Today's Feature

Would Allow for Observation.

The City Council Public Safety Committee met Monday evening in a regular session. Police Chief Dennis Veach was present at the meeting to discuss a proposed new ordinance which would allow Carthage Police officers to determine minors to be in possession of intoxicants by visible indicators. Veach says that a newly revised Missouri Statute allows for this type of identification. A copy of Missouri Revised Statutes Chapter 577 was distributed.

Previously, according to Veach, if an officer saw a minor who appeared to be intoxicated, the officer could legally take no action unless the item causing the intoxication (beer, liquor, etc.) was physically in the possession of the minor. The new ordinance would allow the officer to issue a ticket based on visual observations or field sobriety tests.

Veach provided the committee with a draft ordinance. The ordinance reads "It is also unlawful for any person under the age of twenty-one years to be visibly intoxicated."

The committee approved a motion to forward the ordinance to Council with a recommendation for approval.

Stench Report:

Tuesday,
10/17/06

No Stench detected on the
Carthage Square

I can remember my mom mentionin’ the same type a thing about folks she was acquainted with when I was a kid. At that time my reaction was the ‘60’s version of "duh." It’s not near as funny anymore.

I suppose the good news is that a lot more of us are showin’ our age, so we don’t dwell on it that much.

As a kid becomin’ mature meant gettin’ a driver’s license. I’m beginnin’ to think now that becomin’ mature may eventually mean not bein’ able to keep a drivers license. I guess as long as the eyes and reflexes hang on, I’ll keep on truckin’.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

• "A great cleaner and conditioner for wood floors is tea. Just brew a couple of cups and use the tea as you would your regular wood floor cleaner. It’s nice and shiny afterward." -- I.L. in Utah

• Be sure to get and check references for any home-service professional you hire. Get estimates in writing, and make sure the estimates list what is included -- and what is not.

• "We recently suffered a power outage. It turned out to be a long, dark evening, and when it was time for bed, we were in a quandary. I wanted to use something as a nightlight for my child’s bedroom since it was awfully dark in the house, but the flashlight was burning through batteries as it was. Then my husband came up with a brilliant solution. He went and got a few of the solar-powered driveway lamps from the front yard. They are the staked kind, no wires. They were bright enough to cast enough light to get your bearings if you woke up in the middle of the night." -- S.S., via e-mail

• Because fabric softeners can leave residue on the dryer’s lint trap, clean yours out at least every other month. Just scrub with plain soap and water.

• "I get a lot of junk mail, and I have found that the return envelopes in credit card offers come in handy. I use them to hold coupons when I go to the grocery store. I also use them to file different kinds of cutouts for my art projects. At least they don’t go to waste, even if I don’t need another credit card." -- Y.R. in Washington

• "If you have a muddy boot problem like I do, then get a couple of cookie sheets and set them by the door. The boots can go on the cookie sheets, and the mud doesn’t get tracked into the house." -- A reader in New Jersey