Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Snow Covered Roads Cause 4 Car Accident

Snow covered roads Tuesday afternoon caused a four car accident and two injuries on I-29 at around 12:50 pm. The Missouri Highway Patrol reports that a 2009 Volvo driven by James Hotsinpiller (54) of Cookville, TN, a 2004 Chevy Silverado driven by John Clevenger (56) of Trimble, MO, a 2002 Ford Expedition driven by David Hawk (59) of St. Joseph, and a 1993 GMC Suburban driven by Steven Davidson (61) of St. Joseph were all traveling southbound on I-29. The Volvo driven by Hotsinpiller struck the rear of the Silverado and traveled into the passing land.

The collision caused a chain reaction in which the Silverado struck the rear of the Expedition and the Expedition then struck the rear of the Suburban. The Suburban then traveled from the driving land into the passing lane and struck the Volvo. Clevenger, the driver of the Silverado, received moderate injuries and was taken by Ambulance to Heartland Regional Medical Center in St. Joseph. Hawk also received moderate injuries and was taken by Ambulance to Heartland. All drivers were wearing seat belts at the time of the accident. The Silverado and Expedition were totaled, while the Volvo received minor damage and the Suburban received moderate damage. All were towed from the scene.

Bitterly Cold Weather Drives Up Propane Prices

Bitterly cold weather is driving up propane prices and another round of cold weather is expected to slam into the area for the remainder of the week. An e-mail from Emergency Management Director Pat Kobbe said that the area is in the 6-10” snow range for Tuesday. A weather.com forecast updated Tuesday at 5 am predicted 4-6 inches. Another snowstorm is forecast for Saturday and nighttime temperatures are expected to be below zero much of the time. Temperatures are not expected to warm up again until next Tuesday. Community Services Director Mary Jo Fletchall said that there had been a lot of people applying for winter heating assistance and asking for help with propane costs. The City of Grant City received a request from a resident just outside city limits to be hooked up to the city’s gas service; the city responded at their special meeting January 29th that it would cost $6,000 to $7,000 just to bring their side of the line to the city limits and that it would not be feasible unless the customer bore the whole cost of the hookup.

In a news release, Missouri House Speaker Tim Jones reported that there is a bill in the Missouri House calling on the US Department of Justice to look into allegations of price gouging; propane prices have tripled in the past month. "The huge, unexpected price increase has been an enormous burden on many Missouri families and farmers who want nothing more than to have access to affordable heating during these bitterly cold months," said Jones, R-Eureka. "We want to take every action possible to protect Missourians from what many fear is blatant price gouging. We know our local suppliers are not at fault, but we want the Justice Department to get to the root of this problem as quickly as possible."

In response to a request from Rep. Jay Houghton (R-Martinsburg), Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster has already launched an investigation into price gouging according to a news release from Houghton’s office. "This shortage is hurting small business and our most vulnerable citizens. They need answers and solutions, and I hope that the Attorney General's investigation finds them," Houghton said in his news release. "Many residents in my district make their living in agriculture, and they need propane to keep their livestock barns heated. There are 50 days left in winter, and we need to get this taken care of."

Houghton’s news release discusses some of the root causes of the propane price increases. According to the U.S. Energy information Administration, exports of propane from the United States rose by 73,000 barrels a day between September and October of 2013. He says that steep increase in exports so close to winter almost guaranteed a domestic shortage.

Some in the industry are blaming the wet corn harvest in Minnesota and North Dakota for the current predicament. While propane is the primary fuel for drying corn, Houghton says there is no way a small market in one or two states would be able to cause a nationwide shortage-especially when the corn harvest was done months ago.

Missouri Senate Majority Floor Leader Ron Richard sent a news release discussing some more factors and noted that in some suppliers’ cases, the propane is not even available to buy. According to the Missouri Propane Gas Association, there are a few possible reasons for the shortage of propane. The cold weather is one of the main challenges the consumers are facing. Also, a pipeline, which provided about 40 percent of the product used by Minnesota supplies, was shut down for repairs while a new pipeline moved propane from the central part of the country to new export terminals on the Gulf Coast.  Adding to the shortage, as the harvest season ended, a "polar vortex" rolled across the region causing the demand for heat to soar.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Price Tag for Sheridan Water System Overhaul Estimated at $1.1 million

The estimated price tag for overhauling the Sheridan water system is around $1.1 million, which Stan Wolfe of USDA Rural Development said was a "very rough estimate." He talked about the process that Sheridan is going through to obtain funds to overhaul their water system at the regular city council meeting Monday night. Snyder and Associates has turned in their Preliminary Engineering Report to the USDA and it noted that the old lines are in "poor condition." The city now has an emergency interconnection with the Hopkins rural water system; however, Mayor Leland Wake said that the city water system was never in danger from the flash drought that hit the area in August and September. Any funds that the city applies for to upgrade their plant or fix their water tower would be in addition to the price tag.

Census figures from 2010 show that Sheridan has an average median income of $36,750. This is sharply higher than the $20,357 that was reported in the 2000 census. However, Sheridan still qualifies for CDBG funds because 63% of the community is low to moderate income according to 2010 census figures. That means that the city can receive up to $5,000 per household on the system, or around $500,000 based on the city's figures of around 100 customers. The city still meets USDA's grant requirements as well.

Another hurdle that the city has to overcome is the 2% median income hurdle. In what amounts to a backdoor tax increase, the city is required to charge 2% median income for 5,000 gallons of usage. For projects obligated by September 30th, 2014, the city can charge based off the 2000 census figures plus $10, which would be $43.93 per month for 5,000 gallons. The city already charges $45.50. However, for projects obligated by September 30th, 2015, the city can charge 2% median income for the 2000 census plus $20, meaning that the city will either have to scramble to get their project obligated by September 30th of this year or raise their water rates again. For projects obligated after that, the city would have to go off 2010 census figures, meaning they would have to charge $61.25 for 5,000 gallons of usage. The average usage for customers in Sheridan is slightly over 3,000 gallons per customer.

The big challenge for the city is to get the environmental review for the project done, a process which could take months. Wolfe said that adding more 6" pipe to the south end of town in order to create more fire hydrants is considered an extra cost under USDA rules. He said he would go back and talk to Snyder about including 6" line on the south end of town. The current plan has no fire hydrants on the south end of Sheridan, meaning more difficulty for the fire department as well as possible higher insurance rates for customers. DNR rules require larger water lines for fire hydrants.

One question regarding the water system is the future of the water plant. Mayor Leland Wake said that there were drawbacks even if the city were to buy water from an outside source. For instance, the city would still have to do their own water testing and they would still be responsible for leaks within their jurisdiction. But on the other hand, if the city sticks with their water system, they would need to present a plan to stay in compliance with DNR's quality standards, which would add to the cost of the project. Wake said that it was important for the city to keep both options open.

Wolfe said that if the current Farm Bill passes the Senate and is signed by the President, there could be more funds for projects like Sheridan's. The council voted to file the application with USDA. That means that when the Farm Bill is signed into law, it would cover plans that are already on file with the USDA. He said that there were other communities that were worse off than Sheridan. For instance, Skidmore and Barnard ran out of water at one point before hooking up with the Rural Water District. Skidmore's water tower was shot, meaning that they had to build a new water tower as well as hook up to Rural Water.

New Water Superintendent Barry Lyle gave his first report to the city. He reported that the new aerator that the city installed to the plant was working and that he fixed two leaks at Rodney Martin's and Pete Belekonny's. He reported that two water meters froze during the extremely cold weather. There were two delinquent water bills reported. The city will look at delinquent taxes and compare them with the county's list.

Jeff Andrews Pledges Common Sense Approach for School Board

Incumbent and Board President Jeff Andrews pledged to bring a common sense approach to the School Board if reelected. He said that the main issue for the school was money; he said that with the federal government giving out less and less money to schools, the school had to be even more vigilant with its finances. The school was helped with more state funding as their enrollment dropped below the level required to qualify for Small Schools funding. Andrews said that the administration was doing a good job of watching every penny; he said that the goal of the school board was to put personnel in positions where they could best help students. He said that as a board member, he wanted to hire well-qualified teachers who were willing to stick around.

Regarding buildings and facilities, Andrews said that went back to finances. "If we don't have a well-managed school, it's not conducive to the education of our kids," he said.

Regarding baseball, Andrews said that he didn't want to spread the other programs too thin. Worth County also offers track and boys golf during the spring. In Iowa, schools play baseball and softball during summer, which allows even the smallest schools to offer girls volleyball in the fall and track and boys golf in the spring. He said that for Worth County, it was a matter of working things out in a way that would not take away from other activities.

He said that the biggest accomplishment of the school was the partitions as well as the personnel. "I was told that the partitions could not be done, and the first question I asked was why?" Andrews said. He said that the personnel were the ones most responsible for keeping the school afloat. "Everyone has been pulling together to keep the school afloat," he said.

Andrews said that the biggest area in need of improvement was testing. He noted that the scores were gradually going up and that it was a constant challenge to identify areas to work on and work out better teaching methods. "We're fortunate to have people to place who make sure that's happening," he said.

Andrews said that he had been asked to run again. "I just want to do what's best for the students and the taxpayers," he said. "The taxpayers have a vested interest in the school and I'm always open for questions, concerns, and ideas from the public." Jeff is the son of John C. and Jo Andrews. He is married to Karen (Thompson) Andrews and they have two daughters, Claire and Tess, both of whom are students. He is currently employed at the Wool Shop north of Grant City.

Worth County Updates Personnel Policy Manual

Worth County updated its personnel policy manual this year following extended discussions over the last several months by commissions. The manual was first approved by the commission on June 1st, 2002. It was subsequently revised in 2009 and then again in 2011. The newest version was revised by the present commissioners as well as County Clerk Roberta Owens. Commissioners had a luncheon Monday with county employees and officers to explain the changes.

Among changes approved by the commission are as follows:

Probationary Period:
New employees now have a 90-day probationary period, after which they will be evaluated by their supervisor. Reviews will be annual thereafter. Employees will receive a 50 cent per hour pay increase on successful completion of the review. Employee benefits begin on completion of probationary status. Credits are retroactive on completion of probation.

Discipline:
A new section on discipline was added. It will rest in the sole discretion of the county and each case will be considered on its merits. The commission may choose action ranging from a verbal warning to discharge. The supervisor or commission have the authority to place employees on paid administrative leave when employees are under investigation for offenses; this can be continued as necessary. For proven offenses, the supervisor or commission can suspend the employee without pay for up to three days. For serious offenses, suspensions without pay can occur for up to 30 days.

The commission, supervisor, and employee would meet in a closed hearing as provided for under Section 610. The supervisor, in extreme circumstances, dismiss the employee with notification to the commission. All disciplinary matters can be subject to appeal.

Appeals:
For matters that are beyond resolution without outside intervention, the county has set up an appeals panel consisting of one county elected official, one employee, and one commissioner. The county may appoint an alternate officer or employee if necessary. Only matters of disagreement where good faith efforts to resolve at the departmental level have failed are brought before this panel.

To appeal, the employee shall file with the supervisor a written appeal, stating points of disagreement and asserting that at least five days have transpired since beginning of resolution efforts. Within three days, the supervisor files a written response; should this fail, the employee files with the County Clerk a written appeal within three working days along with initial appeal and supervisor's response. Within five working days, the appeals panel meets on the matter in closed session, hears testimony from the disputants, and then renders a ruling in writing within five days. There are no further appeals.

Exit Interview:
Employees who are leaving will have an exit interview with their supervisor prior to their final day of work. In the event of dismissal, the reasons will be documented in the employee's personnel file.

Expectations:
The county set out a list of expectations for employes. Expectations include being on time, being fair and courteous to supervisors, employees, and the public, keeping proper records, dependability, neatness in work and hygiene, and observant in all laws and regulations. The county also added a section on tardiness with penalties up to and including dismissal.

Military Leave:
Employees may be absent without pay for all military leave. That had not been spelled out.

Weather Closings:
The County Commission will determine emergency closings of the Courthouse; employees will be notified by phone if the commissioners close the Courthouse before working hours begin. Otherwise, they will be notified by word of mouth.

County Vehicle Use:
A new section was added. Employees using the county van are now required to maintain accurate records of mileage and gas receipts. Employees must notify the commission of repairs and damage incurred. Employees are not permitted to use the vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Employees cannot use the van for personal use unless specified by the direct order of the commission. Employees are required to wear seat belts, have a valid driver's license, and comply with all state laws.

Personal Calls:
Employees are now required to keep personal calls to a minimum. Guidelines were added for use of county-owned cell phones; long-distance phone calls at the county's expense for personal reasons are not permitted.

Internet:
A new section on Internet and email usage was added. The county reserves the right to review any and all data generated; all such data is the property of the county and there is no expectation of privacy from using the County Internet system. All material that has been deleted can be retrieved and viewed by others.

Safety:
A new section was added specifying safety equipment that is required to be worn. Failure to wear safety equipment when directed can result in termination.

Alcohol:
A new section on alcohol and controlled substances was added. Any elected official or employee who operates any county vehicle will be subject to random drug and alcohol testing. Supervisors can conduct reasonable suspicion testing based on observed behavior that suggests drug or alcohol impairment.

Job Descriptions:
Job descriptions were added for Road & Bridge Supervisor as well as Road & Bridge Workers.

Code of Ethics:
A section was added regarding ethics. This includes a policy against sexual harassment. A reporting procedure is established for employees who believe they are victims of sexual harassment. Employees who believe the supervisor is the source of the harassment can talk to the county commission. The policy establishes disciplinary consequences for substantiated cases of sexual harassment up to and including termination. There are also provisions for discipline for employees for providing false information or making complaints that are not bona fide.

The code also includes a section on non-discrimination on the basis of disability. A grievance procedure has been established for discrimination complaints. The code also covers conflicts of interest. County employees may not derive personal financial gain resulting from any purchase of goods or services by the county. County employees may not hold a financial interest in a firm, institution, corporation, or other establishment supplying goods or services to the county. Another section covers immigration; the county participates in the e-verify system and all employees at their time of hiring are required to provide documentation of citizenship or eligibility to work in the US.

Worth County Sheriff's Report

1-27 -- Person in for sex offender registration.
1-27 -- Worth County officers on court duty.
1-28 -- Worth County officer investigating burglary in Sheridan.
1-28 -- Report of horse out on Route C; owner notified.
1-29 -- Resident calls about a scam problem.
1-29 -- Person calls about a dog problem; referred to Nodaway County.
1-29 -- Person calls about a court case in Christian County, Missouri.
1-30 -- Ringgold County requesting assistance from Worth County to arrest a fugitive from Iowa; person is now in custody.
1-30 -- Person calls about hedge posts being cut on her property.
1-31 -- Humane Society calls regarding animal neglect in Worth County; officer investigates, no problem found.
1-31 -- Officers respond to help a person with mental problems; subject transported to Maryville hospital.
1-31 -- Worth County resident reports shepherd mix dog missing from his property.
2-1 -- Officer serves papers in Worth County.
2-1 -- Missouri State Highway Patrol arrests subject for DUI with Worth County officer assisting; Worth County officer transports subject to Ringgold County Jail.

80+ Attend Open House for New Sheridan Business

Over 80+ people attended the open house for Rockin' CA Feed & Livestock, the new Nutrena dealer in Sheridan. They are located at the former DOT building west of Sheridan. They are selling a wide variety of feed products such as cattle feed and grazers, dog and other pet food, poultry feed, horse feed, and other livestock feed. They will also sell veterinary supplies and medicine as well as feed equipment and bottles.

People came Saturday despite snow that left the roads slick to enjoy food and door prizes that were raffled off that day. Rockin' CA is owned and operated by Clint and Angela Larison of Sheridan and it will become a family business. Clint said that the long-term goal for the business is to get more customers and carry more products. He said that he was willing to deliver feed if it was close to his route.

For many years, Sheridan had a Nutrena dealer in town where Paxson Welding & Tire is currently located. It was run by Claudie and Mike Scott. Clint said that Nutrena was a good product and that there was a need for it in Sheridan, which is a strong livestock community with cattle, pigs, sheep, and horses.