Attorney John Nicholas, representing the state, argued that the performance of White's trial attorney was secondary to the weight of testimony by school officials, police officers and others.
White is one of the youngest offenders ever to be certified as an adult in Missouri. Three St. Louis girls, two 14-year-olds and one 13-year-old, were tried as adults in a 2004-05 murder case.
White's parents have said that they have been unable to find another school shooting case in which a juvenile was certified to stand trial as an adult when it didn't involve any deaths or injuries.
Judge Stephen Limbaugh made it clear early in a hearing Thursday of the Missouri Supreme Court that public defender James Egan had his work cut out for him in arguing that Thomas White should not have been certified to stand trial as an adult on charges in connection with an assault-rifle incident at Memorial Middle School in Joplin.
Limbaugh said it was his understanding that the state’s high court agreed to hear the Joplin boy’s case to determine whether the circuit court in Jasper County erred in ordering him to stand trial as an adult on felony offenses allegedly committed with a weapon he took to school at the age of 13.
“Frankly, given the seriousness of the charge, I have a hard time understanding any circuit judge anywhere not certifying this (young) fellow,” Limbaugh said.
But several of the judges, including Limbaugh, showed an interest in Egan’s argument that White, now 15, received ineffective assistance of counsel at his adult-certification hearing in December 2006.
The boy’s case in adult court in Jasper County is on hold pending a ruling by the Missouri Supreme Court on the defense’s writ of prohibition. That decision could take several weeks.
But the early findings, based on examining standardized test results for voucher students and comparing them to those of a matched set of MPS students, are unlikely to be seen as good news by advocates of the program that was launched in 1990 with hopes of being a powerful step to increase educational success among the city's children.
The Milwaukee program is the largest, oldest and arguably most significant school voucher effort in the United States. As Patrick J. Wolf, the lead researcher in the project, wrote, "When one thinks of school choice, one thinks of Milwaukee."
"We have displayed a rough and limited snapshot of the average performance of Choice (Milwaukee Parental Choice Program) students in certain grades that suggests they tend to perform below national averages but at levels roughly comparable to similarly income-disadvantaged students in MPS," Wolf, a professor at the University of Arkansas, concluded.
At one point in the reports, researchers use the phrase "relative parity" in describing the small differences between the performance of MPS students and voucher students.
They say there is little evidence that voucher schools are "skimming the cream" by taking the best students from MPS, as some critics have claimed. What they conclude is that the performance of both MPS and voucher students is fairly typical for low-income students nationally, pointing at the broader American dilemma of how to achieve widespread educational success among poor children, minority children and children from homes where there is little history of educational success.
Dustin Lattimer prides himself on being a conservative Republican and a strong Christian. His choice for the 2008 presidential election, Mike Huckabee, shares these views and according to Lattimer, is just what this country needs.
"I, myself, am a Christian and believe that our nation's leader needs to represent that religion's beliefs and morals," said Lattimer, a junior in communication. "Huckabee is the strongest Christian, from what I've observed, and would make a great leader from a Christian's perspective."
Lattimer explained that Huckabee, who is a former governor of Arkansas, was a preacher before becoming governor. Because of Huckabee's beliefs, Lattimer said, his followers include Christian evangelicals, conservatives and pro-life advocates.
Few instances bring people together in prayer quite like tragedy does. We can all remember the scenes of the 9/11 tragedy when acts of prayer and patriotism were respected once again. Just this month, thousands gathered in Kirkwood to honor and pray for those who died after the shooting at Kirkwood City Hall. The right to pray is inherent in our country’s Constitution, and thank God, because we need the power of prayer to get through these trying circumstances.
However, in some environments, students’ first amendment rights are being trampled by school policies that are reflective of an anti-God, anti-Christian bias. The “politically correct” crowds have pushed their agenda so far they have attempted to erase much of the heritage and traditions that give us our moral fiber. Many people feel they must check any religious beliefs at the door. Yet, sadly, this belief is the exact opposite of the grounds upon which our country was founded.
To ensure that every Missourian knows he or she has the right to pray in public places, the legislature recently took a first step. The House passed legislation onto the Senate that will give Missouri citizens the opportunity to vote on a state constitutional amendment to clarify the right to pray in public, House Joint Resolution 55, and which reiterates our freedom of speech in Missouri.
The sponsor of this resolution told a story of students who had been prohibited from even carrying a Bible onto a school bus. While I don’t believe this is indicative of all of Missouri’s school districts, I do think we need to make all districts consistent and make sure Missouri students never have to question their freedom to carry a Bible if they choose. Some of the stories of harassment we have heard would make you wonder in what country we are living.
HJR 55 will ensure our students are not being shamed and silenced while other students with far more outrageous behavior are being encouraged. If given final approval by the General Assembly and the voters of Missouri, the amendment would guarantee a citizen's First Amendment right to pray and worship in all public areas, including schools, as long as the activities are voluntary and subject to the same rules and regulations that apply to all other types of speech.
It also would reaffirm the right of employees and elected officials of the State of Missouri to pray on government premises and public property. Here in the Capitol, we have regular prayer breakfasts and we pray before session begins, but we want to make sure employees in all state buildings have this right clearly stated so they can pray freely without fear of punishment.
This constitutional amendment will not change the law – but it will help define and strengthen the law for the people of Missouri. In a country that has become so politically correct, some of our citizens have real concerns about their rights and one of my jobs as your representative is to make sure basic American rights are being upheld.
Some decisions make one think that the religion of atheism is being promoted above all others. Some people mistakenly think a secular setting is the same as being anti-religious.
One component of the legislation requires that all public schools receiving state funds display the text of the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution in a conspicuous and legible manner. This can serve as a simple and strong reminder of our rights, including religious freedom, which we are guaranteed as U.S. citizens.
Here is the text of the proposed legislation. The bold text is the new language. The normal text is already in our state constitution.
Bill of Rights
Article I, Section 5,Constitution of Missouri
That all men and women have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences; that no human authority can control or interfere with the rights of conscience; that no person shall, on account of his or her religious persuasion or belief, be rendered ineligible to any public office or trust or profit in this state, be disqualified from testifying or serving as a juror, or be molested in his or her person or estate; that to secure a citizen's right to acknowledge Almighty God according to the dictates of personal convictions, neither the state nor any of its political subdivisions shall establish any official religion, but a citizen's right to pray or to express his or her religious beliefs shall not be infringed; that the state shall not compose prayers nor coerce any person to participate in any prayer or other religious activity, but shall ensure public school students their right to free exercise of religious expression without interference, as long as such prayer or other expression is private and voluntary, whether individually or corporately, and in a manner that is not disruptive nor in violation of other policies, rules, or standards, and as long as such prayers or expressions abide within the same parameters placed upon any other free speech under similar circumstances; and, to emphasize the right to free exercise of religious expression, that all free public schools receiving state appropriations shall display, in a conspicuous and legible manner, the text of the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the United States; but this section shall not be construed to excuse acts of licentiousness, nor to justify practices inconsistent with the good order, peace or safety of the state, or with the rights of others.
Mr. Freedman was the longtime chief executive officer of the Enesco Group, now headquartered in Itasca. With the company since the late 1950s, Mr. Freedman would scout out new gift ideas from artists and craftsman and work out licensing deals.
"He'd walk street fairs looking for talent, take the intellectual property into three dimensions and enhance it with clever marketing ideas," Richard Freedman said.
Over the years, he developed a number of successful items, including the Cherished Teddies line of teddy bear figurines. But nothing rivaled the popularity of Precious Moments.
Butcher, who drew the tiny figures for a line of greeting cards, was initially reluctant to license his work, Richard Freedman said. But, according to the Precious Moments Web site, when Butcher saw a prototype figurine "he fell to his knees and wept."
Since then, some 1,500 versions of the figurine have been produced. Models are made for baptisms, birthdays and other life events. "The Lord Bless You and Keep You" model, a tiny bride and groom, has sat atop 2 million wedding cakes, Freedman told the Tribune in 1998.
"My father understood human emotion and he knew what made a product successful," Richard Freedman said. "My dad was just so delighted that these figurines brought such joy to people."
The Precious Members collector's club sponsored by Enesco at one time boasted a half-million members, said Shonnie Bilin, formerly the vice president of collectibles at Enesco. Mr. Freedman traveled widely to promote the line and would happily sign the figurines while mingling with collectors at conventions or on cruises.
"He was extremely customer- and consumer-friendly," said Basil Elliott, Enesco's CEO.
Precious Moments increased Enesco's annual sales from around $20 million a year to about $500 million annually, Elliott said.
The figurines for the last couple of years have been sold by Precious Moments Inc. in Carthage, Mo., where there is a park and chapel for fans.
In 2007, JoAnn Turner was named “Citizen of the Year,” in Newtonia.
It was a good choice.
JoAnn Turner has lived in Newtonia for most of her married life—and that’s 55 years.
In those 50 or more years, JoAnn has seen many changes in this small Civil War town. She can remember when Newtonia had a grocery store, post office, bank and beauty parlor. And she remembers the sadness when these businesses left town.
“I miss the bank and post office,” she said, “and I hate that my mail goes through Stark City. I can still put Newtonia on my letters, but they still go through Stark City.”
One of the biggest events in Newtonia was the formation of the Newtonia Battlefields Protection Association.
JoAnn was made a member of that board in the beginning and she continues to serve.
“I’m very glad we have the Newtonia Battlefields Protection Association,” JoAnn said. “I think if we get anything going in this town, it will be because of that group.”
The Newtonia Betterment Association is also an important part of the community. JoAnn has been a member of that organization for several years and currently serves as treasurer. This group began as the Loyal Neighbors, a ladies’ social club. Members of the club decided Newtonia could use a community center so they began a drive to purchase a piece of land and build a center.
Today, the Newtonia Community Building is the heart of the town and often is used for meetings, parties and celebrations. JoAnn, along with her husband Bill, takes good care of the building. They do the general cleaning and maintenance, and JoAnn books the building for those who want to rent it.
JoAnn is also on the board of the “old cemetery” in Newtonia. She and Bill have taken the responsibility of marking the graves before funerals. JoAnn also has taken it upon herself to clip and save all the obituaries of Newtonia area residents.
When JoAnn is not working some good cause in her hometown, she likes to walk and do genealogy.
“I try to walk about six miles every day,” she said. “I just walk on the dirt road near my house.”
For many years, she has done genealogy research, hunting the history of both the Turner side of the family and her own family, the Clarks. Her research is done primarily in the Neosho-Newton County Public Library and over the Internet.
“I’m having more problems with the Clarks,” JoAnn said. “As I search, I usually find people who can use my help more than they can help me.”
JoAnn grew up near the small community of Aroma and attended grade school at Granby. Her father was a Granby miner, who died when she was only 8 years old. After her mother remarried, the family moved a couple of times to California but eventually returned permanently to this area.
JoAnn and Bill have two daughters and one son—none of whom have shown any interest at all in JoAnn’s genealogy.
“I don’t think any of them are interested, but I have warned them not to throw it away when I’m gone,” she laughed. “I’ve worked too hard to get all that work done.”
But there may be hope for another generation of family historians since JoAnn has three granddaughters. Perhaps one of them will take an interest in family history and carry on the good works of Today’s Woman—JoAnn Turner.
Mr. Ashcroft agreed to testify before the House Judiciary Committee in the face of the committee’s threat to issue a subpoena to compel his testimony. Congressional officials said the committee hoped to schedule the hearing for next month.
Mr. Ashcroft, who left the Justice Department three years ago, had initially declined the committee’s invitation to testify this month about his monitoring contract with the medical-supply company in Indiana, Zimmer Holdings, which agreed to hire an outside monitor in settling accusations that it paid kickbacks to doctors who agreed to use its equipment.
The 18-month monitoring contract, worth $28 million to $52 million, was directed to Mr. Ashcroft’s firm, the Ashcroft Group, by the United States attorney in New Jersey, Christopher J. Christie, without any bidding process.
Under pressure from agriculture industry lobbyists and lawmakers from agricultural states, the Environmental Protection Agency wants to drop requirements that factory farms report their emissions of toxic gases, despite findings by the agency's scientists that the gases pose a health threat.
The EPA acknowledges that the emissions can pose a threat to people living and working nearby, but it says local emergency responders don't use the reports, making them unnecessary. But local air-quality agencies, environmental groups and lawmakers who oppose the rule change say the reports are one of the few tools rural communities have for holding large livestock operations accountable for the pollution they produce.
Opponents of the rule change say agriculture lobbyists orchestrated a campaign to convince the EPA that the reports are not useful and misrepresented the effort as reflecting the views of local officials. They say the plan to drop the reporting requirement is emblematic of a broader effort by the Bush-era EPA to roll back federal pollution rules.
“American Idol” is redefining the concept of a level playing field. Sure, anyone can audition. But most of this year’s final 20 are seasoned performers taking their second and third stabs at stardom. There are few diamonds in the rough in this lot.
Last week it was widely reported that tattooed contestant Carly Smithson had released a major label album in 1999 under the name Hennessy. It flopped, even though MCA poured $2.2 million into promoting it. But Smithson isn’t the only season seven hopeful with professional experience: Only five current contenders - Chikezie Eze, Asia’h Epperson, Jason Yeager, Ramielle Malubay and Danny Noriega - truly qualify as untested talent. One way or another, the rest have already been around the block.
This whole month I have talked to you about illegal immigration in Missouri. From the very beginning I have stated that it is up to the Federal Government to secure our nation's borders to stop the flow of illegals. However, Missouri can remove the incentives illegal immigrants have for coming to our state. In the House we are working hard to do just that.
Last week I gave you figures that showed the cost of illegal immigration in our state. I already told you about the effort to keep illegals out of Missouri colleges, from collecting public benefits, and finally how we should give law enforcement the tools they need to find the immigration status of possible illegals. The one topic I have not touched on yet has been keeping businesses from employing illegal immigrants.
Now this is a complicated subject because of the nature of contracting and sub-contracting. Many businesses will contract out work to other businesses. Some of those businesses will in turn sub-contract work to other businesses. So if the sub-contractor of the contractor is employing illegal immigrants who should be punished?
This question has been the sticking point for meaningful illegal employer reform in the past. I believe that businesses should only be held accountable for employees they personally and directly hire. Therefore, a sub-contractor should be punished for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants, not the business they sub-contract for.
The whole issue can be complicated, but it is important to remember another facet of the issue. We do not want to make our business leaders and owners into INS agents. We do want to seem them follow the law and not hire illegal immigrants, but we can not ask them to do the job of the government.
I believe our businesses should follow a simple policy, if a person is an illegal immigrant then don't hire them. If you knowingly hire the illegal immigrant then you will be punished by the state government. If you sub-contract work and they knowingly hire an illegal immigrant then the sub-contractor should be punished.
What should that punishment be? It should be heavy enough so as to not encourage businesses to hire illegals again. Right now Committee on Immigration is studying what the punishment for hiring illegals should be and what steps employers should take to verify the immigrant status of a worker should be.
Combating the employment of illegal immigrants is a tough issue. On one hand we do not want to see businesses hire illegals and thus provide an incentive for them to come to Missouri. On the other hand we do not want to turn our businesses into INS agents and stifle their economic growth through increased rules and regulations. My goal has always been to cut the red tape, not to add to it. A balance needs to be reached between employers and their role in checking the status of illegal immigrants.
We also need to remember to encourage legal immigration to Missouri. Our state is growing and our industries have plenty of jobs that need filled by new workers. While I hope for the end of illegal immigration in Missouri I want to see an increase in legal immigration of new workers to help our economy to continue to expand.
By removing the incentive illegal immigrants have to coming to Missouri we can end the flow of undocumented, illegal people from coming into our state. Until the Federal government does their job and protects our borders Missouri will have to take the lead and remove the incentive illegals have for coming to our state.
First, it smacks Missouri voters in the face and makes it clear they no longer matter to state leaders.
Second, it puts a sign on the Capitol that says, simply: "Open for business, deposit cash here."
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Charlie Shields, once again tosses out the campaign finance limits previously approved by voters and sustained by the state Supreme Court and returns us to the early days of the 2007 rules when elected officials can take any amount they want from donors. You want out-of-state megabucks deciding who the next governor of Missouri is? You got it.
What makes the bill so offensive is the continued argument by Shields and others that this is a bill about transparency in government. It most certainly is not.
Family and friends learned the news late Saturday night and early Sunday morning. "If I could say anything to him," said Jason Sickles, one of Danny's two younger brothers, "I'd say, 'I love you and I miss you.' "
George Kirchgassner, Freedom High's baseball coach, had spoken to Danny on Thursday and on Friday, to see if Missouri Southern had a roster spot available for a former player who wanted to transfer to the school.
"He was always looking out for other people," Kirchgassner said. "Danny was an All-American kid: a good athlete, very intelligent, a tremendous sense of humor. Just fun to be around. He'd just make you laugh. He was just full of a life, just a great, great kid."
Kirchgassner always marveled at how smart Sickles was. He recalled how Danny often computed teammates' earned-run averages in his head right there on the diamond during practices.
He was a good pitcher, too. At 6 feet 3 inches, Danny had a fastball that could overpower hitters and a sharp curveball that often dropped straight down as it crossed the plate.
He came from a family of baseball lovers. His mom, Stacey Sickles, learned about the sport from his dad, Brian Sickles, who grew up playing ball on Long Island, N.Y. Brian and Stacey have two other children who, like Danny, are also right-handed pitchers: Jason, a 17-year-old junior at Freedom, and Alex, a 13-year-old eighth-grader at Hunter's Creek Middle School.
Danny was a lifelong New York Yankees fan who wanted to play for a major-league team.
He and his closest friends --- a group that included former Freedom High players Danny Rivera and Adam Whitlow --- shared that dream. Just before New Year's, the three of them met at Orlando's Osprey Park to throw a baseball in preparation for their 2008 seasons.
"When I went home for break, I didn't know it was the last time I was going to see him," said Rivera, an outfielder at Frederick Community College in Frederick, Md. "I didn't get to say a decent goodbye."
The Senate debate over whether to repeal Missouri’s limits on campaign contributions generated reactions ranging from shame to pride.
But perhaps the most interesting came from Republican Sen. Gary Nodler of Joplin, who said it was appropriate for lawmakers to be in tune with their political contributors.
Public financing of campaigns severs that connection between lawmakers and like-minded contributors, he said.
“Why is the mindless support that (stems from public financing) somehow more ethically pure than purposeful political support?” Nodler asked.
Later, several senators were criticizing conservative political financier Rex Sinquefield, who last year set up and funded 100 fundraising committees so he could get around the current law, which limits contributions to $1,350 to each statewide candidate. Under the law, each committee is considered a different person and can give the maximum amount.
Nodler disputed the notion that it showed that Sinquefield was deliberately evading the campaign finance law. On the contrary, Nodler said: Sinquefield was demonstrating how to follow the law to the letter.
Hayworth was born and reared in Wichita, Kan. He attended Missouri Southern State College in Joplin.
In summer 1994, Hayworth served an internship at the Democrat-Gazette in Little Rock, where he was assigned to the city desk. While in college, he worked in the features department of the Joplin (Mo. ) Globe.
Early in his career, he worked as a business reporter at the Salina (Kan. ) Journal and as a police and courts reporter for the Benton County Daily Record.
Hayworth has three children, Peyton, 12, Ryne, 9, and Addison, 8.
"ABC today filed an appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit challenging an order by the Federal Communications Commission, which found that a 2003 episode of the award-winning drama NYPD Blue violated the FCC’s indecency rules," the network said in a statement announcing the move.
"ABC contends that the FCC order is arbitrary and capricious, contrary to the commission’s own standards and past decisions and in violation of the indecency statute and the First Amendment,” ABC added. “In its order, issued Tuesday, the commission assessed a total of $1,237,500 in fines against 45 stations that carried the program, including two ABC-owned stations (WLS Chicago and KTRK Houston) and 43 other ABC affiliates.”
The company concluded, "While strongly opposed to the fines, ABC today paid them in their entirety in order the make the FCC decision appealable. The ABC Television Affiliates Association also opposed the FCC’s NYPD Blue indecency decision and says it intends to support ABC’s appeal."
The complaints refer to a scene at the beginning of the program, during which a
woman and a boy, who appears to be about seven or eight years old, are involved in an incident that includes adult female nudity. As confirmed by a tape of the program provided by ABC, during the scene in question, a woman wearing a robe is shown entering a bathroom, closing the door, and then briefly looking at herself in a mirror hanging above a sink. The camera then shows her crossing the room, turning on the shower, and returning to the mirror. With her back to the camera, she removes her robe, thereby revealing the side of one of her breasts and a full view of her back. The camera shot includes a full view of her buttocks and her upper legs as she
leans across the sink to hang up her robe. The camera then tracks her, in profile, as she walks from the mirror back toward the shower. Only a small portion of the side of one of her breasts is visible. Her pubic area is not visible, but her buttocks are visible from the side.
The scene shifts to a shot of a young boy lying in bed, kicking back his bed
covers, getting up, and then walking toward the bathroom. The camera cuts back to the woman, who is now shown standing naked in front of the shower, her back to the camera. The frame consists initially of a full shot of her naked from the back, from the top of her head to her waist; the camera then pans down to a shot of her buttocks, lingers for a moment, and then pans up her back. The camera then shifts back to a shot of the boy opening the bathroom door. As he opens the door, the woman, who is now standing in front of the mirror with her back to the door, gasps, quickly turns to face the boy, and freezes momentarily. The camera initially focuses on the woman’s face but then cuts to a shot taken from behind and through her legs, which serve to frame the boy’s face as he looks at her with a somewhat startled expression. The camera then jumps to a front view of the woman’s upper torso; a full view of her breasts is obscured,
however, by a silhouette of the boy’s head and ears. After the boy backs out of the bathroom and shuts the door, the camera shows the woman facing the door, with one arm and hand covering her breasts and the other hand covering her pubic area. The scene ends with the boy’s voice, heard through the closed door, saying “sorry,” and the woman while looking embarrassed, responds, “It’s okay. No problem.” The complainants contend that such material is indecent and request that the Commission impose sanctions against the licensees responsible for broadcasting this material.
What had a bigger impact on K Street, firm partners say, was the increased legislative activity of the new Democratic majority in areas like energy and tax policy.
Steven Ross, a partner at Akin Gump, said new committee chairmen brought a “pent-up agenda” that helped to drive up business.
He also attributed his firm’s success to a retooled tax shop and its bipartisan model, which he said was “back in vogue.”
James Christian of Patton Boggs said his firm benefited from the big fight in Congress last year to increase the fuel mileage standards. Cerberus Capital Management, which purchased a majority stake in carmaker Chrysler, paid the firm $1.8 million to lobby on that issue.
He then went out into the Alamo plaza and, besieged not by Mexican soldiers but by autograph seekers, traced a line between the defenders of the Alamo to his own battle against presumptive GOP nominee John McCain and the Republican Party establishment.
"I refuse to allow the establishment or the party bosses in Washington or anywhere else to tell us this is over," he said. "For me to pull out of the election before Texas gets to vote would not only be unacceptable, it would be inexcusable," he said. "It's not Republican, and it's not American."
What Sam Houston was to warfare, Mike Huckabee is to the photo op. In Iowa, he won the envy of his rivals when he invited the cameras to join him on a hunting trip. He went jogging for the cameras (to show his fitness) and played the electric bass guitar on Leno (to show his hipness). On Thursday, it was time to demonstrate his stick-to-itiveness -- and there's no better place for that than the Alamo, which just happens to be in Texas, one of the next big primary states.
"People sometimes think of the Alamo as a defeat, but it actually was the springboard to Texas's victory and independence," Huckabee explained in justifying his journey. Well, that's true, Governor; Houston made "Remember the Alamo" his battle cry when he defeated Santa Anna at San Jacinto. But every one of the men guarding the Alamo in 1836 was slaughtered.
Still, there's nothing like a visit to the Alamo to put one's troubles in perspective. As an added bonus, the visit allowed Huckabee to play Col. Travis to McCain's Santa Anna -- and McCain, author of the immigration "amnesty" detested by conservatives, was once again on the side of the Mexicans.
Reynolds is a professional bull rider who competes in the CBR. He recently moved to Willow Springs from Golden City, where he was raised. In the 2008 CBR season opener in El Paso, TX, Reynolds won the long round of competition riding Casper Baca’s bull Soul Shaker for 89 points. The money earned in El Paso, brought Reynolds to a fifth place ranking in the world CBR standings.
Reynolds spent his entire youth with the ambition of becoming a marine. He had almost reached that goal, but was disqualified from the Navy Seals Program for being color blind. It was devastating for him. Luckily two things were waiting for him when he returned home: God and bulls.
For a while after coming home, he fell into an un-Christian lifestyle. But one night he got on a bull and everything changed. He discovered he had a passion and talent for riding bulls. He says that through the sport he re-found God and ultimately found his wonderful wife in church.
“As soon as I was willing to change my life and hand it over to Christ, he blessed me immediately. He gave me a beautiful Godly wife and a career in bull riding,” said Reynolds.
Reynolds grew up around rodeo, but never warmed up to it until after the Navy didn’t work out. Williams started his career by attending Gary Lefew ‘s bull riding school and continues Lefew’s training and mental techniques. Reynolds then earned an Associates of Science degree from Fort Scott, Kansas, where he was on full rodeo scholarship and continued to increase his bull riding skills.
Some of his career highlights include winning the PRCA Prairie Circuit Finals Championships in 2004 and qualifying to the CBR Finals. Reynolds says his goals include not only becoming a world champion, but to continue spreading the Gospel at every rodeo he travels to.
“I feel like God really wants me to be a speaker as well as a bull rider. There are times in my life when I don’t really feel like leaving the house and ride. But then I remember that when I go, I can share the word of God and it makes me excited to go. Bull riding is just a bonus on top of that,” said Reynolds.
A new member of the Reynolds family arrived recently as he and his wife Lacy had a baby boy on Saturday, February 16.
“I was in a bull riding Friday night and rode my long round bull. When I was getting ready to ride my short round bull, my sister-in-law ran over and told me that my wife’s water had broken. I rode my short round bull and then headed to the hospital. I got there at 4 am in the morning and then Colt was born at 9 am. I stayed with them in the hospital until about 3:30 pm, and then I drove back to the rodeo to ride again. I ended up riding my long round and short round bull again that night. Then I went back to the hospital and we were there until Monday morning,” said Reynolds.
The CBR Crown Royal King of the Month is featured on the organization’s website at www.cbrbull.com and in the world championship program at the end of the season. To see Reynolds and other professional bull riders in action, tune in to the CBR’s weekly program on Wednesday nights on RFD-TV beginning March 5. Or come to a live event! The full CBR schedule is posted on www.cbrbull.com.
Jetton, speaking to publishers, editors and reporters at the Missouri Governor's Mansion, made an example of Wayne County residents in his 156th Missouri House District. In 2004, an employer who considered moving to Wayne County, which had one of the highest unemployment rates in the state at the time, was able to attract only three applicants, Jetton said. The jobs weren't great -- the pay was about $8 an hour -- but the chance to get off government assistance should have been attractive, he said.
"We have a shortage of people who want to go out and bust their tails and do the jobs," Jetton said.
Jetton made his remarks when asked about his statement made to Republicans in Springfield, Mo., that he would like to "trade some of our people for some of the Mexicans who work so hard."
He didn't back away from that remark. "If we can find a way to trade them, I would trade them in a heartbeat," Jetton said.
Ironically—but entirely expectedly, given the increasingly heated discourse of the campaign trail—the Times story’s questioning of McCain’s ethics has brought out critics who question the paper’s own standards. This is a tough one. We at CJR have an implicit bias toward information, and generally applaud any efforts to share new information with the public. But “For McCain,” by necessity, takes on two very tricky areas—the nature of a relationship and the nature of a quid pro quo—and, at points, walks the line between information and inference.
let’s look at the facts about political influence in the story, the information presented about McCain’s Commerce Committee work on issues of interest to Iseman’s clients:
* He wrote letters to the FCC asking them to rule in a way that would allow a company to own two television stations “in the same city, a crucial issue for Glencairn Ltd., one of Ms. Iseman’s clients.”
* He favored a minority-ownership tax incentive program. Iseman had several clients who favored that step.
* He twice tried to “advance” legislation permitting companies to own stations in overlapping markets. This issue “was important” to Iseman’s client Paxson Communications (now Ion Media Networks).
* In late 1999, Iseman asked McCain’s staff to intervene with the FCC on behalf of Paxson. McCain agreed, and he sent two letters to the FCC.
Look at the first three. Two concern loosening ownership laws, a step that, while controversial to some, is fully consistent with McCain’s deregulatory ken. It’s also not clear if Iseman’s lobbied McCain on those issues, and her clients are far from the only ones who would have been aided by those actions. Parse the Times’ phrasing, and you’ll see what I mean.
The tax program can’t be explained as deregulatory, but the best the Times can do is say that “several business” represented by Iseman favored such a program. And so, presumably, would many others. So where’s the evidence this had anything to do with her?
But the last bullet is quite something: the letters helping Paxson Communications are the only solid suggestion of an Iseman-McCain quid pro quo. And to my mind, that makes this as much of scandal of influence as a scandal of sex.
Land O’Lakes, Inc., today reported its fourth-quarter and full-year financial results, while also commenting on the company’s balance sheet and individual business unit performance. The company reported significant increases in both sales and net earnings, with net sales up 26 percent and net earnings up 83 percent.
Full-year sales totaled $8.9 billion with net earnings of $162.1 million, compared to net sales of $7.1 billion and net earnings of $88.7 million for 2006. For the fourth quarter, the company is reporting $2.6 billion in net sales and net earnings of $5.5 million, compared to $1.9 billion in net sales and net earnings of $44.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2006.
Total EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) was $46.0 million for the quarter and $332.1 million for the year, compared to $95.4 million and $250.1 million for the same periods one year ago.
The company also reports Normalized EBITDA (which excludes the effects of unrealized hedging, significant asset sales or impairments, legal settlements, debt extinguishment costs and other special items). Normalized EBITDA for the quarter was $66.4 million, compared to $87.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2006. For the year, Normalized EBITDA was $319.0 million, compared to $240.7 million for 2006.
“The past year was highlighted by improved performance nearly across the board, continued balance sheet strength and strategic progress in positioning for the future,”
Land O’Lakes President and Chief Executive Officer Chris Policinski said today. “Clearly, strong markets, particularly in dairy and eggs, helped boost both dollar sales and earnings. However, our organization-wide commitment to leveraging our brand strength, aggressive portfolio management and effective cost control put us in a position to translate market strength into improved business performance and financial results.
Leggett & Platt’s Board of Directors increased the company’s share repurchase authorization for 2008. Combined with the Board’s standing annual authorization, the company now has latitude to purchase up to 30 million shares (approximately 18%) of its outstanding stock during the calendar year. The Board made no commitment to repurchase shares, but instead gave management the freedom to decide when and how many shares to buy, subject to factors including the company’s availability of cash, the timing of proceeds from anticipated divestitures, the price of Leggett’s stock, and general economic and market considerations.
The Board also announced that Felix E. Wright, Chairman, and Harry M. Cornell, Jr., Chairman Emeritus, have chosen not to seek reelection in 2008. Leggett & Platt’s bylaws allow directors to serve until age 72, unless a waiver is granted. Mssrs. Wright and Cornell have decided not to request such a waiver.
Mr. Cornell, grandson of company co-founder J. P. Leggett, joined the company in 1950. Mr. Wright joined the company in 1959 when he was hired by Mr. Cornell. David S. Haffner, President, CEO, and fellow board member, commented, “Together, Harry and Felix have served Leggett & Platt for 107 years. To a large degree, though they would be reluctant to take the credit, they have been the architects of our company’s success and growth over the last five decades. Their legacy of partnership and teamwork, as both employees and board members, characterizes well the culture of our company. They will be greatly missed.”
In response to Mr. Wright’s decision, the Board’s Nominating Committee recommended, and the full Board anticipates, the election of Richard T. Fisher as independent chair at Leggett’s next quarterly Board meeting. Mr. Wright, chair since 2002, stated, “We are excited to have an individual of Mr. Fisher’s caliber become Leggett’s next chairman. A seasoned board member, Richard has served as our Presiding Director since 2003. He has performed admirably, and we have high expectations of what he will accomplish as he leads our Board of Directors.”
Lastly, the Board of Directors declared a first quarter dividend of $.25 per share, a 47% increase over last year’s first quarter dividend of $.17 per share. The dividend will be paid on April 15, 2008 to shareholders of record on March 14, 2008. Leggett’s dividends have increased annually for 37 consecutive years, at a compound average growth rate of better than 14%. Only one other Fortune 500 company has achieved as long a string of consecutive increases at a 14% growth rate.
Asia'h took the silent H in her name really seriously and turned the Joplin hit into "Take Another Little Piece of My Art." Pronunciation aside, she owned the "Idol" stage with a neat R&B twist to a rock classic. Plus, she won points in my book by doing an adorable victory dance after Simon proclaimed her his favorite of the night. Hell, yeah! (Or shall I say, " 'Ell, yeah"?)
nder Chief Lindsey,” Moss said. “With higher morale we can better serve the community.”
"My top priority was just being back, getting caught up and settling back into my job,” Lindsey said while sitting in his office at the Fort Smith Police Department.
Cpl. Mike Moss said he was relieved to have Lindsey back in charge.
“Our morale is real high right now u
