Stan Unruh – Page 779 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Merged Diamond Companies and Roberts Truck Center Dealerships have new name

Posted on January 16, 2014

The newly merged Diamond Companies and Roberts Truck Center dealerships today announced the name of their new organization. The new company will be called Summit Holdings and will do business as Summit Truck Group, Summit Bus, and Summit Lease & Rental. Annual revenues for Summit Holdings will approach $1 billion.

In announcing the new name, the three partners, Richard Sweebe, Blaine Roberts and Blair Roberts, said, “We are a new company with a proud 72-year combined history of serving the commercial truck and bus industries. Our new name embodies the strong reputation we have built in the markets we serve. Summit will continue to grow and deliver a higher standard of value to our customers because of our dedicated and talented employees and our commitment to integrity, service and quality in all that we do.”

The new Summit logo uses bold orange and grey lettering representing the merger of the two privately held family businesses. An ascending line across the letters symbolizes the drive to grow and to keep customers operating at peak performance.
Summit Holdings offers comprehensive transportation solutions that include new and used trucks and buses, parts and service, leasing and rental, financing and more.

Rep. Graves on Benghazi; Read the full report here

Posted on January 16, 2014January 16, 2014

Rep. Sam Graves commented on the Senate Intelligence Committee on Benghazi today. He wrote on his facebook page,

“The Senate Intelligence Committee has produced a report on #Benghazi that finds in the lead-up to the attack, there was “ample strategic warning that the security situation in Libya was deteriorating and that facilities and personnel were at risk in Benghazi.” It also shows that the administration was less than forthcoming in providing critical documents to the committee as it reviewed this preventable tragedy. This is why it is so important that we continue to work on getting to the bottom of this.”
If you would like to read the report, it is available here:http://www.intelligence.senate.gov/benghazi2014/benghazi.pdf

2 Fired After Disabled Mo. Student Left on Bus

Posted on January 16, 2014

(AP) – Two state employees lost their jobs after a disabled student was left on a school bus for nearly six hours.

Officials with the Lakeview Woods State School in Lee’s Summit say the school is using new procedures to prevent a similar problem in the future.

School administrator Diane Odegard says the two people worked at the school and also were a bus driver and bus monitor for the bus company, First Student.

The Kansas City Star reports the student, who is in a wheelchair and nonverbal, was left on the bus when it arrived at school at 8:45 a.m. on Jan. 10. She was discovered about 2:30 p.m.

When she was found, the school called her family and reported itself to the state’s child abuse and prevention hotline.

Grass fire reported

Posted on January 16, 2014January 16, 2014

Approximate location of Thursday afternoon grass fire in Daviess County

1:45 p.m. According to authorities, the high winds did not have a chance to spread the fire. It was was extinguished just before responders arrived. There were no injuries reported.

12:35 p.m. There are also reports of a truck driving slowly in the area with tires that may have been burning.

12:30 p.m. Fire crews have dispatched to report of a grass fire, right side of north bound I-35 at mile marker 72.6 in Daviess County. Stay tuned to Eagle radio and check St. Joseph Post for more information as it becomes available.

New Mo. Labor Department Director confirmed

Posted on January 16, 2014

(AP) – Former state Sen. Ryan McKenna has won Senate confirmation as director of Missouri’s labor department.

Senators approved McKenna’s appointment Thursday without any discussion.

McKenna resigned from the Senate in December after Gov. Jay Nixon appointed him as head of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. The Democrat from Jefferson County began the new job last month but needed Senate confirmation to remain in the post.

Republican state House member Dennis Fowler was appointed to the state parole board on the same day as McKenna. But senators have taken no action on his nomination.

Senate President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey said Thursday that Fowler doesn’t have enough support. Some Republican senators are upset that Fowler voted to sustain Nixon’s veto of an income tax cut last year.

Mo. tax cut backers, foes both cite Kansas cuts

Posted on January 16, 2014

(AP) — Supporters and critics of Missouri tax cut plans both are pointing to the results of recent tax cuts in Kansas.

Several business groups testified during a Senate committee hearing Thursday that Missouri must cut taxes to discourage employers in the Kansas City area from moving across the state line.

But opponents said Kansas revenues and education funding have suffered as a result of its tax cuts.

The Senate panel considered three proposals Thursday. One would cut taxes only on business income. Another would reduce Missouri’s individual income tax rate. A third bill would phase in tax cuts for both businesses and individuals. No vote was taken.

Republican legislative leaders have made an income tax cut a priority this year after Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed last year’s bill.

‘Revenge Porn’ bill before Mo. house panel

Posted on January 16, 2014

(AP) – A Missouri House committee is considering legislation that would outlaw a phenomenon known as “revenge pornography.”

“Revenge porn” is posting online sexually explicit photos or videos of ex-romantic partners as a way of humiliating them.

Sponsoring Rep. Kevin Engler told the House public safety committee Thursday that revenge porn can have a devastating effect on a person’s life. The Farmington Republican’s legislation would prohibit someone from observing and then disclosing images of intimate sexual acts without the other person’s consent.

Disclosing the explicit images would be considered a felony and is punishable by up to four years in prison.

The panel did not vote on Engler’s bill. Other states, including Pennsylvania and Virginia, are considering similar measures.

Police respond to report of marijuana at Senior Center

Posted on January 16, 2014January 16, 2014

Country Squire, 1602 Buckingham in St. Jo

St. Joseph Police responded overnight to a call from the Country Squire Senior Living Community, 1602 Buckingham.

St. Joseph Police Captain Jeff Wilson told St. Joseph Post, “Our officers responded reference odor of marijuana at the facility. We visited with an assistant manager and issued a city summons for a misdemeanor drug violation.” No arrests were made.

J.C. Penney To Cut Jobs, Close 33 Stores

Posted on January 16, 2014January 16, 2014

(AP) Department-store operator J.C. Penney says it will cut 2,000 jobs and close 33 stores as it tries to turn around results. So far, stores in Missouri and Kansas are not included in those being closed.

The news comes after J.C. Penney earlier this month said it was pleased with holiday results but declined to give sales figures. A strong November and December is crucial to retailers since it can account for up to 40 percent of annual sales.

The cuts should save more than $65 million annually. The company will take $26 million in charges in the third quarter and $17 million afterward. Penney has 116,000 staffers. All the job cuts are related to the store closings.

Penney is trying to recover from a sales spiral that occurred under former CEO Ron Johnson. The company brought back former CEO Mike Ullman in April.

Cooking Club: Teaching ways to make kid-friendly food

Posted on January 16, 2014

Kids and parents at Lake Contrary Elementary are learning to make healthy kid-friendly foods, like turkey kabobs and chicken salad, by attending a week-long cooking club that started on Monday.

“This is our third year doing a cooking class,” said Nona Miller, Lake Family Involvement Coordinator. “This year we wanted to focus on kid-friendly foods that kids could make by themselves without turning on a stove.” All meals are affordable and healthy.

Lake Contrary Elementary

Kids and parents meet from 3:30-5 PM each night after school to try out a new recipe. The club makes cooking fun, allowing kids to “play” with their food. For example, Tuesday night they competed to make the most unique open-faced bagel sandwiches. Kids got creative, making bagels into ships, clams, teepees and more.

The cooking club is taught through a partnership with Live Well St. Joseph, a group that focuses on a healthier community in St. Joseph. In addition to teaching kids about cooking, the Live Well team teaches kids about nutrition and simple steps to getting healthier.
For example, kids learn to eat fruits and vegetables in a rainbow of colors in order to get the nutrients in different types of vegetables. “It’s a fun way to focus on the food groups,” said Drew Bouge, Live Well School Coordinator.

Finally, Miller teaches kids some food- and kitchen-related life skills, including making a place setting, learning about table etiquette, and figuring out what different kitchen utensils are used for. “We hope to offer kids some additional life skills to take with them from this class,” she said.
Cooking club is part of an overall focus on health at Lake. “Three years ago when we started our community garden, we started an all-around health initiative,” said Lake Principal Dr. Jasmine Briedwell. “This includes cooking class, Fourth Grade Challenge and the Missouri Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.”

2013-2014 is the final year of the three-year Live Well grant, which also funded six community gardens at schools in St. Joseph, with two more in the works. Live Well is funded by a Social Innovation for Missouri grant through the Missouri Foundation for Health.