[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 123 (Wednesday, September 28, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1968]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO THE SOUTHEAST MISSOURIAN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JO ANN EMERSON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 28, 2005

  Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the Southeast 
Missourian, a newspaper in Cape Girardeau, MO, for 100 years of service 
to Southern Missouri. Next week, the year-long celebration marking the 
centennial of the newspaper will come to a close. I would like to offer 
my sincere congratulations to the staff of the Southeast Missourian, 
past and present, for their hard work and dedication as they advance 
the mission of the paper.
  It is only fitting, given the newspaper's long history of political 
coverage, that this great anniversary be commemorated in the House of 
Representatives. The Southeast Missourian has never been a small-town 
newspaper, but it has never lost its small-town sensibilities, either. 
During the 100-year existence of the paper, its reporters and editors 
have covered 2 World Wars, catastrophic floods and journeys to the 
moon. The paper has also covered these events from a local perspective: 
the native sons who went to war in the uniform of our Nation, the 
impact of the Mississippi River on local lives and economies, and the 
members of our community who have achieved great things--like traveling 
to space. At its heart, the newspaper business is about public service, 
and the Southeast Missourian has served our community well.
  On October 3, 1904, two brothers named George and Fred Naeter 
completed their journey down the Mississippi River to Cape Girardeau 
and published the first edition of the Southeast Missourian. They had 
fallen in love with Cape Girardeau, the City of Roses. Over the years, 
many more people have fallen in love with the city, and the Southeast 
Missourian has helped deliver the beauty, the good works, the public 
services and the patriotic spirit of the people to doorsteps just like 
mine every morning.
  In a world where the news is increasingly dominated by bad news, it 
is refreshing and important to have a newspaper that looks for the good 
in our communities and in our Nation--making it a daily point to bring 
those events before the public eye. Another challenge arises in the 
information age, in which the Internet and 24-hour news offer constant 
update and interpretation of the news. Still, the Southeast Missourian 
does what other media cannot: deliver thorough, thoughtful and reliable 
news coverage right on schedule, every day.
  The hardworking men and women of the Southeast Missourian bring their 
balanced approach to the newspaper's office each morning. Publisher Jon 
K. Rust and Rust Communications chairman Gary Rust view the paper as a 
public trust. The public has good reason to trust in the Southeast 
Missourian, a longstanding institution of Cape Girardeau. Once again, I 
congratulate everyone who has advanced the mission of the newspaper in 
Southeast Missouri and worked so hard to bring the news of the day to 
our residents.

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