ABOUT THE THIRD-PLACE WINNER: BRAD S. MEYR OF JACKSON

Brad S. Meyr and his finacee, Kristi Hardy, had some good laughs the last few weeks dreaming up entries for the "You are so Swampeast Missouri if..." Contest.

"It took a while to get the first one," he said, "but then everything fell into place. We got into a groove thinking up jokes."

He entered nearly 20 times, but it was the following entry that caught the judge's attention:

"You are so Swampeast Missouri if you took Rhodes 101 at SEMO University.

As the third place winner, he receives a six-month subscription to the Southeast Missourian, valued at $81, a comic-strip umbrella and a framed caricature of his joke.

Meyr is a native of New Wells who graduated from Jackson High School. He works as a carpenter for Rocky Schumer Construction in Perryville.

He and his financee have set a wedding date: Jan. 8, 2000.

"Kristi and I had some good laughs sitting at the table working the jokes," he said.