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Newcomer's Guide

Welcome to the City of Marble Hill (10/07/09)
The History Founded in 1851 by an act of the General Assembly of the State providing for the organization of counties, the first commissioners of the new county purchased 50 acres on which to establish a seat of justice. That area was first known as New California and later as Dallas. In 1868, the name was changed to Marble Hill...

Welcome to Bollinger County (10/07/09)
The History Bollinger County was named after George Frederick Bollinger, the 11th of 12 children of Heinrich Bollinger. George Frederick Bollinger persuaded 20 other families to leave North Carolina in the fall of 1799 and settle in a region immediately west of what is now Cape Girardeau. ...

Welcome to the City of Benton (10/07/09)
Benton, the county seat of Scott County, is a small but growing community. It has three baseball diamonds, a city park, senior housing, and a new subdivision called Meyer Lake. A few years ago, the city added another water tower and system to update water supply and pressure for its residents. Benton is in Kelly School District, which recently built a new high school for its growing student population. Each September, Benton hosts the Benton Neighbor Days festivities...

Welcome to the City of Sikeston (10/07/09)
The History When settlers first came to the Sikeston area, in southern Scott County, they were met with a wild landscape of rivers, swamps, marshes, bayous, forests and prairies. By order of the king of Spain, an overland route was laid out in 1789 to connect the cities of St. ...

Welcome to the City of Scott City (10/07/09)
Scott City is a combination of the towns of Ancell, Fornfelt and Illmo. Fornfelt and Ancell combined to form Scott City in 1960. In 1980, Illmo and Scott City combined and chose Scott City for its name. Later, the town annexed a two-mile area to the north and developed the Nash Road Industrial Park, which has grown to include more than 20 businesses...

Welcome to Scott County (10/07/09)
The History County records from Scott County were destroyed during the Civil War. Godspeed's 1888 History of Southeast Missouri provided the basic information for the county's early history. The first log courthouse in Benton, built on the square soon after the town was laid out in 1820, quickly became inadequate and was razed. ...

Welcome to the City of Perryville (10/07/09)
The History Perryville was first incorporated in 1837. In the early 1800s Henry Burns built a home on South Spring Street, which William P. Fahrty later bought. Thought to be the oldest remaining residence in the city, it is now a museum operated by the Perry County Historical Society...

Welcome to Perry County (10/07/09)
The History Perry County was organized Nov. 16, 1820 (effective Jan. 1, 1821) from Ste. Genevieve County and named for Oliver Hazard Perry, a naval hero of the War of 1812. The county offers a number of historic, architectural and scenic attractions, such as the St. ...

Other Communities in Cape County (10/07/09)
OAK RIDGEPopulation: 202Located: 17 miles north of Cape Girardeau GordonvillePopulation: 425Located: 8 miles west of Cape GirardeauCity Hall: 605 State Highway Z, 573-204-7602 DeltaPopulation: 540Located: 12 miles west of Cape Girardeau on Highway 25City Hall: 211 Highway 25, 573-794-0911...

Welcome to the City of Jackson (10/07/09)
The History Jackson, dubbed "the city of beautiful homes, churches, schools and parks," is a growing community with a rich history. Founded in 1814, it is also the county seat of Cape Girardeau County. Jackson has several buildings with historical significance, including the Oliver House, named for Sen. ...

Welcome to the City of Cape Girardeau (10/07/09)
The History Cape Girardeau was plotted and chartered in 1806, but its history goes back even further. Long before Europeans settled here, the area was home to many tribes of American Indians, including the Osage and Shawnee. Two pioneers were instrumental in the founding of the city: The first was French soldier Jean B. Girardot. Around 1765, Girardot began boating down the thriver to trade with local Indians near a rock prominently overlooking the river -- now known as Cape Rock...

Welcome to Cape Girardeau County (10/07/09)
The History Cape Girardeau County was organized on Oct. 1, 1812, and was named after Ensign Jean Girardot, a French officer who developed a trading post in the present city of Cape Girardeau. The county seat is in Jackson, also the first city named in honor of President Andrew Jackson...

Southeast Missouri's Got Talent (10/07/09)
It may come as a surprise, but several quiet, local communities are also home to famous athletes and entertainers -- and they're still proud to call Southeast Missouri home. Neal E. Boyd -- Sikeston, Mo. Winner of "America's Got Talent" A few years ago, Sikeston, Mo., native Neal E. ...

101 Things Every Southeast Missourian Should Experience (10/06/09)

What to do, where to go, when to be there in Southeast Missouri (10/06/09)

The New Dental Drill (10/06/09)
The scraping. The drilling. The capping. The filling. Who wouldn't be nervous? But local dental offices have found a way to make visits less stressful for patients of all ages. "You'd be surprised," says Angel Petzoldt, office manager at B.L. Ogborn DDS Inc in Cape Girardeau. "We have just about as many adults that are as afraid as children."...

Plenty of Options to Beat the Heat in Southeast Missouri (10/06/09)
There is only one word to describe Southeast Missouri in the summertime. HOT. It can get so hot that it is almost impossible enjoy being outdoors. What is a Southeast Missourian to do in 95 degree weather with humidity making it feel like 105 degrees out? There is the easy answer of staying by air conditioning. There are multiple swimming pools throughout the region from which to choose to spend a day. By May 2010, Cape Girardeau will have a new choice to offer: the new waterpark...

Local Churches Support Worldwide Missionary Projects (10/06/09)
Often churches are the only source of hope in struggling countries. Fortunately "local" churches have stepped up-to-the-plate and continue reaching out to people all around the globe through the support of missionary projects. Pastor Jeff Long, Centenary United Methodist Church, Cape Girardeau says Centenary supports two missionaries in the Czech republic, Jimmie and Hilda Bennett. ...

Awesome Plays and Productions at Your Fingertips (10/06/09)
Awesome Plays and Productions at Your Fingertips You don't have to go to New York's Broadway or Hollywood to enjoy a breathtaking play or theatre production. Area high schools pride themselves on presenting awesome performances each year. Cape Central High School (CHS) Cape Girardeau, drama teacher Cynthia Bradshaw says she has directed 50 plays and liked all of them. ...

Success of Small Business Key to Local Economy (10/06/09)
With an unemployment rate consistently lower than the rest of the state, Cape Girardeau, Perry, Bollinger and Scott Counties have traditionally enjoyed an economy that thrives in good times and does better than most in hard times. Part of the secret to the area's economic success lies with its small businesses, which statistically make up more than 70 percent of all new jobs. ...

Other Area Colleges (10/06/09)
Three Rivers Community College Three Rivers was founded in Poplar Bluff, Mo., in 1967. The college serves some 3,000 students from counties throughout Southeast Missouri, with a main campus in Poplar Bluff, in-district centers in Doniphan, Piedmont and Van Buren, and full-service center in Campbell, Kennett, Malden, Portageville and Sikeston. In addition, TRCC offers classes at sites throughout the region, including at many high schools throughout Southeast Missouri...

A Guide to Southeast Missouri's Parochial Schools (10/06/09)
Salem LutheranGrades: K-8, added a preschool in fall 2009Enrollment: 28 Student/teacher ratio: 10:1Ave. years experience of teachers: 15Website: http://www.salembjmo.org/ Concordia-Trinity Lutheran SchoolEnrollment: 70 (prek-8)Student/teacher ratio: 15:1 Ave. years experience of teachers: 22Sports/activities offered: Cheerleading Website: N/A...

Expanding care (10/06/09)
-- Southeast Missouri Hospital's Regional Cancer Center In January 2009, Southeast broke ground on a new, patient-centered $33 million Regional Cancer Center, one of the largest building projects in the hospital's history. The new 49,200-square-foot center will be located on the hospital's new West Campus on South Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau, and is scheduled to open in December 2010...

Southeast Missouri State University hosts annual high school art exhibition (10/06/09)
Area high school art students have a reason to work hard at their craft even before reaching college. They receive a chance to see their work recognized and displayed if it is selected from other entries created and submitted by other talented high school students. ...

University's River Campus brings some of the best to Cape Girardeau (10/06/09)
In 1998, Southeast Missouri State University purchased the buildings and grounds of the former St. Vincent's College and Seminary. Nine years and much construction later, the university unveiled its River Campus, home to the music, theater, dance and art programs. Now in its third season of performances, the River Campus continues to enthrall audiences. Here's a look at the shows on the 2009-2010 schedule...

A Guide to Southeast Missouri's Public Schools (10/06/09)
Source: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2008 data CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY School District: Cape Girardeau Enrollment: 3,848 Attendance Rate: 94.2 Low-income students: 54.3 Graduation Rate: 72 Post-high school success: 68.8 percent attended a 2- or 4-year college after graduation...