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SOUTHEAST MISSOURI — Sara Gerau has been named the Executive Director for the Southeast Missouri Chapter as the American Red Cross realigns boundaries within the state to most efficiently meet its mission goals. The appointment is effective November 1st. “I am excited to lead our team here in southeast Missouri and look forward to continuing my service to the communities we serve,” Gerau said. The Red Cross changes will result in increased assistance to people depending on the organization after a disaster. Some consolidation of regions and chapters is under way in an effort to achieve the Red Cross mission more robustly and consistently across a wider area. More detailed information is expected before the end of the year. “As the

PHOTO: Josh Gowan with a couple Lake Kinkaid, Illinois crappie Oh sweet fall, how I adore thee! The leaves are a turnin’ my friends, and if there was anything I could do to accelerate the process I’d be on it. The crappie are biting at every lake in the Midwest right now, so if you're not in a tree waiting on a big buck, get out there and go fishing! Being that I will be afield and “awater” for the next three weekends, I was intent on spending every minute with my wife and son, and getting some real quality family time in the books. We watched movies, played some board games, and kicked the ball around in the yard,

Key political positions were dominated by incumbent Republicans Tuesday when Stoddard Countians went to the polls. Voters re-elected incumbent 8th Dist. U.S. Rep.Jason Smith (R) to another term in Congress. He rolled past Democratic candidate Barbara Stocker by a convincing 5,157 to 1,411 vote. Incumbent state Auditor Tom Schweich (R) continues to serve in that capacity as he has since his election in 2010. Schweich defeated Democrat Sean O'Toole by a landslide tally of 5,407 votes to O'Toole's 768 votes cast. Dist. 151 state Rep. Tila Hubrecht (R), who was elected to the seat in a past special election, emerged victorious overwhelmingly against her Democratic challenger Ryan Holder. Hubrecht won the position by a 4,991 to 2,100 vote margin. Stoddard

Some have likened America’s educational system to an imperiled ship, buffeted about and taking on water with each so-called reform that blows through like a hurricane. The current ugly storm rocking Missouri’s public schools surrounds the implementation of the Common Core State Standard Initiative (CCSSI) brought into our state by Governor Nixon and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) in 2009/10. Multiple laws prohibit federal involvement in the details of education. Missouri law requires that the legislature be responsible for educational standards and that each local school board be allowed to alter as they see fit. But none of that stopped the governor from bypassing the legislature and signing Missouri onto the CCSSI anyway. The CCSSI encompasses hollow

POPLAR BLUFF - City Manager Heath Kaplan released the first "newsletter" to the citizens of Poplar Bluff in an effort to help citizens better understand the decisions his administration is making. Here is the newsletter in full: City Manager Newsletter - 14-11-04