8 weather sirens will be installed in Jackson

~ A Jackson medical group is donating money for four of the sirens; the school district is paying for one; and the city will raise money for the other three.

In less than a month eight sirens will provide early storm warnings for residents in Jackson.

The Southeast Missouri Medical Center Inc., a Jackson not-for-profit organization, initiated efforts to purchase warning sirens one month ago, said Jackson Mayor Paul Sander. The SMMC and Jackson School District agreed to provide funding for five sirens, which would cover 65 percent of the city. The other sirens would give the city complete coverage.

"We felt with the most recent storms in the Midwest, it would be to our advantage to get these sirens in Jackson," said Dr. Dwight Johnson, a SMMC member.

Currently the city has one warning horn at the public works building, but it is inadequate to alert the 15,000 residents of Jackson.

Last week Jackson's Board of Aldermen decided the entire city needed to be covered by warning sirens. Sander formed a fundraising committee to seek donations for three additional sirens.

The Southeast Missouri Medical Center, Inc. is providing $62,500 for four of the sirens and Jackson R-2 Public School District will purchase one siren for $14,258. The mayor appointed a fund-raising committee to seek $50,000 in donations to pay off the additional costs of the remaining three sirens.

The city ordered the sirens and they should arrive within two weeks, said Don Schuette, electric utility director.

Jackson Alderwoman Val Tuschoff said she believes the sirens will provide a much-needed early storm warning -- something the city didn't have during the tornado of 2003.

The city will be responsible for providing poles for the sirens, installation, future maintenance and electric costs.

"This is a really good public service to the community," Sander said. "We're so appreciative of the school and SMMC for providing funds for this project."

Organized in 1965, the SMMC was created by a group of citizens who saw a need for increased medical professionals and a hospital in Jackson. The hospital never materialized, but the organization fulfilled its goal of bringing more medical professionals into the city.

The group bought more than 80 acres of property in west Jackson along Broadridge near West Independence. On that property the group built Jackson Family Clinic and Jackson Manor.

Funds the group received from selling the Jackson Manor and its Broadridge property have been donated to the new senior center, soccer park, baseball field and many other Jackson projects. More recently it announced plans to provide funding for a new community center in Jackson.

jfreeze@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 246