Weed and Seed conference kicks off today at university

The Great Plains Regional Weed and Seed Conference kicks off today with a reception at 6:30 p.m. at Southeast Missouri State University.

Lisa Lane, executive director of Southeast Missouri Weed and Seed, said the conference is designed to enhance the understanding of the Weed and Seed program and increase participants' knowledge in asking for and managing grants and donations.

The keynote luncheon will be held at noon Thursday in the University Center Grand Ballroom. The scheduled speaker is Tracy Henke, principal deputy assistant attorney general of the Office of Justice Programs.

The two-pronged Weed and Seed program is designed to weed out crime and help communities solve their problems by convicting criminal offenders engaged in drug-related crimes. The program increases visibility and community policing efforts and "seeds" neighborhoods by increasing community involvement through housing and employment.

There are five recognized Weed and Seed sites in Southeast Missouri: Sikeston, Cape Girardeau, Caruthersville, Charleston and Poplar Bluff.

The Great Plains Regional Weed and Seed conference is open to all Weed and Seed sites and their partners.

For information on the conference, call the Southeast Missouri Weed and Seed office at (573) 986-6415.