Missourian has statewide following

To the editor:

The Southeast Missourian continues to do a great job in its coverage, both in print and on the increasingly invaluable Web site. Keeping Sam Blackwell's excellent column was certainly a coup as he goes on to other pursuits.

You were definitely the go-to site for anyone interested in Sen. Barack Obama's visit to Cape Girardeau. Many folks in Jefferson City from both political parties were keenly interested and followed the visit through semissourian.com. As I travel around Missouri I'm frequently impressed by the number of folks who inform me that they make a habit of reading your excellent Web content nearly every morning. They tell me that it is the fairest and most comprehensive coverage of local and state news anywhere and that they've come to rely on it. Folks in Cape Girardeau are lucky to have a newspaper whose ownership and staff are so committed to excellence.

I have enjoyed the recent articles on authors who've published books, including the new one by my friend Tom Taylor based on his years in security details. This category would include the new book on Louis Houck by Dr. Joel Rhodes of Southeast Missouri State University. For those of us who won't have time over the next six months to read Rhodes' book, I encourage you to publish an interview with Rhodes about his work on this impressive historical figure. How about Rhodes on the "Top 10 Amazing Things About Louis Houck" or the "Top 10 Things You Didn't Know About Louis Houck"?

Keep up the great work.

PETER KINDER, Jefferson City