Submitted photo Lynne Williams, executive director of the Sikeston-Miner Convention and Visitor's Bureau, is pictured with Rep. Ellen Brandom, R-Sikeston. [Click to enlarge]

SIKESTON -- Thanks to funds from the Missouri Division of Tourism, the Sikeston-Miner Convention and Visitor's Bureau will have more bang to their buck when it comes to tourism-marketing activities designed to attract tourists to Scott County.

The Missouri Division of Tourism has awarded $19,898.21 to the CVB, Rep. Ellen Brandom recently announced. Scott County will match each dollar of state funding with $1 of local funds.

The division's Cooperative Marketing Program, in its 15th year, distributes the state funds on a competitive basis. Among the state's most successful ventures, this program maximizes the impact of the Missouri dollars through partnerships with qualified lcoal non-profit destination marketing organizations for the promotion of tourism attractions, as well as a variety of other approved tourism marketing and promotional activities.