The City of Dexter is thrilled to announce that the Friends of the Park Committee has been awarded a $10,000 environmental grant from Ameren to support the growth of Dexter's recycling infrastructure and community education. The funds were used to purchase a recycling trailer, an essential tool for enhancing the city’s recycling efforts.
The new trailer will help meet the growing demand for recycling in the community, improving accessibility to recycling services for residents and ensuring that more materials can be diverted from the landfill. The Friends of the Park Committee is committed to promoting environmental sustainability and encouraging the community to take an active role in recycling efforts. The organization believes that with the addition of the new, more efficient trailer, the city will be able to further engage citizens in responsible recycling practices.
“We’re excited to receive this grant from Ameren, which will allow us to continue to improve our recycling infrastructure and increase community participation in our program,” said a representative of the Friends of the Park committee. “We’re hopeful that the new trailer will inspire more people to recycle and will ultimately help us work toward a cleaner, more sustainable environment.”
"Ameren is pleased to support the City of Dexter with this grant to assist in the purchase of a recycling trailer," said Russell Burger, director of Ameren Missouri's SEMO Division. "This initiative will significantly enhance their recycling efforts and contribute to a more sustainable future for our community. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this will have on Dexter's environmental initiatives."
The Dexter Friends of the Park Committee is a nonprofit group dedicated to making lasting improvements in the community. Through teamwork, collaboration, and volunteer efforts, the organization helps shape the future of Dexter by focusing on sustainability, accessibility, and inclusivity.
This grant has been allocated from Ameren's Charitable Trust, which comes from corporate earnings and not part of a business expense charged to customers. The Ameren Corporation Charitable Trust was established in 1944 to serve as a principal source of the company’s philanthropic investments in community projects and programs. For more information on the corporation's philanthropic contributions and energy assistance initiatives, please visit ameren.com/company/community.
The Keller Public Library has been awarded a $4,708 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) technology grant made possible through the Missouri State Library. The grant funds will be used to replace three staff computers.
This grant, which pays 75% of the total project cost, will allow the library to remain on target with their regular equipment replacement policy in order to improve customer satisfaction and offer them the best service with upgraded technology.
Mingo National Wildlife Refuge 24279 State HWY 51
Puxico, MO 63960
(573) 222-3589
Mingo National Wildlife Refuge Planning Intermittent Closures for Feral Hog Control
PUXICO, MISSOURI - The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will be conducting a multiple-day aerial operation to control feral hogs on Mingo National Wildlife Refuge between January 16 and 22, 2025. This management action will involve a helicopter flying over the refuge with APHIS personnel targeting and shooting feral hogs. For public safety, the entire refuge will be closed to public entry intermittently, with all roads entering the refuge closed. This closure includes all access to the refuge including vehicle, foot, bicycle, and horseback.
The refuge will be closed for periods over the seven days; however, because of numerous circumstances (weather conditions, etc.), the actual closure date(s) have not yet been determined. If planning to visit Mingo National Wildlife Refuge January 16-22, 2025, please check our website fws.gov/refuge/mingo for updates on this activity. You can also call the refuge office at 573-222-3589 to get an update on the timing of the closure(s).
This refuge management operation, paired with a larger eradication plan utilizing multiple tools, will substantially decrease the feral hog population on the refuge. Feral hogs are a non-native species that can proliferate quickly and negatively impact the native plants and animals of the refuge. Feral hogs are opportunistic feeders and will forage on the eggs of ground nesting birds and will even eat reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals. They also compete with native species like deer and turkey for important food sources such as acorns. Their rooting and wallowing behavior heavily alter the native habitats of the refuge, thus impacting the refuge’s primary missions of protecting bottomland hardwood forest habitat and serving as an inviolate sanctuary for migratory waterfowl.
Mingo National Wildlife Refuge is located 1.5 mile north of Puxico, MO on State Highway 51. For more information, contact (573) 222-3589 or email the refuge at mingo@fws.gov. Check our website, fws.gov/refuge/mingo, for refuge updates and be sure to check our refuge events tabs for upcoming events and observances!
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is the world's premier system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife, and plants. Since President Theodore Roosevelt designated Florida's Pelican Island as the first wildlife refuge in 1903, the System has grown to more than 150 million acres, 570 national wildlife refuges and other units of the Refuge System, plus 38 wetland management districts. Visit www.fws.gov
Kids Day at the Museum:
THE CIVIL WAR
IN SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI
in 1865
Saturday, January 25, 2025
10 AM to 2 PM
Join us for Kids Day at the Museum: The Civil War in Southeast Missouri 1865 at The Stars and Stripes National Museum and Library on Saturday, January 25, 2025, from 10 am to 2 pm.
Immerse yourself in pivotal historical events, including the Emancipation of the slaves in 1865, and engage in interactive activities like a Scavenger Hunt and explore the lesser-known Southeastern skirmishes of the Civil War. Step back in time with our engaging Living History presentations featuring Civil War reenactors.
Event Highlights:
• Emancipation of Missouri slaves: January 11, 1865
• Scavenger Hunt
• Southeast Missouri skirmishes
• Living History with Civil War reenactors
The Dexter Auxiliary for the Kenady-Hanks American Legion Post 59 here in Dexter, Missouri will elect officers on January the 18th at 11:00 am.
This meeting will be very important as we will activating the charter for the Auxiliary!
Please help spread the word!!
The State Auxiliary President will be there to talk about the Auxiliary and it's benefits and so on.
If your interested please make plans on attending this meeting.
The First Post Commander for Kenady-Hanks American Legion Post 59 was Max Clodfelter. He was commander from 1925-1936 then again from 1938-1940
