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Water patrol: simple precautions can prevent drownings

June 25, 2009 By

The Missouri Water Patrol is urgingsafety on the state’s waterways … and some simple reminders that can preventaccidental drownings.

Eight people have drowned inMissouri’s lakes and rivers this year. Two were from bridge jumpings, the other six boating or swimming accidents, some of them from swift currents, others from weak swimmers in over their heads.

Sgt. Jerry Callahan says often times,the rescuer becomes the victim. He says the patrol recommends thereach, throw, row, go method.

He says if you can’t reach themwith something — a branch or paddle — throw a PFD or other floating object to them. Or, you can row aboat or raft to them and if all of that doesn’t work, sometimes it’s best to goget help.

Callahan says those on the waterneed to know their own limits and wear PFDs if they’re weak swimmers. Missourilaw says children on boats must be wearing personal flotation devices at alltimes.

 

Jessica Machetta reports [Download/listen MP3]

Filed Under: Miscellaneous

Missouri ahead of timetable for using federal recovery funds

June 25, 2009 By

Missouri is running well ahead of federal expeditions for using federal economic recovery money on road projects.

Missouri made some national headlines earlier this year by being the first state to contract for a highway project with recovery act funds. The program requires all states to commit at least half of their money by next Monday….and Missouri has committed about 72 percent of its funds—more than 320-million dollars.

State Transpiration Department Director Pete Rahn says the biggest project in Missouri using this money is on I-55, in southeast Missouri, in an economically distressed area. "We took into account the economic conditions of counties and cities in determining which projects," he says. It’s a 44-mile pavement rehabilitation project in New Madrid, Pemiscot, and Scott Counties.

Rahn says that means opportunities in everal distressed parts of Missouri. The federal government figures each billion dollars in the program generates 28-thousand jobs. Rahn calculates the money Missouri has committed means nine-thousand direct and indirect jobs so far.

Federal guidelines require the remaining 28 percent of Missouri’s recovery act funds to be allocated by next March.

UPload Bp’s interview with Pete Rahn (5:42 mp3)

Filed Under: Transportation

MU’s DeMarre Carroll drafted by Memphis

June 25, 2009 By

MU-2.jpg Former Missouri forward DeMarre Carroll started his college career at Vanderbilt in Nashville, TN before transferring to Missouri.  Now Carroll will start his NBA career in the Volunteer State.

Carroll was taken in the first round, as quite a few mock drafts projected, going to Memphis with the 27th overall pick in the draft.  Carroll with join UCONN’s Hasheem Thabeet who was selected 2nd overall by Memphis.  Carroll helped hold Thabeet to just five points in UCONN’s 82-75 win over the Tigers in the Elite 8 game of the NCAA Tournament in Arizona.

With Carroll being selected in the first round, Mizzou now joins Texas and Oklahoma as the only Big 12 schools to have a student-athlete selected in the first round of the NBA, NFL, and MLB draft in the same year.  Carroll is the first Tiger since Linas Kleiza was drafted 27th overall in 2005 (by Portland who traded him to Denver) to be selected in the first round.  Carroll is the 13th Missouri player to
ever be selected in the first round. 

Get more info on DeMarre .

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: ,

Poplar Bluff native Tyler Hansbrough goes to Indiana

June 25, 2009 By

12-19 Tyler.jpg Tyler Hansbrough, regarded as one of the best players in North Carolina Tar Heel basketball history was picked 13th overall by the Indiana Pacers in the NBA draft.  ESPN analysis saying Hansbrough will be a very solid player for many years in the NBA.

Hansbrough was the ACC’s all-time leading scorer.  He said he’s going to work hard to try to win games for the Pacers.

Pacer’s President Larry Bird compared Hansbrough to himself coming out of college when there were skeptics about Bird’s skills.  He said Tyler will have great success in the NBA because of his skills and passion.

Listen to Bird and as Tyler takes questions from the Indiana Media by clicking below.

Tyler Hansbrough

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With:

Sinking state revenue forces budget cuts

June 25, 2009 By

Sinking state revenues worry Governor Nixon enough to cut $105 million from the coming state budget and withhold $325 million more.

Nixon signed the budget into law Thursday morning, only days prior to the start of the state fiscal year on July 1st. The state legislature approved a $23 billion budget, based on an estimated revenue growth of a 1%. It appears now that tax revenue flowing to Jefferson City won’t even be able to meet that meager target.

During a news conference held in his Capitol office, Nixon provided a broad outline of his budget action. Of the $105 million dollars in line-item vetoes, $22.8 million will be cut from the state operating budget and $82.2 million in capital improvements will be cut. The governor is withholding another $60 million from the state operating budget and $265 million in capital improvement projects. Those funds could be released if state revenue rebounds.

So far, it has done anything but. The current budget, which ends at the end of the month, was based on a 3.4% growth in state revenue. Tax revenue, though, has plunged. The recession has crippled much of the state economy, causing a dramatic drop in state revenue, off 6.7% for the current year, a more than $760 million hit on revenue coming in to fund state programs and services.

That drop has shaken the Nixon Administration and caused it to re-examine the budget approved by the legislature during this year’s session. The legislature based the budget on an estimate that revenue would be relatively flat over the next year. Administration budget watchers now believe state revenue will dip a percent next year, which would bring in $371.3 million less than expected.

Nixon says his administration will be keeping an eye on state revenue. If the recession recedes and the economy picks up steam, state revenue could begin growing again and then he would release the withholdings.

Download/listen Brent Martin reports (1:20 MP3)

Filed Under: Economy, Politics & Government Tagged With: ,
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