Community briefs 3/19/07

Broadway reopens today; ceremony Tuesday

Broadway is expected to officially open to two-way traffic late this afternoon. Mayor Knudtson and other city officials will be on hand at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Southeast Missouri Hospital parking lot on the corner of Broadway and West End Boulevard to officially celebrate the re-opening of Broadway. Area business and property owners, along with officials from Southeast Missouri Hospital, have been invited to attend the opening ceremony.

St. Jude fund-raiser held at Tractors

A fund-raiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital will be held Thursday at Tractors Classic American Grill, 124 High St., Jackson, along with K103FM. The Mike Renick Band will provide live entertainment from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. All tips received at the bar will benefit St. Jude and, for individuals donating $3 or more, a free dessert will be offered. Other fund-raising activities will be held. For more information, call 243-0340.

Modern Woodmen hold monthly dinners

Modern Woodmen of America Camp 4902 will hold a camp dinner from 4:30 to 7 p.m. March 27 at Frontier at Fruitland, 5841 US Highway 61, Jackson. Call Betty Jones at 243-3261, 651-0030 or 243-5868 for more information. Modern Woodmen of America Camp 8116 will hold a camp dinner from 4:30 to 7 p.m. March 28 at Ponderosa, 1301 S. Perryville Blvd., Perryville, Mo. Call Ginger McCloud at (573) 547-1605, 651-0030 or 243-5868 for more information. All Modern Woodmen members invited. There will be a door prize.

Easter egg hunt planned for March 31

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources will sponsor an Easter egg hunt beginning at 10 a.m. March 31 at Big Oak Tree State Park near East Prairie, Mo. Children ages 3 to 10 are encouraged to bring their Easter baskets and collect as many eggs as possible. Prizes will be awarded. Children will learn about the swamp rabbit, an animal once common to Missouri's Bootheel area. For more information, call 649-3149.

Dinner, auction, dance set to benefit Larry Mantz

A cancer benefit, beginning with a dinner followed by silent auction and dance, will be held for Larry Mantz from noon to 6 p.m. April 1 at the VFW Hall, 1049 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. Menu includes hot dogs, chili dogs, chili, desserts and beverages. Donations will be collected.

MoDOT poster contest winners announced

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Students recently participated in Missouri Department of Transportation's annual Work Zone Safety Poster and Coloring Contest. Winners in the 4 to 5 age group included Emma Renfroe, first place, Sikeston Kindergarten Center; Kolton Estes, second place, Eagle Ridge Christian School, Cape Girardeau; Lucah McIntosh, third place, Early Learning Center, Oran, Mo. Winners receive an interactive work zone safety assembly from MoDOT at their school and the opportunity to see some of the big MoDOT trucks up close. Their award-winning artwork will be displayed at West Park Mall in Cape Girardeau.

Volunteers needed to work with Katrina victims

The Southeast Missouri long-term recovery committee, organized to provide coordinated management of the long-term recovery needs of people affected by the 2005 Katrina Hurricane, is looking for volunteers to work with people affected by Hurricane Katrina who have relocated to the Southeast Missouri region. Volunteers will provide physical, emotional and spiritual resources to those displaced by the disaster. Interested individuals will be required to participate in an 8-hour training session and have an FBI background check. For more information, contact Nancy Jernigan at the United Way of Southeast Missouri at 334-9634, or by e-mail at nancy.jernigan@unitedwayofsemo.org.

<B>[--] From staff reports