Three Rivers College filled the Black River Coliseum to celebrate the institution’s newest graduating class on Friday, May 15. Over 550 students in Three Rivers’ degree and certificate programs were eligible to walk across the stage during Friday’s ceremony. Larry DeWitt, a Three Rivers alumnus, Sikeston resident, and successful entrepreneur, gave the commencement speech to the Class of 2015. In his speech, DeWitt emphasized the importance for graduates to not only work hard, but to work hard at finding their passion. “Do something you absolutely love. If you love it, you will succeed. It won’t be work, it will be fun,” said DeWitt. “You can open your eyes to a wonderful life if you make the right choice for your

There are professional fishermen among us. Here in the Heartland, especially Northwest Tennessee, there are more professional crappie and catfishermen per capita than anywhere else in the country. Most anglers, however, are just your average, everyday fisherman, but there’s something to be said for that. The first rule to being an everyday fisherman, is not fishing every day. Actually, only fishing about one day out of seven is normal, and even that is sometimes a stretch. This rule applies unless you’re retired and you do fish every day, in which case who cares what you’re called, you’ve earned the right to fish every day, which by most accounts makes you a success story that we all strive towards. The everyday

Wally’s Park Road Bar & Grill is a very short drive from anywhere in our neck of the woods and the high quality of Wally’s Cajun cuisine is well worth the trip. My family and our friends dined there just this week filling up a big table with kids and teens. Bev, our friendly server, described the items on the menu that featured FRESH seafood driven in from Louisiana by Wally himself. Our first course was several trays of fresh boiled crawfish which everyone dove into and devoured quickly. My husband ordered a platter of oysters on the half shell which were fresh and delicious. Then came the Shrimp Poppers with Jalapeno and Cream Cheese which were simply mouthwatering

It’s hard to beat a combination of great food and a great cause. The American Legion BBQ Cook-Off in Sikeston scheduled for May 30 promises to be just that. Jimmy Cantrell, one of the organizers of the event, notes this is the third year for the competition, and it will be held rain or shine. “This event has just grown bigger every year,” said Cantrell. Part of the reason for the growth is the BBQ, but a big part of the reason is the cause. The entire weekend of events raises money for the Bloomfield, MO Veterans Cemetery. “A lot of people have the misconception that the cemetery is funded 100 percent by federal and state funds,” explained Cantrell. “That

“You’re going to have to find a job, or get married,” he said in a firm, but kind voice. That was her father’s advice upon learning she wanted to major in art at Ole Miss. Yes, admits artist Melanie Dame Withrow, life is not easy for an artist. She’s wrestled with that desire to create art her whole life. Art can be an addiction. Art supplies are expensive, but the pull of the desire to create is like nothing else. How did she get here? She often asks herself the same question. “I wasn’t born with a silver paintbrush in my hand. That’s for sure,” said Withrow. “And I wasn’t reared with fine art all around me. But I was

There was a time when 4-H Club was a “country kids” club. As a matter of fact, there was a time when the whole country was divided basically into two classes of people: town and city folk, and country folk. That’s no longer the case with society, and it certainly is no longer the case with 4-H. “The organization has really changed a lot,” explained Monie Jackson Bremer, who has been a leader of the Star Banner 4-H of Dexter for 16 years. “It’s no longer just about farming and farm animals.” Now the organization has become more urban, to fit the changing demographics of rural and urban America. “Now we also teach kids about entrepreneurship, and technology. We even