Sparklight®, along with the other Cable One® family of brands, will open spring 2023 applications for the company’s Charitable Giving Fund, which annually awards $250,000 in grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, from April 1-30, 2023.

Grants will be made available across communities served by Sparklight and the other Cable One family of brands (Fidelity Communications, Hargray, and ValuNet Fiber) and will concentrate support in the following priority areas:

Education and Digital Literacy

Hunger Relief and Food Insecurity

Community Development

Last year the company awarded grants to nearly 60 nonprofits, including organizations serving the homeless, providing child advocacy, offering senior assistance, and supplying food to those in need, to name a few. 

The Charitable Giving Fund is an extension of the company’s existing corporate social responsibility efforts, which include:

Supporting national organizations dedicated to advancing education and diversity, including the Emma Bowen Foundation and the National Diversity Council. 

Supporting the mission of Special Olympics, which provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports, as well as health, arts, and leadership and advocacy programs for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. 

Planting trees through the Arbor Day Foundation on behalf of customers who switch to paperless billing. By the end of 2023, the company will have planted 130,000 trees in its markets and national forests.

Supporting the mission of Keep America Beautiful in cleaning up and beautifying communities across the U.S. 

“We are committed to helping strengthen the cities and towns where we live and work by giving back to the local nonprofits who do so much to support our communities,” said Julie Laulis, Cable One President and CEO. 

For more information about the Sparklight Charitable Giving Fund, visit https://www.sparklight.com/charitablegiving.

A Proclamation Honoring The Victims Of The Tragedy In Nashville, Tennessee

As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on March 27, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, March 31, 2023. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-seventh.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

President of the United States of America

BRIDGE CLOSURE - US 60/62

Alexander County, Illinois and Mississippi County, Missouri

Cairo, IL - The Illinois Department of Transportation would like to alert motorists traveling in the Cairo area that the US 60/62 bridge over the Mississippi River will be closed to all traffic.

Critical issues were discovered during the Routine Inspection that started March 13, 2023.  The bridge will remain closed until a plan can be developed and implemented.

Message board will be in place to direct traffic.

The Stoddard County Commission meeting opened with a Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer by Presiding Greg Mathis.

Health Insurance Update

Closed session was held on Friday, Mr. John McCarty from Arch Brokerage, Cecil Weeks and his staff along with the Commissioners discussed the insurance.  They will work with the insurance company to reconcile the census each month. No further discussion.

Steve Jordan Termination Update

As of last week, Mr. Cecil Week's has not received any information or letter from Jordan's attorney.   "We will leave that alone for the time being," commented Mathis.

Letting of Depository Bid (4) Year Term

Motion to approve Letting of Depository Bid (4) Year Term to be placed in the newspaper and send a letter to all the banks in Stoddard County made by Commissioner Carol Jarrell.  Seconded by Commissioner Greg Lintz.  All three voted yes.

"We will send a letter to the banks," stated Mathis.  "It will also be placed in the newspaper."  It must be approved by 10:00 a.m. April 24th with a start date by July 1, 2023 made by 

VanGuard Computer Systems

The VanGuard Appraisals, Inc. Computer Systems 5 year contract extension request was presented by Dan Creg, Assessor.   The Assessor's office uses this system for everything in their office.  The cost is $93,025.00 for the 5 years.  There is also a 5 year Service Contract totaling $19, 250.00.

Motion to allow Assessor, Dan Creg, to enter into a 5-year contract with VanGuard Appraisals, Inc. for their computer systems made by Commissioner Greg Lintz.  Seconded by Jarrell.  All three voted yes.

Dale Moreland, Castor Township

Castor Township will be applying for ARPA Funds.  County Road 413 needs much repair including asphalt.  For a cost of $100,000 Causey Asphalt said they could do about 3/4 of a mile.  Mr. Mathis stated that it would have to bid out via the newspaper and that Mr. Moreland needed to get a letter of request to Katelyn Lambert, Bootheel Regional Planning Commission of what exactly what Castor Township plans to do with the monies requests.  Then get approval from the attorney if this is a good project or not.

Motion to accept the meeting minutes from the Regular Session on March 6, 2023.  Jarrell made the motion, seconded by Lintz.  All three voted yes.

Motion to accept the meeting minutes for the Regular Session on March 13, 2023 made by Lintz.  Seconded by Jarrell.  All three voted yes.

Motion to accept the meeting minutes for Closed Session on March 17, 2023 made by Jarrell.  Seconded by Lintz.  All three voted yes.

Plans to have Commissioner Appointed C.D. Stewart potentially sworn in at the next meeting.  The Senate has been out on Spring break and do not convene until March 20th in the afternoon.  The Committee has approved him, but the Senate has not had the opportunity to vote yet.

Motion to approve the Adds & Abates for February 2023 from the Collector's Office made by Commissioner Jarrell, Seconded by Commissioner Lintz.  All three voted yes.

Commissioner Jarrell left the meeting early to represent the County Commissioners at the GoSEMO Fiber event in Sikeston.  SEMO Electric Cooperative has been awarded 3 broadband grants to expand services in rural Southeast Missouri (see attached press release).   An official award announcement at the cooperative offices with the MO Broadband Office director and staff has been scheduled for Monday, March 20th  at 11:30 a.m.

Sawyer Smith, Prosecuting Attorney

Mr. Smith has requested to add a glass window inside the Prosecuting Attorney's office.  This will be on the Agenda for next week. Mathis states he may ask other office holders if they would like the same in their office.

Mr. Smith also presented the Commissioners with a potential source for a grant for Child Sex Crimes advocacy and investigation.  The grant is capped at $100,000 and is an ARPA Fund Grant through the State of Missouri.    The grant can be used to hire additional employees for support to prosecute Child Sex Cases.  The grant opened on March 13, 2023 and is open until May 13, 2023. This would  be a part-time position and save the taxpayers in Stoddard County.

Since Mrs. Jarrell had left the meeting Mr. Mathis wanted her to have an opportunity to look over the document submitted by Smith.  Mr. Smith requested a special meeting by the Commissioners this week to approve the grant proposal.  Mr. Mathis will consider this once he has additional information as the document given is not all the information, but a Terms and Conditions for Contractor Receipt of Federal ARPA SFRF Funds and not the actual application for the grant.

Motion to adjourn at 12;01 p.m. by Lintz, seconded by Mathis.  Both voted yes to adjourn the regular meeting.