Southeast Missouri recognitions

The Mississippi Lime Co. plant in Ste. Genevieve was the safest large underground mine in Missouri last year, according to Steve Dunn, assistant director of the Missouri Division of Labor Standards. Mississippi Lime Co. officials were recently presented two awards at a ceremony at Eagle Lake near Farmington. The company received an award for having the most improved safety record for 2001 and one for having the best safety record of an underground mine in the state in 2001. Mississippi Lime had only two lost-time injuries for 280,000 hours worked.

Poplar Bluff surgeon Dr. David McFadden recently received his master's diploma in bioethics from Trinity International University in Deerfield (Chicago), Ill. McFadden spent almost two years commuting to Chicago to obtain the advanced degree and plans to use his experience for the benefit of the community and hospitals. He most recently held a bioethics seminar in Caruthersville where the topics of embryonic stem cell research and cloning were featured.

The Farmers Alliance Co's. in McPherson, Kan., has announced Johnson Insurance Group Inc. in

Cape Girardeau has been named Advantage Agent for 2002. To qualify as an Advantage Agent, an agency must exhibit superior professionalism and profitability over five consecutive years. The Farmers Alliance Co's. are represented by independent agents and serve 10 Midwestern states.

Dr. Jason Street of VanCleve Vision Center in Poplar Bluff and opticians Mandy McMeans and Mandy Johnson recently attended the Heart of America Contact Lens and Primary Care Congress in Kansas City.

Kathryn Johnson Swan, president of JCS/TEL-LINK in Cape Girardeau, was recently installed as chairman of the board of the GLMSS Association (Great Lakes MSS Association) at the spring meeting in St. Pete Beach, Fla. GLMSS is comprised of nearly 100 MSS's (Motorola two-way radio service providers) located in 31 states. The membership meets twice yearly to network and gain education in small business operations. Swan has served the past three years as a member of the board. JCS/TEL-LINK was founded in 1959 by Charles W. (Sonny) Johnson as the only authorized MSS in the Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois areas.

J. Mike Seabaugh of Jackson and Patti Darnell of Fredericktown have been appointed to the Workforce Investment Board of Southeast Missouri. Seabaugh is project manager with the Department of Economic Development at the Dexter office and will replace Mitch Robinson on the WIB. Seabaugh has served seven years as project manager of the Business Expansion and Attraction Group at the

Southeast Regional Office in Dexter and serves a total of 19 counties in Southeast Missouri. Darnell is the controller at Cap America and has held that position about a year. The Workforce Investment Board is set up to create a skilled workforce. Seabaugh and Darnell attended their first meeting March 19.

Jackie Clark-Otto, Betty Lou and Don Vogel, and July Miller, Prudential Bridgeport Inc. Realtors in Cape Girardeau, were recently named winners of the Leading Edge Society Award for 2001. This award recognizes the residential sales professionals whose sales performance during the past year placed them in the top 6 percent of 44,000 Prudential agents worldwide. Jo Duff, Prudential Bridgeport Inc. Realtors, was recently named recipient of the Honor Society Award for 2001. This award recognizes the residential sales professionals whose sales performance last year placed them in the top 10 percent of Prudential agents. The awards were presented by the Prudential Real Estate Affiliates Inc. during the company's annual sales convention held in New Orleans March 10-13.

Cherie Herbst, community relations director for Sam's Club in Cape Girardeau, recently returned from the Wal-Mart home office in Bentonville, Ark., where a reception was held by MMR Inc., a major research company for retailers. The company is involved in a study with Wal-Mart, and a select few of Sam's and Wal-Mart customers toured the home office and visited with the Wal-Mart and Sam's CEOs. The Sam's Club in Cape Girardeau was recently honored with the Helen Walton Award for its division. The award is bestowed on those clubs that are active in their community needs throughout the year.

Four members of the Workforce Investment Board of Southeast Missouri and Ron Swift, president of WIB, attended a national conference in Washington, D.C., March 3-5. The conference was the National Association of Workforce Boards "Forum 2002." The theme of this year's conference was "Taking Your Board to the Next Level." Board members attending were Beth McFarland, Kathy Sanders, Larry Windle and Bob Fulton.

Famous Barr has been awarded the top performing store in its division, according to Sharon Ebersohl, general manager of the store located at Westfield Shoppingtown West Park. The Cape Girardeau retailer won the prestigious award among all 43 stores in the division, which includes Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky and parts of Illinois. The award, presented to the store on March 19 in St. Louis, is based on sales, customer service and inventory numbers. There are 164 employees at the Cape Girardeau Famous Barr.

Genesis Transportation in Cape Girardeau was recently resented a Platinum award by Great West Casualty Co. as part of the 2001 National Fleet Safety Award Program. The award went to dispatcher Matt Steffens, safety director Kathy Ringwald and Dan Hotop, the C.M. Brown and Associates Inc. agent. The owners are Sandy and Moose Meystedt. The Fleet Safety Award Program drew over 400 entries from across the country.

George Runyon, St. Francois County Farm Bureau insurance agent, was recently recognized for 30 years of service with Missouri Farm Bureau Insurance Co.'s. Ray Mabury, manager of sales for the Farm Bureau Insurance Co.'s of Missouri, made the presentation during the All Star Sales Conference on March 7-9 at Lodge of Four Seasons, Lake of the Ozarks.

NHC HealthCare in Desloge has received the Five Star Excellence Certification given by National HealthCare Corp. at the annual management conference in Desert Springs, Calif. NHC HealthCare, a 120-bed center, provides a full-range of long-term health care services including 24-hour professional nursing care as well as speech, physical and occupational therapy.

Independent insurance agent Mary Beth Baker of Landrum Insurance, Farmington, attended the Missouri Association of Insurance Agents' 12th annual Small Agents Conference, March 14-15 in Columbia, Mo. Over 400 independent insurance agents, brokers and insurance company representatives attended the conference, which was designed for small to medium-sized agencies.

John Crouch of Crouch, Farley and Heuring, PC, in Farmington has been awarded the Accredited in Business Valuation designation by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Mineral Area Regional Medical Center Laboratory Services in Farmington has been awarded Accreditation with distinction by the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation of the College of American Pathologist, based on the results of a recent on-site inspection. It is one of more than 6,000 CAP-accredited laboratories nationwide.The College of American Pathologists is a medical society serving nearly 16,000 physician members and the laboratory community throughout the world.

Darlene Margrabe of Miss Darlene's Preschool and Daycare in Sikeston and Nancy Hampton of Nancy's Daycare in Chaffee recently attended the 29th annual Conference on the Young Years at Tan-Tar-A, Osage Beach. Workshops and seminars pertaining to the education, development, and discipline of young children were provided. The rules, regulations and proposed rule revisions by the Department of Health were also explained.

Charles Brown, vice president of Baker Welman Brown Insurance in Kennett, attended the Missouri Association of Insurance Agents 12th annual Small Agents Conference on March 14-16, in Columbia, Mo. More than 400 independent insurance agents, brokers and insurance company representatives attended the conference, which is designed for small to medium-sized agencies from both rural and metropolitan areas.