Former NFL linebacker to help with Rebuild Joplin project

(From Rebuild Joplin)

Rebuild Joplin will be a part of the kick-off of the Rock a Joplin BowTie sales event on Saturday, April 27, 2013 from 1:00 to 3:30pm at the George A. Spiva Center for the Arts, 222 W. Third St., Joplin. 

The Rock a Joplin BowTie is designed to raise awareness of Joplin and its recovery from the May 2011 tornado that devastated the community. Funds from the sale of the bow ties will help to further Rebuild Joplin’s goal to enable each area resident that was impacted by the tornado to find safe and secure housing allowing them to become whole again. As the people of Joplin heal we will grow a vital and dynamic city.

Dhani Jones, former NFL linebacker and founder of the national BowTie Cause, will be on hand during Saturday’s event to promote the project as well as to teach people how to tie a bow tie. The bow tie, which will be marketed nationally, will help to spot-light Joplin’s recovery.

MNEA issues action alert as tax bill faces final vote today

(From Missouri National Education Association)

The House is expected to take up HCS/SS#2/SCS/SBs 26, 11 & 31 (Will Kraus) for final passage on April 24.  SB 26 will significantly reduce state general revenue when fully implemented and will force devastating cuts to public investment in K-12 and higher education and other vital services. 

The Association strongly opposes the radical cuts to state revenues contained in SS#2/SCS/SBs 26, 11 & 31. 

The HCS version of the bill reduces state personal and corporate income taxes by two-thirds of a percent and phases in a 50% deduction of business income. The bill also increases the state sales tax by six-tenths of a percent and enacts the Streamlined Sales Tax and includes Use Tax nexus language for out of state sales.

Joplin School District pays over quarter of a million to settle lawsuit

The Joplin School District paid more than a quarter of a million dollars to settle a lawsuit filed against it by an Atlanta construction firm, according to a story in this morning's Joplin Globe. The news that the lawsuit was settled was first revealed several days ago by KOAM.

Court documents show that the case was settled, but did not give any specific amounts:

U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner has issued an order dismissing the lawsuit of Urban Metropolitan Development LLC from U.S. District Court in Kansas City. The order states that the lawsuit’s claims were settled.

“Joplin Schools paid $276,000 in exchange for a full release and dismissal of UMD’s lawsuit, which included claims alleging both breach of contract and civil rights violations,” said Doug Harpool, the Springfield attorney who represents Urban Metropolitan, in an email response to Globe questions about the settlement. “Some of the settlement money went to workers to bring their wages to the level the state claimed was required by Missouri’s prevailing wage law. Some went to a bonding company for UMD, some went directly to UMD and some went to my firm for attorney fees.”

School Superintendent C.J. Huff referred questions about the terms of the settlement to the district’s attorney, John Nicholas. He did not return calls asking for the information.

Richard battles to save MSSU international mission

The Joplin Globe reports this morning that Sen. Ron Richard, R-Joplin, is battling to save the international mission of Missouri Southern State University. A bill in the state legislature includes an amendment that would eliminate the mission:

Richard, R-Joplin, said he has asked House members to delete the amendment from the bill, and he said he is certain that they will. He said his motivation in seeking to remove the amendment is to give MSSU officials time to research potential financial outcomes that could result if the mission is taken out of state statutes.

“We want to make sure there’s no unintended consequences,” he said.

The removal of the mission designation is supported by MSSU President Bruce Speck, but opposed by many faculty members, students, and former students.

First review in for e-book version of 5:41

The e-book version of 5:41: Stories from the Joplin Tornado was published last month and its first review went online today.

The review on the book, which John Hacker and I wrote and which included stories from those who went through the tornado, as well as obituaries of those who lost their lives, gave it a five-star rating:

This book is very touching and heart rending. I live in SWMO, about 70 miles from Joplin, I know the things they went through that day. It was heartbreaking to us from this distance. Put yourself in their shoes and try to imagine how you would react to a disaster of this magnitude.

The book is also available online in paperback form, and can be purchased locally at Always Buying Books, Changing Hands Book Shoppe, and Vintage Stock on the Mall, as well as at other area locations.

Freeze warning issued for tonight

(From the National Weather Service)

COLD AIRMASS TO MOVE INTO THE REGION TONIGHT.

YET ANOTHER COLD AIRMASS WILL SPREAD INTO THE REGION TONIGHT.
CONFIDENCE HAS INCREASED THAT TEMPS WILL FALL BELOW
FREEZING FOR 3 TO 4 HRS TONIGHT INTO WED MORNING ACROSS
EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN KS & WEST CNTL MO. IN
ADDITION. TEMPS IN THE UPPER 20S ARE POSSIBLE. SOME
PATCHY FROST WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. AREAS ADJACENT TO THE FREEZE
WARNING WILL LIKELY OBSERVE TEMPS AROUND THE FREEZING MARK.
TEMPS AROUND FREEZING MAY POSE A SIMILAR THREAT TO FROST
AND AFFECT SENSITIVE.BUDDING VEGETATION.

Petition seeks to keep MSSU's international mission

An online petition has started to prevent the dismantling of Missouri Southern State University's international mission.

The petition, started by Kayla Curran, Webb City, combats SB 67, which includes an amendment removing the international mission.

On the blog, Ms. Curran writes the following:

The international mission sets our small university apart. As stated by Jeff Billington in the Joplin Globe, "this little corner of Southwest Missouri needed something special, that the students at its college needed a broader understanding of the world and how to function in an increasingly global community, so it established a mission that would in turn create new globally focused courses and programs and introduce international aspects into existing ones. And it worked." (April 19, 2013). Save the International Mission!

A Facebook page, MSSU Alumni for the International Mission has also been started.

Phillips: Federal government is watching us on Facebook

It is buried toward the end of his weekly report, but Rep. Don Phillips, R-Kimberling City, says the federal government is watching us on Facebook. He also gives us some insight into the Department of Revenue controversy by referring to it as "headline grabbing." Exactly.

The concealed carry drama continues in Jefferson City!

It was without a doubt an eventful week at the capitol, however, most legislative efforts took a back seat to the headline grabbing aftermath of the Dept. of Revenue investigation for copying and sending source documents to the federal government.  Brian Long, the Director of the DOR, resigned on Monday in the wake of all the turmoil surrounding the scandal.  Also, the DOR budget has been threatened to be eliminated from license bureaus unless the copying is stopped.

 The House and the Senate continue to have investigative hearings and the State Auditor has launched an audit of DOR.   One thing that makes sense is removing the CCW license from the license bureau and give that responsibility to the Sheriff’s that issue the permits to begin with--that’s likely to happen.

The copying of documents is believed by many to be associated with the Federal REAL ID act which the MO legislature passed a law in 2009 to opt out of the anti-terrorism initiative.  HB787 passed the House already and would require DOR to immediately stop the copying process and destroy any documents already copied. I’m a co-sponsor of that bill. The Governor’s knowledge of DOR’s illegal actions is up for determination.  Hopefully, he’s not so disconnected with such a crucial state agency that something of this magnitude went on without his knowledge or the knowledge of one of his staff members.

Along these same lines, the Highway Patrol has admitted it was a mistake to send 163,247 names of Missouri citizens with concealed carry permits to an investigator for the Social Security Administration in conjunction with a social security fraud investigation. On two occasions the names were sent on a computer disk. Investigative hearings continue being conducted by the General Assembly.

Now, one thing that gets lost in the discussion is that the feds have most of our information already on hand.  Every time we purchase a firearm, we fill out paper work that’s sent (or electronically submitted) to the federal government. Our birth certificates and social security numbers are on file and don’t forget the gift we gave them in the form of facebook. No greater voluntary surveillance tool is there for any interested party than facebook. So, our personal information isn’t exactly secret. The real issuethough is the breakdown of trust in our state government, including the Dept. of Revenue, the Highway Patrol, the Attorney General’s office and the Governor. We need to do everything possible to see that history doesn’t repeat itself. I believe proper steps are being taken and accountability is being demanded.

Clay: Senate vote not the end of battle against gun violence

In his latest report. Congressman Lacy Clay vows to continue the battle against gun violence.

Last week, a minority in the U.S. Senate ignored 90% of the American people and blocked consideration of a common sense, bipartisan measure to combat gun violence…background checks for all commercial gun purchases.

Americans from all walks of life and all across this country support this and other reasonable proposals to make it harder for criminals and those with serious mental illness to get their hands on a gun.

I am a proud member of the congressional taskforce on gun violence. This is not a new issue for me, and sadly, this is not a new issue for the community that I have the honor to represent. The St. Louis area has long been subjected to the twin evils of gun violence and a popular culture that tolerates it.

For many years, I have supported a renewal of the assault weapons ban, a ban on high-capacity magazine clips, universal background checks for all gun purchases, and ending on-line sales of firearms and ammunition.

We also need to provide communities with more help to increase mental health services and to improve school security.

But even if we did all of that…it wouldn’t be enough.Because you have to take a stand at the grass roots level.

You have got to be willing to pick up that phone and call that anonymous tip line, and help get these guns off the streets.

You have to fight with your voices, your feet, your faith and even your votes…to win back the peace for our community and our country. 

Like you, I am outraged when some of my more timid colleagues say that the opposition is too strong, the path is too difficult and they are too fearful to act.

That is exactly what happened in the U.S. Senate and it’s shameful.   The NRA lied about the legislation, used their considerable resources to spread the misinformation, and then exploited the fears of others to pressure Members of Congress.

We have seen this failure to lead before.

But this time, there must be a high price for inaction.

You must be willing to hold accountable those elected officials who fear the gun lobby more than they respect the voters who hired them.

In an exceptional op-ed which appeared recently in theNew York Times, my very courageous friend and former U.S. House colleague Gabby Giffords said:

“They looked at these most benign and practical of solutions, offered by moderates from each party, and then they looked over their shoulder at the powerful, shadowy gun lobby — and brought shame on themselves and our government itself by choosing to do nothing.

They should have honored the legacy of the thousands of victims of gun violence and their families, who have begged for action, not because it would bring their loved ones back, but so that others might be spared their agony.”

Gabby Giffords is right.

We need your strong and sustained progressive voices to keep this issue on the front-burner until Congress finally does the right thing.  This is not the end of our fight, it is just the beginning.

How did KOAM scoop me on this one? Randy Turner suspended

Word leaked out late last week that I have been placed on paid administrative leave by the Joplin School District.

KOAM/Fox 14 had a well-balanced report last night, interviewing students and parents who supported me and also presented Superintendent C. J. Huff's prepared statement. The report accompanies this post.

Though The Turner Report was scooped on this story, I understand it has a better chance of getting the teacher's first statement on the situation. (If I get scooped on that, I might as well give up.)

At the moment, I am being told not to talk about the specifics of this. Hopefully, that will change later today, as I am in the mood to do a lot of writing (even though it seems that's what gets me into trouble.)

KOAM TV 7 Joplin and Pittsburg