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First US town powered completely by wind
Rock Port, Mo., has an unusual crop: wind turbines.
The four turbines that supply electricity to the small town of 1,300 residents make it the first community in the United States to operate solely on wind power.
"That's something to be very proud of, especially in a rural area like this — that we're doing our part for the environment," said Jim Crawford, a natural resource engineer at the University of Missouri Extension in Columbia.
A map published by the U.S. Department of Energy indicates that northwest Missouri has the state's highest concentrations of wind resources and contains a number of locations that are potentially suitable for utility-scale wind development. The four turbines that power Rock Port are part of a larger set of 75 turbines across three counties that are used to harvest the power of wind.
"We're farming the wind, which is something that we have up here," Crawford said. "The payback on a per-acre basis is generally quite good when compared to a lot of other crops, and it's as simple as getting a cup of coffee and watching the blades spin."
And the turbines have another benefit besides produces clean energy: MU Extension specialists said that the Missouri wind farms will bring in more than $1.1 million annually in county real estate taxes, to be paid by Wind Capital Group, a wind energy developer based in St. Louis.
"This is a unique situation because in rural areas it is quite uncommon to have this increase in taxation revenues," said Jerry Baker, and MU Extension community development specialist.
Landowners can also benefit by leasing part of their property for wind turbines.
The turbines will also provide savings to rural electric companies and will provide electric service for at least 20 years, the anticipated lifetime of the turbines.
"Anybody who is currently using Rock Port utilities can expect no increase in rates for the next 15 to 20 years," Crawford said.
Baker added that the turbines could also attract tourists to the area. Rock Port, Mo., has an unusual crop: wind turbines. ... more -
Firefighter killed by gun shot on the scene
Ryan Hummert, 22, a firefighter in Maplewood, Missouri (suburb of St. Louis) was responding to a call about a pick up truck that was in flames. He arrived to the scene to help save lives and by a horrible twist of fate his life was taken. Not by the fire but by a gunman hiding in a house across the street. Two other policemen were then shot but only Ryan's shot was fatal. The gunman set the car on fire to lure firemen and cops there to shoot them and then set the house he was in on fire which is to believed to be his own. There is no known motive and it has not yet been determined whether the gunman killed himself in his burning house or ran away. This has been a horrible event for the St. Louis area and all those who knew and loved Ryan. Please keep his family and friends in mind and in prayers. Ryan Hummert, 22, a firefighter in Maplewood, Missouri (suburb of St. Louis) was responding to a call about a pick up truck that was i... more
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Missouri Man Ambushes Authorities; Kills Paramedic
Ryan Hummert, 22, was shot as he got out of a fire truck on Zephyr near Big Bend Blvd. According to officials, Hummert and his fellow firefighters were responding to a vehicle fire. When they arrived on scene, someone began firing shots at them. Hummert was hit.
Firefighters were pinned behind their fire truck for several hours. The gunman also shot two police officers who responded to the scene. One of those officers was treated and released. Hummert was pronounced dead at an area hospital.
(Taken from Fox 2 News- Saint Louis)
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http://www.kmov.com/video/topvideo-index.html?nvid=2651...
Check the video in the link for more details. I can say as a resident that this is one of the largest shows of police force in a long time. Possibly ever. The gunman has been presumed dead, reportedly inside the burning house while it was on fire.
When you live in a small town, you never expect something like this to happen. More often than not, however, it seems more and more violence has spilled over to the suburbs of America. I would like to know your opinions on this situation, as well as your opinions on violence in America. Ryan Hummert, 22, was shot as he got out of a fire truck on Zephyr near Big Bend Blvd. According to officials, Hummert and his fellow... more -
Fake FBI agent faces up to 105 years in jail
An unemployed trucker who claimed to be an undercover FBI agent sent to a small town to clean up its drugs problem is facing up to 105 years in jail after being charged with 23 offences. An unemployed trucker who claimed to be an undercover FBI agent sent to a small town to clean up its drugs problem is facing up to 105... more
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Baby left in shopping cart outside Wal-Mart
"A southern Missouri couple may be charged after their 2-month-old baby was left in a shopping cart outside a Wal-Mart. Lebanon police say the couple had finished their shopping on July 4, loaded their car and drove off without taking the baby. A witness said he watched the couple drive away, leaving the baby behind.
Twenty minutes later, the frantic parents called Wal-Mart. Police said the couple first lied about why they sped away, claiming a neighbor had called to report someone was breaking into their home. But they eventually admitted that they simply forgot the infant.
Both parents were arrested on suspicion of endangering the welfare of a child and released, pending possible formal charges by Laclede County prosecutors.
Police say the baby is staying with a relative and is in good condition."
Associated Press "A southern Missouri couple may be charged after their 2-month-old baby was left in a shopping cart outside a Wal-Mart. Lebanon polic... more -
$55,000 cash found hidden in St. Louis County jail bathroom
CLAYTON — It was not the kind of paper you'd expect to find by a toilet.
A St. Louis County jail employee found bundles of cash stuffed behind a tissue dispenser in a prisoner booking area restroom, and officials counted out $55,000 in $50 and $100 bills.
Whose? They don't know. Why? There is only speculation. What happens to the money now? It's still under research.
Perhaps a criminal suspect, wary that discovery of such a large sum might be used as evidence in a trial, ditched it before being thoroughly searched. The restroom is in a secure area of the St. Louis County Justice Center in downtown Clayton.
Police interviewed jail inmates, including those booked immediately before the money was found July 2, but no one admitted knowing anything about it.
"We really don't know where it came from, so I guess you could consider any possibility," said Clayton Police Chief Thomas Byrne, whose department is investigating.
He said he was not sure if the cash had been found by a guard or maintenance worker. A jail spokesman confirmed that the money had been found but referred all other questions to police.
Officials deposited the cash in a bank, as investigators looked for any link to a theft, or holdup.
The city attorney is researching what to do with the money if its origin cannot be determined and nobody claims it, the chief said. He said the bills were not marked in any particular way.
The stash was found in a surprisingly small space for such a large sum, Byrne said. "Quite frankly, it wasn't quite as big a stack as I would have thought." CLAYTON — It was not the kind of paper you'd expect to find by a toilet. ... more -
Town finds drug agent is an imposter
A man who claimed to be a federal agent performed a series of drug raids over 5 months in the town of Gerald, Missouri. Turns out he was a fake. So why'd he do it? A man who claimed to be a federal agent performed a series of drug raids over 5 months in the town of Gerald, Missouri. Turns out he ... more
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Flood After Flood
The levees have been breached by the overwhelming floods in Iowa and Missouri. Both states have experienced severe storms and are scrambling to get ample resources to prevent further damages. The levees have been breached by the overwhelming floods in Iowa and Missouri. Both states have experienced severe storms and are scra... more
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Mother Mary Spotting in a Missouri Rock
The list continues to grow .. When Randy O'Kane went canoeing with his son on the Jacks Fork River in southern Missouri, they skipped stones across the water. A tile-setter, O'Kane kept one of the stones. When he cut it in half to polish it, he saw an image in the center that he says looks like the Virgin Mary. He plans to give the stone to his wife. The list continues to grow .. When Randy O'Kane went canoeing with his son on the Jacks Fork River in southern Missouri, they skipped ... more
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Cheapest Gas is in Missouri
In the rural parts of the KC metro, gas hasn't spiked over four bucks yet. Taxes and geography helps keep the state at the cheapest levels nationwide. Ahhh, another morsel for Missourians to be happy about. In the rural parts of the KC metro, gas hasn't spiked over four bucks yet. Taxes and geography helps keep the state at the cheapest le... more
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Can Obama Win Missouri in 2008
If he can clinch Missouri, Senator Obama will be the next President of the United States. The historically 'red state' of Missouri is hanging in the lurches for Senator Obama as he plans to spend a lot of quality time in the 'Show Me State' between June and November. A slew of Democratic committees state-wide are mobilizing for a victory that will be tough in a state leaning in the red .. If he can clinch Missouri, Senator Obama will be the next President of the United States. The historically 'red state' of Missouri is ... more
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More ‘San Francisco Values’
With a soundtrack as shifty as its logic, here is another captivating self-parody from the Sam Graves campaign. The shameless Missouri congressman, who has tried to paint his Democratic opponent as an unholy champion of gayness because she held a fundraiser in San Francisco, has launched another attack ad allegedly based on that city’s values. With a soundtrack as shifty as its logic, here is another captivating self-parody from the Sam Graves campaign. The shameless Missouri... more
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Missouri law will fine employers for requiring microchip implants
Your bosses can still make you work weekends and give you projects you loathe. But Missouri lawmakers have voted to make it a crime if they order that a microchip be implanted in your arm.
Forcing someone to get a microchip implantis already barred in California, North Dakota and Wisconsin. Legislation awaiting Gov. Matt Blunt’s signature would make it a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $1,000 for a boss who demands that a worker get an implant.
Katherine Albrecht, an expert in consumer privacy and radio frequency identification, acknowledges that microchip implants might sound like “black helicopters and tin foil hats.”
But Albrecht, the founder of AntiChips.com, and other critics argue there are tangible medical, privacy and religious worries driving attempts to pass laws banning forced implants.
“The people who oppose it don’t understand how real the threat is, and the people who are gung-ho don’t understand its power,” Albrecht said.
Your bosses can still make you work weekends and give you projects you loathe. But Missouri lawmakers have voted to make it a crime if... more -
U.S. tornado deaths are the worst in a decade
"DES MOINES, Iowa — Powerful storms packing large hail, heavy rain and tornadoes made for a deadly Memorial Day weekend across the nation’s midsection, killing at least seven people in Iowa and a 2-year-old child in Minneapolis."
- Detroit Free Press "DES MOINES, Iowa — Powerful storms packing large hail, heavy rain and tornadoes made for a deadly Memorial Day weekend across the nat... more -
Missouri State Representative Stanley Cox (voting restrictions)
Interview with State Rep Stanley Cox in his hometown, Sedalia, MO.
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Immigration and the Show Me State
A group of Latino students in Missouri discuss the challenges faced by undocumented immigrants, including: lack of citizenship; inability to vote; risk of criminal charges; lack of access to higher education; and the possibility of deportation. They also express their views on a proposed amendment to the Missouri constitution that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote, and share their perspectives on the upcoming Presidential election. A group of Latino students in Missouri discuss the challenges faced by undocumented immigrants, including: lack of citizenship; inabil... more
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Mom indicted in deadly MySpace hoax (CNN)
" LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A federal grand jury indicted a Missouri woman Thursday for her alleged role in perpetrating a hoax on the online social network MySpace against a 13-year-old neighbor who committed suicide.
Megan Meier, 13, hanged herself in her bedroom after being targeted in a MySpace hoax. Lori Drew of suburban St. Louis is said to have helped create a false-identity MySpace account to contact Megan Meier, who thought she was chatting with a 16-year-old boy named Josh Evans. Josh didn't exist.
Megan hanged herself at home in October 2006 after receiving cruel messages, including one stating the world would be better off without her."
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I am really saddened and somewhat angered. How old was this woman? Why would you do such a thing? Maybe she got teased when she was little but it does NOT excuse this sort of behavior.
This really is something that shouldn't have happened " LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A federal grand jury indicted a Missouri woman Thursday for her alleged role in perpetrating a hoax ... more -
Girl, 12, trained to work as dominatrix
"Barkau obtained control of a 12-year-old girl and he groomed, trained and forced her to become a sexual dominatrix," Wood said in Kansas City on Monday. "Barkau obtained control of a 12-year-old girl and he groomed, trained and forced her to become a sexual dominatrix," Wood said in Kan... more
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St. Louis: John Armleder and Olivier Mosset @Contemporary Art Museum thru 8/3
In May 2008, the Contemporary hands its galleries over to the conceptual artists John Armleder and Olivier Mosset. Jointly conceived by the artists—who have been close for more than twenty years—the exhibition represents neither a curated two- person show nor two independent, solo exhibitions. Instead, it proposes an active juxtaposition of parallel (and opposite) artistic approaches, where artworks act as obstacles, and obstacles act as artworks. In May 2008, the Contemporary hands its galleries over to the conceptual artists John Armleder and Olivier Mosset. Jointly conceived b... more
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18 reported dead in U.S. tornadoes
At least 18 people have died following a series of tornadoes which swept through Missouri and Oklahoma yesterday, but police have not ruled out finding more victims.
Hardest hit was Racine, a tiny community in Newton County: six people were also killed in the small Oklahoma town of Picher. "Basically a 24-block area is virtually destroyed", said Michelann Ooten, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. National Guard troops were due to arrive in Picher by this morning to help in rescue and recovery operations. An employee of the Missouri Emergency Management Agency said, "there's a lot of wreckage and overturned vehicles".
Local television footage from Picher showed widespread devastation. Homes were ripped from their foundations, trees were stripped of leaves and sheet metal was twisted like paper. Search efforts for missing people in Picher were shutting down as it was unsafe for rescuers to move through the rubble at night even with mobile floodlights. Fifty people have been treated for injuries ranging from head trauma to lacerations and broken bones.
Picher is currently undergoing a massive pollution clean-up to clear lead and zinc mining hazards. Residents were being assisted with relocation from the community after high levels of lead were found in groundwater.
Reporting by Ben Fenwick in Oklahoma City; additional reporting by Erwin Seba in Houston and Andrew Stern in Chicago; editing by Eric Beech
OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) At least 18 people have died following a series of tornadoes which swept through Missouri and Oklahoma yesterday, but police have not ... more
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