(Missourinet) – The summer heat may not be as brutal as usual in Missouri with the Old Farmer’s Almanac predicting a one-degree temperature drop on average through August.  But there have still been days when the heat index hit triple digits in most of the state, leading to weather advisories.

The state’s largest provider of electricity, Ameren Missouri, has tips and suggestions to keep utility bills from shooting up with the temperature. According to Jeff Berg, one of the company’s Energy Efficiency specialists, it can be as basic as closing windows and blinds on hot days.

“You’re immediately hit with that blazing sun, right? If you have that coming in through your windows, it’s like a greenhouse in there. It’s heating up your home, and it’s making your air conditioner work harder,” Berg said. “It’s really easy to close those blinds and drapes when you leave in the morning or during the hot part of the day, and keep it cooler inside.”

Another simple measure individuals can take to help cool down their homes at no cost is turning ceiling fans to run counter clockwise in the summer. Most fans have a switch to controls the direction of movement.

It’s also important to make sure to have doors closed tightly when cooling a home.

People often think they’re savings energy and money by closing off air conditioning vents in rooms that aren’t being used. Ameren’s Berg says doing so has the opposite effect.

“Your system is actually designed to be moving air through that entire system,” Berg said. “There’s a certain pressure and amount of air that it moves through there. So when you shut that vent off, it increases the pressure in there, and it makes your motor and your furnace work harder. By doing that, you’re really making you air conditioner work harder and use more energy.”

Another common oversight which will lead to higher energy bills is a failure to regularly change out air filters in homes.

“That gets back to the air pressure again,” Berg said. “If it’s dirty, it’s having to work harder to push that air through there. It does cost a couple of dollars to replace those air filters. But if you do that, that’ll help whenever you’re running your air conditioner.”

Berg recommends changing out air filters at least once every three months.

Setting the thermostat at a higher temperature while away from home is one obvious way to cut down on energy usage. A further step can be taken with a smart thermostat that not only presets temperatures, but also detects when someone is in the house. Berg said different name brands function in different ways.

“Some of them are tied to a cell phone, so if the phone is present or not present. Some of them actually have sensors to know if people are walking back and forth in front of the thermostat,” Berg said.

A smart thermostat can be set up to work with a particular schedule.

“If you set a schedule and you say ‘I want it to set at 72 degrees on Monday’, but then it looks and sees that you’re not there on Monday, it can set it up to be 78 if that’s what you’ve told it to do when you’re not there,” Berg said.

About 40% of electricity used by a household every month on average goes to heating and cooling. Berg said a range of other options are available to bring that portion of your costs down, and in turn, reduce your utility bill, especially during the hot summer months.

“One of the big takeaways is I think there’s something for everybody that they can do in terms of keeping their heating and cooling costs down, from behavioral changes all the way up to investing in something like a smart thermostat or a new central air conditioning system,” Berg said.

Investing in an air conditioning system can be costly. The upside is that new high-efficiency units can save up to 20% on heating and cooling costs.

The three investor owned/regulated power utilities in Missouri offer rebate programs for residential customers who upgrade their systems.

Ameren, the state’s largest utility, offers up to $500 for central air systems, $900 for air-source heat pumps and up to $2,000 for geothermal heat pumps.

KCP&L, the second largest utility, doesn’t list dollar figures for rebates on its website, but works with authorized contractors to determine the amount. KCP&L does advertise credits for wind and solar power user.

Empire District Electric offers $400-$500 rebates for air conditioning system upgrades and $800 for ENERGY STAR Qualified Home Designations.

Empire District operates in southwest Missouri and parts of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas.  It’s based in Joplin.

(Missourinet) – A new initiative is underway that’s aimed at saving a St. Louis minimum wage hike.

On Friday afternoon, demonstrators comprised of workers, elected officials, faith-based leaders and union leaders gathered outside of Southwest Diner in south St. Louis to launch the “Save The Raise” campaign. The effort encourages St. Louis business owners to maintain the city’s minimum wage increase to $10 per hour, which recently went into effect.

Senator Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, delivered a passionate speech during the gathering to encourage the workers to continue their fight.

“Don’t give up the fight, because we know we are working for the people. The Republicans are working for corporate America and we have to expose them every chance we get,” Nasheed said.

Jonathan Jones, the owner of Southwest Diner, said he will keep the $10 per hour wage.

“I encourage more businesses owners to make the pledge to pay the fair wage that was taken away by the Legislature and the Governor in Jeff City,” Jones said. “Together as business owners, workers, and members of the community and we can save the raise.”

“Save The Raise” organizers say they will post the businesses who support their request on their website for supporting their cause. Organizers say they will also post the names of the businesses which don’t comply with this request.

The city’s minimum wage hike is set to be rolled back on August 28th after the Missouri Legislature passed a bill this year that prohibits local governments from establishing their own minimum wage levels.

(Missourinet) – Fourth term Republican state Representative Paul Curtman of Pacific has launched an exploratory committee to run for the U.S. Senate held by Democrat Claire McCaskill.

Curtman will be finishing up his eight year run in the term limited Missouri House when the 2018 general election takes place. He said he’s going to be traveling across the state in an “exploratory effort” to find out if he has the resources and support to throw his hat into the mix for the Republican primary.

So far, only two GOP candidates have entered the race. One is Kansas City resident Austin Petersen, who lost the Libertarian Party nomination for president in 2016. The other is Tony Monetti, Assistant Dean of Aviation at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg.

Curtman could face stiff competition from more well-known Republican office holders. Most recently, Vice President Mike Pence called state Attorney General Josh Hawley to encourage him to run for the Senate. Former Republican U.S. Senator Jack Danforth has openly campaign for Hawley, calling him a “once-in-a-generation” candidate earlier this month.

The Republican race opened up when U.S. Representative Ann Wagner dropped out of the running in the first week of July. She announced she would be defending her suburban St. Louis seat, which Columbia College political scientist Terry Smith calls the most competitive congressional district in the state.

State Treasurer Eric Schmitt has also been mentioned as a possible candidate. Like Hawley, he was elected to statewide office last November. Schmitt told Missourinet he’s “very focused on the job of being state treasurer right now,” but didn’t rule out a run.

USA Today reported last week that 4th District Representative Vicky Hartzler was receiving phone calls from wealthy donors and Republican strategists asking if she’s planning to run for the Senate.

Curtman said he’s working within Federal Ethics Commission rules in the exploratory phase of his campaign. Federal law requires individuals to file as candidates when their campaign activity exceeds $5,000 in either donations or spending. Curtman claims he’s been urged to run at the federal level for the entire time he’s been in the state legislature.

“I kind of landed on the radar of a lot of conservatives in Missouri when I challenged Claire McCaskill about eight years ago this month,” Curtman said. “Ever since then, conservatives have helped me, rallied around me, help get me into an office that a lot of people said conservatives couldn’t win.”

Curtman announced his exploratory committee Thursday morning in a statement in which he described standing up against Obamacare at a town hall hosted by McCaskill in 2009. He claims he would have continued to challenge McCaskill about policy choices, but said she hasn’t been accessible to the public until her recent string of town halls.

“Had she been having town hall meetings for the last six or seven, eight years the way she has this summer, I’m sure I would’ve taken advantage of an opportunity to talk to her about policy that‘s affecting our state,” Curtman said. “She just hasn’t made herself available and accessible to us.”

McCaskill is considered vulnerable by polling experts in next year’s vote. This week, Inside Elections with Nathan Gonzales rated her re-election race a Toss-up.

While McCaskill calls herself a moderate, Curtman describes himself as a fiscal conservative candidate. He said he thinks the country’s $20 trillion debt is a danger that must be addressed, and that the problem is out of control federal spending.

“The financial future of our nation rests in our federal government’s ability to exercise some fiscal restraint and discipline and it has got to start happening,” Curtman said.

According to his Facebook page, Curtman is a financial adviser at the Carillon Group in St. Louis. He’s 38-years-old, having moved to Missouri at age 10 from his birth state of Michigan. Curtman graduated from Pacific High School in 1999 and majored in political science at the University of Missouri.

He served in the Marine Corp. from 1999-2003 and continued as a reservist until 2009.

(Missourinet) – The Springfield Art Museum has changed its security measures in response to Andy Warhol artwork stolen last year.

Some regulars, including Larry Clutter, said that unseen security is making the biggest difference.

“They’ve obviously taken security guards who used to sit up right in the front little area, and moved them back to some area where they have a private office and I’m sure they’ve got umpteen more television screens and cameras,” Clutter said.

It’s something Clutter, who visits monthly, said he’s picked up on.

Joshua Best, the Development and Marketing Coordinator for the Springfield Art Museum, said regulars like Clutter are sure to notice a change.

“We’ve also added additional gallery attendants, who are there to answer questions, that can also help monitor activity as well,” Best said.

The museum also changed its hours.

“We open at 10 in the morning now instead of nine, but we’re open later in the evening,” Best said. “And that extra time in the morning helps security staff go through all the procedures that they need to to get us ready to open up.”

Although you probably won’t see flyers anymore asking for information about the stolen Andy Warhol prints, that doesn’t mean they’ve been forgotten.

“Most of those changes happened as a response to the theft last April,” Best said.

So where are the stolen Warhol soup cans now?

“People are always curious,” Best said. “Warhol is a big name. Unfortunately the case is still open.”

Clutter has one theory.

“It’s probably in Beijing or Seoul or Tokyo now,” Clutter said. “Fifty years from now somebody will die and then they’ll discover it again.”

There is a reward for any information about the theft. Contact the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office to report any information.

(Missourinet) – The expansion of federal funding for law enforcement to fight sex trafficking has passed in the U.S. House.

West central Missouri Republican Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler’s bi-partisan bill would help law enforcement arrest the criminals buying sex.

“Recently, leaders in the law enforcement community have discovered that the only effective practice for combatting sex trafficking are those that include combatting demand for commercial sex,” Hartzler said. “Women and children around the nation, and even in Missouri, are being victimized every day by a sex trafficking industry that takes their life, hope and dignity just to make a profit.”

Many law enforcement agencies practice demand reduction programs or would like to practice them but don’t have the resources to fully invest in keeping sex trafficking out of their areas.

“Our officers are asking for more resources to protect the victims and bring justice to these criminals, and we need to back them up,” Hartzler said. “My bill addresses the epidemic of sex trafficking by giving police officers the resources they need to go after the criminals behind these terrible crimes.”

Eastern Missouri Democratic Congressman Lacy Clay spoke in favor of Hartzler’s legislation.

“Most of the victims are minor children, and some of them have been kidnapped, beaten and deceived by organized criminal enterprises who are exploiting their bodies for profit,” Clay said. “But this sick and inhuman practice could not continue without steady demand, and reducing that market is exactly the purpose of this important bill.”

Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee (D) gave an emotional floor speech as well, urging her colleagues to vote for the Hartzler bill. Jackson-Lee said trafficking has been a major issue in Houston.

Hartzler is working on another bill that would expand grant money to provide transitional housing for sex trafficking victims.

The National Human Trafficking Hotline reports that Missouri ranks 17th in the nation in reported human trafficking cases with many of those cases involving minors.

In 2016, the National Human Trafficking Hotline received 26,727 calls and 7,572 human trafficking cases were reported. It’s estimated that there are more than 20 million people enslaved worldwide but that few of them are identified as human trafficking victims.

(Missourinet) – Work is underway by a task force charged with making changes to Missouri’s prison system.

The group, recently created by Republican Governor Eric Greitens, is exploring a number of issues facing the state’s criminal justice system.

The state Corrections department has been overshadowed by dozens of cases of reported corruption, intimidation and harassment that have cost the state millions in settlements.

The task force is examining Missouri’s uptick in violent crime, the nation’s fastest growing female prison population, and an increasing number of people failing on probation and parole.

According to the Missouri Department of Corrections, the state’s prison population increased 6% between 2010 and 2015 and nearly half of all prison admissions were due to people being revoked from parole and probation.

Between 2010 and 2015, Missouri’s female prison population grew 3%, and over the next three years, it is projected to jump 15%. The majority of women in state prison in Missouri are admitted for nonviolent offenses.

The male prison population is expected to increase 2% during the same period.

The state has an estimated 32,700 prisoners. Overall, Missouri has the nation’s 8th highest incarceration rate.

Missouri is participating in a federal initiative to find solutions aimed at containing corrections spending and reinvesting in strategies that can reduce reoffending and increase public safety.

(Missourinet) – The filing deadline is Friday for local governments and nonprofit agencies to receive assistance in 46 Missouri counties affected by historic spring flooding.

The Missouri Department of Public Safety is stressing that requests of public aid must be made through the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA). They’ll be processed there, and sent to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for further action.

The deadline for filing was extended from July 1st to the 14th at the request of the state. The federal money is typically granted to repair public infrastructure such as roads, bridges and schools.

Thus far, at least 237 applications have been filed. After all of them are collected and processed, a FEMA public assistance specialist will come in and help the local government or non-profit in compiling and writing projects to get the reimbursement process moving.

Missouri Long Term Disaster Recovery Coordinator Patrick Baker said the federal grants cover most of an applicant’s expenses.

“They will be eligible for 75% reimbursement on that,” Baker said. “And then historically, the state covers 10%, and the applicant covers 15% of those costs.”

SEMA Recovery Division Manager Ron Broxton said the grant money is typically issued quickly, but notes there are two types of projects.

“They have what’s referred to as small projects and large projects,” Broxton said. “We pay the small projects up front, a full 75%. The threshold for that is a little over $120,000. Anything above is considered a large. Anything below is considered a small.”

FEMA pays its share of small projects up-front, and reimburses the large projects based on source documentation such as invoices and labor records. Broxton said large projects can extend over a period of years.

“The period of performance for one of these grants is four years, due to complicated projects such as bridges. If you have buildings and such, they can last for several years actually.”

President Donald Trump issued a Disaster Declaration for Missouri on June 2nd. Governor Greitens appointed Baker as the Long Term Disaster Recovery Coordinator a day before the declaration, marking the first time such a move has been made in the state.

Baker notes an assessment will be made at a later date to determine if his position will become permanent. He said Greitens intent is to move forward in assessing what the state’s overall long term recovery needs are.

Baker is employed by the state’s executive branch through the Department of Economic Development. He previously served as Republican Lieutenant Governor Mike Parson’s Chief of Staff.

Local governments and non-profit agencies can apply for the federal Public Assistance as a result of spring floods in the following 46 counties: Barry, Barton, Bollinger, Butler, Camden, Carter, Cedar, Christian, Cole, Crawford, Dade, Dallas, Dent, Douglas, Dunklin, Franklin, Gasconade, Howell, Iron, Jefferson, Lawrence, Madison, Maries, McDonald, Miller, Morgan, Newton, Oregon, Osage, Ozark, Perry, Phelps, Pike, Pulaski, Ralls, Reynolds, Ripley, Shannon, St. Louis, Stone, Taney, Texas, Washington, Wayne, Webster, and Wright.

Potential public aid applicants with questions should call SEMA’s Public Assistance Program at (573) 526-9234.

Individual assistance is available for homeowners and renters in 27 counties.  The deadline for filing to receive individual assistance is August 1st.

(Missourinet) – A new program is in place to reduce violent crime in the city of St. Louis.

Governor Eric Greitens was in north St. Louis on Monday afternoon, where he joined St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, members of law enforcement and community and faith-based leaders, to announce details of a safety plan.

The plan consists of federal, state, and local resources aimed at making the streets of St. Louis safer. A special operations unit of the Missouri State Highway Patrol will include 20 to 30 troopers patrolling city interstates for the next 90 days.

“They will continue to assist local law enforcement to suppress violent crime on our highways.” Greitens said. “I was riding with these men and women. Every one of them volunteered. And in their first night alone, they had dozens of felony arrests, drug stops, and took drunk drivers off the streets.”

The state of Missouri is also deploying a special team of police officers to combat drug trafficking. In addition, for the first time in the state’s history, the Missouri Department of Public Safety will assign resources to the FBI and the DEA in an effort to ensure effective investigations and apprehend the most violent offenders.

“Part of the problem in St. Louis is that people have come to believe that nothing can be done. The people with me today, the people here, we refuse to accept that. The only things that are unacceptable to us are excuses and inaction,” Greitens said.

“We don’t have a crime problem, we have a crime crisis.” said St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson.

The Governor’s announcement wasn’t well received by all. State Rep. Michael Butler, D-St. Louis, criticized the governor’s plan.

Let’s be real people. THIS IS MORE OF THE SAME. A solution for black people with little black input. https://t.co/Ww27twcxHF

— Rep. Michael Butler (@RepMikeButler) July 10, 2017

A group of about 20 demonstrators protested over the reversal of the city’s minimum wage hike. This year, state lawmakers passed a measure prohibiting local minimum wages and nullifying any already in effect. Michael McPherson said violent crime would not be as high if wages were better. The demonstrators, at times, made it difficult to hear Greitens speech with their heckling and chanting.