Nixon to make last appearances as governor Thursday, Friday

(From Gov. Jay Nixon)

Gov. Jay Nixon will hold his final public events as Governor on Jan. 5-6, highlighting the values Missourians share and the priorities he has pursued from Day One: creating jobs, strengthening public schools, making college more affordable and caring for our most vulnerable citizens. Those events are scheduled for Jefferson City, St. Louis, De Soto, Strafford, Excelsior Springs and Kansas City.

On Thursday (Jan. 5) following the Governor’s Prayer Breakfast in Jefferson City, Gov. Nixon will hold a press availability with prayer breakfast speaker Randy Gariss, Director of the Life and Ministry Preparation Center for Ozark Christian College and former preaching minister of College Heights Christian Church in Joplin, which played a significant role following the Joplin tornado.

The Governor will then go to St. Louis, where he will join St. Louis Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Kelvin Adams for a briefing with St. Louis civic and business leaders about the progress the district has made toward full accreditation.Also in St. Louis, the Governor will visit Easter Seals Midwest to thank caregivers and therapists for working to improve the lives of children with autism.

On Friday (Jan. 6), Gov. Nixon will return to his hometown of De Soto, where he will take questions from junior high school students and discuss the importance of continuing to invest in education and strengthen local public schools.

Later in the day he will visit Strafford Senior High, in the Springfield area, to celebrate the expansion of the A+ Scholarship Program to nearly every public high school in the state – a goal the governor set during his first term that has now been achieved.

In Excelsior Springs, the Governor will visit auto supplier Magna Seating to celebrate the continued resurgence of Missouri’s auto manufacturing industry, including historic expansions by Ford, General Motors and suppliers across the state.

The Governor’s final public event as Governor will be in Kansas City, where he will thank the highly-skilled workers of UAW Local 249 and other labor unions for their role in Missouri’s continued economic recovery. In 2010, Gov. Nixon visited Local 249 to sign the Missouri Manufacturing Jobs Act, bipartisan legislation that facilitated the revival of the state’s auto manufacturing industry.

Thursday, Jan. 5

WHAT: Press availability following Governor’s Prayer Breakfast with Pastor Randy Gariss of Joplin

WHEN: 9:15 a.m.

WHERE: Capitol Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Jefferson City

***

WHAT: Visiting with students and discussing the progress the St. Louis Public School district has made toward full accreditation

WHEN: 12:30 p.m.

WHERE: Mason Elementary (6031 Southwest Ave. St. Louis, MO 63139)

***

WHAT: Thanking autism caregivers at Easter Seals Midwest

WHEN: 2:45 p.m.

WHERE: Easter Seals Midwest – Autism Services Office (10176 Corporate Square Drive, Suite 150 St. Louis, MO)

Friday, Jan. 6

WHAT: Visit with students in the Governor’s hometown of De Soto

WHEN: 9:30 a.m.

WHERE: De Soto Junior High School (715 Amvets Dr. De Soto, MO 63020)

***

WHAT: Celebrating the expansion of the A+ Scholarship program to nearly every public high school in the state

WHEN: 12:45 p.m.

WHERE: Strafford High School (201 W McCabe St, Strafford, MO 65757)

***

WHAT: Thanking workers and celebrating the continued resurgence of Missouri’s auto manufacturing industry

WHEN: 3:15 p.m.

WHERE: Magna Seating, (301 S McCleary Rd. Excelsior Springs, MO 6402)

***

WHAT: Thanking workers for their role in Missouri’s continued economic recovery

WHEN: 5:00 p.m.

WHERE: UAW Local 249 in Pleasant Valley, MO

Complete video- Sen. Ron Richard's opening day address

Wind chills in single digits tonight for Joplin area

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
300 PM CST WED JAN 4 2017

KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-052100-
BOURBON-CRAWFORD-CHEROKEE-BENTON-MORGAN-MILLER-MARIES-VERNON-
ST. CLAIR-HICKORY-CAMDEN-PULASKI-PHELPS-BARTON-CEDAR-POLK-DALLAS-
LACLEDE-TEXAS-DENT-JASPER-DADE-GREENE-WEBSTER-WRIGHT-NEWTON-
LAWRENCE-CHRISTIAN-DOUGLAS-HOWELL-SHANNON-MCDONALD-BARRY-STONE-
TANEY-OZARK-OREGON-
300 PM CST WED JAN 4 2017

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE MISSOURI
OZARKS AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED...

  LIMITED EXCESSIVE COLD RISK.
  ELEVATED SNOW RISK.

DISCUSSION...

  WIND CHILLS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS AND TEENS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN
  TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING.

  AN AREA OF LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO NORTHERN
  PORTIONS OF THE OUTLOOK AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT. GIVEN THE COLD
  GROUND TEMPERATURES, SOME AREAS OVER CENTRAL MISSOURI WILL SEE
  AN ACCUMULATION ON AREA ROADS. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS
  EXPECTED FOR PARTS OF CENTRAL MISSOURI FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH
  THURSDAY MORNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

  LIGHT SNOW WILL BE ONGOING OVER CENTRAL MISSOURI DAYBREAK
  THURSDAY. A TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATION OF ONE TO TWO INCHES WILL BE
  POSSIBLE NORTH OF A LINE FROM OSCEOLA TO SALEM BY NOON. LESSER
  AMOUNTS OF SNOW WILL OCCUR AS YOU HEAD SOUTH WITH TRACE AMOUNTS
  AS FAR SOUTH AS PITTSBURG KS TO SPRINGFIELD TO EMINENCE. AGAIN,
  COLD GROUND TEMPERATURES WILL LEAD TO AN ACCUMULATION ON ROAD
  SURFACES THURSDAY MORNING. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO SHIFT OFF TO THE
  EAST DURING THE AFTERNOON. SOME CHANGES IN THE SNOW FORECAST ARE
  STILL POSSIBLE GIVEN THE RELATIVELY SMALL SCALE OF THE EXPECTED
  SNOW BAND.

  COLDER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE
  UPCOMING WEEKEND.

Joplin sanitary sewers to be smoke tested

(From City of Joplin)

TREKK Design Group, engineers working with the City of Joplin, Missouri will be smoke testing sanitary sewers during the next few weeks as part of the City’s ongoing efforts to improve the sanitary sewer system and reduce infiltration & inflow (I/I).  

 As the next step in identifying sources of I/I, TREKK smoke testing of the sewer lines have started and will continue for the next couple weeks, weather permitting. 

Smoke testing is conducted by forcing a non-toxic, harmless, odorless smoke into the sewer lines. The smoke leaves the enclosed pipe in areas where there are cracks or leaks and makes its way to the ground’s surface, where personnel can mark the defect location. 

Residents should be aware that the smoke will also follow the private line laterals and leave them through the roof vents in homes. Sometimes the smoke can enter a home or building through dry floor drains and p-traps or defects in the interior plumbing system. The smoke can quickly be removed by opening windows. 

Door hangers with notifications and instructions to fill floor drains and p-traps with water have been distributed to all residents in the area that may be affected. TREKK will also have portable street signs posted in the immediate vicinity of the smoke testing. Fire/Medical, public works, and dispatch will also be notified with specific locations. 

As the smoke testing takes place, TREKK personnel will be in the neighborhood to provide any assistance and answer any questions. All TREKK employees and vehicles will be clearly identifiable. The work is estimated to take two to three weeks to complete. 

The smoke testing boundary is included with this article and is also provided by clicking on the link at the end of this story.

To view map of smoke testing area....

Highway Commission approves replacement of two bridges on 96 in Carthage

(From MODOT)

The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission approved a contract at its monthly meeting today to replace two bridges on Missouri Route 96 in Carthage, including the closed Missouri and Northern Arkansas bridge, the Missouri Department of Transportation said.

The bridge over the railroad tracks, built in 1934, was closed Sept. 1, 2016 when inspection of the bridge revealed additional deterioration.

The contract also covers the Spring River Overflow bridge.

The contractor is expected to begin work sometime this spring. The contract requires both bridges be opened to traffic no later than Sept. 15, 2017, with remaining work to be completed by Oct. 15, 2017.

There are incentives in the contract rewarding the contractor for opening the bridges earlier than the Sept. 15 deadline.

A public meeting was held last July outlining plans to replace the bridges. Another meeting will be held at a later date to outline the construction schedule.

Weather and/or construction delays will alter the work schedule.

Project background:
Prime contractor: Clarkson Construction Co., Kansas City
Completion date: October 15, 2017 (bridges open to traffic no later than Sept. 15)
Total cost: $6.2 million

Annual MLK Breakfast and Day of Service on tap at MSSU

(From Southern News Service)

The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast and Day of Service will be held at Missouri Southern State University on Monday, Jan. 16.

Breakfast will be from 8 to 9:30 a.m. in the Billingsly Student Center Ballroom. Doors open at 7:30. The cost is $10 per person and is free for children under age 5 and Missouri Southern students.

The theme is: “Their Time, Our Issues – A Dialog With Young Leaders.” Guest speaker will be Alvin Miller, an advocate for social justice and educational equity whose focus is on youth. Miller has been involved with Hope Unlimited and the St. Louis County NAACP, and is recognized for his leadership in community service. He served seven years as chair of the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration in Kirkwood, Mo.

The Day of Service will follow from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Participants can select from a list of non-profits in need of service at www.mssu.edu/mlk.

Service times will vary by location and the website notes locations where children are welcome to serve. Please note the times of service requested and the type of assistance needed and contact the organization’s representative directly.

Reservations for the breakfast are requested by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11.

MLK Day activities at Missouri Southern are sponsored by: Residence Inn Marriot, Commerce Bank, Owens Corning Thermafiber, The Joplin Globe, Carver Birthplace Association, KOAM Fox 14, Islamic Society of Joplin, Joplin Metro Credit Union, Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce and Ozark Christian College.

Former Joplin cop gets probation for offering to dismiss case in exchange for sex

(From the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri)

A former Joplin, Mo., police officer was sentenced in federal court today for violating the civil rights of a woman he arrested by attempting to get her case dismissed in exchange for a sexual relationship.

Brian Rogers, 30, of Joplin, was sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to three years of probation, including six months of home detention with electronic monitoring.

On Sept. 19, 2016, Rogers pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge of deprivation of rights under color of law. Rogers – who was a Joplin police officer at the time – arrested a woman identified in court documents as Jane Doe for driving under the influence in October 2015. She was subsequently charged with DUI by the Joplin Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Rogers admitted that he communicated with Jane Doe via texts and Facebook Messenger in December 2015 and offered to get the charge dismissed. Rogers said he would like to see Jane Doe’s body and asked her to send him pictures, which she refused to do. Rogers asked Jane Doe what she was offering and said he wanted her to “show me one hell of a time!” Rogers also asked her to come by his office, which she also refused to do.

On Dec. 28, 2015, Rogers approached city prosecutor Becky Seidl and suggested she dismiss the case. Rogers stated that he had experienced a maintenance issue with the breathalyzer that he had used to take the sample from Jane Doe. Rogers told Seidl they would have a hard time of making the case stick and he was inclined to give Jane Doe the benefit of the doubt.

Seidl told Rogers she agreed and the case would need to be dismissed. After speaking with Rogers, Seidl spoke to police officials, who contacted the FBI. When federal agents interviewed Jane Doe, she agreed to place a recorded phone call to Rogers. During the call Rogers stated he had spoken with the city prosecutor and he believed the charges would be dropped. Rogers also stated he would check up on the status of the case the following day.

On Jan. 25, 2016, federal agents interviewed Rogers. Rogers admitted that he had hoped his actions in helping to dismiss Jane Doe’s case would lead to him and Jane Doe developing a friendship and then a sexual relationship. Rogers had hoped that after getting the charges dropped Jane Doe would meet with him.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI and the Joplin, Mo., Police Department.