Today's Feature

Former Hospital Work Continues.

City Administrator Tom Short last week gave an update on the status of the former McCune-Brooks Hospital Building. The City is in the process of looking for tenants to occupy the building.

The Jasper County Highway Patrol Department Crime Lab has agreed to purchase a portion of the building, the former emergency room area, for use as a lab. Contracts are still in the review process between the City and the Missouri Office of Administration. Short said that the departments are currently working on a memorandum of understanding, touching on finer details like lawn maintenance and snow removal.

Short also noted that another portion of the building recently sustained a substantial water-line break, and that cleanup efforts had already taken place. Following the break, the waterlines were turned off and drained, to ensure safety for the colder weather.

Several prospects have been in contact with the City regarding the building, according to Short, but nothing has been finalized. Short stressed the importance of finding occupants for the remainder of the building.

"If we don’t put it to use pretty soon, it’s going to deteriorate fast," said Short.

Mornin'
I don’t pay much attention to those end of the year/beginnin’ of the year things ya see this time a year. I suppose there needs ta be a day or two ever so often that we allow ourselves to do a little reflectin’ ‘bout how things are goin’, but it seems that usually writers get sappy and what they’re talkin’ ‘bout isn’t of much consequence to me.

I think the new year thing is mainly an excuse to let the hair down a little after the holiday rush anyway. More of a reward for makin’ it through Christmas than a celebration of the comin’ of a new year.

I suppose ta some the new year has some significance. Pushin’ out the old, bringin’ in the new. And the realization that another year has slipped by and that clock that didn’t work last New Year’s Eve still hasn’t been fixed. Oops.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Backhand Safety Tip

Q: This might be a good tip for those do-it-yourselfers who feel they are ready to tackle electrical repairs. We recently had an electrician come in to update the wiring in our kitchen as part of a remodeling project. During a break we were chatting, and the electrician told us an important safety tip. Anytime you touch a wire, you should touch it with the back of your hand -- not your fingertips!

The reason for this, he explained, is that the hand naturally closes around things. If you touch a wire with the fingertips and the wire is live, your hand may reflexively grip closed around the wire, leaving you unable to pull away. If instead you touch the wire first with the back of your hand, and it is live, you will be able to pull your hand away.

I thought this would be a useful safety tip for your readers. -- Margie L., Kennebunk, Maine

A: That’s a great safety tip, Margie, and thank you for sending it!

One must always shut off the circuit to the electrical outlet or switch being worked on, and test it using a voltage tester before commencing work. This step -- touching the wire with the back of the hand first -- provides an added layer of safety and costs nothing more than a few extra seconds of your time. But it should only be done after you have made certain the circuit is open (off) -- it’s the last step before going ahead with wiring work.

HOME TIP: Taking down holiday lights? Now is the time to inspect all light strings and extension cords for exposed wiring, broken plugs or loose connections. Discard and replace cords that show this sort of damage.