May 16 is the date for the biggest fishing event of the year, as far as I am concerned. That is the date of the annual Southeast Missouri Sportsmen’s Association’s Fish and Fun Day. This is the big event of the year for the association. The SEMO organization is the second oldest conservation organization in the state of Missouri. This organization started more than 70 years ago by a few men who felt that the area needed an organization devoted to the conservation efforts for the region. I believe that John McMullin senior was the first president and the annual membership dues was set at $1 per year. The fee was used for conservation efforts such as planting food plots

Three Rivers College is reducing the cost for many veterans and their family members to attend the college. The college’s Board of Trustees recently approved altering the college’s tuition policy to charge “in-district” tuition to all veterans, their spouses and children. “Our veterans and their families have been willing to make unfathomable sacrifices for our country, and it’s only right that we do our best to support them when they return home,” said Dr. Wesley Payne, President of Three Rivers College. “This new program will ensure that all of our region’s veterans will have the most affordable access to higher education that we can give them.” “In-district” tuition is the lower rate charged to residents of the college’s four-county taxing

Three Rivers College Chemistry instructor Dr. Mairead Ryan-Anderson received a Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching at a Missouri Community College Association luncheon. “Dr. Ryan-Anderson is a remarkable instructor and an exemplar of what you want in a faculty member,” said Dr. Wesley Payne, President of Three Rivers College. “Dr. Ryan-Anderson sets a high level of expectation for herself and her students and successfully uses hands on demonstrations and lots of interaction to share the world of chemistry with her students,” said Dr. Mary Lou Brown, Dean of Academic Instruction. Ryan-Anderson strives to help students meet their career goals, appreciate chemistry, and understand how it relates to their everyday lives. “Many of our students at Three Rivers are underprivileged. They

Registration deadline for the robotics summer day program at Butler County University of Missouri Extension is coming up soon! Summer programs provide a safe environment for youth ages 5-18 to spend summer learning about the world. Through robotics youth learn through hands-on activities. Youth will learn the basic concepts related to robotic subsystems such as structure, power, sensors, control and programming. This course will be held on June 1 from 1:00 pm– 4:00 pm. To register contact the University of Missouri Extension Butler County office at 573-686-8064 or stop by at 222 N Broadway in Poplar Bluff. Cost is $5 for the program.

The Poplar Bluff Public School Foundation is expected to meet its goal of netting more than $10,000 during the nonprofit’s 16th annual golf tournament, which was held Friday, May 1, at Ozark Ridge Golf Course. A total of 17 teams participated in the four-person scramble. Smith & Company Engineers was the Flight A winner with a score of 55 and Mid Continent Nail Corporation won Flight B with 65 strokes. In addition to the hole sponsors, 19 businesses made donations offering prizes for teams that purchased mulligans. The ante was upped this year with Larry Hillis Dodge putting a Jeep Wrangler on the line if an individual scored a hole-in-one on No. 9. While no one pulled off the feat,

Butler County 4-H is excited to start new a 4-H Shooting Sports Club that includes archery and rifle in Poplar Bluff. The goal of these projects is to teach safe and responsible use of shooting sports equipment, sound decision-making, self-discipline and concentration. 4-H Shooting Sports promote the highest standards of safety, sportsmanship and ethical behavior. Each shooting sports club is led by a certified 4-H Shooting Sports instructor who strives to make each meeting fun for the members by incorporating games and competition. Each youth must enroll in 4-H and complete 6 hours of safety instruction. The Shooting Sports safety training will be held on Thursday, May 28 from 6pm-9pm and Saturday, May 30 from 9am-12pm at the Poplar Bluff