County to "regulate stupidity".

The Jasper County Commissioners are proposing an ordinance that would prohibit anyone under the age of 21 years old to "linger or loiter in or about the premises of a business licensed to sell or dispense for consumption intoxicating liquor or intoxicating or nonintoxicating beer." The Commission decided Thursday morning at their regular meeting to allow a two week period for public input on the ordinance before they will vote on a final version. The ordinance would exempt businesses that sell a "substantial" amount of food and bowling alleys.

The ordinance would allow law enforcement officers to temporarily revoke the Jasper County business license and close a business selling alcohol for the remainder of the work day if three or more underage persons are found at the same time on the premises. "All persons shall be cleared from the premises and the exterior doors shall be locked until the next business day," reads the ordinance.

The entire ordinance will be posted at www.jaspercounty.org and will be available at the Commissioners office.

Stimulus Energy Aid Found to Favor Cold Regions.

by Jennifer LaFleur, www.ProPublica.org

Construction workers fasten insulation to the outside of a house in Arlington, Mass. (Winslow Townson/AP Photo)

A huge boost in federal funds to help low-income families weatherize their homes provides more than $3 on average in the coldest states for every $1 given to warm-weather states, an analysis of the aid program shows — even though exposure to extreme heat and cold are both health risks.

"People think weatherization is only for cold weather," says James Miller, spokesman for the Florida Department of Community Affairs. "The heat is just as dangerous as the cold."

President Obama’s economic stimulus plan provides $5 billion for weatherization, more than 20 times the normal yearly budget. The 33-year-old program began as a way to conserve heating fuel. It still favors northern climates, despite efforts to provide more money for Southern states in recent years.

Consider Florida and Minnesota. Their energy costs and consumption per resident are about the same. Minnesota gets $110.40. for each eligible person, compared withjust $31.50 for Florida.

"We’re not trying to say that Southern states shouldn’t receive this type of assistance," says John Schadl, communications director for Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn. "But when it’s 20 or 30 below and your heat goes out, you die."

The U.S. Department of Energy favors more funds for cold climates because the nation’s consumers spend 14% more on heating than on cooling.

The department "is studying the formula to make sure there is an appropriate balance between warm- and cold-weather states," says spokeswoman Chris Kielich. "But there is so much money out there from the stimulus that if someone gets in the queue, it’s a good chance they’ll get weatherization."

Any change in the formula would have to be approved by Congress.

The money goes toward everything from caulking windows and doors to energy-efficient heating and cooling systems. Generally, it flows to local non-profit organizations that contract out much of the work.

Eligibility under the stimulus plan applies to households making up to twice the U.S. poverty threshold. For a family of four, eligibility would cover those making up to $44,100.

The maximum benefit per household is $6,500.

The need for help in Florida is growing, according to the Central Florida Community Action Agency. The non-profit, which serves three counties, typically weatherizes about 20 homes a year, leaving up to 60 on a waiting list. Factoring in stimulus money, it may be able to upgrade more than 200 homes, says weatherization director Mark Taylor.

Harold Chick waited eight months for help with his double-wide mobile home in Ocala, Fla. Most of his $300 monthly power bill went to run an outdated air conditioner 24 hours a day. But cool air seeped out leaky windows and a hole in the floor so large that a cat once crawled through it.

In April, Taylor’s group replaced doors and windows, repaired the floor and installed an energy-efficient air conditioner.

Chick, 67, is disabled and lives on a fixed income with two daughters and a 9-month-old grandson. A more comfortable temperature has helped his 16-year-old daughter, who is recovering from treatment for inoperable tumors.

Without the help, Chick says, "we could never afford to do this."

Weatherization funds, by state.

Here is a state-by-state list of stimulus funding for the federal low-income weatherization program ranked by funds per eligible person. The top 10 states, all in the North, average $103 per eligible person, compared with $29 in the bottom 10 states, most of them in the southern half of the USA.

State Total per eligible person:

North Dakota $25,266,330 $138.30

Alaska $18,142,580 $113.50

Minnesota $131,937,411 $110.40

Maine $41,935,015 $106.10

Vermont $16,842,576 $103.60

South Dakota $24,487,296 $99.10

Iowa 80,834,411 $98.90

Wisconsin $141,502,133 $96.90

Connecticut $64,310,502 $96.60

New Hampshire $23,218,594 $95.60

Massachusetts $122,077,457 $88.80

Montana $26,543,777 $82.90

Nebraska $41,644,458 $81.20

Michigan $243,398,975 $80.40

Ohio $266,781,409 $78.80

Wyoming $10,239,261 $76.90

Rhode Island $20,073,615 $74.50

Pennsylvania $252,793,062 $74.00

Indiana $131,847,383 $72.40

Kansas $56,441,771 $70.40

New York $394,686,513 $70.30

Missouri $128,148,027 $69.90

Illinois $242,526,619 $68.80

New Jersey $118,821,296 $66.90

Delaware $13,733,668 $62.30

Idaho $30,341,929 $62.10

Colorado $79,531,213 $61.20

Maryland $61,441,745 $55.50

W. Virginia $37,583,874 $54.60

Nevada $37,281,937 $53.20

Virginia $94,134,276 $52.80

Utah $37,897,203 $51.50

Tennessee $99,112,101 $46.30

Oklahoma $60,903,196 $46.20

Kentucky $70,913,750 $46.00

D.C. $8,089,022 $45.10

N. Carolina $131,954,536 $44.10

Arkansas $48,114,415 $43.00

Alabama $71,800,599 $42.90

Georgia $124,756,312 $40.70

Mississippi $49,421,193 $40.10

S. Carolina $58,892,771 $39.60

Texas $326,975,732 $38.00

Washington $59,545,074 $35.00

New Mexico $26,855,604 $34.80

Oregon $38,512,236 $33.10

Florida $175,984,474 $31.50

Louisiana $50,657,478 $31.20

Arizona $57,023,278 $27.30

California $185,811,061 $16.60

Hawaii $4,041,461 $14.40

artCentral

ART NOTES from Hyde House

by Sally Armstrong, Director of artCentral

With our latest exhibition underway, I am looking towards our next major event which is our participation in the Annual Acoustic Music Festival to be held this year June 12-13th on the Carthage Square. This year’s music lineup will include a great group of musicians as is always presented. The musical portion of the weekend begins the evening of the 12th, but additionally this year, artCentral is presenting a fine arts tent on the corner of the courthouse grounds, which will feature a group of our member artists in the white artCentral tent, and will open at 10:00 am Saturday morning remaining open all day until dark. All different medias will be presented, and our artists keep all the proceeds from their sales. We are excited to present this option for display and sales to our member-artists, and I already have about 8 of them who have expressed interest. I hope our community will come out to support and enjoy this wonderful opportunity to hear some great music, enjoy some good food in the restaurants on the square, and browse in our artTent! More details on this opportunity next week, and if you are a member-artist and want additional information as to how to participate, call me at the gallery at 417 358 4404. Mean time, don’t forget to come out this weekend, Friday through Sunday from noon until 5:00 to see the current exhibition by Joplin artist Martha Goldman in her show "An American Fairytale" which will remain in the gallery until May 17th.

Just Jake Talkin'
Mornin',

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Although that old adage is hard ta argue with, a lotta folks just don’t pay any attention to it. Those are the ones who just seem ta like tinkerin’ with things. This is opposed to those who do regular inspections to make sure it ain’t broke or gettin’ ready to break. ‘Course with the high cost of repairs and the relatively cheap replacement cost of most gadgets, maintenance has become almost obsolete in most instances.

I would hazard a guess that few sewin’ machines get a regular dose of 3-in-1 these days. It’s near impossible to find a grease zert on an automobile, all the joints are sealed. The trend is to make machinery "idiot proof." For most of us, it’s a welcomed development.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’

by

Robinson Family Health Center

Journey Along the Wellness Path

by Leesa I. Robinson, N.H.P.

For many of us, taking a multivitamin is just a part of our daily routine. We can feel more certain that we are really getting all the nutrients that might be missing in our diet. After all, every single function in the body runs and operates on nutrients!

Naturally, eating a diet rich in whole foods is the best way to get proper vitamins and minerals. Many things can get in the way of accomplishing this such as lack of availability of fresh foods, busy lifestyles, and the standard American diet (sad).

Specifically formulated whole food supplements can help bridge this nutritional gap. Many multivitamins on the market are far from nutritional and are not from whole foods. They are often loaded with mega doses of synthetic forms of vitamins. Isolated "vitamins" do not contain the whole complex of nutrients required for us to actually use them for fuel in our body.

Relatively small amounts of whole-food natural vitamins, with all of their naturally occurring synergists, are far more potent than high doses of synthetic imitation "vitamins".

Ask a trained expert in the field to help you find a good quality whole food nutritional supplement. Look on the label and if it doesn’t say it is from whole food you are smart to err on the side of safety and assume it is synthetic.