Gov. Jay Nixon announced on Thursday, July 21 plans to call the General Assembly into a special legislative session in September for the purpose of passing job creation legislation. The exact timing and scope of the session have yet to be determined, but it will roughly coincide with the legislature’s annual veto session, which begins on Sept. 14. According to Missouri’s Constitution, a special session called by the governor can last no more than 60 calendar days.

One of the measures to be considered by legislators in Special Session will be a tax break to entice development of an air freight cargo hub at St. Louis Lambert International Airport so cargo can be distributed throughout the Midwestern region.

“This is not a new idea,” said State Rep. Terry Swinger of Caruthersville. “In 2010, China’s Ambassador to the United States, Zhou Wenzhong, came to Jefferson City to talk to members of leadership about a Midwest-China Hub connecting economic interest between the St. Louis Region and China. St. Louis is the Gateway to the West and now can be the same for China and the rest of the world.”

“St. Louis has the perfect infrastructure for trade with many interstate highways, Lambert-St. Louis Airport, rail system and the Port of St. Louis. With this initiative, the United States has an opportunity to expand exports in agribusiness, high tech, health care and biotech and Missouri will be the front leader,” he said.

Nixon announced earlier this month he would be leading a delegation to China later this year. No date has yet been set for the China trip. But Nixon’s office said the visit would focus on:

• expanding export markets for Missouri farmers and businesses
• developing the St. Louis-China Hub at Lambert
• facilitating bi-lateral investment opportunities between Missouri and China.
• advancing educational exchanges

Rep. Terry Swinger and Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong, China's Ambassador to the United States, recently.

A SMT News Report

Missouri House and Senate leaders came to an historic and comprehensive jobs agreement this week that includes more than $1.5 billion in savings and new accountability measures in the state’s economic development programs.

“I am proud to announce House and Senate members have reached a consensus on economic development issues that would couple more than $1.5 billion in taxpayer savings by reducing, eliminating or requiring timely mandatory reviews of various tax credits with creating new incentives to keep and bring jobs to our state,” said Senate Leader Rob Mayer, R-Dexter.

“The people of Missouri expect us to work with one another to find common sense solutions,” House Speaker Steven Tilley, R-Perryville. “We now have a proposed plan with broad support that will save taxpayers billions of dollars while securing the future of innovative and financially responsible tax incentive programs to help keep and relocate businesses to Missouri.”

“With Missouri’s unemployment rate hovering at almost 9 percent and Missouri’s economy ranking as the third worst in the country, we need to dramatically change the playing field and remove hurdles to creating new jobs,” Tilley added. “Unlike many other states, we wanted to create opportunities for business to expand and locate in Missouri but with the accountability that hard-working Missourians demand from their elected officials. This legislation accomplishes both.”

Key elements of the legislation include numerous new accountability measures on economic development programs including capping the amount programs can spend and legislative renewal or mandatory reviews required by sunsets of programs of four to seven years. Those renewals will require the programs to justify their value and economic impact to the full Legislature or face automatic elimination.

The bill authorizes several new job creating programs including:

• Aerotropolis, which is projected to create more than 20,000 jobs by turning St. Louis’s Lambert International Airport into an international trade hub for Missouri and Midwest exports and distribution.
• The Missouri Science and Innovation Reinvestment Act, which will attract high-tech jobs to the state.
• Incentives to encourage data centers to locate in Missouri.
• New job training programs.
• An Amateur Sports Event Attraction Tax Credit to assist in attracting national sporting events to Missouri and the economic impact they bring.
• Funds to assist the Kansas City region with retaining jobs that recently have been moved to Kansas and other states.

“This consensus is the result of hours upon hours of work this year between members of the House and Senate, as well as a culmination of three years of work in the Missouri Senate,” Mayer said. “Most of the provisions in this historic agreement have been voted on in different bills by overwhelming majorities of both Democratic and Republican members and should have significant support as we move forward.”

“We believe our number one priority is to put Missourians back to work,” said Tilley. “People are suffering and facing few prospects for jobs in this economy. This morning we called the governor’s office and asked for a meeting with the governor to share our jobs plan. We will ask him to support our compromise and to support our call for a special session in August or early September. If — and only if — we cannot reach a consensus with the governor, we seek to call ourselves into a special legislative session in order to see these efforts through to benefit the people of Missouri and make new jobs a reality.”

Dexter's State Senator Rob Mayer speaks at a news conference announcing an economic development plan. Behind Mayer is State Senator Tom Dempsey of St. Peters.

NewWave Communications hosted an Open House at its new offices in Dexter on Thursday afternoon and hundreds of area residents visited the new facility, enjoyed hot dogs and cold drinks, signed up for door prizes, and learned more about the various programs and opportunities with NewWave. On hand to greet customers were a number of NewWave executives, include (from left) Kyle Alcorn, Vice President of Marketing; Larry Eby, Senior Vice President Operations; Moses Porterfield, Sales and Marketing Manager; Jim Gleason, President; Tom Gleason, Executive Vice President; Mike Burns, General Manager; and Scott Randall, Director of Business Services. The new NewWave Communications office is located at the corner of North One Mile Road and Nina Drive in Dexter. (SMT photo by Annabeth Miller)

By Annabeth Miiler,
ShowMe Times Editor

There was a excited gaggle of youngsters on Wednesday with incredible wide eyes. Sometimes they would giggle, sometimes "ooh" and "ahh" and the action at the front of the room. When asked, they would sit absolutely still and be as quiet as "church mice" (very unique for this many young children). There were times some weren't so sure, and sat a tad nervous.

The sixth and final week of Keller Public Library's Summer Reading Program - "One World, Many Stories" - was a special time for the nearly 90 youngsters on hand. It was "Zoofari" day, and Naturalist John Ham brought a half dozen of his friends - a Bennett’s Wallaby, Emerald Toucan, Dark Mongoose, European Legless Lizard, Brazilian Salmon Pink Bird-eating Tarantula, and Burmese Python.

Ham took the animals one-by-one, held them for all the children to see, and even got them involved in showing off the animals. Four youngsters were recruited to hold the python (some even eagerly!); one young man held the sack that the baby wallaby enjoyed resting inside. Children volunteered to point out the world's continents on a large globe.

And while the toucan would "talk" into Ham's microphone and the young wallaby jumped around and explored part of the room, it seemed as though the greatest enthusiasm was for --- the snake. Yes, the snake!

While some adults were looking for the nearest exit, the kids for the most part were excited by the site of the nearly five-foot long reptile. In fact, at the end of the program, Ham recruited four volunteers who held the critter while the rest stood in line for the chance to touch the python. Some, in fact, stood in line multiple times, and others would take their hand and trace the python's entire length.

Wednesday's program was the conclusion to the six-week summer reading program. Library Director Pam Trammell was enthused by the program's success.

"We have had tremendous crowds every week," she said.

Trammell thanked the Friends of the Library organization, as well as the many volunteers who made the summer reading project a success. "We couldn't have done it without their support and help" she said.

Photo Above: Naturalist John Ham holds Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, a mongoose, during Wednesday's Story Hour at the Keller Public Library in Dexter.

ShowMe Times Photo Gallery

ORDER PRINTS! To order prints from this gallery, click to go to complete gallery, look for the "Buy" button at the top of the gallery page. You will be able to select photo sizes and other photo products and pay online using your credit or debit card.

By Annabeth Miiler,
ShowMe Times Editor

It seems as though the City of Bloomfield and Sheriff Carl Hefner have a “one-two punch” of a problem.

“Punch one” rests in the county jail. Prisoners from the jail will express their displeasure on things, take their t-shirt or other clothing item, and stuff it into the jail toilet.

The “second punch” comes with that piece of clothing starts moving through the sewer system and clogs the sewer pipe. Then the City of Bloomfield has to call workers out to dig to the pipe, remove the clothing, and clear the sewer line. And the city has to pay for employees to perform the task.

“It is invariably happens on the weekend or holiday,” said Bloomfield Ward I alderman Donna Medlin. Medlin and fellow Bloomfield alderman Donna Dierdorf visited with the Stoddard County Commission and Hefner at this week’s county commission meeting.

The commissioners asked Hefner to work with the city to find a solution to the problem. One possibility that will be investigated is the installation of a “trap” that would ease the job for city workers.

Board of Equalization

County Assessor Jody Lemmon met with the board and reported that two local companies have filed appeals to their personal property tax assessment.

Lemmon reported that Faurecia and Missouri Southern Healthcare have forwarded letters to him seeking an appeal.

Faurecia requested a waiver for the right to personally appear before the board and stated they anticipated no changes. Commissioners agreed that it was a unique appeal request - to file for an appeal and then state they anticipated no changes.

Lemmon explained his office uses information provided by the manufacturer to base the assessment.

“We use their figures, and now they want to protest,” Commissioner Frank Sifford said. Lemmon will continue his correspondence with Faurecia's representative.

Lemmon reported he also received an appeal from Missouri Southern Healthcare. He said the healthcare company’s representative wanted an additional three to four weeks to review the assessment. However, the Board of Equalization only meets for two weeks each year and the last day it will met in 2011 is Aug. 1.

Lemmon told commissioners that each year he does not receive a complete equipment inventory from MSH, only a list of equipment purchased in the previous year. He added his office has not received a complete inventory from the hospital in several years.

Sifford suggested informing MSH of the last date for BOE to meet in 2011 in Aug 1.

“Send that by certified letter," Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis said.

In other business this week, the commission:

• Met with Stoddard County Emergency Management/Flood Plains Director Kent Polsgrove and learned of meetings and training sessions he has attended recently.

• Sifford reported sales tax revenue to the county was up nearly $50,000 in June. Lemmon reported total valuation for 2011 in the county was up $12 million. He said the biggest addition was for new cars, trucks and SUVs. He said around 270 of the popular new SUVs were added to the books this year.

• Juvenile Office Mike Davis met with commissioners and asked that a regional training be held in one of the classrooms in the old Alternative School in September. Juvenile officers from 12-15 counties will attend the training. Commissioners gave their approval of the project.

• Received an update on the status of installation of the Amos Stoddard monument. The county is named for Stoddard, who was a Revolutionary War soldier, and the only commandant of Upper Louisiana for the French Republic and the only commandant for the District of Louisiana for the United States. A monument honoring Stoddard is set to be installed at the southeast corner of the old courthouse. The Bloomfield FFA is to remove bushes at the site before the monument’s installation.