Playwright to perform award-winning solo show, develop new play with students at Northwest

The award-winning prison drama “Killadelphia” will be performed at Northwest Missouri State University at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 12, in the Charles Johnson Theater and include a post-show discussion with the show’s playwright and actor Sean Christopher Lewis.

The production is free and open to the public.

“Killadelphia” incorporates hip hop and documentary theatre techniques to weave together the story of murdered teaching fellow Beau Zabel with interviews from “Lifers at Graterford Prison,” a group of men employed in prison to paint some 2,000 murals seen throughout the city of Philadelphia. Lauded as “epic … must see theater” by NYTheatre.com, the solo piece is based on playwright and actor Sean Christopher Lewis’ time working with inmates at Graterford Prison.

The play explores violence, penance and second chances in a no-holds-barred look at the Urban American Dream. The inmates’ stories are bolstered by lyrics, speeches and thoughts of local rap artists, city officials, emergency room technicians and everyday citizens.

Touring for two years, the play has garnered praise including the 2010 National New Play Network Smith Prize for Drama, the Central Ohio Theatre Circle citation for Best Touring Production and a Barrymore Nomination for Best Collaboration for the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia.

As a guest artist in residence at Northwest, Lewis is spending three weeks on campus teaching students about playwriting and play development. During his residency, Lewis is developing a new play with Northwest students, speaking in classes and leading workshops. His performance and residency at Northwest is funded in part through the Northwest Academic Initiatives Project.

“Having Lewis present for the performance will allow students to hear and encounter the issues and challenges raised within this play,” said Amanda Petefish-Schrag, assistant professor in the Department of Communication, Theatre and Languages. “Lewis not only provides insight into a specific culture, but explores issues that impact all of us.”

For more information contact Amanda Petefish-Schrag at 660.562.1045 or aschrag@nwmissouri.edu.

Hey Sarah STEALman: State Documents Are Missing & You Were The Last One To See Them

by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee

Politico Reports: Legally Protected Documents Are Missing From Steelman’s Time As State Treasure

Steelman - A Top Recruit for National Republicans – Hails Herself As A Champion for Sunlight

A new report today shows that “most of the key documents” from Sarah Steelman’s tenure as state treasurer are missing, Politico is reporting. If destroyed, this would constitute a violation of Missouri state law. Steelman, the top recruit of the national Republican establishment, hails herself as a champion of transparency in government and even bragged about the system her office had in place to preserve these now missing documents.

“Where are the documents? Either Sarah Steelman or the national Republican establishment that is propping up her candidacy need to answer that question,” said Matt Canter, spokesperson for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. “It’s hypocrisy of the highest degree. Steelman flatters herself as a champion for open records laws and even bragged to the press about the procedures she established to maintain records for the public. Now, we discover that most of these key records are gone.”

Today, Politico published an explosive report showing that “most of the key documents” from Sarah Steelman’s tenure as state treasurer are missing, even though they are considered open to the public and are legally protected from destruction under Missouri state law:

The current state treasurer's office tells POLITICO it hasn't been able to track down schedules, e-mails and other documents from Steelman's tenure that are routinely retained.

“We have received Sunshine Requests similar to this question. What we have found is that we do not know how they kept those records because we do not have them. Our team has searched the office for any schedules and public documents and we do not have them,” said Jon Galloway, the treasurer's office director of communications and policy.

…

According to state law, documents that were created or received in the office of an elected official, including calendar books, logs, diaries, recordings of meetings and trips are to be transferred to the state archive.

The report shows that Steelman and her office were well aware of Missouri’s strict sunshine laws protecting these documents. In fact, during her tenure, her office even bragged about its “special information technology” that was supposed to ensure that these records were retained.

In a February 2004 op-ed for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Steelman wrote, “Politicians often talk about government accountability. But only well-informed citizens can truly hold government accountable. At the bedrock of our democratic form of government lies openness, and every elected official at every level of government should strive to ensure that our laws, our records and our meetings are open to the public's scrutiny.” [Steelman, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 2/12/04]

Steelman’s Office Claimed To Have Email Retention Policy Of At Least Three Years, As Required Under State Law. Wrote the editorial board of the Springfield News-Leader, “Klahr's e-mail became necessary because Martin admitted to destroying his e-mails, Blunt spokesman Rich Chrismer indicated it was standard practice, and responding to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch inquiry, Blunt said that nobody retains e-mails for three years. The governor is mistaken. Many state and local officials in Missouri do just that, because it's the law. Republican Treasurer Sarah Steelman does it. So do Democrats Nixon, Auditor Susan Montee and Secretary of State Robin Carnahan.” [Springfield News-Leader, 9/19/07]

Steelman’s Office Claimed “Special Information Technology Section” To Ensure Records Retention.Reported the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “A Post-Dispatch survey of other statewide offices found that most say they have detailed policies governing which e-mails are to be preserved, and which can be purged. Those offices include Republican state Treasurer Sarah Steelman, and two Democrats, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan and state Auditor Susan Montee. All said they also have systems in place for long-term storage of e-mails, either electronically or on paper. Montee said in an interview that her office must retain all e-mails pertaining to audits for at least 11 years. Steelman's staff said they had a special information technology section to preserve records for the office, including e-mails.” [St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 9/19/07]

CORN GROWERS ANSWERING MARKET DEMAND AT HISTORIC LEVELS

Responding to increasing demand and stronger market prices nationwide, corn growers are embarking on the second highest corn planting season since 1944. This is according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Prospective Plantings report released this morning. "Today's report reaffirms that corn growers make their planting decisions based on the market," said Gary Marshall, chief executive officer with the Missouri Corn Growers Association and Missouri Corn Merchandising Council. "If the weather cooperates, Missouri could be looking at 300,000 additional corn acres over last year's crop, proving corn farmers are working hard to meet the needs of all our customers." According to the highly anticipated report, Missouri farmers are expected to plant 3.3 million acres in 2011. This is the highest planted acreage since 2007 and the state's second largest intended corn crop since 1971. Nationwide, corn growers are expected to plant 92.2 million acres, an increase of 5 percent from last year. In 2010, U.S. farmers brought in the third largest corn crop in history at 12.4 billion bushels. According to the USDA, Missouri corn growers harvested 3 million acres last year, producing 369 million bushels of corn with a base value of more than $2 billion to the state's economy. "In Missouri, corn farmers have a history of exceeding the state's corn demand," Marshall says. "Last year, almost one-third of Missouri's corn crop was exported beyond our borders. If we produce along trend line yields, and if Mother Nature cooperates, we anticipate another record-breaking crop."

Gov. Nixon declares April as 'Missouri Safe Digging Month'

Governor Jay Nixon issued a proclamation declaring April as “Missouri Safe Digging Month.”

The proclamation reminds Missouri homeowners to call or click Missouri One Call System three working days before they dig. No matter how small the job, anyone planning to excavate needs to call 1-800-DIG-RITE or 811 or click on www.mo1call.com before starting an outdoor digging project.

“By having underground lines marked, homeowners are making an important decision that can help keep them and their community safe and connected,” said John Lansford, Executive Director of Missouri One Call System.

Homeowners who call 1-800-DIG-RITE or 811 or click www.mo1call.com are connected to a call center, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of the intent to dig. Professional locators are then sent to the requested digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags or spray paint. Once lines have been accurately marked, digging can begin around marked lines.

Striking a single line can cause incur injuries repair costs, fines and inconvenient outages. Even small projects – like installing a mailbox – should begin with a call to Missouri One Call System. Before you dig:

◦Call three working days before digging, regardless of the depth or familiarity with the property.
◦Call on Monday or Tuesday for work planned for an upcoming weekend so there is enough time for lines to be marked.
◦Confirm with your local one call center that all lines have been marked.
◦Learn what the various colors of paint and flags represent at www.mo1call.com.
◦Consider moving the location of your project if it is near utility line markings.
◦If another location is not viable, respect the marks and avoid using mechanized digging equipment near them.
◦Confirm with any contractors that Missouri One Call has been alerted. Do not allow a contractor to begin work if the lines are not marked.
Visit www.mo1call.com for more information about Missouri One Call System and the call-before-you-dig process.

McCaskill: Employer Enforcement Must Be an Immigration Priority

At a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing yesterday focused on the progress that has been made toward securing the U.S. Southwestern and Northern Borders, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill questioned former immigration and current Government Accountability Office (GAO) officials about budget cuts that will affect border security and pushed for increases in enforcement against employers who knowingly hired illegal immigrants. Last year, McCaskill co-sponsored deficit-neutral legislation to provide $600 million to increase law enforcement personnel and provide unmanned surveillance technology on the Southwest Border of the United States. At the hearing, McCaskill expressed her disappointment that the House’s proposed budget cuts would take away a vital portion of that measure, by cutting funding for 870 federal agents at the Southwest Border.

“I was proud to cosponsor with Senator McCain a bill that was fully paid for last year, that added $600 million to border security including drones for real time surveillance. I’m assuming that there’s no one on the panel that disagrees that this kind of technology in terms of real time surveillance unmanned could be extremely effective along the border as it relates to criminal activity? Imagine my surprise when that is part of what was cut in the [continuing budget resolution] that was passed by the House of Representatives. I’m willing to bet that most of the folks who were excited about passing that CR said ‘we need to secure the border’ a few times during this past campaign,” McCaskill said in yesterday’s hearing.

In addition to addressing the need to provide adequate technology and manpower to secure the border, McCaskill also advocated for increases in criminal and civil penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. McCaskill said that although some progress has been made lately, any approach to addressing the problems of illegal immigration must include stronger enforcement programs.

“The fact is there have been very few instances where employers have been held accountable for knowingly and repeatedly violating the law when it comes to illegal immigration,” McCaskill said.

Over the past four years, McCaskill has repeatedly challenged both the Bush and Obama administrations to strengthen employer enforcement programs. She believes jobs are the magnet bringing people into this country and enforcing penalties for knowingly breaking the law as it relates to hiring illegal immigrants will provide a strong deterrent.

“These folks aren’t coming across the border for vacation. They’re coming for a job,” she said.

Yesterday’s hearing was the first in a series to follow focused on immigration policy and border security issues.

Obituary: Wilma Grace Allee 1917-2011

Wilma Grace Allee, 93, of Sheridan passed away Wednesday March 30, 2011 at the Worth County Convalescent Center. Wilma was born June 12, 1918 in Worth County to Frank and Pearl (Goff) Kobbe. She was a member of the United Methodist Church in Sheridan. She was united in marriage to Robert Allee on March 5, 1934.

Wilma was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, son Harold, grandchild Penni Martinez, sisters Georgia Wake, Jenny O'Neil, Audrey Cortner, Fern McCrary, Neva Fattig, and Viola Downey; brothers Dale, Forrest, Keith, and Kenneth Kobbe.

She is survived by daughters Bea Gaitan of Kingsland, TX and Frances Dowis of Grant City, daughter-in-law Cheryl Allee of Sheridan; grandchildren Rob (Karen) Dowis, Hal (Sharon) Dowis, Kula (Bob) McClain, Chris (Greg) Cravens, Kelly (Janet) Stoner, grandson-in-law Alex Martinez, Roy Allee, 13 great-grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren; sisters Madeline Fauble of Council Bluffs, Estellee Hensley of Sheridan, June Huff of Helena, MO, and Naomi King of St. Joseph.

Wilma is being cremated. A celebration of life is being planned on her birthday, June 12, in the Sheridan Park. Arrangements are under the direction of the Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home of Grant City. The family asks that all memorial contributions be made to the Sheridan Cemetery Van Skyock Addition.

Cut to the Chase -- Commodity Prices, Food Prices, and Global Stability

COMMODITY PRICES, FOOD PRICES AND GLOBAL STABILITY

By Kelly Smith

Food is essential for all of us. Farmers produce it. Consumers purchase it. Nations have fought over it. Sounds like something from the annals of past history, but wait, people across the world are fighting for affordable food as you read this. News commentators reported high food prices were one of the contributing factors in the recent uprising and riots in Egypt. Argentina (beef), Russia (wheat), Vietnam (rice) and China (corn) have all reacted to food inflation in the last couple years by banning exports or implementing price controls for a commodity. Having enough food supply for citizens is the foundation for a strong national security program.

According to a report released by the World Bank, global food prices jumped 29% in the past year, hitting hardest in developing countries because they spend as much as 50% of their income on food. For the most part, industrialized nations like the United States are insulated from the price increases because raw ingredients account for just a fraction of the total food costs (processing, packaging, transportation, etc., are a larger portion of the U.S. food dollar). In many developing counties, the price for raw commodities is the food price.

So what is causing these higher global food prices? In simple terms, the reserves of staple crops such as corn, soybeans and wheat have drawn down in recent years due to consumer demand in developing countries, a growing biofuels industry (ethanol in the U.S. and biodiesel in Europe), and unstable growing conditions for crops in various parts of the world.

U.S. farmers compete in a global market place. As domestic and world demand increases for the crops and livestock they produce, so has the price farmers receive for these commodities. Corn futures have doubled from $3.50 to $7 a bushel. Prices of fats and oils rose 22 percent, wheat increased by 20 percent, and sugar 20 percent. Cattle and hog prices followed grain prices upward as well. Feed cost is the biggest portion of input prices for livestock farmers.

Our domestic food processors, manufacturers and retailers absorb these price increases because they know consumers do not like to have rapid price changes in the food items they buy. All of these entities either are just now passing these costs on to consumers or will in the next few months. Besides seeing increased prices at grocery stores, we can expect higher menu prices at restaurants and fast food outlets, especially for meat and poultry items.

Will these increased food prices cause social unrest with U.S. consumers as it has in other parts of the world? Probably not. The cost of food in the U.S. is a bargain costing the average consumer around 10 percent of their annual income. American consumers should be thankful our farmers are the most productive and efficient in the world. Each American farmer feeds 155 other people which allows people to pursue the vocation of their choice without worrying about growing their own food or worrying where their next meal might come from.

(Kelly Smith, of Jefferson City, Mo., is the director of marketing and commodities for the Missouri Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization.)

Bluejay Baseball Gets First Ever Win

Northeast Nodaway's baseball team got their first ever win for the program, defeating South Nodaway 14-3 in six innings Thursday night. They gave up two runs in the top of the first but then scored six runs in the first two innings and scored in every inning but the third in the win. Cody Hunter pitched the entire game for the win. Kevin Stoll, Clayton Judd, and Cody Hunter all had two hits for Northeast. Clayton Judd and Tyler Schmitz each homered for Northeast. Judd and Schmitz each had 3 RBI's to lead the team.

Blair Schmitz Makes Second Team All State, Gets 1,000 Career Points

Blair Schmitz was named to the Missouri Class 1 2nd Team All State squad this year. She is a repeat selection from last year. Blair ended her career with 1,000 career points, a barrier that she broke during the Craig/Fairfax game this year. She was an undersized post player, but more than made up for it with her highly physical style of play, for which she was known as Big Bad Blair, along with her mobile athleticism. She averaged over 15 points a game this year and was a steady hand in the post, always being counted on to put up consistent numbers from game to game. She could also step outside and pop a sweet lefthanded jumper or attack the rim like a guard.

Education Funding for Worth County Could Stay Unchanged

The Missouri House gave 1st round approval to a budget that would leave funding for Worth County and other schools the same as it was last year. The vote was taken last Tuesday. However, it would be $200 million less than what the State Funding Formula calls for. Assuming that it passes the Senate and gets signed by the governor, that would depend on whether the governor orders cuts in the budget in order comply with Constitutional mandates requiring a balanced budget. The House came up with the money by cutting budgets for public colleges and universities by 7%, causing Northwest and other universities to raise tuition rates.

Parnell Fire Protection District Hog Roast

The Parnell Fire Protection District will be having their annual hog roast Saturday, April 9th from 5:30 to 8:00 at the American Legion Hall in Parnell. A full meal will be provided including a roasted hog, baked potato, salads, baked beans, dessert, and beverages. Cost will be a free will donation. Proceeds will go to support the Parnell Fire Protection District.

Worth County Eligible for FSA Disaster Loans

Mr. Edward Hamill, State Executive Director, Farm Service Agency, announced effective March 23, 2011 that 86 Missouri counties will have FSA disaster loans available due to severe winter storms and snowstorms which occurred January 31 to February 5 2011. Applications for assistance will be accepted at the county office of the Farm Service Agency at Worth County for physical and production losses caused by this disaster. Applications will be accepted through November 21, 2011.

Loans for physical losses must be used to replace or repair damage to buildings, fences, or to compensate the farmer for losses of basic livestock, stored crops, or supplies on hand, equipment, etc., that was lost due to the disaster. Loans for production losses may also be used to buy seed, feed, fertilizer, and livestock or to make payments on real estate or chattel debts. Generally, loans for production losses cannot be approved until crops have completed their production cycle or have been harvested.

In order to qualify, a farmer must have suffered a 30% loss in production or an actual physical loss that was essential to the successful operation of the farm.

Loans for actual losses are made at an interest rate of 3.75% for emergency loans to those eligible applicants who are unable to obtain the credit needed from another source. All loan programs of the Farm Service Agency are made on a non-discriminatory basis.

Senators Introduce Legislation to Assist Victims of Sexual Trauma in Military

Today, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, along with her colleagues Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), introduced bipartisan legislation to assist victims of sexual trauma in the military. The Support for Survivors Act would assist servicemembers who were victims of sexual trauma during their military service by requiring the Department of Defense to ensure life-long storage of all documents connected with reports of sexual assaults and sexual harassment across the military branches. The legislation would also prevent the military from destroying any records relating to sexual assault.

“The men and women in our military put their lives on the line for our country and they deserve to know that the military is looking out for them in their time of need. Too often victims of sexual assault don’t report the crime because they are afraid of retribution or that nothing will be done. We must do better. This legislation will provide victims with the tools they need to seek justice and guarantee them the confidentiality they deserve throughout the process,” McCaskill said.

Earlier this year, following a series of stories in the St. Louis Post Dispatch about the incidence of sexual assault at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, McCaskill sent a letter to Major General David Quantock, the Commanding General at Fort Leonard Wood, and subsequently met privately with him in her Washington office. Quantock has assured McCaskill that the base is taking the allegations seriously and has brought in a special prosecutor to handle sexual assault cases, among other changes. McCaskill also continued to follow this issue by questioning top officials from the Pentagon on what the military is doing broadly to address the issue of sexual assault at a hearing of the Armed Services Committee.

Currently, there is no coordinated policy across the service branches to ensure the preservation of medical and other reports connected with sexual trauma. Each service branch has been left to develop its own policy, resulting in inconsistent recordkeeping and records often being destroyed. Long-term preservation of records currently helps a victim pursue legal action and records can also be used as evidence in a later crime involving the same perpetrator.

In recent years, there has been an increase in reports of sexual assaults in the military. According to the Department of Defense, there were 3,158 official reports of sexual assaults in the military in 2010. Because most incidents are not reported to a military authority, the Pentagon estimates this number represents only 13 to 14 percent of total assaults – making the total actual number of sexual assaults in the military potentially as high as 20,000 in 2010.

Research has shown that sexual trauma not only hurts the victims, but can also take a toll on their fellow servicemembers by severely undermining military cohesion, morale, and overall force effectiveness.

The Support for Survivors Act would:

· Require the Department of Defense to ensure the preservation of documents connected with reports of sexual assault and sexual harassment in the military.

· Ensure full privacy and identity protection for both the victim and the perpetrator, if known.

· Ensure life-long access by the servicemember to his or her personal documents.

· Grant the VA access to documents only at the request of a servicemember, for the purpose of assisting with the processing of a disability compensation claim.

· Allow the Department of Defense to review the data (but not the names of the individuals mentioned in the reports) to improve research and reporting.

African Art & Lectures at Northwest

A collection of African art from 20 different countries will fill the African Art Exhibit April 4 through April 22 at Northwest Missouri State University’s Olive DeLuce Art Gallery.

The exhibit showcases the African art collection of Dr. Ray Lake of Kansas City, Mo. Gallery hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Monday, 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1:30 to 5 p.m. Sunday. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

Dr. Maude Wahlman, professor of art and art history at the University of Missouri at Kansas City, will speak prior to the exhibit’s opening at 7 p.m. Monday, April 4, in Fine Arts Room 244. Wahlman will lecture on objects from Lake’s collection including masks, ritual objects, a carved wooden bed, figurines and fabric robes. A reception after the lecture will include refreshments from the Blue Nile, an Ethiopian restaurant in Kansas City.

Wahlman and Malian art dealer Diaby Diarri also will meet with students outside the gallery in the Fine Arts Building at noon, Tuesday, April 12, for a brownbag discussion about Africa and their experiences.

“Wahlman is extremely knowledgeable, both in African art and artifacts in general, and specifically regarding Lake’s collection,” said Martha Breckenridge, assistant professor in the Department of Art. “This is a rare opportunity to see and learn about African art, artifacts, African way of life, African mythology and more.”

Dr. I. Murphy Lewis, founder and executive director of the Global Voice Foundation, will also present a lecture on at 7 p.m. Monday, April 11, in Fine Arts Room 244. Lewis will promote cross-cultural understanding by sharing rich cultural wisdom, traditions and ancient stories of endangered indigenous communities. Global Voice’s mission is to help unite the world’s diverse communities with greater respect and inclusion.

For more information about the exhibit contact the Department of Art at 660.562.1326 or go tohttp://www.nwmissouri.edu/dept/art/deluce/2010/african.htm.

Northeast Nodaway Junior High Boys Get 12 Points in Early Bird

Northeast Nodaway's Junior High boys picked up 12 points in the Junior High Early Bird at Worth County Monday afternoon. Austin Jones was sixth in the 200 Meter Dash with a time of 28.92. That was 1.76 seconds behind the winning time of Brant Faulkner of Princeton. Austin Jones also placed 5th in the 400, where he got a time of 1:08.51. That was slightly under seven seconds behind the winning time.

The 4x400 Relay Team finished third. The team of Austin Jones, Max Giesken, Garet Jackson, and Andrew Faustlin finished with a time of 5:20.80. That was 49 seconds behind the winning time of 4:31.55.

Austin Jones also placed in the Long Jump where he placed 6th with a jump of 13'5", four feet off the winning jump.

Garet Jackson was 5th in the Discus with a throw of 74'0 1/2".

Simple Steps can Reduce Smog

Ozone monitoring season begins April 1 and runs through Oct. 31 according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Ground-level ozone – commonly known as smog – is a gas that is created when pollution from vehicles, businesses and power plants combine in the presence of sunlight. Typically, ozone pollution is more of a problem during hot summer months because sunlight and warm temperatures speed up the formation of ground-level ozone.

Exposure to ground-level ozone contributes to health and environmental problems. Healthy adults can experience problems breathing, especially those who exercise or work outdoors. Children are at increased risk from exposure to ground-level ozone because their lungs are still developing. Ground-level ozone can also damage trees and agricultural crops.

Simple everyday steps can help reduce the emission of harmful ozone-causing pollutants:

· Keep vehicle tires properly inflated. Under-inflated tires increase gasoline consumption.

· Use public transportation, carpool, bike or walk.

· Stop at the first click when filling up gas tanks. Overfilling can lead to gasoline spills, which allows harmful ozone-causing vapors to escape into the atmosphere.

· Do not use gas-powered lawn equipment on hot, sunny days with little or no wind. Consider waiting until early evening to mow your lawn.

· Conserve energy by turning off lights and appliances when leaving a room to reduce emissions from power plants.

· Set goals to reduce utility bills by two percent. This can save money and protect air quality.

Through ozone season, the department measures and records ozone levels from 23 air monitors across Missouri. This data is used to see if an area’s air quality meets the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone, currently set at 75 parts per billion. If an area monitors or contributes to violations of the ozone standard, actions must be taken to reduce the emissions that contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone. The department works with affected areas to develop emission reducing measures that are the most effective in terms of cost and emission reductions.

Thanks to the emission reducing efforts of Missouri residents and businesses, many areas in the state have shown improvement with controlling ozone levels. But, even with these successes, ground-level ozone remains a challenge.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a more protective eight-hour average ozone standard. This new standard is expected to fall within the range of 60 to 70 parts per billion of ozone and will be finalized this summer.

Ozone monitoring data for ozone season is available from the Missouri Air Quality Data System on the department's website at dnr.mo.gov/AQDS/index.do. For more information on ozone, call the department's Air Pollution Control Program at 800-361-4827 or visit the department's website at dnr.mo.gov/env/apcp/ozone.htm.

Ravenwood Park Keys Requested

The Ravenwood Park Board has requested that any individuals that are not coaching baseball or softball teams this year to please turn your keys in for the buildings at the Ravenwood Park. You may turn them in here at the front office at the High School or you can turn them in to Shane Adwell. His contact number is 937-2625 (@ home) or 816-261-6390 (cell). The keys will be stamped "Park" or have a code on them. Please contact Shane for the code identifier.

Red Cross Fundraiser on April 3rd in Hopkins

A fundraiser for the American Red Cross will be held Sunday, April 3rd at the Hopkins Community Building in Hopkins. It will start with a beef brisket dinner from 11-1. It will cost $6 for adults and $3 for children. It is sponsored by the Nodaway County Firefighters, the American Red Cross, the Hopkins Community Club, and the Council of Churches. Monetary donations for the American Red Cross are accepted at the Nodaway Valley Bank. Donations are tax deductible. Salads and desserts are needed for the dinner. For more information, call Lloyd Hansen at (712) 427-0137, Mike Runde at (660) 562-7624, or Charlie Standiford at (660) 562-0574.

Following the Auction, there will be an auction consisting of pies, toys, including various antique tractors, and various miscellaneous items. To donate items for the auction, contact the people listed above.

The Red Cross is raising funds to replenish funds used to assist a high number of families who lost their homes to fires. There were four fires last winter in and around the Hopkins area alone and there were some in several other communities as well.

Blazin' Bluejay 5K Run/Walk

The Northeast Nodaway School district will once again hold the Blazin' Bluejay 5k Run/Walk and 1 mile fun run for kids 12 and under at the Maryville Community Center on April 9th. The 5k run/walk will start at 9am and the 1 mile fun run will begin at 9:45. Registration forms can be found on our homepage (http://www.ihigh.com/school12242/index.html) at the bottom center.

Worth County Junior High Boys Second in Early Bird

Worth County's boys were second in the Junior High Early Bird held Monday at Worth County. They scored 82 points, 10 behind North Andrew for the afternoon. Albany had 63 points while South Harrison had 54 and Princeton 50. Worth County figures to finish in the upper division of the GRC meet this year as they finished ahead of several different conference foes.

Cole Parman was 5th in the 100 Meter Dash with a run of 13.84. That was 82 hundredths of a second behind Drew Cottrill of Albany. Brevyn Ross was 5th in the 200 with a time of 28.83, which was 1.65 seconds behind Brant Faulkner of Princeton.

Two Tigers placed in the 100 Hurdles. Cole Parman was second in the 100 Hurdles, 1.72 seconds behind Noah Wilmes of Albany with a time of 19.93. Brevyn Ross was 6th in the event with a time of 20.16.

The 4x100 Relay team of Brevyn Ross, Christopher Alarcon, Steven Durst, and Cole Parman finished 5th with a time of 57.65. That was 5.78 seconds behind the winning South Harrison squad. The 4x200 squad of Ben Badell, Christopher Alarcon, Colton Straight, and Shadow Briner was fourth with a time of 2:03.46. That was nearly five seconds behind the winning Albany team. The 4x400 team was fourth with a time of 5:22.01.

Worth County was 2-3 in the Pole Vault. Ben Badell was second with a vault of 5'6". Finishing third was Jared Simmons with a vault of 5 feet. Lane Shunk of North Andrew was first with a vault of 7 feet.

The Tigers placed two in the long jump. Taking second was Cole Parman with a jump of 16'5". That was one foot off the winning jump. Brevyn Ross was 5th with a jump of 14'8". In the Triple Jump, Christopher Alarcon was second with a jump of 28'8".

Worth County had some of their strongest showings in the throwing events. Josh Warner was second in the shot put with a throw of 33'8"; that was 6'4" off the varsity-level throw of Logan Jeffers of Gallatin. Truman Moore was 6th with a throw of 29'10". Worth County finished 1-2 in the Discus with some varsity level throws. Josh Warner won the event with a throw of 113'8". Truman Moore was second with a throw of 108'4".

Radiation from Japan Disaster has Spread to Worth County, Rest of US

Measurable amounts of radiation from the Japan nuclear disaster have spread all the way to Massachusetts according to the Associated Press. That would mean that it has spread to Worth County and most of the rest of the country. The Associated Press quoted a Massachusetts public health official as saying that the radiation measured is not harmful and that it has a short life of only eight days. Fallout has also reached Canada.

Scientists say that the potential for a Japan-style disaster along the New Madrid Fault Line, the nearest to the area, is much less. The Japan nuclear plants survived the earthquake with minimal damage; it was the tsunami one hour later which knocked out the backup generators and which triggered the disaster. The US is conducting a major disaster drill along the fault lines this spring just in case.

Jack Remembers: They're Looking at Me

At 77 years of age it is hard for me to realize I am included in a small minority of people in this country who can remember when there was no television. I was a Junior in High School when Kansas City got it’s first television station, WDAF, in 1949. Randall Jessee was our first news anchorman, and Shelby Storck, a descendant of Civic War General Joe Shelby, was Kansas City’s first weatherman.

A twelve inch table top black and white television cost around $300.00. It was a huge thing and if it quit working, you didn’t throw it in the trash like they do now days. You called a repairman who would come to your house and fix it. Generally, it only needed a new tube. This was a tremendous amount of money back then, when you consider a postage stamp was three cents, a new Ford $1,600, a loaf of bread a dime, and gas was 20 cents a gallon.

My grandkids asked what we did before television for entertainment, and of course, we listened to Bob Hope, Amos and Andy, Fibber McGee and Molly, and different shows on the radio.

One night I was driving down the street in Independence and saw a huge crowd of people standing in front of an appliance store looking in the window. I stopped the car, walked over to where they were to see what they were looking at. It was a test pattern on a television set in the window.

A lot of people never understood how you could put an antenna up in the air and end up with a picture on a screen in your living room. One Saturday morning I went out to my best friend’s grandpa to help him on the farm. He was small, stooped-shouldered, probably about my age now. I asked him why he didn’t buy a television set and he said, “Well I would, but it seems to me like it would be awful expensive buying all that film.” Now, later on, he did buy a television, but to his dying day he would never undress in front of it. When he was told the people on TV couldn’t see him, he said, “Why, they can too, they’re looking right at me.”

Jack can be reached at PO Box 40, Oak Grove, MO 64075 or jackremembers@aol.com

Medicare Premiums to Wipe Out Social Security COLA

Medicare premium increases may wipe out the Social Security COLA increase for this year, the Associated Press reports. This would be the third straight year that Social Security recipients will not be able to see any increases in their income. By law, beneficiaries have their Part B premiums deducted from their Social Security payments each month. This is likely to increase hardships for people in the area because rising gas prices will mean rising food prices as well as higher costs for other goods as well.

Tiger Girls Easily Win in Junior High Early Bird

Worth County's girls easily won the Junior High Early Bird meet, nearly doubling their second place competition. They lost a lot of key contributors to last year's GRC championship squad, but they showed that they have not skipped a beat from then. Worth County got 122 points during the event with North Andrew scoring 65 and Gallatin scoring 64. Princeton was fourth with 45 points.

Crystal Davis was third in the 100 Meter Dash. she finished with a time of 15.04, 54 hundredths of a second behind the winner, Mollie Holtman of St. Gregory's. Kaitlyn Davidson was second in the 200 with a time of 30.28. That was 56 hundreths of a second behind Sarah Lin of Gallatin. Sydney Thummel won the 400 meter dash with a time of 1:07.97. That was 31 hundredths of a second ahead of Gallatin's Sarah Lin. Thummel also won the 75 Meter Hurdles with a time of 13.74. That was 43 hundreths of a second ahead of South Harrison's Kiana Bennett. Alysa Lyle was fourth with a time of 14.64.

The 4x100 team of Malori Moellenberndt, Kenna LaFollette, Ricky Hunt, and Crystal Davis was second with a time of 1:00.44. That was around 2 1/2 seconds behind the winning North Andrew team. Winning the 4x200 was the team of Malori Moellenberndt, Kenna LaFollette, Ricky Hunt, and Crystal Davis with a time of 2:06.43. That was 1.32 seconds ahead of the second place St. Gregory's team. The 4x400 team was second with a time of 5:05.80.

Alysa Lyle narrowly lost the high jump, getting a jump of 4'6". She lost out on tiebreaks to Jessica Alderson of Princeton. Worth County was 1-2 in the Pole Vault with Alysa Lyle getting a varsity-level leap of 6'6". Tess Andrews, following in the footsteps of her big sister Claire, tried her hand at the Pole Vault and get second with a vault of 5 feet.

Winning the Triple Jump was Sydney Thummel with a jump of 28'7". That was seven inches ahead of the second place finisher, Rebekah Todd of North Andrew. Kaitlyn Davidson won the shot put easily with a throw of 37'5". That was nearly six feet ahead of the second place finisher, Kailey Craig of North Harrison. Taylor Causey was 5th with a throw of 29'6". Kaitlyn Davidson also won the discus throw as she won with a throw of 73'2". That was almost 20 feet ahead of the second place finisher, Baylee Fish of Albany.

Mike Thomson Co-Sponsors Bill that would Make Many Cold Medicines a Prescription Drug

State Representative Mike Thomson is co-sponsoring a bill that would make pseudoephedrine, a common cold medicine, a Class III drug, meaning that it would only be available through prescription with certain exceptions. That means that if people were to get a cold and they needed medicine for relief, they may have to go to the doctor's office and get a prescription in order to go to the pharmacy. Pseudoephedrine is also a key ingredient in the manufacturing of meth and the purpose of this bill is to make it more difficult for people to make meth and sell it.

The bill classifies a bunch of different drugs as schedule I drugs. Schedule I drugs include drugs that have no accepted medical value and which have a high potential for abuse. Drugs that are schedule I include such drugs as opiates, including their isomers, esters, ethers, salts, salts of isomers, esters, and ethers unless specifically excepted whenever the existence of these isomers, esters, ethers, and salts is possible within their specific chemical designation. It gives a long list of specific compounds that would be classified as schedule I.

It also classifies opium derivatives, their salts, isomers, and salts of isomers unless specifically excepted whenever the existence of these salts, isomers, and salts of isomers is possible within the specific chemical designation.

Schedule I drugs would also include materials, compounds, or preparation which contain any quantity of specified hallucinogenic substances, their salts, isomers, and salts of isomers unless specifically excepted. Marijuana is specifically included in this list of substances. There is a list of depressants and stimulants as well.

Among drugs that are placed in Schedule II, the DHSS will place substances in Schedule II if it finds that they have a high potential for abuse, but has current accepted medical use in treatment in this country or currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions and the abuse of the substance may lead to severe psychic or physical dependence.

Pseudoephedrine would be placed in Schedule III along with ephedrine and phenylpropanolamine. Schedule III would be drugs that are less severe than Schedule I or Schedule II. Dietary supplements, herbs, or natural produces including concentrates or extracts that are not otherwise prohibited by law and that contain naturally occurring ephedrine alkaloids in a matrix of organic materials such that they do not weigh more than 15% of the total weight of the product are excepted. Manufacturers can exempt by rule any product containing these cold medicines if they are formulated to effectively prevent conversion of the active ingredient into meth or its salts or precursors. However, the Missouri State Highway Patrol can find probable cause that such a product does not effectively prevent conversion of the active ingredient into meth and the DHSS can issue an emergency rule revoking the exemption for the produce pending a full hearing.

Understanding Financial Statements

Numbers on a Page…Ratios…Reports…Income Statements…Balance Sheets. At face value, these documents tell you what happened. However, they can also tell you how to make it happen again, or do it better the next time.

If you’re one of those business owners who have a bookkeeper or a CPA prepare their quarterly taxes for them, you won’t want to miss this financial management training event presented by the University of Missouri Extension.

“Understanding Financial Statements” is a three hour class designed for business owners, managers, and consultants who need to know how to turn financial statements into useful management tools. The class is taught by Tom Kelso, Business Development Specialist for the University of Missouri Extension in Northwest Missouri, and covers the basics found on the income statement and balance sheet and includes information on the various ratios critical to the financial management of a small business. Working through an actual case study will give you hands-on experience in understanding the story the numbers tell.

Cost for this three hour session is $59, and will be conducted at the Buchanan County Extension office, 4125 Mitchell Ave., from 9 to 12 Noon, on April 7, 2011.

At the conclusion of the seminar, if you need additional assistance, you may arrange to meet with a business consultant.

For more information on how to register for “Understanding Financial Statements,” call: (660) 446-3724.

Tax Checkoff Fights Child Abuse

The Children's Trust Fund (CTF), Missouri's Foundation for Child Abuse Prevention, was the first State Income Tax Check-off in 1984. This is the donation option given to each of us via our State tax returns. Since CTF receives no general revenue, the money received through the check-off program remains an important source of donations. Knowing we are the "Show-Me-State," you may be wondering where these funds go and what they are doing to help Missouri families. CTF uses the Tax check-off funding to support community-based organizations throughout the state that in turn support children and strengthen their families by incorporating five protective factors:

1. Nurturing and Attachment: A child's early experience of being nurtured and developing a bond with his parents or other caring adult affects all aspects of behavior and development.

2. Knowledge of Parenting and of Child and Youth Development: Discipline is both more effective and more nurturing when parents know how to set and enforce limits and encourage appropriate behaviors based on the child's age and level of development.

3. Parental Resilience: Parents who are emotionally resilient have a positive attitude, creatively solve problems, and effectively address challenges and deal with stress are less likely to direct anger, blame and frustration at their children.

4. Social Connections: Many parents often find themselves isolated. Trusted and caring family and friends provide emotional support to parents by offering encouragement and assistance in facing the daily challenges of raising a family.

5. Concrete Supports for Parents: Parents need basic resources such as food, clothing, housing, transportation and access to essential services to ensure the health and well being of their children. Many of the community-based prevention programs that CTF supports include: safe crib/safe sleep, crisis nurseries, home visitation, parent education, grandparent support, mentoring for teens, infant nurturing, as well as public awareness campaigns that address the dangers of shaking a baby, never leaving children unattended in vehicles, emotional abuse prevention, and parenting with patience.

You can help prevent child abuse and neglect by using the check-off box on your State tax return or making a tax deductible gift to CTF! Taxpayers not eligible to receive a refund may also make a donation when filing. Contact an accountant for additional information or visit www.ctf4kids.org to learn more. As a former foster parent, adoptive parent and mother of four, it is imperative that we protect, nurture and support our future generation. CTF and the children of Missouri thank you!

Patrice Mugg

CTF Board Chair

Kirkwood, MO

Worth County Sheriff's Report for March 30th, 2011

3-21 -- Worth County resident reports finding three extra head of cattle in his feed lot.

3-21 -- Worth County Sheriff's Department (WCSD) fingerprints lady for license office.

3-21 -- Person in to report stolen bike. Recovered.

3-21 -- Report of cattle out on Route M.

3-22 -- Missouri State Highway Patrol 720 and 1165 in office.

3-22 -- WCSD gets incident report from Worth County resident.

3-23 -- WCSD receives report of suspicious persons at bridge near Worth. People check OK.

3-24 -- Grant City resident reports he will be burning trash on his property in Grant City.

3-24 -- Worth County resident with trespass complaint.

3-24 -- Worth County resident reports children in church with no adult supervision, late evening.

3-26 -- Missouri State Highway Patrol in with possible DWI suspect.

To report a problem call (660) 564-2222. For emergencies, dial 911.

Worth County Commission Minutes for March 21st, 2011 (Last Week's Items)

1. Presiding Commissioner Findley brought the meeting to order at 9:10

2. Brad Lager came to share some financial information with the Commissioners.

3. Commissioner Ruckman motion to approve Minutes and Agenda. Commissioner Gabbert seconded. Motion approved.

4. Ruckman motion to approve the bills. Gabbert seconded. Motion carried.

5. Treasurer, Linda Brown presented the Treasurer’s report. Commissioner Findley asked Linda to check on a County Credit Card for online purchases. She agreed.

6. Ruckman reported gas prices from MFA as $3.42⁹ for gas, and $3.80⁹ for diesel.

7. Economic Developer Charity Austin and Clerk Owens combined the list of names submitted for the Enhanced Enterprise Zone Advisory Board. She advised the Commissioners that they would have to appoint two more members. They made a list of people to contact. Discussed the next step.

8. Ernie Miller from Mobile Radio came to look at the coax running haphazardly around the east side of the Courthouse. He will send his report to Clerk Owens.

9. Pat Kobbe, County EMD, submitted a bill for expenses on the Incident Command Trailer. Asked if Fire Chief, Ben Fletcher could purchase antennae for the CB Radio in the trailer.

10. County Officials-

· Barb Foland requested the commissioners come inspect her road. All the gravel from her road is off in the ditch.

· Collector Julie Tracy presented the 2007 Outlaws submitted for abatement by Court Order.

· At the commissioners request Assessor Carolyn Hardy came to explain tax assessment of hunting lodges in the area.

11. Public comments-

· Ronnie Dannar came to discuss the extra traffic on his road. Commissioner Findley said that the county will just have to try to keep the road up while there is extra traffic there.

· Steve Adwell requested to cost share brush removal on CR 98. Commissioner Gabbert made a motion to share the cost. Ruckman seconded. Motion carried.

Motion by Gabbert, second by Ruckman to adjourn for lunch at 12:10

Commissioner Findley opened the meeting at 2:00pm

12. Road and Bridge supervisor Jim Fletchall report:

-- --Commissioners advise Jim to put load limit signs on Dannar bridge, plus fix a soft spot at the approach of the bridge.

· --Fletchall has been working on getting patron gravel caught up from previous years.

· ---Discussed the poor tire situation on the trailer. Commissioners will go look at it.

· --Requested purchasing repair manuals for some of the equipment.

· --Asked when the commissioners were going to put out the gravel hauling bid. He wants to get the gravel on earlier this.

-- --Fletchall said that you really can’t get gravel back on the roads that have been bladed of, because you get all the mud with it.

· --Stated that he could find a quick tack bucket. May have to make the bracket.

13. Commissioner Ruckman motion to put out bids for gravel hauling. Gabbert seconded. Motion carried. Motion by Ruckman, second from Gabbert to have Clerk Owens put ads in the Times Tribune, and Sheridan express, then also send out letters to various companies in the area. The bids will be opened April 11^th 2011. Cart Patron gravel will open after bid openings. 14. Ruckman motion to go into closed session. Roll vote, Ruckman aye, Findley aye, Gabbert aye. At 4:15

15. Roll vote to come out of closed session Findley aye, Ruckman aye, Gabbert aye.

16. Clerk Owens presented some paperwork.

17. Motion to adjourn at 7:25 by Gabbert, Ruckman seconded. Motion carried.

Blood Drive in Hopkins May 2nd

The Nodaway County Fire Fighter Association will be holding a blood drive May 2nd from 2-6 p.m. at the Hopkins Community Building on 123 North 3rd St. To make an appointment, call Lloyd at (712) 427-0137 or visit redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code NodCoFireFighter. For eligibility questions, please call (866) 236-3276. Please bring a valid photo ID when you come to donate. All donors will be entered into a drawing for a Music City Giveaway. The winner will get two VIP passes and two backstage tours to the Grand Ole Opry and a two night stay at the Opryland Hotel and much more.

TOMS Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie to lecture at Northwest April 18

Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS Shoes will give a lecture at Northwest Missouri State University at 7 p.m., Monday April 18, in the Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts.

The lecture is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Student tickets will be available at the Student Services Center beginning Tuesday, March 29. Tickets will be available for the public Monday, April 11.

The lecture is sponsored by Northwest’s Student Activities Council. Mycoskie was scheduled to speak at Northwest in December, but the lecture was postponed due to scheduling conflicts.

At the lecture, 10 lucky Northwest students will have a chance to walk away with a free pair of TOMS shoes. Additionally, SAC has enlisted the support of Northwest President Dr. John Jasinski and first lady Denise Jasinski, who will send tweets when they are wearing their TOMS shoes. Students who capture photos with the Jasinskis wearing their shoes and upload the photos to Facebook or Twitter may also be eligible to win a free pair of TOMS shoes.

Known as “the Founder and Chief Shoe Giver of TOMS Shoes,” Mycoskie, 34, speaks at college campuses and conferences across the country in an effort to motivate young people to make a difference.

Mycoskie founded TOMS shoes in 2006 after he witnessed the hardships facing children growing up barefoot in Argentina. The company’s philosophy – “For every pair of shoes that we sell, we give a pair away to a child in need” – has enabled TOMS Shoes to give away more than 1 million pairs of shoes to children in need as of April 2010.

TOMS Shoes was awarded with the Prestigious People’s Design award in 2007 from the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution. In 2009, it earned the Secretary of State’s award for Corporate Excellence, which celebrates companies’ commitment to corporate social responsibility, innovation, exemplary practices and democratic values worldwide.

“We are really excited to bring Blake to campus,” SAC President Rob O’Doherty said. “We think this event will be appreciated by both familiar and non-familiar audiences of TOMS Shoes.”

For more information on TOMS Shoes visit www.toms.com or Mycoskie’s blog at www.startsomethingthatmatters.com.

Brad Lager's Capitol Report -- 2011 Mid Session Report

It is hard to believe we are more than halfway through the 2011 legislative session. While changing Missouri’s economic climate dominated the first half of this session, addressing Missouri’s fiscal challenges will be one of the top priorities for the latter half. Whether it is making the difficult decisions necessary to balance our budget or casting the votes necessary to better our economic climate, our overarching priority is to reorient our state towards a path of job creation and economic growth.

If we are going to foster job creation, we must remain focused on the overall economic climate of our state. We must have fair litigation, reasonable regulation and limited taxation. We have passed legislation to restore fairness in our legal system by bringing Missouri’s employment law back into alignment with the federal law. This ensures both Missouri’s employers and employees are on an equal playing field with neighboring states. We have fought to bring balance and common sense to our regulatory environment so that we have reasonable regulations that do not get in the way of responsible economic progress. And finally, we voted to phase out Missouri’s franchise tax, one of the most job-killing taxes our state levies.

As we enter the final weeks of this legislative session, there are a lot of important decisions yet to be made. This reason is why I spent last week, the legislative spring break, traveling the district meeting with real people right here at home. While many of my legislative colleagues spent the week on vacation, I used this opportunity to gather thoughts and insight first hand from the people who have to pay for the decisions made in Jefferson City. Your thoughts, concerns and insight help shape my goals at the Capitol, and your input is invaluable as I work to represent our region of the state in the Legislature.

Although there is a lot of work to be done over the next several weeks, I am energized and ready to fight against the tax and spend mentality that is killing our economy. This is a crucial time for state and our nation, and I promise that the goals, objectives and concerns of northwest Missouri will be clearly heard in Jefferson City. I remain committed to dramatically improving our state government by removing the roadblocks it has created. With reasonable reform and a common sense approach to our fiscal policy, our state government can become a contributing partner in job creation, thereby helping to foster better economic opportunities for all Missourians.

As always, please feel free to call, email, or write with your ideas or concerns. The Capitol number is (573) 751-1415, my email is brad.lager@senate.mo.gov and my mailing address is Room 422, State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.

Worth County School Bond Information Sheet

Worth County R-III School District
Bond Issue Information Sheet
Election Date April 5th, 2011

On January 20th, 2011, the Board of Education unanimously approved the need to place a bond issue for $.25 on the April ballot. The following information was compiled to provide district patrons an explanation of why the board decided to propose an increase in the district levy.

Why does the district need to issue bonds and raise the operating levy?
The bond money generated, $520,000, would pay for existing heating/cooling and energy saving projects the district completed in 2005. Currently the annual payment for these projects comes from funds designed for supplies, textbooks, technology and salaries.

Will the funds be used for any other project?
No, the only thing the money will be used for is to pay for existing heating/cooling and the energy savings projects the district completed five years ago.

School District Levies
Northeast Nodaway $5.88
Jefferson $5.60
Stanberry $5.43
North Harrison $4.49
Albany $4.48
Worth County (if approved) $3.77
South Harrison $3.59
Worth County (present) $3.52
What will the new tax levy be and how does it compare with surrounding districts?
The operating and debt service levies are set annually in August based on the district’s assessed valuation. The current levy is $3.52. The new levy with the $0.25 increase would be $3.77. The board of education would like to see the district roll back its taxes the first year $0.09 to make the total increase only $0.16. With the voluntary rollback the levy would be $3.68.

How much will my taxes increase if the bond issue passes?
For every $100,000 in value for a home or residence, the increase would be $30.40. If your house is worth $100,000, your tax increase will be $30.40 a year. (based on $0.16 increase)

How long will this tax last?
Ten Years. This tax would have to be voted on and approved in ten years to continue.

Worth County R-III School District
Effect of sixteen cent (.16) increase in levy
Value Assessed Tax Value Annual Increase
Residential $100,000 $19,000 $30.40
Agricultural $100,000 $12,000 $19.20
Commercial $100,000 $32,000 $51.20
Assessed Valuation is a % of value- residential is 19%,
agriculture is 12%, and commercial is 32%

What percentage of the vote is needed to pass the increase?
A 4/7 majority or slightly in excess of 57% “yes” votes for the bond issue.

What happens if the bond issue does not pass?
The district will continue to use funds designed for textbooks, technology, supplies and salaries to make the $60,000 a year payment.

Does the school get help from anyone else because we are raising our levy?
The school district will generate around $110,000 extra dollars over the next ten years because we raised our levy $.25. The school district will collect this money from state utility companies. The $110,000 would not be available for our school district without the $.25 increase.

How will the ballot language read?
Bond Ballot Language: Shall the Board of Education of the Worth County R-III School District, Missouri, borrow money in the amount of Five Hundred Twenty Thousand Dollars ($520,000) for the purpose of providing funds to prepay the existing Series 2005 lease financing in order to increase funds available for operating needs; and issue bonds for the payment thereof resulting in an estimated increase to the debt service property tax levy of $0.25 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation? If this proposition is approved, the adjusted debt service levy of the School District is estimated to increase from $0.00 to $0.25 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation of real and personal property.
Absentee Voting can be done up to April 4th at 5 p.m. Please contact Berta Owens at the Worth County Courthouse if you are interested in getting an Absentee Ballot.

For additional information contact the district office at 564-3389 or log on to the district website at www.wc.k12.mo.us