St. Pat’s Day Parade set for March 12 in downtown Rolla

The 103^rd Annual St. Pat’s Day Parade, one of the oldest and most celebrated St. Pat’s Parades in the state of Missouri, will be held Saturday, March 12 at 11 a.m. on Pine Street in downtown Rolla.

   Immediately following the parade the 103^rd Annual Best Ever St. Pat’s Concert will feature the band “Reel Big Fish,” at the Rolla Downtown Bandshell located at the corner of 9^th and Oak Streets near the railroad tracks. The concert is free and open to the public, and food and drinks will be available for purchase.

   One unusual aspect of the St. Pat’s Parade is that the surface of Pine Street is actually painted green beginning at 6:30 a.m. the day of the parade. The St. Pat’s Street Painting Event, sponsored by the St. Pat’s Board, includes the volunteer services of several students from Missouri S&T that apply the water-based green paint with large mops, and buckets so Pine Street properly painted green for the parade later that morning at 11 a.m.

   St. Pat’s Court will arrive at the bandshell in the City’s Downtown Festival Park on Wednesday, March 9 at 12-noon. St. Pat’s Court Arrival begins between at 11:45 a.m. at the south end of Pine Street where they will proceed through the downtown area to the bandshell at 12-noon.

   The St. Pat’s Coronation and Knighting Ceremony will be held on Friday, March 11 at 9 p.m. in Leach Theatre, located in the Castleman Hall Performing Arts Center on the Missouri S&T Campus at the corner of 10^th and Main Streets.

   The 103rd St. Patrick’s Grand Ball, sponsored by the Ladies of Coterie, will be held Saturday, March 12 beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the St. Pat’s Ballroom at the Havener Center, located on the Missouri S&T Campus. The St. Pat’s Ball honors a great Rolla tradition with a delightful evening of dinner and dancing on the Missouri S&T Campus. To make your reservations to attend, visit http://coterie.mst.edu/programs/StPatsBall.html.

   The tradition of St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated in Rolla for over a century. St. Patrick, the patron saint of engineers, marked his first Rolla celebration in 1908 on what was then the Missouri School of Mines campus. Engineers rallied around St. Pat and began what is now one of the most noted and oldest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the nation.

   For more information regarding the St. Pat’s Parade and related events and festivities, please visit the St. Pat’s Board homepage online at http://stpats.mst.edu/events.

Backyard Birder Seminar to be offered Feb. 16 at The Centre

Join Audubon Birding Activities Coordinator and experienced birder Mike Doyen for a fun seminar designed to help beginning birders get started bird watching. The Backyard Birder seminar will teach you to identify 25 of the most common back yard birds in the Rolla area as well as the best foods and feeders that will help attract birds.

The seminar will be held from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 16 in Meeting Room “B” at the Centre (1200 North Holloway St. in Rolla). This is a free seminar and open to anyone interested in learning about local birds.

For more information about this seminar or the Ozarks River Chapter of the National Audubon Society contact Mike Doyen at 364-0020 or via e-mail at mdoyen@yahoo.com. Information can also be obtained from the Rolla Parks & Recreation Department at 341-2386 or via e-mail at parks@rollacity.org.

FEMA approves revisions to Rolla's 100-year floodplain

Spring Creek Tributary Flood Revision (Case No. 10-07-0800P) - The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved the City of Rolla’s submittal to alter the current limits of the regulatory 100-year floodplain. The revised mapping limits are effective Feb. 02, 2011 and will remove 45 residential dwellings from the regulatory 100-year floodplain. Rolla’s Public Works Department sent notification letters and maps on Jan. 7, 2011, to inform citizens affected by the revision. 

   Dutro Carter Creek Flood Study (Case No. 10-07-0319P) - FEMA has also approved the City of Rolla’s submittal to alter the current limits of the regulatory 100-year floodplain. The revised mapping limits will be effective on April 19, 2011 and will remove a mix of 39 residential dwellings and commercial structures from the regulatory 100 year floodplain. The Public Works Department sent notification letters and maps on Jan. 11, 2011 to inform citizens affected by the revision. 

  In addition, Burgher Branch Study (Case No. 09-07-0033P) and its tributaries were revised on Dec. 16, 2009, removing a mix of 75 residential dwellings and commercial structures from the 100-year floodplain. The Deible Branch Study (Case No. 09-07-0803P) revisions became effective on Feb. 20, 2009, removing a mix of 18 residential dwellings and commercial structures from the 100-year floodplain. Love Branch Study (Case No. 09-07-0564P) revisions became effective March 10, 2008, removing all residential dwellings from the 100-year floodplain.

   The map revisions may result in the following: 1) Your property’s floodplain status remains unchanged. 2) Your property may be removed entirely from the regulatory floodplain. Flood insurance may no longer be required by your lender (waiver of flood insurance is at the discretion of the lender. 3) The extent of your property in the floodplain may have changed (increased or decreased). Flood insurance rates may be changed accordingly. 4) The property may now be included in the regulatory floodplain. Your lender may require flood insurance for the property. The FEMA map revision will largely reverse the expanded 100-year flood plain initiated by FEMA effective on Feb. 20, 2008.

   For more information, please contact David Forshee, the City of Rolla’s Project Coordinator/GIS Administrator, at 426-6957.

Police Chief Chat

This past week, the Rolla Police Department handled 748 calls for service. Of these calls there were: 27 arrests,14 accidents,34 traffic complaints,148 traffic stops, 22 disturbance calls (including domestics),15 suspicious nature calls, 18 assists of other agencies, 68 911 hang up calls, 8 check the well being requests, 28 animal control calls, 22 stealing calls, 17 escorts, 34 security checks, 3 intoxicated person calls and 5 careless drivers. This call total is up 201 calls from last week and yes, another busy week!

On Sunday, January 30, 2011 the National Weather Service out of Springfield, Missouri issued a severe winter storm warning for the Rolla area. The weather service announced that an extremely large and powerful storm system was moving across the Midwest and was likely to have a huge impact on our community. They predicted high winds, freezing rain, ice, sleet and finally a large amount of snow, possibly exceeding 20 inches. Some forecasters predicted that this storm was of historic proportion and may cause trees and power lines to snap and create power outages for a large amount of the population. The temperatures were predicted to drop in the single digits following the storm so recovery could be slow.

Then on Monday, January 31, 2011, the National Weather Service added a snow blizzard warning to the severe weather warning! The timeframe on the blizzard warning was from 6:00 a.m. Tuesday, thru 6:00 p.m. Wednesday. That was potentially 18 hours of heavy snow. Well as you can imagine, we realized that we may have our work cut out for us. Lt. Jim Macormic began checking schedules and determined which officers would probably be able to make it in for their shifts and which officers may not. Cpt. Jason Smith put together a fleet of available 4 wheel drive vehicles to be used to shuttle personnel and also to be utilized as patrol vehicles should our patrol cars become ineffective. S/Sgt. Rick Williams coordinated with Mayor Bill Jenks and outlined a plan to open the Rolla City Emergency Operations Center in the event of power outages due to the storm. In addition contact was made with Phelps County EMD Sandy North, Phelps County Health Department Director Jodi Waltman, American Red Cross Director Edna Bridges, Fire Chief Robert Williams and Recreation Centre Director Scott Caron concerning the establishment of warming shelters should the need arise. Shelters were secured at the United Methodist Church, Rolla Community Hall and the Centre. Communications Chief Paula Volkmer contacted additional telecommunicators and had them on stand-by in the event that Central Dispatch becomes saturated with calls. Lt. Doug James secured Wyman Elementary School as a warming shelter and also secured a bus from the Rolla Public Schools to be used in the event that shelter victims required transportation.

The City of Rolla Public Information Officer Scott Grahl prepared several public service announcements concerning precautions to take and listing resources should the need arise. Central Dispatch personnel kept the up to date weather information flowing to our Facebook fans via our Rolla Police Department Facebook site. Animal Control Supervisor John Redshaw and his team at the Rolla Animal Shelter looked at options available at the shelter in the event that displaced families may need to house pets. All this potentially dangerous storm activity comes on the heels of a recent deadly tornado that hit the area 1 month earlier. Fortunately, with this storm as with the tornado system, the City of Rolla was spared loss of life and suffered no major damage or power service disruption as once again, the City of Rolla dodged a bullet. We clearly attribute our lack of devastation to the grace of god, but I would like to add that we too attribute the success to you the citizens in the community. Central Dispatch was grateful to report very few unnecessary calls from citizens in the community concerning the storm. The Patrol Division reports that many motorists decided to stay home rather than brave the slick roads, and those that did venture out, drove with respect, patience and care. In times of emergency situations we do our best to keep you informed, keep you protected and return life back to normal in the least amount of time. This would not be possible without the combined effort of our community.

In closing, I would like to mention that the Behind the Badge organization is no longer accepting donations for the Disaster Relief Fund. The campaign has ended with a total of $7,661.00 received in donations! The checks will be disbursed to the victims next week. Thank you for your help!

Have a great week!

Chief Mark Kearse

Rolla Public Works Dept. provides overview of snow plowing operations

After receiving numerous calls with questions regarding the City of Rolla’s snow plowing operations, route schedules, and degree of snow clearing capabilities, Public Works Director Steve Hargis and City staff have launched a public information campaign that will involve traditional media, the City of Rolla’s Website and City’s Facebook site. Detailed snow route and salting route maps of Rolla are also available via the City’s Website at www.rollacity.org.

   Winter weather for us usually starts with the arrival of a fax, e-mail and phone call to the Public Works Department from our weather service Accuweather. Salt has been preordered during the summer months. In the early fall snow route maps are updated and distributed to employees. Supervisors have had the equipment serviced and have reviewed procedures with all crews well in advance of the inclement weather.  Plows and salt spreaders are attached to equipment and dump truck spreaders are loaded with a mixture of salt, sand and sawdust. The crews begin their new work scheduled of 12-hour shifts until the roads are clear.

   The City of Rolla is approximately 12-square miles in area and contains over 110 miles of streets as well as public parking lots. This is a monumental undertaking and requires the cooperation of employees from the Street Division, Traffic Division, Concrete Division and the Wastewater Division.

   At the onset of winter weather, streets are pre-treated as much as possible with a mixture of sawdust, salt, and sand. Sugar beet juice is also added to give this mixture more melting power at lower temperatures. When the snow or sleet begins, the trucks and employees move into action. With such a large number of streets to maintain, there are two individual types of operations that are employed to clear the roadways; Dump Truck routes and Pickup Plow routes.

   The City of Rolla is divided in to six separate zones classified as “Dump Truck” routes. The streets located within these routes are typically well traveled and include everything from major collectors to residential roadways. The Dump Truck routes are plowed by….Dump Trucks. These trucks are equipped with large plows and a bed full of salt. Each zone is assigned two employees. An employee will work a straight 12-hour shift at which point the second employee will begin his shift.

   Each street within the zone is plowed and treated with salt. The larger arterial and collector streets are considered primary routes and will be the first to receive treatment, including emergency vehicle routes. Secondary streets will be treated when all primary routes have been plowed.

   The Dump Trucks are large and difficult to maneuver in smaller areas such as cul-de-sacs and parking lots. This creates a need for “Pickup Plow” routes. These are maintained by pickup trucks and bobcats with plows attached. Each of the five Pickup Plow zones is assigned two employees working the same 12-hour shift as the Dump Truck drivers.

   “These Rolla City employees are dedicated to keeping the streets in town as safe as possible and take pride in their work,” said Steve Hargis, Director of Public Works. “During the recent winter storm, several employees went so far as to bring an extra change of clothing with them in case they were unable to return home or their replacement could not make it to work.”

   The Public Works Department asks that citizens please be patient. “It is not always possible to clear the streets to bare asphalt,” said Hargis. “This last storm was almost four inches of solid ice and very difficult to plow.”

  Keep in mind that primary routes must be plowed first to ensure that emergency vehicles can reach their destination. And if at all possible, please park your vehicles/trucks off the street and avoid shoveling your driveway until the plows have gone by.

   For more information, and to view a series of snow plowing route maps (primary and secondary) and salting route maps throughout the City of Rolla, please visit www.rollacity.org. For more information on Emergency Preparedness and Planning, please visit www.rollaciry.org/emergency. To contact the Public Works Dept. throughout the work week (8 a.m.– 5 p.m.), please call 364-8659. 

Click here for Rolla Dump Truck and Snow and Plow Route maps

Click here for Rolla Pick-Up Plow Route maps

Celebration of Nations set for Sat., Sept. 24 in downtown Rolla

The 2nd Annual Celebration of Nations will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011 beginning with a parade on Pine Street at 11 a.m. The parade will end at the downtown bandshell and festival lot at the corner of 9th and Oak streets across from Rolla City Hall where the festival will continue through 5 p.m.

For more information, please contact event organizer Stephane Menand, Student Program Administrator, International Affairs Office, Missouri S&T, at (573) 341-6237 or at menands@mst.edu. 

Emergency Shelters available for those without power in Rolla

The impending winter storm forecasted for the Rolla area may bring freezing rain, sleet, snow and severe icing on trees and power lines, homes and businesses in the Rolla area. If you are without power or in need of an emergency shelter, the American Red Cross has designated First United Methodist Church, located at 804 N. Main Street, as an emergency shelter for the Rolla area. An overflow shelter will also be made available if necessary, at Eugene Northern Community Hall located at 400 West Fourth Street in Rolla. There will be a bed capacity of 75, and limited food and water supply.

Individuals going to the emergency shelters are asked to please bring their own toiletries and bedding. Personal comfort items, medications and medical equipment should also be included. Individuals that need assistance with mobility, personal hygiene or feeding should come to a shelter with a family member or friend to assist them.

A warming shelter will also be available during normal operating hours at The Centre, Rolla’s health and recreation complex, located at 1200 N. Holloway Street.

The City of Rolla is also urging all motorists and pedestrians to exercise extreme caution and to pay particular attention to icing on bridges, intersections and sidewalks. For more information, please call the Rolla Police Department at 308-1213.

Health Dept. urges caution during winter storm

A winter storm warning is in effect for the Phelps and Maries County area beginning today at 6 pm.  Ice, heavy snow and cold weather are expected.  The Phelps/Maries County Health Department would like to remind people that cold weather and precipitation can create health and safety risks.  Reduce the risk of injury and keep yourself and your loved ones safe by taking time to prepare for these winter weather conditions.

·     Be safe while outdoors in winter elements.  Avoid ice covered walkways due to risk of falling.  To avoid falling, wear snow boots, take short steps and use hand rails for balance, when possible.

      Prepare an emergency kit in case you become stranded in your vehicle, cover your body with extra clothing and remain in your vehicle. (http://www.dhss.mo.gov/Ready_in_3/EnglishFactSheets/English-IceSnowStorm.pdf)

·    Avoid driving, if possible.  If necessary, drive with caution and avoid travelling on ice-covered roads, overpasses and bridges.  Most injuries and deaths related to winter storms occur from vehicle or transportation related accidents.

·    Limit outdoor time during extreme cold temperatures and monitor for signs of frostbite or hypothermia.  Layer clothing with loose-fitting lightweight items.  Dress warm and stay dry.  Wear a hat, scarf and mittens. 

·    Know the warning signs for hypothermia, an abnormally low body temperature.  Continued exposure to cold temperatures can cause confusion, drowsiness, clumsiness, and exhaustion.  Do not ignore shivering.  Shivering is a sign that the body is losing heat.  If shivering persists, go indoors.

·     Know the signs and symptoms for frostbite, or injury to the body caused by freezing.  Frostbite mostly affects the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers and toes.  Signs include tingling and numbness, white or grayish yellow areas of skin, and skin that feels waxy.

·     Tasks such as shoveling snow, pushing stranded vehicles or even walking can cause exhaustion and overexertion leading to heart attacks.  Close attention to physical health, weather conditions and the stress associated with the task should be considered prior to performing such tasks.

·    Practice proper fire safety precautions: never leave a fire unattended; use space heaters according to manufacturer’s instructions, and ensure your home is protected with a working smoke detector.

·    Check on family, friends and neighbors that could be at high risk of cold related injury or illness including elderly, those that are fighting an illness and people that do not have access to adequate heat.

·    Provide proper shelter for pets.  If pets or livestock must remain outdoors, provide fresh water and food supplies on a regular basis.

• For more information visit www.phelpscountyhealth.com or contact the Phelps/Maries County Health Department at (573) 458-6010 or (800) 301-4942.

Sesquicentennial Kick-Off well attended

History was made in Rolla, Missouri on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2011 when more than 300 members of the community attended Rolla’s Sesquicentennial Kick-Off and 150^th Birthday Celebration in Castelman Lounge at The Centre, Rolla’s health and recreation facility. 

Once in a life-time historic milestone events such as the City’s 150^th Birthday should not be forgotten or go unnoticed, and the City is thankful that so many individuals worked together to help make the event on Jan. 25, 2011 such an historic and memorable community event. A special thanks goes first and foremost to the residents of Rolla and the many individuals who make up our unique community; former and present members of the Rolla City Council; the employees at The Centre and Parks and Recreation Department who set up for and helped host the Sesquicentennial Kick-Off; the Rolla Sesquicentennial Planning Committee; Jeff Sandquist, Rolla Public Schools Choir Director and members of the Rolla High School Chamber Choir and Rolla Choral Arts Society Jazz Choir; Pastor Gary Teague, Apostolic Pentecostal Church; St. James Mayor Dennis Wilson; Phelps County Presiding Commissioner Randy Verkamp; key-note speaker, Dr. Donald B. Oster, Associate Professor Emeritus, Missouri University of Science & Technology; Angi Yowell, Graphic Design Instructor, Rolla Technical Institute, the winner of the Sesquicentennial Logo Contest; the Rolla Chamber Ambassadors; and members of the Rolla Police Department who provided traffic and crowd control for the event. I would also like to thank former Mayor Floyd Ferrell who shared his scrap book from his many years as Mayor of Rolla at the event. It was one of the highlights of the evening. 

Please don’t forget to mark your calendar for Rolla’s day-long Sesquicentennial Celebration that will be held on Saturday, June 4 in conjunction with Route 66 Summerfest in downtown Rolla. The members of the Rolla Sesquicentennial Planning Committee have been meeting monthly since November 2010 to plan numerous events, including a Sesquicentennial parade at 10 a.m. on Pine Street, official program at the bandshell, historic re-enactments, living history, a Walk Through History, numerous old-time crafters and a special ceremony to commemorate the 150^th anniversary of the old Phelps County Courthouse.

In preparation for the Rolla Sesquicentennial Parade, the Rolla Sesquicentennial Planning Committee is looking for 15 community groups, service organizations, churches, etc., to help organize one decade of Rolla history.  Each group that organizes a decade of Rolla history will be responsible to help the Rolla Sesquicentennial Committee solicit parade entries that represent your particular decade.  For example, if you chose the decade of the 1950s you would be looking for 1950s cars and trucks, a hula hoop exhibition, an Elvis look alike, etc. Decades will be given out on a first come first serve basis, so please get your group together early to help on this very worthwhile project. To get involved, please contact Larry Stratman at 364-329 or Amy Campbell, Tourism Director at the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce, at 364-3577. For more information regarding Rolla’s Sesquicentennial Celebration on June 4, please visit the City of Rolla’s Website at www.rollacity.org.

   Have a safe week!

      

More investment coming to downtown Rolla

Rolla’s downtown area continues to undergo resurgence in residential and commercial development with yet another renovation of a major building by local real estate developer and entrepreneur Dale Wands.

The Rolla City Council gave Wands the green light at Tuesday’s City Council meeting where a request was made by Dale and his wife, Sara Wands to rezone the property at 600 North Elm Street (corner of 6^th and Elm Streets) from C-3 (highway commercial district) zoning to C-C (center city district) zoning. The property is in the process of being demolished and prepared for redevelopment so the owners can use it for commercial as well as residential uses. The Wands said in their request for rezoning that they are planning to develop multi-family residential uses in the second story level, but do not have definite plans for the street level portions of the property.

In addition, the City Council also gave the green light to the Miner Alumni Association to rezone the property at 400 West 10^th Street (directly to the north of 11^th Street, between Pine and Elm Streets) to construct a new building to be used by the Miner Alumni Association for meetings and office space. The Miner Alumni Association purchased the property to be near Missouri S&T, and their location off Pine Street will bring even more activity to the growing downtown area.

Continued investment in the City’s downtown area, along with the revitalization of several large buildings  in  Rolla’s downtown business district, have made a big impact on the visual appearance of these structures, and provide a catalyst for other businesses, restaurants, and shops to relocate to Rolla’s city center. The Public Brewing House recently opened its doors for business on Rolla Street, and Alex’s Pizza Palace is currently expanding its well-known restaurant on 8^th Street – both signs that the downtown area is a vibrant and attractive location for new businesses, retail shops and restaurants to expand and locate.

A lot of the development that is occurring in Rolla’s downtown area is a result of the planning, research and discussion regarding the future revitalization of Rolla’s Downtown Business District by the Rolla Downtown Business Association (RDBA), City of Rolla Community Development Department, Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC), and Engineering Management students at Missouri S&T who have been very helpful in many of their research and marketing efforts for the downtown area. The City of Rolla’s D.R.E.A.M. (Downtown Revitalization Economic Assistance Missouri) designation last year also reflects the importance and significance of the City’s downtown area and the potential it has to become even more of a destination area in the months and years to come.

In closing, I’d like to remind everyone that later this summer, a day-long Sesquicentennial Celebration will be held on Saturday, June 4, 2011 in conjunction with Route 66 Summerfest in downtown Rolla, Missouri. The celebration will kick off with a Sesquicentennial Parade at 10 a.m. on Pine Street. Following the parade, the Sesquicentennial Program begins at 11:30 a.m. at the downtown bandshell. Later that afternoon at 2 p.m. Sesquicentennial festivities will continue with historical re-enactments, a living history demonstration and lots of historic exhibits, crafters, displays and tours of the pre-Civil War old Phelps County Courthouse, and the 1857 John A. Dillon Log Cabin. If you or a community organization is interested in participating in Rolla’s Sesquicentennial Parade or hosting one of the decades, please contact Aimee Campbell, Director of Tourism, Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce, at 364-3577.

   Have a safe week!

Police Chief Chat

This past week, the Rolla Police Department handled 567 calls for service. Of these calls there were: 21 arrests, 14 alarms, 22 accidents, 36 traffic complaints, 88 traffic stops, 13 disturbance calls (including domestics), 11 suspicious nature calls, 22 assists of other agencies, 57 911 hang up calls, 7 check the well being requests, 24 animal control calls, 16 stealing calls, 16 escorts, 33 security checks, and 2 intoxicated person calls. This call total is down 16 calls from last week. Better, but yet another busy week!

From our Communications Division: Congratulations to Communications Supervisor Stacey Smith. Stacey is our communications training coordinator and has recently developed and submitted 5 lesson plans for 9-1-1 telecommunicator training courses for certification. Course titles are: “The Dreaded... Call - Crisis Intervention”, “Excited Delirium for Dispatchers”, “Tech – Jeopardy” and “Share the Wealth and Service with a Smile”. Today she received notification that the Missouri 911 Oversight Committee approved all 5 courses! These courses are being taught as part of our compliance with the State of Missouri's mandated telecommunicator certification. Her hard work, attention to detail and dedication to the profession is certainly evident. Way to go Stayce!

Last week we welcomed back former Animal Control Officer Kathleen McMeen who accepted a temporary re-assignment from her position at the Recreation Centre to fill in at the Animal Control Shelter. Kathleen filled in temporarily until a full time replacement could be hired. The full time position was posted and as it turned out, Kathleen was our only applicant and of course, the best applicant, so we offered her the position. Kathleen has accepted and will start full time this Sunday. Please stop in and welcome her back. Kathleen will be working with veteran Animal Control Officers Roy Taylor, part-time animal shelter associate Katie Strawbridge and Animal Control Supervisor John Redshaw. Welcome back Kathleen!

Last week, Representatives from Rolla Police Department Behind the Badge group accepted donations from local citizens who held a benefit raffle that took place over the weekend. Josie Naikoi and Anthony Vandiver, upon witnessing the devastation of the New Years Eve tornado, took it upon themselves to organize a benefit raffle. Soliciting local businesses for donations, they hosted an evening event that garnered over $2,300 for tornado victims. Behind the Badge is a non-profit organization (not a 501c3) accepting donations on behalf of the Phelps County tornado victims. 100% of the money accepted will go directly to the victims. The event was attended by hundreds of participants! Great job guys! This is just one more example of the outstanding community spirit shared in the Rolla community.

In closing, I would like to mention that S/Sgt. Rick Williams is the Region 6 Area Coordinator on the Law Enforcement Torch Run Committee of Special Olympics – Missouri and coordinates all of our fundraising efforts in support of our Special Olympic athletes. Each year the Rolla Police Department takes part in several events to not only raise money but to also raise awareness of how great a program Special Olympics is for those who suffer disabilities. The Rolla Police Department begins the year with torch run t-shirt sales in January. Then in the May, we host actual Law Enforcement Torch Run followed by our annual Trivia Night in October of each year and will be proud to do so again in 2011. The Rolla Police Department is a proud member of the Torch Run Club which is comprised of law enforcement agencies across Missouri who have raised over $1,000.00 each year for Special Olympics. The contributing agencies have the proud distinction of having the agencies name of the back of the Torch Run t-shirts each year. The Rolla Police Department has been a member of the Torch Club each year since 1993. If you would like to take a look at the 2011 Torch Run t-shirts or are interested in purchasing the same, contact S/Sgt. Rick Williams at the Rolla Police Department at 308-1213. The cost of the shirts is $10 for the short-sleeve shirts and $15 for the long-sleeve. This year the short sleeve shirt is offered in “Cardinal” red! Help us help the athletes!

Chief Mark Kearse