January 27, 2012

You are here: Home / 2011 / Archives for July 2011

Sponsor says Ameren bill’s backers ready if bill brought up in special session

July 27, 2011 By

The Senate sponsor of the Ameren site permit bill thinks the alliance that backed it is ready to support it in the special session in September.  Senator Mike Kehoe’s legislation would allow electric companies to pass along to customers the cost of getting a new site permit.

In addition to Ameren, it was supported by Empire District Electric, Kansas City Power and Light, the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives, Associated Electric Cooperative and the Missouri Public Utility Alliance. Kehoe says those entities are still talking daily and are in agreement on a balanced approach.

Kehoe thinks the bill fits in with the economic development package already being discussed because the project to build a new nuclear power plant at the Callaway County site would create jobs.

The Senator believes passing the site permit bill in special session could also make the project eligible for grants being considered now in Washington D.C. He says the grants would further reduce the amount ratepayers incur.

So far the special session will deal with the economic development bill and a change in the date of Missouri’s presidential primary.

Filed Under: Business, Energy, Environment & Conservation, Legislature, News, Politics & Government

Patrol testing Crown Vic replacements (AUDIO)

July 27, 2011 By

We will soon start seeing Highway Patrol troopers testing new cars that might replace the trusty Ford Crown Victorias they’ve used exclusively since 19-95. The Patrol has 150 to 200 of the last Crown Vics waiting to be put into service. But Ford isn’t making them anymore. Some replacements will soon be on the roads.

Patrol Lieutenant John Hotz says the light bars and sirens are being mounted; the computer terminal is being put in, the radar units, and the video video cameras are being installed in 27 Dodge Chargers. But the Chargers won’t be the only possible replacements being tested. The Patrol is considering a foreign-made car, too–a Chevrolet Caprice made by GM’s Holden subsidiary in Australia.

Ford will offer a replacement for the Crown Vic, but the Interceptor might not be ready for testing before the patrol takes bids for next year’s cars.

The Interceptor, unlike the Charger or the Caprice, will be all-wheel drive, which Hotz thinks could be advantageous to troopers who have to drive on all kinds of roads and in all kinds of conditions.

Hotz hopes the first of the possible Crown Vic replacements, the Chargers, can be on the road ind a couple of weeks.

Listen to inerview with Lt. Hotz 13:23 mp3

Filed Under: Human Interest, Law Enforcement

People are having sex earlier, marrying later, and staying over in between (AUDIO)

July 26, 2011 By

People are waiting longer to get married and having sex earlier in life. A University of Missouri researcher says this creates a space in people’s twenties where they are engaging in a relatively new behavior that she’s calling “staying over.”

“Staying-over” is a pattern couples start fairly early in their relationships, says University of Missouri doctoral candidate Tyler Jamison. She says this kind of behavior didn’t exist fifty years ago. She heard from several couples on college campuses that they were routinely staying over at a partner’s house three or more times a week.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Human Interest

Education Dept. unveils new data portal for MAP scores, more

July 26, 2011 By

The Department of Education has a new way to get information about performance and test scores to schools, and to the public.

The Missouri Comprehensive Data System is new way to see how Missouri schools are doing. Leigh Ann Grant-Engle is with the Department of Educations Data Systems management team.

She says schools will be able to better compare results, and parents can track different schools’ progress over several years and more through comparative tables and graphing capabilities.

Results from the most recent MAP tests — Missouri Assessment Program exams — will be posted on the portal next Thursday. Schools have already received the data and are reviewing it now. The Missouri Assessment Program exams — or MAP tests — show how students, and thereby schools, are performing in comparison with their peers.

That information, along with annual performace reviews and no child left behind data, are being posted on a new web portal the Education Department is unveiling next week.

Annual Yearly Progress results, which track districts’ achievement in math and communication arts, as well as graduation rates and Annual Performance Reports will be released on the web portal August 17 and 19.

To visit the portal, go to http://mcds.dese.mo.gov/Pages/default.aspx

For a tutorial on using the portal, open this DESE PowerPoint presentation.

　

　

　

Filed Under: Education

Sheryl Crow selling car for Joplin charity

July 26, 2011 By

Entertainer Sheryl Crow has an old Mercedes convertible that she wants to sell to raise money for Joplin tornado relief. Her 190 SL roadster will be auctioned on Aug. 1 in Pebble Beach, Calif. She would like to see it go for a half-million dollars but tells the Springfield News-Leader it would be “great” if it brought $100,000.

Filed Under: Briefs
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »