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The morning starts light—melting snow, sponsor love, and a social media peek behind the curtain—then surges with a high-tempo hoops breakdown that feels like courtside seats. Dexter’s size and pacing, Sikeston’s pressure defense, a flurry of steals, and shooters finding rhythm set the tone for a team built on secondary break, spacing, and shared scoring. It’s the kind of system kids love because effort turns into touches, touches into points, and points into momentum. With district seeding on the horizon, the vibe is confident and earned.

Then we pivot to the decision that could shape Sikeston for the next decade. Guests Aaron Boyce and Liz Littleton, co-chairs of Better Schools, Better Communities, join us to unpack a no-tax increase bond that funds three targeted projects: nine new classrooms each at Wing and Lee Hunter, plus new performing arts classrooms at the high school. They explain the mechanics in plain English—responsible refinancing of existing bonds to unlock about $11.3 million without raising the current levy—and why phased investments are part of a long-term facilities plan that the community asked for after 2014.

Equity and safety sit at the center. Wing and Lee Hunter have modern gyms, cafeterias, libraries, and FEMA-rated safe rooms; Southeast Elementary doesn’t, and its floodplain status blocks FEMA support. Rather than pour outsized dollars into an aging site, the district would consolidate grades into expanded, newer schools and repurpose Southeast for services like special services offices or an expanded autism program. The result: a better elementary experience for every child and dedicated space for band, choir, orchestra, and drama—programs that enrich school culture and keep students engaged.

We also cover accountability and logistics. The ballot language restricts funds to the stated projects, bond payments route directly via the state, construction is staged to avoid classroom disruption, and local contractors get priority where possible. Businesses scout communities by their school investment records, so passing this matters for economic growth and property values as much as it does for students and teachers.

If you care about kids, arts, safety, and Sikeston’s momentum, your voice matters. Mark April 7 on your calendar, register if you haven’t, grab a yard sign, and ask for a school tour if you want to see the need up close. Subscribe, share this with a neighbor who votes, and leave a quick review—then tell us: are you a yes on the no-tax bond, and why?

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The Bulldogs brought home a statement win, but the biggest victory here aims higher: making it easier for a kid to ask for help and get it fast. We sit down with Scott Ezell and Charlie Mueller from Bootheel Behavioral Health to unpack a local, no-nonsense approach to youth suicide prevention that anyone can use—parents, coaches, teachers, pastors, and employers.

Scott breaks down the firearm suicide prevention grant in plain terms. It’s not about politics; it’s about the 10-minute window where an impulsive decision becomes deadly. Limiting access to lethal means, using locks and safes, and making temporary transfers can buy precious time. Charlie walks us through QPR—Question, Persuade, Refer—the CPR of mental health that teaches everyday people how to ask directly, listen without judgment, and make a warm handoff. We cover practical routes to real help: 988 by call or text, ER walk-ins, school-based support, sliding-scale therapy, and virtual options for rural families.

We also surface what adults often miss: sudden withdrawal, routines that abruptly change, or kids giving away prized items like game skins or card collections. Cyberbullying and early exposure complicate the picture, but the fix is human and local. Their three-pronged strategy builds trusted adult networks across churches, employers, and youth sports—places where kids already show up and open up. You’ll leave with actionable tools, including the Jason Foundation’s “A Friend Asks” app and a simple checklist to start the conversation at home tonight.

Stick around for Bulldogs hoops highlights, then lean in for the real win: becoming the person a kid can call at 2 a.m. Save 988. Share this episode with a coach, pastor, or manager. And if this helped you, tap follow, leave a review, and tell us who should get QPR training next. Your share might be the reason someone finds their way to help.

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Snow on the ground, heaters humming, and Sikeston hoops catching fire—this one blends small‑town heartbeat with big‑time basketball. We open with a community roll call and a blistering recap of a statement win: 16 threes, 60 percent from the field, and a 21‑year run of winning seasons still intact. Then we welcome freshman head coach and junior high track coach Traveon Dennis to pull back the curtain on how the Sikeston way gets built day by day.

Coach Dennis takes us from packed Friday nights to frosty semifinal bus rides and into the weight room where standards were forged. He explains why college football changes your definition of “hard work,” how details decide games, and why effort is the one thing you control every single day. We dig into his blueprint for developing freshmen: extending the season into February, stacking triple‑headers, and running high‑pressure drills like the Carolina layup that force communication, conditioning, and focus under a clock. If you’ve ever wondered how a JV or freshman program really fuels a varsity winner, you’ll hear it straight from the source.

And yes—the TikTok. Coach Dennis shares the backstory of shaving his beard, hitting record, and watching authentic student reactions rocket past 8 million views. It’s funny, but it also says something about trust, culture, and why kids will run through a wall for a coach who believes in them. We close with schedule updates, girls team momentum, and a wish list of future guests—names like Mike Porter and Darryl Howard that tie Sikeston’s history to its next chapter.

Hit play if you care about player development, program culture, and community pride. If you enjoy the show, subscribe, share it with a Bulldog, and leave a quick review so more people can find these Sikeston stories.

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Six wins in a week set the tone, but the real story is what happens behind the scenes. We sit down with Dexter head football coach Chad Jamerson for a candid, energizing look at how faith, family, and clear standards transform a team into a program that endures. From small-school grind—painting fields, turning off sprinklers at dawn—to big-picture leadership learned under Hall of Famer Kent Gibbs, Chad shares the habits and systems that moved Dexter from 4–6 to 11–1 to 10–2.

We get into HEART values—hardworking, embrace competition, accountable, relentless effort, tough—and a “punch the clock” mindset that replaces rules with standards. Expect practical takeaways: how JV Mondays earn Friday snaps, why he runs about five core plays disguised with shifts and motion, and how power hour and football-specific tempo beat old-school conditioning. He explains the art of letting coaches coach, using Zoom to keep meetings lean, and designing strength and speed work that builds tendon resiliency before loading up the bar.

The stories stick: a receiver who added 20 pounds to start at tackle, seniors who coach footwork between reps, hook-and-ladder daggers on long road trips, and a quarterfinal classic that “didn’t end in a loss—we ran out of time.” We also talk community—sponsors, bond plans, and why accountability extends to how we talk about kids who volunteer to play this game.

If you care about building high school football culture, leadership that scales, and practice design that actually moves the needle, this conversation delivers. Subscribe, share with a coach or sports parent who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway so we can feature it next show.

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Standards beat rules every day, and that’s the backbone of what we’re building in Sikeston. We brought head baseball and softball coach Wyatt Pratt into the Dog House to pull back the curtain on how a former Bulldog turned coach is shaping a system that raises the bar for everyone—players, parents, and the community that shows up in red and black.

Wyatt shares his path from Sikeston to JUCO to Delta State, where he learned what “preparing to win” really means. We dig into his practice blueprint—why base running comes first, how individual skill blocks and team defense create smarter players, and how scrimmages keep hitting reps honest. He breaks down a modern pitching program inspired by a former teammate who climbed from mid-90s to triple digits, and explains why the catcher calling a game is still a winning edge. Data matters, but competing matters more: exit velo and spin rate are tools, not the target.

We talk pipeline too. The new junior high program isn’t just filling rosters—it’s cementing habits, building depth, and giving seventh and eighth graders a clear path to varsity. With a senior-heavy squad and an upward trend from six to ten wins, expectations are rising. Saturday slates and Class 5 battles will test the group, but the standard is simple: finish better than you start and play the game the right way. Wyatt also honors the mentors and alumni who pour into Sikeston baseball—from legendary local coaches to pros like Blake DeWitt and Jacob Priday—and shares why this town’s support feels different.

If you care about real development, winning habits, and a culture that travels from the dugout to the stands, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a fellow Bulldog, and leave a quick review—what standard are you setting for your team this season?

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Start with a bank basement in 1967, add a mainframe, and you get a young draftsman who learns banking by programming its guts. That’s where our guest, Rick Adams, began—and from there, his story braids into Sikeston’s story: building institutions, mentoring leaders, and treating every person across the desk like the most important voice in the room. We wanted our 50th to feel like a lens, not a lap—so we zoom in on the people who carried this town when no one was watching.

Rick walks us through the real turning points: the Bank of Sikeston’s expansion, creating a holding company, planting a flag in Cape, and designing a bank building on land that once held the highway department where he worked as a teen. He shares why a city manager model and a combined public safety department set Sikeston on a more professional path. And then the threads get wild: local ties to Caesars Palace and Circus Circus, the Hecht family’s banking impact, Boeing leadership with Sikeston roots, and how a small-town ice cream plant helped supercharge a national frozen logistics network.

We talk reinvention rather than nostalgia. Malls moved retail long before e-commerce finished it, but square footage can learn new tricks—restaurants, services, manufacturing, and training centers that anchor a modern downtown. Rick spotlights homegrown catalysts like Alan Wire and the repurposed mall, plus quiet builders who turned garage ventures into regional employers and poured those gains back into the city. Alongside that, a candid Bulldogs check-in: 10–2, two close losses, zero panic—just a plan to rebound, contest shots, and run the secondary break with purpose.

At the core is Rick’s simple standard: be fair, stand up to shake hands, listen more than you speak, and take opportunities after hard thought and honest prayer. It’s a playbook for banking and for belonging, the kind of steady leadership that helps a place outlast its buildings. If you care about small towns, local history, economic development, or just how to be useful where you live, this one will stick.

If this conversation resonates, share it with someone who loves Sikeston, subscribe for future stories, and leave a review with the one local legend you want us to interview next. Go Dogs.

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The gym felt like a title game before the ball even went up. By the final buzzer, an 83–47 win over ranked Puxico had the crowd buzzing about defense, depth, and the kind of culture that turns December tests into March confidence. We walk through how the Bulldogs imposed pace from the opening tip, smothered shooters, and took away paint touches, then highlight the balanced scoring led by Kobe Thomas and Marquell Murray with a bench that changed possessions and protected the lead.

We open up about the program’s engine: a shared system from seventh grade to varsity that’s delivered a combined 42–2 across levels. That foundation made Monday night’s surge more than a hot streak. It’s habits. You’ll hear us break down why the rebounding battle decides most games, how rotations tightened closeouts, and where we can still grow—fewer gamble fouls, cleaner baseline rotations, and sharper execution late in quarters. We also address the annual scheduling debate with real constraints for public schools, the miles we already log, and why the goal is meaningful tests, not vanity matchups.

Then we turn to what’s next: the St. Dominic Christmas Tournament in O’Fallon. As the one seed, we face North Point to start, with disciplined programs like St. Dominic, Live for Life, and Holt waiting in the bracket. We map out the likely counters we’ll see—tempo control, stacked pressure in the backcourt, switch-heavy defenses—and share the adjustments that travel in tournament play: touch the paint before shots, invert actions to create mismatches, and finish every defensive stand with two hands on the glass. The girls tip Saturday morning too, and we’re excited to see both squads chase hardware while families make the trip.

If you love high school hoops, community pride, and the details that turn energy into wins, this one’s for you. Tap follow, share with another Bulldog, and drop a rating so more folks in the 573 can find The Dog House. Who do you want to see us face on championship Tuesday?

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Santa doesn’t just happen. He’s stitched, planned, insured, and invited. We open with Bulldogs basketball—an 8–0 surge, a 35–3 third-quarter storm, and Kobe Thomas lighting up the gym with a school record 10 threes—then step into a different kind of arena where belief is the whole game. Meet Rod “Santa” Anderson, the neighbor who treats every visit like a promise kept.

Rod shares how a rough season of loss and one charity movie night pulled him into the red suit, and why he treats the role like a craft. We dig into the details most folks never see: custom suits with removable fur so dry cleaning doesn’t turn them pink, the quiet necessity of liability insurance, and the surprisingly vital lesson of white gloves—keeping hands visible and kids safe. He talks logistics like a pro—november photo days, vitamins to survive flu waves, magic keys for homes without chimneys, and what happens when a present wrapped in an Amazon box needs a fast North Pole backstory.

Then the stories land. A little girl’s puppy tag pulled from Santa’s bag, a boy who “wanted to get a deer” and did, the house where bells roused sleepy eyes for the first time in days. Rod explains why he thinks of this work as service: let kids be kids a little longer, meet them at eye level, and give them your full attention for sixty seconds that might last years. It’s practical love in a small town that knows how to show up—at the Fieldhouse, at the parade, at the front door where the bells are already ringing.

We tie it back to Sikeston: a team that wins by sharing the ball, a community that wins by sharing the load, and a Santa who proves that presence is the most underrated gift. If you’ve ever wondered what makes small-town magic feel real, this conversation is your map.

If you enjoyed the show, follow, share it with a friend who loves local stories, and leave a quick review. Got a favorite Santa memory or a Bulldogs moment we should highlight next time? Tell us—we’re listening.

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