Press Release: Booths on sale for 33rd annual Merchants Showcase

Preparations are under way at Three Rivers College for this year’s Merchants Showcase, sponsored by Collegiate DECA and coordinated by business and marketing students.

The 33^rd annual showcase will be held April 27-28. Booth sizes and prices are 5-by-8 foot for $160 and 10-by-10 foot for $210 for indoor booths; outdoor booths are $135 for 18-by-18-foot. Area merchants are invited to purchase a booth to display and sell their products in or outside the Bess Activity Center.

Three fundraisers for fire victims this weekend

By Liz Ellis, Reporter

On Jan. 8, an early morning house fire took the lives of two Poplar Bluff teenagers, Dylane Campbell, 12, and 16-year-old Kyle Dicken.

A cash donation account has been set up at Southern Bank in the name of Becky Cox. In addition, there will be three fundraisers for the family this weekend. All of the money raised will be presented to Cox and J.C. Dickens on Sunday.

“I am so proud of Poplar Bluff for coming together and helping this family,” said Sarah McCullem, one of the organizers of the fundraisers. “I am overwhelmed with our love for one another. It’s just amazing.”

Press Release: Open house to view Three Rivers’ new PTA training lab

The nursing and allied health department at Three Rivers College will celebrate one year in its new downtown facility, as well as completion of a new training lab, this month.

Members of the public are invited to visit the Nursing and Allied Health Center at 4 p.m. Thursday during an open house event to view the new physical therapist assistant training lab. 

Press Release: UCAN fundraising walk slated for May

On May 19, cancer survivors, along with their family and friends will come together to walk through the streets of Poplar Bluff. The inaugural walk will be to show support for the United Cancer Assistance Network, and to honor the forever inspiring Sarah White.

There are no sponsorship levels. There is no fee to walk. UCAN is encouraging businesses and individuals to form teams to participate by raising money and walking the day of the walk.

Businesses and individuals can also make donations in honor of employees, friends or family members who are bravely battling cancer, or in memory of employees or loved ones who have lost their fight. Anyone who wants to participate is welcome. Raise as much money as UCAN… and then join over 1,000 others from the community to walk together, and stand up against this devastating disease.

Press Release: Library’s Tech Talk Thursday ‘There’s an app for that’

No matter whether you are interested in staying in touch with friends and loved ones, reading the latest best sellers, listening to your favorite music, catching up on the news or even playing games, there’s an app for that.

As technology becomes even easier to use, more and more people are embracing hand-held gadgets that help them communicate, learn, read and spend their leisure time while on the go. Tablets, smartphones, eBook readers and even some web browsers have given users access to clever and useful software applications, known as apps. These can be easily downloaded and automatically installed from a connection to Apple’s iTunes store, the Android Marketplace or a number of other places on the web. Most cost a few dollars, and many are free.

Join Poplar Bluff Public Library staff from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday for an informal introduction to finding, downloading and using apps. This talk is part of the library’s Tech Talk Thursday, held weekly, with each session honing in on ways to use technology and web-based resources to improve and enhance every-day life.

Upcoming Tech Talk Thursday topics:

The Mayer Memo: Legislature prepared to lead on the budget

By Sen. Rob Mayer, District 25

In weeks past, I encouraged Missouri’s governor to present a balanced budget plan in his State of the State address. Gov. [Jay] Nixon delivered his plan last Tuesday, and unfortunately, his budget proposal was not balanced. In fact, it relies on new revenue to the tune of more than $85 million from special legislation that must pass. On top of that, he proposed $191 million in savings from our Medicaid program that are simply not realistic.

Rob Mayer

I hoped the governor would shoot straight and describe how he would fund his priorities with the revenues we have. I am not surprised he failed to do that as he has not proposed a balanced budget since he took office. That means it is up to the legislature to lead on the budget. We have done this in past years and are prepared to do it again.

Press Release: Three Rivers College enrollment continues to climb

Continuing a trend of double-digit enrollment increases, Three Rivers College has almost 17 percent more students enrolled this spring than last year.

In addition, for the first time in recent history, the college reports that its spring enrollment numbers have eclipsed those of the previous fall semester.

“This is the first time spring numbers are ahead of our fall numbers – normally spring semester numbers drop a little,” said college President Dr. Devin Stephenson. The college experienced a record-breaking enrollment of 4,235 students last fall, which marked the first time for enrollment to cross the 4,000 mark.

“This spring, we are seeing an increase, and I feel that is due in part to the scaled-up retention efforts of our student success division,” Stephenson said. “If instructors report that a student is falling behind or not attending class, our student success advisors and staff reach out to that student through phone calls and emails until a solution to the problem is reached, rather than leaving them to fail or drop out.”

Press Release: Former health care exec seeks Three Rivers Board post

Christy K. Turner, a retired health care executive, cites student opportunity and trustee transparency as the primary reasons she is seeking a seat on the Three Rivers College Board of Trustees. She has filed for the open seat in Sub-District 1, which includes Poplar Bluff and Butler County except for the northwest portion of the county.

Christy Turner

Turner will vie April 3 against First Midwest Bank Vice President Ben Ressel, a Three Rivers Class of 1997 graduate, for the seat of trustee Marion Tibbs, who has opted not to file for a second six-year term.

Turner, who came to Poplar Bluff in 1995 as a top-level manager with Lucy Lee Hospital (now Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center), spent nearly 30 years in various phases of the health care industry. She is the wife of well-known Poplar Bluff businessman and community leader Tom Turner, who served previously on the Three Rivers Board of Trustees. The Turners live in Bluff Estates Subdivision.

“I want to give back to this community, which has been so good to me. And, I’d like to see our region and Three Rivers continue to grow and prosper. Increasingly, our employers need college graduates who are trained specifically to step into the jobs that await them. It’s crucial that the college focus on teaching the exact types of skills the graduates need to succeed in the workplace.

“If our graduates are earning degrees that fit the job market in the college district, our region just becomes that much more enticing to potential future employers,” Turner said.

1.20.12 SEMO Times

In this week’s edition, we break the news that the Kindred Spirits Animal Rescue Center has been saved; we follow up where we left off last week reporting on a new renovation in Downtown Poplar Bluff; Alex Riffle and The Stiff Riffs return to Rodgers Theatre; and Southern Bank opens its fourth branch in Poplar Bluff.

Decision to close animal shelter reversed due to community response

By Liz Ellis, Reporter

FAIRDEALING, Mo. – “This has been a dream of ours since we lived in Florida, and it was really hard thinking that our dream was going to die,” said Hank Hadley, owner of Kindred Spirits Animal Rescue Center in Fairdealing. In December, The rescue center announced their intention to close their doors for good on Feb. 1.

Hank Hadley of Kindred Spirits Animal Rescue Center once euthanized pets for a living, now he operates the only no-kill animal shelter in the area.

“We were going to close because of lack of community support and lack of funding,” Hank said. “For the last four years, my wife and I have put over $40,000 into the rescue [center] out of our own pocket.”

Their decision to close sparked a public response and donations and volunteers flocked to the small shelter to lend a hand. Last week, the shelter announced its decision to stay open, thanks to community donations and volunteers.

“The community has really stepped up to the plate,” Hank said. “I want the community to know how thankful we are that they stepped forward. It’s wonderful.”

Since the announcement, the shelter has gained five board members, 16 volunteers and received around $2,000 in private donations so far this month.

The shelter opened in 2008 and has taken in about 650 animals since. Last year alone, the shelter took in and re-homed 376 animals. Currently, the shelter is home to 26 cats, 45 dogs, 12 goats and four miniature donkeys. Of those animals, 12 cats and three dogs have been adopted as part of the Hadley family.

“This is our life,” said Della Hadley, Hank’s wife. “It’s exciting that people are noticing us. I’m really glad we’re staying open.”

“We were terribly upset when we thought he was going to have to close. It’s wonderful news that they are going to be able to stay open,” said Charlotte Craig, president of the Animal Welfare Alliance in Poplar Bluff. “If he ever has to close, it will be tragedy.”

NO-KILL SHELTER

In this week’s edition, we break the news that the Kindred Spirits Animal Rescue Center has been saved; we follow up where we left off last week reporting on a new renovation in Downtown Poplar Bluff; Alex Riffle and The Stiff Riffs return to Rodgers Theatre; and Southern Bank opens its fourth branch in Poplar Bluff.