Students in Dexter schools are one step closer to the first day of classes with registration in the district held this Monday and Tuesday.

Dexter schools instituted a new “streamlined’ and “family friendly” registration process this fall. Instead of a day of registration in each of the four buildings in the district, two days of registration was held for all students in a central location.

All registrations were held at the Bearcat Event Center, with families registering all children at the same time. A large portion of the BEC was devoted just to school photographs, with a team of eight Inter-State Studio photographers on hand to snap the all-important school photo.

Students and parents were able then to move through the step-by-step process and update student information, and then visit appropriate building’s line and pay for school lunches, learn teacher assignments, and then move on and purchase a new PTO Bearcat t-shirt as well as a DHS activity pass. A special area was also devoted to registering new students to the Dexter district.

“It’s gone well,” said Dr. Kim Flowers, assistant superintendent for the district. She and fellow assistant superintendent Dr. Roger Alsup took time on Monday afternoon to step back and assess the positives and what can be improved for registration next fall.

Classes begin Thursday, Aug. 18 in Dexter with a half-day of classes. The first full day for students is Friday, August 19.

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New concepts in workplace injury prevention have been a big topic of conversation with employers for more than two centuries. As margins shrink and employee benefit costs rise, many business managers and human resource professionals continue to search for new, innovative ways to keep employees safe and free from on-the-job health hazards.

WorkSTEPS is a national health provider bringing a healthy impact to the bottom line of area businesses. They are heavily involved with employers involved in the manufacturing, transportation, construction, healthcare and hospital industries. WorkSTEPS offers their customers testing programs for employees based specifically on job-related criteria. Many of their top clients include MoDOT, the Kansas DOT and the Oklahoma DOT.

A customer of WorkSTEPS can expect a full evaluation of their own facilities, as well as a personalized plan designed to mitigate risk potentials. Specific physical tests are developed by simulation, or by using actual equipment from the job site. These tests require that employer-established competency and performance levels be achieved, and meet minimum standards for job performance.

A Comprehensive WorkSTEPS Test is comprised of a Complete Medical Background, Musculoskeletal Examination, Dynamic Lifting and Specific Job Function Testing based on specific job function tasks.

These proactive measures implemented by WorkSTEPS allow for the discovery of preexisting physical problems that have proven very costly to employers for years. Previous back injuries, repetitive stress injuries, as well as undetected health conditions are able to be addressed prior to the problem worsening.

Many costs associated with worksite injuries are associated to the direct expenses found in treatment for an injured worker. A reduction of injuries can provide hard cost savings to your insurance program, as well as the avoidance of other soft costs associated with lost time on the job.

The idea of managing and controlling losses at the worksite is not completely new. Many companies employ professional risk managers, as well as medical professionals, that focus on the prevention of future losses. WorkSTEPS increases the awareness of future losses by peeking into the ‘crystal ball’ of the past and present to determine loss potential in relation to worksite injuries.

With a strong presence throughout Southeast Missouri, the owner of WorkSTEPS, Austin Tinsley, has begun the processes of expansion to the Northeast Arkansas. Realizing the need for legally defendable functional testing, Tinsley began working with WorkSTEPS as a provider in the ‘90’s after developing his own testing methods. WorkSTEPS provides this testing on a Capable or Not Capable Test result for the employer.

Tinsley was on hand at a corporate WorkSTEPS seminar, held at the Delta Center of Economic Development in Jonesboro this week. He and his team shared their plans for moving into the area and how quickly they could get up and running.

“After a seven year football career as a A-State Indian/Red Wolf, it is a true fit that we (WorkSTEPS) expand our operations to the Jonesboro area,” noted Tinsley. “Jonesboro was the original location where I began my career of worksite health management.”

For further information regarding WorkSTEPS for your business, you may contact Sean Miller at seanm@ozarkfitnesscenter.net or by phone at 573.300.8692. Additional information can also be found at the WorkSTEPS website.

Austin Tinsley is the owner of Ozark Physical Therapy the WorkSTEPS Provider in Southeast Missouri and Northeast Arkansas. There are over 1,000 Providers nationwide in 48 States.

Work will continue Wednesday afternoon and on Thursday on the paving project on One Mile Road in Dexter. City officials late Wednesday morning announced the project would take an additional day than originally planned. Workers will finish the stretch of One Mile from Business U.S. 60 south to Arvin Road on Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday morning, work will continue on the busy thoroughfare from Arvin Road south to the railroad tracks.he City of Dexter has announced it plans to proceed with the paving of One Mile Road from Business 60 to Arvin Road today (Wednesday). On Thursday the project will continue with work from Arvin Road south to the railroad tracks. "Please keep in mind we are at the mercy of our paving crew and we will work with everyone involved to try and not disrupt their business," City Administrator Mark Stidham said. (SMT photo by Annabeth Miller)

By Annabeth Miiler,
ShowMe Times Editor

Mother Nature can sometimes throw a “curve ball” and force a change in plans. But Missouri Conservation Agent Mark Reed knew he needed to have a plan in place this weekend for the annual “banding day” for youth at Otter Slough.

The plan was for an early Saturday morning spent learning more about wood ducks and doves at the conservation area south of Dexter. But some of Mother Nature’s critters had a plan of their own. Agents set traps last week to capture wood ducks for banding. The bait was a favorite treat for wood ducks – corn. But corn is also a favorite with raccoons, and it seems the raccoons cleaned the traps before the ducks could visit. The result: No ducks.

But Reed didn’t skip a beat. Enter Paul Cleslewicz, a fisheries expert with conservation office in Cape Girardeau. With the youngsters and adults along the bank of the lake at Otter Slough, Cleslewicz and his partner captured fish in the lake, and then went ashore and talked to the youngsters about the fish, their habitat and natural defenses against prey.

Touching a fish was a new experience for many, and they discovered the fish had barbs (a baby catfish) and scales and sometimes they were a bit slimy. In that case, Cleslewicz let the children wipe their hands on his shirt – and not their own – since he said he was used to smelling “fishy.”

Following the demonstration at the lake, the early Saturday morning crew hiked the short distance to the headquarters where they learned more about waterfowl and the purpose behind banding the birds. And then, with a couple of cages of doves agents had trapped, the young conservationists learned, observed, and experienced banding the doves and setting them free.

By mid-morning the doves were all banded and set free, and the kids were wearing a new cap and experimenting with duck calls, courtesy of Ducks Unlimited, which helped sponsor the event.

Photo Above: Conservation Agent Mark Reed helps his son Seth set free a dove at Otter Slough on Saturday. Seth and other youngsters learned about banding birds, helped band a dove and then set them free at an annual event at the conservation area. (SMT Photo by Annabeth Miller)

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The “pickers and grinners” were out in the field Thursday morning before it got “really hot” – a unique feat when you consider the gang was a bunch of young teenagers.

And just like the “pickers and grinners” of old Hee-Haw fame, this group was out in a country cornfield.

It’s not any old cornfield – it’s a field of sweet corn that is grown specifically for the youth at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Dexter.

The corn is grown by church ember Jimmy Putnam for the youth – who pick and sell the sweet corn as an annual summer fund raising project.

Youth leader Tim Holder said the picking crew was larger than he had anticipated Thursday morning – with some high school athletes joining the picking crew after finishing their morning workout in the weight room.

“We picked for two hours,” Holder said. The heat was getting intense by 9:30 a.m., the trailer was full of sweet corn, and the “pickers and grinners” headed back to town.

The youth are now selling the corner at the corner of Mulberry and Stoddard streets on the Cleo’s Sinclair station lot. Sweet corn is $4 a dozen while it lasts. Holder says the youth will pick Thursday night one last time for Friday’s stand.

The youth will use the proceeds of their sweet corn stand for on-going youth activities at the church and for sponsorship of a child in India through the denomination’s mission outreach.

Photo Above: A group of the "pickers and grinners" were on hand Thursday afternoon to sell sweet corn at the Christian Youth Fellowship booth. Working the booth were (from left) Addie Kruse, Katie Cecil, Shyann Jines and Kelsey Holder. (SMT photo by Annabeth Miller)