Today's Feature

Attorney General Speaks on R.E.S.

Last Friday Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon held a conference at the Carthage Courthouse. Nixon said that an agreement and consent order had been signed by Renewable Environmental Resources in response to the public nuisance lawsuit filed against R.E.S. by the City of Carthage and attorney general.

"This consent order is a big step in the right direction," said Nixon.

R.E.S. by way of the order has agreed to invest in an enhanced thermal oxidizer and upgrade to a higher efficiency scrubber which should work to eliminate any odors emanating from the plant. According to Nixon the thermal oxidizer, which costs approximately $50,000, should burn any odorous air before it exits the plant.

Nixon said that R.E.S. within the next week will install the new equipment and will have approximately 45 days to bring the equipment to a functional level.

Nixon cited experience in other similar lawsuits involving odors from hog farms and referenced a Good Neighbor Policy which he felt was applicable to the situation in Carthage.

"R.E.S. needs to be a good neighbor," said Nixon adding that representatives from R.E.S. had been appropriately attentive to the situation following the lawsuit.

According to Nixon R.E.S. has agreed to cease operations to coincide with Carthage High School graduation tomorrow.

Mayor Kenneth Johnson expressed his appreciation to the Attorney General’s office for their assistance in the lawsuit process.

I’ve always thought the term cat fishin’ was a little misleadin’. ‘Course the same is true for ice fishin’, and pond fishin’ I suppose.

Then there are those expressions like sky high and low down. I guess one word isn’t sufficient to express the extreme of high or low.

It’s prob’ly not reasonable to assume that we humans would always say exactly what we are thinkin’ or really mean, ‘specially considerin’ how much most of us talk. We all take short cuts like "cat fishin’" when we know they’ll be understood. ‘Sides, if ya have to explain it, you’re prob’ly in the wrong conversation.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Leaky Toilet

Q: My upstairs toilet sometimes runs intermittently, even when it hasn’t been used all day. A friend told me that it may have a slow leak. What does he mean, and where do I look for the leak? — Tracy L., Houston

A: Slow leaks — usually when water drains from the reserve tank to the toilet bowl — are quiet problems that result in a big water waste. An average of 200 gallons of water per year can drain away due to one leaky toilet. This type of leak is often caused by a cracked or warped seal, a worn float ball or damaged metal or plastic parts.

To test for a slow leak, take off the top of the reserve tank and put about 10 drops of food coloring in the water. Come back in one hour and check the water in the toilet bowl; if coloring appears in the bowl, you have a leak. Another testing method is to turn off the water valve leading to the tank and mark the water level inside the tank with pencil or crayon. Check in one hour to see if, and how much, the level has dropped.

If your tests indicate a slow leak, it’s time to clean and inspect the hardware and seals inside the tank. Drain the tank by turning off the water valve and then flushing the toilet so that the tank empties and doesn’t fill again. Check all the metal and plastic parts of the flushing system for cracks, rust, holes or other visible deterioration. Push down the flush handle and check how the lift wires and flush valve (the big stopper at the bottom of the tank that lets water into the toilet bowl) work. If the lift wires or chain are worn, or too long or short, they can keep the flush valve from opening and closing properly. If the seals or valve are cracked, torn or warped, they need to be replaced.

Whether you find anything wrong or not, clean all the moving parts of the flush system with a soft cloth, an old toothbrush and a vinegar-water mixture. Refill the tank and flush to wash away the debris you loosened up. Mark the water level again and go away for an hour. Sometimes built-up debris or mineral deposits keep the flush valve from dropping firmly into its seat, and cleaning them away can easily resolve the leak.

HOME TIP: If the caulking around your bathtub or sink is cracked or falling out, fill the tub or sink with water when you re-caulk. The weight of the water will pull the seams open so they can be filled completely; don’t drain the water until the caulk has dried.