By Annabeth Miller, ShowMe Times Editor

Starting 2012 with an agenda with few surprises, Dexter’s aldermen will meet Tuesday, Jan. 2 for its first meeting of the new year.

The gavel will sound to convene the Board of Aldermen at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in the Municipal Building on Vine Street. The agenda released last week by city officials outlines a rather “routine” meeting to begin the year.

Aldermen will receive the November 2011 report from City Auditor Eddie Cato, reports from the city department heads, as well as the report from disbursements for December 2011 from City Clerk Crystal Bishop.

Filing for aldermanic and the mayor’s position opened Dec. 13, 2011. Four aldermanic positions as well as Dexter’s mayor and city collector offices will be on the April 3 municipal ballot. 

At last report, all incumbents had filed:

• Joe Weber, for reelection to a four-year term as mayor; Weber was first elected as mayor in 2002
• Crystal Allstun, for reelection to a four-year term as city collector. Allstun first became city collector in 2002; she is seeking her second four-year term
• Jerry D. Corder, reelection to a two-year term as alderman from Ward One
• Ray Pixley, reelection to a two-year term as alderman from Ward Three 

In addition, Tim Aslin filled for election to a one-year term to fill an unexpired term on the board. Aslin was appointed to the Board of Aldermen earlier this year from Ward Two to fill an opening left by the resignation of Rick Hux.

 

The last day to file to be a candidate on the April ballot if Tuesday, Jan. 17.

 

A reminder: Due to the Monday, Jan. 2 holiday, the trash pick-up schedule in Dexter will run one day late this week, and there will be no bulk pickup on Friday, Jan. 6.

 

Photo Above: Dexter Mayor Joe E. Weber.

By Annabeth Miller, SMT Editor

'Did you feel the shake, rattle and roll?

The Center for Earthquake Research and Information out of the University of Memphis reports an earthquake Thursday morning in Southeast Missouri.

Seismic monitors report an earthquake occurred Thursday, Dec. 29 at 9:06 a.m. The magnitude 2.8 earthquake was centered 7 miles west-southwest of New Madrid, 10 miles from Portageville and 10 miles from Parma.

Responses of having felt the quake were received the CER from Lilbourn, Marston, New Madrid and Portageville.

It was 200 years ago – on Dec. 16, 1812 – when a series of earthquakes began along what is now known as the New Madrid Fault – the most powerful earthquakes to hit the eastern United States in recorded history.

Did you feel Thursday’s quake? Share your experiences with the ShowMe Times by emailing news@showmetimes.com

At the end of the year, Dr. William Morehead of Malden will be retiring from a 56 year long career as a trusted healthcare provider and moreover - as a quintessential small town doctor. During these years, Dr. Morehead has provided medical care for multiple generations of Malden-area residents. At the impressive age of 80, he now feels that it is time to end this meaningful chapter of his life.

Dr. Morehead is originally from Memphis, where his father was a pharmacist. Though his father died when he was a teen, his mother was determined to put her youngest child through college. He first studied engineering at Mississippi State University, but was convinced by his roommate to begin studying medicine. He then attended the University of Tennessee’s medical school in Memphis.

After graduating medical school in 1955, Dr. Morehead completed his internship and residency at John Gaston Hospital in Memphis. And, near the end of his studies, he married his wife, Patricia Riegle, of Memphis. His in-laws would later joke about his knowledge of where babies come from, as during the early years, "Pat" was near-constantly pregnant. They had four children, Patricia (Kilgore) of Knoxville; Will Jr., & Robert, both of Memphis; and Elizabeth (Hilton) of Los Angeles.

Marriage, however, did not prevent Dr. Morehead from his mandatory military service (as he was no longer being exempted due to medical school). He served in various positions at the veteran’s hospital until he was drafted by the army. He was stationed at the Pine Bluff Arsenal in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

When his military service came to a close, he took a job in Kennett at a small hospital, where he worked for a short time. But Dr. Morehead wanted to do general practice, and in 1963 he took a job offered by Dr. Wayne Croom of Malden. Dr. Morehead stayed in Malden for the rest of his career - he has always preferred the small town lifestyle for his practice of medicine and for raising a family. His wife, Pat, worked with him in his office for a number of years.

Dr. Morehead has led an exemplary life—many who know him see him as a role model. As a doctor, he made himself available constantly for his patients, finding it necessary to install a second phone line when his children were teens to ensure a connection for his patients. Additionally, he set up his very own mini-lab to increase his medical capabilities and eliminate sending his patients to other facilities. He provided services ranging from making house calls to setting broken bones to delivering babies, even delivering two of his own children. For many years, he volunteered as the team physician for Malden High School and performed team physicals for other area sports programs. Dr. Morehead has served as President for both the Lions Club and the Malden Country Club. His advanced skills in the game of bridge earned him the accolade of Life Master.

As the Patriarch of a beautiful family of scholars, musicians and genuinely nice human beings, Dr. Morehead's love of games and music gives life to family gatherings. Son-in-law, Dr. Larry Kilgore is not only an accomplished physician, but also a national "thumb-picking" guitar champion; Granddaughter Lauren Kilgore, a recording vocalist (and an attorney with a top Nashville firm), recently celebrated her marriage with a grand reception at the Country Music Hall of Fame; Grandson Turner Morehead studies theater at High Point University in North Carolina; Granddaughter Eva Hilton is an acclaimed student at the most highly regarded schools in Los Angeles. All together, his talented brood numbers eight grandchildren, ranging in age from 6 - 30. Dr. Morehead loves nothing more than a gathering where family members share their musical talents as well as their diverse points of view.

Patricia Kilgore, Morehead’s oldest child, describes her father as "an understated man who shies away from the limelight"; those who know him would agree. His future plans include more time for golf and family visits. Meanwhile, Dr. Morehead will take center stage at the Malden Community Center on December 30th from 4 - 6pm, where he will be honored at a retirement reception. The public is welcome.

Malden residents will continue to be served locally by Missouri Southern Healthcare at the clinic which has long been home to Dr. Morehead—500 N Douglass Street.

There are times every four years when Missourians often look to neighbor Iowa and wonder why the Hawkeye State gets all the political attention.

And 2012 will be no different, which at leas one major political party all but ignoring the state’s presidential primary.

The Missouri Republican Party says it will be sticking with its decision to ignore the results of the state's still-scheduled Feb. 7 presidential primary.

State GOP executive director Lloyd Smith recalled in a statement why the party's executive panel decided last September to revert back to a caucus system for awarding the state's Republican delegates to the various presidential hopefuls. The process will begin around the ShowMe State in March.

"To ensure that Missouri is in compliance with RNC rules, last fall, the Missouri Republican Party made the decision to move to a caucus system for the purpose of selecting delegates," said Smith. Smith, of Sikeston, served on the staffs of the late Congressman Bill Emerson and Congressman Jo Ann Emerson.  "These rules remain in effect, and our priority continues to be maintaining Missouri’s full delegate strength at the national convention."

The state GOP made that decision to comply with the mandate of both major parties that states act by early October to comply with the parties' rules that allow only four states -- Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina -- to hold primaries before March 1. Penalties were to be imposed on violators.

The Missouri General Assembly tried and failed twice to move the state's Feb. 7 primary to March. But in the meantime, several other states have ignored the parties' requirements and also are holding February primaries -- the main reason Iowa and New Hampshire moved up their events to early January.

The national parties appear to backing off from any penalties. But so far, the Missouri GOP is sticking with its plan. 

Many are calling the March primary a “beauty contest” since the results officially meaningless as far as selecting state delegates is concerned. 

The primary will be held on Feb. 7. Filing for the primary opened Oct. 25 and ended Nov. 22.

Four Democrats will be on the primary ballot – Barack Obama, Randall Terry of Purgeitsville, WV, Darcy G.  Richardson of Jacksonville, FL, and John Wolfe of Chattanooga, Tenn. 

The field is a little larger for the Republicans. The GOP ticket will include:

• Gary Johnson, El Prado, New Mexico
• Herman Cain, Stockbridge, Georgia
• Mitt Romney, Boston
• Michael J. Meehan, St Louis
• Rick Perry, Austin, Texas
• Keith Drummond, Katy, Texas
• Michele Bachmann, Washington, D.C.
• Rick Santorum, Verona, Penn.
• Ron Paul, Springfield, Virginia

A Libertarian ballot will also be available for the primary, with one candidate, James Orland Ogle III of Sacramento, Calif.