By Annabeth Miller,
ShowMe Times Editor

April is Community College Month across America, and the Stoddard County Commission official marked the significance of the month, proclaiming it as Community College Month in the county.

County Commissioner Greg Mathis signed the proclamation at the new Three Rivers Center in Dexter. On hand for the proclamation signing was Vice President For Learning, Dr. Wesley Payne as well as Center Coordinator Bill Hampton and assistant Ann Matthews and Dexter Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Janet Coleman.

The proclamation notes that Three Rivers has more than 3,700 students enrolled in face-to-face, online and interactive television courses each semester throughout the region. In addition to the main campus in Poplar Bluff and the new center in Dexter, the college has centers in Malden, Sikeston, Kennett and Cape Girardeau.

Three Rivers has a 45-year history of proving educational opportunities to people in a 15-county region of Southeast Missouri, including Stoddard County. The college’s service region reaches from Cape Girardeau county to the Pemiscot and Dunklin counties and west to Carter, Ripley and Wayne counties.

The American Association of Community Colleges has established April as Community College Month to raise awareness about the ever-growing importance of two-year institutions across the nation. Three Rivers is one of 12 Missouri community colleges, and the designated provider of two-year degrees for the Southeast Missouri region.

Photo Above: Stoddard County Commissioner Greg Mathis signs the proclamation designating the month of April as Community College Month in Stoddard County. The proclamation signing was hand at the new Three Rivers College Center in Dexter. On hand for the signing were (standing, from left) Center Assistant Coordinator Ann Matthews, college Vice President For Learning Dr. Wesley Payne, Center Coordinator Bill Hampton, and Dexter Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Janet Coleman.

State Senate Rob Mayer (center, left) presents Three Rivers College President Dr. Devin Stephenson a resolution from the Missouri State Senate marking Community College Month in the Show Me State. A delegation from Three Rivers College traveled to Jefferson City to visit with Mayer and other area legislators.

BREAKING NEWS

By Annabeth Miller,
ShowMe Times Editor

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. - April 5, 2011 - A new face will join will be seated at the next meeting of the Dexter Board of Education, and all three Dexter on the ballot were reelected.

Unofficial returns from Tuesday's election released by Stoddard County Clerk Joe Watson show Betty Keirsey and Mark Nea were reelected to the Dexter Board of Education and Kevin Bishop was elected to the position vacated by Jackie McKuin.
The unofficial totals for the school board race are:

* Betty Keirsey - 693 votes
* Mark Nea - 817 votes
* Kevin Bishop - 860 votes
* Annette Hux - 485 votes

There was a total of six write-in votes tabulated in the race.

In Dexter city races, three aldermen were on the ballot for reelection.

In Ward 1, incumbent alderment Terry Battles won reelection to the board with 152 votes, over Jerry Jenkins' 43 total votes.

Dr. Rick Hux won reelection in Ward 2 with 221 votes over challenger Billy McClain, who had 78 votes.

Ward 3 Alderman John Kirby Taylor received 63 votes, was unopposed, but there were three write-in ballots in the ward.

The Water District No. 4 question overwhelmingly passed, with 222 yes votes to 36 no.

A few surprises were slipped into an otherwise very light turnout of an election.

In Bernie Ward 3, Jerry Jenkins and Ivan L. Mekan tied, with 33 votes each. Candidate John W. Atkinson garnered 12 votes. Watson reported that the ballots in that precinct would be tallied again by hand, with the results of that hand-count available Wednesday morning.

In Dudley's Ward 2, Barbara Robinson received 2 votes, but there were 3 write-in votes cast in the precinct.

Photo above: Shirley Carney and Kathy Skelton look over the tallies from Castor Township at the Stoddard County Government Building Tuesday night. Carney defeated Ronald Williams for Castor Township Road District Treasurer, 372 votes to Williams' 165. Skelton defeated Brittany Williams for the Castor Township Road District Clerk; Skelton received 445 votes; Williams 93. (ShowMe Times photo by Annabeth Miller)

By Annabeth Miller,
ShowMe Times Editor

Today is election day in Missouri, and voters across the region will be choosing mayors, aldermen, school board members and deciding on tax and other referendums.

In Dexter, aldermen in all three wards will be elected. Incumbent Terry Battles faces Jerrry Jenkins in Ward 1 and incumbent Rick Hux faces Billy McClain in Ward 2. John Kirby Taylor is unopposed in Ward 3.

Four candidates are seeking three seats on the Dexter Board of Education. Incumbents Betty Keirsey and Mark Nea, and challengers Kevin Bishop and Annette Hux are on the school board ballot. Voters will be asked to vote for three candidates.

Voters in Rural Water District #4 will decide Ton whether the district shoul issue$2.6 million in bonds to replace equipment that has been in place since the early 1970s. The water district includes about 500 customers north and east of Dexter.

When are the polls open?

Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

I'm not sure where to vote.

In Dexter, there are three ward and one Dexter rural polling places:

• Dexter Ward One: Second General Baptist Church
• Dexter Ward Two: Keller Public Library
• Dexter Ward Three: Dexter Municipal Building (on Vine Street)
• Dexrter Rural: Sacred Heart Catholic Church

For questions concerning other polling places in Stoddard County, contact County Clerk Joe Watson at 568-3339.

How will I find out the winners?

The ShowMe Times will post the latest election results throughout the evening on Facebook and Twitter. For complete election results check the ShowMe Times on Wednesday.

Photo Above: Mariranne Bruce was an early morning voter in Dexter Ward Two. Polls throughout Missouri stay open until 7 p.m.

By Annabeth Miller,
ShowMe Times Editor

JEFFERSON CITY - A new face and voice for work zone safety will be taking the messages statewide this year.

Standing at an impressive 11 feet tall and made from recycled orange and white barrels is the new statewide spokesperson - Barrel Bob.

"Barrel Bob has been immensely popular in Kansas City and has really helped area motorists to pay attention and slow down in work zones," said Don Hillis, director of system management for the Missouri Department of Transportation. "We thought he could help us educate the rest of the state in a positive way and take our current theme of ‘Don't Barrel Through Work Zones' even further."

Motorists around the state will begin hearing Barrel Bob's safety messages on the radio during Work Zone Awareness Week April 4-8. Throughout the summer, radio and internet banner ads, safety advertisements on fuel pump tops and information on the electronic message boards will remind motorists to drive safely in work zones.

State officials are joining MoDOT in promoting the work zone safety message.

“As spring finally begins to break through this long winter season, many of us take to the roads to experience new places while our road crews, engineers and construction workers get to work on building and repairing our roadways,” State Sen. Rob Mayer, R-Dexter, said. “As we set out on our journeys, we should be mindful of being safe when we travel, especially when it comes to work zones we may encounter.”

As a part of the week’s events, taking place from April 4-8, the Southeast District of MoDOT enlisted the help of area legislators for a Work Zone Awareness Wall of Fame on Flickr.

MoDOT’s Hillis stressed the importance of work zone safety.

"Work zone safety is personal to all of us," Hillis said. "We want our employees to go home safe and sound every night, and we want motorists to get where they're going quickly and safely."

In 2010, 15 people were killed in Missouri work zones, an increase from 2009 when 13 people were killed. There were 1,033 people injured in 2010 in Missouri work zones, compared to 676 in 2009. This is an increase of almost 53 percent. Between 2006 and 2010, 64 people were killed and 4,294 people were injured in Missouri work zones.

Since 2000, 15 MoDOT employees have been killed in the line of duty.

The top five contributing circumstances for work zone crashes in 2010 were following too closely, inattention, improper lane usage/change, driving too fast for conditions and failure to yield. In 2010, of the 819 traffic fatalities, 632 were vehicle occupant fatalities and 68 percent of them were not wearing a seat belt.

"We're again reminding the public to rate work zones they've driven through because that first-hand information will help us make adjustments and increase safety for motorists and our work crews," Hillis said. To fill out a Work Zone Customer Survey and help improve MoDOT work zones, visit www.modot.org/workzones/comments.htm.

For more information about construction projects statewide, look for work zone locations on MoDOT's interactive traveler information map at http://www.modot.org/ or call 888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636).