Kay Hively: Some thoughts on Christmas movies

With Christmas just around the corner, I have many thoughts about this most Holy day.

When I was small, it bothered me that my birthday was close to Christmas. I felt I didn’t get enough attention because everyone was focus on Christmas. Now of course that doesn’t seem to matter at all.

Today I find myself more focused on others at this time of year. I worry about those in need, people without a permanent place to stay, children who go to bed hungry, those who have no warm clothes, those without a warm bed, those who are without friends or families.

I have always vowed that if I could I would provide poor children with their own sleeping bag to keep them warm all winter. I would leave a box of food on the porches of the poor and I like to dream of what I would put in the box.

But I do what I can and hope for the best.

On a lighter note, I enjoy the old Christmas-themed movies. Naturally I like the old ones. There are many around but ever year or so I discover a new one.

I used to like the Bing Crosby movies that were mostly in color, but I have come around to the black and white ones as there seems to be more substance to them.

One of my newest favorites is “The Shop Around the Corner,” which stars Jimmy Stewart. The movie is set in Budapest, Hungry, and centers around a small shop and the people who work there.

The movie has a good story and some great characters, many portrayed by bit players who movie fan recognizes but cannot name.

Jimmy Stewart is also the star of one of the most popular Christmas flicks ever made. He has a great performance in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” one of the most powerful Christmas stories ever filmed.

Other Christmas movies I enjoy are most of the “Christmas Carol” movies, “Christmas in Connecticut,” “The Bells of Saint Mary,” and “An Affair to Remember.”

But just between you and me, I like Christmas and I try to keep the Christmas spirit all year long. So, Merry Christmas.

(Kay Hively is a historian, author and former editor, reporter and columnist for the Neosho Daily News and Neosho Post.)

Roy Blunt perpetuates theory that President Trump hasn't actually been impeached

President Donald Trump says he has not been impeached since the articles of impeachment have yet to be transferred from the House to the Senate.

The theory has been spread in recent days by people trying to draw attention to themselves and curry the favor of Trump and his supporters.

Locally, KZRG even linked to an alt-right website that pushed the theory.

Make no doubt about it. The president has been impeached.

In all likelihood. Sen. Roy Blunt knows that, but he went along with the concept this morning on the CBS program Face the Nation, though he used one of the president's normal tactics, saying that other people were saying it.







When the program's host, Margaret Brennan, asked Blunt if she agreed with Trump's statement that he hasn't actually been impeached, Blunt did not dare say anything that might bring a tweet from the president.

Well, I've actually heard some constitutional scholars suggest that you're not impeached until the House sends the articles over. I don't know that it's a distinction worth arguing about. The House will send the articles over.

Blunt used the same approach later when talking with Trump's phone call with the Ukrainian president.

Well, I think the people that listened to it that should know and hear a lot of these calls have generally said there was nothing wrong with the call.

Jerry's Christmas

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;
he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you; You
will find a baby wrapped in clothes
and lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:11-12 (NIV)


I’ll never forget that precious little boy: freckles scattered like tiny raindrops across his entire face, including his ears. Big brown eyes partially obscured by long, wispy blonde hair that brushed against an ever present smile minus two front teeth.

Jerry was a first grade student at the elementary school where I worked. He came from a home that was short on money but long on love. His clothes were always someone else’s property first, but he never seemed to care.

And this Christmas season was no different.

As a mother of three, I was frantically trying to balance home, husband, kids and job while I shopped endlessly for the perfect “only thing I want” gifts for my family. Somewhere in the rush of the season my focus shifted from the birth of a baby in a manger to the number of presents under our Christmas tree.

There was some success but at a price . . . a high price. My Christmas budget was shrinking rapidly. “Why couldn’t my children want something a little cheaper?” I kept thinking. “Why do they think they have to have every thing they see on television?”

Those questions were occupying my thoughts as I walked down the first grade hall and saw Jerry skipping toward me in his winter coat that was about three sizes too large and worn tennis shoes minus the laces.

“Hey, Jerry! How are you?” I asked. “I’m good, Miss Nancy. It’s almost Christmas . . . Jesus’ birthday . . . did you know?” I couldn’t help but smile at that comment. “Yes, I have heard that. So what do you want for Christmas, Jerry?”

He quickly replied “Oh, I already know what I’m getting. It’s the same every year.”

At this point I would have expected a child making that statement to duck his head in disappointment and go on, but not Jerry.


As I bent down to hug and encourage him, Jerry put his hands on my shoulders and, with a huge smile, continued: “When I wake up on Christmas morning, there will be a BIG candy cane under my pillow!” as he licked his lips and rubbed his tummy in anticipation of that moment. “And then, under the tree, I’ll get a little Matchbox car to add to my others. I can hardly wait, Miss Nancy!”


As I hugged Jerry and sent him on to class, I could not hold back the tears of sadness – not for Jerry but for my attitude. Instead of focusing on Christ and His birth, I had gotten caught up in the world’s view that the number of gifts you have under the Christmas tree determines your happiness.

Christmas at our home would never be the same again. All because of a candy cane under a pillow, a Matchbox car under a tree . . . and a very thankful little boy named Jerry.

Father, thank you for the most priceless gift of love you could ever send – the gift of your Son. May we never forget that He went from a manger to the cross for us. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

Do you find yourself focused more on gifts than the Giver of Life at Christmas?

Have you talked with your children about the Ultimate Gift that Jesus gave each of us?

Application

Sit down with your children and help them write on slips of paper the gifts that they can give Jesus this Christmas, like trusting Him, being obedient, and sharing Him with friends.

Have them wrap each of their gifts for Jesus in a box and offer each one to Him on Christmas morning in prayer.

Power Verses

Luke 2:11-12 (NIV) “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you; You will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger.”

Romans 6:23 (NIV) “For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV) “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

John 1:14 a (NIV) “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV) “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

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

Turner Report reaches 30,000 posts

Dozens of Joplin area blogs have launched since the beginning of the century and nearly all of them, especially those that concentrated on local news have long since disappeared.

The Turner Report was first published in October 2003, is preparing to enter its third decade and earlier this week reached the 30,000 post mark.

From a handful of readers at its outset to the 5,000 to 10,000 visitors who make their way to the blog every day (with gusts of up to 75,000, depending on what the latest big story is), the blog has continued to grow and I appreciate the support all of you have provided over the years.








The blog has evolved over the past 16 years from a more personal type blog for a few months after it started to a blog that featured virtually all political and media news and commentary to its current status- mixing politics and media coverage with crime, courts and commentary on a variety of topics.

To those of you who have been here through the years and to those who have joined somewhere along the way, thanks for continuing to read and providing your input. Without those ingredients, the Turner Report would cease to exist.

I am looking forward to continuing the blog into the 2020s and seeing what happens at it grows and evolves.

***
Help the Turner Report continue to grow by spreading the word about this blog, sharing posts you think may interest others or by contributing financially through the PayPal links below or by sending a contribution to Randy Turner, 2306 E. 8th, Apt. A, Joplin, MO 64801. Thanks.

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Media coverage of sex with student charges against former Leffen Center therapist revealing

At 6:21 p.m. Saturday, the Joplin Police Department issued a press release about the department's investigation into allegations that a 28-year-old behavioral therapist from Leffen Center for Autism had sex with a 17-year-old student.

The Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney's office filed charges against Victoria J. S. West Friday and details were first revealed to the public when the Turner Report posted the story, complete with probable cause statement, at 12:18 p.m., six hours and three minutes before the news release.

Initially, KSNF and KODE reported that West was a 28-year-old who had sex with a 17-year-old and showed no information about her former affiliation with the Leffen Center, which is part of Ozark Center, which is part of the Freeman Health System.

Not only was the original post leaving out necessary information about her job, but it also left out the part that made the alleged sex acts at Schifferdecker Park a crime.








In Missouri, it is not a crime for a 28-year-old to have sex with a 17-year-old. Statutory rape is when the act is committed with someone under the age of 17.

From the initial reading of the television stations' report, no crime was committed.

While some social media commenters noted the omission of her former place of employment and attributed it to a fear of offending Freeman,  since the story has been updated this morning and does include the information that West allegedly had sex with a student and that she was a behavioral therapist with the Leffen Center at the time, I will be more charitable. It appears more likely that the original caution with the story may have had more to do with it being a weekend and not having the most experienced news personnel on hand.

KOAM's original post, as far as I can determine the same one that is on its website this morning, was short, to the point, and had the basic information the Joplin Police Department released.

KZRG has posted the entirety of the news release on its website.

As of this moment, nearly 13 hours after passed since the press released was issued and not one word appears as far as I can tell on the Joplin Globe website.

Perhaps the newspaper has to wait to have an editorial meeting to decide how to handle straightforward news.

Jason Smith: The Democrats impeached President Trump because they know they can't beat him in the next election

(From Eighth District Congressman Jason Smith)

For the first time in our nation’s history, the U.S. House of Representatives has impeached a duly elected President of the United States with an entirely partisan vote.

The politically motivated impeachment of President Donald Trump had no due process and was rife with bias. 

Throughout this entire circus the Left has not been motivated by facts or fairness, but by their blind hatred of President Trump, his voters, and everything he has accomplished. They have been determined to impeach him since Day One with false claims they made up as they went along.

Democrats claimed that they were holding this impeachment vote because they were concerned for the sanctity of our government and the stability of our republic. That’s simply not true. They voted to impeach President Trump because they know they can’t beat him in the next election.

In fact, one of my Democrat colleagues is quoted stating: “I'm concerned. If we don't impeach him, he will get re-elected.” This kind of rhetoric is disgusting.

Impeachment is not a political weapon, but a profoundly serious provision of the U.S. Constitution to be used only under the most dire circumstances.

Unfortunately, at the end of the day, we should not be surprised by what the Left has done. The Democrats have introduced articles of impeachment against five of the last six Republican Presidents.

Or, to put it another way, every single Republican President who has been elected by the American people for almost the last 60 years has had articles of impeachment introduced against them.

Their most recent attempt shows that they will do whatever is necessary to remove a President who gets in the way of their partisan agenda. They truly are the party of impeachment.

This extremism is exactly the reason why after the impeachment vote, one of Nancy Pelosi’s own Majority Caucus members denounced the Democrat party and switched his affiliation to the Republican Party and Donald Trump.

President Trump did not commit a single impeachable crime; the Democrats know this. That’s why this sham process moved TWENTY times faster than President Clinton’s.







Speaker Pelosi and her liberal lieutenants have shredded the Constitution while desperately trying to get rid of our President, because they fear President Trump’s policies and how well they are working for American families all across this country.

The irony is after rushing through impeachment because they claimed the President was a threat to the Constitution, Nancy Pelosi is now holding up actually sending the impeachment case over to the Senate. It’s like she knows that her shoddy work product rife with political bias has no evidence and stands no chance in the Senate, so she is now getting cold feet.

I am proud to have voted against this partisan impeachment and I continue to stand with President Trump.

It’s sad that instead of working with the President to achieve historic results for the American people, the liberal mob majority has consistently chosen to undermine him, the rule of law, and the Constitution by putting their partisan politics first. I’ve always had one rule in this job, and that’s to put people before politics.

f t # e

Probable cause: Teacher/therapist performed oral sex on autistic student at Schifferdecker Park

(Note: The original post has been edited to add the Joplin Police Department news release.)

Two felony charges of sexual contact with a student was filed in Jasper County Circuit Court Friday against a Joplin woman who is described in the probable cause statement as a teacher and behavioral therapist at the Bill and Virginia Leffen Autism Center in Joplin.

A warrant was issued for the arrest of Victoria J. S. West, 28, Joplin, with bond set at $50,000 cash only.

As conditions of that bond, West will be required to wear an ankle monitor and have no contact with anyone under the age of 18.

Court records do not indicate West is in custody.







The allegation against West is detailed in the probable cause statement:

On November 20, 2019 and November 29, 2019, Victoria J. S. West had sexual contact with her student at 500 S. Schifferdecker Avenue (Schifferdecker Park), Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri.

On the approximate date of November 10, 2019, Victoria West, a teacher the Bill and Virginia Leffen Autism Center provided her personal phone number to a (redacted) student, a student she was behavioral therapist for.

The student and West began communicating via phone call and text on November 12, 2019 and eventually began meeting at Schifferdecker Park starting on the date of November 15, 2019.

On November 20, 2019 and November 29, 2019, West provided the student with oral sex at Schifferdecker Park.

The Joplin Police Department issued the following news release Saturday night:

On December 4th, 2019 a report was received of a staff member of the Leffen Center for Autism, located at 2808 S. Picher Ave having sexual contact with a student. 

The Joplin Police Department opened an investigation at this time. 

The investigation found that Victoria J.S. West, 28 years old of Joplin, MO had sexual contact with a 17-year-old male student on multiple occasions at Schifferdecker Park. West was employed as a behavioral therapist at the time of the incidents. West has been charged with Sexual Contact with a Student and is being held at the Joplin City Jail.

Sam Graves: USMCA is a clear win for north Missouri and all of America

(From Sixth District Congressman Sam Graves)

Three hundred eighty-four days ago, President Trump signed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a 21st century trade deal that puts America first and provides American businesses, American farmers, and American workers with a level playing field. After more than a year of delay, the House finally approved the USMCA and I was proud to support it. It’s about time we got this deal done.

The USMCA is a much better deal than NAFTA—and an overwhelming majority of Republicans and Democrats agree on that. When President Trump announced that he secured a new, better trade deal to replace NAFTA, we knew it could pass with bipartisan support.

The USMCA is a major step forward for American workers. It is expected to help create 176,000 new American jobs—including 76,000 new jobs in the automotive sector. More than that, this deal levels the playing field for workers and will help keep American jobs in America for generations to come.

The USMCA is also a great deal for American farmers. Under the new terms, Canada agreed to scrap unfair trade restrictions on American dairy, wheat, chicken, eggs, and turkey. This opens a key new market for American farmers—a new market that’s right next door.

The USMCA is a real win for American businesses too. It’s estimated to generate more than $68 billion in new economic activity. The USMCA establishes stronger enforcement measures, a big improvement over NAFTA, which will help ensure American businesses aren’t getting cheated by foreign competitors.

I strongly supported USMCA because it’s a clear win for North Missouri and all of America. It’s a great deal, and I’m glad we were finally able to get it done.

Billy Long: Maternal mortality is an American health crisis

(From Seventh District Congressman Billy Long)

The miracle of childbirth can and should be one of the most exhilarating times of one’s life. Bringing a new life into this world literally changes everything.

Unfortunately for many families across the United States, what is supposed to be the happiest moment of a new parent’s life can take a tragic turn as the mother can unexpectedly face fatal complications. 

America is currently experiencing a maternal mortality crisis which is why as a member of the Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee and a member of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, I am committed to exploring ways to make childbirth safer.

The United States presently has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world with an estimated 26.4 deaths per 100,000 live births. 

While maternal mortality rates fell 44% around the world from 1990-2015, the U.S.’s rate increased by 16.7%, making the United States the only developing nation with rising rates. These statistics indicate that during this 25-year period, only three countries experienced a rise in maternal death rates: Afghanistan, Sudan, and the United States. 

Perhaps what makes these statistics even more concerning is the fact that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 60% of these deaths are preventable.

Unfortunately, the news continues to get worse as research suggests that for every woman who dies, 70 women nearly died due to complications associated with pregnancy or childbirth. 

Statistics also reveal that black women are exceptionally vulnerable and are three to four times more likely to die during or shortly after childbirth than their white counterparts, regardless of education or socioeconomic status. 

While these statistics are mystifying for a nation leading in medical innovation, high maternal mortality rates are inexcusable and must be swiftly addressed.

In an effort to improve maternal mortality rates, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), dedicated $303 million in 2018 to researching the causes of maternal mortality and $419 million towards pregnancy; however, they acknowledge that far more work needs to be done on this subject. 

NIH is focusing their efforts on addressing infection, amniotic fluid embolisms, hemorrhages, and cardiovascular conditions, which are identified as the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. 

By focusing on these complications, NIH hopes that early intervention could lead to a decline in deaths during childbirth. They have also hosted meetings with leading experts and physicians to identify proactive measures doctors can deploy to curtail maternal mortality rates.

While I applaud these efforts, I believe that we must do more to address this major health crisis. Congress owes it to expectant and new mothers to investigate maternal mortality and ensure that experts in the field have the support necessary to identify and facilitate positive changes. 

Having a baby should be the happiest time in someone’s life, not one of the most devastating. We owe it to the spouses who have lost their wives and the children who have lost their mother due to complications during pregnancy or childbirth to make a concerted effort to promote maternal health, and I look forward to continuing my work with fellow members of the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Black Maternal Health Caucus to address this issue.

Drunk felon in stolen car who fired weapon in Carl Junction pleads guilty to federal charge

 A Pittsburg, Kansas man who was arrested for drunk driving by the Jasper County  deputies in a stolen vehicle after firing a gun in Carl Junction pleaded guilty to a felon in possession of a weapon charge this morning in U. S. District Court in Springfield.

William F. Askew, 38, will remain in the Greene County Jail while awaiting sentencing.

A federal grand jury indicted Askew in November on charges stemming from the Jasper County stop, which was described in the probable cause statement filed in Jasper County Circuit Court:

On June 18, 2019 at 0938 hours I, Deputy (George) Datum responded to a vehicle pursuit with possible shots fired at Hill Ln and County Road 304 in Carl Junction, Jasper County MO. 

Upon arrival William Askew shot one single round in an unknown direction when he exited the stolen vehicle he had fled from officers in. (Askew) refused to comply with orders resulting in a K9 apprehension and taser deployment.

A criminal history checked located several prior felony convictions for drugs and assaults. A single barrel shotgun was located with a spent 12 gauge shotgun shell. I observed the rifle having grinding marks on the side as if a serial number was removed.

William was taken into custody at 1039 hours and transported to the Jasper County Detention Center for resisting arrest, armed criminal action, Stealing a motor vehicle, unlawful possession of a firearm, Unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a defaced firearm."

In a separate report, Jasper County deputy Jonah Holly described the DWI arrest:

I attempted to set my issued spike strips at County Road 255 I saw William Askew driving the truck while swerving to miss the spikes.

When William was taken into custody at the end, I was able to smell a strong odor of intoxicants coming from Williams’s person. A PBT showed alcohol in his system with a .149. William was taken to the County Jail where he refused SFST’s. William gave a BAC of .152. William has a history with DWIs.