JOKES POKE FUN AT SOUTHEAST MISSOURI

Need a laugh? Today's newspaper is full of them -- nearly 850 to be exact.

Eight pages in today's Section B are full of Swampeast Missouri jokes.

This marks the first year for the "You are so Swampeast Missouri if ..." Contest patterned after the redneck humor of Jeff Foxworthy. What made the local entries so fun is that they are geared to Southeast, that is, Swampeast Missouri.

Contest organizers at the Southeast Missourian were surprised by the volume of entries. There is already talk about next year.

The nearly 850 entries also made the work tougher for the panel of independent judges. Three winners were chosen along with three honorable mentions.

The names of the winners and their entries can be found on Page 12B.

The first-place winner will receive $1,000 in West Park Mall dollars and other prizes. The second-place winner will receive a year subscription to the Southeast Missourian, and the third-place winner earns a six-month subscription.

The winning suggestions also appear in caricature form thanks to the talents of Deb Darnstaedt of Jacob, Ill. All six winners will receive comic-strip umbrellas and a framed original caricature.

The contest drew entries from a wide area: Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Advance, Oran, Dexter, Patton, Scott City, Chaffee, Whitewater, Kelso, Gordonville, Oak Ridge, Millersville, Marble Hill, Grassy, Piedmont, Leopold, Sedgewickville, Bell City and Perryville in Missouri, and the Illinois cities of Thebes, McClure, Cairo, Olive Branch and Decatur.