Cape Girardeau Central students get tutorial in city government

Cape Girardeau Central High School AP (Advanced Placement) Government teacher Marty Vines introduced his class to various Cape Girardeau city officials during a virtual Youth in Government Day event in the high school library Tuesday.

Masking is still required for Central's secondary students so the 14 students in Vines' class met with Mayor Bob Fox, city manager Scott Meyer and other leaders via Zoom.

"There's traditionally a disconnect with these youth because they don't get to see city leaders on television," said Vines, who has staged these meetings every year he's taught the class except during the COVID year of 2020.

The event is part of Local Government Week in Cape Girardeau during the traditional week of Youth in Government Day, a local Optimist Club program connecting young people with officials.

Fox told the AP Government class, which appointed junior Jalee Spain as honorary mayor, he may suggest the formation of a "youth council" to advise the city.

Cape Girardeau Central junior Jalee Spain, the AP Government class honorary mayor, during Tuesday's Zoom conference with Cape Girardeau city officials in the high school library.Jeff Long

"We're trying to reach out on social media," Fox said, "but we know young people aren't on Facebook but rather on Instagram."

The students, who also had breakout Zoom meetings with police and public works department officials, discussed two issues in a plenary session with Fox, Meyer, director of citizen services and city clerk Gayle Conrad and public information manager Nicolette Brennan: a possible future internet sales tax to benefit city coffers and the upcoming deer hunt slated to begin in November in selected areas of Cape Girardeau.