Bruce Campbell is our VFW Auxiliary Veteran Spotlight for the month of January. He was raised in Puxico and graduated from Puxico High School in 1966. He then went to Bailey Technical School in St. Louis for gas and diesel mechanics. He volunteered to serve in the Navy in January 1968 and served until November 1971. He spent two tours in Vietnam and eleven months in Alaska during his time of service.
After boot camp in Illinois, Bruce was stationed in Davisville, Rhode Island and while there, received more schooling as a construction mechanic for the Sea Bees. Then he had military training for Vietnam. His next duty station was Dong Ha, Vietnam, which was a combat base. While there his troop supported the Marines by building roads, huts, and really whatever they needed built. He came back to the states for a short period of time for more schooling and military training. He had the opportunity to volunteer for a Sea Bees team, a civic action program to help the people of Vietnam. They built roads, bridges, orphanages, and school buildings. There were eleven of them, two men for each trade and an officer.
His next duty station was in Alaska at a communication station that monitored communications between the United States and other countries, especially Russia, which could be seen from the island he was at on a clear day. Bruce was required to have a Top Secret clearance to even be on the base. The Sea Bees maintained the roads which took snowplows, road graders, front-in loaders, trucks, and buses that transported the communication techs to and from their barracks to their work stations.
He received the following medals during his time serving in the Navy: National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Meritorious Unit Citation with Gallantry Cross, Sharp Shooter and he left the service as a second class petty officer as a construction mechanic.
Upon returning to Puxico, Bruce went to work at Puxico Implement, the local John Deere dealership. Two years later, he went to work at Busby Implement in Poplar Bluff, the John Deere dealership there. He was married to Barb Griffin on June 8, 1974 and they have been married for 50 years. Bruce and Barb have two children, Ben Campbell and wife Jenny, and daughter, Brittany, who is married to Matt Fox.
After 28 years of being employed by Busby Implement, Bruce opened his own business southeast of Puxico known as Bruce Campbell’s John Deere Farm Equipment Repair. Eighteen years later, he was forced to retire due to health reasons. Bruce maintains his own farm and also has row crops and cattle.
Bruce is a lifetime member of VFW Post 7822. He is also a member and Deacon of Duck Creek Baptist Church in rural Puxico. He is also a proud member of the Mingo Tractor Club.
He will oversee Conservation Agents in Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Madison, Scott, and Wayne counties.
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has named Andrew Mothershead, MDC Conservation Agent, as Protection Lieutenant within the Southeast Region.
Mothershead – promoted from the rank of Corporal to Lieutenant – will oversee conservation agents in Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Madison, Scott, and Wayne counties. He has most recently served as the Scott County agent.
“I have enjoyed the last 13 years serving as conservation agent in several counties throughout the state of Missouri,” said Mothershead. “However, I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with and lead conservation agents in a more supportive role.”
Mothershead graduated with a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Science from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2008. He started his career with MDC in 2008, working in temporary and seasonal roles before accepting a position as an Outdoor Skills Assistant with the Outreach and Education Division in Cape Girardeau in 2009.
In 2011, Mothershead was accepted into the Conservation Agent Training Academy and was assigned to Saline County in Central Region upon graduation. In 2012, he received the Central Region Hunter Education Officer of the year and Missouri Waterfowl Officer of the Year award in 2014.
He transferred to Mississippi County in 2015 and received Southeast Region’s Conservation Agent of Year award in 2017. In 2019, he transferred to Scott County, fulfilling a lifelong dream to serve as the conservation agent in the county that he grew up in.
Mothershead and his wife of 12 years, Julianne, have one daughter: Scarlett, and two sons: Reid and Mason.
Mothershead can be contacted at 573-290-5730, or by email at Andrew.Mothershead@mdc.mo.gov.
SEMO Electric Cooperative has been recognized as one of 30 Missouri electric cooperatives for its outstanding commitment to safety. the cooperative's employees - Team SEMO - have collectively worked more than 119,096 hours without a lost-time accident.
"We are incredibly proud of the steps these cooperatives have taken to ensure every employee returns home safely to their families at the end of each day." said Johnie Hendrix, Vice President of Risk Management and Training for the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives (AMEC). While we provide extensive safety training, it is ultimately the employees who have built and sustained this strong culture of safety."
"Our team's dedication to safety is at the core of everything we do," said Sean Vanslyke, General Manager and CEO of SEMO Electric Cooperative. "This achievement is a reflection of their hard work and commitment to watching gout for each other. Our goal is to make sure everyone returns home safely at the end of each day."
This recognition was awarded at the 2024 Annual Meeting of AMEC, the statewide service organization for Missouri's electric cooperatives, based in Jefferson City.
Johnie Hendrix, Vice President of Risk Management and Training for he Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives (AMEC), presents the NO-LOST TIME Accident Safety Award to SEMO Electric Cooperative. Representing SEMO Electric are (left to right): Director Myron Hawes, Director Tim Cope, CEO Sean Vanslyke, Director Dennis Fowler, Director John Bledsoe, Director Keith Haynes, Director Carla Moore, director Carl Eftink, Director Dicky Honor, Director Field LaPlant, Director Von Priggel.
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Mercy Announce New Contract
Mercy and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Missouri (Anthem) have reached a new multi-year agreement providing Anthem members with continued access to affordable, high-quality care at all Mercy hospitals, outpatient care centers and physician offices across Missouri.
With the new contract, Anthem members covered by Anthem employer-based, Medicare Advantage and Affordable Care Act Marketplace health plans in Missouri will have uninterrupted in-network access to Mercy doctors and care sites.
Missouri Care, Inc - doing business as Healthy Blue - has reached an agreement for the Healthy Blue Medicaid plans as well. Healthy Blue members will have continued uninterrupted in-network access to Mercy doctors and care sites.
About Mercy
Mercy, one of the 20 largest U.S. health systems and named the top large system in the U.S. for excellent patient experience by NRC Health, serves millions annually with nationally recognized care and one of the nation’s largest and highest performing Accountable Care Organizations in quality and cost. Mercy is a highly integrated, multi-state health care system including 50 acute care and specialty (heart, children’s, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, convenient and urgent care locations, imaging centers and pharmacies. Mercy has over 1,000 physician practice locations and outpatient facilities, more than 5,000 physicians and advanced practitioners and more than 50,000 co-workers serving patients and families across Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has clinics, outpatient services and outreach ministries in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. In fiscal year 2023 alone, Mercy provided more than half a billion dollars of free care and other community benefits, including traditional charity care and unreimbursed Medicaid.
About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
In Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area) Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name for RightCHOICE® Managed Care, Inc. (RIT), Healthy Alliance® Life Insurance Company (HALIC), and HMO Missouri, Inc. RIT and certain affiliates administer non-HMO benefits underwritten by HALIC and HMO benefits underwritten by HMO Missouri, Inc. RIT and certain affiliates only provide administrative services for self-funded plans and do not underwrite benefits. Independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, ®ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
About Healthy Blue
Healthy Blue is a Medicaid product offered by Missouri Care, Inc., a MO HealthNet Managed Care health plan contracting with the Missouri Department of Social Services. Healthy Blue is administered by Missouri Care, Inc. in cooperation with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City. Missouri Care, Inc. and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City are both independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
The Miller's have a family legacy that no other grandfather, father, and son have ever accomplished in Dexter. All three have perfect regular undefeated seasons in Bearcat football. The Miller family has a tradition in football, with aspirations and achievements being passed down and celebrated across three generations.
The 2024 football season was definitely one for the record books. The Bearcats matched a program record of 11 wins and they won the MSHSAA Class 3, District 1 Championship, which was the first in thirteen years. Most exciting for the Miller family was the fact that this achievement may never be matched again as three members of their family played in three of the four perfect seasons at Charles Bland Stadium. The four unbeaten regular season years were 1940, 1963, 1986, and 2024. The Miller family had a player on each of those teams except the 1940 team.
Jaxon Miller, a defensive back, and a sophomore at Dexter High School had told his father, Gavin Miller, "Wouldn't it be cool one day! One day, maybe, we could go undefeated. You went undefeated and 'Papa Moose' went undefeated, and I could too!"
And so this year the 2024 football team did just that, making it three generations on undefeated teams!
'Papa Moose' was Glenn Miller, grandfather of Jaxon. He played on the 1963 team, but passed away in 2009, when Jaxon was less than a year old. Glenn went by 'Big Moose Tank' in high school and was six-foot-five-inches weighing 250 pounds. His height and weight did not transfer down to his son and grandson. "Tank" blocked for Jimmy Bland, whose dad is named Charles. This is who the stadium is named after. Over the three years he played varsity his team went 26-3. He was All-Conference defensive tackle from the 1963 season during which they went 10-0.
Gavin Miller, father of Jaxon, was a wide receiver on the 1986 and 1987 District Championship Teams. His record over three years as a Bearcat was 27-2 so "we beat my dad's team by one," stated Gavin.
"Jaxon is a football fanatic," commented Gavin. "He knew that my dad played college football at Arkansas State and that I played at Evangel University and my brother who also played at Evangel.. He is just a football guy!"
Like most small towns, you might show up at a restaurant, you see an old friend and you talk of the good ole days of football. It is just what small communities do. This season will be no different. Dexter will talk of the wins for many years to come. This team had 11 wins and only one other Bearcat team has ever accomplished this feat.
During Gavin's time, Dexter won 27 of 29 games including a 9-0 season in 1986. The Bearcats went 11-1, similar to the 2024 season his son played on. Two of those teams advanced to the MSHSAA Class 4 semifinal (1986) and quarterfinal (1987). Gavin was an All-SEMO Conference player for three seasons.
Jaxon's 2024 football team went 11-1 and were 9-0 in regular season. He was recently named as First Team All-SEMO Conference selection and he is just a sophomore. He saw the potential for achieving something that had not been done since the 1980s.
"I knew we could," Jaxon said of having a perfect season. "It was there. We had the players, and we had the coaches to do it."
"Our work ethic," continued Jaxon. "We all worked hard. We lifted hard in the weight room. We listened to the coaches. We did what was asked of us."
The turning point for the Bearcats was when they defeated Southern Boone. They exploded offensively in the first four games, but when they faced a state ranked team and beat them, the players knew they had a good chance of going undefeated. Once they got over beating Park Hills and Ste. Gen who have given the 'Cats trouble in the past, a state run was most definitely in their grasp.
This football team may be disappointed in how the season ended; however they should recognize the significance of their achievements.
Jaxon aspires to continue this legacy. "I mean we could do it again next season."
The Miller family has deep roots in the Dexter Community and their connection to the local football scene is shown in their teamwork and community spirit.
There is a strong family tradition in Bearcat football and they hope to pass down those achievements and celebrate for generations to come.
Once a Bearcat, Always a Bearcat!
