State Rep. Paul Curtman was the guest this month at the Stoddard County Republican Club meeting.

Curtman is a first-term Republican state representative from Pacific. He represents District 105 in the Missouri House, which includes parts of Franklin, Jefferson and St. Louis counties.

Curtman spoke to the club about the values of individuals liberty, limited government, and state rights with respect to the Constitution.

Serving in the U.S. Marine Corp from 1999 to 2003, Curtman attained the rank of sergeant. While on active duty he participated in operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and the Global War on Terror.

Curtman is a member of Cornerstone Baptist Church where he also serves as the assistant youth director. He is a 1999 graduate of Pacific High School and a received his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Missouri - St. Louis. After graduating from the university, he became a licensed Series 7 Financial Advisor.

The Stoddard County Republican Club meets at 6:30 p.m., the third Monday of the month at the Hickory Log Restaurant in Dexter.

Photo Above: Stoddard County Republican Club President Carol Beam greets State Rep. Paul Curtman at this month's meeting of the Stoddard County Republican Club. (Reader Submitted photo by Gene Weeks)

Photo Bloe: State Rep. Paul Curtman is welcomed to Stoddard County by (from left) County Associate Commissioner Carol Jarrell, Curtman, State. Rep. Billy Pat Wright, and State Senator Rob Mayer. (SMT photo by Annabeth Miller)

By Annabeth Miller,
ShowMe Times Editor

With Dexter schools set to open Thursday morning, new teachers and other school employees were recently introduced during the annual “back to school” luncheon for teachers and staff in the Dexter district. The luncheon was held Tuesday at DHS, sandwiched in between a full agenda of meetings and time for teachers to spend preparing their classrooms. New members of the Dexter School staff for 2011-2012 include:

Southwest Elementary

• Kathy Taylor will be a Title I VIP aid at Southwest
• Molly Propst will serve as a Title I VIP aid at Southwest Elementary this year.

Central Elementary

• Adam Clark will teach third grade at Central. Clark is a Dexter High School alum and graduated in 2010 from Hannibal-LeGrange University. This is his first year teaching in public school
• Jennifer Bolin will be teaching 5th grade. She is from Doniphan, and graduated in 2006 from Southeast Missouri State University. This is her fifth year of teaching.
• Cody Boyer will be an aide in the 4th and 5th grade. Boyer is an Dexter High School alum and graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in 2009.
• Kristi Rinehart will be teaching 4th grade at Central. Kristi is no stranger to Central Elementary or the Dexter district; this will be her first as a classroom teacher.

T. S. Hill Middle School

• Scott Kruse has returned to his hometown as the principal at T.S. Hill Middle School. He earned degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1994, from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1996 and in 2007 earned his master's of education from William Woods University. He served for six years as the assistant principal at New Madrid County Central Middle School.
• Chris Bolin will teach Special Services at the middle school. A graduate of Doniphan High School, he is a 2006 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University and has worked in education for four years.
• John Walker will teach grades 6-8 Special Services at the middle school.

Dexter High School

• Misty Everett will teach English at Dexter High School. She is a Campbell native and has spent seven years in education as a teacher. She received a Bachelor of Science in Education in 2003 from Southeast Missouri State University, and a M.A. degree in 2008, also from Southeast.
• Rhonda Lane is a native of Fayette and has 24 years experience in education. She received a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1987 and a master’s degree from William Woods University in 2006. She will teach English and Personal Finance at DHS.
• Candy Miller will be the nurse at Dexter High School. No stranger to Dexter schools, she has children in the local schools.
• Marti Pulliam is the new Industrial Arts teacher at DHS. She is a native of Ellington, has two years of teaching experience, and lives in Bernie. She graduated in 2010 from Hannibal-LeGrange University.
• Jamie Sepulvado will teach choral music at DHS and T. S. Hill Middle School. She is a Jackson native, has taught for 11 years, and graduated in 2000 from Southeast Missouri State University.

Students report for classes on Thursday morning, Aug. 18 for a half day of classes. The first full day is Friday, Aug. 19.

Photo Above: New staff for the 2011-2012 school year include (seated, from left) Misty Everett, Marti Pulliam, Jamie Sepulvado, Molly Propst, Kathy Taylor, Candy Miller, Kristi Rinehart; (standing, from left) Cody Boyer, Scott Kruse, John Walker, Rhonda Lane, Jennifer Bolin, Chris Bolin, Adam Clark. (SMT Photo By Annabeth Miller)

By Annabeth Miiler,
ShowMe Times Editor

Flags across Missouri will fly at half-staff on Thursday in honor of a U.S. Navy Seal who died in service to the nation.

Gov. Jay Nixon has has ordered that the U.S. and Missouri flags at state buildings in all 114 counties and the City of St. Louis be flown at half-staff on Wednesday, Aug. 17 to honor the bravery and sacrifice of Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Matthew D. Mason.

Chief Petty Officer Mason, age 37, of Holt, was a sailor in the U.S. Navy serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He died on Aug. 6 of injuries sustained when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter was attacked while conducting special operations combat in the Wardak Province, Afghanistan.

The funeral for Chief Petty Officer Mason will be held on Aug. 17.

In addition to the flags statewide, Nixon has ordered that the U.S. and Missouri flags at all state buildings in Clay County be flown at half-staff from Aug. 18 to Aug. 23.

“Chief Petty Officer Mason served our country with bravery and dedication as a Navy SEAL, and I ask all Missourians to remember his sacrifice when they see the lowered flags,” Nixon said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family as they mourn for him.”

Chief Petty Officer Mason was assigned to the East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare Unit. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star (2 awards), Purple Heart (2 awards), Joint Service Commendation Medal with “V” device for valor, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat “V” device for valor, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon (2 awards), Presidential Unit Citation (2 awards), Joint Meritorious Unit Commendation, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Good Conduct Medal (3 awards), National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (6 awards), Rifle Marksmanship Medal, and the Pistol Marksmanship Medal.

In flying a flag at half-staff there are some general rules and procedures to follow:

• Most half staff days suggest that the American flag is at half staff from sunrise until sunset on the days of the order. Memorial day is the exception where the American flag is at half staff from sunrise until noon.
• When raising the American flag to half staff on a vertical pole, always raise it briskly to the top of the flagpole for a moment before lowering it. When taking it down for the night, raise it to the top of the flag pole again & lower it to the bottom.
• With a telescoping pole it is acceptable to put the USA flag on the second set of rings instead of the top set. In this case the top set would be left empty.
• When the United States flag is flown at half-staff, State and other flags should be removed or flown at half-staff too.
• Only the President and state Governors can decide when and how long the American flag should be flown at half-staff.

By Annabeth Miller,
ShowMe Times Editor

BLOOMFIELD - Stoddard County officials have a new “opponent” to fight in the county’s facilities. Late last week, county commissioners were informed of - and took the first steps to fight - the growth of mold in one of the county’s facilities.

“We have a mold problem at the Justice Center,” Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis said at Monday’s weekly meeting of the County Commissioner. Mathis said commissioners were notified last week that mold is growing in the ventilation system in the Justice Center. Commissioners contacted architect Dale Rogers to find out what steps needed to be taken to correct the situation. The architect of the Justice Center was the late Harold Porterfield of Poplar Bluff.

“We immediately called Tetra Tech,” Mathis said. Tetra Tech is a provider of consulting, engineering, and technical services worldwide. The team responding to the Stoddard County situation is based in Collinsville, Ill. “They were doing a job in Fulton at that time and on Wednesday they pushed a man loose and sent him (to Bloomfield).”

Mathis reported the TetraTech technician took more than 20 samples as well as air samples from the Justice Center. The samples were delivered to EMSL Analytical of St. Louis and studies were conducted, Mathis said.

Representatives from Tetra Tech, Dale Rogers, a fungal clean up company and Langford Sheet Metal from Jackson, a St. Louis-based mechanical engineering group will meet with county officials.

“At that time they will talk about our heating and cooling system we have in the Justice Center to see if they can see any issues with it,” Mathis said. Langford Sheet Metal did the heating and air system in the County Government Building; Buffington Brothers from Poplar Bluff did the system in the Justice Center.

“The gentleman from Tetra Tech will present a plan of action tomorrow (Tuesday),” Mathis said. The plan will inform the county of what is growing in the system as well as a plan to clean the system and disinfecting of the ductwork.

“All the employees have been notified of everything that’s going one over there from the get-go” Mathis said. “So the bottom line is we’re going to get an evaluation, we’re going to get the problem fixed up and see what we need to do to more forward and correct it to where the heating and air conditioning works properly.”

Mathis said some shuffling is being done to be able to conduct business in areas not affected by the mold.

Last week Commissioners Carol Jarrell and Frank Sifford met with representatives of Union Pacific Railroad concerning a number of rural railroad crossings in the county. Crossings inspected late last week include the ones on County Roads 967,708, 702, 567- 551, and 331.

“They told me that over there by 967 (near Fisk), those trains run 70 to 75 miles per hour,” Sifford said.

“While we were covering these roads, there were trains that came through at more than 60 miles per hour,” Jarrell said. “They said it would probably be a year or more down the road, but they are going to put gates and lights on all these crossings.”

In other business Monday morning:

• Presiding Commissioner Mathis reported that plastic shields have now been placed over the thermostats in offices in the Justice Center; he said he spoke to many of the Justice Center employees concerning the shields.

• Commissioners received the sales tax report, which showed the county was up in sale tax receipts approximately $25,000 over August 2010 and $86,000 up for the year.

• Commissioner Sifford reported he has been working on the cleaning out of Ditch 13 southeast of Advance. Sifford said there is a possibility of a cleaning out about 3,600 feet of the ditch and save the ditch district $5-7,000 on the project.

Photo Above: Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis discusses how the county plans to address the mold that has grown in the Stoddard County Justice Center. (SMIT Photo by Annabeth Miller)

SIKESTON - The Illinois Department of Transportation is alerting motorists traveling Interstate 57 of an upcoming interstate closure.

Beginning Tuesday, Aug. 16, the I-57 bridge over the Mississippi River spanning from Missouri to Illinois will be closed to north and southbound traffic. The closure is anticipated to be in place three days, as IDOT's contractor makes repairs to the bridge.

Marked detour routes will be in place for north and southbound traffic. Detour routes include:

Northbound: I-55 in Missouri, Missouri 74 (through Cape Girardeau), IL 146, IL 3, I-57.
Southbound: IL 3 (Exit 1), IL 146, Missouri 74 (through Cape Girardeau), Interstate 55

Due to the high volume of traffic, the marked detour is expected to be congested with probable delays. Motorists are encouraged to seek an alternate route. Motorists are urged to use caution when traveling in the area and should observe all message boards and detour route signage.

The Dorena-Hickman Ferry is an additional detour option. For more information about the ferry, please visit:http://www.dorena-hickmanferryboat.com/

For additional information about the upcoming closure, please contact IDOT Construction Engineer Keith Roberts at (618) 351-5253 or MoDOT's Customer Service Center at 573-472-5333.