Stan Unruh – Page 916 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Foreign trade on Governor’s Chicago schedule

Posted on October 15, 2013

(AP) — Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon is heading to Chicago for several days.

The governor’s office says Nixon will be attending a bipartisan governors’ forum about leadership in times of crisis. The event at the University of Chicago is to feature presentations from former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former U.S. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson

While in Chicago, Nixon also is to discuss about foreign trade issues with representatives of Brazil, Canada, Chile, Japan, Korea, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

Nixon was leaving Tuesday for Chicago and is to return Thursday.

Before zookeeper died, Inspectors raised questions

Posted on October 15, 2013October 15, 2013

A team of inspectors questioned the handling of aggressive elephants at the Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield a year before a zookeeper was killed by one of the

elephants.

But zoo officials said Monday they dealt with issues raised by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums long before zookeeper John Bradford died last Friday. Bradford was killed when an elephant that was being moved suddenly lunged forward and crushed him.

The AZA’s inspectors recommended that zoos use barriers and restraints with elephants that display aggression toward an elephant care provider. Patience and another elephant had a history of aggression.

The zoo is conducting a review of safety procedures involving all animals because of Bradford’s death.

Missouri lawyer faces bank robbery charges UPDATE

Posted on October 15, 2013October 15, 2013

(AP) An eastern Missouri lawyer-turned-businessman who is charged with robbing a bank at gunpoint and wounding a state trooper is having trouble finding his own lawyer.

Sixty-four-year-old Warren Gladders, of Wentzville, is accused of robbing a Dutzow (DUHT’-zoh) bank on Sept. 20 and shooting a pursuing Missouri Highway Patrol officer. Gladders was also shot during the attempted getaway.

Gladders made a brief first appearance in Warren County Circuit Court Tuesday morning but told a judge his attorney stepped down due to a conflict. The judge reset the hearing for November.

Authorities have identified Gladders as a suspect in other area bank robberies. The Missouri Bar says he asked last year to have his license classified as inactive. He is now president of a small laundry equipment repair company.

(AP) — A Missouri lawyer-turned-businessman is due in court to face charges of robbing a bank at gunpoint and wounding a state trooper.

Sixty-four-year-old Warren Gladders, of Wentzville, is accused of robbing a Dutzow bank on Sept. 20 and shooting a pursuing Missouri Highway Patrol officer. Gladders was also shot during the attempted getaway.

Gladders’ first appearance in Warren County Circuit Court was scheduled Tuesday morning.

Authorities have identified Gladders as a suspect in up to six other area bank robberies. The FBI is handling the investigation.

Gladders is president of a small laundry equipment repair company.

He practiced law in Wentzville, but The Missouri Bar says he asked last year to have his license classified as inactive. The Bar’s official directory of Missouri attorneys now lists him as such.

Finance Report time for Missouri candidates

Posted on October 15, 2013October 15, 2013

(AP) — Candidates are facing a deadline to file reports with the Missouri Ethics Commission detailing fundraising during the past three months.

Campaign finance reports listing money raised and spent from July through September are due by the end of the day Tuesday.

The only statewide office at stake next year is state auditor.

Republican incumbent Tom Schweich is seeking a second four-year term. He filed his finance report last week, indicating he had almost $506,000 in his campaign account as of Sept. 30

Missouri House member Jay Swearingen, of Kansas City, is the lone Democrat so far to announce plans to run for auditor.

House GOP unveils plan to counter Senate deal, White House complains

Posted on October 15, 2013October 15, 2013

10:45 a.m. (AP) — The White House says the latest proposal from House Republican leaders for reopening the government and extending the nation’s borrowing cap is a partisan effort to appease tea party conservatives. It praises bipartisan negotiations in the Senate as a good-faith effort to end the partial government shutdown and avoid an economy-shaking default.

The White House also announced it will meet with House Democratic leaders Tuesday afternoon as negotiations continue and a deadline to raise the debt ceiling moves ever closer.

White House spokeswoman Amy Brundage says a proposal from House GOP leaders that would attach health care law changes to shut-down and debt ceiling measures is a, quote, “partisan attempt to appease a small group of tea party Republicans who forced the government shut down in the first place.”

9: 00 a.m. (AP) – House GOP leaders unveiled their own plan Tuesday to counter an emerging Senate deal to reopen the government and forestall an economy-rattling default on U.S. obligations.

Top Republicans unveiled a plan that would suspend a new tax on medical devices for two years and take away the federal government’s contributions to lawmakers’ health care and top administration officials in addition to funding the government through Jan. 15 and giving Treasury the ability to borrow normally through Feb. 7.

The move came as a partial shutdown entered its third week and less than two days before the Treasury Department says it will be unable to borrow and will rely on a this cash cushion to pay the country’s bills.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said Republicans plan to pass the measure later Tuesday. It could prove tricky because Democrats probably won’t support it. The House GOP plan wouldn’t win nearly as many concessions from President Barack Obama as Republicans had sought but it would set up another battle with the White House early next year.

“The jury is still out,” said Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas.

Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., said he was not sure he could vote for the plan because it did not address the debt. “I have to know a lot more than I know now,” he said.

The House move comes after conservative lawmakers rebelled at the outlines of an emerging Senate plan by Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Those two hoped to seal an agreement on Tuesday, just two days before the Treasury Department says it will run out of borrowing capacity.

The White House and Democrats quickly came out against the Republican plan.

“The latest proposal from House Republicans does just that in a partisan attempt to appease a small group of tea party Republicans who forced the government shutdown in the first place,” said White House spokeswoman Amy Brundage. “Democrats and Republicans in the Senate have been working in a bipartisan, good-faith effort …. With only a couple days remaining until the United States exhausts its borrowing authority, it’s time for the House to do the same.”

“GOP’s latest plan is designed to torpedo the bipartisan Sen solution,” tweeted Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. “Plan is not only reckless, it’s tantamount to default.”

Political pressure is building on Republicans to reopen the government and GOP leaders are clearly fearful of failing to act to avert a default on U.S. obligations.

Republicans are in a difficult spot, relinquishing many of their core demands as they take a beating in the polls. Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Fla., led GOP lawmakers in several verses of “Amazing Grace.”

Like the House GOP bill, the emerging Senate measure — though not finalized — would reopen the government through Jan. 15 and permit the Treasury to borrow normally until early to mid-February, easing dual crises that have sapped confidence in the economy and taken a sledgehammer to the GOP’s poll numbers.

“There are productive negotiations going on with the Republican leader,” Reid said as he opened the Senate Tuesday. “I’m confident we’ll be able to reach a comprehensive agreement this week in time to avert a catastrophic default.”

On Wall Street, stocks were mixed early Tuesday, with investors somewhat optimistic over a potential deal.

“We’re willing to get the government open. We want to get the government open,” Scalise said. “Hopefully they get something done that addresses the spending issue.”

The competing House and Senate plans are a far cry from the assault on “Obamacare” that tea party Republicans originally demanded as a condition for a short-term funding bill to keep the government fully operational. It lacks the budget cuts demanded by Republicans in exchange for increasing the government’s $16.7 trillion borrowing cap.

Nor do either the House or Senate frameworks contain any of a secondary set of House GOP demands, like a one-year delay in the health law’s mandate that individuals buy insurance.

Another difference between the Democrats and Republicans involves a Democratic move to repeal a $63 fee that companies must pay for each person they cover under the big health care overhaul beginning in 2014. Unions oppose the fee and Senate Democrats are pressing to repeal it, but House Republicans are positioning to block them and Senate Republicans are adamantly opposed as well.

Democrats were standing against a GOP-backed proposal to suspend a medical device tax that was enacted as part of the health care law, but might not be able to win a floor vote since many Democrats oppose the tax too.

Democratic and Republican aides described the outlines of the potential agreement on condition of anonymity because the discussions were ongoing.

But with GOP poll numbers plummeting and the country growing weary of a shutdown entering its third week, Senate Republicans in particular were eager to end the shutdown — and avoid an even greater crisis if the government were

to default later this month.

Any legislation backed by both Reid and McConnell can be expected to sail through the Senate, though any individual senators could delay it.

But it’s another story in the House, where it wasn’t winning a lot of fans among conservatives.

Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, signaled that conservative members of the House were deeply skeptical. He said any bill had to have serious spending cuts for him to vote to raise the debt ceiling and said he thought Obama and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew had more flexibility than they had said publicly.

“No deal is better than a bad deal,” Barton said.

Asked whether the emerging package contained any victories for Republicans, Rep. James Lankford, R-Okla., a member of the House GOP leadership, said, “Not that I’ve seen so far, no.”

In addition to approving legislation to fund the government until late this year and avert a possible debt crisis later this week or month, the potential pact would set up broader budget negotiations between the GOP-controlled House and Democratic-led Senate. One goal of those talks would be to ease automatic spending cuts that began in March and could deepen in January, when about $20 billion in further cuts are set to slam the Pentagon.

Democrats also were seeking to preserve the Treasury Department’s ability to use extraordinary accounting measures to buy additional time after the government reaches any extended debt ceiling. Such measures have permitted Treasury to avert a default for almost five months since the government officially hit the debt limit in mid-May, but wouldn’t buy anywhere near that kind of time next year, experts said.

The House GOP plan would repeal the extraordinary measures, which would make the Feb 7 date a hard deadline to revisit the fight.

SJSD board special recognitions

Posted on October 15, 2013October 15, 2013

Ron Hook, Buchanan County Western District Commissioner presented over $2000 to the Board for Drug Free Super Star Program and Red Ribbon Week at Monday’s St. Joseph School Board Meeting.

Allene Wright (and Kathy Weigand), Buchanan County Medical Society Alliance, were recognized for donating “You Don’t Have to Be Bullied” books and Prescription Drug Use DVDs

Robidoux Middle School recognized Elizabeth Hoskins and Joyce Stohr for their volunteer contributions, as well as business partner Word of Life Church and

Truman Middle School also recognized volunteer Lisa Gibson.

Photos courtesy SJSD

Senator Blunt on raising the debt limit

Posted on October 15, 2013October 15, 2013

On his Facebook page, Senator Roy Blunt shared thoughts on raising the nation’s debt limit. “Most Americans oppose the Senate Democrats’ proposal to raise the debt limit without implementing real spending reforms. I agree. The federal debt stands at

From Senator Blunt's Facebook page. Click here for a closer look — From Senator Blunt’s Facebook page. Click here for a closer look

almost $17 trillion today. Washington needs to get serious about reining in out-of-control spending.”

Hear the drums? BIg Competition today.

Posted on October 15, 2013October 15, 2013

MWSU will host over 20 area high school bands today. The students will show their stuff in the Tournament of Champions marching band competition. The Golden Griffon Marching Band will also perform an exhibition performance before trophies are presented. The all day competition is scheduled for Spratt Memorial Stadium. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Road Work this week in Northwest Missouri

Posted on October 15, 2013October 15, 2013

The following is a listing of general highway maintenance and construction work in the Northwest Missouri region for the week of Oct. 15 – 18 from the Missouri Department of Transportation. Weather conditions may cause postponements in planned work schedules. Other construction or maintenance work may occur on other roadways throughout the area. Many projects will include lane closures, and delays can be expected. MoDOT reminds the public to buckle up, slow down, and drive with extreme caution through work zones.

For more information about a project, please contact MoDOT at 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (888-275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/northwest/. You can also follow MoDOT’s Northwest Missouri District on Twitter @ModotNorthwest and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MoDOTNWDistrict.

Andrew County

Route BB – CLOSED from County Road 420 (Gentry County) to County Road 110; culvert replacement, Oct. 15, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
I-29 – North and south of the Dillon Creek Bridge (Route DD); building temporary crossovers for future bridge replacement; Oct. 15 – 18
I-29 – Southbound driving lane at the Hopkins Creek Bridge; bridge maintenance, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Mowing, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Spraying, Oct. 15 – 18
Route BB – CLOSED from County Road 110 to County Road 108; culvert replacement, Oct. 16 – 17, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily

Atchison County

Various routes – Mowing, Oct. 15 – 18
U.S. Hwy 59 – At the Tarkio River Bridge; bridge sealing, Oct. 16
Various routes – Pothole patching, Oct. 16 – 18

Buchanan County

Various routes – Mowing, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Bridge maintenance, Oct. 15 – 18
Route FF – Tree trimming, Oct. 15 – 18
U.S. Hwy 59 – Bankers Crossing Bridge south of St. Joseph; bridge deck repair, Oct. 15 – 18 (Includes a 10-foot width restriction.)
Caldwell County

U.S. Hwy 36 – At the railroad bridge just east of Hamilton; bridge maintenance, Oct. 15 – 16 (Includes a 12-foot width restriction.)
Route 116 – Mowing, Oct. 15 – 18

Carroll County

Route 139 – At the Hurricane Creek Bridge; bridge maintenance, Oct. 15 – 16
Various routes – Mowing, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Sign operations, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Drainage work, Oct. 15 – 18
Chariton County

Various routes – Drainage work, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Mowing, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Sign operations, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Bridge maintenance, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Pothole patching, Oct. 15 – 18

Clinton County

Route VV – CLOSED from Route NN to one mile south of Route NN; culvert replacement, Oct. 15, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Route 116 – Mowing, Oct. 15 – 18
Route VV – CLOSED from Route NN to Route N; culvert replacement, Oct. 16 – 18, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily
I-35 – At the bridge over County Road 232 north of Route V; bridge rehabilitation, Oct. 15 – 19 (Includes a 14-foot width restriction and traffic has been diverted to head to head.)
U.S. Hwy 69 -From Pence Road to Taylor Road in Cameron (Dekalb County); pavement marking, Oct. 15 – 18 (Includes 12-foot width restriction.)

Daviess County

Route D – CLOSED from Route J to Route CC; culvert replacement, Oct. 15 – 18, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily
Various routes – Mowing, Oct. 15 – 18
Route 6 – From I-35 to the Grundy County line; pothole patching, Oct. 15 – 18
Route 6 – From Route 31 north (DeKalb County) to U.S. Hwy 69; pavement repair and widening, Oct. 15 – 18 (Includes a 10-foot width restriction.)
I-35 – From the DeKalb/Clinton County line to mile marker 68 north of Winston; resurfacing project, Oct. 15 – 18
Route HH – CLOSED from Route CC to Route 13; culvert replacement, Oct. 18, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

DeKalb County

Route 6 – Bridge maintenance, Oct. 15 – 17
U.S. Hwy 36 – Westbound driving lane from Sale Barn Road to Bob Griffin Road; pavement repair, Oct. 15 – 17 (Includes a 12-foot width restriction.)
Route 6 – From Route 31 north to U.S. Hwy 69 (Daviess County); pavement marking, Oct. 15 – 18 (Includes a 10-foot width restriction.)
U.S. Hwy 69 -From Pence Road (Clinton County) to Taylor Road in Cameron; pavement marking, Oct. 15 – 18 (Includes 12-foot width restriction.)
I-35 – From the DeKalb/Clinton County line to mile marker 68 (Daviess County); resurfacing project, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Mowing, Oct. 15 – 18

Gentry County

Route BB – CLOSED from County Road 420 to County Road 110 (Andrew County); culvert replacement, Oct. 15, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Route B – Pothole patching, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Spraying, Oct. 15 – 18
Route 85 – From north of Business 136 to the Town Branch Bridge; pavement and sidewalk improvement, Oct. 15 – 18
Route B – CLOSED from Route O north to the end of state maintenance; culvert replacement, Oct. 16, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Access to Route O will also be closed.)
Route F – CLOSED from U.S. Hwy 136 to Route O; culvert replacement, Oct. 17 – 18, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily
Grundy County

Various routes – Mowing, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Sign operations, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Drainage work, Oct. 15 – 18
Route 6 – Pothole patching, Oct. 17 – 18
Harrison County

Various routes – Mowing, Oct. 15 – 18

Holt County

U.S. Hwy 59 – At the Squaw Creek Bridge; bridge maintenance, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Mowing, Oct. 15 – 18
I-29 – CLOSED – Southbound on-ramp at Exit 92 near Craig; pavement repair, Oct. 15, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
I-29 – CLOSED – Southbound off-ramp at Exit 79 at U.S. Hwy 159; pavement repair, Oct. 16, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
U.S. Hwy 159 – Westbound lane at the I-29 overpass; pavement repair, Oct. 16
I-29 – CLOSED – Southbound on-ramp at Exit 79 at U.S. Hwy 159; pavement repair, Oct. 17, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
U.S. Hwy 159 – Eastbound lane at the I-29 overpass; pavement repair, Oct. 17
I-29 – CLOSED – Northbound off-ramp at Exit 79 at U.S. Hwy 159; pavement repair, Oct. 18, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
U.S. Hwy 159 – Eastbound lane at the I-29 overpass; pavement repair, Oct. 18,

Linn County

Route B – CLOSED at the Locust Creek Bridge, until further notice
Route W – CLOSED; culvert replacement, Oct. 15 – 18, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily
Various routes – Mowing, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Pothole patching, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Bridge maintenance, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Sign operations, Oct. 15 – 18

Livingston County

Route V – At the railroad bridge in Chillicothe near Broadway and Polk; pile driving, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Mowing, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Sign operations, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Drainage work, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Bridge maintenance, Oct. 15 – 18

Mercer County

Route M – CLOSED from U.S. Hwy 65 to Destiny Loop Road; signal repair, Oct. 15, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Route W – From Route M north to the Iowa state line; pothole patching, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Mowing, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Sign operations, Oct. 15 – 18
Nodaway County

Route FF – CLOSED from County Road 180 to County Road 190; culvert replacement, Oct. 15, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Route O – CLOSED from Panther Road to Orion Road; culvert replacement, Oct. 15, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Route FF – CLOSED from County Road 170 to County Road 180; culvert replacement, Oct. 16, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Route FF – CLOSED from County Road 170 to County Road 160; culvert replacement, Oct. 17, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Route O – CLOSED from County Road 200 to County Road 190; culvert replacement, Oct. 18, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Various routes – Mowing, Oct. 15 – 18
U.S. Hwy 136 – From U.S. Hwy 71 in Maryville to Route 46 in Ravenwood; shoulder work, Oct. 15 – 18

Putnam County

Route B – CLOSED from County Road 230 to Hawthorne Road; culvert replacement, Oct. 15, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Various routes – Pothole patching, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Mowing, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Sign operations, Oct. 15 – 18
Route N – CLOSED from the Iowa state line to Route Z; culvert replacement, Oct. 17 – 18, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily

Sullivan County

Route 129 – Drainage work, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Sign operations, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Mowing, Oct. 15 – 18
Worth County

Route AA – Pothole patching, Oct. 15 – 18
Various routes – Mowing, Oct. 15 – 18

Rain in your forecast

Posted on October 14, 2013October 14, 2013

A strong cold front will push through the area overnight, with rain ending by daybreak Tuesday. Rainfall amount will average between 0.10″ and 1.00″ in most locations.

Monday night Showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly before 4am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4am. Low around 48. South southeast wind 11 to 15 mph becoming west after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Tuesday A slight chance of showers before 7am. Sunny, with a high near 58. Breezy, with a west wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 10%.
Tuesday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41. Northwest wind 13 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Wednesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 58. Northwest wind 9 to 11 mph.