Jason Smith: Missourians receive proper recognition for World War II service

(From Eighth District Congressman Jason Smith)

Seventy-three years ago this week, Americans were eagerly waiting for the end of World War Two. It was a painful war for Missourians, especially those who fought on all fronts and at all levels of the military to secure an Allied victory. Our greatest generation answered the call to serve our country when she needed them most – and unfortunately some of our heroes are still waiting today for their proper recognition.

In the darkest hours of the 1940s, Missourians banded together to win the war. Every family felt the weight of the great war as they waited for word about their loved ones serving overseas. Back home, Missourians bought over $3 billion in war bonds, rationed goods, and grew victory gardens to supplement the military’s needs. 450,000 Missourians joined the Armed Forces, many of whom would ship off from home to never return to the heartland again. Missouri native General Omar Bradley commanded the largest field army in American history and led the D-Day invasion of Normandy, and a year later Missouri native President Truman secured the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay.

When President Truman announced the Japanese would surrender on September 2nd on the “Mighty Mo,” the USS Missouri battleship, Americans everywhere rejoiced and celebrated as the long war finally came to a close. Our soldiers were eager to return home to civilian life, and in the haste to bring our boys home, some soldiers never received their proper medals and recognition. This week I had the privilege to right that wrong and award two of Missouri’s heroes their long-lost military commendations.

One of Missouri’s heroes, George ‘Bud’ Hartwell, was born in Hayti, Missouri in 1918 and joined the United States Army in 1942 as an airplane and engine mechanic and technical instructor. When he was discharged from the Army in December 1945 he held the rank of Corporal, but never received a proper medal ceremony. I had the honor of presenting Mr. Hartwell the WWII Victory Medal and the Honorable Service Lapel Button at the American Legion Hall in New Madrid, just weeks before his 100th birthday.

Cloyd Cook, born in Aquila, Missouri, answered the call to serve and joined the United States Army after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. As a member of the 94th Infantry he served in eight countries under General Patton. After the Allied forces won the war he was discharged home in 1945, also without receiving his rightfully earned honors. This week I presented Mr. Cook the American Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 4 bronze service stars, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Honorable Service Lapel Button at the VFW in Poplar Bluff.

Mr. Hartwell and Mr. Cook’s brave service to our nation – motivated not by awards but by selfless love for country – reminds me that we could all do more every day to support our men and women in uniform. Returning home is never simple or easy for our soldiers, and they deserve our utmost respect, support, and recognition as they adjust to life on American soil again. If you know of any veteran or their family who could use help – whether it’s dealing with the VA or tracking down records and medals, please contact my office. It breaks my heart to see brave patriotism and service go unrecognized, and it is my honor to remind our veterans that the American people appreciate and remember all of their sacrifices and service.

Ann Wagner: Trump tax cuts are making the difference for Missourians

(From Second District Congresswoman Ann Wagner)

As people across the country gather to celebrate Labor Day, we honor the tradition of hard work upon which this nation was founded. Our economic prosperity and leadership is truly a testament to the American worker.

As the daughter and granddaughter of small business owners, I’ve seen firsthand the determination that is necessary in order to succeed. 

Today, we are honoring that spirit and the innovation and ingenuity of our hard working neighbors, friends, and generations that have gone before us.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is benefiting hard working Americans across the United States, especially here in Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District.

For the people I have spoken with across the district from Chesterfield to Arnold, it is already making all the difference. The average increase in take home pay per person in the 2nd District is $2,083, and $3,727 for families. I am proud to have supported this landmark legislation that has meant so much for Missourians.

Search continues for Sarah Burton, missing for seven weeks, candlelight vigil planned

As of Monday, it will be seven weeks since the last time Sarah Burton, 28, Joplin, has been seen.

As the search for Burton continues, the people who created the people behind the Bring Sarah Burton home Facebook page are planning a candlelight vigil, "Lighting the Way Home for Sarah for her 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday, September 10, at Mercy Park, 2601 McClelland Boulevard, Joplin.

Sarah Burton was last seen in the area of 10th and Rex July 16. She has brown hair, blue eyes, is five feet, seven inches tall and weighs 170 pounds.



If anyone has more information about Sarah Burton's whereabouts, call the Joplin Police Department 417-623-3131.

Transgender high school student files sex discrimination lawsuit against Joplin R-8, Ridder, Sachetta, Eggleston

A transgender high school student who was not permitted to use the boys restroom at Joplin High School and his mother have filed a discrimination lawsuit against the Joplin R-8 School District.

In the action, which was filed August 10 in Jasper County Circuit Court, a student referred to only as J. R. M. in court documents, alleges the district only offered him the options of going to the girls restroom or teachers' restroom though he identifies himself as a boy.



Listed as defendants in the lawsuit are the Joplin R-8 Board of Education, former interim superintendent Norm Ridder, Assistant Superintendent Kerry Sachetta and former Joplin High School Principal Brandon Eggleston, who is currently Seneca R-7 superintendent.

The alleged discrimination is described in the petition:

J.R.M. resided within the boundaries of and attended school in the Joplin R-VIII School District from the beginning of Kindergarten until October 14, 2016. Plaintiff J.R.M. is a 16-year old boy who formerly attended Joplin High School as a student until October 14, 2016. He is a boy who is transgender, which means that he was designated female at birth but has a male gender identity. He has been diagnosed by medical professionals as having Gender Dysphoria, which is a serious medical condition characterized by clinically significant distress cause by an incongruence between a person’s gender identity and the person’s assigned sex at birth. 

J.R.M. has undergone treatment for Gender Dysphoria, in accordance with the widely recognized standards of care for that condition. A critical element of that treatment is a “social transition” in which J.R.M. lives in accordance with his gender identity as a boy in all aspects of his life. 23. On or about August 11, 2016, J.R.M.’s mother asked Defendant former Principal Brandon Eggleston that J.R.M be allowed to use the boys’ restrooms and locker room at Joplin High School. 

Plaintiff's mother offered Eggleston medical documentation of J.R.M.’s condition from Children’s Mercy Hospital, which explained that J.R.M.’s use of the boys’ bathrooms and locker room was a medical necessity for his mental health. Eggleston responded he knew nothing of J.R.M.’s situation and that he would have to check with others, those others being Defendants Norm Ridder and Kerry Sachetta regarding how the request should be handled and get back to her. 

On or about the evening of August 11, 2016 Eggleston contacted (the boy's mother) and informed her that J.R.M. would be required to use a gender-neutral bathroom or the girls’ bathroom and locker room. (The boy's mother) explained to Eggleston that the girls’ bathrooms and locker room were unsafe for J.R.M. because in seventh grade J.R.M. had been assaulted by another student in the girls’ bathroom because he looked like a boy. She also explained that J.R.M. had been told by another female student on another occasion that he did not belong in the girls’ restrooms because he is a boy.




Defendants responded that they did not believe it was unsafe for J.R.M. to use the girls’ bathrooms and locker room and that J.R.M. would not be in any physical danger if he did so.

In or about late August 2016 another student at Joplin High School confronted J.R.M. as he was entering one of the single-person, gender-neutral bathrooms Defendants required him to use. This bathroom, like all other such single-person bathrooms, was marked “Faculty,” and student access was prohibited by a sign on the door. 

The student told J.R.M. that he was not supposed to go in there. J.R.M. had to explain to this student that he had special permission to use this bathroom. Having to explain his use of the faculty bathroom to another student was humiliating, embarrassing and degrading for J.R.M. It singled him out for disparate treatment from other boys and clearly distinguished him as “different” or “other” than every other boy in the school based on his sex, and Defendants’ perceptions of his sex. 

Defendants barred J.R.M. from using the boys’ bathrooms and locker room for the entire time he attended Joplin High School. Defendants further denied his request for accommodation of his medical condition, despite being presented with documentation from his treating physician that this accommodation was medically necessary for his mental health. 

As a result of Defendants’ actions, J.R.M. has had to seek further counseling for anxiety and depression related to school attendance and Defendants’ prohibition of his use of the boys’ bathrooms and locker room. 




On or about September 22, 2016, J.R.M. was prescribed anti-depressants as a result of the depression and emotional distress J.R.M. suffered as a result of Defendants’ actions. Because Defendants prohibited J.R.M. from using the boys’ bathrooms at school district facilities, he was often required to hold his urine for the entire day without going to the bathroom. As a result, he developed urinary tract infections and lost the ability to know when he needed to relieve himself until it was too late; he often had accidents on the way home from school. 

Upon information and belief, J.R.M. was the only student in his school who had to use separate, gender-neutral restrooms. Because of his medical diagnosis of Gender Dysphoria, the option for J.R.M. to use the girls’ restroom was neither practical nor desirable, and exposed J.R.M. to serious psychological harm. 

Defendants’ policy thus required J.R.M. to use only the designated gender-neutral restroom, which stigmatized J.R.M. and marked him as different from the other students; it isolated J.R.M. from his peers and exposed him to serious psychological harm. As a result of this trauma, and in order to avoid the stigma of having to use separate restrooms, J.R.M. tried to avoid using any restrooms during the school day, beyond his capacity to delay relieving himself. Because of J.R.M.’s anxiety, depression, and fears for his safety if he were to use the girls’ bathrooms, his mother requested a 504 education plan as an accommodation to assist his learning. 

 On or about October 10, 2016 Defendants, through their representatives, held a 504 meeting, which they alleged was for the purpose of determining whether J.R.M. would qualify for the 504 plan. Defendants asked (the boy's mother) to bring medical and psychological documentation to support the request to this meeting, which she did. 

When Plaintiffs arrived at the meeting, Defendants had already completed paperwork denying the request for the 504 plan before Plaintiffs were permitted to present supporting documentation and before any meeting was held. Defendants had already determined to deny Plaintiffs’ request without providing them the opportunity to be heard. 

The four-count lawsuit alleges sex discrimination, disability discrimination and charges the district officials with retaliation. The boy and his mother are asking for an unspecified amount in damages, costs and attorney fees.

They are represented by Mary Madeline Johnson, Kansas City.

(Disclaimer: I am currently involved in a lawsuit against the Joplin R-8 School District, though none of the individuals listed are defendants.)

Jasper, Newton, Barton, Dade counties designated as disaster areas due to drought

(From the U. S. Department of Agriculture)

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated 12 Missouri counties as primary natural disaster areas.

Producers in Audrain, Barry, Barton, Boone, Callaway, Cooper, Dade, Jasper, Lawrence, Moniteau, Monroe and Newton counties who suffered losses due to recent drought may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans.

I have no regrets about my insulting response to reader's comment, plus top posts for Turner Report/Inside Joplin this week

One of the joys of writing a blog is going through the comments each day to see who the latest person is I have offended.

It is easy for people to attack other people cloaked in anonymity and while I was going through the comments this week a few of them irked me.

When a reader asked if I planned to personally attend the Joplin R-8 Board of Education meeting Tuesday night, I replied that I wasn't. One of the reasons I offered is that I am currently involved in a lawsuit against the school district.

That answer must have satisfied the person who asked the question, but another reader thought I was showing my cowardice because I was afraid to get out of my apartment and face these people.


To that anonymous jerk, I point out that I was going to Board of Education meetings when the man behind my firing, former Superintendent C. J. Huff and the Board that fired me were still there. There were important stories going on at that time that involved the serious misuse of taxpayer money.

My lawsuit is part of the reason, but though the school district's name is on it, the people who were named individually in the action, Huff, his former H. R. director Tina Smith and the seven people who were on the Board of Education at that time are all long since gone.

While there are still important things happening at the Board of Education meetings, I do not feel the need to attend all of the meetings at this time. I continue to provide coverage of things that are happening in the school district and as I noted in my response to the first reader's question, the board meetings are televised. It is not quite the same, but it does offer a fairly accurate rendition of what goes on at the meeting.

Another major reason at this time of the year is that I am able to watch the board meetings online at the same time that the St. Louis Cardinals game is on the television.

Another smart aleck reader, perhaps the same one, seems to think that I am lazy because I run news releases on the Turner Report.

"Your ability to cut and paste press releases is remarkable," the reader commented.

Normally, I don't respond to that kind of comment. This time, I did.

"That is only one of my abilities," I wrote. "Far more remarkable is how I can hit the word 'publish' and the comment of a jackass appears out of nowhere. The last one I did that on wrote, 'Your ability to cut and paste press releases is remarkable.' "

I do run news releases. I run anything that has information that might interest you. Whenever I run a news release, I tell you right at the top where it came from. That is a far different practice from the Joplin Globe and many other newspapers, which take news releases, run them as is or almost as is then add the words "From staff reports" at the top.

I will put my amount of original content up against anyone's.

The top 10 most visited posts on the Turner Report, Inside Joplin and Inside Joplin Obituaries are listed below with links to the posts.

The Turner Report

1. Judd McPherson warns people on enemies list: I have a large circle of very influential friends


2. McPherson responds to Turner Report: Post was "a new low, even for you"

3. Search for Sarah Burton continues- Joplin woman has been missing for more than a month

4. Those bastards! GateHouse Media closes the Carthage Press

5. Autopsy, murder victim shot four times, including once in chest, Joplin man held without bond

6. A newspaper can succeed in Carthage

7. Highway Patrol offers breakdown of Missouri laws going into effect today

8. Gatehouse Media to Carthage Press readers: Neosho Daily will cover your news

9. Ruling expected on former Jasper fireman's lawyer's request to withdraw from child molestation case

10. McCaskill: I'm holding town meetings, doing my job, Hawley is working out, meeting with dark money backers

Inside Joplin

1. Man watching JPD officers at murder scene arrested for stealing a car

2. Joplin Police Department enlists public's help in finding 12-year-old girl

3. Joplin PD arrests Joplin, Galena men passed out in car at Zora and Range Line for DUI, meth trafficking

4. Carthage Police searching for missing teen

5. After arrest, new Jasper resident, formerly from Lamar, tells officer he'll try to quit meth

6. Joplin Police searching for missing, endangered man

7. Joplin Police Department Arrests August 29-30

8. Joplin Police Department Arrests August 28-29

9. Joplin Police Department Arrests August 30-31

10. Jasper traffic stop results in arrest, meth confiscation

Inside Joplin Obituaries

1. John Williams

2. Logan Brown

3. Leonard Doss

4. Joe Borland

5. Marvin Haase

6. Lewis Boan

7. Nancy Embrey

8. Mary Cowan

9. Jeffrey Moore

10. Alberta Foster

Help support the Turner Report/Inside Joplin news operation with a subscription or contribution. Help keep this alternative news source continue to provide news and commentary for the Joplin area. You can subscribe or make a contribution at the PayPal buttons below or you can mail a contribution, large or small, to Randy Turner, 2306 E. 8th, Apt. G, Joplin, MO

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Nancy Hughes: Laughter- What's in it for me?

“Sarah said, ‘God has brought me laughter, and everyone
who hears about this will laugh with me.’”
Genesis 21:6 (NIV)

As a nurse, I am here to tell you that laughter is good medicine. The idea is not new. It actually was God’s idea. It’s a part of His personality. In Psalms 2:4 we are told “The One enthroned in heaven laughs.”

Now in that particular Scripture God wasn’t laughing because the situation taking place was funny but He was laughing. We are made in His image so we can be very certain He created laughter as part of our personalities.

There are several accounts in the Bible of people laughing. When God revealed to Abraham that he was going to be a father and have a son, we are told in Genesis 17:17 that “Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, ‘Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?’”

Read on in Chapter 18:10 and 11: “Then the Lord said, ‘I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.’” Scripture tells us that Sarah was listening to this conversation and could not contain her laughter as well.

Honestly, we can pretty much figure out why Abraham was laughing: he knew that Viagra hadn’t been invented yet. But I am quite certain that Sarah’s laugh bordered on hysteria. Bottles and diapers and up all night at 90 years of age? No way! Can I get a collective “AMEN,” Sisters?

But because the Lord is faithful, Sarah became pregnant as He had promised and gave birth to a son and named him Isaac, which means “he laughs.”

California’s Loma Linda University published research regarding laughter. The studies show that there are very positive effects on our immune system when we laugh.

They observed that laughter lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, increases the ability of our muscles to flex and boosts immune function by raising levels of white blood cells which fight infection and disease in the body.

Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins (brain chemicals) which are the body’s natural painkillers. And if that weren’t enough, laughter produces a sense of well-being in our bodies. God absolutely knew what He was doing when he created laughter in us.

And, did you know that up to 80 muscles are used during a big laugh? A German professor found in his studies that a ONE MINUTE hearty laugh has the same health benefits as a 45 minute gym workout!! That’s because laughing provides a workout for the diaphragm and increases the body’s ability to use oxygen. (Stop and time a one minute belly laugh and your daily workout is done!)

So is laughter good medicine for us? Absolutely. Yes, there will be times in our lives, as it says in Proverbs 14:13, where “Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief.” But laughter can often put a whole new outlook on tough situations.

Think about events that have happened in your life that made you laugh out loud. How did you feel after you laughed? Sad? Discouraged? Angry? Resentful? Or did you feel like you just got an energy boost from the Lord?

I encourage you this week, whatever you may face, to remember that God’s gift of laughter is soothing and healing and it is indeed the very best kind of medicine there is.

Father, there are so many times when I am quick to become angry or frustrated or discouraged when I should take a breath and simply laugh. You created laughter for my benefit. Please help me to remember that every day. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

Make a list of every situation or disappointment or frustration that has come your way this last week.

Could any of those situations have had a more positive outcome if you had simply stopped, taken a deep breath, and laughed at what was happening?

Application

Memorize Psalm 126:2 this week and speak it whenever a situation occurs and you are tempted to react with anger.

Stand in front of your mirror with a stop watch, think of something funny that has happened, and laugh for one minute. Workout complete!

Power Verses

Genesis 21:6 (NIV) “Sarah said, ‘God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.’”

Psalm 126:2 (NIV) “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”

Psalm 2:4 (NIV) “The One enthroned in heaven laughs…”

(For more of Nancy Hughes' writing, check out her blog Encouragement from the War Room.)

Kim Frencken: When do we draw the line at free programs?

As teachers we are aware of the number of free programs that children receive. Probably more aware than the general public. I've had mixed feelings about some of these programs for some time. I know I'm a throwback to ancient times, but it is my tax dollars (and yours) that keep these programs alive. I think I've earned the right to have an opinion on the matter since I am helping to provide the funding. So... I'll jump right in the deep end.

For starters, let me state that I had nothing against a child receiving needed medical care or food. I think of children as the victim, not the problem. What is the problem? A cycle that keeps repeating itself with every generation. Families raising new government program recipients who have no intention of trying to have a 'better life' by getting off the gravy train. (Now, I've done it.) Let's face some facts. Generally speaking, people who are born into poverty (a.k.a. welfare) stay there. If I've heard once, I've heard it a million times, "I don't want to get an education and get a job. Why would I? My parents get everything they want from the government." I've even had parents tell me to quit trying to teach their kid to read because they don't need to learn. They won't ever get a job. And this my dear reader, is no exaggeration. I could tell story after story of people that are capable of working, but have learned to milk the system. Some stories are too graphic to repeat here.

What is wrong with society? Let me tell you. We started down a path, long before my generation, and we can't seem to change course. The original program was in no means designed to support generations of non-working families. The program started as a way to help people survive while they got back on their feet. Fast forward a few years, add in laziness, entitlement, and attitude and we have a hot mess.

We not only fund this mess, we created it. Governmental red tape has made it too difficult to cut through all the garbage and find the truth. People who refuse to learn in school, have learned how to beat the system at home. Why would someone want to get a minimum wage job when they can get better health care, better food, and all the digital trinkets they want on government assistance? It is too easy. That's why. Getting up and making yourself presentable and going to work is too hard. It is easier to stay in bed, spend the day in your jammies, and wait on the mail.

Do I sound furious? That's because I am. We are failing children every day with lower expectations in learning and discipline. Now, you want me to continue getting up at 5 am and working 10+ hour days so that my taxes can support a younger generation that is too lazy to work.

Let me tell you a story about a young mother who came home one day to find that her husband had left her. Not only did he take the car, he cleaned out the bank account. While she was at work. He left her and his kids behind. Did she ever take any type of government assistance? No. She came to work the next day with circles under her bloodshot eyes and asked for more hours. She put the house up for sale and drove an old clunker to work. I once asked her if she needed help. Yes, she did, but she would not accept it because this was her problem. No one else. Hers. She was too proud to accept assistance. She wanted to earn her way out of the poverty where she had suddenly found herself. Her children learned to work for a living and to take pride in the job that they did. They learned that hard work matters. Thirty years later, this lady still has my respect.

If more people had her attitude our kids would not need snack packs sent home for week-end meals or free lunches. Parents would accept responsibility and care for their children. Parents would not show up to school in PJ pants to pick up their kids 30 minutes late because they overslept. Our government programs would benefit those who truly need them. And most importantly our kids would be proud of earning an education and have supportive parents that were proud of them too.

(For more of Kim Frencken's writing, check out her blog, Chocolate For the Teacher.)

GateHouse Media closes 137-year-old California newspaper, gives staff no warning

Carthage is not the only community treated shabbily by GateHouse Media this week.

The Chico, California Enterprise Record reports the company closed the twice-weekly Gridley Record, which had been publishing for 137 years:

GateHouse Media could not be reached for comment on Friday. Amy Lanier, Northern California regional manager, had this to say in a “Note to Readers” post on the Gridley Herald’s website:

“We have enjoyed chronicling the lives of Gridley, Biggs and Live Oak residents for all these years. It’s been a privilege to serve as the watchdog for our communities and keeping our readers informed of civic, educational, business and cultural happenings around our wonderful communities.”

At least, that was a little more than Carthage readers got from GateHouse, which told them important Carthage news would continue to be covered in the Neosho Daily News.

The company's latest Securities and Exchange Commission shows its practice of recklessly buying newspapers for more than they are worth has put it $396 million in debt, with most of that due in 2022.

McCaskill: I am fighting to protect working people's pensions and to end trade war

(From Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-MO)

This weekend I'm thinking about Missouri's working families.

It's a day off for some, but it's also our chance to pay tribute to those who fought for better rights and protections for working families -- like the minimum wage, the 40-hour work week, Social Security and Medicare.

Labor Day is also our chance to think about the future we want for our kids, and recommit ourselves to the battles still being waged today to make Missouri's working families more secure.

That's why I'm fighting to protect working people's pensions, and it's why I'm fighting to end this trade war that's already costing hardworking Missourians their jobs.

It's why I've always stood up for our farmers and union workers, and it's why I've fought hard to give Missourians the raise they deserve.

It's why I'll never stop fighting for Missouri families.

I know that working people built this country, and strengthening working families should be our focus every single day.

I hope all Missourians get to spend this special weekend with their loved ones. As we celebrate, it's another chance to express our shared commitment that all Americans deserve the opportunity to work, and to have workplace protections that provide a path to a stronger economic future.

This Labor Day, I pledge to continue fighting for working families every day as your Senator.