By virtue of this historical landmark, our students have been afforded the chance to be a part of the living history of this community and to hear first-hand accounts about this amazing facility.”
Pictured: Students learn about the Tuskegee Airmen, black military pilots during WWII, from Vietnam veteran Alan Johnson.
Photo and article submitted by Tim Krakowiak, Communications/Marketing Director, Poplar Bluff R-I School District
Last Updated on March 18th 2019 by Dee Loflin
https://showmetimes.com/Blogpost/vcbk/PBJHS-Students-Tour-Garfield-Street-Landmarks
Three Rivers College Music Department Faculty Attends MMEA Conference
March 05th 2019 by Dee Loflin
Poplar Bluff, Missouri - Three Rivers College Music Department faculty recently attended the 81st Annual Missouri Music Educators Association (MMEA) Workshop and Conference, "Appear and Inspire" for professional development, musical enrichment, and time to learn from the collective wisdom of the musical community.
The instructors are pictured at the Southeast Missouri State University alumni reception held at the MMEA conference; from left, Jerry Lintner, Sheri Mitchell, Cindy White, and William White.
Last Updated on March 05th 2019 by Dee Loflin
https://showmetimes.com/Blogpost/vc81/Three-Rivers-College-Music-Department-Faculty-Attends-MMEA-Conference
Three Rivers College Releases Fall 2018 Dean's List
December 18th 2018 by Dee Loflin
Three Rivers College has released its Dean’s List for the Fall 2018 semester. The honor is awarded to students taking 12 or more credit hours in a semester, who achieve a grade point average of 3.5 or above. Dean’s List honors are also used at graduation to help determine eligibility for honors or highest honors.
The following students are from Stoddard County, Missouri:
Advance
Brendan Crader, Leighton Moore, Morgan Roper, Gracci Ward, Oscar Wiseman
Bell City
Danielle Cureton, Emily Keenan, Tina Weakley, Barbara Willeford
Bernie
Winter Brodrick, Jacquelyn Corbin, Dena Costin, Brandon Hurst, Alysa Lewis, Taylor Lovelady, Johnathon Parks, Seth Potts, Jennifer Raybourn
Bloomfield
Jewel Chism, Katie Coleman, Evan Dowell, Zachary Hadley, Caroline Jones, Amanda Leija, Abrie Love, Jessica McMillan, Kalyn Mitchell, Sara Tackett, Christy Williams
Brownwood
Rebecca Hovis
Dexter
Chelsey Barnes, Alexandra Brotz, Layla Brown, Destiny Cagle, Katie Cecil, Jeanie Childers, Madisson Cox, Darren Dixon, Christina Fichtel, Sarah Grummert, Kaitlynne Hann, Kimberly Haws, Britney Hubbard, Kassie Johnson, Bruce Jones, Erika Jones, Brandi Joy, Garrett Keathley, Cody King, Garrett Laramore, Nichole Lathem, Chloe Lemmon, Abigail Mangum, Shanna Martin, Kelly McCoy, Bo McMullin, Lexa Midkiff, Kristi Mitchell, Lori O'Dell, Randy Oliver, Raena Perkey, Jenifer Ritchie, Taylor Scott, Allison Sneed, Madelyn Ward, Samantha Williams, Elexis Zapata
Dudley
Kaitlee Mayabb, Kayleigh Wilkerson
Essex
Baylee Decker, Tristan Montgomery
Puxico
Madison Caldwell, Andrew Ellsworth, Ashley Garris, Jeffrey Gunnels, Zachary Hull, Colton Reinert, Clayton Riddle, Krag Runzi, Lea Shepard, Tara Shepherd
Last Updated on December 18th 2018 by Dee Loflin
https://showmetimes.com/Blogpost/vbot/Three-Rivers-College-Releases-Fall-2018-Deans-List
Grant Helps Three Rivers College Build Apprenticeship Program
December 13th 2018 by Dee Loflin
Three Rivers College recently received a grant from the Division of Workforce Development through the Missouri Registered Apprenticeship Program (MORAP) that has allowed the College to start an apprenticeship program in cooperation with area manufacturers. The goal of the program is to work with local businesses to create much-needed highly-skilled workers. Currently, the program includes Industrial Maintenance Technician and Tool & Die Maintenance.
Students in the program learn a specific skillset through on-the-job training and also receive additional education from their employer and Three Rivers. This program will help speed up the process of taking workers from apprentice to journeyman, getting people ready faster to take over for those retiring.
“There is a great demand for skilled workers,” said Dr. Dan Lauder, Chair of Career Studies and Workforce Development at Three Rivers College. “I would like students to understand that companies really need and value career technical professionals. It’s a great career choice.”
Dr. Justin Hoggard, Dean of Instruction at Three Rivers College, adds that this is a great program for area businesses, as well. “This grant allows the College some additional resources making it possible for us to better connect with employers and develop very specific needs,” said Hoggard.
“Ultimately, this apprenticeship program will lead to better trained, more satisfied employees,” said Three Rivers Assistant Professor DeAndre Prater. “It makes people feel valued to know that their company is willing to invest in them. It’s good for everyone,” said Prater.
As more manufacturers learn about the program and its benefits, Lauder expects the program to grow. “We are starting small because this is a new endeavor for us,” said Lauder. “Our objective is to get the word out and grow this into a substantial program,” he continued.
Hoggard sees this as another way the College can evolve to help meet current and future needs. “Having recently celebrated our 50th anniversary, this is one of many new opportunities for us to continue serving southeast Missouri for many years to come,” said Hoggard.
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.
Pictured: Wade Johnson with the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship, presents the Certificate of Registration of Apprenticeship Program to Dr. Wesley Payne, President of Three Rivers College. Pictured are: front row (from left), Tina Gargas, Starting USA; Wade Johnson, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship; Dr. Wesley Payne, President, Three Rivers College; and back row (from left), William Cooper, Director, Workforce Development; DeAndre Prater, Assistant Professor, Industrial Technology; Dr. Dan Lauder, Chair, Career Studies and Workforce Development. Involved in the program, but unable to attend was Bobby Ward of Refresco Beverages.
Last Updated on December 13th 2018 by Dee Loflin
https://showmetimes.com/Blogpost/vbo6/Grant-Helps-Three-Rivers-College-Build-Apprenticeship-Program
