Dexter, Missouri - Nearly 18,000 canned and non-perishable food items were collected at Dexter Schools during their 2015 Stuff A Bus Food drive.  They set a new record this year for the most items collected!

On Monday, high school students, directed by school counselor, Judy Patterson, delivered the goods to the Stoddard County Mission. Other recipients this year included the Dexter Elks and First Baptist Church for distribution to families in need this holiday season.

Central School turned in 6,042 cans, the largest contribution of the four Dexter campuses. T.S. Hill Middle School collected 4,851 and at the high school level, 3,600 items were turned in and at Southwest, 3,196.

OPAA Food Service delivered cookies to the winning school, and Williams Moving Company once again supplied the use of their truck to deliver the goods.

Pictured with Patterson are (front) Nick Renfoe, Storm Massey, Brandon Laird and Cody McFaddin. In the truck are Nate Weathers, Kyle Ward and Cale Williams from Williams Moving Company.

Thanks to everyone who participated and especially to those who donated the much needed food for the Mission.

Dexter, Missouri - Students at Central Elementary School in Dexter are having their annual coat drive.  There are only two days left to drop off your gently used or new coats.

The coats will be donated to the Stoddard County Gospel Mission at the holiday break. Many more coats are needed this holiday season, and local residents are reminded to look in their closets and consider donating any coats — from infant to adult sizes — to this cause.

Coats may be dropped off at Central School or taken directly to the mission. 

Shown with a few coats collected are third graders (seated) Brooklyn Mouton and Cale Whittington and standing, Hunter Farmer and Jaiden Colwell. Coats will be collected at the school through Friday, December 18th.

Poplar Bluff, Missouri - Several Poplar Bluff High School students were inducted into the National Honor Society during the fall ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 10, in the Administrative Building.

The new inductees included seniors Chase Burch, Zachary Cambron, Chang Chi, Steven Haley, Kailee Kanell, Zachery Lawrence and Mallory Pierce. They join their 22 classmates who made the pledge during the spring induction, each signing a PBHS register that goes back to 1941, 20 years after the national organization was founded.

Selection is based on GPA, service, leadership and character by majority vote of a five-member faculty council appointed annually by the high school principal, according to chapter adviser Paul Conover, social studies teacher.

(Standing, left to right) NHS vice president Christian Cmehil-Warn and president Jackson Rideout perform the candle ceremony for inductees Chang Chi, Zachary Cambron, Chase Burch, Zachery Lawrence, Kailee Kanell and Steven Haley, before Principal Mike Kiehne (seated) awards the certificates. Not present was student Mallory Pierce.

Submitted by Tim Krakowiak, Communications/Marketing Coordinator
Poplar Bluff R-I School District

Dexter, Missouri - Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home, sponsored a pizza party for T. S. Hill middle school 6th grade history students for their assistance in placing the Christmas Wreaths at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery on December 12th.

Mindy Thurmon encourages the student to raise money each year for the Wreaths Across America event.  She is the 6th grade history teacher at T.S. Hill Middle School.

The students raised over $1,600 and have increased their goal to $2,000 for the 2016 event.

Cemetery Supervisor Ken Swearingen was on hand to personally thank those who participated.

Pizza was served to the students by the Administrative staff of the school.

Greg Mathis hopes that this will become an annual service project for the school and Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home looks forward to sponsoring the pizza party on a annual basis.

Dexter, Missouri - T.S. Hill Middle School 6th grade history students raised more than $1,600 for Wreaths Across America held annually at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield.

Mindy Thurmon who sponsors the students says next year their goal will be $2,000.  The students were also honored with a Pizza Party sponsored by Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

Wreaths Across America mission "Remember, Honor, Teach, is carried out in part by coordinating wreath laying ceremonies on a specified Saturday in December in Arlington, as well as veterans cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond. 

The date has already been set for 2016.  So please mark your calendar, December 17th, and join America in honoring our fallen heroes.