WASHINGTON—Southwest Missouri Congressman and Majority Whip Roy Blunt’s provision to provide $12.4 million for technology that would transform agricultural waste into fuel oil cleared its final hurdle last Thursday.

The House of Representatives cleared the conference report containing Blunt’s provision in December, and the Senate passed the conference report on the Omnibus Appropriations Bill for 2004, sending it to President Bush’s desk for his signature. The funding supports grants from the Society for Energy and Environmental Research to entities developing new technology to turn agricultural waste into oil.

Blunt’s congressional district is home to the first pilot plant in the world designed to use this new technology. When it is in full production, the plant is expected to convert 200 tons of agricultural waste into 500 barrels of oil each day.

Blunt said, "We can solve a lot of problems with a little ingenuity and a lot of hard work. This new technology increases our nation’s energy independence while eliminating thousands of tons of waste that are bad for the environment. It’s a win-win for Southwest Missouri and the whole country."

Blunt toured the Carthage plant with House Agriculture Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte and saw first-hand how the thermal depolymerization process works. The pilot project, operated by Renewable Environmental Solutions, could turn the estimated 60,000 tons of Southwest Missouri poultry waste and other agricultural waste into oil, organic fertilizer, water, and natural gas.

Thermal depolymerization applies pressure and heat to agricultural waste. The byproducts of the process are water clean enough to discharge into a treatment plant and minerals that can be used to make carbon-based fertilizer.

Got another one a those letters from Nigeria the other day. I suppose I could get into real trouble, ‘cause the letter says the "deal" is confidential. The letter looks like it was run on a copy machine.

After readin’ it several times I still don’t know for sure what it says or means.

I do understand that they want me to fax ‘em my bank account number and this has somethin’ to do with some $31.5 million.

The letter also assures me that this "deal is 100% covered from any form of probe. Thus this transaction is a hitch free one, now or in future."

I think I’ll pass on this one. I’m still gettin’ those vitamins I committed to when I ordered a "free" pen set as a kid.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing

THIS IS A HAMMER

By Samantha Mazzotta

More Stairway Woes

Q: My son and his friends were horsing around in the house and, needless to say, one well-placed side kick later we had a broken stair railing. Two of the vertical posts that hold up the railing are cracked in the middle and not quite straight anymore. Can you tell me how to repair these? — John M., Lake Mary, Fla.

A: Broken balusters (those vertical rail posts) are not a rarity in a house with kids, and can be replaced within an afternoon, depending on the availability of replacement balusters. If your house is less than 10 years old and the stair railing isn’t custom-designed, chances are good that stock replacements are available at the local home-improvement store. If not, then replacements can be made by a cabinetmaker (which will take a little longer).

To get the right replacement, remove the balusters as intact as possible. The easiest way to prevent further damage or splintering is to cut each baluster into two pieces with a reciprocating saw.

Then, determine how the balusters are joined to the stair tread and railing. If the base of the balusters rest on a solid part of the tread, then they have a rounded dowel end that is glued in a shallow hole. If the balusters rest on a seam, they are probably secured with a dovetail joint or square tenon.