February 12, 2012

You are here: Home / 2009 / June / Archives for 30th

Injured Missourians finally get payments from state

June 30, 2009 By

The state’s tort victims compensation fund has mailed checks to Missourians for the first time since 2005. Here’s why the program is important:

Suppose you are badly hurt in a car crash caused by someone without insurance. You win a lawsuit but the other person has no resources to tap. You are a victim of a tort–a wrongdoing–and you have no means of getting compensation from the person who badly hurt you.

The state has a fund that can provide you with at least a little money, eventually. But the only money going into that fund is a cut of punitive damages in civil lawsuits and it takes some time to build up enough money to make payments to tort victims. It’s never enough to pay all damages.

Labor Department spokesman Amy Susan says 62 people are haring 2.4-million dollars….about 21 cents for each dollar those people won in their unfunded lawsuit judgments. "Some of these folks have been waiting for anything in the mail since 2006," she says.

Twenty-one cents on the dollar might sound low…but it’s the best payout in the fund’s history. Susan says the average payout for the last decade has been about eight cents on the dollar.

 

Upload Bob Priddy’s story (:61 mp3)

Filed Under: Human Interest

Skelton calls move in Iraq "a turning point"

June 30, 2009 By

A top Missouri Congressman calls it "a turning point"; the US military movement out of the cities of Iraq, handing their security over to the Iraqi military.

West-Central Missouri Congressman Ike Skelton, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, says the action to leave the cities to the Iraqi defense will allow the US to focus even more attention on Afghanistan.

"That was our primary effort and we, sadly, neglected it over a period of time," Skelton tells the Missourinet, "but in truth and fact, they’re the ones who attacked us back on 9-11. Do you remember?"

The Iraqi government celebrated the withdrawal by declaring Tuesday a national holiday. The celebration was marred by violence. Late in the day, a car bomb exploded in an outdoor market in Kirkuk, killing at least 24. Four American soldiers were killed in combat Monday in Baghdad.

The United States and Iraq had reached an agreement at the beginning of the year that American troops would withdraw from the major cities by the end of June. American troops now are only to respond in the cities if the Iraqi military requests their presence. The next milestone for Iraq will be the parliamentary elections in January.

American troops remain in rural Iraq. Their numbers total 120,000. Trainers and advisers also remain to help the Iraqi military battle insurgents.

Skelton says the US violated a major tenet of war going into Iraq: never take on more enemies than you can afford.

"We had Afghanistan, which was a major one. Remember that’s the genesis of the attacks on Americans. That’s what we should have done is concentrate on that," Skelton says. "But we spread our forces and found ourselves in two places and found it very, very difficult to do both."

Skelton says the move out of the cities will ease the strain on the American military even as it focuses the country’s attention on terrorist hold-outs in Afghanistan.

Download/listen Brent Martin reports (:60 MP3)

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

Track repairs continue after trains collide

June 30, 2009 By

Work continues to make repairs after two Burlington Northern freight trains collided yesterday in the town of Sleeper in South Central Missouri. Crews work on the scene of a train collision

Emergency management director Jonathan Ayres says the engineers suffered minor injuries when the trains derailed at a switching station.

According to emergency managment, Monday at 8:30 a.m., a train vs. train collision was reported to the Laclede County Sheriff’s Department Communications Center. Crews from the Sleeper Fire Department, Laclede County Office of Emergency Management, Laclede County Sheriff’s Department and St. Johns EMS made initial contact at the scene and took immediate protective measures; including the extrication of two crew members from the lead engine of the westbound train.

Three rail engines and twelve rail cars were derailed.

Laclede Electric had one service affected – to a railroad switch house in the area — which was completely destroyed when the rail engine struck the switch house. No other outages are reported.

Burlington Northern has contractors on scene removing the derailed cars and debris; and reconstructing track. Burlington Northern hopes to have the main line reopened to traffic today.

For more pictures from the site, visit the Office of Emergency Management Web site .

Jason Rima reports [Download/listen MP3]

Filed Under: Transportation

Locals oppose changes to Ozarks Riverways

June 30, 2009 By

As the National Parks Service gets public comment on proposed management plan changes to the Ozarks Riverways, some locals are making sure their voices are heard.

Mark Slaton of Eminence is part of the Voice of the Ozarks, a group that opposes Forum attendees oppose regulations on Ozarks Riverways the National Parks Services interference. The group has tried to work with the parks service since 1964, he says, only to have changes made despite their concerns and opposition.

The group worries that a new plan will — among other restrictions — place limits on allowable horsepower on the rivers … something they say would make boating there more dangerous, not safer.

Slaton says locals have worked hard to get what they have, and many of them own boats with 40 hp motors that could be deemed illegal under some proposed new plans. Slaton says that’s just the beginning. He believes if horsepower limits are put in place, eventually, motor boats will outlawed altogether. He says there have been other situations where the parks service has cracked down on church gatherings on camp sites and moved rocks to places that restrict access locals frequently use.

Slaton says Voice of the Ozarks wants a plan that makes everyone happy, and that they welcome visitors to come and enjoy the land and water that they love. He says they go out of their way to see that the thousands of visitors enjoy their stay and stay safe, assisting people in trouble when needed, and even picking up litter left behind.

The group hopes the Parks Service doesn’t make any changes that would upset that balance. Three action alternatives are being considered, as well as a fourth Jet boat owner shows a 40 hp motor “no-action” alternative. The zones include land, water, developed, natural, resource-based recreation and primitive.

Proponents of a “no-action” alternative toured the state with a jet boat used by many river enthusiasts who live in the area, showing those attending the parks service’s public forums how they work. Boaters say the bigger the motor, the lower the wake and the safer the ride. And, they say, the jet motors do not have props, which can damage river bottoms, injure swimmers and harm wildlife.

The group continues to meet, organize and push for a “no action” plan for the area. Its Web site — voiceoftheozarks.org — is still under construction but should be up and running soon.

Jessica Machetta reports [Download/listen MP3]

Filed Under: Recreation & Entertainment

Former Chief involved in auto wreck

June 30, 2009 By

Former Chiefs offensive lineman Rick Baldinger who played most of his 12 year NFL career in Kansas City was involved in a car wreck Saturday afternoon that killed a woman in Grain Valley. 

Baldinger’s vehicle was traveling north on Bowlin Road in east Jackson County when it struck a car driven by Jerry Walters who was heading east on Hwy 40 killing the passenger, 61 year old Marilyn Walters.  No charges have been filed.

Filed Under: Human Interest, Sports Tagged With:
« Older Posts