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Flag Day in Farmington on Sunday was a vivid affair. A crowd of about 120 area residents attended a rededication ceremony at the Veterans Memorial on the Columbia Street side of the courthouse. Under the auspice of the Norman L. Rigdon VFW Post #5896 and the Ladies Auxiliary, veteran organizations countywide participated. “We are here today to rededicate ourselves to the flag,” said Vernell “Fibber” McGee, Farmington VFW Post commander.

Continued expansion of the Maple Valley Shopping Center was the theme of June 2 meeting of the Farmington Rotary Club held at the Country Kitchen Restaurant. Guest speaker Chip Peterson noted that several roads connecting the shopping center are in the works. In addition, he noted that three buildings are presently under construction (First State Bank, Accu-Tune, and Rent-A-Center), and that several others are nearing the construction stage (Steak ‘n Shake, Aldi’s, and — hopefully — a four-screen cinema). David Watson was in charge of the program.

Airman William D. Brundege has graduated from Air Force Basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. During the six weeks of training, the airman studied Air Force mission, organization and customs and received special training in human relations. In addition, airmen who complete basic training earn credits toward an associate degree through the Community College of the Air Force. The airman is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Aland D. Brundege of 96 Hawthorn, Farmington. He is a 1991 graduate of Farmington High School.

Boxing clubs from St. Louis, Belleville, Imperial and Union will send their best fighters to the portable ring at Mac’s Sports Plus in Flat River Saturday, June 20 at 7:30. So what kind of action can the fans expect? “They can expect plenty of action,” said promoter Ted Sear’foss. “There will be three state champions participating and two more that are ready to turn professional. It should be a very exciting evening.” The Amateur Boxing Federation will officiate at least 10 bouts — some boxing, some kickboxing. Each bout will consist of three, three-minute rounds.

Every year at budget time, the Farmington City Council toys with the idea of adopting a merit system salary schedule for city employees — without taking action on the controversial pay scale. However, as this year’s budget preparations move into midstream, the city’s Finance Committee chairman admits that the group is “definitely” taking a harder look at adopting the merit system procedure to establish pay scales for the city’s 65 employees.

Teachers in the Farmington School District will be receiving a $600 increase in base pay, or a 5.26 percent increase in base pay or a 5.26 percent base pay high, for the 1982-83 school year. The raise was approved at the regular meeting of the Farmington School Board on Tuesday night. The board had delayed final action on the salary schedule at last month’s regular meeting, pending the signing of the state cigarette tax bill. When Gov. Christopher Bond signed the bill, an extra $55,000 was allocated for the district. The base pay for Farmington teachers had been $11,400, but the increase boosts the starting salary of a first-year teacher with a bachelor’s degree to an even $12,000.

A 25-year-old Farmington man was charged with first-degree assault in connection with a stabbing incident at the Little Town Tavern in Farmington on Tuesday night. Larry D. Irby, of 8 South A St., is being held in the St. Francois County Jail on a $50,000 bond after allegedly stabbing Roger Hahn with a nine-inch butcher knife during a fight at the tavern, located on South Henry Street. According to reports from the Farmington Police Department, Hahn received a "severe" stab wound to the left side of his chest during the fight, which occurred at about 10:41.

When somebody yells froggy, we jump,' said Tom Fitz, general manager of Fitz Chevrolet Buick in Farmington. The people at Fitz have been jumping around to serve the customer since the dealership started 47 years ago. Fitz Chevrolet was founded in 1936 by Sam Fitz, an ex-railroad tie inspector with only a third-grade education. The original dealership was located at the corner of East Liberty and Washington Street where the Firestone store is now located. The Buick division was added in 1939 and the store moved to its present location on Columbia Street in 1948.

Michael W, Rhodes, 9 Airline Drive, Farmington, has been awarded a University of Missouri-Columbia Merit Scholarship, it was announced by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. He joins more than 3,000 winners nationwide who were named in April and May. Co-valedictorian of the graduating class at Farmington High School, Rhodes plans to major in pre-law. His scholarship will provide between $100 and $1,500 per year ($400 to $6,000 over four years), depending on his need.

The employees of the Farmington News and County Advertiser and their families, along with the owner and publisher, Walter K. and Mrs. Giessing, enjoyed a picnic last Thursday evening at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Lynn Ballard of Libertyville. Good fellowship and fun were enjoyed along with a bountiful meal served on the patio of the Ballard’s lovely new home. In attendance besides Mr. and Mrs. Giessing, Mr. and Mrs. Ballard and son, Jim, were Mr. and Mrs. Howard Denton, Diane and Karl, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Karsch, Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Montgomery and daughter, Beth, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Reed, Charles Wayne and Laurie, Mr. and Mrs. Don Giessing, Charles Giessing, and Mr. and Mrs Raymond Johnson.

The Farmington Lion's Club celebrated their 10th anniversary last Saturday night at Rosener's Restaurant with a ladies’ night and a joint meeting with Bonne Terre and Flat River clubs. These latter two clubs helped to organize the Farmington club. Harold Turner of Belgrade, District Governor, installed new officers. Dr. Harry E. Goddard of Kennett, Missouri, was speaker of the evening. Lions Paul Dugal, Maurice Harrington, Raymond Holmes, Glen Presnell, George Gedge, Dr. P.C. Raynierse, and Walter K. Giessing were recognized and given awards for being 10-year members.

At 7:00 P.M. the Farmington City Hall was filled with interested citizens concerned with the proposed zoning change from R-1 to R-5, to create a mobile home park. The property involved is owned by Susie Smith. Bob Camp came before the large group of people well prepared. Mr. Camp proposed to put in a mobile home court for retired citizens. The plans called for a 10-foot hedge fence surrounding the entire area, plus concrete pads, driveways, paved streets and all city services. Representing those who opposed the proposed park was Bill Daniels who presented the council with a petition bearing the signatures of most all citizens in the area. The opposition had no fine words to speak, they simply voiced their opinion on the rezoning matter.

The factory fund drive to provide additional space for the Puritan Fashions factory on South A and First streets in Farmington has met with generous response from both firms and individuals of the area, and the fund is now within approximately $3,000 of the amount needed to complete the construction. The land east of the present Puritan Fashions factory has been graded and leveled, and construction of the new building is getting underway.

Mrs. Fred Karsch fell at her home early Monday morning, striking her forehead on a concrete porch. She rested during the day and apparently was feeling well enough to get up during the afternoon. When she did, she fell again, this time breaking her right hip. She was taken to the Madison County Hospital in Fredericktown where she had surgery that night. She is reported to be resting fairly comfortably.

The Farmington Junior Chamber of Commerce will present the film, “In Mortal Combat” at the Junior High School auditorium at eight o’clock on the evening of Friday, June 29, which has been designated “Community Health Night.” The film is being presented as a public service, and there is no admission charge, and no donations will be asked for. The film, “In Mortal Combat,” was first shown in November 1961, by the Laclede Gas Company on St. Louis television station KSDK. The film is being presented again by the Farmington Jaycees for those who saw the film and would like to see it again, and for those who missed seeing it.

Dennis D. Lewis of Farmington has been commissioned a trooper with the Missouri Highway Patrol and has been assigned to Troop E, Poplar Bluff. Trooper Lewis, who has just completed a 10-week training period at Rolla, will assume his new duties next Monday, June 18. He will be stationed at Sikeston. Trooper Lewis is a graduate of the Farmington High School and has been connected with the St. Joseph Lead company for 10 years.

Formal dedication ceremonies for the new Mineral Area Osteopathic Hospital near Farmington will be held Sunday afternoon. The program of dedication will commence promptly at 2:00 o'clock and will be followed by a three-hour period of open house at which time guests and friends of the institution will be shown through the newly remodeled building. Lawrence D. Jones of Jefferson City, executive secretary of the Missouri Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons, will deliver the dedication address. It is understood that the following day, Monday, would be devoted to cleaning up after the formal opening and that the hospital would open its doors for patients on Tuesday morning, June 17.

Tom Coghill, popular young attorney of Farmington who has just finished a tour of duty as an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, was in big demand here this week as an after-dinner speaker. Coghill, who recently resigned as an FBI agent to return to law practice here, addressed the Rotary Club on Tuesday evening at the orphanage and at noon on Wednesday he was the speaker at the weekly luncheon meeting of the Kiwanis Club at the Methodist Church. Coghill stated the FBI is one of the most outstanding bureaus and organizations of the federal government because it is non-political and men in the organization are taught to conserve on machines and materials.

The vital necessity of an adequate blood plasma reserve for the use of the armed forces is a never exhaustive subject. It is pointed out that despite the urgent need of the armed services for a reserve, donations throughout the United States have not matched collection quotas. Farmington donors have responded wonderfully to our program, and again our quota for a two-day visit of the bloodmobile is 400 pints. We feel sure this quota will be reached, but to be sure we have adequate response any person willing to make a donation on June 26th or 27th should sign his donor card as soon as possible and get that information to the local Recruitment Committee.

The Board of Aldermen directed the Light & Water Department to secure the services of an engineer to investigate the proposition of the disposal of sewage which has been taken care of at the septic tank on West Liberty Street. The State Board of Health has directed the city to take measures to abate the nuisance caused by the overcrowding of that tank. Because of the continued growth of that section of the city served by this septic tank, it has become too small, and almost raw sewage has been going into the small stream just back of the tract of land on which it was erected.

What is unquestionably the biggest athletic event in the history of St. Francois County will get underway at the Wilson-Rozier Park in Farmington tonight, Friday, at 8:30, when both the men and women's wrestling championship of the world will be decided in a card providing four top-notch wrestling matches. The entire receipts of the match will be given to the Navy Relief Fund in an effort to raise $1500 which has been set as the goal for St. Francois County. Arrangements for the wrestling match have been ably handled by Wilson M. Williams, county chairman of the Navy Relief Drive. Great assistance has been sent him by various individuals throughout the county who have acted as ticket salesmen, and it is certain that a large crowd will be on hand to witness the affair.

The filing date for candidates in the coming county, district and state election came to a close at 11:59 Friday night of last week, with both Democratic and Republican parties presenting a full ticket for the county offices. An unusual feature of the filing this year is that the Democrats have only one primary contest, that being for Presiding Judge of the County Court whereas the Republicans have contests for six county nominations. In recent years this situation has been in the exact reverse.

C. E. Rozier, proprietor of the St. Francois Motor Company at Farmington, received a telegram Monday announcing his appointment as a Major in the Chemical Warfare Service of the U. S. Army. He was ordered to report to the Pine Bluff Arsenal at Pine Bluff, Ark. June 13th and is leaving today for his post. Major Rozier served in the last war, having been one of the first in Farmington to enlist in the air service and was taking flying instructions at the close of the war. His family will continue to maintain their residence in Farmington. During his absence, the business of the St. Francois Motor Company will be managed by Ralph Wade and Fred Mueller.

Rainy weather failed to dampen the spirits of the approximately forty women, representing a cross section of St. Francois County homes, who gathered at the Carleton Methodist Church Wednesday, and discussed the relation of agricultural programs in abundance in the American home. Many controversial questions and difficult problems were examined in a spirit of friendliness and tolerance. Some of the questions which proved to be most interesting were, "What is inflation and what can I as a woman do to prevent it?", "What would food prices be if farmers paid themselves wages as managers?", and "How can the city housewife assist her rural neighbor in conserving her surplus vegetables and fruit?"

Mrs. Gertrude McCormick Seaman, contralto, of Kansas City, will give a recital at the Murphy-Long Memorial Church in Farmington, next Thursday evening, June 23rd, beginning at eight o’clock. Dr. John B. Robinson will play the accompaniments on the organ. The Ozark Saxophone Choir will also render several selections. A silver offering will be taken at the door for the benefit of Circle No. 1 of the church which is sponsoring the program. Mrs. Seaman will be remembered here as Gertrude McCormick, daughter of Rev. W.R. McCormick, formerly a pastor here, but now located at Kansas City.

A local committee composed of F.W. Schramm, M.P. Cayce, J.C. Morris and G.B. Snider met in St. Louis Wednesday with the officials of Rice Stix Dry Goods Company in connection with the local factory project. The committee succeeded in getting a reduction of the amount of money they would be required to put in the factory of $2000.00. The amount agreed upon before bids were asked for was $40,000.00, but owing to reduced costs of building, we are now only required to furnish $38,000.00. This reduction is conditioned, however, on the cost of the building being substantially as follows: General Contract, including extras – $36,505.00; Heating Contract – $4,200.00; Sprinkling System – $2,135.00; Electric Work – $2,000.00 (estimate) for a total cost of $44,840.00.

The Standard Oil Filling Station, located on Ste. Genevieve Avenue was held up by a lone, masked bandit early last Monday morning and robbed of approximately $130 in checks and currency. The night attendant, Earl Jones, was on duty and Henry Herzog happened to be in the station when the robbery occurred at about 3:30 in the morning. Their first intimation that something was wrong was when they heard a noise at a side window. A second later the window was opened, and a man stuck his head in demanding “stick ‘em up.” Flourishing a pistol, he instructed Jones to open the safe and put the currency and checks into a small leather bag which he threw into the room. He refused the silver. Jones and young Herzog were then instructed to get into a small closet and keep still.

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