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Cape air festival receives awards

The Cape Girardeau Air Festival has received two marketing awards at a conference in Orlando, Fla.

The International Council of Air Shows presented the air festival with a first-place award in the small air show category for its radio advertisement that was produced by Jason Parker at Withers Broadcasting. The air festival also won second place for its sponsorship proposal package.

"This is actually a very prestigious award, especially considering that we took first and second in these two categories between all small air shows throughout the United States and Canada," said Bruce Loy, the festival director and manager of the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport manager.

The air festival also received national recognition in the February issue of "Kitplanes" magazine.

Stoddard County voters to decide tax issue

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Stoddard County voters will have an opportunity April 2 to decide whether to eliminate one tax, but add another in its place.

The Stoddard County Commission voted this week to place the question before county voters to eliminate the county property tax in lieu of raising the sales tax a half cent.

The elimination of the personal property tax would apply only to the county tax and not include the property tax for school districts, county ambulance, drainage districts and other entities.

Watermelon growers to meet today at Kennett

KENNETT, Mo. --The annual watermelon growers' meeting sponsored by University Outreach and Extension will begin at 8:30 a.m. today in the American Legion building in Kennett. Keynote speaker will be Dr. Jim Shrefler of Oklahoma State University. Shrefler is a watermelon researcher based at the Lane Agriculture Center, in Lane, Okla. The facility is run jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Oklahoma State University.

Shrefler will bring two presentations. One will be a report on melon research activities at the station. The other will focus on weed control in watermelon fields.

Dr. Lewis Jett will discuss pollinator lines for seedless watermelons.

Veterans to be honored at basketball game

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Between today's Sikeston High School's varsity and junior varsity basketball games with Kelly High School, fans will be asked to put down their school colors and pick up the nation's.

"Our colors are red, white and blue," said Tom Austin of the American Legion.

In what has become a Sikeston tradition, U.S. military veterans will be honored during a special ceremony between the games at the field house. "This will be our fourth go-around," Austin said.

Each year, at least two veterans are presented plaques which are placed on the Field House's Wall of Honor.

Expanding park system on Kennett ballot

KENNETT, Mo. -- The Kennett Park system is alive and well according to Greg Harris, president of the park board. However, he said the city has outgrown the present park system and is in desperate need of expansion.

If Proposition A and B are passed by voters at the special election Feb. 5, one of the projects to be completed will be the expansion of the city's park system.

The estimated cost earmarked for the project is $370,000 and will include renovating and expanding the existing parks, the construction of additional fields and parking at the fields.

-- From staff and Southeast Missouri News reports