Cape Girardeau County commissioners name Grim county health officer

Cape Girardeau County commissioners appointed Autumn Grim, director of Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center (PHC), as county health officer during their Thursday, Feb. 1, meeting.

Missouri state statute requires county commissions to appoint PHC directors to the role every February.

“We’re thankful to the commission for helping us whenever we need a helping hand,” Grim said.

The position does not require any extra responsibilities.

“We just officially say she’s representing the whole county,” Associate Commissioner Charlie Herbst said.

Grim took over her PHC role in June 2020.

The commission also approved an agreement with 2nd Opp Media Group to provide software to jail inmates that would allow them to work on their general education development programs. This will cost $11,150 and come from the sheriff’s fund.

They approved a quote not to exceed $15,000 from the county’s capital improvement fund for Cape Girardeau County Emergency Operations Center hardware as well.

Cemetery group goals

Cape Girardeau County Archive Center director Marybeth Niederkorn spoke to commissioners about efforts to restore Shady Grove Cemetery.

This African American cemetery was founded Dec. 11, 1891, east of Dutchtown. It had fallen into disrepair in recent years, and a group of descendants of those buried within founded the Shady Grove Heritage and Preservation Organization to restore it.

The organization helped get the cemetery on the National Register of Historic Places in June 2022. Now, Niederkorn said they’re petitioning the courts to take legal authority over the cemetery since previous trustees left no successors when they died.