More than a thousand members of the Missouri Army and Air National Guard are heading to Louisiana and Mississippi to help in the recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Adjutant General King Sidwell says the deployment will not affect the Missouri Guard’s ability to help with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. This group will help with security. Another group of about 500 is expected to leave in the next few weeks to aid in the repair of infrastructure damaged by Katrina.
Bond, State Officials Tout Benefits of Highway Bill
August 31, 2005 By
Senator Kit Bond says the new federal Highway Bill will bring great benefits to Missouri. Bond helped push the $286-Billion bill through Congress. He points out Missouri used to get back only 76 cents for every dollar in transportation tax it sent to Washington. The new bill increases that return. The new federal Highway Bill will provide Missouri $682-Million more over the next five years.
Missouri Schools Taking In Refugees From Hurricane
August 31, 2005 By
The trickle of immigrants from the Gulf Coast States has begun in Missouri and schools are being told to get ready for many, many more. About ten school districts already have reported refugee children from the areas hit by Hurricane Katrina are showing up. The State Education Department’s Craig Rector says every school district is ready because every district already has a homeless coordinator on staff. The Department is telling school districts there should be no barriers to enrolling those children promptly, even if they do not have academic or health records – records which might have been lost in the storm. Rector says counselors might assume more importance in schools getting these hurricane victims. He says everything else about their lives might be in turmoil but school might be the only stable environment left to them.
Blunt Calls For Safety Belts in School Buses
August 31, 2005 By
Some school buses might have three-point, lap-shoulder belts if Governor Matt Blunt gets his way. He has expanded on his School Bus Safety Task Force’s recommendation that schools consider putting in lap-shoulder buses in new buses purchased and wants districts required to do so. Blunt says this is something that will be phased in over time and isn’t worried there will be an issue of inequity if some students are riding the new, safer buses while others are on older models. Blunt realizes the state will need to come up with money if the more-expensive buses are mandated, possibly $5-Million to $10-Million a year. He rules out a tax increase to get that money, only offering it will be found somewhere.
AG To Investigate Gas Price Increases
August 31, 2005 By
The huge increase in the price of gasoline in the wake of Hurricane Katrina has Attorney General Jay Nixon vowing to determine whether Missouri consumers are being gouged at the pump. Nixon says that while he cannot do anything about legitimate price increases, he can take action if profiteering is going on as a result of irregular hikes in profit margins. Nixon says it’s understandable if prices to retailers go up and they pass the increase along to consumers. What he’s concerned with is possible profiteering on the part of some retailers – an increase in the profit margin in which retailers are making profits above and beyond the added costs.
