JEFFERSON CITY, MO –January 14, 2013—Nearly a dozen Missouri groups representing seniors and low-income state residents have sent a letter to U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill in support of the federal wireless Lifeline program providing cell phone service to more than 34,000 of Missouri’s low-income residents.

Since 1985, the Lifeline program (http://www.fcc.gov/lifeline) has provided a discount on phone service for qualifying low-income consumers to ensure that all Americans have the opportunities and security that phone service brings, including being able to connect to jobs, family and emergency services.

The joint letter is signed by the following eleven groups: Access II Independent Living Center; ADAPT of Missouri; Citizen Education Fund; Consumer Council of Missouri; Grass Roots Organizing (GRO); Gray Panthers of Kansas and Western Missouri; Missouri Alliance for Retired Americans; Missouri Association for Community Action, INC (MACA); Missouri Association for Social Welfare; Missouri ProVote; Ready, Aim, Advocate Committee of St. Louis, MO (RAR).

The letter states: “We… are very concerned about calls for ending the Universal Service Fund (USF) Wireless Lifeline Program, which is very needed for at-risk individuals and communities. We share your desire to make sure that this program is as efficient as possible and that all avenues for fraud are eliminated. The loss of this program would have a devastating impact on the lives of eligible Missouri residents, including minorities, seniors, veterans, single parents, and low-income families.”

In 2012, one Lifeline service provider reported having more than 34,000 Missouri participants enrolled in its program. Recent surveys of wireless Lifeline customers show:
· Roughly half are over 45 to 50 years of age, with a substantial percent over 60.
· More than 10 percent of program participants are Veterans.
· Americans with disabilities participate.
· A large percentage are unemployed or underemployed and use their Lifeline service to help find work.
· Lifeline service provides access to healthcare. One provider found 54 percent of participants indicated that they used the service to stay in touch with doctors and for other health care-related purposes.

The FCC’s significant Lifeline overhaul has generated significant savings for the USF and should be permitted to proceed. At the same time, more can be done to ensure the integrity of the program. McCaskill’s voice is critically needed on this issue.

Kansans can now look out for missing children by receiving Amber Alerts on Twitter, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said in a press release today.

“When a child is missing, the public’s assistance is crucial to returning the child safely,” Schmidt said. “Social media provides us a new way to get information out quickly to the public in the event of an Amber Alert.”

A new Twitter account, @AMBERAlert, was launched this week in conjunction with National Amber Alert Awareness Day. The account, managed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, will provide information on all Amber Alerts issued nationwide.

The Kansas Amber Alert system is coordinated by the Kansas Attorney General’s Office and Kansas Bureau of Investigation. When an alert is issued, the media are notified to begin broadcasting the details of the missing child and suspect. Kansans can also receive Amber Alerts on Facebook by liking the Kansas Amber Alert page at www.facebook.com/AmberAlertKS.

The Amber Alert program, named for 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, is a voluntary partnership between law enforcement agencies, broadcasters, and transportation agencies to activate an urgent bulletin in the most serious child-abduction cases. Broadcasters use the Emergency Alert System to air a description of the abducted child and suspected abductor. The goal of an Amber Alert is to instantly galvanize the entire community to assist in the search for and safe recovery of the child.

Since its inception in 1996, this program has successfully brought 679 children home safely. In Kansas, 23 children have been safely returned since 2002.

In addition to the Amber Alert program, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children maintains a list of all missing children from Kansas. That database can be accessed at www.missingkids.com. Anyone with information about the whereabouts of any of these missing persons should contact a law enforcement agency or call 1-800-KS-CRIME.

For more information, visit www.ag.ks.gov/amber-alert.

(AP) — U.S. safety regulators are adding the Dodge Durango to an investigation of ceiling fires in Jeep Grand Cherokees.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the probe now covers more than 593,000 SUVs from the 2011 through 2013 model years.

The agency says an analysis of Chrysler data shows 52 possible fires and three injuries. Customers reported minor overheating or flames. Investigators are focusing on an electrical short.

The Durango was added because it has the same ceiling and visors as the Grand Cherokee.

The agency began the investigation in August, focusing on 146,000 Grand Cherokees from the 2012 model year. Investigators also added two model years to the probe. No recall has been ordered.

Chrysler says its engineers are doing their own inquiry and helping the safety agency.

 

By John Schlageck, Kansas Farm Bureau

Do organically produced foods have higher nutritional value?

According to international, national and regional research studies the nutritional value of organic crops compared to conventional crops reveals little if any differences.

Colorado State University (CSU) researchers compared vitamin content of organically and conventionally grown vegetables (carrots and broccoli). They found no statistically significant differences.

Other research from CSU focused on growing potatoes using four different farming techniques under the same growing conditions: an intensive high-chemical system; a moderate conventional system; customary organic farming and virgin organic production. Nine minerals and seven vitamins were analyzed and no clear differences were discovered.

Another U.S. study found more soluble iron in conventionally grown spinach but the proportion of the soluble iron available to consumer’s system was somewhat higher for both spinach and peppers grown with compost and manure.

In overseas studies, Norwegian research found conventionally grown carrots contained more beta-carotene, more magnesium and more manganese. The organic carrots had more aluminum. When carrots of the same variety were compared, the only difference was a higher level of carotenoids in the conventionally grown carrots.

A German study discovered lower levels of nitrate in carrots, beets and potatoes grown with manure but the differences were minute under good storage conditions. Stressful storage conditions enhanced the difference.

Consumers can conclude from such findings that people who do not buy organically grown fruits and vegetables can find equally good products with equal nutrition at supermarkets and roadside stands. It also means people who wish to eat organically grown fruits and vegetables should do so.

Bottom line – differing farming systems produce virtually no difference in the nutritional value of the crops. The variety, or strain, of the carrots and potatoes grown appears to have a bigger impact on their nutrient value than organic production methods.

It’s no secret, plant breeders have long advocated that fruits, vegetables and grains require three main nutrients – nitrogen, phosphate potash and trace minerals in varying amounts according to the plant species. If a plant is sorely lacking in one of these nutrients, it will not grow. If it has access to these nutrients, it will grow into the crop its heredity determines and will pass along the nutrients its heredity intends.

Translation – for a healthy diet eat plenty of fruit and vegetables each day, regardless of how they were grown. Doing so will probably mean a person eats more fiber and that is healthy. It also means less room for fatty foods that are one of the major contributions to poor health.

Eating five fruits and vegetables per day reduces our risk for heart disease and cancer. Researchers tell us this health-enhancing effect is derived from the high levels of antioxidant chemicals in the fruits and vegetables.

So much of this research on conventional versus organically grown food has demonstrated little nutritional differences. In our society consumers have a choice. It is an individual decision.

The choice is yours.

John Schlageck is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas. Born and raised on a diversified farm in northwestern Kansas, his writing reflects a lifetime of experience, knowledge and passion.

A recall of one brand of infant carriers has been issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The Playtex Hip Hammock infant carriers have buckles on the waist and shoulder straps which can crack or break, posing a fall hazard to children.

Playtex has received 87 reports of the buckles cracking or breaking, including two reports of injuries where one infant required emergency room treatment.

The item is sold at Burlington Coat Factory, Target, Walmart, juvenile product, baby and discount stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com from June 2004 through December 2008for about $40 for the basic model and $60 for the deluxe model.

 

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, today announced the Omnibus appropriations bill includes $404 million for construction of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kan.

“For those who have questioned whether NBAF will be built in Kansas, the passage of this funding bill will provide a clear answer: yes,” Sen. Moran said. “This investment means Kansas will become a research epicenter, and the construction of this modern, world-class facility will ultimately create jobs for Kansans in the fields of engineering, science and technology. The talented young men and women who grow up here will have more opportunities to work and live in Kansas.”

“With a federal appropriation of $404 million this year, there is no doubt that NBAF will be built in Manhattan, Kansas,” said Governor Sam Brownback. “Many members of the Kansas Congressional delegation have worked tirelessly on this for many years, and I congratulate Senator Moran for helping to get it across the finish line.”

“As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I have worked to make certain NBAF remains a top priority for the Department of Homeland Security, the Administration and among Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle,” Sen. Moran continued. “Thanks to Governor Brownback, the Kansas legislature and Kansas State University President Kirk Schulz for their leadership and support as this process continues.”

NBAF, a state-of-the-art biosecurity lab, is to be built adjacent to Kansas State University. A January 2012 economic impact report found the NBAF will employ approximately 326 permanent employees and support some 757 construction jobs. The state of Kansas showed its commitment to this project by contributing $202 million. The facility is expected to have a $3.5 billion economic impact on Kansas in the first 20 years alone.

In addition to creating an economic boom for Kansas, NBAF will protect our national economy by researching foreign animal disease threats, which are very real with devastating impacts. The cost of an outbreak far outweighs the NBAF construction cost, not only in the loss of human life but also its damage to the animal and agricultural industry.

The main laboratory will boast safety and security features recommended by the National Academies of Sciences. It will include specialized air and water decontamination systems, new technologies for handling solid waste onsite, and structural components to strengthen the laboratory against hazardous weather conditions. A funding commitment was also made to provide infrastructure repairs at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center to guarantee a smooth transition of research from Plum Island, N.Y., to Manhattan, Kan.

Over the past month, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have worked to allocate the budget set by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, which provides funding for government agencies and discretionary programs for fiscal year 2014. The Omnibus appropriations bill is expected to be voted on in the U.S. House and Senate this week.

(AP) — Retired Wichita police Lt. Ken Landwehr, who supervised more than 600 homicide investigations during his career, has died at the age of 59.

KAKE-TV reported Landwehr died Monday at his home. Police Chief Norman Williams said Landwehr had kidney cancer.

Landwehr retired in 2012 after a 35-year career with the Wichita Police Department.

He investigated many of Wichita’s most infamous homicides and was credited with breaking the BTK serial killer case. The suspect, Dennis Rader, was arrested in February 2005 and pleaded guilty to killing 10 people in the Wichita area between 1974 and 1991.

Landwehr also led investigations that led to arrests in two quadruple homicides within a week of each other in 2000.

Gov. Jay Nixon on Monday joined officials from the Ford Motor Company at the 2014 North American International Auto Show in Detroit for the unveiling of the all-new 2015 Ford F-150, which will be built at the company’s Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo. The Governor applauded Ford’s significant and growing footprint in Missouri, which has created thousands of new manufacturing jobs over the past several years.

“Missouri’s highly skilled workforce, low taxes and smart investments continue to bring new jobs and new opportunities to the Show-Me State,” Gov. Nixon said. “This next-generation Ford pickup is another example of how the Missouri auto industry is leading the nation in innovation and excellence, and driving our economy in the right direction.”

The 2015 Ford F-150 boasts an all-new high-strength steel frame, a high-strength aluminum-alloy body, and greater efficiency with a 2.7 liter EcoBoost engine.  The F-150 is part of the Ford F-Series, the best-selling vehicle in the nation for 32 years.

“Today’s unveiling of the new Ford F-150 is another example of how the highly skilled workers of the UAW continue to drive America’s economy forward,” said Gary Jones, Director of UAW Region 5. “The UAW has been proud to work with Governor Nixon and others to strengthen Ford’s presence in Claycomo and create thousands of good family-supporting jobs in this region.  Today, we see how this successful partnership continues to pay dividends for working families in Missouri and across the nation.”

Gov. Nixon has made revitalizing Missouri’s automotive manufacturing industry a top priority of his administration, and on his watch this sector has seen tremendous growth. On his first day as Governor in 2009, Gov. Nixon established an Automotive Jobs Task Force to make recommendations on strategies to attract automotive investment in Missouri.

In 2010, Gov. Nixon called the Missouri General Assembly into special session to pass the Missouri Manufacturing Jobs Act, which contained new incentives specifically geared to Missouri auto manufacturers and suppliers. The Governor and members of his economic development team also traveled to Detroit on numerous occasions to meet with leadership at Ford.

In October 2011, Ford announced its $1.1 billion expansion at the Kansas City Assembly Plant, which included production of the Ford Transit van for the first time in the U.S. and the addition of a second production line for its popular F-150 pick-up.

In 2013, Ford announced a third production shift at the plant for the Ford F-150, to meet the increased demand.  With Ford F-Series sales up for the year, a third production shift at its Kansas City Assembly Plant will help Ford meet this demand while creating an additional 900 auto manufacturing jobs.