Low Impact Aquatics Classes In Nevada

SOUTHSIDE CAFÉ CLOSED FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND

Southside Café, located on the Butler Square, will be closed on Thursday July 4^th, Friday July 5^th, ad Saturday July 6^th. They wish their customers a Happy and Safe Fourth of July.

UNTAMED COWGIRLS PHOTOGRAPHY MINI SESSIONS

Hannah Lewellen of Untamed Cowgirls Photography will be at the Outlaw Horse Show Circuit Show, happening on July 7^th, the Bates County Fair, and the Bourbon County Fair. She will be offering “mini sessions,” 10 minutes for $10. You will receive a CD with all pictures plus 2 edited pictures. This can be pre-class, post-class, and during the class. To schedule a mini session or find out more information on regular sessions call or text Hannah Lewellen at 660-464-1749.

Road Conditions in MO and the Rest of the Country

Nation's Road Conditions Show Slight Improvement; North Dakota, Kansas and Wyoming Have the Best, Most Cost-Effective Highway Systems


Alaska, Rhode Island, Hawaii and California have the worst highway systems in study of 
pavement condition, congestion, deficient bridges, fatalities and cost-effectiveness

Los Angeles (July 2, 2013) - As Americans hit the road for the Fourth of July holiday, they'll be driving on slightly smoother roads, crossing fewer deficient bridges and spending less time stuck in traffic jams according to Reason Foundation's Annual Highway Report.

Reason Foundation's Annual Highway Report measures the condition and cost-effectiveness of state-owned roads in 11 categories, including pavement condition on urban and rural Interstates, urban traffic congestion, deficient bridges, unsafe narrow lanes, traffic fatalities, total spending per mile of state roads and administrative costs per mile. The study's rankings are based on data that states reported to the federal government for 2009, the most recent year with full spending statistics available.

Nationwide there was small progress in every category except for pavement condition on rural arterial roads. These improvements were achieved at a time when per-mile expenditures dropped slightly. Despite receiving stimulus funding from the federal government in 2009, spending on state roads decreased slightly, by 0.6%, in 2009 compared to 2008.

"It's hard to believe it when you hit a pothole or see a bridge in Washington collapse, but the nation's roads are getting better," said David Hartgen, author of the study and emeritus transportation professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. "There are still several states struggling and plenty of problem areas. But you make the case that overall America's roads and bridges have never been in better shape."

Among the states plagued with problems are New Jersey and California. New Jersey spends $1.2 million per mile on its state-controlled roads. That's nearly twice as much as the $679,000 per mile that the next biggest spending state-California-spends. North Carolina, home to the nation's largest state highway system, spends $44,000 per mile on its roads. South Carolina spends just $31,000, the lowest per mile rate in the nation, according to a Reason Foundation study of all 50 state-controlled road systems.

Drivers in California and New Jersey may be wondering what they are getting in return for that money. More than 16 percent of urban Interstate pavement in each of those states is in poor condition. Only Hawaii ranks worse, with 27 percent of its urban Interstate pavement rated as poor.

Not only are California's Interstates full of potholes, they are also jammed-80 percent of the state's urban Interstates are congested. Minnesota has the next highest percentage of gridlocked Interstates, with 78 percent of urban Interstates deemed congested.

In terms of overall road conditions and cost-effectiveness, North Dakota has the country's top ranked state-controlled road system, followed by Kansas (2^nd), Wyoming (3^rd), New Mexico (4^th) and Montana (5^th), according to Reason Foundation's Annual Highway Report.

Alaska's state-controlled road system is the lowest quality and least cost-effective in the nation. Rhode Island (49^th), Hawaii (48^th), California (47^th), New Jersey (46^th) and New York (45^th) also perform poorly.

Vermont's roads showed the most improvement in the nation, improving from 42^nd in the previous report to 28^th in the new overall rankings. New Hampshire (27^th) and Washington (24^th) both improved nine spots in the rankings.

Minnesota system plummeted 17 spots in the rankings, from 25^th to 42^nd and Delaware dropped nine spots to 20^th.

Massachusetts had the lowest traffic fatality rate, while Montana had the highest.

Reason Foundation's Annual Highway Report
Overall Performance and Cost Effective Rankings
1. North Dakota
2. Kansas
3. Wyoming
4. New Mexico
5. Montana
6. Nebraska
7. South Carolina
8. Missouri
9. South Dakota
10. Mississippi
11. Texas
12. Georgia
13. Oregon
14. Kentucky
15. Virginia
16. Nevada
17. Idaho
18. New Hampshire
19. North Carolina
20. Delaware
21. Tennessee
22. Indiana
23. Arizona
24. Washington
25. Ohio
26. Utah
27. Alabama
28. Vermont
29. Maine
30. Michigan
31. Wisconsin
32. West Virginia
33. Iowa
34. Illinois
35. Louisiana
36. Arkansas
37. Florida
38. Oklahoma
39. Pennsylvania
40. Maryland
41. Colorado
42. Minnesota
43. Massachusetts
44. Connecticut
45. New York
46. New Jersey
47. California
48. Hawaii
49. Rhode Island
50. Alaska

Missouri's state highway system is ranked 8th in the nation in overall highway performance and efficiency in the latest Annual Highway Report by Reason Foundation, unchanged from the previous Annual Highway Report when it also ranked 8th . Missouri ranks 1st in rural interstate pavement condition, 16th in urban interstate congestion, 18th in urban interstate pavement condition, 28th in fatality rate, and 37 th in deficient bridges. With 33,638 miles under state control, Missouri is the 7th largest state-administered system.

Closings July 4th

When planning your schedule around the holiday remember that all area banks will be closed on July 4^th.  In addition to the banks in the area, be aware that the Butler Post-Office will also be closed on July 4^th.   

Courtesy of FM. 92

Don't Lose Your Freedom by Driving Drunk

Law enforcement seeking impaired drivers.

JEFFERSON CITY – The Fourth of July is notorious for alcohol-impaired driving crashes. State and local law enforcement will be out in full force July 3–7 seeking impaired drivers through increased sobriety checkpoints and roving and saturation patrols.
The theme is straightforward, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. No warnings. No excuses. Those who drive impaired will be arrested. Don’t risk losing your independence by choosing to drink and drive.

“Holidays need to be about family fun, not senseless tragedies caused by impaired driving,” said Leanna Depue, executive committee chair for the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety. There were four people killed and 21 seriously injured in Missouri traffic crashes over this holiday weekend in 2012. Two of the fatalities and five of the serious injuries involved an impaired driver.

 Violators risk killing or harming others, face jail time, the loss of their driver licenses, higher insurance rates and dozens of other unanticipated expenses from attorney fees, fines and court costs, car towing and repairs, and lost time at work.

The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety recommends these simple tips to avoid a drunk-driving disaster:

·        Plan a safe way home before the fun begins.
·        Before drinking, designate a sober driver.
·        If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation so you are sure to get home safely.
·        If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to call 911.
·        Always wear your seat belt. It’s your best defense in any traffic crash. For more information, visit saveMOlives.com, or find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, #saveMOlives and #drivesoberMO.

RESULTS: Missouri State Highway Patrol Operation Dry Water

The Results Of Missouri State Highway Patrol's Participation In Operation Dry Water— National Crackdown On Impaired Boaters

Colonel Ronald K. Replogle, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, announces the results of enforcement efforts to detect impaired boat operators in conjunction with the national “Operation Dry Water” campaign. This is the fifth year for the national effort to reduce impaired vessel operation by highlighting enforcement efforts. Troopers conducted four special operations over the weekend to include sobriety checkpoints, saturations, and heightened awareness during normal patrols.

A BWI checkpoint was held at the Missouri Highway 64 Bridge on June 28, 2013, on Lake Pomme de Terre in conjunction with Operation Dry Water. Troopers stopped 38 boats and issued 15 warnings. One arrest was made for BWI.

A BWI sobriety checkpoint was conducted on June 29, 2013. The checkpoint was conducted at Point #7 Table Rock Lake at the Missouri Highway 13 Bridge. Troopers stopped 124 boats during the checkpoint, and made five boating while intoxicated arrests. There were 51 warnings and six summonses issued for safety violations. One felony arrest was made for controlled substance; and one misdemeanor warrant arrest was made.

On Saturday, June 29, 2013, troopers conducted a BWI checkpoint in Camden County on the Lake of the Ozarks. There were 181 vessels stopped during the operation, one BWI arrest was made, two summonses for boating safety violations, one non-boating violation and 46 warnings were issued.

Also on Saturday, June 29, 2013, troopers conducted a river saturation along the Niangua River. Troopers contacted 65 vessels and made eight minor in possession arrests, seven other miscellaneous arrests, three traffic arrests, one felony warrant arrest, one misdemeanor warrant arrest, issued 35 warnings and contacted 219 persons.

Including those made during the four special operations, troopers arrested a total of 14 people statewide for boating while intoxicated, contacted 747 vessels and 1,405 boaters, and issued 114 boating violation summonses and 482 warnings. Marine operations troopers also issued 82 summonses for non-boating violations during the 2013 Operation Dry Water weekend. Special enforcement operations will continue throughout the summer months. Boaters are reminded that designating a sober skipper is always the safest bet if alcohol is going to be included in their boating experience.

Attorney General Wants Executions For Missouri Death Row Inmates

Koster wants executions

The Attorney General is asking the Missouri Supreme Court again to set execution dates for a couple of prison inmates.  But his request involves more than the calendar. 

Koster’s requests for execution dates in the past have produced nothing.  He asked for an execution date for white supremacist Joseph Franklin in 2009.  He asked the court to set a date for Allen Nicklasson in early ’10.  They’ve been under death sentences since the 90s.
The white supremacist Franklin is to be executed for the sniper murder of a man at a Jewish  synagogue.  He also has been convicted of killing two African-Americans in Utah, an interracial couple in Wisconsin, and of bombing a synagogue in Tennessee.  He also claims to be the person who shot and crippled Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt.

Nicklasson faces death for  killing a “Good Samaritan” who stopped to help him and two other men when their car broke down.  Co-defendant Dennis Skillicorn has been executed.
Franklin and Nicklasson have no federal appeals pending.  But inmates in other states are challenging execution protocols. He says the court has a “new philosophy” that a pending federal case involving some other states should stop executions in Missouri. 

The court suits haven’t stopped executions in states where protocol suits have been filed.  Seventeen inmates have been executed in the first six months of the year, eight of them in Texas.  Florida has executed three.  Ohio, and Oklahoma have executed two, Georgia and Virginia have each executed one.  The Virginia execution was by electric chair.  All the others have been through lethal injection. 

Missouri’s last execution was that of Martin Link, February 9, 2011.  Skillicorn was executed in May, 2009.  The last previous executions were in 2005, when five inmates were put to death.

The timing of Koster’s request is intentional. A new Chief Justice is in charge of the court, as of yesterday. And a new member of the court has not addressed the issue. 

Koster also worries that more delays will let more drug manufacturers withdraw their drugs for use. And he says a legislature that will not repeal the death penalty might consider reinstituting the gas chamber if lethal injection executions are essentially unofficially negated by the court. He says that’s a not necessarily an issue that should be back on the table.
Koster says the Department of Corrections has assured him it could do an execution if a date is set.

Courtesy of MONet   By Bob Priddy