Stories from Sunday, March 3, 2013

It's that time of year, when local schools prepare to hold kindergarten screenings for students entering kindergarten program in the fall. The Dexter Public Schools will host their screening on Thursday, April 25 and Friday, April 26 at Southwest Elementary. All children who will be five years of age before Aug. 1, 2013, are required to attend this screening...

By ERIN RAGAN SEMO News Service CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- A child of a working-class family from Bernie, Mo., Thomas W. Brown worked his way through college, spent decades as a teacher and retired recently after 10 years as a basketball coach at Meadow Heights School District...

By SCOTT MOYERS SEMO News Service CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Until a couple of weeks ago, Argentry Marshall didn't really care about the national debate about gun regulations. The 45-year-old Cape Girardeau resident hadn't paid much attention last year when two of the deadliest shootings in U.S. history took place in a Colorado theater and at a Connecticut elementary school...

By CHRIS BLANK Associated Press JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri schools would start receiving letter grades based upon how well they perform on state standards under legislation approved Thursday in the House. The measure calls for education officials to produce a simplified report card for public schools and for charter schools that have classes beyond second grade. ...

By NOREEN HYSLOP Managing Editor When the results of the Community Health Needs Assessment for Missouri's 115 counties was recently made public, it was clearly evident that Stoddard County needed help. The county rated below the norm in nearly every category assessed -- from infant mortality rates to alcohol and substance abuse...

SHANNON PUTNAM photo Reale Cook is a junor at Dexter High School and is the daughter of Shannon and Karen Cook. She is an attendant to Miss Dexter 2012, which is sponsored annually by the Dexter High School Music Department. Reale is a member of FTA, Honor Society, Honors Choir, Show Stoppers of Southeast Missouri, and the Kickin' Cats...