Schools Grants for Carthage & Webb City Schools.

Southwest Missouri Congressman Roy Blunt has informed Police Departments in Carthage and Webb City that grants from the U.S. Justice Department will pay for School Resource Officers (SRO) in their city schools for the next three years. The Webb City Police Department will receive $100,804 to hire one new full time officer, and the Carthage Police Department's grant totals $116,442 for one full time officer.

Carthage Police Chief Dennis Veach said, "We're excited. We've tried to get this grant in past years." Chief Veach said the position "is a partnership with the Carthage R-IX school district. We will work with school officials to further define the duties of the new officer. I expect to see the new office working at the high school, alternative high and junior high in the classroom and at extracurricular activities."

Webb Chief Police Chief Don Richardson said, "This will be our first SRO and I see him filling many roles. I want the new officer to be a role-model, counselor and mentor to show students that a law enforcement officer can be a friend to students. The new officer will also work with school officials to provide advice on safety and security issues. He will also teach in the classroom." Chief Richardson said, "Our city could never have afforded this position without the federal grant, and we are committed to continuing the position after the grant ends."

The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant requires the departments to retain the positions and pay all costs after the three year federal grant ends. The new officers must spend 75 percent of their time working in and around primary and secondary schools.

More than 4,800 SROs are working in 2,100 law enforcement agencies nationwide. In the 12th round of COPS grant awards in Missouri, 15 agencies have been approved to hire 21 SROs for grants in excess of $2.4 million over the next three years.

Happened to catch a portion of a series on the history of firearms. As is the case with a lot a things I suppose, the machines needed to make precision parts for guns were modified from time to time to produce other products. Bicycles, sewing machines, typewriters and the such were usually manufactured near firearms facilities.

Followin’ the story made me think of current times and the development of all sorts of products that came from the space race. A lot of discoveries led to ever’day products that we now take for granted. Tang for one. ‘Course a lot of computer technology was driven by the needs of things ta be small and affordable. I’ll prob’ly never ride a space craft, or for that matter ever take another swig of that fake orange drink.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing Services

THIS IS A HAMMER

By Samantha Mazzotta

Connecting Unmentionables

Q: The intake pipe underneath the toilet’s water tank is leaking, right where the pipe connects to the tank. How can I stop this? I’m tired of just putting a bucket underneath the tank. — Ellis T., Denver

A: If enough water is dripping from the base of the tank to necessitate a bucket, you definitely have a problem. A continuous leak leads to standing water, which will wreak havoc on your home’s subfloor and joists.

The solution may be as simple as tightening the nuts that connect the water intake pipe to the bottom of the tank. However, a leak could indicate a more complicated repair. While you check the pipe connections, inspect the underside of the toilet tank for cracks. If the tank is cracked (inside or out), it must be replaced. No patch is effective.

Before working on the toilet, turn off its supply of water and flush it once to empty the tank. Use a sponge to remove any water remaining in the tank (water can stay in the bowl).

Now, adjust the intake pipe’s connection. Two nuts attach the water intake pipe to the tank. The topmost nut, called the ballcock mounting nut (please, no sniggering — that really is its name), attaches the tank’s refill system (the ballcock) to the tank outlet. The bottom nut, called the supply tube coupling nut, attaches the water pipe to the ballcock via the threaded screw protruding from the outlet (the ballcock tailpiece).

OK, settle down, and let’s continue. Don’t tighten either nut too much. The mounting nut clamps the ballcock assembly to the bottom of the tank, so overtightening could crack the tank itself.

In some instances, the tank may not be leaking; rather, the connection between the supply pipe and the ballcock tailpiece may not be secure. Sometimes a simple tightening of the coupling nut will fix this. However, some older pipes may be damaged or cannot be sealed properly. In this case, consider replacing the supply pipe between the shutoff valve and the tank. A flexible mesh pipe and coupling nut, designed specifically for toilet tank connections, is available and, in most cases, is easy to install.

If the leak persists, replace the ballcock assembly. A complete replacement kit is available at hardware and home-improvement stores, costs less than $15 and is also simple to install. This may do the trick.