Today's Feature
Mutual Aid Agreement.

Police Chief Dennis Veach spoke about formalizing a Mutual Aid Agreement between the Joplin and Carthage Police Departments at the Public Safety Committee meeting Monday evening. The Committee approved a motion to allow the Carthage Police Department to enter into the agreement.

Veach told the committee that there is an existing agreement which is not committed to a contract but the Joplin department has asked to solidify the agreement in writing. The proposed contract was presented at the meeting and Veach said that he did not oppose it as it was very similar to the understanding previously held between the departments. The agreement allows for members of the Joplin Police Department to lend assistance in Carthage in cases of emergency, and likewise for the Carthage Police in Joplin.

Veach further told the committee that he was pleased with the efficiency of the Carthage Police and everyone who had been involved in the capture of the suspect in the recent murder case. The suspect was apprehended in a Springfield motel.

Some things drive me a little nuts from time to time.

‘Course this time a year the lawn mower comes to the top of the list, but it is only one in a long list.

Tryin’ to drive a nail into an old piece of hard lumber is a really dangerous situation in the best case. A frustrated male with a lethal hammer in their hand is not a pretty sight. ‘Specially when there is a large band-aid on what’s left of a thumb tryin’ to hold a nail in place.

Although inanimate objects can be frustratin’, livin’ beings can contribute to a large extent. Not just human beings, but all forms of creatures can push the buttons.

I just hope that squirrel doesn’t come runnin’ across the roof next time I’m patchin’ a shingle.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

• "My sink area really needed a refresher, so I re-caulked, and it really looks great. One thing I did to get a really professional look was use the back of a teaspoon to finish the caulk. I ran a bead around the areas to seal them and then just went over it with a teaspoon that had been dipped in soapy water. It made everything more uniform." — I.O. in West Virginia

• When considering a move into an area you’re unfamiliar with, check with the local police to get an idea of the neighborhood’s crime statistics. If the office is unable to provide an actual report (some do, but many do not have the ability to be as specific as you might like), ask to speak with an officer who routinely works that neighborhood as his or her "beat." It might save you a headache later on.

• National Arbor Day is April 29. Celebrate by planting a tree with your child. Or, take a walk in the woods and try to name the different trees. Collect the leaves and bring them home. Make a cylinder from a sheet of white paper and glue leaves all around it to create a lovely dinner-table centerpiece.

• For an invigorating face scrub, mix 1/2 cup of oatmeal with the juice of one-half lemon. Wet face, spread on scrub and massage in gently. Rinse face with warm water and moisturize.

• "In many areas of the country, the weather is already beginning to heat up. A common-sense tip that bears repeating from year to year: Never leave an animal in the car, not even with the windows cracked, not even for ‘just a few minutes.’ Interior temperatures of automobiles can skyrocket quickly, and it could be detrimental to the health of your pet." — N.E. in Florida