Mornin’ Mail Comes to a Close.

The only newspaper still printed in Carthage is publishing its last issue this week. The Mornin’ Mail, started on June 18, 1992, is no more.

Proprietor H.J. Johnson would like to thank the many sponsors and readers who have contributed to the longevity of the publication.

Included in this issue are excerpts of various issues of the past 20 years.

Archives of the paper from 1997 on are still on line at www.morninmail.com.

"At Large" Draws Little Interest.

Originally published Thursday, Dec. 11, 2003

The Council rejected a proposed Ordinance that would change the way Council Members are elected. The bill would have changed the current representation of two Council members per ward to one member per ward. The remaining five members would be elected by the entire community.

Jail, Court Relocation Opposed.

Originally published Friday, April 13, 2007

During this week’s Council meeting, local lawyer Bill Lasley spoke against a proposal to relocate Jasper County jail and court operations out of the courthouses in Joplin and Carthage and into a new facility. The proposal was initiated by Jasper County law enforcement officials for the purpose of alleviating overcrowding in the county jails and courts and allowing for better monitoring of prisoners.

Lasley told the council he felt that moving the jail and court out of the County seat would have detrimental effects on the community.

"I think it’s a huge, expensive, unnecessary expenditure which would be devastating to both Carthage and Joplin," said Lasley.

According to Lasley, the current locations of the jails and court facilities generate direct and indirect business in the both Carthage and Joplin. Other concerns cited by Lasley included the implementation of a sales tax that would be required to fund the construction, and the state requirements for jails and courts to be located within the county seat. Lasley urged the Council to consider opposing the project.

Jasper County Presiding Commissioner John Bartosh said in a recent interview that he could not understand Lasley’s concerns. Bartosh said that the proposal is still in the planning and research phase, adding that no action is being taken on the matter. Bartosh clarified that before any decision is made the matter must also be put to a public vote.

Bartosh said that as the county has two courthouses, one in Joplin and one in Carthage, the proposed structure would be allowed to be built within the city limits of either town according to State statutes. Bartosh added that, in his opinion, moving the court and jail would not have a significant impact on Carthage, adding that the commissioners, county recorder and several other county offices would still be located in the courthouse building if the move is approved.

Jasper County Sheriff Archie Dunn reiterated Bartosh’s comments that the project was still being researched. Dunn said that a committee was being formed to explore the possibilities. That committee will meet soon with an architect to discuss the planning of the structure itself.

According to Dunn, the proposal would relocate the Sheriff’s office, juvenile office, juvenile detention, prosecuting attorney’s office, circuit clerk office, and the county judges’ offices in addition to the county jail and courtrooms. Dunn added that no location had been chosen for the proposed building, but that it would need to be in an area with sufficient utilities and easy access to main roads and highways.

City Administrator Tom Short indicated that the Council would require time to study the potential impact before taking a stance on the matter.

City Survives Y2K.

Originally published Monday, January 3, 2000

The turning of the century seems to have had little effect on community services. Except for a few calls about fireworks being set off at midnight on New Year’s eve, unofficial reports are of a typical evening for the Carthage Police Department.

The CW&EP power plant was put into service as a precautionary measure just prior to the new year, but the delivery of electrical power continued without the three generators ready to go on line.

The Fire Department had only one call during the early part of January 1, 2000, a medical call unrelated to Y2K or the new year celebration.

Committee Moves for Compromise.

Originally published Thursday May 2, 1997

The Myers Park Development Committee voted last week to establish a subcommittee to work through some differences among members that is stalling the effort to move ahead with the project.

Economic Development Director and Committee Chairman Max McKnight told the Committee that he felt committee members Jackie Boyer, Bill Putnam, Jr., and himself could bring back some recommendations to the group.

The subcommittee will approach the problems of green space, building restrictions, and sign restrictions among others.

Boyer and Putnam have shown major differences in opinion in these areas in past meetings and Boyer told the Committee that there is a willingness to compromise.

McKnight has worked with the Committee since last fall in their efforts to establish workable standards for the development of the former airport property. A presentation to the Committee by an Fayettville, Arkansas City Planner seemed to soften the differences between Boyer and Putnam.

Boyer has shown a preference for a well planned and regulated development since the idea of the development was put forth.

Putnam has held firm to his belief that the market place should control the capacity and flavor of the development.

McKnight stated that he felt there was some middle ground that could be cultivated.

Committee member Bob Stark again relayed inquiries he had received concerning when a price would be established for the property.

Up to this point there has been little movement toward establishing an asking price for the property or any particular portion.

Estimates given to the Committee by the Engineering Department showed a cost of nearly $50,000 per acre just for the infrastructure. This gives no consideration for the value of the land itself. These estimates have convinced some that the City should not take on the role of developer but rather sell portions of the property to be developed privately.

Even this strategy cannot get around the basic conflicts between tight control and free marketplace development.

The full Committee will meet periodically to be kept up to date on the subcommittee’s progress and will have to approve any recommendations before they are passed to the City Council.

Jasper County Jail Count

191 July 18, 2011

Total Including Placed out of County

Originally published Thursday May 2, 1997

Mornin’,

I don’t get too upset with progress. Always figured that things had ta improve some with time. But there is a cost.

I see the big test next week will be if a human can still beat a super computer at the game of chess. It seems ta be a sign ta some of whether progress is movin’ past human capability.

The things I really hate ta see are the elimination of products that serve a multiple purpose. Take oil cans for instance.

Nowadays most kids would laugh if ya told ‘em oil cans could be made into "stilts." All they would picture are those little plastic bottles tied to their feet.

Back when an oil can was made a real metal, you could punch a couple a holes near the top, loop some bailin’ wire through ‘em. Ya grab the wire ta pull the can up against your foot and off you’d go. Trackin’ across the neighbor’s yard. It was a good afternoon project and lasted for several adventures.

I’ve gotta wonder if sometimes progress doesn’t just cost too much.

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

Weekly Column

CLICK and CLACK

TALK CARS

The tires on my wife’s ‘05 Infiniti FX35 are about six months old. We had no problems with them, until three weeks ago. When driving down the highway, the tire-pressure warning light came on. I pulled over to see which one had gone flat, but lo and behold, the right front tire was registering 57 psi! I reduced the pressure to 36, continued my drive home, checked the tires the next morning, found everything OK, figured it was a fluke and forgot about it.

Then, a few days ago, the exact same thing happened again. Same car, same tire, same highway. No one has heard of this before, and they can find nothing wrong with the car or the tire. I don’t even think they believe me. What do you think, guys?- Rob

TOM: We think you’re a liar, Rob. There’s no way a tire can double its own air pressure without human intervention. One of my ex-wives put you up to this, didn’t she?

RAY: I agree that a tire can’t gain that much air on its own. Now, tire pressure does go up about one pound per square inch (psi) for every 10-degree rise in the tire’s temperature. But even that won’t explain your case.

TOM:Think about it -- even if your tire started at 60 degrees in your driveway and went up to 160 on the highway (which is high), that would add only another 10 pounds of pressure -- not 25.

RAY: Nor does it explain why the pressures in the other tires didn’t go up by the same amount. They were on the same car, on the same highway.

TOM: If you were just reading the pressures from the dashboard monitor, then I suspect that the pressure sensor in your right front wheel is faulty. Each wheel has its own sensor that sends its pressure reading wirelessly to the car’s computer. Sometimes those sensors go bad. It may even have been damaged when you had your new tires installed six months ago.

artCentral

ART NOTES from Hyde House

by Sally Armstrong, Director of artCentral

artCamp is once more history for 2012, and I want to thank all who sent their students this year--- we ended up with 59 kids aged 8-14, and it was a good group! The weather was beastly hot of course, but the kids stayed cool, and were glad to have some indoor activity I think, completing 21 classes in ten days of school. I too want to thank the eight teachers who presented ideas for, planned, and prepared the classes, and the aides who assisted. This year we had two former students back as aides, Tessa Foti of Joplin, and Anna Casteel of Reeds, along with Kaylee Jones of Carthage who assisted her father, Tom Jones, as well as other teachers who had needs. These girls were great help, and next year we have a few new graduates who have expressed desire to return and assist as aides, two young men in fact! Our third annual Art Show for the display of student work left by some students exhibited a nice sampling of the classes that were held, and I want to thank all the parents and families that came out Sunday afternoon for that too. We had an excellent crowd all afternoon, and the kid’s seemed to enjoy showing off their work, viewing new photos taken during camp, and consuming some sherbet punch and cookies! It was suggested that we again place some of the student work on display over at our Atrium Gallery inside the Sirloin Stockade, and so I have done this today. Other student work can be picked up at any time here inside the Pottery House through the month of August. I removed the Membership Show adult work, and replaced it with 12 pieces done by various students from artCamp, so if you want to see a bit of what we do, slip by there sometime this month, enjoy a good meal, and view the kid’s art. I thank those kids who gave permission for their art to be displayed, and will keep that over there until we have new work from the next regular show here, which will be later in September. The Hyde House will be closed during the month of August, but we look forward to reopening with a great show September 7th with Alice Lynn Greenwood, so mark your calendars for that date and be with us for "THE ART OF TEXTING"!