Beth Farrah, SMT Writer
Dexter, Missouri - Prom is approaching quickly and while students rush to find the right shoes, dresses, and suits at the last minute, one thing they don't have to worry about is their corsages. Jackson Florist and Gifts in Dexter is holding a Prom Corsage Bar on April 4th and again on April 9th.
The Prom Corsage Bar is an excellent way for girls to pick out their very own corsage and design it the way they want it to look. The Corsage Bar will offer a number of things to place on the corsages, including ribbons, bows, feathers, bracelets, and glittery attachments. It is the perfect way to kick off the prom season and to have something one of a kind that goes perfectly with everyone’s unique attire.
The newest prom idea is going to be a great hit. Jackson Florist and Gifts is also running an awesome special. Anyone who purchases or places an order at either party will receive an additional 10% discount.
Both parties will last two hours on April 4th and April 9th, beginning at 4:00pm and ending at 6:00pm. It will take place at Jackson Florist and Gifts on 205 North Walnut Street in Dexter. Everyone who is able to attend is invited to this special event!
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Writer
Columbia, Missouri - Today is the first day of Spring here in the Heartland of Missouri. Most of us are thinking about the upcoming Winter Storm Watch and perhaps not the beautiful springtime planting season soon approaching.
The last thing on anyone's mind is Aphis Mizzou. What is that? You can probably figure that with the word Mizzou in the title, it has something to do with the University of Missouri Tigers. Nope! How about aphids? What is that?
Well the University of Missouri has Jesse Hall, Faurot Field, Memorial Union, the Tigers and the Columns. Now, MU has its own bug, an aphid to be exact.
An MU researcher has discovered a new insect on campus and given it a Mizzou name. Ben Puttler, assistant professor emeritus of plant sciences at the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, first discovered Aphis Mizzou while conducting research on wasps on the MU campus.
The insect, Aphis Mizzou, is a member of the aphid family of bugs. Aphids are tiny insects that live by feeding on the sap of plants. Nearly all-annual and perennial plants, including shrubs and trees, are potential hosts for aphids. When feeding on these plants, aphids can crumple leaves, distort plant tissue and bend stems. There are 5,000 species of aphids known in the world, but only 150 live in North America.
“When I was researching how wasps feed on another type of aphid I noticed the differences between the Aphis Mizzou and other aphids I was observing,” Puttler said. “Once I realized that this bug hadn’t been identified, I decided to give the aphid a Mizzou name considering these bugs haven’t been found anywhere besides the MU campus.”
Puttler worked with Doris Lagos in the Department of Entomology at the University of Illinois to confirm that the insect had not been discovered previously. The bug’s uniqueness was confirmed by molecular tests at the University of Illinois.
“What makes the Aphis Mizzou so unique is that the aphid has a five-segmented antenna, a black head, thorax and abdomen that seem to be dusted with a white wax,” Puttler said. “The Aphis Mizzou is found by the student recreation complex due to the large amount of St. John’s Wort plants, which is the plant on which the bug lives.”
Puttler’s current research is focusing on the biological control of pests and how naturally occurring beneficial insects and other biotic agents can fight crop pests and weeds. However, the Aphis Mizzou doesn’t seem to be harming anything. It just wants to feed on the young leaves of the St. John’s Wort plant, Puttler said.
Puttler has discovered six bugs prior to the discovery of the Aphis Mizzou, including one in which he named after his wife.
Puttler said that most people wouldn’t notice the Aphis Mizzou, as it is smaller than a grain of pepper. Let's hope Mizzou keeps their new aphid as we begin our spring planting.
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Writer
Stoddard County, Missouri – We only thought Spring started tomorrow! The National Weather Service in Paducah, KY has issued a Winter Storm Watch from Thursday afternoon through Friday morning.
It now appears that light snow will break out Thursday afternoon, especially in areas from Poplar Bluff westward into the Ozark Foothills. The Snow will likely become heavy at times as the precipitation shifts southeast into the Missouri boot hill region late Friday and Friday evening.
The main impact with this event will come with locally heavy snow amounts in the 3 to 6 inch range. Highest amounts will likely be confined to the Ozark Foothills west of Poplar Bluff.
Missouri - Spring is here and as the warm weather passes us by and as we adapt to the new season with ease, the streets and roads of our state don’t transition as easily as we do. The changes in the weather have created cracks and potholes that cover our roads and the Missouri Department of Transportation is focusing on filling those potholes and fixing our up streets for the next month.
MoDot has issued a statewide “Missouri Pothole Patrol”, which is MoDot’s way of keeping tabs on the roads we drive on every day to keep them smooth and safe.
“The goal of this effort is to patch potholes as quickly as possible and get us through the transition to warmer weather,” stated Elizabeth Wright, a MoDot maintenance engineer. “MoDot has dedicated staff and resources to prepare minor road damage quickly, but we need the public’s help to spot those potholes and let us know where they are.”
The Missouri Pothole Patrol starts on March 18th and goes all the way through April 14th. Here are some easy ways to report potholes you find when you are out and about:
1. Call MoDot’s Customer Service Center (open 24/7), at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (888-275-6636)
2. Report by Email: comments@modot.mo.gov
3. Report Online: modot.org – “Report a Road Concern” (available by computer or smart phone)
These potholes that are reported within the next couple of weeks will be fixed by MoDot’s Rapid Response Team, so the fixing will be temporary until later on into the warmer weather where they will be fixed permanently. MoDot is relying on drivers and motorists to report these potholes immediately.
With the cold weather at night, the water that is on the ground may fill the small cracks in the roads and freeze over. When the warmer weather hits during the day, the pressure expands and with multiple trucks, cars, and semis bumping over the bulge, pavement is slowly knocked away. Potholes could cause uneasy driving or even flat tires, which is why it is important to report them as soon as possible.
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Writer
Dexter, Missouri – Karen Cook has received top honors once again this year. She is the top-producing real estate professional with Real Living Young Realty for the second year running.
Karen will be honored with a national award for exceptional real estate sales performance in 2012 at the upcoming Real Living convention in 2013.
Mrs. Cook is one of a select group of Real Living sales associates ranked #48 in the United States to the group of “Top 100” real estate professionals based upon sales performance in 2012.
Karen was recognized for her real estate achievements that resulted in $4,895,525 in sales and consisted of 45 properties she sold in our Stoddard County area from January 1st to December 31st, 2012.
“The Top 100 awards honor our foremost sales associates nationwide and I am pleased that Karen is one of the industry’s best of the best,” stated Robert McAdams, Jr., Real Living President. “She has demonstrated that achieving this level of real estate performance requires a unique blend of dedication, people skills, technical knowledge, hard word, and determination.”
Melissa Stites, broker/owner of Real Living Young Realty says, “Karen is one of the hardest working sales professionals in Dexter and I am proud to have her on my real estate team.”
Real Living Young Realty provides a variety of real estate services to buyers and sellers including: Residential, Commercial, Farm & Land Premier Service, Buyer’s Market Analysis, Seller’s Market Analysis, Comparative Market Analysis. 
Young Realty is located at 920 West Business 60 and you may find them on the Internet at www.reallivingyoungrealty.com.
Congratulations Karen, we are proud of your accomplishments and wish you a successful 2013 sales season!
