Today's Feature

Fuel Prices Continue to Rise.

News Release from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Missouri motorists already frustrated over the high price of gasoline have now faced the 13th consecutive weekly retail price increase in response to very tight U.S. supplies of gasoline and diesel fuel.

Missouri’s average retail price for regular unleaded gasoline was $2.94 per gallon, $0.40 or 16 percent higher than the average retail price a month ago, according to the latest Energy Bulletin from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Energy Center. The department’s Energy Center collects fuel prices from retail providers located throughout Missouri.

Missouri’s average price remains below the U.S. average price of $3.05 and the Midwest average retail price of $3.07 per gallon. On May 7, Missouri’s average retail diesel fuel price was $2.77 per gallon, unchanged from last month, and $0.02, or 1 percent lower, than last year’s average retail price of $2.79. Missouri’s average diesel prices are 2 cents lower than the U.S. average of $2.79 per gallon.

Embattled U.S. refineries continue to address planned and unplanned maintenance just weeks from the beginning of the traditional summer driving season. Fires and equipment failure have forced refineries to temporarily delay or reduce operating rates for the past three months, resulting in lower petroleum output.

According to U.S. Department of Energy information released May 9, U.S. motorists increased daily gasoline consumption to more than 9.3 million barrels of gasoline per day for the week ending May 4. U.S. gasoline demand increased approximately 1 percent in the past week and is nearly unchanged comparable to the same period last year.

Although U.S. gasoline inventories grew for the week ending May 4, the first build in 13 straight weeks, total domestic inventories are 11.6 million barrels lower compared to last year’s level at this time. Gasoline supplies have dropped 33.7 million barrels in the past 12 consecutive weeks and are well below the five-year average for this time of year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s weekly storage report. U.S. gasoline supplies were 193.5 million barrels last week, representing approximately 20.9 days of supply for the U.S. based on implied demand during the past 4-week average. Distillates, including diesel and home heating oil supplies, increased 1.7 million barrels.

U.S crude oil futures prices settled $0.71 lower on May 9, moving to $61.55 per barrel for June crude future contract deliveries. Summer crude prices remain strong due to ongoing tensions over Iran’s nuclear program, rebel attacks on oil production facilities in Nigeria and forecasts for an active hurricane season with expectations of at least one hurricane impacting the Gulf Region, raising concerns over adequate supplies of summer gasoline supplies. For the week ending May 4, U.S. supplies of crude improved 5.5 million barrels to 341.5 million barrels, a deficit of 5.8 million barrels compared to this time last year.

The department’s bimonthly energy bulletins are available online at www.dnr.mo.gov/energy/transportation/fb.htm.

Spraying for Mosquitoes.

The City of Carthage will be spraying for mosquitoes next week, Monday, May 21st through Friday, May 25th. Areas will be sprayed in the evening of regular trash pickup, between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. It is recommended that citizens turn off attic or window fans when the sprayer is in the immediate area.

My brother worked on a pig farm ta help pay his way durin’ his college years. Said it wasn’t that bad, but he started noticin’ the resemblance ‘tween hogs and people.

He said that some of the oinkers would go to the water trough and just stand there blowin’ bubbles. They weren’t thirsty, just didn’t want any of the others to get in.

He started noticin’ that if he was in a bad mood when he came in ta feed the animals, there was much disruption throughout the community. Some days he’d come and throw a bucket and be talkin’ loud and the pigs would respond accordingly. They’d start pushin’ and snarlin’ at each other. Other days he’d be hummin’ a tune and talkin’ quiet, they’d all be happy as could be.

One day he thought he’d get by bein’ a little late, but the pigs squealed.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Natural Nutrition
By Mari An Willis

It seems as though spring has finally sprung. If you watch carefully you can almost see the "weeds" growing. I found a large patch of wild ginger in its flowering state. What a delightful sight with its heart shaped leaves and unique brownish-purple flowers hiding among the foliage. Ginger is traditionally used for upset stomachs, aiding digestion, and morning or car sickness. It is an aromatic, warming herb.

ABOUT GATHERING...

Weather plays an important role in the gathering of herbs. They are best gathered in dry weather when there is less chance of spoiling and the resinous content is high.

Time of Day is also important. Gather in the cool of the morning after the dew has evaporated or in the evening before the dew has set. The valuable oils are less strong in the heat of the day.

Where you gather determines what pollutants might be in the plant. Gather discriminatingly and from places where there is little to no traffic and the air and soil are clean.

Select and gather only the parts of the plant to be used. Do not destroy your future use of the plant. Think about the future when gathering and respectfully gather these gifts.

There are many more "rules for gathering which are extremely important if one is going to wild craft herbs. I have seen some examples of stripping our plants without consideration. Be aware there are laws governing the collection of herbs from the roadside and public land.

This article is meant for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. References available by request. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.

artCentral
Art Notes from Hyde House
By Sally Armstrong, Director of artCentral

Children’s artCamp is on the horizon, and this year’s promises to bigger and better than ever! Earlier this month I began enrollment by sending out class fliers and enrollment cards to 116 children, 54 of which were last year’s students. artCamp is a yearly summer program of artCentral for all children ages 8- 14 who are interested in art! Our faculty is superb. We welcome back four of last year’s teachers. Anne-Marie Gailey is of Joplin and teaches art in the Carl Junction system, and her daughter, Andrea Land, currently lives in San Francisco and is teaching and studying there. Both of these ladies are fine art teachers and artists and are long-time instructors for artCamp. Also returning is former Carthagenian Jacob Evans, college art major, currently of Springfield. Randy Wright of Joplin teaches art in Carthage and will return to do her ceramics and sculpture classes. Also a potter and joining our staff is new faculty member Cheryl Church- Saving, who is currently the art instructor of Carthage High School. These five have created an ingenious schedule for the lucky kids who will be participating in this year’s camp, and it includes clay classes of several varieties, masks and jewelry, from tea pots to slab story vessels, ugly-face pots and Native American subjects. There are painting classes in English landscape. Lay on your back and paint like Michelangelo did, do a portrait in the style of Picasso or a collage like Matisse! Wire sculptures can be made of your hands, masks made of plaster gauze or clay, jewelry made in the Egyptian style or life-sized chairs constructed of cardboard, and this is only a sampling of the 19 classes to be offered, one or two each day. Our dates this year are July 23 to August 4 and classes begin and complete each day, so students may sign up for each day as they wish. Hours are 10:00 am promptly to start, lunch is sack- style eaten under the trees, and we finish at 3:00 daily. The classes take place in the Pottery House or the Hyde House here at 1110 East 13th Street in Carthage, and additional forms and description sheets may be obtained at the Carthage Public Library, the Carthage Chamber of Commerce or on our front porch! Classes are limited and registrations are coming in daily, so don’t delay! Call artCentral for more information. Tuition is $25.00 daily, and this includes all supplies. Scholarships are available upon request.