Be Careful Out There.

Street Commissioner Tom Shelley says that 16 of the 18 Street Department employees put in an 18 hour day on Wednesday to clear roads of the foot of snow covered the City. Most main roads were cleared by Thursday morning and efforts will continue to clear side streets possibly through Saturday. The storm didn’t wait for the completion of their maintenance building.

One Shot.

The twenty-third suicide of the year in Jasper County occurred yesterday morning in Carthage. At approximately 8:20 in the morning, the neighborhood surrounding the Grace Episcopal Church was stunned by the sound of one shot from a .38 revolver.

The Carthage Police Department reports that the 67 year old man placed the barrel of the revolver in his mouth and ended his life. There was a suicide note, but little to indicate why the man parked his car on the street in front of the church parking lot on Howard Street. A fire truck was dispatched to wash down the street but evidence of the act was apparent on the surrounding snow along the curb.

Salvation Army Needs More Toys.

news release Salvation Army

The Carthage Salvation Army has approximately 412 children signed up to receive toys through their Toy Shop on December 22nd.

This number of children is up from 316 last year, which is an increase of almost 100 children with additional requests for Christmas Food Baskets and toys coming in every day. Therefore, The Salvation Army in Carthage is in desperate need of new toys to meet this increase in requests. The Salvation Army already spent over $500 to purchase new toys, yet, hundreds of toys are still needed.

If you would like to donate new toys to the Carthage Salvation Army’s Toy Shop please drop off the toys at The Salvation Army located at 125 E. Fairview. For more information please call (417) 358-2262.

Carthage Firefighters Need
Community Support For Christmas.

news release

The Carthage Fire department, KODE 12, and other area Fire departments are working together to provide Christmas toys for local children.

The toys will be distributed at a Christmas dinner for the children and their families on Dec. 21st at the Joplin American Legion building at Fourth Street and Schifferdecker Avenue.

New toys and used ones in good condition are being accepted. The Firemen give the children new toys and used toys that are in good condition.

Toys may be left at the Carthage Fire Dept. and Wal-Mart Super Center in the red toy collection box.

An educational toy will be purchased for each child in the Jasper, McDonald, and Newton Counties Head Start Programs.

Residents who know of families that might need help may call (417) 624-1851 or stop by the Carthage Fire Dept. and fill out a Christmas application.

Applications are screened with other toy programs before being accepted to prevent families from receiving Christmas help from more than one agency. Families are referred by employers, churches, neighbors, schools, Economic Security Corp., and other toy programs that are no longer accepting applications.

If you would like to make a cash donation to buy new toys or help with the Christmas dinner make your check payable to the Firefighters "Christmas for Kids". Donations may be left at the Carthage Fire Station.

Mid-America Title Loans in Joplin will be matching all cash contributions made to our toy program until Dec. 20th. Please contact Battalion Chief Ron Hitchcock at the Carthage Fire Department for more information.

Now we have the story to bring to the Christmas dinner table for years to come. The winter of double-ought. (My research has indicated that ought is the correct spelling of the term for 0.)

"Worst snow storm of the century, up to that time. Fact the most snow we’d seen since back in the 70’s," I can hear the old geezers (us) tellin’ the young whipper snappers. From all indications, it will be a white Christmas this year. Mostly ‘cause at least some of the snow from this storm will still be around come the 25th.

I do personally appreciate the amount of effort put in by the Street Department to clear off the load a snow that fell. Just doin’ their job is suppose.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Oak Street health & herbs

Natural Nutrition

by Mari An Willis

Focus on 5 Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP). This supplement is of special interest to those who used to take the amino acid L-tryptophan for relief from sleeping disorders, PMS, obsessive/compulsive behavior, stress or depression.

In 1990 the amino acid L-tryptophan was banned in the United States when it was blamed for 27 deaths. In August of 1992 the Centers for Disease Control revealed that the tryptophan was not the cause of the Eosinophilia-Myalgia Syndrome, but was traced to a contaminant found in a single batch of untested tryptophan. Since that time, it has remained banned in the U.S. Several new prescription drugs including Prozac have been developed to substitute for tryptophan by mimicking the effects of a natural.

Now 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan (5-HTP) is considered by many researchers to be the safest tryptophan alternative and is available as a nutritional supplement. Unlike tryptophan, 5-HTP is not produced from bacterial fermentation but is extracted from the seed of the Griffonia plant. 5-HTP is normally converted in the body from L-tryptophan and as an intermediate metabolite is further converted into metabolism and serotonin. According to manufacturers a 50 mg. capsule is generally regarded as the equivalent of 500 mg. of tryptophan.

*Nutricology In Focus