Below are the results from the ethics poll conducted on my website over the past two weeks. Over 100 people took the unscientific poll.
Question of the week?
What level of ethical conduct do you expect from your LOCAL elected officials compared to state and/or federal elected officials?
Thanks to all that participated.
From NPD:
Business-to-business spending in the office supply industry is on the rebound and was up in December for the first time throughout all of 2009, according to leading market research company The NPD Group’s Retail Tracking Service.
Business-to-business spending grew for the first time in December, rising 2.5 percent, and for the first time all year business spending out-performed consumer spending in the retail office super store channel. The contract stationers channel had been showing year-over-year improvement each month since August, but December was the first month where it pulled into positive territory. For the year, the B2B contract stationer channel declined 11 percent. Business spending across a number of industries, including technology, began to rebound this past fall.
The retail office super store channel didn’t fare as well, but still made strides in the fourth quarter. The channel started to stabilize in September, averaging a 5 percent decline over the final four months of the year, and December sales ended down around 6 percent. While still a decline, it is an improvement over the 10 percent monthly decline the channel experienced during the first half of 2009. The retail office super store channel was down 8 percent in 2009.
From today’s SBJ:
An eight-year NASCAR veteran, McMurray joined the Bass Pro Shops team in November, effectively replacing Martin Truex Jr., who joined Michael Waltrip Racing.
Sunday’s race was McMurray's eighth Daytona 500 start. He edged out Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the win.This is the fifth year Springfield-based Bass Pro Shops has been a primary NASCAR sponsor.
From Sunday’s NWAOnline.com
Effective Feb. 1, under the new policy, suppliers whose products arrive at regional distribution centers before or after that period face a 3 percent penalty based on the cost of the goods.
Previously, the company requested delivery within a four-day window but gave suppliers no incentive to meet the schedule, said Dan Fogleman, a Wal-Mart spokesman.
“This is a common practice among national retailers, andreally in line with charges assessed by our closest competitors,” Fogleman said.
Competitors Target Corp., Best Buy Co. Inc. and Kohl’s Corp. are among the other retailers that assess penalties for early or late deliveries.
Last week, the council had given informal approval to the idea earlier this month.
If approved the pay raises would take effect in March and would cost the city approximately $800,000 over an entire year.
The consent bill being proposed by Wilson defines current fractional requirements down to 4 decimals – 4/7=57.1429% and 2/3=66.6667%.
This will be the 3rd attempt Wilson has made on the bill. Previous attempts have failed to be passed out of the House. Based on the issues that have arisen in Neosho (and could arise anywhere else in Missouri), I am a little confused on why our legislature hasn’t been more proactive in fixing this problem. Perhaps some (Wilson excluded) have forgotten why they are sent to Jefferson City.
If it’s broke, fix it!
A hearing on the bill will be held Wednesday before the House’s general laws committee. Wilson said the measure meets the criteria of a consent bill, as it isn’t controversial, doesn’t have a penalty provision and doesn’t cost the state anything.
Mr. Charles Brazeale, Neosho’s Asst. Supt of Business and Finance, has been selected to be the new director of instructional technology for the St. Charles School District. Mr. Brazeale will assume the position starting July 1st.
Mr. Brazeale came to Neosho in 2005 after then-assistant superintendent Dr. Richard Page was elevated to be superintendent of Neosho’s school district. Brazeale has a bachelors and masters degree from Southwest Baptist University.
No word yet on Brazeale’s successor.
As I settled in last night at the hotel, I was in good spirits. The TMEA (Texas Music Educators Association) show had been going well. We’d had loads of interest in our new band cabinets and I’d just finished a great steak at Morton’s just a couple of hours earlier. What could possible go wrong? Then the phone rang.
First off, anytime my phone rings at 10:30pm at night, someone better be in jail, at the hospital, or on fire. I’m not one that makes (or accepts) calls that late just for the heck of it. That ring at that time meant something was very wrong. I answered to the sound of garbled speech filled with whaling moans and crying. Something had gone wrong…it was just a question of how wrong.
I soon learned that Phoebe, a 3 month old German shepard who joined our family just a couple of weeks ago, had just run under the car as my daughter and her mother pulled up the drive. Jennifer was on the phone with me while trying to assess the injuries and hold back the emotions. The injuries were fatal and Phoebe didn’t have time to suffer. But my daughter and Jennifer were just starting their emotional roller coaster.
I spent the next few minutes with both of them – chatting about what to do and how to handle it, and trying to be a good listener. Jennifer was feeling a tremendous amount of guilt. Kyndall was emotional about the loss of her new puppy. I was emotional since I couldn’t be there for them. It made for a very long night with little sleep.
I’m glad to report that things are better this morning. The grieving process is underway. The emotional roller coaster is slowing. Life is starting to return to normal. But even that little dog, who was only in our lives for such a short time, sure had formed a bond with us. We’ll all miss her. She was quite the dog.
If you haven’t noticed, the website NeoshoForums.com seems to be off the air…at least it has been for a couple of days now. I’m not sure what exactly is happening, but I’ve heard a few rumors.
While some may not like the forums for their tone and sometimes critical opinions (and I’ve been on the receiving end of their criticisms both on the council and during my former life on the Neosho R-5 school board), the site has been a place to watch (and read) some local discussions of issues facing our town, our state, and our nation. And while no one ever agrees on everything (just insert Washington DC here if you need to), a sharing of differing ideas and opinions has been a part of our country for over 200 years. (I think there’s even something about open and free speech in a document our founding fathers signed.)
Anyway, I hope things get worked out for them. Regardless of if you like their views or not, they are an example of what makes our country what it is. On the national level we have the Fox News’s and CNN’s of the world. In Neosho, we have NeoshoForums.com. Personally, I don’t care what any of them say. I’m capable of making an informed decision on my own. Sometimes we agree. Sometimes we don’t. But either way, we’re all entitled to our own opinions…at least that’s my opinion.
This week’s announcement of the closure of the Neosho Twin Rivers operation is the latest in a stream of bad jobs news for Neosho. With close to 400-500 employees being impacted, it will certainly hurt.
In this week’s Neosho Daily News, John Ball, COO, was quoted as saying “As of April 9, we will no longer have business opportunity that we have enjoyed for the past 10 years….”
Matt Duffy, president and CEO, cited unfavorable economic conditions and the ever-rising cost of doing business as the major factors for the work slow down.
Well, American Airlines today has said NO MORE! Starting with tickets purchased on Feb. 22, only elite travelers, business and first class passengers, military personnel and travelers on full coach tickets (and no one ever purchases full coach) will get a waiver. Others will pay $50 just for the opportunity to leave early – but no guarantees.
As is typical with fees, American is not calling the $50 charge a ‘fee’, but rather ‘an elimination of a loop hole.’ I’ll have to remember that one.
For more information on this and other airlines fees, you can read the article here.
Capt. Harris gained national fame in the last few years thanks to the reality show. Personally, I loved the show. His departure will leave a void that will be hard to fill.
Their current president, Mike Nietzel, has announced his plan to resign once his successor is picked.
The Webb City school board has approved Dr. Anthony Rossetti as the new Supt of Schools. Rossetti will be replacing current Supt. Ron Lankford. Lankford announced his retirement late last year.
Rossetti is currently the superintendent of the Miller R-2 district. Both Miller and Webb City have the same mascot – Cardinals – and both have very successful sports and academic programs.
Being able to write an article and explain a complicated situation can be a challenge. Unlike TV, readers only have what’s in black and white to create their visual image of the issue. I sometimes chuckle when things don’t go quite as planned. Take this quote from today’s Joplin Globe regarding a barn fire.
“Turner said no injuries were reported. Several bales of hay and a backhoe inside the barn burned in the blaze.
The owner of the barn was not fully identified.”
I found the last sentence funny because I started filling in my own reality:
Did he burn up too and they only find a shoe? (That was not the case.)
Did the police report say “barn reportedly owned by someone named ‘Joe’”?
Did a witness say “Well, Bobby had that until the divorce, but I think Doreen got the north half in the settlement.”
Maybe it wasn’t as funny as I thought, but it did make me chuckle.
While concerned about increases in health care, the council was reminded that $20 million sits uncommitted in the city’s general fund. The city’s budgeted general sales tax revenue for 2010 is $11.645 million.
The city of Joplin has their adopted budget online. You can view it here.
Brother, can you spare a dime?
PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.–The pickup in fourth-quarter 2009 sales of large and small appliances offer promise of further growth this year, according to The NPD Group.
The market-research firm’s consumer tracking service showed that sales of small appliances jumped 14 percent on a dollar basis over the fourth quarter of 2008, and unit sales were up 20 percent. The top categories were upright vacuums, drip coffeemakers and heaters, NPD said. The one negative that emerged from the company’s research was a 2 percent drop in average unit selling prices for all small appliances.
Meanwhile, major-appliance sales in the fourth quarter rose 5.5 percent over the fourth quarter of 2008, on both a dollar and unit basis. Microwaves, dishwashers and refrigerators all enjoyed double-digit growth in dollars, while unit sales of dishwashers, microwaves and washing machines had strong increases. Mark Delaney, director of NPD’s home division, said many retailers that featured major appliances in their Black Friday advertisements—some of which promoted “door-buster” specials—achieved positive results.
Peter Goldman, president of NPD’s home division, said these results indicate that the appliance industry is “moving back in a positive direction.” However, Goldman said consumers remain cautious in their spending, as evidenced by their purchases of lower-price products in these categories.
NPD is a leading global provider of of consumer and retail market research. Their site is www.npd.com.
Jarden, who has a large distribution center in Neosho, is a large manufacturer of small appliances.
