Dexter, Missouri - The Dexter Animal Shelter operates off of a budget by the City of Dexter as well as donations from their generous citizens and businesses. 

To date the shelter has processed well over 100 animals in 2018 and since the new humane officer took over in November they are striving to be a NO KILL SHELTER!!  To help make this happen the shelter is in need of an enclosed trailer to transport animals to adoption events around the area.  The trailer will require heat and air conditioning and some of these events are outside of Stoddard County which will be 30 minutes or more travel time.

For the animals safety they will also need about 16 pet cages as well as a 100 gallon water tank and pump to put in the trailer.

They are striving to have an adoption even every other weekend to save these precious dogs and cats.  As of right now they are borrowing a trailer to transport the animals, but temperatures are beginning to get pretty high.

Because of the high temperaturest they have had to suspend adoption events away from the shelter.

Any donation is greatly appreciated  Donations can be mailed to City of Dexter, c/o Animal Shelter, 305 Cooper St., Dexter, Missouri 63841.

Their goal is $15,000 by July 1, 2018.

Sponsors on the trailer who donate $1,000 will receive a 2x2 permanent area logo on both sides of trailer.  Sponsors $500-$999 will receive 1 foot by `1 foot logo and those $499 down to $101 will get a 1 square foot and is renewable every year.  Sponsors of $100 will be listed as donators on the trailer and they are renewable each year also.

If you interested in donating funds to this cause please contact Officer Darren Dixon at (573) 624-0408 or 624-5512, xt 8.

FM Bank has graciously donated $1,000 to the Dexter Animal Shelter TRAILER FUND!

Shown in the photo from left to right are: Elizabeth Henson, CFO, Tracey Horton, Human Resources, Mike Hobbs, President of FM Bank, Officer Darren Dixon, Kim Roseberry, Compliance Officer, Jo Ann Tidwell, AVP New Accounts/Teller Supervisor, and Melissa Stevens, Operation Officer.

Victoria Jayne Stanfield is the Bernie Parents as Teachers’ student of the month for June.

She is the five month old daughter of Travis and Michelle Stanfield. 

Tori enjoys watching and playing with her siblings, experimenting with the sounds her voice makes, and trying to stand up. 

She also loves trying to get her feet in her mouth and eating new foods. 

Tori’s parents’ favorite things about participating in the PAT program is spending time learning with Mrs. Casey and getting a new book at each visit.

Bernie, Missouri - Carter Johnson is the three year old son of Destiny and Dareth Johnson and is the Bernie Parents as Teachers’ student of the month for May.

Carter absolutely loves dinosaurs, playing outside in the sunshine, riding the golf cart with his Mema, and reading books with his Aunt Kim.

During his PAT visits, Carter can't wait to see what Mrs. Courtney has in her special bag and gets excited to see what new book she has brought to read.

If you would like to know more about Parents as Teachers contact Courtney McGarity or Casey Arnold at 573-293-5335, ext 293 or find them on Facebook by clicking HERE.

The following information was taken directly from the Parent as Teachers Missouri website.  For more information click HERE.

Our Vision

All children will learn, grow and develop to realize their full potential.

Our Mission

To provide the information, support and encouragement parents need to help their children develop optimally during the crucial early years of life.

Our Values

The early years of a child's life are critical for optimal development and provide the foundation for success in school and in life.

Parents are their children's first and most influential teachers.

Established and emerging research should be the foundation of parent education and family support curricula, training, materials and services.

All young children and their families deserve the same opportunities to succeed, regardless of any demographic, geographic or economic considerations.

An understanding and appreciation of the history and traditions of diverse cultures is essential in serving families.

History

In 1981, Missouri pioneered the concept of helping parents embrace their important role as their child's first and best teacher. Today, Parents as Teachers continues to equip early childhood organizations and professionals with information and tools that are relevantᾢand widely applicableᾢto today's parents, families and children.

The Parents as Teachers leadership team and Board of Directors is engaged in a three-year strategic plan, which positions the organization as a valued partner to support the organizations and professionals who serve families and children, especially those most vulnerable.

The concept for Parents as Teachers was developed in the 1970s when Missouri educators noted that children were beginning kindergarten with varying levels of school readiness. Research showed that greater parent involvement is a critical link in the child's development of learning skills, including reading and writing.

Early childhood professionals suggested that a program to provide early detection of developmental delays and health issues, and parent education to help parents understand their role in encouraging their child's development from the beginning could help improve school readiness and parent involvement.

With funding from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and The Danforth Foundation, Parents as Teachers began in 1981 in Missouri as a pilot project for first-time parents of newborns. Recognizing the program's benefits and cost effectiveness, the Missouri legislature provided state funding in 1985 to implement Parents as Teachers programs in all Missouri school districts. Since 1985, Parents as Teachers has expanded to all 50 states and six other countries.

The Bloomfield Police Department has posted on their Facebook page that  16-year old Alexendria Rosemarie Lusk is missing from Bloomfield.

She was last seen at 2 a.m. on May 29, 2018 in her home.  She was reported missing at 9:30 a.m. with her black and tan mini Dachshund.

She is 5' 3" and weights about 150 lbs with hazel eyes and brown, curly, medium length hair.  She was last seen wearing blue jean shorts and a black t-shirts.

Contact the Bloomfield Police at 573.568.3576 or your local 911.

Dexter, Missouri - The 2018 guest speaker for the 18 FORE Life banquet is John O'Leary.  

The Ben Kruse memorial 18 FORE Life Charity Golf event is set to take place on the weekend of June 1st and 2nd with the banquet on Friday evening.

While most past banquet speakers have survived cancer or had someone in their family to who battled the disease, O'Leary is not a cancer survivor, but at the age of nine suffered burns over his entire body while playing with matches and gasoline in his family's garage.

The burns were so severe that the doctor told his parents he would not survive.  He spent months in the hospital and faced many surgeries and years of therapy.  Before he was 10 years old, he lost all of his fingers to amputation due to the severe burns he suffered.

O'Leary now speaks across the country, inspiring others to do three tings in life:

1.  To navigate adversity through decision-making;

2.  To reveal a brighter vision for what's possible;

3.  and to live boldly to impact others.

Each year, a love offering recipient or family member also is invited to speak at the banquet. This year, members of the Pixley family will be on hand to honor the memory of their brother, Adam, who lost his battle to cancer this year.

"There are still some tickets left for the banquet and we need a few more golf teams as well," commented Scott Kruse.  "The cost is only $30 each."  You can contact Mr. Kruse at (573) 614-0503.

The 18 FORE Life Charity has raised over $2.2 million dollars since its inception in 2000.  The charity, through a number of annual events and primarily through donations and the golf tournament are able to provide love offerings to area families in the amount of $1,000 each.