Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Trial of accused Adriaunna Horton killer pushed back one year

The capital murder trial of Bobby Bourne, Lockwood, originally scheduled for July 11 in Barton County Circuit Court in Lamar, has been pushed back more than a year to July 17, 2017.

During a May 27 hearing in Henry County, Judge James Kelso Journey approved the motion for continuance from Bourne's lawyer, Thomas Jacquinot,

Bourne is accused of kidnapping and murder in connection with the August 19, 2013, death of 12-year-old Adriaunna Horton of Golden City.

Bourne is currently serving a 15-year sentence, which was handed down in Cedar County after he admitted he had violated his probation by not attending a court-ordered Batterer Intervention Program.

As noted earlier in the Turner Report, Bourne was on probation for charges of domestic assault, assault on a law enforcement officer, and resisting arrest at the time Adriaunna Horton was raped and murdered..

As noted in the August 22, 2013 Turner Report, Bourne remained free even after he was arrested in Dade County after being charged with assault on an underage girl and assaulting the girl's mother.

Trial date set for Webb City teacher charged with sex with student

A March 27, 2017, trial date has been scheduled for former Webb City High School choir instructor Carrie Njoroge, who is charged with sexual contact with a student.

The trial, if a plea agreement is not reached earlier, will take place almost three years after the Webb City Police Department arrested Njoroge. A February 17, 2017, hearing has been set for pre-trial motions or a possible plea.

Njoroge's trial was originally scheduled to begin October 15, 2015. She is represented by Dee Wampler, Springfield.

An after-hours sex act with an 18-year-old high school student led to criminal charges being filed against Njoroge, according to the probable cause statement.

The act allegedly took place Tuesday, April 15, 2014, in her office at the school. Two days later, school officials placed her on paid administrative leave. She resigned the following day, according to a statement from the school district.

The probable cause statement says that April 15 was not the first time Njoroge had sex with the student. He says the relationship began three months earlier.

The probable cause statement, written by Webb City Police Department Cpl. Josh Smith, is printed below:

On April 15, 2014, between the hours of 19:30 and 21:30 hours at 621 N. Madison, Webb City, Jasper County, Missouri, 64870 (Webb City High School), Carrie Njoroge, a Webb City High School choir teacher, had consensual sexual intercourse with an 18-year-old male student in her office. The student stated they participated in an ongoing relationship for approximately three months involving oral sex on multiple occasions and sexual intercourse on April 15, 2014.

Governor pardons nine, including two from Jasper County

(From Gov. Jay Nixon)

Gov. Jay Nixon today announced he has granted pardons to seven men and two women convicted of non-violent offenses. Each of the individuals has completed his or her sentence and become a law-abiding citizen.

“The granting of pardons is not a matter taken lightly, and the cases that come before my office are given careful review,” Gov. Nixon said. “Each of these individuals has turned his or her life around and become a contributing member of society.”

The Governor granted pardons to the following individuals:

Russell Bales has been continuously employed, primarily as a truck driver, since being discharged from probation on a stealing conviction in Chariton County in 1994. For the conviction, Bales was given a one-year term of probation, which he completed without violation.

Jeffery Fanning is a service manager for a medical company in Minnesota and also volunteers for the local veterans’ hospital. He was given a two-year sentence on a second-degree burglary and stealing conviction out of Dekalb County in 1974. After one year in prison, his sentence was commuted by Gov. Bond in 1975.

Linda Hardy is currently employed as a realtor in Arizona and has had no criminal convictions since pleading guilty to possession of a controlled substance in Saline County in 1995. She was granted early discharge on a five-year term of probation on the conviction.

Terry Hudson served as a corpsman in the U.S. Navy and was honorably discharged. He obtained a doctorate degree in occupational therapy and is certified as a brain injury specialist. Hudson has done extensive work as a physical therapy volunteer and in working with those with brain injuries. In 1993, he was placed on unsupervised probation on a stealing conviction out of Greene County. Hudson paid full restitution. 

Aaron Kellison was honorably discharged from the Missouri National Guard in 2014, and served in Afghanistan for 11 months in 2008. He received several medals and commendations during his military service. Kellison pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance in Jasper County in 2002; he received an early discharge from his five-year term of probation. 

Alice Lundien has demonstrated a stable lifestyle and has had no other criminal convictions since being placed on a five-year term of supervised probation in 1999 after pleading guilty to possession of a controlled substance in Jasper County.

Cliff Miller has been gainfully employed since his early discharge from probation in 1991. He was placed on a three-year term of probation in Greene County in 1989 after being convicted of possession of methamphetamine.

John Robey is an officer in the Missouri National Guard who was awarded the Bronze Star for his meritorious service in Afghanistan. He currently also works in computer security consulting. Robey pleaded guilty to a charge of first-degree burglary in Stoddard County in 1993. After serving six months in prison, Robey was given a five-year term of probation, from which he was granted an early discharge.

John Sterner operates his own business, Tri-County Trash Service, in Mountain Grove, and previously worked in the trucking industry. He received an early discharge on a three-year term of probation he was given on a second-degree burglary conviction out of Texas County in 1979. Sterner paid full restitution.

Joplin city manager provides weekly update

(Joplin City Manager Sam Anselm provided the following update to the City Council Friday.)

Good afternoon, everyone. With the events surrounding the five-year anniversary of the tornado, I was unable to complete an update last week, so this week’s report covers the highlights from the past two weeks.

Key Meetings

-On the 16th, AtCM Brian Kelly and I interviewed a new intern for the city manager’s office, we received a tutorial from Jon Johnson on the Fiscal Health Diagnostic Tool, and I attended the ribbon cutting for the Crosslines building. With respect to the diagnostic tool, it is almost ready to demonstrate the tool to you, so after Director Haase returns from her GFOA conference, we will be able to finalize the data and schedule a work session to review the information.

-On the 17th, staff and I met with the Sales Tax Task Force to review next steps to share information about the continuation of the sales tax on titled property, that will be on the ballot in August. Our next meeting has been scheduled for June 2nd .

-On the 19th and 20th, I attended the Disaster Recovery Summit hosted on the campus of Missouri Southern.

-On Monday of this week, Mayor Seibert and I attended the monthly Chamber of Commerce meeting. Chamber President Rob O’Brian was at the annual retail convention in Las Vegas along with our retail consultant, to meet with prospective retailers about Joplin. Once I receive a summary of their trip, I will pass it along to you.

=On Tuesday during our weekly department head meeting, representatives from AJ Gallagher & Co. presented a report detailing the loss history on various workers’ compensation, general liability claims, etc. over the past five years. The complete reportis included for your review, but to highlight a few items:

*The frequency of our workers’ comp claims is going down, which is a positive indicator that our safety program is having results.

*However, 2015 was the second highest year for the severity of our workers’ comp claims, at just over $580,000.

*The most frequent types of losses/injuries are strains and sprains (129 cases in five years), absorption/ingestion/inhalation (73 cases), and poison ivy (71 cases). Falls and slips (59 cases) and cuts/punctures/scrapes (52 cases) round out the top five. This data will help us tailor future safety topics/trainings to help ensure we continue on a positive trend of reducing workplace injuries.

 -On Wednesday, I joined Chief Stewart and Major Rowland for the monthly Coffee with the Chief program, held at Panera. I commend Chief Stewart for his efforts in engaging with our community through this program, as it’s a great way for residents to meet the chief and ask questions about the department.

-Later that morning IT Director Mark Morris and I, along with AtCM Kelly, sat in on a conference call with our website provider, CivicPlus, to begin discussions about updating the look and feel of our city website. The target date to roll out our new website is November 1st, but I am happy to report that the new site will be much more user-friendly and compatible with mobile devices like smart phones and tablets.

Miscellaneous

-At the recent Joplin Schools board meeting, our assistant public works director, Dan Salisbury, was present to give the school board an update on the plans for 20th Street in anticipation of our next round of public meetings. During the course of that presentation, members of the school board asked if the city was willing to waive the permit fee for the construction of the early childhood center, which will be constructed using state and city CDBG-DR funds. Dan correctly pointed out that staff does not have that authority, so a written request will be forthcoming for the city council to consider waiving the building permit fee on construction of the early childhood center project.

-I was notified this week that both SEMA and FEMA have approved the Jasper/Newton Bi-County Hazard Mitigation Plan, which will also come to you at a future meeting for your consideration and approval.

-As a follow-up to the results of the community survey regarding our budget priorities, next week staff will receive training to begin the next step in the process, which is to cost out all of the programs that have been identified. Basically, this will involve identifying the personnel, operations and maintenance costs for each program in order to develop a more accurate picture of the true cost of the programs and services that we provide to the community.

Joplin R-8 Board accepts three resignations, hires seven teachers

During a May 24 closed session, the Joplin R-8 Board of Education accepted resignations from three teachers and hired seven teachers.

Teachers resigning were:

Lucas Farley,
Andrea Buntin,
Mary Fryar




Those hired were:

Kerri Goucher
Heidi Hodges
Carli Miller
Angela Sanborn
Arielle Santillan
Sharla Wood
Mary White
e. 

Thunderstorms, possibly severe possible for area today, tonight

(From the National Weather Service)

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
337 AM CDT TUE MAY 31 2016

KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-010845-
BOURBON-CRAWFORD-CHEROKEE-BENTON-MORGAN-MILLER-MARIES-VERNON-
ST. CLAIR-HICKORY-CAMDEN-PULASKI-PHELPS-BARTON-CEDAR-POLK-DALLAS-
LACLEDE-TEXAS-DENT-JASPER-DADE-GREENE-WEBSTER-WRIGHT-NEWTON-
LAWRENCE-CHRISTIAN-DOUGLAS-HOWELL-SHANNON-MCDONALD-BARRY-STONE-
TANEY-OZARK-OREGON-
337 AM CDT TUE MAY 31 2016

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE MISSOURI
OZARKS AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED...

  LIMITED HAIL RISK.
  LIMITED THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE RISK.
  ELEVATED LIGHTNING RISK.

DISCUSSION...

  ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE...MAINLY OVER SOUTH
  CENTRAL AND CENTRAL MISSOURI EARLY THIS MORNING. LATER
  TODAY...ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE
  AREA. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME STRONG TO
  MARGINALLY SEVERE WITH WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH AND HAIL TO THE
  SIZE OF QUARTERS.


.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

  SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE AGAIN
  ON WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT
  THIS TIME. CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL
  WILL BE THE MAIN HAZARDS EXPECTED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

  SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT.

Monday, May 30, 2016

Storms to continue through Wednesday for Joplin area

(From the National Weather Service)

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
312 PM CDT MON MAY 30 2016

KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-312015-
BOURBON-CRAWFORD-CHEROKEE-BENTON-MORGAN-MILLER-MARIES-VERNON-
ST. CLAIR-HICKORY-CAMDEN-PULASKI-PHELPS-BARTON-CEDAR-POLK-DALLAS-
LACLEDE-TEXAS-DENT-JASPER-DADE-GREENE-WEBSTER-WRIGHT-NEWTON-
LAWRENCE-CHRISTIAN-DOUGLAS-HOWELL-SHANNON-MCDONALD-BARRY-STONE-
TANEY-OZARK-OREGON-
312 PM CDT MON MAY 30 2016

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE MISSOURI
OZARKS AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED...

  LIMITED HAIL RISK.
  LIMITED THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE RISK.
  ELEVATED LIGHTNING RISK.

DISCUSSION...

 SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE MAINLY ACROSS CENTRAL AND
 SOUTH CENTRAL MISSOURI THROUGH LATE THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE A
 DIMINISHING TREND THIS EVENING. THE GREATEST COVERAGE OF STORMS
 WILL OCCUR GENERALLY EAST OF A LINE FROM OSCEOLA TO GAINESVILLE
 OR EAST OF HIGHWAY 65...AND INCLUDE THE LAKE OF THE OZARKS AND
 TRUMAN LAKE REGIONS.

 THE STRONGER STORMS WILL PRODUCE WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH AND
 SMALL HAIL. A LOCALIZED SEVERE STORM COULD PRODUCE HAIL TO THE
 SIZE OF QUARTERS AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH.

 ANY OF THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY
 HEAVY RAINFALL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

 SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN DEVELOP TUESDAY
 AND CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY. A FEW SEVERE STORMS MAY DEVELOP
 LATER TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING MAINLY ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS
 INTO WESTERN MISSOURI. THE RISK FOR LOCALIZED SEVERE WEATHER
 WILL OCCUR AGAIN WEDNESDAY MAINLY ACROSS THE EASTERN OZARKS.
 HAIL TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS AND DAMAGING WINDS UP TO 60 MPH
 WOULD BE THE MAIN HAZARDS ALONG WITH CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING
 AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

  SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT.

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Links provided to this week's most popular Turner Report, Inside Joplin posts

The most visited posts this week on the Turner Report, Inside Joplin, and Inside Joplin Obituaries are listed below:

1. Report: FBI, SEC investigating Northpark Mall owners

2. Joplin R-8 Board accepts Tina Smith's resignation

3. R-8 Board to C. J. Huff: We're not paying for your travel, lodging

4. The Turner Report needs your help; I need your help

5. Joplin School Board rejects Bright Futures funding request

6. Audit: Superintendent used taxpayers money for groceries, shampoo, expensive video equipment

7 Former curriculum director lands job with consulting firm she pushed on Joplin

8. First bargaining agreement, lands $1,000 raises, promise of discipline support for teachers

9. So you want to be a Joplin R-8 director of human resources

10. Joplin R-8 legal bill on P1 lawsuit- half a million and counting

Inside Joplin

1. Man shot in the chest at 5th Street and Park Ave., Joplin man arrested

3. Two killed in head-on collision near Asbury

3. Jasper County Sheriff's Arrests May 21-24

4. Jasper County Marriage Licenses

5. Driver hits pedestrian in Wal-Mart parking lot crosswalk

6. Diamond teen injured in one-vehicle accident

7. Joplin Police Department Arrests May 23-24

8. Jasper County Dissolution of Marriage Petitions

9. Eight-year-old drowns in Flat Creek near Cassville

10. Joplin Police Department Arrests May 24-25

Inside Joplin Obituaries

1. Vernon Studyvin

2. Cathy Vanslyke

3.Steven Cash

4. Curtis Buxton

5. Dale White

6. Dan Barger

7. Lloyd Miller

8. Randy Brundige

9, Jessie Haynes

10. Carl Childress

Saturday, May 28, 2016

The Turner Report needs your help; I need your help

Trying to make a living off blogging is something that only a small percentage of bloggers are able to do. I have been able to do so these past several months because of a number of generous contributions, some loyal subscribers, a small amount of monthly advertising revenue, steady, but not incredibly lucrative book sales and a meager pension from my time as a teacher.

For a time, that was enough for me to either break even or lose a small amount per month, and a few months I was able to make a decent profit.

For the past few months, the amounts have gradually decreased and as a result of my recent health problems, I now have more expenses. My insurance is good, but it does not cover everything and though I will be able to make payments on what I owe, that still will carving out another chunk of the money each month and either decreasing the profits or increasing the deficits.

I hesitated to write this because it is tiresome to see the haters begin commenting about my begging for handouts or making snide comments about why should people bother to pay for something they are getting for free.

The simple fact is that a small number of subscribers have loyally continued to support the Turner Report. With more than 5,000 daily readers for the Turner Report, close to 5,000 a day for Inside Joplin and between 2,000 and 3,000 each day for Inside Joplin Obituaries. If even one-tenth of those readers subscribed, whether for a year at $30 or  monthly for $3, my problems would be resolved.

I might be able to collect more subscriptions by saying that the Turner Report/Inside Joplin blogs might have to shut down if they do not receive more support, but that is not something I have even considered. The Turner Report has been published since October 2003 and Inside Joplin and Inside Joplin Obituaries since late 2013.

Since its inception, Inside Joplin Obituaries has printed more than 3,300 obituaries, including some that never appeared in the Joplin Globe. Grieving family members do not have to pay a cent for this service since it is news. The blog is also searchable.

Inside Joplin has been the workhorse blog, featuring records material- police arrests, sheriff's department arrests, marriage licenses, dissolutions, Highway Patrol DWI arrests, Missouri Southern and Crowder College news, road closings, school announcements, and other news, all on one site.

The Turner Report, meanwhile, has continued to offer investigative reporting, courts coverage, commentary and provided a voice for those who have been left out by the Joplin Globe's focus on the interests (and the bias) of an elite few in the community.

This blog not only has provided a voice, but has also acted as a force for change in Joplin. Without the Turner Report, C. J. Huff might still be Joplin R-8 superintendent. This blog was the first to write about Wallace Bajjali's sordid record of bankruptcies and SEC investigations- even before the city hired the master developer in 2012.

It also was the first news source to really dig into the contents of the Loraine Report and the unethical actions of former City Councilman Mike Woolston.

This week, the blog featured coverage of Joplin area news that was ignored by other media. The Globe is not likely to write about the impending departure of Joplin R-8 COO Tina Smith and unless, I missed it, the Turner Report was the only source to reveal that the company that owns Northpark Mall is being investigated by the FBI and the SEC.

And yes, I will keep track of how much money Billy Long spends in Vegas, at least the amount that he uses from his campaign account.

Besides, would you rather pay $200 a year for the Joplin Globe or pay $30 a year (or $3 a month) to help the Turner Report/Inside Joplin to keep growing and continue to be an irritant to the area's newspaper of record.

That is the end of my spiel (And isn't it about time?). Give it some thought. If you would like to subscribe, there is a button you can use at the bottom of this post. If you wish to contribute a larger amount or a smaller amount you can use the "Donate" button below.

For those who would prefer not to use PayPal or a credit card, you can mail your subscription money or contribution to: Randy Turner, 2306 E. 8th, Joplin, MO 64801.

Thanks for your time and consideration.
***


Payment Options
Support the Turner Report

Joplin R-8 legal bill on P1 lawsuit- half a million and counting

The unsuccessful race to get Joplin High School open on time in August 2014, has cost the R-8 district millions and the price tag continues to go up.

Board of Education bills indicate the taxpayers have paid half a million to the Polsinelli PC law firm of Kansas City to sue P1, the Lenexa, Kansas, electrical contracting firm that worked on the high school and to defend against the firm's countersuit.

The district sued P1 shortly after it was hit with a $7 million bill. The lawsuit alleged that P1 did shoddy work. Despite this supposed shoddy work the district has continued to work with P1 and in fact, paid the company $104,524.26 as recently as April. Knowing that a lawsuit was coming, the district hired the Polsinelli firm and filed its lawsuit first. P1 filed a counterclaim asking for more than $6 million.

The company says it incurred that much expense, primarily due to overtime and extra costs brought on by Huff's push to get the school opened to meet his promise of starting school on time, a sort of companion promise to the one he made in May 2011 that school would start on time just three months after the Joplin Tornado.

The board documents indicate taxpayers have paid at least $499,305.31 in the past nine months to Polsinelli, broken down as follows:

May $77,771.36
April $64,851.41
March $28,828.03
February $23,178.71
January $94,914.75
December $40,542
October $78,215.63
September $44,529

The half million figure does not include the $50,000 the district is paying Huff to serve as a consultant on the lawsuit. As the Turner Report noted earlier today, Huff will be deposed by P1's lawyers on June 30 at the Polsinelli offices.

Lenexa firm's lawyers to get crack at C. J. Huff

Attorneys for the P1 Group, the Lenexa electrical contractors who handled the Joplin High School project, will get their shot at deposing former R-8 Superintendent C. J. Huff beginning 9 a.m. Thursday, June 30, in the law offices of Polsinelli PC, the firm that is representing the district in its lawsuit against P1.

According to the notice of the deposition, which was filed this week in U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, the questions will continue "day to day until completed."

The district brought its lawsuit, which accuses P1 of doing shoddy work, only after it realized that P1 was preparing a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the district, for not paying the money P1 says it is owed.

P1 filed a counterclaim, which says the district owes more than $6 million, primarily because of extra overtime and costs associated with Huff's unsuccessful effort to get the building opened on time in August 2014.

The P1 counterclaim is one of the lawsuits against the district which is covered by the $50,000 consulting fee Huff was paid as part of his separation agreement. It was made clear at the press conference that introcued Interim Superintendent Norm Ridder that the "consulting" would not have anything to do with Huff offering advice to Ridder, but was to cover the lawsuits that Huff attracted during the final years of his seven-year tenure.

Former curriculum director lands job with consulting firm she pushed on Joplin

It did not take long for former Joplin R-8 Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment to land on her feet after being demoted from her position midway through the 2015-2016 school year and resigning effective at its conclusion.

Stevens, whose seeming obsession with keeping the high-priced consulting firm Core Collaborative and his six-figure annual contract in the Joplin schools, is now listed on the Core Collaborative website as director of professional learning.

From the Core Collaborative website:

Sarah Stevens lives in the Midwest with her husband and two children. She is currently the Director of Professional Learning for The Core Collaborative assisting districts across the United States and the TCC team in creating a synergy of systems to empower those who matter most- the students.

In addition to her role at TCC, Sarah also wears many hats in the school improvement and innovation arena. Some of her proudest partnerships include working as a School Improvement Consultant with an education cooperative, Greenbush, that serves over 135 school districts across the state of Kansas, and assisting schools in professional learning around the formative assessment process through the non-profit organization, Northwest Evaluation Association. Sarah is currently assisting the Joplin School District to create a system of continuous improvement, through strategic planning, humble leadership, and by supporting the work of curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

During her career, Sarah served students as an elementary teacher, media specialist, teaching and learning coach, and Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment. She holds a master’s degree in Educational Technology and was instrumental in the Joplin School District being named 1 of 8 Future Ready School Districts from the U.S. Office of Educational Technology. She has also taught graduate students at a local university as an adjunct professor for the Teaching and Leading Department.

Sarah's passion is in system thinking and partnering with adults to create a connected environment where students needs come first and learning together makes an impact.

Stevens' dealings with Core Collaborative were detailed in the November 15 Turner Report, published shortly after news of Stevens' resignation had been confirmed:

The resignation apparently brings an end to the meteoric rise of someone who had only two years of classroom experience to a position in upper administration, making $73,000 a year.

Stevens was hired by the R-8 District in 2004 and spent two years as an elementary teacher and one year as a librarian before being tabbed as a teaching/learning coach, a position that served as a springboard for those who wanted to climb the ladder in the school district.

Stevens was promoted to her current position in 2012, after serving four years as a coach. She had no background in curriculum, so the Huff Administration had to hire a "professional learning coordinator" to assist her after that lack of qualifications was cited by state auditors.

Stevens' constant pushing of outside consultant Paul Bloomberg and his Core Collaborative group brought her into the spotlight last year. Not only did Stevens work to get Core Collaborative a full-time gig in Joplin, but she also promoted the group heavily with other school districts.

The district's dealings with the Core Collaborative were approved by the Board of Education at its August 19, 2014, meeting as part of the consent agenda, ensuring that the board never discussed the hiring. As with many things the board approved as part of the consent agenda, it turned out to cost far more than what it said in the original document.

The document said "a discounted cost for the Core Collaborative to provide 12 days of training is $31,260, which includes all travel costs (airfare, hotel, rental car, and meals). We are being billed for 10 days of consultant training and are getting two days training free."

The proposal was submitted by Stevens and initialed by C. J. Huff and Executive Director of Elementary Education Jennifer Doshier.

The curriculum director and her colleagues were so impressed with Bloomberg and company they just had to bring him here and pull teachers out of their classrooms so he could train them.

Not only did they bring the training to Joplin, but they also ordered Common Core materials from Corwin Press, which is connected with Bloomberg and visible learning.

At the December 16 board meeting, another request came from Stevens, again initialed by Huff and Doshier, asking for another $64,680 for Bloomberg and Core Collaborative. This was on the board's consent agenda.

In the documentation for the request, Stevens explained it in this fashion:

Dr. Bloomberg's work this far has been well received and certain areas are asking for more time to collaborate with him. The work will focus on the "formative process" outlined in the professional development plan as well as Visible Learning work around self-regulated learning.

While the request stipulated that the amount will not exceed $64,680, the cost exceeded the total of that amount and the earlier $31,260, with three months to go.

With the election of Jeff Koch and Jennifer Martucci to the board in April, the idea of paying more than $100,000 for a consultant came under opposition and when it came time to renew the Core Collaborative contract, Stevens sent the following e-mail message to principals:

I will be taking the Core Collaborative contract to the board on Tuesday, May 26.
I am asking for a year long contract up to 30 days to include the days principals have asked for, departments have requested, and to finish helping with the bsip plans we have started and the work of self regulated learning. I will be also be including a couple of days for special ed iep work.
This is the same amount of days we used this year between three consultants with the Core Collaborative.

I would like a short blurb from you stating how the work we have embarked on this year with the core collaborative and visible learning has helped, guided, or changed the way your building is working together, performing, etc. If you feel inclined, include what you hope to gain from continuing this focus and support.

Please do not use the verbiage of Visible Learning since that technically was with Corwin, even though Paul (consultant Paul Bloomberg who heads the Core Collaborative) tied a lot of what we were doing all together to make it all fit. I will bring Visible Learning for Teachers to a different board meeting if JPDT votes to have it happen this summer.

If you have teachers that have really taken hold of learning intentions, success criteria, feedback, impact (data) teams, etc. Please ask them to send me an email or quick video explaining. Even better would be to have the students speak (but that is short notice so I understand if that can't happen).

I have several videos of students speaking on their learning, so if you have some great ones with the work you have been doing or want to brag on your school, now is the time!

At that meeting, Board President Jeff Koch asked Stevens if she would be able to provide the training the teachers needed if Core Collaborative was not retained.

Stevens said that while "professional development is my passion," she was "too busy" to do it.

Koch, Martucci and Debbie Fort voted against renewing the Core Collaborative contract, while Mike Landis and Lynda Banwart voted to continue with the group.

Despite the defeat, Stevens was not yet finished with her efforts to keep the expensive consultants employed in Joplin.

At the June 22 board meeting, she pleaded for the board to reconsider its vote. By this time, Landis had resigned and the Jasper County Commission appointed Gary Nodler, Sallie Beard, and Ron Gatz to fill the cacated spots of Landis, Randy Steele, and Lane Roberts.

Stevens said that teacher morale would suffer if Core Collaborative did not return. Under a new deal, the Collaborative would charge "only" $87,000 instead of $103,000.

In her reasons for wanting the board to reconsider its action, Stevens sent a proposal to the board members saying that not only would morale suffer but the district would be forced to pull teachers out of classes more often, teachers would have to take time with after-school professional development or book studies (which would have teachers getting paid rather than consultants), they might have to contract with other vendors which would cost more money and teachers would have to be sent all over the United States to get training which might not be passed on to the rest of the faculty.

The proposal was prepared by Stevens, and okayed by Huff and Doshier.

Stevens clearly thought she would have the support of the three new board members, but that did not turn out to be the case. Nodler rattled her with numerous questions about the need for the consulting firm.

When Martucci suggested that R-8 teachers could be better off providing the professional development themselves and would have more buy-in, Koch quickly agreed and Fort noted that the money that is earmarked for professional development could be spent in that fashion.

When the executive directors insisted the teachers and principals were not ready and needed Bloomberg to guide them through another year, Nodler was not buying any of it. "You don't need a consultant to hold your hand."

The vote was 4-3 with Nodler joining Koch, Martucci, and Fort.

A month later Stevens appeared with Bloomberg at a Visible Learning Conference in Texas, doing a presentation on the success the firm had in Joplin.

Joplin R-8 taxpayers covered the cost of her mileage, lodging, and other expenses.

Even after this, Stevens was not done with Core Collaborative.

In July, after Norm Ridder replaced C. J. Huff, Stevens again pushed Core Collaborative sending out an e-mail to teachers asking them to share what they had learned from the group. Apparently, Stevens must have used those messages to bring back Bloomberg and Core Collaborative for a one-time shot, at a cost of $7,775.

At the October 27 board meeting, Ridder made it clear that there would be no more dealings with Core Collaborative. This took place right around the time Stevens was reassigned.

And now Stevens is working for the same consulting firm she pushed on this district and others.

One year ago today: C. J. Huff retires, Mike Landis resigns

Two key events in the recent history of the Joplin R-8 School District happened one year ago today.

On May 28, 2015, C. J. Huff announced his retirement, while Mike Landis, who had been on the school board for 15 years resigned in a cowardly act that delayed needed changes such as the removal of Chief Operations Officer Tina Smith for another year.

The following are from the Turner Report coverage on that day:

C. J. Huff resigns

C. J. Huff is announcing his resignation during a press conference this morning.

The regular principals' meeting was moved up to this morning to give Huff the opportunity to make the announcement to them before the press conference.

\Reportedly, the Board of Education has reached an agreement with Huff to buy out the remainder of his contract, which was scheduled to run through 2018.
More information to come.

Note: As it turned out Huff's resignation (or firing, if you prefer) turned out to be a "retirement" as part of the separation agreement. Also, no press conference was held. I received a testy e-mail that morning from the district's p.r. person Kelli Price saying there would be no press conference and berating me for getting my facts wrong. I have always wondered why I never received e-mails from her all of the times I was getting everything right.

C. J. Huff: It's time for me to be a dad and a husband again

(From Joplin Schools)

During a gathering with principals and administrators this morning and in a letter to staff, Dr. C.J. Huff announced his plans to retire from Joplin Schools effective June 30, 2015.

Friday, May 27, 2016

Joplin R-8 Board accepts Tina Smith's resignation

When the Joplin R-8 Board of Education approved the first-ever collective bargaining agreement between the district and its teachers Tuesday night, it appeared to be the best news teachers could have.

Though the $1,000 raise is nowhere near what needs to happen to bring the district in line with other area school systems, it is still better than the teachers have seen in quite some time and the teacher negotiating team also won some concessions on a number of areas that should improve things for an important group that was sadly neglected during the C. J. Huff Administration.

With all of these things going on, the best thing that could happen to faculty, past, present, and future, occurred before the regular meeting. During a closed session, the board accepted the resignation of Chief Operating Officer and former human resources director Tina Smith.

Smith, who earned a reputation as the attack dog for Huff and his assistant superintendent, Angie Besendorfer, resigned effective June 24. Reportedly, her resignation, voluntarily or involuntarily, was going to happen at some point in the near future, so Smith is leaving two steps ahead of the posse.

Smith, like her former boss, Huff, has been a magnet for controversy.

Her exploits were written about in previous Turner Report posts, including the following:

Despite safety concerns, C. J. Huff ignored whistleblower's letter

Documents: C. J. Huff, Tina Smith ignored charges of lawbreaking insurance fraud

Million dollar lawsuit filed against Joplin R-8 School District

The books that got me fired

During Tina Smith's reign, those who wanted to report harassment in the workplace, or problems with superiors were dealt with harshly, while those who were the subjects of such accusations, especially if they were employees who were close to Huff or Besendorfer, remained unscathed.

During my termination, Smith interviewed me for four and a half minutes, gave me no chance to explain myself, then asked my students questions that were designed to make them think I had done something inappropriate with one of their classmates. (Nothing of the sort was even suspected and there were no such allegations against me, but by asking the questions, Smith made sure the thought was placed in the students' minds.Then at my hearing, she made the claim that the way my students all supported me showed signs of "grooming."

Performing that kind of service for C. J. Huff enabled her to join a number of other members of Huff's team who were promoted far beyond their abilities. Smith, who was a poor excuse for a human resources director, was promoted to chief operations officer and while she was responsible for studies that made sure workers in the R-8 School District remained underpaid, she was receiving $86,000 a year and thanks to a going away present from Huff, had three clerical workers hired to help her.

In the space of a year, we have seen the departures of Huff, Curriculum Director Sarah Stevens, East Middle School Principal Bud Sexson, and now Smith.

Though there are still remnants of the Huff team in the district, many of those who caused the most damage to the district's credibility and wasted millions in taxpayer money, will no longer be taking the taxpayers for a ride.

Billy Long: Employment for the disabled must be protected

(From Seventh District Congressman Billy Long)

When Morgan was born with Down syndrome, her pediatrician told her folks who are friends of mine that they should consider institutionalizing her. Before she left the hospital, they were told she would probably never function on her own and would most likely not live past her early teens. Today, she is a delightful 40 year old woman that enjoys nothing more than working hard at Springfield's SWI Industrial Solutions. It's for all the Morgans of the world that I hope to speak for and about in this column.

Whether it's a family member, friend, or neighbor, most folks know someone who is afflicted with a disability or will become disabled due to certain medical impediments. Families looking after a disabled loved one often struggle with finding employment for these individuals, but persist because they realize that real-life work experience can provide them with a sense of pride and belonging that will improve their quality of life.

Recently, work programs that fulfill this need have come under threat from U.S. Departments of Education and Labor regulation proposals that would bar high schools from referring people between ages 16 and 24 for job placement, and make entities providing work for the developmentally disabled compensate them at or above the federal minimum wage.

While these demands could be well intentioned, they unintentionally threaten the ability for business owners to provide the most severely disabled of workers with a position altogether. At the least, these companies could be forced to cut these workers' hours in order to keep them on their teams at all.

When presented with the reality of meeting their operation’s bottom-line, these employers simply cannot afford to maintain the number of positions they've set aside for the betterment of the disabled in their communities. Furthermore, the inability of employers to work in tandem with the high schools who know each student best would compound difficulties further.

For instance, like many companies across America and the Ozarks, Springfield's SWI Industrial Solutions is worried that they won't be able to maintain their positions for our community's disabled to grow in. There are many success stories of mentally and physically disabled workers bettering their life skills while working at their plant.

They told me the story of a young woman named Mary who had never held a competitive job, but began helping SWI employees with small tasks in production and janitorial services. As she improved in the workplace, her SWI Job Developer was able to help her find employment at her dream job of working with animals, and she now lives in her own apartment and has worked at a veterinarian clinic for over four years.

There are countless stories like Morgan's and Mary's all across Southwest Missouri and America, and these new rules will be detrimental to their employment and ability to realize their dreams. This month, I sent a letter to Secretaries John King and Thomas Perez at the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor demanding that these rules be reworked for these invaluable opportunities for the disabled in our workforce. We have a responsibility to their families, our communities, and these workers to help disabled Americans reach their highest potential, and I will continue fighting on their behalf in Washington.

Joplin R-8 posts 12 positions today, 14 this week

Earlier today, the Turner Report noted that five positions had been posted this week, including three today. Since then, nine more positions have been added, most of them coaching jobs:

Positions posted today include the following:

-Joplin High School In-School Suspension

-South Middle School Head Wrestling Coach

-South Middle School Assistant Football Coach

-North Middle School Assistant Track and Field

-Joplin High School Social Studies/Special Education

-North and East Middle School Head Football Coach

-Irving Elementary Kindergarten Teacher

-East Middle School Special Education

-Columbia Elementary Title One Teacher

-Joplin High School Special Education

-Columbia Elementary- Third Grade Teacher

-Royal Heights Elementary- Third Grade Teacher

Two jobs, an English As Second Language teacher at Franklin Tech and a Title One teacher at Stapleton Elementary were posted Tuesday.


Joplin R-8 advertises for five more teachers

Advertisements for five teaching positions have been placed on the Joplin R-8 School District website this week, with three posted today.

Ads for a special education teacher for Joplin High School and third grade teachers at Columbia Elementary and Royal Heights Elementary were posted today.

Earlier this week, the district posted advertisements for an English as second language teacher at Franklin Tech and a Title I teacher at Stapleton Elementary.

Thunderstorms expected today and tonight in Joplin area

(From National Weather Service)

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
424 AM CDT FRI MAY 27 2016

KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-280930-
BOURBON-CRAWFORD-CHEROKEE-BENTON-MORGAN-MILLER-MARIES-VERNON-
ST. CLAIR-HICKORY-CAMDEN-PULASKI-PHELPS-BARTON-CEDAR-POLK-DALLAS-
LACLEDE-TEXAS-DENT-JASPER-DADE-GREENE-WEBSTER-WRIGHT-NEWTON-
LAWRENCE-CHRISTIAN-DOUGLAS-HOWELL-SHANNON-MCDONALD-BARRY-STONE-
TANEY-OZARK-OREGON-
424 AM CDT FRI MAY 27 2016

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE MISSOURI
OZARKS AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED...

  LIMITED TORNADO RISK.
  LIMITED HAIL RISK.
  LIMITED THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE RISK.
  LIMITED FLOODING RISK.
  SIGNIFICANT LIGHTNING RISK.

DISCUSSION...

  SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FOUND AROUND THE AREA
  THIS MORNING. THESE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE.

  MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT. ALTHOUGH
  WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED THE STRONGER STORMS WILL
  CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS GUSTS THIS AFTERNOON
  AND EVENING.

  THUNDERSTORMS MAY MOVE INTO THE AREA FROM KANSAS LATER TONIGHT. THERE
  REMAINS SOME UNCERTAINTY IF THESE WILL HOLD TOGETHER AS THEY MOVE EAST.
  IF THEY DO MAKE IT INTO THE AREA THERE WILL BE A RISK OF LARGE HAIL
  AND DAMAGING WINDS ALONG WITH AN ISOLATED TORNADO.

  IN ADDITION...ANY OF THE STORMS THROUGH TONIGHT WILL BE CAPABLE OF
  PRODUCING HEAVY DOWNPOURS OF RAIN WHICH COULD LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLASH
  FLOODING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

  ADDITIONAL STORMS ARE EXPECTED SATURDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE
  EVENING HOURS ALONG A BOUNDARY THAT TRACKS EAST INTO THE AREA.
  MUCH OF THE DAY SATURDAY WILL BE DRY UNTIL STORMS REDEVELOP AND
  NOT ALL LOCATIONS WILL SEE STORMS. THERE WILL BE A RISK FOR LARGE
  HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WITH THE STRONGER STORMS SATURDAY
  AFTERNOON.

  A FEW STORMS WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE AT TIMES SUNDAY AND
  MONDAY...BUT MUCH OF THE DAY WILL BE DRY AND NOT ALL LOCATIONS
  WILL BE AFFECTED. THE SEVERE RISK WILL BE MUCH LOWER AS THE MAIN
  LOW SPREADS EAST. THE MAIN RISK SUNDAY AND MONDAY WILL BE CLOUD
  TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES.

  THE ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL CONTINUE NEXT WEEK AS ANOTHER
  SYSTEM SLOW TRACKS TOWARDS THE REGION RESULTING IN DAILY
  THUNDERSTORM CHANCES.

  HEAVY RAINFALL OVER THE SAME AREAS COULD RESULT IN LOCALIZED
  FLOODING CONCERNS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

  SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT.

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Audit: Superintendent used tax money for groceries, shampoo, expensive electronic equipment

(From State Auditor Nicole Galloway)

Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway today detailed serious mismanagement by the former administration of the Fox School District in the St. Louis area. The district's school board requested a review of operations under former Superintendent Dr. Dianne Critchlow, after concerns were raised about administration spending and improper activities. The audit uncovered thousands of dollars in questionable expenses, including restaurant meals, groceries, gas and electronics, purchased with public dollars.

"We found that the former superintendent used taxpayer dollars to personally benefit herself and a select few individuals close to her," Auditor Galloway said. "With little board oversight, spending practices were irresponsible and, most importantly, undermined the district's focus on education."

Credit card records showed hundreds of purchases that appear to be personal in nature or otherwise inappropriate, without adequate board review and in violation of the district's credit card policy, which only allowed for purchases related to instructional materials, building needs and supplies. Purchases ranged from common items, like coffee, batteries and shampoo to more extravagant ones, like digital cameras, smartphones and logging equipment. Some of the items were ordered online and shipped directly to the superintendent's personal residence. Logging equipment was purchased the same month the superintendent's husband, also a school administrator, filed paperwork to open a land and timber company.

Thousands of dollars were spent on gift cards for places ranging from Buffalo Wild Wings to Best Buy. Dr. Critchlow indicated the gift cards were for needy families, although the district did not operate any formal gift card program, and Fox officials were unable to locate any documentation for card recipients.

Auditors identified other spending concerns, as well. The board received bids for and approved a $34,000 vehicle for the former superintendent to use on official business. However, a different car -- costing $9,000 more -- was purchased without board approval.

The audit also uncovered a series of adjusted contracts and administrator raises based on incorrect and inconsistent application of salary schedules. In some cases, base salaries were increased without board oversight and, too often, adjustments were made without explanation. A number of administrators, including Dr. Critchlow and the district administrator she later married, received inappropriate salary increases that were not approved by the board. Over a two-year period, Dr. Critchlow received approximately $20,000 in compensation not approved by the board. In 3 years, her husband received approximately $9,000 in unapproved compensation, along with $80,000 in additional salary and benefits based on a salary schedule never before used for his position and not approved by the board. Additionally, questionable benefits were bestowed upon other family members and close colleagues of the Critchlows.

"I appreciate that many of the corrective actions made in our audit report are being implemented by the district, but this situation serves as a reminder that the opportunity for abuse and mismanagement exists when there's a lack of oversight and appropriate policy, which is ultimately the responsibility of the board," Auditor Galloway said. "Board officials have a duty to institute policies and procedures to prevent this type of abuse from happening, and to ensure if it does happen, it's identified and corrected immediately."

Because the audit of the Fox School District received an overall performance rating of poor, Auditor Galloway and her team will return to conduct a follow-up review. The follow-up will focus on whether all appropriate actions have been taken to improve district policy, increase board oversight, and prevent or limit the opportunity for inappropriate activity and misconduct in order to better serve the students and families of the Fox School District.

A copy of the audit report is available online at auditor.mo.gov.

Sullivan Republican asks education commissioner to reject Obama bathroom guidelines

(From Sen. David Schatz, R-Sullivan)

Just two weeks ago the 2016 Legislative Session came to an end. However, in that time I have still been hard at work. This week I sent a letter to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education encouraging the department to stand up for our students and schools. It is my sincere hope the department will do what is best for school districts.

Below is the letter I sent to Commissioner of Education Dr. Margie Vandeven.

Dr. Margie Vandeven
Commissioner of Education
205 Jefferson Street
Jefferson City, MO 65101

I am writing to encourage the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to reject the federal government’s heavy-handed guidelines on transgenderism and bathroom use in our local schools. Setting aside the unconstitutionality of these demands, it is obvious that these kinds of decisions should be made at the local – not the state nor the national – level. These issues should be decided by the local community, not by the U.S. Department of Education.

Our schools thrive when parents are engaged and trust the mission of their local school district. Forcing local districts to accept policy that runs counter to common decency and common sense will only erode trust between parents and educational institutions.

As a former school board member, I am certain that this policy will be rejected outright by schools in our area and I strongly encourage our state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to reject federal overreach and instead protect the interests of our local school districts.

McCaskill calls for renewal of Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act

Emmett Till(From Sen. Claire McCaskill)

For decades now, victims of racially motivated crimes and families of those murdered during the Civil Rights era have been knocking on the door of justice. But the door just doesn’t budge without a fight – and countless cases remain unsolved.
For this McCaskill Mailer, I want to dive into how we’ve been fighting to push that door wide open and bring long-overdue justice for victims of these despicable crimes: through legislation I fought for in 2007 called the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act.
Named for the infamous 1955 trial where Emmett Till’s white murderers went free, this bill has allowed the FBI and the Department of Justice to review more than 100 cold cases predating 1970.
They’ve brought prosecutions where possible. But even in cases where prosecutions weren’t possible, new findings or updates, especially in circumstances involving death or statutes of limitations, bring much-needed solace to surviving families who have been left in the dark for far too long.
But here’s the thing: This bill’s provisions are about to expire, and there are countless more cases – and families – that need our help.
That’s why I’m leading legislation to renew the bill, strengthen its requirements and broaden its scope to the present day. Because heinous, racially motivated crimes must be prosecuted no matter when they occurred.
And as a former prosecutor, I’m 100% committed to making sure Congress renews this important bill for the families and communities still waiting on justice.
I’ll reach out with updates on the renewal process soon, but in the meantime, take a moment to read more here.
Thanks for reading,

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Heavy rainfall, hail, damaging winds possible through weekend

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
1001 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2016

KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-270315-
BOURBON-CRAWFORD-CHEROKEE-BENTON-MORGAN-MILLER-MARIES-VERNON-
ST. CLAIR-HICKORY-CAMDEN-PULASKI-PHELPS-BARTON-CEDAR-POLK-DALLAS-
LACLEDE-TEXAS-DENT-JASPER-DADE-GREENE-WEBSTER-WRIGHT-NEWTON-
LAWRENCE-CHRISTIAN-DOUGLAS-HOWELL-SHANNON-MCDONALD-BARRY-STONE-
TANEY-OZARK-OREGON-
1001 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2016

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE MISSOURI
OZARKS AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED...

  LIMITED HAIL RISK.
  LIMITED THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE RISK.
  LIMITED LIGHTNING RISK.

DISCUSSION...

AN AREA OF STORMS OVER NORTHEAST KANSAS IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP
INTO A LINE AND MOVE SOUTHEAST INTO PARTS OF FAR SOUTHEAST KANSAS
INTO WEST CENTRAL AND CENTRAL MISSOURI AFTER 4 AM THEN CONTINUE
TO AN AREA ALONG THE MISSOURI HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR BY 6 AM. STRONG
WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THE STORMS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT THE
REGION THROUGH THIS WEEKEND. ALTHOUGH THERE WILL BE BREAKS AND DRY
PERIODS BETWEEN THE ROUNDS.

ALONG WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS
APPEAR TO BE THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT FROM THE STRONGEST
STORMS.

HEAVY RAINFALL OVER THE SAME AREAS COULD RESULT IN LOCALIZED
FLOODING CONCERNS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WITH ONLY A LIMITED RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER...A GENERAL SPOTTER
ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT.

First bargaining agreement lands $1,000 raises, promises of discipline support for R-8 teachers

The first bargaining agreement between the Joplin R-8 School District and teachers, represented by Joplin NEA was approved 7-0 by the Board of Education Tuesday night.

The vote came on the one-year anniversary of the teachers' vote to approve NEA as its negotiator.

The agreement will include a $1,000 pay increase, plua one step for faculty and the following changes:

- Elementary teachers will be able to eat lunch without having duty during the lunch period.

-Teachers must be notified if a grade change is requested.

-Mileage reimbursements will be made monthly.

-Teachers who have to give up their planning period will be paid $21,50

-Improvements will be made toward a more respectful environment and better discipline support.

The JNEA bargaining team consisted of  Crystal Stokes, representing middle school; William Keczkemethy, high school; Erin Snodgrass, elementary; Vicki Robson, elementary and special education; Tina Guiles, middle school; and Annie Smith, Missouri NEA and legal representative.
-

Bright Futures Joplin Board: We're not going anywhere

The Bright Futures Joplin Board of Directors, in a statement released two hours ago on the organization's website, says it plans to go full speed ahead, despite the Joplin R-8 Board of Education's 5-2 decision Tuesday night not to fund two employees.

The statement is printed below:

A message from the Bright Futures Joplin Board of Directors -

Several weeks ago, Bright Futures Joplin requested that the Board of Education agree to extend the funding of two salaried positions to continue the important work of coordinating volunteers and serving students for the 2016/2017 school year. This request was not to take away from any tax-payer revenues, but rather would have come from the Bright Futures Joplin designated activity fund remaining in the district that cannot be spent for any other purpose than to fulfill the mission of Bright Futures Joplin as per donor intent. These positions have been funded through that account since the inception of Bright Futures with the full support of the Board of Education, the Bright Futures Board, and the donors that gave, so this was not a request that would have been out of the ordinary. It would have allowed BFJ additional time to become self-sufficient with external funds, as it has always been BFJ's goal to never take away tax-payer revenues from the important work of education - but rather for this effort to supplement and support that work. We felt this was a very reasonable request, but last night the Joplin Schools Board of Education voted to decline to fund the positions from the BFJ activity account.

We want to be very clear - we are moving forward with our mission and will raise the money necessary to continue helping Joplin students. We know we have the support of the Joplin community. We had five wonderful people speak on our behalf last night, and could have had many more. Just today, we have received a host of calls, emails, and text messages from Joplin Schools administrators and staff concerned that they will no longer have access to these vital supports for kids, and we are here to say that this need not be a concern. Bright Futures Joplin will continue its work! We are thrilled that we have the opportunity to become completely self-sufficient and are committed to working in alignment with District leadership to best serve the needs of Joplin Schools staff and students. Our mission is simple, clear, and devoid of any other motivation than to ensure that our kids are successful in school and in life.

We look forward to meeting with many of you to discuss our plans and appreciate the many dedicated partners who help us in this work. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support and your encouragement. And thank you to the thousands of volunteers and donors who have helped Bright Futures Joplin over the last six years. We can't wait to see what the future holds for our great organization! The best is certainly yet to come!

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Meeting to discuss improvements on 20th Street and Main Street set for June 7

(From the City of Joplin)

As repair and recovery work continues following the May 2011 tornado, design of public infrastructure and transportation improvement projects have been prepared and the City is requesting public input into these projects. An informational meeting has been scheduled to view and provide comments about the designs of the Main Street corridor from 15th Street to 31st Street, as well as 20th Street from Main Street to Range Line Road.

The public meeting will be conducted from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 7, 2016 in the Talon Room of the Joplin High School Performing Arts Center, 2104 Indiana Avenue. The meeting will follow an “open house” format with staff from the City and engineering firms present to allow citizens to talk individually with the staff about their questions or comments. Engineering plans for these two large projects will be displayed for the public to view and learn about the work to be completed including pavement improvements, new street lighting, reconstruction of sidewalks, and construction of a shared use path on the south side of 20th Street.

The public is encouraged to stop in at any time during the scheduled meeting period to view the plans and make their comments. Public parking is located on the northeast side of the JHS Center. Please enter the Arts Center doors on the north end of the high school complex. After viewing and hearing about these projects, citizens will be asked to write their comments on a card for reference as planning and development continues.

For those citizens unable to attend this meeting, they can go to www.joplinjet.com to view the maps and learn about the projects, as well as leave their comments and suggestions. The public comment period ends on Friday, June 17.
This project was separated into specific areas and different consultants were awarded the bid for these specifically assigned areas. One group, the Joint Engineering Team (JET), is comprised of four consultants including CJW, Olsson Associates, Tri-State Engineering, and TranSystems, and is working on the 20th Street segment from Main Street to Connecticut Avenue, and on the Main Street project from 15th Street to 31st Street. Anderson Engineering, Inc. is the contractor for designs of 20th Street from Range Line Road to Connecticut Avenue.

Funds for these projects are through the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development – Community Development Block Grant.

If you have any questions, please contact Jack Schaller, PE, with Olsson Associates at 417-206-9000 or Jason Eckhart with Anderson Engineering at 417-782-7399

Northpark Mall owners issue statement:: We're not crooks

(From CBL & Associates)

CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. (NYSE:CBL) today issued the following statement in response to baseless allegations in media coverage.

“Tuesday night’s story referencing our company in The Wall Street Journal included serious allegations from unnamed sources. We believe these allegations to be completely baseless and take very seriously any questions regarding our accounting and financial practices. We strongly deny and will seek to understand the origin of these allegations. As we told the reporter - who contacted our company for the first time on Tuesday regarding this matter - neither the company nor its executives have been contacted by the FBI, the SEC or any regulatory agency regarding our company’s accounting or financial practices. At all times, our company operates with the utmost integrity and holds itself to the highest ethical standards. We have stringent policies and procedures in place to ensure all of our accounting and financial processes and reporting comply with applicable laws, rules and regulations.”

CBL & Associates owns Northpark Mall in Joplin.

Report: FBI, SEC investigating Northpark Mall owners

The Wall Street Journal reported today that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the FBI are investigating CBL & Associates, the real estate firm whose holdings include Northpark Mall in Joplin.

The federal agencies are also checking into the relationship between CBL and Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tennessee, who is one of the firm's major investors, according to the report.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Securities and Exchange Commission are focusing their examination of CBL & Associates Properties Inc. on whether officials at the Chattanooga, Tenn., company falsified information on financial statements to banks when applying for financing arrangements, the people said. Law-enforcement officials have talked to former CBL employees who allege the company inflated its rental income and its properties’ occupancy rates when reporting those figures to banks, the people said.
The report also indicates the investigation is being handled out of the FBI and SEC's Washington headquarters and not local offices, an indication that this is a high=profile probe.

Joplin School Board rejects Bright Futures funding request

Bright Futures Joplin, you're on your own.

The Joplin R-8 Board of Education cut the umbilical cord on the organization which drifted far from its original intent of meeting student needs within a 24-hour time period, earlier tonight by a 5-2 vote.

Bright Futures Joplin sought its independence in late 2015, preparing a memorandum of understanding, which the school board approved, asking to part ways from the school district in all ways except two. The donor money that had been given to BFJ could still be used for the organization and the district would pay for two employees through the end of the 2015-2016 school year.

BFJ became affiliated with the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and said it would be financially viable by the end of the school year.

Sometimes, things don't work out the way you plan. Apparently, the organization was not successful at fundraising and came back to the board, hat in hand, seeking to have the two salaries paid for through the 2016-2017 school year when they would be able to pay for the employees.

That hope was dashed tonight.

Interim Superintendent Norm Ridder offered a compromise, which would call for the district loaning Bright Futures Joplin the money to pay for one employee.

Board President Jeff Koch made it clear early that he did not favor any continuation of salary payments, even through a loan."I have reservations about spending on administration and not activities," Koch said.

Koch said he thought the schools could do more for the students on their own, continuing to build on the relationships that have been developed through the community. He noted that the money donors have providing to Bright Futures has been for the kids, and that will continue. "We might be able to serve more kids. We need to put the resources toward the students."

Though Koch did not say it directly, a criticism of Bright Futures Joplin has been that it has spent a considerable amount of money on administrative costs.

The meeting was stacked with Bright Futures supporters, five of whom spoke during the public comment time.

Board member Sharrock Dermott noted that public support. "We had several people speak for Bright Futures and none against it," he noted. "I'm not sure who we're listening to."

Dermott offered his strongest argument. "If they didn't need the money, they wouldn't be asking for it."

But Dermott's reasoning dwarfed in comparison to board member Lynda Banwart's impassioned defense of Bright Futures.

"Bright Futures is a part of this community. It is embedded in this community. It's something we can be proud of."

Banwart and Dermott voted against Koch's motion not to pay for any Bright Futures employee, while Koch was joined in the majority by Debbie Fort, Jennifer Martucci, Lori Musser, and Chris Sloan.

Musser said, "I don;t feel like it's fiscally responsible for us to be making loans." She suggested Bright Futures Joplin could go to the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, Bright Futures USA or seek a grant.

(Another suggestion: Perhaps Banwart could go to the Jasper County Commission.)

Martucci agreed with Musser. "We're not a bank."

The board members who voted not to pay the salaries appeared to be committed to providing for student needs and to working with Bright Futures- if it can manage to exist without taxpayer handouts or loans.

After the vote, many of the Bright Futures supporters, including former R-8 board member Mike Landis, stormed angrily out of the meeting.

R-8 Board to C. J. Huff: We're not paying extra for your travel, lodging

A few moments ago, the Joplin R-8 Board of Education voted against paying the district's bills.

In something I can't remember seeing in 39 years of covering board meetings, the board voted 4-3 not to pay the bills, with board members Debbie Fort, Jennifer Martucci, Chris Sloan, and :Lori Musser voting with the majority and Board President Jeff Koch, Sharrock Dermott, and Lynda Banwart voting to pay the bills.

The problem was solved quickly with the removal of one bill that particularly upset board members- $218.54 to pay for former Superintendent  C. J. Huff to travel to Kansas City and pay for his lodging as he worked with the district;s law firm to prepare for the $6 million countersuit filed by the P1 electrical contracting firm of Lenexa against the district.

According to the lawsuit, the district owes the money because of extra costs associated with Huff's unsuccessful push to get Joplin High School opened on time in August 2014.

The problem the board had with the $218.54 was spelled out by board member Debbie Fort, who participated in the meeting through a phone/computer hookup.

"Why would we pay $218.54 when we allocated $50,000 for that?"

Fort was referring to the $50,000 Huff received as part of his severance package. The $50,000 was referred to as Huff's payments for serving as a consultant, but on the day Norm Ridder was introduced as interim superintendent, Koch made it clear that Ridder would not be consulting with Huff and that the $50,000 was to cover expenses for Huff to help prepare for the various lawsuits that he incurred, including the P1 action.

The answer that board attorney Norman Rouse gave to Fort did nothing to address her concerns. Rouse said the $218.54 was to cover one night at a motel and was a trial preparation expense.

When Fort pressed the issue, Rouse forgetting that he is there to advise the board, not tell it what to do, said, "I'll be glad to explain my rationale (for approving the expenditure), but it really needs to be in closed session."

After that, the four board members voted to reject the bills. After a motion was made to pull the Huff reimbursement from the list, another vote was taken and the bills were paid by a 7-0 vote.

Watch Joplin R-8 Board of Education meeting tonight at 7 p.m.

Monday, May 23, 2016

Reiboldt: Obama is attacking our bathroom freedom

(From Rep. Bill Reiboldt, R-Seneca)

This week my mailbox has been flooded with letters from concerned constituents regarding President Obama’s decree on transgender school bathrooms. Concern is huge, and in all of the letters I have received there has not been even one who supports the Administration’s stand on this volatile issue.

In reference to the recent letter from the U.S. Department of Education’s Assistant Secretary, Catherine E. Lhaman and the United States Department of Justice Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Vanith Gupta, the letter outlined the new Title IX requirements regarding the use of bathrooms in public educational facilities. The letter reads: “As a condition of receiving federal funds, a school agrees that it will not exclude, separate, deny benefits to, or otherwise treat differently on the basis of sex, any person in its educational program of activities… a school must not treat a transgender student differently from the way it treats other students of the same gender identity.”

The letter continues, “The Departments… require that when a student or the student’s parents or guardians, as appropriate, notifies the school administration that the student will assert a gender identity that differs from previous representations or records, the school will begin treating the student consistent with the student’s gender identity. According to the letter, “…there is no medical diagnosis or treatment requirement that students must meet as a prerequisite to being treated consistent with their gender identity.”

It is important to note, however, that Dr. Paul R. McHugh, distinguished service professor of psychiatry and the former Psychiatrist-in-Chief of Johns Hopkins Hospital, has given his professional opinion that “transgenderism is a medical disorder that merits treatment.” Furthermore, in my opinion, this new federal government rule—or order, by the Executive branch—was promulgated without the approval of the legislative branch at both federal and state levels.

This directive from President Obama’s Administration which ordered our state to allow public school students access to restrooms or locker rooms of the opposite sex is a very dangerous policy to follow. If we as a society are firm in our intentions to instruct and to train our children on the differences between right and wrong, then we must stand firm against this ridiculous decree from the federal government or any entity that would force state governments to follow it. I believe we should reject this edict without regard to any potential financial cost.

The federal government has again overreached its authority in threatening to withhold federal funding for schools unless they “agree to not treat transgender students differently from the way it treats other students of the same gender identity.” Some call the directive “blackmail” and “just another in a long line of unconstitutional abuses of power with a goal of transforming America from the top down into a politically correct nation, devoid of the morals and values that made our country the greatest nation in human history.”

Most believe, as was stated in one form letter I received, that “gender identification is offensive, intrusive, and totally lacking in common sense.” The letter goes on to say that ordering our state to allow public school students access to the restrooms or the locker rooms of those of the opposite sex is “a dangerous policy and a liability nightmare.” Overall, the majority of Americans’ response is that this directive is “ridiculous, absurd, authoritarian, and an abuse of power.”

Most of the letters I received urge our local school districts in Missouri to completely disregard the Obama Administration’s letter and to maintain an expected level of privacy that protects all students. Others say the real issue isn’t about bathrooms or transgender students at all; they say it is about the liberal left taking another vicious swipe at our country’s freedoms and about their efforts to destroy one more component of those freedoms.

In my opinion, the letter published by the U.S. Department of Education and the U. S, Department of Justice that requires the promotion and the protection of a behavior inconsistent with natural laws, as such, should not be followed.

Graves: ISIS expanding because of Obama's lack of leadership

(From Sixth District Congressman Sam Graves)

After hundreds of people were slaughtered in the streets of Paris last December, President Obama sent 50 special operations forces to the Middle East to combat ISIS - those responsible for the brutal attacks.

At around the same time, the United Nations hosted an international Climate Change Conference in France, where a group of bureaucrats from all around the world got together to talk about how to fight global warming.

President Obama sent more Americans there than he did to fight ISIS.

This White House has been comfortable taking a backseat in the war on Islamic extremism. And without real American leadership, ISIS and other terrorist groups have expanded their influence across the world.

That's why House Republicans are once again acting to prioritize national defense and take care of our military men and women. This week we passed the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2017.

Aside from providing a framework for containing and defeating ISIS, the bill fully funds a 2.1% pay raise for our troops and continues to prohibit Obama from closing Gitmo and moving terrorists to American prisons.

Obama has weakened our military during his presidency. Our bill reverses that, preserving the active-duty Army at 480,000 and adding 3,000 Marines and 4,000 Airmen. For three straight years, he’s denied our troops a raise. Our bill changes that, preventing this President from blocking that raise any longer. And under Obama’s leadership, we’ve abandoned the belief that a strong U.S. military makes the rest of the world safer. Our bill ends that, providing $2.5 billion to modernize training for Soldiers and Marines.

A fundamental responsibility of the federal government is to ensure our military remains the strongest on earth. And part of that is doing everything possible to support the men and women who risk their lives to serve our country. I’m proud to say this bill does all of that, and I look forward to seeing it become law in the next few weeks.