Signs raise Amber Alert awareness

Southeast Missourian

Amber Alert Awareness Day was marked Tuesday with messages posted on the 60 electronic message boards posted around the state by the Missouri Department of Transportation that were paid for, in part, by a grant to expand the Amber Alert system.

The message boards, which cost a total of $4.1 million, were supported by a $400,000 grant from the Federal Highway Administration, said Sally Oxenhandler, spokeswoman for MoDOT. The messages on the boards Tuesday reminded motorists to be aware of Amber Alerts.

The Amber Alert program was created after the 1996 abduction and murder of Amber Hagermann in Arlington, Texas. The purpose of the plan is to provide a rapid response to the most serious child abduction cases.