C. J. Huff's new blog tells "truth' about six-and-a-half-mile ribbon

C. J. Huff has gone into the blogging business and being the helpful person I am, since this latest public relations effort is being funded, as have all the rest of them, by our taxpayer money, going to help spread the word.

In the first blog published earlier tonight, the Joplin R-8 superintendent gives the lowdown on the six-and-a-half-mile ribbon. He does seem to contradict what his board president said a few days ago, but here goes:

Real or Rumor?

I am starting a new weekly blog called Real of Rumor. Each week, I will address a question that I have been asked about or a rumor that I have heard regarding Joplin Schools. Several months ago, we created a web page with this title to solicit feedback from the community. In all honesty, we didn't promote it well and have received few questions through the email address we provided on that page. The email link is below, and I encourage you to submit your questions. I will address some of them in this blog post, and we will do our best to answer all questions on the Real or Rumor web page.

Email your questions to webmaster@joplinschools.org.

Today's topic: The ribbon

We are in the process of planning several events surrounding the opening of the new high school and technical school. You can click here to view a calendar of events. One of the events we have planned is a ribbon-cutting ceremony at JHS/FTC during our October 3 grand-opening event. 

Here are the facts:

• The event is scheduled for October 3 (we just finalized the date and a time has yet to be set - we are still in the early planning stage of this event).
• The ribbon cutting was never planned for the first day of school.
• We are hosting the official grand-opening event and ribbon cutting after the start of school to allow our students and staff an opportunity to settle in to their new building. We did this for Irving Elementary, Soaring Heights Elementary, and East Middle School as well. The first day of school for all schools in the district is August 25.
• We are hoping to break a world record for the longest ribbon used in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Students helped with the research on how to host such an event, and they will be recognized at the ceremony.
• The ribbon will be six-and-a-half miles long and will be looped around the JHS/FTC campus.
• The ribbon cost approximately $11,500, and the cost will be covered by sponsorships. We have secured some of these sponsorships already. The sponsors will also be recognized at the event. We seek out sponsors for many of our events to help keep costs down. 
• Bright Futures Joplin is not paying for the ribbon and never was paying for the ribbon. The plan has always been to secure sponsors for the ribbon.
• Bright Futures Councils from our schools will be invited to participate in the event.
• The community will also be invited to participate in the event and will be able to keep a portion of the ribbon as a souvenir. We also plan to make pieces of the ribbon available for purchase to those who do not wish to participate but want a memento from the event. Details will be shared on our website as plans are finalized.

 

Why the ribbon? We want to celebrate! The opening of this school is a once-in-a-lifetime moment for our students, staff, parents, and community. It symbolizes the end of a long, difficult journey and the beginning of a new era for Joplin Schools. It is a big deal to many, many people who have made sacrifices for the last three years to get to this point - students, staff members, parents, and others. It took thousands of volunteers from across the world and the support of our entire community to make this school happen. We wanted to create an event that would allow our entire community to participate if they choose. 

You are invited to join us on October 3 to be a part of this moment in Joplin's history. We hope you'll come and celebrate recovery, resilience, and the future of Joplin Schools.

Annie Sharp to KOAM: I would rather err on the side of spending too much

During an interview just aired on KOAM, Joplin R-8 Board of Education President Annie Sharp said the following:

-The construction project is four percent over budget.

-To repay the long-term financing, the district will have to spend $600,000 annually from the capital outlay fund- the fund which takes care of problems that occur at all of the district's buildings.

-"I would rather err on the side of giving our community more than they need

CFO Paul Barr said another revenue stream will be needed. So far, the only suggestion anyone has made has been selling naming rights.

KOAM TV 7 Joplin and Pittsburg

SW Missouri Democrats offer rides to the polls

(From Southwest Missouri Democrats)

Southwest Missouri Democrats will offer rides to the polls on Tuesday August 5, 2014 for the Primary Election. We want to encourage everyone to vote. Lack of transportation should never keep voters from the polls.

Voters in any party should feel free to call for a ride. We will not ask about the voters party affiliation. We would also welcome volunteers from any party to help us with this effort. We have reached out to the local Republicans to see if they would like to join the effort.

In Jasper County for a ride contact: Krista Stark at swmodems@gmail.com or 417-437-8443 and Michael Jarrett at michaeljarrettfor163rd@gmail.com or (417)597-3327. In Newton Country for a ride contact: Jenna Booth 501-206-4426 or John Booth at 501-365-6292.

We will have volunteers standing by to answer the phone and to drive folks to their polling location. We want to encourage ALL eligible voters to turn out and vote!

Billy Long: We must sue the president to defend the Constitution

(From Seventh District Congressman Billy Long)

U.S. Rep. Billy Long issued the following statement after voting for a resolution authorizing the House to take legal action against the administration due to its failure to enforce the president's health-care law as written:

"Justice, fairness, and equality require our laws be upheld consistently for all people no matter their political views, economic condition, nationality, or other superficial difference. Unfortunately, the president's conduct has not lived up to this standard. His IRS has targeted groups for harassment and denial of services based on their political orientation. Our nation's borders have been left open to millions of illegal immigrants because the president disagrees with our current immigration laws.

"The president and his administration have failed to enforce key components of his own signature achievement, the national health care law, and continue to act outside of the scope of the law to implement it because the law as written is unworkable. The lawsuit by the House of Representatives would seek to compel the president to enforce this train wreck of a law as written, not as the president wishes it had been written.

"The House is taking action to defend the Constitution. We are supposed to have three equal branches of government, but the Executive Branch has grown too strong and no longer feels it needs to listen to the Legislative Branch.

Joplin Globe columnist: C. J. Huff is a good man who is being demeaned and slandered

Blogger and frequent Joplin Globe guest columnist Anson Burlingame closed out the comments on his latest post on Joplin education today with a spirited defense of C. J. Huff and the Joplin R-8 Board of Education.

According to Burlingame, if anyone agrees with the things I have written in the Turner Report, it is just politics and he also seems to think that I have some kind of hypnotic sway over the readers of this blog and that they will parrot everything I say.

Those who agree with the way C. J. Huff has run the school district are, of course, reasonable people who understand that ordinary people do not comprehend the complicated world of school administration.

One thing that Anson Burlingame is never going to understand is that there is a big difference between a blog that completely relies on one man's opinion (and I am not referring to the Turner Report) and a blog that offers opinion, but has backed it up time after time with documents, with research, and with information from reliable sources.

Even the rest of the Joplin media, with the notable exception of the Joplin Globe is fully aware of the accuracy of Turner Report posts on the Joplin R-8 School District. I an also hearing that even at the Joplin Globe there are a number of people, including veteran reporters, who would love to investigate the problems in the school district, but know that is not going to happen with Michael Beatty as publisher and Carol Stark as editor. The same reporters are also exasperated at the lack of investigation into the City of Joplin's master developer Wallace-Bajjali.

The local TV media is starting to pick apart the Huff Administration little by little, and is allowing Huff to reveal himself with his own words. For example, KOAM's recent report on the six-and-a-half mile ribbon.

Here is Anson Burlingame's take:


OK, I took the Turner tiger by the tail two years ago when I decided against him, after careful thought and attention to some details in his case. But my views on even Turner’s situation was not an attempt to demean the man personally. It was the emerging support he began receiving for his personal vendetta (in my view) against CJ Huff and well meaning citizens on the BOE that was my target, a political target if you will.

Simply said, I would ignore Randy Turner completely. But he has assembled a small “political mass” to his “standards” and I disagree rather strongly with that agenda and the views on how he would improve education by firing a bunch of people. So I write in opposition to that political group of people, and catch hell when I do so which is fine for them to cuss me out, etc. if that is their inclination. (Recall the “Burlingame is an asshole” blog, which was subsequently taken down as only a mild example). (Note: I don't know what Burlingame is referring to, but that is not a word that I use.)

Debate over how to improve public education is a cacophny to say the least, all sorts of views being expressed and nothing getting done of substance, and my list goes on. Somehow firm and correct leadership is sadly need in our public schools and I see a few good people struggling hard to perform that task. But again and again they are demeaned, almost slandered and the arguments just get louder and louder with little progress being made in areas that count, like graduating good students, ready to become good citizens in a modern society, each and every graduate if you will.

I wonder how Anson Burlingame will react when the state auditor's report is issued. It is either going to be to his liking, or it will "demean and slander" C. J. Huff.

McCaskill introduces Campus Accountability and Safety Act

Video- Reaction to President Obama's KC speech

Complete video- President Obama's speech in Kansas City

Text of Nixon address to school administrators

Gov. Jay Nixon Wednesday addressed the Cooperative Conference for School Administrators conference in Columbia. The annual conference, sponsored by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, brought together hundreds of administrators from across the state. Below is the text of the Governor’s prepared remarks:

Good morning and thank you. It’s always an honor to address those who have taken on the challenge of educating our kids. The mission you have chosen to accept has never been more vital or, quite frankly, more difficult.

Billy Long: We should celebrate companies like Hobby Lobby

In a portion of his latest newsletter, Seventh District Congressman Billy Long sings the praises of Hobby Lobby.

At the beginning of July, our nation celebrated its 238th anniversary of independence. On July 4th, 1776, the signers of the Declaration of Independence made it clear that Americans would no longer tolerate an oppressive form of government. The Bill of Rights reaffirmed the ideal that everyone in the United States has the freedom to express their religious beliefs without government interference or prohibition. When the president’s health care law was enacted four years ago, that freedom of religion was attacked.

On June 30, the Supreme Court ruled in Hobby Lobby v. Burwell that forcing closely-held corporations to comply with a mandate that goes against its owners religious beliefs is unconstitutional. In writing the majority opinion, Justice Alito said that the mandate violated theReligious Freedom Restoration Act on the grounds that the mandate was not the least restrictive method of providing universal access to cost-free contraceptive.

Without the Court’s ruling, Hobby Lobby faced approximately $475 million dollars per year in fines for refusing to provide abortion inducing drugs that are used as contraception. If Hobby Lobby dropped the entire plan for its employees altogether it would still have cost the company about $26 million per year, however, Hobby Lobby did not wish to cease providing health coverage for its employees.

It is important to remember that Hobby Lobby did not refuse to pay for contraceptives that it believed to be preventative in nature. It solely requested that it not be forced to provide the four contraceptives approved by the Food and Drug Administration that it believed to be the equivalent of an abortion. The owners of Hobby Lobby, like many Americans, believe life begins at conception. It has been shown that the four contraceptives that Hobby Lobby refused to provide did not prevent fertilization but destroyed an embryo once it had already been created.

The objection to providing these four types of abortion inducing contraceptives is not an attack on women but a defense of unborn children. As a pro-life advocate, I do not support the use of any drug that ends the life of an unborn child, but I fully support the right of anyone to use contraception, and this decision does not prevent anyone from accessing or using contraception.

Hobby Lobby has continually showed that it cares about its employees. The starting salary for their employees is nearly double that of the national minimum wage requirement. CEO David Green said that it has set such a high minimum wage because he “wanted [his] employees to feel like they are part of a family.”

As a nation we should be celebrating companies like Hobby Lobby that make their employees a part of their family instead of demeaning them because their values flow from strong religious beliefs.

Video- Joplin High School is on schedule; it would take an act of Huff to delay opening

A report from KODE's Allie Woldtvedt

Corporate farm interests put another $178,000 into push for Amendment One

The push for Amendment One continues and the corporate farm interests are leading the way.

Documents filed today with the Missouri Ethics Commission show $178,000 in contributions for Missouri Farmers Care, the group that is spearheading the drive to pass Amendment One, the so-called Right to Farm Amendment.

Listed today in 48-hour reports were the following contributors:

MFA $25,000
Missouri Farm Bureau $20,000
Missouri Corn Growers Association $18,000
Missouri Pork Association $100,000
Grow Missouri $15,000

Judge- Accusation of sex with niece will keep Joplin man behind bars

A Joplin man will remain behind bars as he awaits trial on federal child pornography charges.

A judge ruled today in favor of the prosecution motion to keep Frank Ness behind bars:

Regarding potential danger to the community, the court notes the nature of the instant offense, defendant's mental history and the charge involves the use of a computer to facilitate the offense. In addition, a task force officer testified that a niece of the defendant reported to him that she was the victim of sexual abuse by the defendant while she was a minor chlid. There is clear and convincing evidence that the defendant is a danger to the community.

The charges against Ness were explained in a news release issued by the Department of Justice:

Frank Edwin Ness, 44, of Joplin, was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Ness on July 17, 2014.

Today’s indictment alleges that Ness received and distributed child pornography over the Internet between Jan. 1, 2004, and July 16, 2014.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Ness’s residence on July 16, 2014, and seized his desktop computer. Investigators found at least 124 videos containing child pornography when they previewed the computer, the affidavit says.

The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Ness to forfeit to the government any property used to commit the alleged offense, including a desktop computer.

Fox News parent company chips in $2,000 for Billy Long

The parent company of Fox News likes what it sees in Seventh District Congressman Billy Long.

FEC documents indicate that NewsCorp's Fox PAC contributed $2,000 to Long's campaign Friday, as the congresman's money-making machine continues to work efficiently.

Long has raised $25,000 since the beginning of the month with $5,000 of that coming from Silver Dollar City CEO Peter Herschend and JoDee Herschend, with each kicking in $2,500.

Fox was not the only big media corporation to contribute to Long. He also received $1,000 from CBS Corporation.

Others contributing to Long since July 1, include the following:

High Majzoub, physician, Joplin, $1,000
Jim Penn, Penn Enterprises, Springfield, $1,000
Debbie Penn, Missouri State University, $1,000
John Gentry, president, Positron Industries, Springfield, $2,000
David Harper, retired, Springfield, $1,000
Betty Ethridge, Springfield, $1,000
Kelly Swanson, owner Marine Hotel, Kimberling City, $1,000
Ronald Neville, self-employed, Springfield, $2,000
Mike Jones, auctioneer, Dallas, Texas, $1,000
Exxon Mobil, $2,000
Lockheed-Martin $1,000
Credit Untion National Association PAC, $1,000

Joplin man pleads not guilty to child porn activities involving his own daughter

A Joplin man pleaded not guilty today to child pornography activities involving his daughter and another child.

During a six-minute hearing in U. S. District Court in Springfield, James Hajny waived the reading of the indictment and entered the not guilty plea.

Hajny's wife, Gina, is charged with the same crimes. She pleaded not guilty Tuesday.

Joplin mayor staunchly defends Wallace-Bajjali in Amarillo TV interview

People in Joplin just don't understand how difficult it is to get a project off the ground.

That's the message Mayor Michael Seibert passed along to reporter David Grasso-Ortega from Amarillo's ABC affiliate, as Grasso-Ortega investigated the similarities between development plans in Amarillo and Joplin.

The one factor that is the same in both communities is that the master developer is Wallace-Bajjali Development Partners:


Downtown development efforts in both Joplin, Mo., and Amarillo have been guided by the same master developer, Wallace-Bajjali Development Partners. We spoke to Dr. Benjamin Rosenberg, a Joplin council member, about how they’ve operated in his city.

“He’s always looking for a co-developer and Wallace-Bajjali never seems to develop anything on their own, they always have a co-developer,” said Rosenberg.

Much like in Joplin, our master developer has sought co-developers for the convention hotel, and partnerships have shifted as the project has moved forward. The mayor of Joplin told us that his relationship with Wallace-Bajjali Development Partners is strong, and that most people are unaware of the amount of work that goes into a project even before breaking ground.

“The vast majority of people don’t understand that the bulk of the effort and time is put into a project prior to the project coming out of the ground,” said Mike Seibert, the mayor of Joplin. “People unfortunately judge the speed of a project based on when it breaks ground, and that means development gets cast in a negative light.” Additionally, Joplin’s downtown development efforts differ from Amarillo because they are recovering from a devastating tornado using federal money, which adds bureaucratic complexity.

The piroblem, as noted in Grasso-Ortega's report, is just like in Joplin, the Amarillo plan is nothing like what was first presented to city officials, it has ended up targeting areas that seem to be peculiar as far as the city's needs are concerned, and nothing seems to be happening in either community, except a growing number of constantly shifting promises.

Grasso-Ortega's report can be found at this link.

Dempsey: Help us find Lynn Messer

(In a portion of his latest newsletter, Senate President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey, R-St. Charles County, asks for help finding the missing wife of political activist Kerry Messer.)

Kerry Messer is a full-time lobbyist at the Capitol who has worked on behalf of Missouri families for more than 30 years.

 Whether or not you agree with Kerry on every issue, his passion and integrity are well-known and respected. So it is with a heavy heart that I ask you to please pray for the Messer family.

 Lynn, Kerry’s wife, disappeared sometime on Monday night, before the morning of July 8, without a trace. The Ste. Genevieve County Sheriff’s Department has been conducting a massive search effort, but with no success to date.

 Kerry has set up a Facebook page, located here or by visiting https://www.facebook.com/findlynnmesser, to help with the search. The website includes photos and flyers that can be distributed. I ask for your help in solving this tragic mystery.

Cynthia Davis: The problems with the Right to Farm Amendment

(In her latest newsletter, former Rep. Cynthia Davis, R-O'Fallon, offers some thoughts on Amendment One.)

It's on your ballot August 5. It's called the "Right to Farm Bill". It's dividing people on all ends of the political spectrum.

Like many bills, on the surface it sounds so good. The ballot language says, "Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to ensure that the right of Missouri citizens to engage in agricultural production and ranching practices shall not be infringed?

Most people think this is a "Three Cheers for the Farmers!" We would love to give them all three cheers, but why change the Missouri Constitution just to affirm what we already do?

We all love farmers. Farming and ranching are already legal in Missouri. I was awarded the "Friend of the Farmer Award" when I served in the legislature, in affirmation of my support for our farmers.

Normally, the conservative position is to side with less regulation. However, there is a real threat that the Chinese could buy up our farmland. In that scenario, having fewer regulations could allow us to end up with massive problems like squallier, filth and stench.

I attended a meeting last week where one of the current representatives explained to us that the large corporate farm operations can handle regulations better than the smaller farmers. The question is whether this amendment will lead to more laws that could put the small farmers out of business.

Tim Jones: Why we must pass the Right to Farm Act

(In a portion of his latest newsletter, Speaker of the House Tim Jones, R-Eureka, explains his support for Amendment One.)

Another ballot measure approved by the General Assembly is designed to protect the family farming traditions that are such an important part of our state’s history, and such a vital component of our state’s economy.

Constitutional Amendment 1, also known as “Right to Farm,” would protect the right of farmers and ranchers to engage in modern farming and ranching practices. It also would prevent any law that abridges the right of farmers and ranchers to employ agricultural technology and modern livestock production and ranching practices. Together, the additions to our Missouri Constitution would give farm families the peace of mind that their way of life will continue, and that they will be able to continue to farm in the same way their parents, grandparents and great grandparents did.

Hartzler: We have to sue Obama; he's breaking the law

(From Fourth District Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler)

Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-4) and the House have approved a resolution authorizing the House of Representatives to launch legal action in opposition to President Obama’s attempts to bypass Congress and enact his own laws. Specifically, the resolution authorizes the filing of a lawsuit objecting to the President’s unilateral changes to the federal health care law.

“The President has overreached by unilaterally changing certain aspects of the health law, such as the employer mandate, without going through Congress,” said Hartzler. “The Constitution does not give the president the right to do that. It is the elected representatives of the people who make the laws.”

“The simple truth is that the Constitution requires the President to faithfully execute the laws legislated by Congress,” Hartzler continued. “President Obama has demonstrated time and time again that he believes he has the power to make his own laws, going so far as to say that if Congress won’t make the laws he wants, he’ll take action on his own. This is contrary to the Constitution.”

“The President and every member of Congress take an oath to uphold the Constitution,” Hartzler added. “The House is obligated to respond to this challenge to the Constitutional balance of powers. This is not about politics – it is about respecting the Constitution.” 

Youth soccer coach pleads guilty to child porn charges

(From the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri)

Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former Lee’s Summit, Mo., youth soccer coach pleaded guilty in federal court today to attempting to produce child pornography by secretly videotaping members of his soccer team.

Joel D. White, 40, of Lee’s Summit, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple to three counts of attempting to produce child pornography.

White, who coached a girls under-12 soccer team and a girls under-15 soccer team through the Lee’s Summit Soccer Association, remains in federal custody. The Lee’s Summit Soccer Association has cooperated fully with law enforcement officers during this investigation.

Roy Blunt: It's time for Obama to concentrate on leading, not campaigning

Speaker of the House: Help us find Lynn Messer

In his latest report, Speaker of the House Tim Jones, R-Eureka, asks for help in locating the missing wife of longtime Missouri political activist Kerry Messer.

To my Capitol Report readers – and media friends in particular – we who work and serve at the Missouri State Capitol come from a very broad scope of backgrounds. It is only on rare occasions that we all agree on any particular issue. But when we step away from the battles over policy issues we find shared values quite often. This is one of those times.

For 30 years Kerry Messer has been a fixture here at the State Capitol. Kerry and his family have dedicated themselves to making Missouri a better State for everyone. His reputation among the capitol culture is one of unquestioned integrity and perseverance as a voice for Missouri families and he is known for his involvement on a wide range of policy issues. As a full-time volunteer lobbyist who relies solely upon the generosity of others through contributions, Kerry and his son Abram are respected by all. No matter how much a lawmaker agrees or disagrees with Kerry at times, his motives and passion are never in question. Kerry loves the people of Missouri and he demonstrates that love through the way he works with us at the Capitol.

Reader: Forget the ribbon; give us a soaring flame into the Joplin sky

A reader offered the following comment to last night's post featuring Joplin R-8 Superintendent C. J. Huff's 6 1/2 mile long "Mission Accomplished" ribbon:


Instead of a ribbon, I think they should have purchased a giant cauldron. 

C.J. could have ran the 6 1/2 mile path of the tornado, Olympic-style torch held high above his head, finishing at the new high school.

 Along the route, nearly all of Joplin could line the streets, neighbor holding hands with neighbor to form a giant unbroken chain. Man, woman, and child would scream and chant, "C.J.!, C.J.!, C.J.!" as he passed, knowing how close to greatness each of them came.

 As he triumphantly finished the run, he would use the torch to light the giant cauldron, sending a soaring flame into the Joplin sky. All the little people gathered to celebrate would speak to each other about how the flame is like the light C.J. brought into the darkness that was Joplin before his arrival. 

It would be glorious. It would be glorious.

Burlingame backs off comments about teachers who testified at my hearing (sort of)

Blogger and frequent Joplin Globe columnist Anson Burlingame backed off today from derogatory statements he made on his blog Monday about the three teachers who testified for me at my May 23, 2013, termination hearing.

In a response to a comment on his blog, Burlingame referred to teachers who comment anonymously on the Turner Report as "whiners" and said the teachers who testified on my behalf, Mike Wallace, Kim Frencken, and Sheri Cornett, were "sore excuses for good teachers, the ones I saw and heard, to be sure."

His remarks were condemned in comments on his blog and today, Burlingame revised his opinion:

Let me be clear as to why I thought the teachers (actually one teacher and a cafeteria worker as I recall) that provided character witness testimony on behalf of Turner presented their views wrongly. Both were totally off the point of the hearing, presented themselves very poorly in both the manner in which they dressed, groomed and acted, as well as what they said at the hearing. No, not ALL teachers testifying met that criteria, but two of them stood out as young (in one case), very opininated and totally off point as to whether Turner should have published the book and the manner in which he communicated with students on that book. THAT is why he was fired, ultimately, at least in my view and there was strong justification for such action, again in my view.
And Carol Stark provides this man with a regular guest column?

Judge to decide whether 15 months of suicide victim's cyberactivities have to be turned over

During a telephone conference today, a federal judge heard both sides of a discovery dispute between lawyers for the Carl Junction R-1 School District and attorneys representing parents who are suing the school district for not taking actions that could have prevented their teenage son's suicide.

At issue is the request by the school district's lawyers that the parents, Jessica and Mika Nugent, turn over records of all of their son's internet activity and text messages between January 1, 2012, and his death on March 16, 2013.

The request includes the following:

-All photographs, images, documents, videos, websites, pages, website links, or files the teen saved between January 1, 2012, and his death

-Internet browser history or histories or copies thereof, for all the internet browsing he did from Jan. 1, 2012, to his death, including, but not limited to web pages, web history, lists of websites, URL addresses, web browser software and settings, bookmarks, favorites, caches, and cookies.

-All posts, tweets, and messages sent or received between Jan. 1, 2012, and his death

-All e-mails

-All text messages and multi-media messages

-All browsing history from any cell phone
The school district's attorneys say the information is vital since so many things could have played a part in the boy's decision to end his life, while the attorneys for the parents accuse the school district of going on a "fishing expedition."

The judge is taking the arguments under advisement and will issue a written ruling, according to court documents.

Details about the lawsuit can be found at this link.

Quapaw man who came to Joplin to teach 10-year-old about sex held without bond

A Quapaw, Oklahoma man who came to Missouri who teach a 10-year-old girl about sex will be held without bond as he awaits trial on charges of coercion and enticement of a minor female.

A federal judge Monday agreed with the prosecution's contention that Aaron Longanecker, 23, should remain behind bars.

In a detention motion filed last week in U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri,prosecutors claimed they had "overwhelming evidence" against Longanecker, and there was no reason to believe that he would not flee if given the opportunity:

According to the motion, on July 20 Longanecker responded to "an advertisement soliciting individuals who were interested in incest between a mother and daughter. The defendant, upon learning that the advertiser was seeking someone to teach a 10-year-old child about sex, responded that he would like the child to s--- his c--- and perform a variety of sexual acts upon the child.

"On July 21, 2014, the defendant appeared at a pre-arranged meeting site and was arrested.

"The defendant confessed to officers that he had traveled from Oklahoma to Missouri to engage in sexual acts with a child."

Joplin mother charged with using daughter in child porn pleads not guilty

A Joplin woman accused of using her daughter in child pornography waived the reading of her indictment and pleaded not guilty this morning during a four-minute hearing in U. S. District Court in Springfield.

Gina Hajny and her husband, James, have been charged with child pornography activities involving their daughter and another child, according to court documents.

James Hajny's arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday in Springfield.

The probable cause statement for Gina Hajny can be found at this link.

Trial for accused Planned Parenthood arsonist delayed

The trial of accused Joplin Planned Parenthood arsonist Jedediah Stout, 30, originally scheduled for August 18 in U. S. District Court in Springfield has been pushed back to November 3.

Stout's lawyer asked for the delay for more time for discovery and investigation, according to court documents.

Stout admitted to law enforcement officers that he was involved, not only in the Planned Parenthood fires, but also that he was responsible for the arson fire that destroyed the Islamic Society Mosque of Joplin. At this point, no charges have been filed in that case.

The revelation about the mosque fires was first made public in a motion to hold Stout without bond filed October 21 in U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

After being advised of his Miranda rights, the defendant confessed to the attempting set fire to the Planned Parenthood facility on October 3 and 4, 2013. 9. The defendant also confessed to setting fires at the Islamic Society of Joplin’s building on July 4, 2012 and on August 7, 2012. The building was completely destroyed in the August 7, 2012 blaze.

C. J. Huff- 6 1/2 mile ribbon won't cost taxpayers a cent; we're hitting up donors

A report from KOAM's Stacey Lindsay
KOAM TV 7

Burlingame: Teachers who testified for Turner "sore excuses for good teachers"

Three teachers testified for me at my termination hearing May 23, 2013. None of them talked about their own philosophies or styles of teaching, but all of them were labeled bad teachers today by blogger and frequent Joplin Globe guest columnist Anson Burlingame.

That normally would not be such a big deal, considering that Burlingame's frequent blog posts on education have shown little understanding of what goes on in the classroom and even less understanding about what goes on in the Joplin R-8 School District.

The problem is that much of what Burlingame writes about the local school district is a parroting of what Superintendent C. J. Huff tells him. When Burlingame writes about the development of Joplin, it is based on what David Wallace of Wallace-Bajjali tells him. In the past, when he wrote about the friction in Joplin city government, it was based on what former City Manager Mark Rohr tell him.

If he states an opinion on anything that happens in the Joplin school district, it is a safe bet that at some point he has heard it from C. J. Huff.

By the way, I have never met, personally (as far as I know), any of the whinners on the Turner Report, other than Randy and only briefly. But I have seen some of them in action, particularly in the Turner hearing. They were sore excuses for good teachers, the ones I saw and heard, to be sure.

Three teachets testified for me, all veteran teachers who have served the Joplin R-8 School District well. Two of those teachers, Mike Wallace and Kim Frencken, left the district following the 2013-2014 school year. The third one is still teaching in the district.

Burlingame appears to be C. J. Huff's attack dog on the issue of low morale among district employees. In his most recent post, he suggests that teachers who have problems and do not receive satisfaction from their building principals should send a letter to C. J. Huff stating their problems, making sure to send a copy of the letter to the building principal.

Now that is a plan that would certainly aid C.J. Huff in getting a new list of teachers to drive out of the district, but it would do nothing to take care of the teachers' concerns.

Burlingame also insists that if he were a classroom teacher, he would take care of the discipline problems. After all, no one messes with Anson Burlingame, as he explained in this response to two comments:

Hell even Turner complained of being “attacked” by a student. Can you imagine a student attacking ME, or either of you and what would happen if that was the case!!! I don’t mean physical repercussions either. I mean that kid would get an ear and headfull of the strongest responses he might have every encountered and he would NEVER return to any class that I taught, ever again. And if some principal tried to …….., well talk about a hearing before the BOE. I would demand on in spades in about a day!!!

And if there is a problem with discipline that extends beyond the classroom, it has nothing to do with C. J. Huff, but with the principals and certainly, C. J. would be upset if he knew of such a problem:

I have had just such discussions on many occassions with the Superintendent in Joplin, how can teachers get their views heard? In my view the problem is not at the Superintendent level, it is at the Principal level. If I was a teacher that “had” to take a “hoodlum” back into my class based on direction from the Principal, I would be knocking on the Superintendent’s door that same day or emailing him a strong email. Of course if I did that, well I better be correct in my complaint as well. But I would NEVER let some “administrator” tell me to do something that was just WRONG, either. It would have to “come from the top” for sure.

Fortunately, most of Anson's misinformation about the local education scene has appeared on his blog and not in the Joplin Globe where he enjoys a much larger readership, but he has already declared that I was a bad teacher and now without missing a beat, those who testified for me are also bad teachers.

They have to be. C. J. Huff wouldn't lie about something like that, would he?

Peter Edwards named new Joplin city attorney

(From the City of Joplin)

Joplin Mayor Mike Seibert has announced that the Joplin City Council recently voted to hire Peter Edwards as the Joplin City Attorney.

“We selected Peter because of his strong knowledge and experience with municipal law, contractual law and ongoing work with the City of Joplin,” said Mayor Seibert. “Because of his longevity, he has a broad knowledge of numerous community projects completed in past years, and those proposed and in development as we continue to rebuild our city during the recovery process. He will be a great asset to the City and to the Council.”

Edwards has served as the Assistant City Attorney for Joplin since September 2002.

The position became open upon former City Attorney Brian Head’s resignation in May this year to take the City Attorney post in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Edwards was named as Interim City Attorney upon Head’s departure during the search for the City Attorney position.

Complete video- July 22 Joplin R-8 Board of Education meeting

If board member Debbie Fort had not asked questions about the C. J. Huff Administration's plan to go into long-term debt to cover "might-as-well" spending, the public would not have known that the board passed a resolution to authorize it.

The exchange over the long-term debt begins at about the 2:06.27 mark in the accompanying Jet 14 video.

The video also includes a detailed explanation of security at the new high school,

Missouri ag teachers endorse Amendment One

(From Missouri Farmers Care)

Missouri Farmers Care welcomed the Missouri Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association (MVATA) to the pro-Amendment #1 coalition. MVATA formally voted to endorse Amendment #1 at their annual conference over the weekend.

"Our agriculture teachers are community leaders that train the next generation of farmers, ranchers, and agribusiness leaders and we are very pleased they have voted to support Amendment #1, the Missouri Farming Rights Amendment," Missouri Farmers Care Chairman Don Nikodim said. "No group is more in tune with the future of Missouri agriculture than our agriculture educators and they agree with us that Amendment #1 is critical to ensuring the future growth of agriculture in Missouri."

The MVATA resolution reads:

Whereas, we believe the Missouri Farming Rights Amendment (Amendment 1) is a state constitutional amendment to protect family farmers and ranchers.

Whereas, we believe agriculture is the lifeblood of rural Missouri's economy and a driving force of the state's economy.

Whereas, we believe Amendment 1 will help ensure transition to the next generation of farmers and ranchers and thus will help ensure the future of agricultural education.

Therefore be it resolved, that the Missouri Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association is in support of the Missouri Farming Rights Amendment.

"MVATA sees the need for Amendment #1 to safeguard the future of agriculture for our students," MVATA Policy Chairman Jon Wilson said. "As members of Missouri Farmers Care and members of the pro-Amendment #1 coalition, we encourage voters to approve Amendment #1 and we are proud to stand with mainstream agriculture in this effort to protect family farmers and ranchers in our state constitut

Miracle reading scores recorded by Joplin fifth, eighth graders

I was surprised that more of  a fuss wasn't made by the Joplin Globe of the miracle reading scores that were recorded by Joplin R-8 fifth and eighth graders last year.

The scores were revealed to the R-8 Board of Education Tuesday night and came as welcome news in a school district that has seen its scores declining every year since C. J. Huff took the helm in 2008.

According to Jennifer Doshier, executive director of elementary education, the eighth graders scored 54 percent proficient in the reading test they took at the end of their seventh grade years, 69 percent in a test taken at the end of September and then 80 percent in a test taken at the end of the 2013-2014 school year.

Fifth graders showed similar results, beginning at about 40 percent at the end of their fourth grade year, moving up to the sixties then, up to 82 percent.

Huff said the goal was to move the students to 90 percent proficiency.

Since most studies have shown that over the summer months students lose some of what they have learned, Doshier noted that students had kept learning during summer school and during the first month of the school year before the tests were administered.

The tests were from Scholastic.

It will be interesting to see if these test scores are repeated when MAP scores are released next month.

Limited excessive heat risk today in Joplin area

(From the National Weather Service)

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-
346 AM CDT SUN JUL 27 2014

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED...

  LIMITED EXCESSIVE HEAT RISK.

DISCUSSION...

  HEAT INDICES WILL REACH THE MID TO UPPER 90S BY MID DAY...AHEAD
  OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

  THE CHANCE FOR A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL RETURN TO THE REGION
  DURING THE MIDDLE AND END OF THE WEEK.

Ed Emery: How I will vote on the Constitutional Amendments

In his latest report, Sen. Ed Emery, R-Lamar, tells how he will vote on the constitutional amendments that are on the ballot for Missouri voters next month.

First, my apologies for the long intermission between Capitol Reports, I hope to do better in the coming weeks. August 5 is the Missouri primary election, and there will be five issues for voters to decide. I support three of those issues and oppose two. The amendments are listed below, followed by brief descriptions of the reasons for my support or opposition.


Amendment 1: I will vote YES.

Amendment 1 is designed to constitutionally protect all Missouri farmers, ranging from the person with six steers in the back yard to mega operations with thousands of acres. There are liberal groups who oppose Amendment 1 and are trying to confuse the Farming Rights amendment. A concern over foreign ownership of Missouri farmland is a red herring because foreign ownership of Missouri farm land is capped by law at 1 percent and currently stands at .29 percent. One of these liberal groups is the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), which employs a former Missouri lieutenant governor. This is the same organization that nearly put the canine breeding industry out of business in Missouri with their Proposition B campaign. A few conservatives oppose Amendment 1 due to their concern about the possibility of inappropriate protections for GMO merchants. However, Senate legal staff has assured me that although Amendment 1 may affect the legal environment of GMO’s, it does not impair the courts in the case of lawsuits.

C. J. Huff: Parents setting bad example for children on social media

While he acknowledged that bullying does take place in the Joplin R-8 School District as it does in every school district, Superintendent C. J. Huff told KZRG that the district has a method for fighting it.

"We're arming our students with strategies on how to deal with bullies," Huff told KZRG during an interview Wednesday.

While not being specific on what those strategies were, Huff did say that the social media aspect of bullying is a a new thing that is difficult for schools. One problem, he said, is parents who do not know how to behave.

"Adults are setting a terrible example on social media with bullying."

Also in the interview, Huff:

-Said he thought the panel to review Common Core State Standards in Missouri was a good idea since it will give "conservative" Missourians an opportunity to look the standards over. Huff, who was one of the first in Missouri to support Common Core, said he does not expect many changes to be made.

-Offered an update on construction of Joplin High School

-About the state audit said, "I'll be shocked if they are only here six months."

-Did not have to answer any questions about the district going into long-term debt because of "might-as-well" spending. None were asked.

Annie Sharp: Bright Futures to pay for 6 1/2 mile ribbon

The Joplin R-8 School District's Bright Futures program is paying for the $15,000 six-and-a-half mile ribbon that will be one of the highlights of the media frenzy that will accompany the opening of Joplin High School, which at this time is scheduled for August 25.

The $15,000 will reportedly be covered by donations C. J. Huff's Bright Futures and public relations teams are securing from Joplin businesses, but people will also be encouraged to buy shares of the ribbon, according to Joplin R-8 Board of Education President Annie Sharp.

During an interview with Judy Stiles on KGCS' Newsmakers program, Ms. Sharp confirmed the existence of the ribbon, which was first revealed in the June 26 Turner Report.

On the opening day of the new high school, she said, "We'll have a big kickoff. If people want to be a part of history, we're selling a ribbon we are going to wrap around the whole, entire high school. You can purchase an inch, a foot, whatever and have a part of history.

"We're trying to make the Guinness Book of World Records. It's an activity Bright Futures is doing."

The ribbon project, despite the opening of high school allegedly being only a month away, has yet to be mentioned on either the Joplin Bright Futures website or on the school district website or Facebook page.

Joplin Globe: Athletics have nothing to do with school district's long-term debt

The Joplin R-8 Board of Education voted 5-1, with Debbie Fort casting the dissenting vote, Tuesday to go into long-term debt to cover $8 million in what CFO Paul Barr referred to at the May board meeting as "might-as-well" spending."

The Joplin Globe reporter attended that meeting and never wrote a word about the things that Barr said were covered by this "might-as-well" spending, which included the following:

-Four tennis courts

-Lighting for all athletic fields

-Artificial turf for all athletic fields

-A track at the high school so the students would not have to travel to Junge Stadium

These items were never mentioned in the Globe article about that meeting.

As the Turner Report noted in the coverage of this Tuesday's meeting, when the long-term financing was brought up again, there was no mention of "might-as-well" spending and suddenly the $8 million was not for any athletic items.

Debbie Fort mentioned the tennis courts, or athletics would have been totally left out of the equation.

The cover-up had already begun.

The discussion was not featured in the Joplin Globe's article about the meeting in its Wednesday edition, but the long-term financing is the subject of an article that will be in Saturday's edition and has already been posted on the Globe's website.

Reporter Emily Younker writes the following:

Examples of projects that will be paid through the funds are additional square footage at the high school, East Middle School, and Soaring Heights Elementary School; the mitigation of mining-related problems uncovered during construction at the high school and Irving Elementary school sites, with set the district back about $6 million; and upgrades of building materials, such as roofing and heating/cooling systems, said Paul Barr, chief financial officer.

That was not what Paul Barr said at the May meeting, a meeting which is shown on the accompanying video.

Apparently, the official story is that no athletic projects are involved in the long-term debt and no such thing as "might-as-well" spending exists.

Better check out the video before someone gives the order to edit it.

We sure won't ever hear about it from the Joplin Globe.

Nixon appoints former legislator/educator to State Board of Education

(From the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education)

Governor Jay Nixon has appointed Maynard Wallace of Thornfield to the Missouri State Board of Education. Wallace served as superintendent of school districts in Forsyth from 1979-1994 and Ava from 1994-1999. Previously, he worked as a teacher, coach and principal in Missouri public schools. Wallace chaired the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee while serving in the legislature from 2003-2011. He is past president of Southwest School Administrators Association and serves on various regional and local boards.

“We look forward to having all eight positions on the State Board filled,” said Commissioner of Education Chris Nicastro. “Mr. Wallace’s experience as an educator will complement the backgrounds and expertise of the other Board members. He is a well respected educator and will be a great member of the team."

Wallace earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State University) and his master’s in education from Central Missouri State University. His appointment is subject to confirmation by the Missouri Senate for a term ending July 1, 2016.

Heat advisory issued for Neosho, Newton County

(From the National Weather Service)

.HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 8 PM CDT SATURDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SPRINGFIELD HAS ISSUED A HEAT
ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 8 PM CDT SATURDAY.

* TIMING AND AREAS AFFECTED...SATURDAY AFTERNOON FOR SOUTHEAST
  KANSAS AND FAR WESTERN MISSOURI.

* TEMPERATURE...AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE
  MID AND UPPER 90S WITH HEAT INDEX VALUES REACHING UP TO AROUND
  105 DEGREES.

Heat advisory Saturday for Joplin area

(From the National Weather Service)

KSZ073-097-101-MOZ066-077-088-260830-
/O.NEW.KSGF.HT.Y.0003.140726T1800Z-140727T0100Z/
/O.CON.KSGF.HT.Y.0002.000000T0000Z-140726T0000Z/
BOURBON-CRAWFORD-CHEROKEE-VERNON-BARTON-JASPER-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FORT SCOTT...PITTSBURG...
BAXTER SPRINGS...COLUMBUS...NEVADA...LAMAR...JOPLIN...CARTHAGE
320 PM CDT FRI JUL 25 2014

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING...
...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 8 PM CDT SATURDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SPRINGFIELD HAS ISSUED A HEAT
ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 8 PM CDT SATURDAY.

* SHORT TERM TRENDS...HEAT INDEX VALUES HAVE REACHED THE 100 TO
  105 DEGREE RANGE IN MANY AREAS THIS AFTERNOON.

* TIMING AND AREAS AFFECTED...THIS AFTERNOON AND AGAIN SATURDAY
  AFTERNOON FOR PARTS OF SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND FAR WESTERN
  MISSOURI.

* TEMPERATURE...SATURDAY AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES IN THE MID AND
  UPPER 90S ARE EXPECTED WITH HEAT INDEX VALUES REACHING UP TO
  AROUND 105 DEGREES.

* IMPACTS...HOT AND HUMID WEATHER CAN RESULT IN HEAT RELATED
  ILLNESSES IF PROPER PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN. THOSE WORKING
  OUTSIDE...CHILDREN...THE ELDERLY...AND THOSE WITHOUT ACCESS TO
  AIR CONDITIONING ARE PARTICULARLY SUSCEPTIBLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IF YOU WORK OR SPEND TIME OUTSIDE. WHEN
POSSIBLE...RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING OR
EVENING. KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT
STROKE. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHEN
POSSIBLE AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER.

TO REDUCE RISK DURING OUTDOOR WORK...THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND
HEALTH ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS SCHEDULING FREQUENT REST BREAKS
IN SHADED OR AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENTS. ANYONE OVERCOME BY
HEAT SHOULD BE MOVED TO A COOL AND SHADED LOCATION. HEAT STROKE
IS AN EMERGENCY...CALL 9 1 1.

Hartzler: We must do all we can to stop child sex trafficking

(From Fourth District Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler)

Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-4) and the House have passed legislation to address the horrific crime of human trafficking, approving, among others, two bills she co-sponsors - the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthen Families Act, H.R. 4980, and the Human Trafficking Prioritization Act, H.R. 2283.

“Passage of these bills is a progression of the recent Human Trafficking Summit I hosted in Columbia, in which a panel of survivors and experts helped raise awareness of this awful crime,” said Hartzler. “The Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthen Families Act aims to protect youth at risk of sex trafficking and improve adoption incentives so these youths can find their forever homes. In 2013, 60 percent of child sex trafficking victims recovered in an FBI nationwide raid from over 70 cities were children that had been in foster care or group homes at some point. This bill aims to stem the tide of this atrocious crime by requiring the states to allow for proper services to be provided to those children in foster care who are victims or are at risk of becoming victims of sex trafficking. It goes further to promote normalcy in foster youth so that these kids can integrate more easily into society and into their permanent homes.”

“I am also pleased the House passed the Human Trafficking Prioritization Act which makes the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking more effective in carrying out its duties,” added Hartzler. “Though human trafficking is a global issue, we must not forget that it happens right here in our own backyard. Just last November in Jefferson City, a man was indicted for sex trafficking of a child under the age of 14. We must do all we can to end this. I urge the Senate to quickly take up and approve these important bills to address this heinous criminal activity.”

Video- Billy Long denounces IRS on House floor

Stacey Newman: Vote no on all five amendments

In a portion of her latest newsletter, Rep. Stacey Newman, D-St. Louis, urges Missourians to vote no on all five of the constitutional amendments when they go to the polls next month.

VOTE NO! ON ALL 5 AMENDMENTS

Amendment #1 - Right to Farm: THIS WILL PROTECT CORPORATE FARMS & PUPPY MILLS. PERIOD.

"Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to ensure that the right of Missouri citizens to engage in agricutural production and ranching practices shall not be infringed?"


Amendment #5- Right to Bear Arms: THIS WILL GIVE CRIMINALS MORE GUN RIGHTS - AND VICTIMS LESS. COMPLETELY DANGEROUS.


"Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to include a declaration that the right to keep and bear arms is a unalienable right and that the state government is obligated to uphold that right?"

Amendment #7- Transportation Tax: THIS WILL FUND TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS ON THE BACKS OF LOW INCOME WORKERS BY RAISING SALES TAXES - SO WRONG. A GAS TAX IS THE PROPER WAY.

"Shall the Missouri Constitution be changed to enact a temporary sales tax of thee-quarters of one percent to be used solely to fund state and local highways, roads, bridges and transportation projects for ten years, with priority given to repairing unsafe roads and bridges? This change is expected to produce $480 million annually to the state's Tranportation Safety and Job Creation Fund and $54 million for local governments. Increases in the gas tax will be prohibited."


Amendment #8- Veterans Lottery Ticket: THIS WILL REDUCE EDUCATION FUNDING (LESS THIS YEAR ALREADY) - WITH LITTLE BENEFIT FOR VETERANS HOMES.

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to create a (Veterans Lottery Ticket) and to use the revenue from the sale of these tickets for projects and services related to veterans? If sales of a veterans lottery ticket game decrease existing lottery ticket sales, the profits of which fund education, there could be a small annual shift in funding from education to veterans programs."

Amendment #9- Electronic Data: THIS WILL HINDER LAW ENFORCEMENT - MANY UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES...

"Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended so that the people shall be secure in their electronic communications and data from unreasonable searches and seizrues as they are now likewise secure in their persons, homes, paprs and effects?"

Koster touts Amendment One during tour

(From Missouri Farmers Care)

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster urged Show-Me State voters to cast their Aug. 5 ballots in favor of Amendment 1, the Missouri Farming Rights amendment, during a two-day farm tour held July 23-24.

Representatives from the Missouri Farmers Care coalition and Missouri's major agricultural organizations joined Koster on his farm stops in Springfield, Webb City, La Plata, Taylor and Cape Girardeau. At each visit, Koster discussed Amendment 1, the constitutional amendment that would protect farmers' ability to raise crops and livestock today and into the future.

Joplin lawyer surrenders his license

Joplin attorney Daniel Whitworth, 58, who pleaded guilty March 31 to embezzling money from his clients, has voluntarily surrendered his law license, according to documents filed Wednesday with the Missouri Supreme Court.

Whitworth's sentencing, originally scheduled for 10:30 a.m. September 4, has been moved to 2:30 p.m. that day.

A detailing of Whitworth's crimes can be found at this link.

Court document: Oklahoma man came to Joplin to teach 10-year-old about sex

Prosecutors are asking that a Quapaw, Oklahoma, man be held without bond on charges of coercion of enticement of a minor female.

In a detention motion filed today in U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, prosecutors claimed they had "overwhelming evidence" against Aaron Longanecker, 23, and there was no reason to believe that he would not flee if given the opportunity:

On July 20, 2014, the defendant responded to an advertisement soliciting individuals who were interested in incest between a mother and daughter. The defendant, upon learning that the advertiser was seeking someone to teach a 10-year-old child about sex, responded that he would like the child to s--- his c--- and perform a variety of sexual acts upon the child.

On July 21, 2014, the defendant appeared at a pre-arranged meeting site and was arrested.

The defendant confessed to officers that he had traveled from Oklahoma to Missouri to engage in sexual acts with a child.

Joplin man indicted on child porn charge to be arraigned

A 9:30 a.m. August 5 arraignment has been scheduled for Frank Ness, Joplin, on child pornography charges.

Ness had been arraigned earlier, but the previous charges were overridden by a grand jury indictment that was issued Wednesday. Information from the search warrant served on Ness' home can be found at this link.

From the Department of Justice news release:

Frank Edwin Ness, 44, of Joplin, was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Ness on July 17, 2014.

Today’s indictment alleges that Ness received and distributed child pornography over the Internet between Jan. 1, 2004, and July 16, 2014.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Ness’s residence on July 16, 2014, and seized his desktop computer. Investigators found at least 124 videos containing child pornography when they previewed the computer, the affidavit says.

The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Ness to forfeit to the government any property used to commit the alleged offense, including a desktop computer.

Arraignments set for Joplin couple accused of using their child in pornography

Arraignments have been scheduled for a Joplin couple accused of child pornography activities involving their own child and another underage child.

Gina Hajny's arraignment is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 29, at the federal courthouse in Springfield.

James Hajny will be arraigned 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 30, at the same location.

The probable cause affidavit for Gina Hajny can be found at this link.

The news release from the Department of Justice can be found at this link.

Heat advisory for Joplin area Friday

(From the National Weather Service)

HOT WEATHER IN THE OSAGE PLAINS...

.TRIPLE DIGIT HEAT INDICES ARE FORECASTED OVER EXTREME SOUTHEAST
KANSAS AND FAR WESTERN MISSOURI FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

KSZ073-097-101-MOZ066-077-088-250845-
/O.NEW.KSGF.HT.Y.0002.140725T1700Z-140726T0000Z/
BOURBON-CRAWFORD-CHEROKEE-VERNON-BARTON-JASPER-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FORT SCOTT...PITTSBURG...
BAXTER SPRINGS...COLUMBUS...NEVADA...LAMAR...JOPLIN...CARTHAGE
334 PM CDT THU JUL 24 2014

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 7 PM CDT FRIDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SPRINGFIELD HAS ISSUED A HEAT
ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 7 PM CDT FRIDAY.

* TIMING AND AREAS AFFECTED...FRIDAY AFTERNOON OVER EXTREME
  SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND FAR WESTERN MISSOURI.

* TEMPERATURE...AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES IN THE MIDDLE 90S WILL
  CAUSE HEAT INDICES TO RANGE FROM 98 TO 104 DEGREES.

* IMPACTS...HOT AND HUMID WEATHER CAN CAUSE HEALTH RAMIFICATIONS
  IF BODY TEMPERATURES OVERHEAT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IF YOU WORK OR SPEND TIME OUTSIDE. WHEN
POSSIBLE...RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING OR
EVENING. KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT
STROKE. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHEN POSSIBLE
AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER.

TO REDUCE RISK DURING OUTDOOR WORK...THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND
HEALTH ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS SCHEDULING FREQUENT REST BREAKS
IN SHADED OR AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENTS. ANYONE OVERCOME BY
HEAT SHOULD BE MOVED TO A COOL AND SHADED LOCATION. HEAT STROKE
IS AN EMERGENCY...CALL 9 1 1.

1717 Marketplace developer indicted on eight more counts of bankruptcy fraud

(From the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri)

Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Springfield, Mo., businessman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for additional bankruptcy fraud, after being indicted last year for a series of bank fraud and wire fraud schemes that totaled more than $3.3 million in losses.

Richard Thomas Gregg, 59, of Springfield, was charged in a 25-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on Wednesday, July 24, 2014. This superseding indictment replaces the original indictment returned on Feb. 28, 2013, and adds eight additional counts of bankruptcy fraud.

Before Bright Futures, before C. J. Huff

I had forgotten this Turner Report post from April 6, 2008. The Joplin R-8 Board of Education had just hired C. J. Huff  and he would not start work for another three months. This was written two years before Huff's Bright Futures initiative began. It was more than three years before the Joplin Tornado. Read this and please give me your thoughts on how things are in 2014, compared to what I wrote six years ago.

When the Joplin R-8 School District hired Eldon Superintendent C. J. Huff as superintendent this week, one of the reasons given was his success at improving graduation rates at Eldon.

It is no secret that Joplin, like most other school districts across the United States, has a problem with keeping students in school. It is a problem that the school district has been working on diligently and we will see improvements, both as a result of steps that have been taken up to this point and steps that will be taken when the new superintendent takes the reins.

It is an issue of critical importance. In this day and age, the odds against someone succeeding without a high school diploma are astronomical. We have to do everything we can to keep students in school.

Of course, those who support educational vouchers, and who are willing to jump on anything that could boost their cause, are quick to promote private schools as a cureall for high dropout rates.

A study issued earlier this week shows that retired billionaire Rex Sinquefield has poured more than $1 million of money into Missouri politicians during this election cycle. That is not the only method through which Sinquefield promotes his pet educational and economic causes.

Sinquefield's Show-Me Institute also bankrolls Show-Me Daily, a blog which is included in the Turner Report links section, and one of its bloggers, Justin Hauke, was quick to blame public schools for the graduation problems:

A new study by the EPE Research Center and the America’s Promise Alliance finds that three out of every 10 public school students in the United States do not graduate high school. The numbers are even worse in urban districts, falling to near 50 percent on average. In some cities, the numbers are as low as 25 percent — like Detroit.

We have a real problem with public education in this country, and some form of change is necessary. So even if you’re not a converted school choicesupporter, the dramatic decline in education quality around the country should at the very least leave you considering it as an option on the table.

While I am a staunch defender of public schools, I am not naive enough to say that some of the problems cannot be laid on our doorstep. We have a responsibility to do whatever we can to keep these young people in school, and public school teachers and administrators take this responsibility seriously.

But it is nonsense for the Show-Me Institute and other educational voucher supporters to say that taxpayer-financed tickets to private schools will solve or even curtail the dropout crisis.

As long as high dropout rates are treated as a school problem rather than a community problem, the situation will not significantly improve. Public schools deserve a share of the blame, but cannot succeed unless others also contribute. The schools cannot work alone.

Parents have to encourage their children to stay in school, and much of the time, with those who drop out, this is simply not happening. Everyday, we have children who leave school never to come back because they have no support system, or an inadequate one, at home. It is difficult for most of us to imagine the environment in which some of these young people are living- many of them have to deal with emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, parents with substance abuse problems, or they are being shuttled back and forth between the homes of divorced parents.

And there are other problems. How easy can it be for students who are continually moving to stay in school? Every year, I have a number of students who have moved three or four times during the same school year. At the middle school level, that prevents them from getting the education they need to succeed in high school. At the high school level, many of them find it easier to just quit attending school.

So what can be done?

Other segments of the community have to contribute in order for any campaign to improve graduation rates to succeed.
The business community needs to begin or continue programs in which young people can intern or have jobs with companies, but only if they stay in school and hit the books. The fast food places and others that rely heavily on a teenaged, minimum age work force also need to make it where these workers are encouraged to stay in school, rather than using these dead-end jobs as an excuse to leave learning behind.


And it would be productive, as one of my colleagues noted a few days ago, if our churches could join in, and maybe devote a sermon every once in a while to this issue that affects so many members of their congregations.

What is continually overlooked are the number of young people in difficult situations who stay in school thanks to the efforts of teachers and administrators who take an active interest in their well-being and go out of their way to give them every opportunity to succeed. Teachers were looking out for these young people long before anyone started talking about a dropout rate problem. We did not need to be told that increasing the number of who students who graduate was a new goal. We already cared about the students enough to do everything we could to keep them in school.

That being said, as long as the politicians cashing their Rex Sinquefield checks continue to put all of the blame on public schools, the dropout problem is not going to be solved. In fact, the money that is being spent and the time that is being wasted trying to push vouchers as the magic cure for American education, is only serving as a distraction that may very well keep us from being able to seriously address the problem.