Archaeologists Again Arrive in Bates County

Two Programs Planned for the Public... 

The month of June has become the ‘unofficial’ Archaeology Month in Bates County. Five years ago, Ann Raab first held a meeting at the Bates County Museum and that was the beginning of a longstanding association and friendship. Through work done here in our county, Ann has recently achieved the title of Dr. Ann Raab. We take pride in her accomplishment and would like to think that the people and places of Bates County played a small role in her success. Congratulations Ann!

Ann, and husband Dr. Mark Raab, has again arrived and the Bates County Museum is once more their headquarters. For the next three weeks, she will be overseeing a university student archaeological field school, sponsored by the University of Missouri, Kansas City. This opportunity has brought students from as far away as Sacramento (Calif.), Chicago (Ill.), Omaha (Neb.), and of course students from Missouri.

The group is working on a dig-site near Amsterdam and a Public Visitors Day Tour has been scheduled for Saturday, June 16th. Visitors will gather at the Bates County Museum and be ready to leave at 9:00 am to caravan to the site. The Visitors Tour should be concluded by 11:00 am. There is no charge to attend; however, you are asked to call the Museum to make a reservation. 660-679-0134

“What Killed the Mammoths? – Search for a Cosmic Killer” – will be presented by Dr. Mark Raab on Sunday, June 24th at 3:00 pm at Robertson Hall, Bates County Museum. Mark has been in Mexico working at a dig-site trying to uncover information and artifacts that will help to prove a new theory about the extinction of mammoths in North America perhaps caused by a comet. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about archaeology and ancient climate change. The presentation is free and open to the public.

The Museum encourages you to take advantage of these educational program opportunities. We are very fortunate to have such qualified speakers and we welcome everyone to come, listen and learn! For further information about these and other programs, please call the Museum at 660-679-0134.

Unified Equine Missouri LLC to Open Meat Processing Facility at Rockville, Missouri

ROCKVILLE, MISSOURI - A Missouri-based company is on track to re-open an existing meat processing plant in Rockville, Missouri, by summer's end. Rockville is in Bates County in western Missouri, a rural area hard-hit by job losses when the plant closed almost a year ago.

The Rockville facility is currently being renovated and reequipped in order to humanely process horses. The facility will be regulated and inspected by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to ensure all horses are humanely transported and slaughtered under federal humane slaughter regulations, which provide one of the highest standards in the world. USDA will oversee and verify the food safety of all products.

"We are excited to be bringing jobs and opportunity to rural Missouri," says Sue Wallis, company CEO, "and even happier to provide a humane and viable option to the horse industry, decimated by misguided efforts to end humane horse slaughter."

Unified Equine Missouri will adhere to standards that go above and beyond minimum government requirements, standards developed by the International Equine Business Association. These standards include video surveillance to ensure humane handling and a sophisticated and fail-safe market-driven testing and traceability protocol. These systems ensure to the extent possible no stolen horse is mistakenly processed, and that all horses processed for human consumption are verified free of drug residues or other contamination.

The Rockville facility was a USDA-inspected meat processing facility for many years, and as such has the advantage of having all environmental waste water handling systems in place and was previously approved by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and other state agencies.

Unwanted or unusable horses are at particularly high risk of abandonment and neglect, or being transported thousands of miles to other countries where neither the U.S. horse industry nor USDA, has any jurisdiction over how horses are handled. There is a thriving foreign market for horse meat which is widely used in Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia. A robust niche ethnic market for horse meat existed in the United States prior to 2007, and is eagerly awaiting the reopening of the equine meat industry.

"We believe this is a win-win-win for both horses and people," says Wallis, "By ensuring every horse has value we ensure they are handled appropriately at every stage, that they are used for good purposes that contribute to the overall economy, that owners have the option of selling a horse they no longer want or need for a good price, and that as many as fifty good jobs that were lost almost a year ago are restored to a deserving rural community." Unified Equine Missouri will be providing competitive wages with benefits and the opportunity to gain shares in the company upon becoming fully vested to their employees.

More information is available by contacting Sue Wallis, CEO, sue.wallis52@gmail.com, 307 685 8248 (ranch), 307 680 8515 (cell). Attached please find a fact sheet and answers to frequently asked questions in regards to Unified Equine Missouri.

Unified Equine Missouri - Facts and Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Bates County Fair Queen and Princess candidates are out and about

As the Bates County Fair approaches, Queen and Princess Candidates are out and about selling Fair Shares and Raffle Tickets for the upcoming fair which will be held July 7th – July 15.

Bates County Fair Queen candidates are Krista Carter, 19 of Butler, daughter of Robin and Dorothy Carter, sponsored by the 4-Star 4-H; Stacy Lerosen, 16 of Adrian, daughter of John and Kim Thomas and is sponsored by the Adrian FFA. Bethanie Cole, 15 is running for princess. She is from Butler and the daughter of Don and Debbie Cole and is sponsored by V-52 4-H and the Ballard Grille.

Sign up now for Little Miss and Little Mr. Bates County

Sign up now for Little Miss and Mr. Bates County. Register at Bates County Farm Bureau 660-679-3155 or Sage Animal Health Clinic 660-679-4111. 

Open to ages 4-6 years old by July 6th 2012. Deadline to register is June 29th at 5 pm

Drexel prepares for 45th Alumni celebration tomorrow

Tomorrow night the Drexel Community building will come alive with those local and from far away as the 45th annual Alumni kicks off with a banquet at 5 p.m., followed by a dance 8 to midnight.

So far, about 115 are expected to attend based on advanced ticket sales, but note that tickets will be available at the door for $10. The banquet menu includes pork or brisket, potatoes, green beans and a salad along with a dessert.

Music will be provided by the Here for Beer Band and the dance will be held outside the building. Everyone is encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs. For more information contact Candice Cantrell at 816-293-5363.

photo courtesy DrexelMo.com

Proposed horse packing plant in Rockville under fire

A previous attempt to open a plant in Mountain Grove Mo. was met with much resistance as Unified Equine Missouri will now try it again in Rockville, Mo

If Unified Equine is successful in opening the Rockville plant it will be the first in the nation to be opened since Congress restored funding for horse slaughtering plants last year, and is thought to bring as many as 50 jobs to the area.

The company's plans to open a plant in Mountain Grove, Mo was shot down, as local residents didn't like the idea of Unified Equine Missouri slaughtering up to 800 horses a day and shipping the meat to Europe.

While Unified Equine Missouri is moving forward with plans to move into the former Rockville meat packing plant, a Mountain Grove attorney, Cynthia McPherson, wants to stop it in is tracks, as she was instrumental in the effort to block it in Mountain Grove as well.

McPherson is hoping the citizens of Rockville will join her cause- but some say the need for jobs is of utmost importance. Others simply don't like the idea of slaughtering horses for any reason. At this time it is unknown just how many Rockville folks are for the idea or not.

Still, Unified Equine argues that this type of operation is better for aging horses than 'putting them out to pasture', as many horses simply die of neglect, according to head of Unified Equine Missouri, Sue Wallis. She has also noted that Canada, Mexico, Asia and Europe are expanding markets for horse meat and the United States should be no exception. In fact, in an effort to expand their business, Unified Equine is considering a partnership with a Belgian company Chevideco, one of the biggest horse meat suppliers in the world to help bring a Missouri plant to fruition.

McPherson stated in an earlier interview she feels that the jobs won't go to the locals anyway, but will be filled by Hispanics brought in. She also noted that horse slaughtering operations have a terrible track record when it comes to environmental concerns.

Butler Thorco plant closing July 1

Management of Thorco Industries LLC (June 6) informed employees of plans to idle operations at the company’s manufacturing plants in Butler and Cassville, Missouri, effective July 1. Together, the two facilities currently employ 27 people. The company regrets the necessity of this action, which is a result of reduced business levels.

Thorco will continue to provide leading North American retailers with high quality store fixtures and related products and services from its plants in Lamar and Nevada, Missouri.

Thorco manfactured shelves for Wal-Mart Stores.

Obituary - James Enos

James "Jim" Enos, 87, Adrian, Missouri, died Wednesday, June 6, 2012 at his home. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, June 12, 2012 at the First United Methodist Church in Adrian, Missouri. Burial will be in Crescent Hill Cemetery, Adrian. Friends may call from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Monday, June 11 at the church. Memorial contributions may be made to the James Enos FFA Scholarship Fund or to the church.