Moran: President Bush's legacy of faith and service will live on

(From Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas)

President George H.W. Bush was a steadfast defender of freedom and liberty, from his time in the United States Navy to his many years of service in Congress, as vice president, and as our country’s 41st president.

Our nation is grateful for his leadership through periods of conflict and uncertainty around the world. President Bush was a family man whose legacy of faith and service will live on. 

Robba and I offer our sincerest condolences to the Bush family and we pray that President Bush has been reunited with Barbara, his wife of 71 years, in Heaven.

Joplin R-8 Board sets special meeting to approve $700K remodeling of Memorial

The Joplin R-8 Board of Education is expected to approve a $742,200 for remodeling of the Memorial Education Center so the Franklin Tech Adult Technology Center can move there in the summer of 2019.

The center is currently based at Missouri Southern State University.

R-8 administration is recommending the board approve the bid from Construction Services Group. Four bids were received for the project.



The base bid for the project is $710,000 with a $31,500 alternate for HVAC remote access control.

The 4:30 p.m. Tuesday meeting will also include approval of a bid for four surplus property lots and a closed session for hiring, firing, promoting or disciplining personnel.

Blunt addresses trade war with China on Fox News Sunday

During an interview this morning on Fox News Sunday, Sen. Roy Blunt addressed the signing of the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico and said more specifics are needed about trade dealings with Cnina.

Blunt said he was concerned that President Trump's trade policy may be having a negative effect on the economy.



"It's hard to win a trade war." Blunt said. "I would like to see China become the market that they should be for us, but I would also like to see China create the opportunities for American companies to invest there and do things besides steal our intellectual property."

Holiday specials offered on Joplin Tornado books

In time for the holiday season, prices have been reduced online and locally for my books on the Joplin Tornado and the ones I wrote with Carthage Press Managing Editor John Hacker.

You can use the PayPal buttons to order signed copies of my books or send the amount listed below plus two dollars to cover postage to Randy Turner, 2306 E. 8th, Apt. A, Joplin MO 64801.

At the bottom of the post, you will find special deals for combination of the books- four books for $40, three books for $30 and two books for $25.



5:41: Stories from the Joplin Tornado

The first book on the tornado, published in August 2011, includes 27 first-person stories written by tornado survivors, original reporting and essays by Hacker and me, transcripts from important speeches during the first weeks after the tornado, including those given at the memorial service at Missouri Southern State University and obituaries of those who died in the tornado. (Reduced from $20 to $15.

Please be sure to put your mailing address in the text field.

Spirit of Hope: The Year After the Joplin Tornado

John Hacker and I had not originally planned to do a follow-up to 5:41, but John kept telling me that people were telling him that we needed to tell the story of Joplin's remarkable recovery. So that is what we did.

Spirit of Hope includes first person accounts of the tornado we received after the deadline for the first book, plus reporting and essays on everything from the Day of Unity, the six-month anniversary, the Joplin High School graduation and the sermons given at Peace Lutheran Church the week after the tornado and one year later to the texts of speeches given by President Barack Obama and Gov. Jay Nixon at the JHS graduation,  Rush Limbaugh on the Fourth of July, Mark Rohr and C. J. Huff.

Spirit of Hope also features reporting on Joplin's hospitals, the role of KZRG after the tornado and the passage of a bond issue to replace the schools that were destroyed. (Reduced from $20 to $15)

Please be sure to put your mailing address in the text field.

Scars from the Tornado: One Year at Joplin East Middle School

This book features first person accounts and poems by students who were attending East Middle School during the year of the tornado and attended school in a makeshift warehouse on the outskirts of the district (enjoying the odor from the dog food plant) the year after the tornado.

The students write about their tornado experiences and they and I write about the challenges of that first year in the warehouse building. (Reduced from $15 to $10.)

Please be sure to put your mailing address in the text field.

Silver Lining in a Funnel Cloud: Greed, Corruption and the Joplin Tornado

To date, this is the only investigative book written about the way the City of Joplin and the Joplin R-8 School District dealt with the tornado and its aftermath.

The book details the actions and reactions of city and school leaders, including City Manager Mark Rohr, Mayor Mike Woolston, and Superintendent C. J. Huff, as well as others who played key roles, including Texas con artist David Wallace, Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce President Rob O'Brian, Joplin Globe Editor Carol Stark and Joplin school board members and candidates, including Mike Landis, Ann Sharp, Jeff Flowers, Debbie Fort, Jeff Koch and Jennifer Martucci.

The book begins with the day of the tornado and ends with the resignation of C. J. Huff and Mark Rohr becoming city manager of League City, Texas.

(Reduced from $25 to $15)

Please sure to put your mailing address in the text field.

Special Deals

For those who wish to buy more than one book, you can buy multiple books, whether it be moer than one copy of the same book or different combinations of the books for the bargain prices of four books for $40, three books for $30 and two books for $25 by using the PayPal button below.

Please be sure to leave your mailing address in the text field.

Nancy Hughes: When the missile hits the mark

“The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of
whom shall I be afraid?”
Psalm 17:1 (NIV)

For two weeks the Lord had been preparing me for the missile attack. At first, I thought the Scriptures that jumped out at me during my prayer time were intended for someone else.

My Bible fell open to Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” I thought of a friend who was going through a struggle with a loss and sent the Scripture with a note of encouragement.

On another day I read “Psalm 17:1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?” and emailed it to a teacher who was battling a group of students who had no desire to learn but every desire to bully.

And on another day my devotion was 2 Chronicles 20:15 “…This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.’”

Suddenly it occurred to me that my Father was preparing ME for something in which I was going to have to totally and completely rely on Him and trust Him to handle. I was right.

The day after my devotion reminding me that the battle ahead was not mine, but God’s, the missile of slander came out of nowhere and with deadly precision hit its mark in the middle of the intended target: me.

The comments made were designed to hurt and to cast doubt as to my character but were made anonymously which eliminated any way of correcting what was said or confronting the offender.

I knelt beside my bed, wounded and confused at the obvious intent to cast doubt on my witness. “Why, Lord?” I cried. “I’ve tried all these years to do what you would have me do. Why is this happening?”
In the quietness of the morning, the Lord spoke clearly to my heart: “When did I ever tell you that it would be easy . . . following me? Remember what I told you? Your strength is in Me. Do not be afraid. I will do battle for you, just as I have . . . all these years.”
Have you been attacked today? Perhaps the comments of someone you do not know have reached your ears. Or maybe you have felt the sting from a dear friend who spoke your name in an unkind way.

Whatever it may be, rest assured that we have a Father who understands and who encourages us to hold on to Him as He continually and faithfully does battle in our place.

Father, thank you. For being strong for us when we are weak and for holding on to us when we have no strength on our own. For preparing us for what is to come and for allowing us to watch as you battle in our place. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

What is your immediate reaction when someone says something completely false about you?

Do you mentally make a “get even” list and store it for future reference or do you forgive and trust the Lord to battle for you?

Application

Memorize one of the power verses below and repeat it back to yourself when you have been shot at and/or hit with a missile.

Share what has happened with a trusted prayer warrior and ask for wise counsel and prayer to determine if any steps need to be taken.

Power Verses
Psalm 17:1 (NIV) “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?”

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

2 Chronicles 20:15 (NIV) “This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.’”

***

Nancy Hughes' latest book- Healing From the Heart: The Journey Continues- is available at Amazon. The book features women telling their stories about becoming widows and how they have dealt with the pressures.

Kim Frencken: The difference between kindergarten and high school

What's the difference between kindergarten and a high school?
About 10 years. Upon reaching high school a teen can look back and see that it wasn't so very long ago that they were learning how to hold a crayon and tie their shoes.

Kinders are shorter. They talk funny. They laugh at themselves. They're cute. They look cute. They talk cute. They wear cute clothes. They don't know how to cut or glue or put their shoes on the right feet. Everything (and I mean everything) is a big deal.

Teens, the taller version of a kinder, thinks they're cute. They laugh at others. Their style is undeveloped. They cut and paste on digital devices. Everything (and I mean everything) revolves around them.

Tall and short, both love to be the center of attention. Your laughter is the fuel that keeps them going. Give them an inch and they'll steal the show. Teens use this as a way to divert the teacher, who will hopefully forget the assignment. Kinders use it to sneak into your heart.

Both ask questions, but kinders have the monopoly on Why, Where, and When. All kids will tell you just about anything you wanted to know and lots you don't want to know. Kinders don't have a filter. Yet. Some kids never get a filter. No matter how tall they get. Teens have perfected the art of saying a lot of nothing. Need some advice on how to beat around the bush? Take lessons from a teen.

Both have attitude. Have you ever seen a 5 year old put their hand on their hip and roll their eyes? Cute? Yes. Surprising? Not so much. Future smart aleck? Probably. Should this be corrected? Absolutely (after you stop laughing).

When you stop and think about it there isn't that much different. They are all kids seeking love and attention. They are all kids hoping to be good or do good. On something. They just go about it differently.

(For more of Kim Frencken's writing and information about her educational products, check out her blog Chocolate For the Teacher.)

Joplin woman pleads guilty to drugging, sodomizing 16-year-old, sentenced to 17 years in prison

A Joplin woman will spend 17 years in prison after pleading guilty to forcibly sodomizing an underage boy.

Carin Sue Timmerman, 50, was originally charged with multiple felonies in connection with several incidents in which she drugged and raped a 16-year-old boy, but the other felonies were dropped as part of the plea agreement.



The probable cause statement said Timmerman molested the boy three times, twice by crushing Benedryl tablets in his drink which left the boy in a daze and the third time fondling him while he was sleeping. The crimes took place between August 15, 2012, and May 24, 2013.

President Bush 41, Operation Desert Storm, a much younger reporter and this week's top Turner Report/Inside Joplin posts

Though it seems hard to believe, when President George H. W. Bush led the coalition that liberated Kuwait in Operation Desert Storm, there was only one cable news network.

Fox News was still five or six years in the future and MSNBC was not on anyone's radar. CNN was the only one on the air.

For those of us in this area who did not have cable, the best place to find out what was going on in the world was the BBC programming that KRPS had started carrying late night.

I was listening to that programming on the way back from covering a basketball game for the Carthage Press when I heard that war had been declared.

Though it was already past 11 p.m. and I had been working since 1 p.m. my first thought was always how I could localize the story. By this time I had been at the Press long enough that I had convinced Managing Editor Neil Campbell that if I became a one-man night shift I could provide the newspaper with more varied coverage on Carthage and area communities.

I would show up in the afternoon, check in, see if there were any assignments and if there were not, I would either begin checking sources or going to area towns on my beats. The night shift duties also allowed me to offer support to the sports department by covering Carthage girls sports, eighth and ninth grade games or area games. I would return to the Press office long after everyone had left and type out four or five stories for the next day's paper.

The three years that I did that were probably the most enjoyable times I ever had as a reporter.

That schedule enabled the Press to have a localized page one story on the beginning of Operation Desert Storm. A few nights earlier, I stopped at the 6-10 convenience store in Jasper after a Jasper basketball game and talked with the clerk Robin Roughton who told me that her husband was overseas participating in Operation Desert Shield.

I took a chance that Robin might be on duty at the 6-10 again that night, drove over there and sure enough she was. She had been listening for every scrap of information she could find out and she was kind enough to allow me to interview her about what was going through her mind on that day nearly three decades ago.

Thankfully for Robin and for this country, the coalition that had been organized by President Bush quickly defeated the forces of Saddam Hussein and liberated Kuwait.

It was a war that ended quickly and involved an approach to American world leadership that has not been on display for quite some time now.

As I watched the coverage of President Bush's death last night and today, I thought about that time when the U. S. President was leader of the free world, when America worked with other countries against dictators instead of falling in love with them.

I miss those days.

President Bush's death, like the death of Sen. John McCain a few months ago, reminds of the types of leaders this country seems to have tossed aside.

And I have to admit I also miss the days when I had that much energy.

Books, subscriptions, contributions

Thanks to those of you who subscribed, renewed your subscriptions or made contributions to the Turner Report/Inside Joplin during November.

Your support is much appreciated. It was a good November and hopefully that will carry on through December, which has typically not been a good month for the finances of this news operation.

You can find a PayPal button below to subscribe or make a contribution or you can mail it to Randy Turner, 2306 E. 8th, Apt. A, Joplin, MO 64801.

You can also find a PayPal button to below to order a signed copy of Newton County Memories if you are looking for a Christmas gift for someone who might share some of those memories or who has a loved one featured in the book.

I will be making more announcements about specials on some of my other books, both locally and online.

Thanks again for your support.

The Turner Report

1. Joplin man pleads guilty, sentenced to 120 days shock time for resisting arrest, assaulting police officer, assaulting K9

2. Jury trial slated today for Joplin woman charged with drugging, raping 16-year-old boy

3. Joplin R-8 Board hires three teachers, accepts three resignations

4, Arraignment scheduled for Ace Mohr

5. Missouri minimum wage to increase to $8.60 January 1

6. DISH subscribers may lose KOAM this afternoon

7. Ace Mohr pleads not guilty to armed robbery, assault charges, public defender appointed

8. New armed robbery, assault charges filed against Ace Mohr, Carthage man held without bond

9. Thoughts about predictable news coverage, my Ace Mohr "obsession" and top Turner Report/Inside Joplin posts for the week

10. Billy Long: Ozark Center in Joplin is proof investing in mental health works

Inside Joplin

1. Three arrested for drug trafficking near Baxter Springs school, cocaine marijuana confiscated

2. Joplin Police Department Holiday Weekend Arrests

3. Joplin doctor using new technology for shoulder replacement surgery

4. Jasper County Dissolution of Marriage Petitions

5. Jasper County Marriage Licenses November 19-24

6. Joplin Police Department Arrests November 28-29

7. Newton County Dissolution of Marriage Petition

8. Joplin Police Department Arrests November 26-27

9. Barton County deputies, Highway Patrol investigate accident caused by flying sofa

10. Joplin Police Department Arrests November 27-28

***

Newton County Memories

A reminder that signed copies of Newton County Memories are available as holiday gifts at Granby Auto Supply, Always Buying Books, Changing Hands Book Shoppe and Pat's Books in Carthage.

Or you can order them directly from me for $22, including sales tax and postage by sending your money to Randy Turner, 2306 E. 8th, Apt. A, Joplin, MO or by using the PayPal button below.

If you use the PayPal button, be sure to leave your address in the message form.

***

Inside Joplin Obituaries

1. Brandon Valentine

2. LaDonna Smith

3. Mark Grant

4. Kevin Durbin

5. Donald Stearnes

6. Rodney Hayes

7. Carl Berry

8. Judy Bicknell

9. Beverly Christian

10. Betty Wininger

Help support the Turner Report/Inside Joplin by subscribing or contributing using the PayPal buttons below or by sending your contribution of any size, large or small to Randy Turner, 2306 E. 8th, Apt A, Joplin, MO. Thank you.

Payment options

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Jason Smith: Border Patrol being attacked by caravan, media, leftist politicians

(From Eighth District Congressman Jason Smith)

America is a nation of immigrants. Historically, millions of persecuted and afflicted people around the world have found refuge and safe haven on American soil. 

But America is a nation of laws, and our generosity is being taken advantage of and our rule of law undermined. The caravan in Mexico is flagrantly disrespecting our laws and sovereignty, and tolerating it would be unfair to the people who want to enter our country the right way – legally and by swearing an oath to our Constitution.

This week more than 1,000 members of the migrant caravan in Mexico attempted to enter the United States illegally by force at our southern border. 

Unbelievably, the group pushed women and children to the front to be used as a human shield while the rest threw rocks, bricks, cement blocks, and bottles at border patrol agents. It’s a testament to the professionalism and preparedness of the Customs and Border Patrol that nobody on either side of the border was seriously injured, even as several agents were struck with projectiles.

Border Patrol agents knew to be prepared as the caravan that originated in Honduras violently entered Mexico weeks ago and has attacked police in two other countries. They were dealing with violent people – federal authorities have been able to identify over 600 individuals in the caravan who have been convicted of violent crimes including assault, battery, drug crimes, burglary, even rape and child abuse. And this week as most Americans were celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday, CBP officials held the line at the border and endured the abuse. On one front they were attacked by immigrants at the border, and on another front by the media and leftist politicians trying to spin common sense border security into an attack on President Trump.

The size, organization, and violent nature of the caravan required a heavier border patrol presence, but the burden on our immigration system will be long-term. A recent surge in attempted border crossings has drained valuable time and resources from a system where immigration facilities are packed beyond their capabilities. The thousands of migrants in the caravan who refuse to apply through our normal immigration channels will pile on to a backlog of immigration court cases, which has doubled in the last five years.

America is the most generous country in the world when it comes to legal immigration, accepting far more legal immigrants than any other country. I’ve attended multiple naturalization ceremonies, and it’s inspiring to see people who have put in the time and the work to become citizens swear an oath to our country and earn their citizenship.

There’s a right way to apply for asylum, which tens of thousands of people around the world do every year. In the last year, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services set a new record, processing approximately 100,000 credible fear asylum claims. But the caravan storming our border drains vital resources from an already burdened immigration system, and tolerating it would be unfair to the citizens of this country and those who want to become citizens legally. The United States should reward those who follow proper immigration channels and respect our immigration laws, not those who violate our laws before reaching American soil.

Hartzler on death of President Bush: America has lost a true statesman

(From Fourth District Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler)

Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-04) today made the following statement about the passing of President George H.W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States of America.

“Like Americans all across our nation, I was saddened to learn of the news of the passing of President George H.W. Bush. ‘Bush 41,’ as he was affectionately known, served his country in World War II as a combat pilot, then extended his service to America as an envoy to China, U.S. Representative, CIA Director, Vice President, and finally President of the United States.

"America has lost a true statesman. My thoughts and prayers are with the Bush family at this time.”