Student pulls gun in Lathrop school

Nevada, Sheldon, Hume districts oppose Amendment 3

Add Nevada, Sheldon, and Hume to the more than 120 school boards that have passed resolutions opposing Amendment 3.

Amendment 3 would strip teachers of their tenure protection, require that teachers be evaluated by how well their students do on standardized tests, and greatly increase the number of tests that students have to take.

Reception held for Joplin city manager candidates

A report from KODE News

Amazon message lists Let Teachers Teach among books for educators

I enjoyed receiving this message from Amazon this morning listing some books on education for teachers:

Are you looking for something in our Education & Teaching Books department? If so, you might be interested in these items.
Let Teachers Teach
by Randy Turner
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1490338381/ref=em_si_text

List Price: $16.99
Price: $13.51
You Save: $3.48 (20%)
...
TEAS Review Manual, Version 5.0 (ATI, Study Manual for the Test of Essential Academic Skills(TEAS))
by Inc. Assessment Technologies
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933107987/ref=em_si_text

List Price: $46.00
Price: $43.70
You Save: $2.30 (5%)
...
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
by Phyllis Haddox
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0671631985/ref=em_si_text

List Price: $22.00
Price: $16.15
You Save: $5.85 (27%)
...
The Anatomy Coloring Book (4th Edition)
by Wynn Kapit
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0321832019/ref=em_si_text

List Price: $24.30
Price: $15.01
You Save: $9.29 (38%)
...
Phonics for Kindergarten, Grade K (Home Workbook)
by Carson-Dellosa Publishing
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1604187743/ref=em_si_text

List Price: $4.49
Price: $2.79
You Save: $1.70 (38%)
...
100 Words Kids Need to Read by 1st Grade: Sight Word Practice to Build Strong Readers
by Terry Cooper
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0439399297/ref=em_si_text

Price: $3.95
...
Hands Are Not for Hitting (Board Book) (Best Behavior Series)
by Martine Agassi
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/157542200X/ref=em_si_text

List Price: $7.95
Price: $6.36
You Save: $1.59 (20%)
...
My First Book Of Tracing (Kumon Workbooks)
by Shinobu Akaishi
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/4774307076/ref=em_si_text

List Price: $7.95
Price: $6.00
You Save: $1.95 (25%)
...

Big crowd expected for Jackson Days West

(From Southwest Missouri Democrats)

Southwest Missouri Democrats have received  120 RSVPs for Jackson Days West, the biggest and most spectacular annual event for Southwest Missouri Democrats, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 25 at Briarbrook.  There will be a buffet-style dinner and live and silent auctions with the hilarious auctioneer, Pat Kelly.
 
We have have eight Table Sponsors for this year's event: Jim Evans for Congress, Laborers Local 319, Teamsters Local 245, Teamsters Local 823, Plumbers/Pipefitters  Local 178, CWA 6313, IBEW Local 53 and LEPCI.

Our keynote speaker is Crystal Brinkley, Executive Director of the Missouri State Democratic Party.

Our other speakers include:

-Jim Kabell, President of the Missouri-Kansas-Nebraska Conference of Teamsters
-State Senator Scott Sifton (D), Missouri 1st Senatorial District
-Jim Evans (D), Candidate for the 7th Congressional District

We will have two-minute stump speeches from:

- Charles (Hugh) Shields (D), candidate for the Missouri House 161st District
- Michael Jarrett (D), candidate for the Missouri House 163rdDistrict
- Bob Glenn (D), candidate for Dade County Presiding Commissioner

Executive Director for the Southwest Missouri Democrats and recently elected Chair of the 7th Congressional District Democratic Committee, Krista Stark will provide the welcome speech. Stark says proudly, “This event is the one night of the year we try to bring together all of our members-- candidates, county committee precinct captains, club leaders and members, volunteers and donors, longstanding members and Young Democrats. The event continues to grow each year.”

Jackson Days West
October 25, 2014

Briarbrook Country Club
502 Briarbrook Dr.
Carl Junction, MO 64834

Cocktail Hour --5:30
Buffet -- at 6 p.m.
Speaking program-- 7p.m.
Silent and Live Auction

66th birthday sale at Always Buying Books Saturday

Saturday, October 23, is the last of Always Buying Books' three-day 66th Birthday Sale, celebrating the 66th birthday of store owner Bob Wolfe.

Readers can buy one book and get one of similar price for 66 cents. The first 66 customers will also receive free copies of the Joplin Globe Angling in the Archives book, which features a great deal of the history of this area.

Of course, you can also pick up a copy of one of my books while you are out there. Bob has copies of Let Teachers Teach, No Child Left Alive, 5:41: Stories from the Joplin Tornado, Spirit of Hope, Scars from the Tornado, Small Town News, The Turner Report, and Newspaper Days available.

Billy Long: We need to ditch proposed EPA rule

(From Seventh District Congressman Billy Long)

Government regulations have been trending upwards at an alarming rate over the past few decades. These new regulations flowing from unelected bureaucrats hinder job growth and are hitting hard working taxpayers with increased costs.

In September, the House passed bipartisan legislation to rein in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the agency seeks to redefine "waters of the United States" under the Clean Water Act (CWA). I voted to ditch this rule.

The EPA is leading the way when it comes to threatening our freedom and job creation with the department's regulations. The EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) have been attempting to expand the federal government's regulatory powers under the CWA by redefining "waters of the United States." Under this proposed rule, almost any low spot where rainwater collects could be regulated by the federal government. The protection of our natural environment, including air and water sources, is very important for all Americans. America has one of the very best environmental records in the world and enjoys an immense bounty of naturally beautiful ecosystems. However, the EPA has increasingly attempted to impose harsh rules with dubious or non-existent environmental benefits. Instead of allowing this to continue, I suggest we focus on passing legislation that will protect landowners from burdensome regulatory overreach and irrational rules.

Recently I voted alongside a number of my colleagues to pass the Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act (H.R. 5078). This legislation specifically exempts from federal jurisdiction streams which may only form when rain falls, prohibits the EPA and Corps from regulating or reinterpreting the definition of navigable waters without Congressional authorization, and returns the authority of waterways not under the jurisdiction of the CWA to states and local authorities.

We need to ditch this EPA proposed rule, and it is my hope that passing this bipartisan legislation will serve as an attempt to begin the very necessary rollback of federal regulations. I will continue to work to reduce regulatory burdens and protect the freedom of all Americans.

Hartzler: We must do more to stop spread of Ebola

(From Fourth District Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler)

Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), today made the following statement in response to the unfortunate news of an American doctor in New York being diagnosed with Ebola.

“In light of the new case of Ebola in New York, it is becoming clear that even more protective measures to mitigate the spread of this deadly disease here in the United States must be taken. In addition to the suspension of visas that I have called for, health care workers who have been in direct contact with Ebola patients in the affected West African countries should undergo mandatory monitoring in a controlled environment for 21 days upon returning to the United States. Further, safe non-commercial travel options must be considered in order to protect American lives and deliver aid resources to Ebola-stricken countries in West Africa.”

Sinquefield's Teach Great group gives $225,000 to Grow Missouri

Teach Great, the Rex Sinquefield backed group that put Amendment 3 on the ballot, then suddenly abandoned it, has given $225,000 to another Sinquefield group, Grow Missouri, according to a 48-hour report filed Thursday with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

Grow Missouri, which has pushed Sinquefield's goal of eliminating the income tax and placing our bets on an increased sales tax, reported contributing $5,500 to Sen. Ron Richard, R-Joplin, the number two man in the Missouri Senate, and $30,500 to Senate President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey, R-St. Charles.

Who gave R-8 Board lawyer the order to stop Debbie Fort interview?

The stories on KZRG and the Joplin Globe about KZRG's aborted interview with Joplin R-8 Board of Education member Debbie Fort raise some serious questions.

As both news sources noted, KZRG's Joe Lancello was interviewing Dr. Fort after Tuesday night's board meeting about some questions on professional development, a subject which came up during the session.

At some point, John Nicholas, the board's attorney, interrupted the interview and said all questions for the board should be directed to Board President Annie Sharp. Nicholas told the Globe it was a "decade-old protocol" and it is designed so the board can speak as one entity.

If we wanted the board to speak as one entity, we should elect a seven-person slate. We elect individuals who we think best reflect our own opinions on education and who we think are the ones who will do the best job of serving the children and the taxpayers of this district.

The questions that need to be asked?

-Who gave Nicholas the order to cut the interview short? Was it Annie Sharp? Was it C. J. Huff?  Someone else?

-Since there is no written policy and there are no laws preventing school board members, whether they hold the position of president or not from speaking to the media, why would a lawyer be the one to intervene?

-Is this really a smart thing for someone who is about to be elected as a judge in Jasper County (Nicholas) to be doing?

-If this was the City Council and not the School Board, wouldn't the Globe be burning up the phone lines, asking Missouri Press Association lawyers whether an elected board can control which of its members can be interviewed by the media? (I am pleased, however, that the Globe wrote an article about this.)

-Why should members of the media not be allowed to go directly to an elected official to ask a question? What sense does it make to have them have to go through the district's P.R. flak to question someone who is right there in the room with them?

-Isn't this another example of the same type of intimidation that has been used to keep any R-8 employees from getting out of line and expressing anything that may question the belief that the Joplin R-8 School District is the best of all possible worlds? While I am not expecting this to keep Dr. Fort from questioning practices and actions that do not meet her definition of responsible or ethical, this appears to be another move by the Huff Administration and the old guard on the Board to isolate Dr. Fort and try to bully her into toeing the line.

-And finally, if C. J. Huff and the old guard are willing to take such a drastic, unnecessary action to stop a board member from talking to to the media, can there be much more doubt that the end is near for their reign of terror?