National rankings

Being recognized as the best at what you do is a reward for good effort and a good comparison with others doing the same thing. In recent days three notable rankings have put a spotlight on Southeast Missouri State University and the Cape Girardeau-Jackson economy.

For the second year. the university was listed as one of 14 Missouri schools on Princeton Review's "2010 Best Colleges: Region by Region." The university was among 158 colleges named in 12 Midwestern states.

For the third year, the university's gymnastics program earned the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women National Academic Team Championship. The Redhawks had a 3.91 grade-point average for the 2008-09 academic year, and 14 individuals had perfect 4.0 GPAs.

A survey by Florida-based Policom Corp. -- based on 23 factors such as jobs, earnings and social programs -- ranked the Cape Girardeau-Jackson area 145th out of 366 communities nationwide with population of 50,000 or more. Only St. Louis and Kansas City in Missouri were ranked higher.

This area is well-known for education, health care, industry and shopping. It's always good to be noticed and to be compared to others across the country. These are good reasons to be proud.