Not Enough - Wildcats crown two individual champs, miss second-place team finish by half point

By Jake Singleton
The Journal Staff

Most years, 139 team points, two state champions and seven state placers would have been enough to win a Class 4 Missouri State High School Athletic Association wrestling championship. But the Blue Springs wrestling team found out on Saturday that those stats wouldn't garnish a team title in 2008."There have been many years where 139 points, two state champs and seven state placers would have won the team title," said Wildcat head coach Mike Hagerty. "It just so happened that this was not one of those years."Even with all the individual success, Blue Springs found themselves .5 points behind second-place Park Hill (131.5-131) and well behind Class 4 state champion Oak Park (235).Like Blue Springs, the Trojans boosted two state champions (sophomore Alan Waters, 112-pounds and sophomore Kaleb Friendly, 125). But while the Wildcats brought home two third-place finishes (freshman Keenan Hagerty, 112 and sophomore Josh Howk, 135), two fourth-place finishes (junior Luke Greco, 125 and junior Tyler Thompson, 130) and a fifth-place finish by senior Chris Howk, 145) Park Hill's other five state placers finished second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth to help edge the Wildcats.Oak Park walked away with four individual state champions (freshman Cody Brewer, 103; senior Dylan Joiner, 145; senior Brent Haynes, 189; and senior Kolton Kono, 215) to go along with its state team title.The Northmen also had two second-place finishes, a third-place, three fourth-place finishes and a fifth-place finish.But despite being .5 points away from a second-place team finish, Hagerty was pleased with his team's performance."I'm extremely proud of this group," Hagerty said. "It was one of the most rewarding years of coaching in my career."

Three out of Four - Blue Springs girls swimming and diving team wins third state team title in four years

By Jake Singleton
The Journal Staff

With state titles in the 200-yard medley relay, along with the 200 and 400 freestyle relay and individual state titles in the 50 and 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly, the Blue Springs girls swimming and diving team easily captured its third state title in four years."It was a good weekend," said Wildcat head coach Bill Shalley as Blue Springs defeated second-place Glendale 328-206.5. "We hoped to go faster, but horse racing took over."Two of the top races of the weekend for the Wildcats came in the 50 and 100 freestyle.Blue Springs senior Tarin Corwin completed her four-year sweep of the 50 freestyle and won the 100 freestyle for the third time in four years, but it wasn't easy."The 50 and 100 were two of the best races I've seen recently at state," Shalley said. "Both girls scrambled from the start and we had more heart."Corwin found herself pushed by Eureka junior Amber Green, who entered both events favored ahead of her. But in the end, the senior won the 50 over Green with a time of 23.61, .32 second off her own state record time of 23.39 set in 2006 and also edged Green in the 100 with a time of 51.45. The two wins gave Corwin seven individual state title, to place her second on the Wildcats' all-time individual state title list behind Molly Brammer's eight.While Corwin picked up two individual state titles, anchored Blue Springs' 200 medley relay team of junior Elanor Pruitt-Thomas, junior Kristie Fries and senior Abby Nelson to a state-title time of 1:48.40 and led off the Wildcat's state champion 200 freestyle relay team of sophomore Shelby Bolin, Fries and senior Shaida Solimani who finished with a time of 1:38.43.In fact, the only state titles that didn't involve Corwin were the Wildcats' the state champion 400 freestyle relay team of Nelson, Pruitt-Thomas, Bolin and Solimani (1:09.4) and Nelson's individual state title in the 100 butterfly (57.40).But state titles weren't the only things scoring points for the Wildcats.Solimani finished second in the 200 freestyle (1:54.3) and 100 backstroke (57.23) while Nelson and Pruitt-Thomas took fourth and fifth respectively in the 200 individual medley (2:09.1, 2:09.85).Bolin finished seventh in the 200 freestyle (1:56.3), Fries took ninth in the 50 freestyle (25.04) and Pruitt-Thomas finished third in the 500 freestyle (5:06) just ahead of Bolin, who finished fifth (5:07.8). Blue Spring's junior one-meter diver Molly Menefee finished third (403.2) to round out the Wildcats' all-state finishers.While top-eight earned all-state honors, Blue Springs also had several swimmers and divers just shy of the all-state mark.Fries finished 11th in the 100 breaststroke (1:09.4), sophomore diver Merly Pampolina finished 12th (331) and junior diver Jennifer Wedericdt finished 18th (236.15). Junior Ashlan Higgins finished 12th in the 100 freestyle (55.01) and junior Abby Stanley finished 14th in the 100 backstroke (1:02.21).The Blue Springs South girls swimming and diving team finished 30th with 14 team points, all of which came from South seniors Erin Casper and Aubry Shoemaker. Casper finished seventh and earned all-state honors in the 100 butterfly (1:00.47), while Shoemaker finished 15th in the 500 freestyle (5:23.25).

Gardening 101: You can make a garden

By Beth Botts
Chicago Tribune(MCT)

CHICAGO - You've got most of the boxes unpacked and the bedrooms painted. The new house is starting to feel like it's yours. But what about the yard?Is it foreign territory? Maybe you're moving from a downtown high-rise and you've never had a blade of grass to call your own. Maybe your new outdoors is a high-rise balcony and you've never had a houseplant.We're here to help, whether you find yourself in the middle of a blank expanse of sod in a brand-new subdivision or in the former home of an avid gardener, surrounded by mysterious brown stalks.When Claudine Holaska and her family moved to Homewood, Ill., last summer, the former owner told them, "Oh, this is a wonderful perennial garden. You won't have to do anything to it."She believed him. So she didn't set foot in the garden until October, when she noticed the plants weren't blooming anymore and the flower beds were thick with weeds. "It's starting to look pathetic!" she wrote in an e-mail. "I am having a difficult time figuring out what to pull, weed and cut back."We're here to help. Our "Gardening 101" series will offer season-appropriate articles throughout the year on what you need to know to become a gardener. We'll be talking to new gardeners and seasoned ones and giving you the best advice on topics such as soil, lawns, and buying plants. Today, the question is: What are the first steps?Wait. The urge to redo the landscape may be as strong as the desire to get rid of that 1970s wallpaper. But it's a good idea to go slow. If you let some time go by - even a year - before making major changes, you can answer some essential questions about your property.You'll know what kind of sun, shade, soil and wind you have so you can choose plants that are likely to thrive. A well-planned garden that suits its site and your needs will be much easier to care for and more enjoyable than one you rushed into.Watch. "It's going to surprise you," says designer Brian Shea of Voltaire's Gardener in Chicago. Maybe the previous gardener planted bulbs that will pop up in spring. Shrubs or perennials may bloom at different times. There may be a lot more shade in summer, with leaves on the trees, than in March. As the year goes by, take photos and make notes (with dates).Learn. Now, while it's still winter, get a good all-round gardening book. and read at least the introductory chapters. Leaf through garden magazines. Tear out pictures of gardens you like and ones you hate, and think about why. Are you drawn to formal gardens? Do you like looser, more natural landscapes? Find a good garden center with a knowledgeable staff. Ask them lots of questions.Take a class: Many garden centers, public libraries and park districts offer free or inexpensive seminars and talks on such topics as lawn care, houseplants and choosing perennials. Live. As you spend more time in your home, you will discover what kind of landscape your life requires: where you walk, where the kids want to play, where you'd like a screen for privacy, where the hot summer sun blasts your afternoon barbecues, where you'd like something interesting to see out a window in winter.Does merely mowing the lawn bore you to death or keep you rushed? Maybe you need to keep your landscape simple.Sneak peeks. Walk around your neighborhood and others and look for yards you like, especially those that seem to have the same kind of site as yours. Take a friend and talk it over. Go on garden walks. And make those notes.Keep up. Sorry, but the maintenance-free yard is a fantasy. "There is no easy fix for weeding," says landscape designer Eileen Klehr of Lakemoor, who specializes in helping new gardeners make a plan. "They have to be pulled. By hand." You will have to mow the lawn and water too.Keep up with these few basic chores and your landscape will stay in shape while you settle into it. Neglect them, and you may have a monster to tame.Plant. To really own your garden, you have to get your hands in the dirt. So plan to plant a little something this spring. A good bet: pots. They are small enough to master and can be moved to find the sun.Place a couple of pots near where you think you'll want to sit. Invest in quality containers and ask the garden center for help choosing potting mix and plants. "You have some flowers, you have some beauty that you are happy with until you are ready to tackle the rest," says Linda Sarb, who coaches new gardeners through her business, Gardening Angels in Lisle.It's not just flowers: Herbs and some vegetables thrive in big enough pots; even some varieties of tomatoes are suitable.Don't overcommit the first year; you may end up overburdened or create problems down the road by installing garden beds or big plants in the wrong places.Identify. Even in a brand-new subdivision landscape, you will have mystery plants (what are those spindly saplings?). Different plants have different needs and will develop in different ways. Even knowing what kind of grass you have can make a difference (yes, there are different kinds).Photos - of leaves, flowers and the plant's overall shape - will be key to a good ID. The library has garden books and the Internet is chock-full of plant information.Don't whack. Many people assume all bushes must be sheared into neat geometric shapes. But most shrubs look better and are healthier if they are allowed to keep their natural form, and one pruning technique doesn't fit all. Prune some shrubs wrong and you may never see flowers. So don't trim your hedges until you have identified the plants.Compost. What matters most in your landscape is what you can't see: the soil below, and all the organisms that should be thriving in it. On their health and happiness everything else depends. There is nothing better for your soil than plenty of compost - decayed plant matter that gives all kinds of goodness back to your garden. And if you make it yourself, it's free.Stake your claim to a future of great soil by starting a compost pile (or buy a bin) and getting in the habit of putting the right stuff in it. For more information, see www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/compost.Make friends. Take some cookies or a jar of jam and knock on the door of the best-looking garden in the neighborhood. That gardener may be willing to help you learn about the plants in your yard. Better still, you may find a mentor (and a source of free plants).Dare. You'll try, you'll fail, you'll learn. Jessica Rinks plunged right into her new yard in Forest Park last year, building raised beds for vegetables, moving perennials, making big plans. "I'm not afraid to plant things and just see what happens," she says. When a plant dies, she says, "it makes me sad but it doesn't stop me." Expect some attrition.Nobody gets it right all at once. Let gardening grow on you instead of expecting instant perfection, and whether you end up with a simple easy-care landscape or become an avid gardener, you'll have an outdoors that works for you.Claudine Holaska got some advice and went to the library last fall. Then she and her husband, Jim, did some weeding. They cut back the perennials (which had stopped blooming because it was their time to shut down for winter) and shredded fallen leaves for the compost pile (which they had been calling "the mysterious yucky corner of the yard.") They had taken lots of photos last summer, so they were able to identify many of the perennials and figure out what was a weed and what wasn't.Now, she says, "mainten-ance should be a lot less daunting, and a bit more fun."(c) 2008, Chicago Tribune

Struggles continue for GM

By Sarah A. Webster
Detroit Free Press(MCT)

DETROIT - Despite a historic new labor agreement, a garage full of new products and $9 billion in cost-cutting over the last two years, General Motors Corp.'s release of its worst-ever annual financial results last week shows that its North America division is still struggling to post the profits that Wall Street expects.GM Chief Financial Officer Fritz Henderson acknowledged "there are still a number of near-term challenges," but overall he seemed positive about the progress GM has been making.GM, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, last week reported the worst loss in automotive history - $38.7 billion, compared with $2 billion in 2006.The world's largest automaker is forecasting improved sales and pretax earnings this year, mostly because of strength in emerging markets. Non-U.S. sales now make up about 60 percent of GM's revenues.But GM's performance in North America is causing some analysts to reevaluate where the automaker stands in its turnaround and examine how the company might really fare in the tough U.S. economy this year. Consumers haven't been much in the mood to buy new cars and trucks with a housing and credit crisis underfoot."Something's happening that continues to erode GM's earnings power faster than the restructurings can offset," Peter Nesvold, an auto analyst with Bear Stearns, told the Detroit Free Press.He said that seems to put GM, and Detroit's auto industry, "stuck in restructuring mode" until it can achieve some more meaningful improvement.Much of the retiree healthcare savings from the new UAW contract don't really kick in until 2010, and investors are getting impatient.The automaker also announced a new, beefed-up buyout program to get an undisclosed number of workers to voluntarily take themselves off the payroll, among other actions.Much of GM's loss - a whopping $38.3 billion of it - was the result of a complicated noncash accounting charge that does not exactly relate to the fundamentals of the company's operations.Excluding those special charges, GM posted a much smaller pretax loss of $1.4 billion for the year, compared with a pretax profit of $628 million a year ago.GM's deterioration in operating results wasn't the fault of sales.The automaker's sales increased 3 percent, or 277,000 units, to 9.4 million vehicles last year, making it the second-best sales year in GM history. That, along with favorable currency exchanges, helped GM's core automotive business generate record revenue of $178 billion, a $7 billion improvement from the prior year.Rather, GM's poor performance in pretax adjusted results fell on the shoulders of GM's North America division for the United States, Canada and Mexico. GM North America posted an adjusted pretax loss of $1.5 billion last year.Much of that performance was explained by three factors: lower demand, big incentives on vehicles such as the Chevrolet Silverado and a tough closeout for 2007.In the fourth quarter alone, results for GM North America deteriorated by $931 million."They had to start giving away pickups," explained David Healy, an automotive analyst with Burnham Securities.That contributed to poor fourth-quarter results on the corporate level.In the fourth quarter, GM posted adjusted net income of $46 million, or $0.08 a share. Excluding a big tax benefit, though, the automaker posted a $1.6 billion loss.In the fourth quarter of 2006, GM posted adjusted net income of $180 million, or $0.32 a share.The net loss for the quarter was $722 million, compared with a profit of $950 million in the fourth quarter of 2006.Given that GM has cut $9 billion in structural costs out of its operations since 2005, Wall Street had been expecting much, much better results.Jonathan Steinmetz, an auto analyst with Morgan Stanley, called the results "very weak ... significantly worse than expected."What's more, several experts noted, the performance was on the back of two of GM's most important vehicle platforms - one for its full-size pickups and SUVs, which underlie the new Chevrolet Silverado, and the other a new crossover platform, which underlies the Buick Enclave."The product cadence does start to slow from here," Nesvold noted, "and that will make it more difficult for them, unless demand starts to rebound."Healy said he was shocked by GM's performance in the fourth quarter, but he still believes GM can return to profitability in 2009.GM, he noted, has about $30 billion in cash to help it get to 2010, which is when GM gets a big - $4 billion to $5 billion - lift from its new four-year labor contract with the UAW.While GM will release more details on its buyout program in the weeks ahead, most of those who accept a deal are expected to leave by July 1, the company said.GM's new program seems to mirror one announced by Ford Motor Co. last month. Ford is hoping to get 8,000 of its hourly workers to take a deal.GM won't say how many workers it hopes to shed. But economist Sean McAlinden of the Center for Automotive Research said last month that under its new contract with the UAW, it could replace up to 20,000 workers doing non-assembly jobs with new employees who will be paid half the old wage of $28 per hour.GM had been offering buyouts to about 5,200 UAW workers at service and parts operations and some closed plants since December, but those workers now are eligible for the new, sweetened offer, which raises the incentive payments for retirement-eligible workers by $10,000 for production workers and $27,500 for skilled workers.Production workers will be offered $45,000 and skilled workers will be offered $62,500 to retire with their full pension and health benefits. Those workers can take the money in a lump-sum payment or take it as monthly payments. They also can roll the money directly into a retirement account or 401(k).GM is giving less than Ford, which is offering up to $70,000 in lump-sum payments, but GM said its offer is comparable because workers who roll the money into a retirement account won't have to pay as much in taxes.(c) 2008, Detroit Free Press

Brawny Xterra off-Rogue player from Nissan

By Jim Mateja
Chicago Tribune(MCT)

Rogue and Xterra. Beauty and the beast - both from Nissan.Rogue is blessed with a clever name as well as tantalizing styling on a new compact crossover derived from the Sentra sedan.Xterra with its rugged looks and truck-based platform is blessed with the ability to tread where Rogue shouldn't go - off-road through deep snow, thick sand and steep hills. If Rogue should venture off the pavement, Xterra has a 4WD low setting to pull the little one back.After having tested the fashionable Rogue, had to check out the functional Xterra. Each caters to a different buyer.Nissan says Xterra appeals to those who like outdoor activities. It skews more toward male (53 percent) than female buyers. It's about 50/50 for Rogue, a more urban lifestyle vehicle to take you from here to there, looking good all the way. Buyers who consider Xterra often cross-shop the Toyota FJ Cruiser and Jeep Liberty and Wrangler.Rogue cross-shops are with the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. Owners are more likely to move up eventually into a midsize Nissan Murano crossover derived from the Altima sedan than into a mid-size truck-based Pathfinder SUV.Rogue comes with front- or all-wheel-drive, holds four and offers only a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder; Xterra offers a choice of rear- or four-wheel-drive, seats five and has only a 4-liter V-6.We tested Xterra in the 4x4 Off Road version, which presents an immediate problem: High clearance for off-roading means high step-in/step-out height. Side steps aren't offered, in order to keep from scraping things when traveling off-road.Then there's the narrow rear-door opening. You have to slip over the wheel well to get in, then find knee room is snug. Running boards wouldn't help this; a low-carb diet would.The cargo hold is ample. Rear seats fold flat for more room - after you remove headrests. There's also some stowage capacity under the cargo floor and side pockets in the cargo walls. Too bad in ensuring so much cargo space someone didn't pay a little more attention to knee room in back.And as for paying attention, placing a first aid kit in the rear liftgate is noble, if misguided. Someone needing first aid must pull off the road and walk around to the back to lift the gate to get a bandage. Time would be saved and use simplified if the kit was under a seat.Nice touches include a pair of cupholders and an iPod/cell phone-holder in the center console along with a power plug under the center armrest (one in the dash, too). The seats are covered in a thick, rugged cloth ideal to roughhousing. Too bad they don't offer more side support.Xterra is powered by a 4-liter, 261-horsepower V-6 with a 5-speed automatic. Good power for smooth launches from the light or up an incline, but you pay at the pump - 14 mpg city/20 mpg highway with 4WD.When snow buried the subdivision, however, 4WD maneuverability was only a twist of the dial low in the dash away. Stability control and traction control helped, of course. If the snow gets very deep or the hill very steep, you can go 4WD low.It's another story on dry roads, where there's unnecessary suspension bumpiness not noticed on snow. That high ground clearance also comes with some lean in turns and corners you probably wouldn't pay attention to on snow.The Xterra 4x4 Off Road starts at $27,330. All Xterras offer power windows/locks/mirrors, anti-lock brakes, traction control, remote keyless entry and cruise control, as standard.(c) 2008, Chicago Tribune

Vesper Hall will lose an inspirational figure when volunteer Edith Weber parts company

By Russ Pulley
Special to the Journal

Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, a leprechaun and more characters, a.k.a. Edith Weber, are deserting eastern Jackson County for Virginia.Weber, 63, is known for the whimsical costumes she wears at Blue Springs' senior center, Vesper Hall, and all over town.She is going to live with her daughter this spring, and the many costumes are packed away, waiting for the moving van. So this year Weber won't be the Easter Bunny.And she'll be missed.Her story is of a woman overcoming grief by offering joy to others.In January she was recognized as Outstanding Individual at Vesper Hall."I was shocked," said Weber, who lives in Grain Valley. "There are so many more deserving volunteers, who work more hours.""She keeps people laughing," said Jeannine Bray, 75, who nominated her. She said Weber's antics and generosity have touched many.Bray said Weber has taken her and others on many errands, for doctor appointments or shopping. At Christmas, she once baked 23 dozen cookies to take to shut-ins, Bray said."She's helped I don't know how many people," Bray said. "We're going to really lose somebody when she moves."I just dread it."At Vesper, Weber, 63, gives rides to seniors, serves meals, helps keep records and serves on the site council, which advises the center administrator.She also sings in the Vesper Hall Choir, which entertains at the center, nursing homes, day-cares and facilities for the disabled.Since Christmas 2001 she's anonymously prowled Blue Springs, visiting restaurants or stores to give away thousands of small gifts - food and stuffed toys.This phase of her life began in 1997, when she moved to Blue Springs to care for an ill sister. Coming with her from Steelville, Mo., was her husband, who was disabled.Weber was very shy, she said, not knowing many people.A doctor had suggested the couple visit Vesper Hall, but her husband didn't want to.Her sister died two years later, and her husband died the next year. Her son-in-law died next.Grief overwhelmed her.Alone and hurting, she finally listened to the advice of a neighbor, Molly Hollett, who also urged her to go to the center."You know, I'm tired of crying and being blue," she recalls thinking. "No one knows me at Vesper Hall. I'm going to go there, act smiling and happy and try to make someone smile every day."That Christmas, in 2001, she started playing Santa, borrowing a suit from a nephew.Grain Valley has a tradition, she said, where merchants put together food baskets - fruit and such - delivered to seniors. Hers was more than she could use. She split it into smaller packages, added stuffed toys she'd accumulated as a grandmother, and gave them away."You don't know what a feeling you get when you see kids and old people smiling from someone giving them a stuffed animal," she said.She started buying stuffed toys, on sale, at second-hand shops, then laundered and stowed them away. In her van, decorated with greenery and ornaments, she dressed Hollett as an elf, and off they'd go each holiday season, randomly visiting parking lots or restaurants. Kids mobbed her.People began to leave bags of toys on her doorstep. Or gave her money to buy more.Sometimes she'd also play Santa at nursing homes. "Women would want to sit on my lap; they thought I was a man," she laughed.At Vesper Hall, she earned a reputation as a cut-up. She began adding other personas.The choir director was always urging her to perform individually. She was too shy.But she hatched a scheme.One of the choir's numbers is "Aba Daba Honeymoon," an old ragtime novelty hit about a monkey and chimp getting married. For one performance, Hollett and Weber arrived early, wearing monkey masks and faux hair on their arms, with Hollett carrying a bouquet. They hid and waited.During the song they lumbered out, mimicking apes.For another tune, the Louis Armstrong hit "When You're Smiling," she bought the choir fake, ugly teeth. She instructed them to subtly put them in their mouths at the end of the song.And then to give a huge smile.When an Elvis impersonator performed at Vesper Hall, she tossed an oversized pair of underpants at him. Made him forget the words.April Fool's Day, she donned angel wings and a halo.She had other personas: a clown, a turkey for Thanksgiving - "Has anybody seen my brother Tom?" she'd say - a leprechaun, a flapper."I put on something and it makes me braver, I guess," Weber said.Usually, she asked for nothing.This year, because she had thought she'd be moving sooner, she gave away toys at Halloween. Dressed as an M&M, she gave away about 500 stuffed toys to trick-or-treaters who came to Vesper Hall.She'll be moving when the addition is ready at her daughter's house, perhaps in May. The thought of leaving Vesper Hall dismays her."This was a life-saver for me," Weber said, tearing up. "It really was."

City launches new Web site

The Journal Staff

Last week the city of Blue Springs launched its newly designed city government Web site for public access at www.bluespringsgov.com.The new Web site is designed to increase the functionality andavailability of government information for the residents and visitors of Blue Springs. The new site will offer a number of service and feature enhancements notcurrently available on the city's Web site, as well as many of the amenities the former Web site offered. Some of these features include:n The ability to view streaming video of the City Council and Planning Commission meetings.n Continued access to online utility bill pay.n A number of new service features including "Notify Me" which gives site users the ability to sign-up for e-mailing lists and notifications from various departments in order to keep up to date on city events and information.Other features will include online service requests, the availability of Geographic Information System maps of the city, online registration for Parks and Recreation activities and a document center containing important city forms and applications commonly used by residents.Visitors to the homepage of the new site will be greeted by an assortment of appealing features including a clickable city calendar indicating upcoming meetings and events and a photo gallery slide show showcasing the amenities Blue Springs has to offer. The "News Flash" feature, also located on the homepage provides timely messages and news updates, enabling viewers to have access to city information that is both accurate and conveniently accessible. Representatives from every city department worked together to gather information about city services, create and redesign pages and develop a variety of frequently asked questions for the Web site. The site contains more than 250 pages of city news and information that will be continuously reviewed and updated by the City Communications office. In September 2007, the Blue Springs City Council approved a contract with Web site consultant and designer CivicPlus for an amount not to exceed $20,000. CivicPlus specializes in municipal government Web sites and communication.

Yates discusses healthcare improvements in Missouri

By Miranda Wycoff
The Journal Staff

While healthcare coverage is a big talking point in the national arena for the country's presidential candidates, it is also something on which the state government has begun to focus on. "Insurance is on the minds of a lot of folks these days," said Rep. Brian Yates, R-District 56 during the February luncheon of the Lee's Summit Chamber of Commerce on Friday. "Seven hundred thousand Missourians are not covered, and the large bulk of those people simply cannot afford it."Yates said there is a decline in the number of employers who offer healthcare coverage to their employees in Missouri. "Small businesses simply can't afford it," he said. "And employers have to find coverage elsewhere."As chairman of the Insurance Policy Committee in the Missouri House of Representatives, Yates said the lawmakers in Jefferson City are looking to address many of those concerns this session. One such measure is Gov. Matt Blunt's Insure Missouri Program. The program, which was officially announced in the fall of 2007, has the potential to improve healthcare access to many of the uninsured Missourians.Blunt wants to implement the program through three phases, with phase one to be available for working parents and families with an income of up to 100 percent of the poverty level - $20,650 for a family of four, according to insuremissouri.org. According to Yates, the program was created by Blunt without legislative input, and if all three phases are implemented the way the governor has outlined, Insure Missouri could cost a total of $416 million - with $233 million coming from the state of Missouri. Yates said phase one is to go to Secretary of State Robin Carnahan's desk for approval.From there, she could send it to the legislature. However, he said that even if that happens, phase one is still likely to pass. Phases two and three, are yet to be determined. In addition to the governor's Insure Missouri program, Yates said there are a number of other bills filed in the Missouri House and Senate that, if passed, are likely to improve the state of healthcare coverage in Missouri. He said while Missouri lawmakers are not likely to head toward a universal healthcare system, instead they are working toward putting patients in charge of their healthcare options and increasing competition among providers, which could result in greater access, lower costs and more innovation, Yates said.In addition, there is legislation filed that could ease the requirements to create associations. Yates said small businesses can create associations to share risks and lower costs of healthcare coverage. Currently there is a two-year establishment requirement, but Yates filed legislation to remove that stipulation. "Unfortunately it did not make it last year, but I'm hoping for this year," Yates said. He said it would level the playing field between large corporations and small businesses to provide coverage for their employees.For more information on insurance bills going through the Missouri General Assembly, visit the Missouri House of Representatives Web site at www.house.mo.gov or the Missouri Senate's Web site at www.senate.mo.gov. For more information on the Insure Missouri Program, visit its Web site at www.insuremissouri.org.

BS man charged with burglary in Grain Valley

By Brett Dalton
The Journal Staff

A Blue Springs man may have been responsible for a series of 10 residential burglaries that tookplace in Grain Valley last year.According to a news release put out last week by the Grain Valley Police Department, Jacob M. Donovan of Blue Springs was arrested on Aug.21, 2007 in connection with one of the 10 burglaries that occurred during the month of August. Donovan, 24, was charged with first-degree burglary and was sentenced to five years in the state penitentiary by the Circuit Court of Jackson County, according to a news release.Terry Ford, detective with the GVPD, said police aren't certain Donovan is connected to all the burglaries that happened in Grain Valley last August, but said Donovan possessed credit cards and other pieces of property that were taken from various properties."We can't prove he was connected to all of them," Ford said. "But we suspect he did all of them."Donovan also is suspected to be involved in all of the burglaries, as they were similar in nature. According to the GVPD, all the burglaries that occurred in August 2007 took place during the evening hours, with entry through unlocked or partially opened garage doors. According to a media report by an area television news station, items stolen from the various residences included power tools, wallets and cars.

Adams Dairy Landing project to expand

By Miranda WycoffThe Journal

StaffAfter acquiring two new properties to the Adams Dairy Landing project, RED Development announced that a third large retail anchor will be addedto the develop-ment.The announce-ment was made during an update presentation to the Blue Springs City Council on the project. Dan Lowe ofRED Development said that although he could not announce which store will serve as a third major retail anchor to the shopping center, the company is in final negotiations with a major "soft" retail store."We've modified the project a little bit," Lowe said. "We've expanded the property boundaries to provide more flexibility."He said the added flexibility allowed RED to bring an additional large anchor to the project.With the expanded property boundaries and the addition of another anchor, Lowe said the southeast portion of the project plans have changed significantly since RED last presented to the Council. In addition to the expansion, Lowe said the Transportation Development District approved by the Council to help fund the project has since changed. Lowe said RED convinced Wal-Mart and Home Depot to contribute to the TDD.Since both stores already existed, their participation was not required. But since some of the off-site road improvements to be made by the TDD funding would improve access to both stores, they decided to participate. Off-site improvements to be made include the four major intersections surrounding the project - the two intersections at Interstate 70 and Adams Dairy Parkway, Adams Dairy Parkway and Cornado and R.D. Mize Road and Coronado.Scott Cargill, traffic spokesperson for the development, said all the improvements will increase the level of service a complete grade - for example, from grade D to grade C - or decrease the delay time at the intersections. Cargill said the improvements on R.D. Mize will essentially set up the road as a secondary access to the development site to help facilitate the traffic on Adams Dairy Parkway.Other improvements will include the expansion of lanes on the roadways, raising Coronado Road and lowering R.D. Mize by about 15 feet each."At the end of the day these improvements are not only a benefit to the shopping center, but a benefit to its patrons. And not only a benefit to its patrons, but a benefit to (citizens of) Blue Springs," Cargill said. For more information on the Adams Dairy Landing Project, visit the city of Blue Springs' Web site at www.bluespringsgov.com.