Interchange News Welcomed.

Economic Development Director Max McKnight says he’s enthusiastic about the news released Wednesday concerning the possibility of Federal funding for an interchange at 71 and Fairview. (see below)

"It shows the great cooperation we have at the local, state, and federal level," McKnight told the Mornin’ Mail.

McKnight said that after working with the Missouri Department of Transportation on the preliminary plans, it was apparent that there would not be enough state funds for the project. McKnight outlined the situation in a letter to Roy Blunt last summer and is glad to see the progress so far.

Paul Eckels of H.E. Williams told the Mail that the interchange is critical to those industries located near the interchange.

"Our activity has grown substantially in the last four years," said Eckels. "We appreciate the work that Max, Bubs Hohulin, and Mark Elliott have done."

The interchange would make access more convenient to the industrial park and also reduce traffic on Garrison and Baker.

Transportation Committee Approves $34.3 Million for Highway 71 Improvements

Washington, D.C. — The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure approved a major increase in funding today for highways, bridges and transit systems, including more than $34.3 million for four laning Highway 71 south of Neosho and a new interchange for the industrial park at Carthage. Southwest Missouri Congressman Roy Blunt, who is a member of the committee and has called Highway 71 his "number one transportation priority," said, "This is vital legislation to Southwest Missouri and the continued growth of our economy."

Blunt is urging the House leadership to schedule a vote by the full House on the transportation bill quickly. The Senate has already passed a different version of the highway bill. "There is no reason we cannot finish work on this legislation before May 1," Blunt said. "Further delays run the risk of forcing states to delay important safety projects and long needed highway improvements."

The Highway measure has been extended once because of disagreements over the amount of money available in the Highway Trust Fund. "The Highway Trust Fund is not designed to be a government ATM machine or cover deficits in other programs. We should keep faith with motorists and guarantee that the taxes they pay go back to improve the roads they drive." The Seventh District Congressman said, "This legislation moves us closer to that goal. Missouri is one of the biggest winners if the bill becomes law." Blunt explained, "Our state was 14th in the percentage of increase and 13th in real dollars."

The $219 billion, six year highway measure includes a new formula that provides $200 million in new transportation funding to Missouri ($607 million) and increases spending on transportation construction nationwide by 43%. A key element of the Building Efficient Surface Transportation and Equity Act (BESTEA) moves a 4.3c per gallon gasoline tax from debt reduction to highway construction. BESTEA will return 95% of the gasoline tax money sent to Washington for highway needs back to Missouri, instead of the 85% return that Missouri received during the last six years.

The measure contains $33.3 million for the four-laning of Highway 71/Interstate 49 between Neosho and the Arkansas State line. Another one million dollars is set aside for the new interchange that would link the Carthage industrial park on Fairview Road with Highway 71.

The measure approved by the Transportation Committee today includes $696,800 for the construction of ramps and purchase of a ferry boat to operate across Bull Shoals Lake at Highway KK between Branson and Forsyth, and $5 million to assist in the construction of a tour bus terminal at the Springfield-Branson Regional Airport.

Just Jake Talkin'
Mornin',

It’s a little unusual to have the Federal legislators decidin’ if Carthage will received direct fundin’ for a particular project. ‘Course we haven’t seen the check yet, as they say. At this point the whole project is still movin’ its way to gettin’ actually passed. The bill has ta be approved by the full House and then moved to a joint committee to discuss it with the Senate. We can hope Mr. Bond keeps the pressure up on the Senate side. If they can hold it together, it has ta be signed by Mr. Clinton.

‘Course ever’one involved deserves some credit for gettin’ the deal this far. Hopefully this is one indication that the investment the City makes in havin’ a full time Economic Development Director is startin’ to pay off. I suppose we’ll have ta wait and see if this is just a matter of timin’ or if the investment is just gettin’ rollin’, but it does appear that Carthage may be in position to capture a good portion of progress in the near future.

This is some fact, but mostly, Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Oak Street health & herbs

Natural Nutrition

by Mari An Willis

Energy and spring just seem to go hand in hand...or so we hope. Fatigue appears to be a common complaint these days. It is just that spring offers so many opportunities to overwork and under love oneself? Is it a time when we have been given the opportunity to smell the roses and spring flowers and have forgotten how for any number of reasons?

Spring is often referred to as a time for cleaning and new beginnings. A time for cleaning the garage, yard, drapes, workshop and even one's head. Letting go of past experiences so that new ones may enter our lives, going on a diet, new hair cuts and a look at where we stand with our "new year resolutions." This is a time to plant seeds and new ideas and traditionally to "spring clean" the body.

Traditionally this was a time of the year to drink sassafras tea. Sassafras was called a "spring medicine" to purify the blood and cleanse the entire system. It was used to flush out the system and the aroma was enjoyable. Sassafras is often found in combination with other cleansing herbs for its delightful flavor. It is suggested in Jethro Kloss's book Back to Eden that the tea should not be taken for over one week at a time.

For internal cleaning Cascara Sagrada bark was used for chronic constipation. Again, Mr. Kloss considers it one of the most reliable and time proven remedies and states that he has used the product sagely for over thirty years when needed. Our native Americans called it "sacred bark." It is noted that only the aged bark should be used. One year seems to be sufficient.

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