Butler City Council News

In Butler City Council news, MoPEP, who Butler gets its electricity from, has been discussing for a few months, a reduction in the generation capacity credits for Butler and other towns that have generation facilities, and it includes an offset for us...
Losing capacity credit income that we get monthly would be offset by the reduction in the demand charge, so our City Council is ok with the change,

Also, MoPEP has been discussing the purchase of a portion of the Dogwood Generation Facility capacity. MoPEP has been purchasing generation from this facility for a couple of years for member cities, of which Butler is one. This is a natural gas-fired generation plant that does not have as many issues with the air quality regulations as coal-fired generation plants.
MoPEP approved pursuing the purchase of the plant capacity, which will bring an increase in power costs at first, but over the long term, it will help stabilize power costs for us.

Fair Board welcomes two new members

The Bates County Fair Board welcomed two new members at their annual dinner and meeting held last night. Linda Mareth and Matt Shannon were added as board members during the evening. The executive board members remained the same- President Kermit Kauffman, Vice-President Ed Steele, Secretary Calee McElwain and Treasurer Renee Hendrix.

-our thanks to FM 92.1 the Bullet

Bates County Memorial Hospital Christmas Tree fund raising event

Applications for scholarships provided by the Bates County Health Foundation of the Bates County Memorial Hospital will be available beginning April 1st, 2012. Every year the foundation provides $500 scholarships for those already in college planning to enter the health field and plan to practice their profession in Bates County. It is also open to employees of the Bates County Memorial Hospital who plan to continue their education in the medical field.

The funds generated for the scholarships come from fundraising events such as the yearly sale of Memory Tree Angel ornaments. The ornaments are sold during November by those that have lost a loved one and wish to honor their memory. Last year, the sale of ornaments raised $1,025.00.

The ornaments sell for $15 each or two for $25 and all proceeds will go toward the scholarships that will be awarded in August.

More information can be found on the hospital web site here.

It's beginning to look a lot like...

FALL! Rain and cooler temps on the way:

Wednesday
Cloudy. Chance of showers in the morning...then rain in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 60s. Temperatures falling into the 50s in the afternoon. South winds 15 to 20 mph shifting to the west 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 80 percent.

Wednesday Night
Rain in the evening...then rain likely after midnight. Colder. Lows in the mid 30s. Northwest winds 15 to 20 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph in the evening. Chance of precipitation 90 percent.

Apply now for Foods Matching Grant Program

Up to $5,000 in grant funding is available through Department of Ag's Local Foods Matching Grant Program.

Funding Now Available for Underserved Urban and Rural Areas to Grow More Fresh Foods
The Missouri Department of Agriculture announced today that funding is available for urban and rural organizations to help underserved populations increase access to fresh foods. Through the development of production infrastructures, direct distribution venues, education programs, workforce development and expanding the understanding of the importance of agriculture and where food comes from, more Missourians will be able to enjoy locally-grown fresh foods in their cities and neighborhoods. Up to $5,000 in grant funding is available to each qualifying organization through the Department's Local Foods Matching Grant Program.

Recent bear sighting warrants concerns for deer hunters

Deer hunters need to be bear aware

Cover scents used by deer hunters and other intriguing smells can overcome bears’ natural shyness and bring them too close for comfort.

Daron Wilkins wasn’t looking for a close encounter with a black bear when he climbed into a tree stand on Nov. 2, 2010, but he got one. Good luck allowed him and the bear to escape unharmed, but the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) says hunters don’t have to rely on fate to determine the outcome of bear encounters.

Wilkins was hunting on private land, sitting in a 20-foot ladder stand near the edge of a field. The oak flats surrounding the field had patches of dense underbrush and blackberry thickets. He first spied the bear around 5 p.m.

FFA parents and friends meeting postponed until Thursday...

Due to the football game tomorrow night the FFA Parents and Friends meeting that was to be at the FFA building at 6:00PM will be rescheduled for Thursday Nov 3 at the FFA building. Sorry for any inconvenience please come and support your local FFA Chapter.

Scammers are at it again...

There's a new credit card scam and it's hitting pretty close to home- most recently reported just over the Kansas line. It's a clever scheme, so read carefully. Bear in mind, the caller already has your credit card number, what they want is the three digit code off the back of the card:

Person calling says - 'This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge number is 12460, Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a marketing company based in Arizona ?' When you say 'No', the caller continues with, 'Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that
correct?' You say 'yes'.