Founder of Jackson's Ceramo Co. dies
Longtime Jackson businessman Vernon Louis Kasten died Tuesday at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was 81. Kasten was president of Kasten Masonry and Ceramo Co. Inc. He attended Southeast Missouri State University from 1941 to 1943, and earned undergraduate and master's degrees in ceramic engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla. He founded Ceramo, a company that manufactures red clay pottery, in 1945. Ceramo currently operates a manufacturing facility in Jackson and two distribution centers, one in Jackson and one in West Chicago, Ill. In 2002, Kasten was among the first to receive Southeast's Distinguished Service Award. McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson is in charge of arrangements.
Congresswoman holding economic roundtable
U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson will hold an economic roundtable at the Show Me Center today. The roundtable discussion, starting at 9 a.m., will include representatives from the Missouri Department of Economic Development and local officials. After opening remarks, Emerson and the officials will share ideas about how to improve the rural economy. The meeting is open to the public.
-- From staff reports
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