We believe there are heroes among us! Heroes come from all walks of life, just ordinary citizens with an extraordinary amount of caring and compassion. Inside this magazine, we share the stories of just a few of those every day heroes. On behalf of the staff of the Delta Dunklin Democrat and the area businesses advertised in this publication:
Thank You!
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Table of Contents 4
Robert Moore
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Dedra Williams
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Sabrina Kellums
9-10
Justin Stanford
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Evan Bishop & Casie Gaskins
Publisher - Chris Pruitt General Manager - Debbie Wright Editor - Jeff Dorris Advertising Consultant - Tiffany Rittenberry
©2022 Delta Dunklin Democrat, PO Box 669, Kennett, MO 63857 HEROES
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Robert Moore Some become heroes, some are born heroes
Robert Moore Trina Bell tbell@dddnews.com
Heroes are described as those who engage in heroic acts or those who stumble upon a situation where they insert themselves into harm’s way in order to protect or save another. But for some, the act or trait of heroism is something they were either born with, or it is a trait or behavior instilled into them at a young age. For the City of Kennett, they have one protector who knew from an early age that his mission in life was to help others and to protect his community. Kennett Patrolman and Kennett Fire Department Lieutenant Robert Moore is well respected by his colleagues who all say that he is a humble man who will do anything to be of service and help protect those in his community. Moore grew up in Steele, Mo. but finished his high school career in Hayti. “I always knew I wanted a career where I was able to help my community and make it a better and safer place for my family, my kids and now my grandkids,” Moore said. Around 1989 Moore moved to Kennett, and not long after he began working part time for the Kennett Fire Department. 4
“I became a part of a great team here at the Kennett Fire Department. We are constantly training to stay up to date on everything as first responders and work to serve as the first point of contact in many medical situations, in addition to our service, fighting fires.” The Kennett Fire Department’s personnel is filled with highly trained individuals, some are EMT’s, some are Paramedics, in addition to their roles as firemen, they also respond to accidents, and implement Squad 51 to each medical emergency to better serve a community who’s medical future remains in limbo. In 1994, Moore was promoted to Lieutenant with the Kennett Fire Department. “Robert is a familiar face to nearly every resident of Kennett,” said Kennett Fire Chief Paul Spain. “He’s been an asset to this department and this community since he came here.” In addition to his position with the Kennett Fire Department, Moore is also a Patrolman with the Kennett Police Department. Moore attended the police academy in 1996 and graduated in 1997. He has served as a Patrolman with KPD for more than 30-years. Moore has spent many years working as the Housing Officer for the Kennett community-as well, where he has gotten to know people who are not looked at as the same as others. “Everyone is different and if you show them they matter and they are just as important as the next, it can change their outlook and possibly their future decisions,” Moore said. “Everyone matters, no matter your income bracket.” Moore added, “Nobody has money in Heaven, so why does it matter so much here? It shouldn’t. Good people come in many shapes, forms, income brackets, etc. Give someone a
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chance and show them they matter.” “You never know how that can change them and their outlook on life,” he said. “It may even change your outlook on how you treat others.” “It’s important for me to do my best to make my community safe,” Moore stated. “As I said, when I retire, I hope that if me or any of my family members are in need of help, that we will receive the same help and service I offer. That’s what it’s about, your desire and willingness to help people,” Moore added. Moore has received numerous awards and has been recognized at the state level by officials after his heroic efforts have saved several lives in the Kennett community.
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Dedra Williams Waitress at D & R’s McCormick’s
Dedra Williams Jeff Dorris jdorris@dddnews.com
Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, from all walks of life, and from a variety of professions. When thinking of heroes, one goes right to the image of first responders, firefighters, policeman, and paramedics, doctors and nurses. But what of the other heroes, the everyday heroes, truck drivers, lineman, and in the case of Dedra Williams, waitresses? Williams has been a waitress off and on for many years. Recently she shared on her experience in the food industry and the aspect of being a hero to her regular customers. “I love people,” said Williams. “I like seeing the customers that come in everyday.” Williams added, “Some I know by name and some by what they eat.” She has concern for her customers, as a hero should. “With my regulars, if I don’t see them everyday, I worry 6
about them and ask about them,” stated Williams. “They are a part of my life.” Williams shared there a few challenges with her job. “Rude customers, which doesn’t happen very often,” informed Williams. “But the worst part of this job is my feet kill me.” Williams added, “If I had a second pair of feet, I could work a lot more. By the time I get home, I take my shoes off, and I can barely walk.” One of her favorite aspects of her job is her employers. “They’re wonderful. I’ve never worked for anybody that’s so understanding and we have such a good team.” Williams continued, “Debbie and Rita care about their employees. I’ve never worked for employers that actually care about the staff the way they do.” Dedra and her husband, Billy, have three children, Kristen, 15, she also works the night shift at McCormick’s, Blake, 11, and Brayden, 9. Williams is a hero to her employers. McCormick’s co-owner Debbie Reeves stated, “Dedra worked with me here when she was 18 years old. She is the best.” Williams is a hero to her customers. “I love when customers tell me they appreciate me, because I sure do appreciate them,” said Williams. “Without them I wouldn’t have this job that I love so much.” Williams concluded, “A kind word from a customer can make your whole day better.” Williams works the early shift at D & R McCormick’s from 5:45 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. She invites everyone to come by and let her serve you, and become your hero as well.
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Sabrina Kellums
Hornersville Chief of Police Wants Her Community Safe
Sabrina Kellums Trina Bell tbell@dddnews.com
There are countless cities, both big and small who have elected and appointed Chiefs of their local Police Departments. But it’s not that common that you hear of a female Police Chief, who has been elected by the community to serve as the leader of the precinct for their community. Sabrina Kellums is a 1996 graduate of Senath-Hornersville High School and she is the Chief of Police for the City of Hornersville. Kellums has always been a light-hearted, funny, yet family-oriented woman who would do anything for anybody in need. As one who wanted to do something to make her mark in this world, Kellums decided the best way to do that would be to give back to her community. That’s when she decided she would join the police academy. Kellums had a child who was only ten-years-old at the HEROES
time when she decided to join the police academy in Cape Girardeau. “Tyler was only ten-years old at the time,” Kellums said. “We had a female Chief of Police at that time, JoBeth Patterson, who was exceptional at what she did. She had the respect and credentials to anything she needed to do. I have always respected JoBeth and truly appreciate her service to better protect and serve our community,” Kellums added. But as another citizen who wanted to do something more for her community, Kellums made the treacherous drive to and from Cape Girardeau daily to the academy, spending a lot of time away from home in order to do so. “It’s never easy leaving your kid and family for an entire day for several months at a time,” Kellums said. During this time, Kellums was married to David Powell, where together, they ran and operated an Insurance firm in Hornersville. Immediately upon graduating the academy in 2007,
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Kellums From Page Seven Kellums worked under Chief Patterson for approximately three-years, until her husband at the time became ill, forcing her to resign and take over the insurance business. In 2011 Kellums husband passed away. She continued to run the insurance office for several more years to support herself and her son. But after a while she began to realize just how much she missed law enforcement and decided to take that leap of faith and apply again with the Hornersville Police Department in 2018. Shortly after, Kellums saw herself in a position where there was an election for Chief, as the former Chief decided to not run again, so Kellums decided to run. “I knew this community was already used to having a female Chief and I felt I had built a good rapport with the community I served, and I am happy to say that they trusted in me enough to elect me as their Chief, to which I still serve today,” Kellums advised. During this time, Kellums met and married her husband Terry. When asked about what she feels her greatest achievement has been, Kellums said she believes that anytime she and her fellow officer Danny Spradlin are able to take and remove anyone with drugs from the streets, that’s one less opportunity a young child has the opportunity to make that encounter.
Kellums also bragged on her fellow Chiefs from surrounding agencies, as well as the Sheriff’s Department Deputies she gets the opportunity to work with. “Jerry Gentry from Arbyrd, Omar Karnes in Senath, JoBeth Patterson and Andrew Conley with the Sheriff’s Department, they are all great. They don’t know how much I appreciate them,” Kellums advised. Kellums said that she loves the City of Hornersville. “It’s my home. It’s where I have raised my child and the place I feel at peace,” she stated. “Kellums is a long-time member of the Hornersville Baptist Church. Kellums said her faith is what helps her to show compassion in times where others may question the decision. “It’s not all about writing tickets and throwing cuffs on people and hauling them to jail. Sometimes people just need someone to listen and to offer a lawful peaceful solution to a problem,” Kellums said. “Don’t get me wrong, that’s not always the case. But anytime things can be resolved without someone having to get in trouble, that’s always the best solution. But we do have a job to do, and that’s what law enforcement is about. But it’s good to have God on your side and the heart to always try and do what’s right.” When discussing her job and all that it entails, Kellums said the hardest part is telling someone that their loved one is not coming home. “That is the hardest thing you will ever have to do,” Kellums advised. “And there are times when you feel like you are carrying the weight of the entire community on your shoulders. You just have to take a deep breath, say a prayer and let God do his work.”
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Justin Stanford Assisting the community in their darkest hours Jeff Dorris jdorris@dddnews.com
Kennett native, Justin Stanford began his career as a member of the Kennett Fire Department in 2004, however, he was involved with KFD much earlier than that. I joined the Explorer post in high school,” said Stanford. “It’s a program that we have for youth.” Stanford continued, “It gives them an idea if they’re interested in being in the fire service.” “Once I got that, I got bit by the bug and decided that would be my career field from then on,” he added. Following graduation, Stanford began working parttime for the Kennett Fire Department. “During that time I went and got my EMT license and worked EMS until a position came open as an engineer in the fire fire department in 2011,” informed Stanford. “I then went full-time.” Stanford worked in Kennett until 2019 and then took a position with the High Ridge Fire District, south of St. Louis. “I lived there for close to a year,” shared Stanford. “I was able to hone my skills as a fire inspector and learned a lot of techniques.” Stanford provided, “It was during that time Paul Spain and Lance Davis took over the Kennett Fire Department. We conversed back and forth on the ideas they had for the future of the fire department.” “My wife and I then found out we were expecting,” said Stanford. “She’s originally from Essex, outside of Dexter, so we decided to come back where we’re from to raise our children.” “It’s been a great choice,” he said. “This is home. It will always be home.” Stanford stated being a firefighter has been a great choice as well. “No regrets at all,” said Stanford. He shared some of the more memorable moments from his career. “Some years ago, we were actually able to pull a victim out of an apartment fire and they recovered from that,” informed Stanford. “That’s one of the high points of my career.” Stanford added, “I guess one of the most rewarding asHEROES
Justin Stanford pects of the job is dealing with the community. I love fire prevention week dealing with the kids in school.” “What I like about the job is everyday is something different,”said Stanford. “You don’t know if it’s going to be a mundane day or something totally different.” Stanford continued, “There’s the unknown, and I like that aspect of something different everyday.” When asked about the fear factor of fighting fires, Stanford replied, “That’s when your training kicks in. It becomes second nature. You use your training and your knowledge. It becomes a repetitive motion.” “Training is very important,” he said. “You cannot train enough for a job that can kill you.” Stanford shared he has his EMT license and an Associates Degree from Three Rivers College in Poplar Bluff for Fire Science. “The day you think don’t need to learn anything else. That’s the day you need to retire and go home,” said Stanford. Stanford has seen many changes in his job as a member of KFD throughout the years. “In 2004, the Kennett Fire Department did not do much with emergency medical services,” Stanford informed.
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See STANFORD page 10 9
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Stanford From Page Nine “Since that time, we’re actually doing ALS, Advanced Life Support services for the City of Kennett. The medical services have increased tenfold since I first started.” Stanford stated the fire department averages 13 to 15 calls a shift. He then shared on role models. “My greatest role model is my grandfather,” Stanford stated. “He passed away in 2010, but he was a World War II veteran in the Pacific. I learned about patriotism and service to your community and to your country from him.” Stanford also had praise for retired firefighter Jerry Wills. “I remember Jerry Wills worked for James Kahn department store and he was a part-time firefighter,” said Stanford. “He always had a big red pager on his side. I always wondered what that was.” “I ultimately worked with him for seven years until he retired in 2011,” added Stanford. “I actually took his position when he retired.” Stanford and his wife, Melody, have three sons, Hunter, 11, Connor, 8, and Liam, 2. “Connor already has his career path,” Stanford shared. “He’s going to be a firefighter.” Stanford said he would encourage choosing firefighting as a chosen profession. “If you have a desire to serve your community, yes,” he stated. “It’s getting now to where the emergency medical services is a big portion of the fire service.” “I suggest they become an EMT or paramedic,” Stanford said. “That will help you get into the field.” Stanford also acknowledged part-time firefighters. “Our part-time personnel are very important to us,” he said. “The size of the city we have, we cannot realistically afford a full-time fire department.” Stanford added, “We rely on the part-time firefighters to support the full-time staff.” Stanford wrapped up his thoughts on being a firefigher, stating, “I see people in their darkest hour, loved one sick, loved one dying, people losing their home, all their contents, everything they have.” “I’m able to help out just a little and try to make their day a little bit better,” he concluded. “That means the world to me.”
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HEROES
Evan Bishop &
Casie Gaskins
Communications Officers and Missouri Teammates in Action Trina Bell tbell@dddnews.com
Two Communications Officers were recently honored for their heroic efforts. One is with the Kennett Police Department and another with the Dunklin County Sheriff’s Department. When it comes to an emergency call, dispatchers are typically the first point of contact between a victim and their help. Because the Kennett Police Department and Dunklin County Sheriff’s Department have so many qualified employees, many lives have been saved and helped due to their passion and concern for the general public. It was recently announced that two of these communications officers went above and beyond to help someone in need and their efforts did not go unnoticed. Evan Bishop, a Kennett 911 Communications Officer and Communications Officer Casie Gaskins, with the Dunklin County Sheriff’s Office, have been recognized for going above and beyond proving to be two of the the best at their jobs. These outstanding officers joined forces on March 20, 2022, when Communications Officer Gaskins, took a call that ended up becoming a joint effort between agencies to catch a suspect and render help to a victim in need. The call came in from the suspect’s grandfather, who reported a domestic assault. The grandfather reported that his grandson had stabbed his girlfriend in the leg with a screwHEROES
Evan Bishop and Casie Gaskins driver. He said he then forced her into a vehicle and fled the scene. Kennett 9-1-1 Communications Officer Bishop dispatched law enforcement officers. The officers located the vehicle within 15 minutes and engaged in a pursuit through Arkansas as well as numerous towns in Missouri. The suspect was still armed with the screwdriver he had used to stab his girlfriend. Police were able to get the vehicle stopped after approximately 90 minutes and the suspect was taken into custody. Bishop and Gaskins displayed exceptional teamwork as they divided up tasks while maintaining effective communications between the agencies. Bishop coordinated with responding officers from surrounding and out-of-state agencies to update them with the most current location of the pursuit. He also kept officers aware of possible road hazards throughout the pursuit. These Communications Officers’ professional performance was crucial to the successful capture of the suspect and in providing emergency medical care to the victim. Missouri APCO is proud to recognize them as Missouri Teammates in Action.
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Kennett Housing Authority 12
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