PERSONNEL

Dr. Raymond August Ritter III has joined Orthopaedic Associates PC, 48 Doctors Park, in the practice of orthopaedic surgery.

Ritter represents the third generation to practice with the group in Cape Girardeau.

Ritter, a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Medicine-Kansas City, completed his internship at Blodgett Memorial Medical Center in Grand Rapids, Mich. He served a residency in orthopaedic surgery at St. Louis University Medical Center in St. Louis. He was awarded a two-year fellowship in orthopaedic research at St. Louis University Medical Center as well.

Ritter is a member of the American Medical Association, the Missouri State Medical Association, the Cape Girardeau County Medical Society and the Orthopaedic Research Society.

Other physicians with Orthopaedic Associates include Drs. Gordon Eller, Raymond Ritter, Michael Trueblood, William Thorpe and Ricky Lents.

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Bill Hodges and Joan Hodges of Albrecht/Hodges Insurance Agency, Cape Girardeau, recently attended the Professional Independent Insurance Agents of Missouri convention in Kansas city.

More than 700 attended the meeting, which featured educational sessions on new, workers' compensation, health-care reform and insurance fraud.

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Carl Blanchard, president of Coldwell Banker Blanchard and Associates Realty Inc., and seven associates of the firm, which has offices at Cape Girardeau and Jackson, recently attended a realty conference in St. Louis.

Accompanying Blanchard were Mary Arendt, George Callis, Sandy Bruenderman, Harriet Drusch, Cheryl Huffman, Marilyn Ostendorf and Sherma McCarty.

"Personal Business Development for the 90s" was the subject of the conference. Among topics discussed were latest trends in real estate and methods of performing better and more efficient service.

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Dr. Mohammad Shakil, a Cape Girardeau physician, has received the Physician's Recognition Award.

The award, presented by the Missouri State Medical Association and the American Medical Association, is earned by physicians who voluntarily complete 150 credit hours of continuing medical education courses in a three-year period.

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Doug Adams has joined Audio I, 2100 William.

Adams, who has more than 20 years of experience in photography, will join the firm's camera department, which has added new cameras of most major brands, accessories and film.

Audio I features car and home stereos and cameras.

Adams, a nationally-published photographer, also teaches photography courses at the Cape Girardeau Area Vo-Tech School.

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Liz Abernathy of Coldwell Banker Blanchard and Associates Realty was recently honored by Coldwell Banker.

She received the Coldwell Banker President's Circle Award for her "Top 10" ranking in the Midwest region for total units, buyer-controlled sales and total listings sold.

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David L. Hahs and Herbert R. Sheets of Cape Girardeau have been honored by Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. for sales excellence during the year ended May 31.

Hahs received "Diamond Class" recognition for sales in excess of $10 million and Sheets received "Emerald Class" honors for sales of more than $7 million for the year.

The local winners are associated with Northwestern's T. Ronald Hahs District Agency in Cape Girardeau.

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Jane Clark of Century 21 Key Realty has been recognized among the top 1 percent of sales associates in Century 21 South Central States Inc., a seven-state area.

The honor is based on year-to-date gross, closed commissions through June 30.

There are approximately 575 Century 21 offices and more than 6,400 associates in the South Central division.

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Steven Penny of Cape Girardeau has joined Classic Real Estate Ltd., Better Homes and Gardens, 113 S. Broadview, as a sales associated.

Penny has more than 12 years experience in retail sales and service. He is a member of the Cape Girardeau County Board of Realtors, the Missouri Association of Realtors, the Multiple Listing Services of Cape Girardeau, and the National Association of Realtors.

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Debie Leoni, director of Southeast Missouri Hospital's Fitness and Wellness Center, has completed requirements for certification as program director specialist.

The certification, through the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research in Dallas, was approved following Leoni's successful completion of a workshop and testing session.

Leoni, who has degrees in therapeutic recreation from the University of Wisconsin and Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, Ill., has been a member of the hospital staff since 1984.

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Chris Sheets and Jeanne Gibbar recently completed the oral and maxillofacial surgery anesthesia assistants program.

After completing five modules of study, they had to pass a final examination administered by the American College Testing Program.

Sheets, a registered nurse, and Gibbar, a certified oral and maxillofacial surgery assistant, are employed in the office of Dr. L.L. Sheets, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon in Cape Girardeau.

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Ken Schlitt of Chaffee has achieved the status of certified crop adviser.

Schlitt, of Vigoro Agri-Business Farmarket, 141 N. Frisco in Chaffee, received his designation during a banquet at Columbia.

To be certified, an individual must have two years of crop production experience and a degree in agronomy, or four years of post-high-school experience. Applicants must pass state and national exams.

The certified crop adviser program is sponsored by the American Society of Agronomy.