Today's Feature

Separate Study for Historic Preservation.

The City of Carthage Comprehensive plan, which is being conducted by Planning Works of Kansas City, may contain a supplemental study specifically outlining a plan for Carthage’s historic preservation. City Administrator Tom Short recently commented on a phone conference between Planning Works, members of City Staff, and members of a Historic Preservation subcommittee.

Short said that the group discussed Carthage’s historic district, enhancements and changes that could be made. Following the conference, Planning Works expressed an interest in separating the Historic preservation from the main Comprehensive plan, due to the broadness of the topic.

If the topic is separated, City Council would have the opportunity to approve each study independently. No time frame has been given for how long the supplemental study would take. Planning Works intends to hold another meeting with the steering committee within the next few weeks.

Reported Scam Calls.

News release

The Missouri Department of Revenue today announced that some Missouri taxpayers are reporting what appears to be a telephone scam. The "callers" are falsely identifying themselves as being with the "Revenue Department" so they can obtain sensitive financial information from taxpayers.

The callers are asking for customers’ "routing number," and claim they are processing the previous years refund owed to the customer. The Missouri Department of Revenue would never call individual taxpayers requesting personal bank account routing numbers or credit card numbers to process an income tax refund. This information should only be provided if a Missourian initiates the contact with the Department.

"Missourians need to be cautious if asked to give out their personal financial information over the phone by someone claiming to be from the Department of Revenue," Gov. Blunt said. "I have urged the Department to continue doing all it can to inform Missourians about this scam to protect taxpayers from fraud and identity theft."

"We are concerned that scam artists purporting to be from the Department of Revenue could threaten the security of taxpayers’ information," said Omar Davis, Director of Revenue. "These types of scam calls happen around this time of the year, and we want Missourians to be cautious before giving out any financial information over the phone in a call they did not initiate."

The Department has contacted law enforcement in the states where these calls originated to seek their assistance. If customers receive these types of calls, they should not divulge any personal information to the caller. Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or (800) 392-8222. An additional web site is http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/01/tax_rebate_scam.html

Mornin’
You’d think it’d drive folks a little bonkers havin’ sixty degree weather one day and temperatures in the near zero area the next. I suppose those who haven’t been in this part of the country for long still have trouble adjustin’ to keepin’ a good parka in the closet next to the Bermuda shorts.

What I wanna know for sure is, who came up with the sayin’, if ya don’t like the weather, wait a few minutes, it’ll change."

I suppose there was a time when I thought it applied to only the area I lived in, but I’ve heard so many folks from all around that think their granddad was the only one who ever said it.

I figure this part of the country is near perfect for a little taste of all the seasons. Sides, winter’s near over anyway. Few more weeks and it’ll be inta tornado season.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Click & Clack Talk Cars
By Tom and Ray Magliozzi

Dear Tom & Ray:

I own a 2001 Jaguar Silverstone XKR. When I use the windshield washers, the smell is a cross between very bad breath and cow manure. I’ve emptied the tank several times and flushed it with Clorox, but it still puts out such an odor that if I’m at a stoplight and use the washers, the guy behind me passes me and gives me a look like I ate a gallon of beans and couldn’t make it to the toilet. My mechanic told me to take it to a gastro doctor. What to do, short of replacing the whole system at a very expensive cost? -Max

TOM: Max, we have no idea.

RAY: But we’re printing your letter because this is the second complaint like yours we’ve heard recently. We heard the same complaint on our radio show a few weeks ago, and then yours came in. So we’re starting to wonder if something is going on.

TOM: Maybe Taco Bell has gotten into the windshield-washer-fluid racket?

RAY: We’re aware of some windshield cleaners that have a fairly strong, and not entirely pleasant, odor for some people. But we’re not aware of anything that smells like, well...how you described it, Max.

TOM: My only guess is that some particular brand or type of fluid is dripping onto the hot exhaust manifold, and when it vaporizes, it produces an unpleasant smell. But most windshield-washer solutions are just water and alcohol, and a little bit of soap.

RAY: So if anyone has had this problem and solved it, drop us a note on our Web site (www.cartalk.com) and let us know. If we can get to the bottom of this mystery, we’ll report back.