City Elections Tomorrow.

Polling places for the City wide election will open at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning and close at 7 p.m. Of the City’s five wards, only Ward Five will have a contested race. Incumbent Don Stearnes will attempt to retain his seat and serve for a second term against the challenge of Lenard Halan.

The Fourth Ward will have no candidate listed on the official ballot. Former McCune-Brooks Hospital Administrator Jim McPheeters registered as a write-in candidate for Fourth Ward, but after the deadline to be placed on the ballot.

For a write-in vote to be counted the candidates name and position must be written in and the box checked next to the name. Poll judges can provide instructions for the write-in procedure if it is requested, but information will not be posted.

All ballots will have candidates listed for the R-9 School Board. Voters will vote for two of the four candidates running for the positions. Incumbents Neel Baucom and Steven Montague will attempt to retain positions against the challenge of Deborah Baugh, and Dwight Arner.

Increasing Wholesale Natural Gas Prices Force "Cost of Gas" Change.

news release

Because of increasing natural gas commodity prices since early February, Missouri Gas Energy (MGE) received authority today from the Missouri Public Service Commission to increase the PGA/COG (Purchased Gas Adjustments/Cost of Gas) rate.

On February 1, MGE reduced the PGA/COG rate from $0.41724 to $0.34911 per 100 cubic feet (Ccf) due to low market costs for the natural gas commodity existing in early to mid-January of this year.

However, since that decrease was implemented on February 1, 2000, wholesale market costs for natural gas have increased substantially.

Effective April 1, 2000, the PGA/COG rate will increase to $0.39038 per Ccf. The rate change reflects the increasing cost gas on the unregulated wholesale market where MGE purchases natural gas from numerous suppliers.

The PGA/COG rate, which typically accounts for about two-thirds of a customer’s bill, is comprised of the wholesale gas commodity cost, storage and transportation costs.

This rate change is the first of MGE’s two scheduled PGA/COG changes this year. The next change is scheduled to occur around the first of November. Prior to 1998, MGE made changes to the PGA/COG rate about every month.

In an effort to mitigate the impact fluctuating wholesale natural gas costs had on MGE customers, MGE reached an agreement with the Missouri Public Service Commission in 1997 to limit PGA/COG adjustments to twice a year. However, a third adjustment is permitted during the winter if significant changes in the wholesale cost of gas occur.

Although most still feel the yearn for the "good old days" when it comes to the Square and the economic activity that represents, the downtown area appears to be reestablishing itself as a new center of activity.

With the popularity of the twice a week farmers market, the constant flow of tourists attracted to the antique and specialty shops, and the free music performances on the first and third Friday at the Main Street Mercantile "Woodshed," the area around the Courthouse has become more congested over the last few years.

It also looks like a couple more eatin’ establishments are lookin’ to the Square for locations. The more the merrier.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Workman's Loan

by Al Carrell and Kelly Carrell

Q: My concrete driveway was sealed when it was installed a few years ago. It looks like it was dirty when they sealed it, and there are some spots that I just can’t get out. Is there a way to strip off the sealer to get at the spots? - N. V.

A: If it has been a few years, most of the sealer probably is gone. Try a solution of 3 quarts warm water, 1-quart laundry bleach, a quarter-cup of powdered laundry detergent and two-thirds of a cup of trisodium phosphate. TSP is available at most hardware and paint stores. Use a stiff broom to scrub the mixture into the stain. Leave the mixture on for a half-hour, then rinse it off. As you rinse, be sure to dilute it well so that there’s no damage to any plants next to it.

A Super Hint - After cleaning your good paintbrushes, rub a little waterless hand cleaner into the bristles. The cleaner can remove every bit of the chemicals that you might have missed.

Dear Carrells: I installed a brick fireplace to use for our family barbecues. It’s pretty neat, if I do say so myself. I’m not much for mortar joints so I did mine a little differently. I filled an empty caulking tube with my mortar mix and replaced the plunger. Then I used my caulking gun as the dispenser. The mortar joints look good and smooth. - R. H.