‘Jumpstart Joplin’.

PoliticMo-Gov. Jay Nixon visited Joplin Tuesday to announce ‘Jumpstart Joplin’, a $122 million program to aid families who lost homes due to the devastating May 22 tornado.

"Since the May 22 tornado, we have deployed every available agency and resource to ensure that Joplin is rebuilt and brought back to normal as quickly as possible," Gov. Nixon said at the announcement at the state’s resource center in Joplin. "Ensuring that residents, and especially families, have access to adequate, affordable housing is a critical part of that recovery process."

Nixon said the recovery plan will happen in two parts — the first will be $22 million to address near-term housing recovery. The second will be $100 million in state and federal dollars to help with long term housing development.

Nixon told PoliticMo that while the majority of the funding will come from existing programs, he plans to work with the legislature to address funding issues as the full cost of recovery as a result of disasters statewide solidifies.

Jasper County Jail Count

196 July 19, 2011

Total Including Placed out of County

I hear folks talkin’ a lot these days ‘bout building’ relationships. We seem ta always want to put fancy words to simple ideas. Somehow the idea of havin’ a neighbor or a friend doesn’t seem like enough anymore. We gotta make it into somethin’ explainable.

Usually if ya think about it, friends just kinda show up. Sure ya gotta spend time with ‘em to consider ‘em a friend, but ya don’t have ta spend a lotta time figurin’ out how to build the "relationship."

I think the main reason the term has changed is people don’t get a chance to be a friend very often any more. Buildin’ a fence, gatherin in crops, lots a things used ta take a group effort that would bring people together. When ya work with folks, ya find out pretty quick who you can count on if ya need somethin’ important done.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

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Weekly Column

HERE’S A TIP

By JoAnn Derson

• "Rather than using shelf paper in my pots-and-pans cabinet, I have lined the shelves with carpet scraps. There is less noise when I am getting a pot out or putting clean pans away." -- P.O. in New Mexico

• Keep a spray bottle of full-strength white vinegar by your laundry area. Use it to spray the underarms of shirts that have deodorant stains on them.

• "Our family vacationed at the beach this summer, and we learned a really neat trick to keep sand from getting inside the house so much. We got a small, inflatable baby pool and set it up near the entrance, along with a chair and towel. The kids dipped their feet in the baby pool, rinsed off their legs and then dried off. The pool was less than $5, and it made a big difference." -- N.N. via email

• After washing and drying thoroughly, wrap an iron skillet in wax paper to store.

• When arranging fewer flowers in a large-mouth vase, use clear tape to create a grid across the opening. Then, you can arrange your stems in the holes. It gives some support to the stems, and the arrangement will be evenly spaced and very pleasing.

• For new vining plants, use a simple clothespin to guide the vines to a trellis. Be sure to remove it as soon as the plant has attached itself, as it will grow stronger if it has to hold its own weight.