By Annabeth Miller, ShowMe Times Editor

Two Dexter students are performing in a classic children’s musical at Three Rivers College.

Jessica Blankenship, Landon Hall and Shawn Slavings, all of Dexter, are among the cast and crew in the Three Rivers Music Department preparing for this week’s for its annual musical, which this year will be You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown. Throughout this week the students will perform the musical for school children in the region, and a evening performance for the public this Friday, May 6.

In light of the recent flooding disasters, the Three Rivers music department will present the evening performance this Friday for free to the public. The curtain will rise on the performance at 7 p.m., Friday, May 6 in the Tinnin Fine Arts Center on the Three Rivers campus in Poplar Bluff.

“This is always an outstanding production that area children love, and it’s a wonderful performance experience for our students,” Dr. Devin Stephenson, Three Rivers president, said.

The musical is under the direction of college vocal music instructor Cindy White and instrumental music instructor Buddy White.

Three Rivers also announced that persons who had already purchased tickets for the Friday evening public performance may contact the college music department at 573-840-9639 to arrange a refund.

Photo Above: The Music Department at Three Rivers College will present the children's musical “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” Cast members include, (front row) Pride Wilder, Meagan Woodruff, Tabitha Pierce, Allison Wilfong, Brittany Patterson, Christene Cook; (second row) Stephanie Henning, Alex Swenson, Donny Falk, Felicia Johnstone; (third row) Jasymine Clark, Jessi Karlish; (fourth row) Silva Oesterreicher, Arnon Niyapa, Danny Killian, Tierra Higgins, Ian Kinder Back Row: Michael Sotelo, Shawn Slavings, Addie Layne,and Landon Hall. Not pictured are Jessica Blankenship, Jessica Deken, Chase Eschrich, Sarah Morey.

Most will agree that Southeast Missouri has more water than ever seen before. We are seeing unimaginable damage to homes, properties, and our communities. Unfortunately, many people are finding that flood insurance is not a typical coverage in their homeowners insurance. The unlikelihood of a flood to this magnitude was unlikely and many have taken the cost savings path of “It will never happen to me”.

“My house has water in it, do I have coverage?” This is a very popular question in most insurance offices recently. Sadly enough and much to the surprise of many homeowners, flood is excluded from most homeowners insurance policies. Flood insurance is purchased on a separate policy in most instances.

A recent survey indicated that 94% of all property owners who carry flood insurance only purchased it for 1 of 2 reasons. 1) They have a bank loan and the bank is required the purchase of a flood policy. 2) They have experienced a flood in the past 5 years and did not have the coverage; therefore they purchased it after they repaired the damage to their properties from the prior flood.

A federal government program administers flood insurance, and like most government programs has specific rules and regulations. A few rules of the flood insurance is:

Everyone is eligible to purchase flood insurance. It is not required that you reside in a high-risk flood zone.

Naturally, it is cheaper the less risk you have. Also, if you live in a higher risk area the flood insurance could be up to 66% cheaper if you obtain elevation certificate shot for your property.

It is important to remember when purchasing flood insurance, there is a typical 30-day waiting period from the date of purchase before the policy goes into effect. However, this waiting period is normally waived for bank loans and becomes effective the day of the closing.

The National Flood Insurance Program has created an awareness campaign to help consumers better understand flood insurance. You can find additional information on flood preparedness on the NFIP sponsored site of http://www.FloodSmart.gov.

During emergency conditions that we are facing now, a community many times gets to see the best of people. That is so true for the Stoddard County Emergency Management Agency Team.

After retiring from Dexter Public Schools, Kent Polsgrove was appointed and is now experiencing his first true emergency as the director of the EMS group. But organization and team work comes easy to Kent as he is surrounded by a group of dedicated professionals willing and ready to assist Stoddard County residence with their needs throughout these tough times.

Carol Moreland has been with the E911 group for a number of years and knows the ropes of emergencies. During the Ice Storm of 2010, Carol was instrumental in coordinating much of the relief efforts that were essential to our community.

However, the idea of emergency management is not new to Stoddard County or the Dexter Community. This group has always observed the "5P's" of Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance. The incredible vision of our Stoddard County Commissioners (Greg Mathis, Carol Jarrell and Frank Sifford) has given a strong focus on the development of the emergency services in our county.

This does not occur by accident. The strength of our Stoddard County Ambulance District under the leadership of David Cooper is a major piece of the puzzle. Our commissioners see fit to created a strong combined effort throughout the emergency groups to make certain the that effectiveness and efficiencies are being used to the benefit of all citizens.

Stoddard County has always held a high position with preparedness for emergency events. Most recently, an emergency plan developed a "Bunker Room" during the construction of the new facilities of SCAD. This room is complete with the communication, mapping

It may seem as though the region has seen nothing but rain and storms, hail and high winds for days on end ... but there was a reminder in the sky Wednesday evening that calmer days are ahead. A rainbow popped into view after 5 p.m. over Dexter - reminding of an Irish saying: "For every storm a rainbow, for every tear a smile, for every care a promise and a blessing in each trial. For every problem life sends, a faithful friend to share, for every sigh a sweet song and an answer for each prayer.”

By Annabeth Miller, ShowMe Times Editor

If quizzed, most people who know will say that George Washington Carver is most famous for his work with the peanut.

And while the native Missourian is best know for his ground-breaking work on the little peanut, did much more work – work that continues to have a signigicant impact in our lives decades after Carver’s death.

Missouri Department of Agriculture Director Dr. Jon Hagler announced that there are just two weeks left for elementary students to participate in the George Washington Carver Essay Contest. The annual statewide contest is open to young people in grades 4, 5, and 6 and the deadline is April 30.

"George Washington Carver's contributions to agriculture are a great example of the importance of education and the power of positive thinking," said Hagler. "It's appropriate that we celebrate the legacy of this great Missourian and outstanding friend to agriculture during the height of planting season."

Students are encouraged to write a creative and inspirational essay related to this year's theme, "If George Washington Carver were my teacher..."

George Washington Carver's story of starting life in slavery and becoming a prominent businessman and scholar is not only compelling, but also positions him as an outstanding role model. His accomplishments, from advocating for soil conversation to identifying 300 uses for peanuts, continue to influence the agriculture industry.

The outstanding essay for each grade level will receive a $100 savings bond, and the top essay will receive a $200 savings bond.

Essays will be judged on creativity, originality, correctness of George Washington Carver facts and idea development, as well as grammar, word choice and organization.

Entries should be postmarked or hand-delivered to the Missouri Department of Agriculture in Jefferson City no later than April 30, 2011.