Jefferson City

JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri Democrats are planning to open up next year’s party-run presidential preference primary to 17-year-olds who turn 18 by the November 2024 presidential election, according to draft plans out for public comment.

Missouri legislators in 2022 repealed the state-run presidential preference primary, with proponents arguing that political parties — and not taxpayers — should pick up the tab for the party contests.

Because an effort to reinstate the state-run primary failed this past legislative session, both the state Republican and Democratic parties are moving forward with plans for party-run contests in 2024.

In a 51-page draft released Tuesday, Missouri Democrats said their privately run primary, to take place March 23, would allow certain 17-year-olds to vote. That is despite Missouri requiring voters in official state elections to be 18.

“To encourage participation by youth in the delegate selection process, any individual who will have turned eighteen (18) years of age by the date of the general election will be allowed to participate in the delegate selection process,” the draft plan says.

The March 23 primary run by the state Democratic Party will be the first step in assigning Missouri’s 71 delegates to the Democratic National Convention, taking place between Aug. 19-22 in Chicago.

The party said “each county will have a polling place” and that there would be multiple locations in the St. Louis and Kansas City metro areas.

The draft plan would allow voters to cast in-person ballots between 8 a.m. and noon on the day of the primary.

The party plans to distribute mail-in ballots starting Feb. 12. The party will require mail ballot requests to be made by March 12.

The Democratic Party must receive the ballots back by 10 a.m. on March 23, the draft said.

The plan states that if two or more candidates make the ballot, the party will use a ranked-choice voting system “to allow maximum engagement consistent with a traditional caucus method of achieving viability.

“Delegates to the National Convention will be proportionally apportioned to fairly reflect the results,” the draft said.

Party members will select or certify Democratic National Convention delegates and alternates at the state party’s June 29 convention in Jefferson City.

The Democrats also said in their draft that “the voter rolls for this process are registered voters of the state of Missouri who have declared Democrat as their party affiliation.”

Legislators last year approved of Missouri voters declaring a political party, which has been seen as a precursor to a closed primary system.

But few voters have taken advantage of the new option.

According to a Post-Dispatch analysis of voter data from the secretary of state, fewer than 1% of registered voters had chosen to affiliate with a political party as of August.

The Democrats also said they are “committed to an aggressive fundraising program” for the party-run primary. The party said its delegate selection plan was estimated to cost between $250,000 to $475,000.

The party pegged the estimated cost of election administration at $175,000, which it hopes to raise by the end of the year.

“If these fundraising goals are not met, the Missouri Democratic Party reserves the right to adjust planned investments in order to administer an election and/or seek an alternative method of voting,” the draft says.

The draft is available online and the Democrats said Tuesday they are accepting public comments for 30 days.

The Missouri Republican Party has not yet announced its plans for its 2024 presidential nominating contest. The Missouri GOP state committee is scheduled to meet Sept. 9.

Josh Renaud of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.

Take a look at some of the video highlights of 2022 from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch staff.

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Originally Appeared Here

Many African Americans in the early 20th century traveled to California in search of a better life and freedom from restrictive Jim Crow laws. While the Golden State wasn’t immune to racism and discrimination, Black communities carved out their own little slice of heaven — owning parts of Manhattan Beach and Santa Monica. An exhibition at the California African American Museum looks at how Black Americans shaped sites of recreation and relaxation. “Black California Dreamin’: Claiming Space at America’s Leisure Frontier” runs through March 31, 2024. 

Today, luxury hotel Shutters on the Beach sits steps away from the waterfront. But in 1922, that land was almost sold to Black businessmen. The investment group was led by Charles Darden and Norman O. Houston, and their goal, according to historian Alison Rose Jefferson, was to develop a Black beach resort.

“[It] was going to have different kinds of amusement facilities. They envisioned it as being this place that would attract Black folks from all over the Southwest and the country to come to Santa Monica,” she tells KCRW.

However, those dreams were cut short when the Santa Monica Bay Protective League and white business owners caught wind of the development. The group protested the project and went to the Santa Monica City Council. The political body, as Jefferson explains, changed local ordinances to only allow Black residents to build a house.

“That was the last known effort on the beach of African Americans attempting to capitalize on their California dreams during that time period to develop community and economic resources.”

Over the next three years, developers built their own properties, including the Hotel Casa Del Mar and the Edgewater Beach Club, which eventually turned into Shutters.  

Women participate in a beauty pageant at the 22nd Annual Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company picnic, Val Verde Park, July 18, 1947. Credit: Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company Records (Collection 1434); Courtesy of Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA .

Meanwhile, anti-Black, anti-Jewish, and other racist sentiments were running rampant. “You had the rise of the Ku Klux Klan in California — although they weren’t attacking Black people physically in a way they were in the South. They were still here in California, making threats and riding around in their white robes and hoods.” 

Jefferson points to Bruce’s Beach, a once-successful Black-owned resort that opened in 1912. Black patrons faced hostility from white residents, who even roped off the beach to keep them away. The land was eventually seized via eminent domain in 1924 by the Manhattan Beach City Council, which condemned the property. The actions reflected the racist attitudes of the locals. 

“They decide they don’t want the Black people there. They think that they are having a negro invasion because by this time, you have a larger Black population that’s moved to the region,” Jefferson explains. “They have more money. … They had a few big parties. And a couple of white people decided that they didn’t want Black people down there.” 

Read more: Bruce’s Beach sells for $20M. What does it mean for future of reparations?

Originally Appeared Here

Prairie Day set for Sept. 9th at George Washington Carver National Monument

From George Washington Carver National Monument

DIAMOND – George Washington Carver National Monument staff and volunteers invite the public to Prairie Day, set for Saturday, September 9th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Held in conjunction with Gem City Days in Diamond, Missouri, Prairie Day commemorates George Washington Carver’s childhood environment through storytelling, music, historic skills demonstrations, and interactive exhibits. This event is free of charge!

Exhibitors share history, archaeology, and demonstrations such as basket making, treadle machine sewing, apple cider making, crocheting, knitting, an old-fashioned quilting bee, and woodcarving. Kids can earn a Junior Ranger badge, play old-fashioned toys and games, and visit the therapy horses. At the music tent, talented musicians will share Ozarks history. In the visitor center, Ozark storyteller and musician, Marideth Sisco, will share “Stories and Songs from the American Front Porch” at 1:00 p.m. Natural resource exhibits include prairie ecology, pollinators, entomology, beekeeping, birds, mammals, and prairie walks with a naturalist.

At the 1881 Carver House, volunteers will share their talent and knowledge as they demonstrate historic skills such as spinning, weaving, Dutch oven cooking, lye soap making, food preservation, butter making, and music. Visitors can make butter, dip a candle, and do laundry on a washboard.

Prairie Day is co-sponsored by the Carver Birthplace Association. Special thanks to Volunteers In Parks who make this event possible. Diamond Lions Club will provide food concessions.

Administered by the National Park Service, an agency of the Department of the Interior, George Washington Carver National Monument preserves the birthplace and childhood home of George Washington Carver — scientist, educator, and humanitarian. The park is located two miles west of Diamond, Missouri on Highway V, then ¼ mile south on Carver Road. For more information, please call the park at 417-325-4151 between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., visit the park website at www.nps.gov/gwca, or visit the park Facebook page.

Everyone is welcome in Missouri State Parks

From Missouri State Parks

JEFFERSON CITY, MO — The Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Division of State Parks recently received new chairs for visitors with mobility challenges. Using the chairs, visitors can now navigate both land and water.

Produced by the Action Trackchair company, track chairs are electric all-terrain wheelchairs that offer guests with mobility challenges the opportunity to partake in outdoor activities. With a track chair, they can explore trails and visit parts of Missouri state parks or historic sites that are not suitable for regular wheelchairs. These sturdier, more rugged chairs use tanklike tracks instead of wheels to allow guests to traverse some of the rougher, uneven trails found in Missouri state parks. All-terrain track chairs can navigate through snow, water, mud, sand and other rough conditions.

“Everyone should have the opportunity to explore and enjoy our parks and historic sites,” said David Kelly, director of Missouri State Parks. “Wheelchairs provide important mobility for their users, but they aren’t always able to navigate our trails. Our all-terrain track chairs can!”

Missouri State Parks currently has three track chairs: one at Bryant Creek State Park in Ava, one at Battle of Lexington State Historic Site in Lexington, and one at Elephant Rocks State Park in Belleview. Bennett Spring State Park, outside of Lebanon, has applied for a grant to purchase another chair.

Using the track chair is free. Reservations must be made at least two days in advance. Also, a friend or family member 18 years or older must go along to help, because park representatives are not always available or able to help users transfer to or from the chair.

“Missouri state parks are open for everyone to enjoy, regardless of ability,” Kelly said. “We want all of our visitors to be able to discover the beauty of our parks and historic sites. This adaptive equipment will open up the trails that were once inaccessible to people with mobility issues.”

Chris Fritsche, superintendent of Battle of Lexington State Historic Site, recently had his first guest use the site’s track chair. Fristche said the guest was excited to be able to use the chair, and Fritsche was happy to be a part of the experience.

“This was the first time the visitor has ever been in nature on his own. It was also the first time he and his wife were able to hold hands while walking a trail or going from place to place, because he has always used a manual wheelchair or crutches,” Fritsche said. “The light in his eyes, when he first saw the track chair was enough to warm your heart, but the exuberance he had when he came back after using it was even more profound. Talk about making memories!”

In addition to track chairs, St. Joe, Echo Bluff and Sam A. Baker state parks have adaptive beach chairs for use in the water. Beach chairs allow wheelchair users, people with special needs or those who just need some assistance, the chance to play and splash in the water. The floating beach chair provides a comfortable ride, along with easy mobility through sand and other rough surfaces. The armrests and wheels enable balance while in the water, and the handles provide stability while enjoying the ride on land or in the water.

“Being able to get on the beach and into the water lets beach chair users experience the sun and sand with their family and friends instead of being limited to paved trails and parking lots,” Kelly said.

To find out how to reserve a track chair, visit mostateparks.com/action-trackchair.

For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Kansas Heritage Trust Fund Grant Workshop to be held September 8 in Pittsburg

From the Kansas Historical Society

The Kansas Historical Society is hosting a Kansas Heritage Trust Fund Grant Workshop in Pittsburg on Friday, September 8. This state program provides matching funds for the preservation of properties listed in the National and State Registers.

Expenses are reimbursed for projects that preserve or restore historic properties. Qualifying expenses include professional fees and construction costs. Properties owned by state or federal governments are not eligible, but those owned by local governments, private individuals, non-profit, and for-profit entities qualify. Individual grant awards may not exceed $100,000 and must be matched by the grant recipient. Yearly grant rounds are highly competitive.

The workshop will be held Friday, September 8, 2023, at 2 p.m. at the Leonard H. Axe Library on the campus of Pittsburg State University. The library is located at 1605 S. Joplin Street, Pittsburg, Kansas. Attendees are asked to park in the Green visitor spots and to enter using the main Joplin Street entrance. The meeting will be held in the lower level, Room 014.

For additional information please contact Katrina Ringler, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, and Director, Cultural Resources Division, Kansas Historical Society. Office: 785-272-8681, ext. 217. Or email Katrina.Ringler@ks.gov.

Originally Appeared Here

The Mississippi River at St. Louis first went over flood stage in April and crested on Aug. 1 at almost 49.6 feet, just shy of 20 feet over flood stage. It finally dropped back below flood stage on Oct. 7.

Record rain and snowfall in the Mississippi River and Missouri River watersheds in the fall of 1992 set the stage for what has come to be known as the Great Flood of 1993.

From May through September that year, record flood levels were seen across Missouri and Illinois, as well as Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Dakotas. A federal emergency was declared in parts of all nine states as an estimated 17 million acres were inundated; 50,000 homes damaged or destroyed; and hundreds of agricultural levees breached, according to a 1996 report the National Weather Service published.

The Mississippi River at St. Louis first went over flood stage in April and crested on Aug. 1 at almost 49.6 feet, just shy of 20 feet over flood stage. It finally dropped back below flood stage on Oct. 7. Record rain and snowfall in the Mississippi River and Missouri River watersheds in the fall of 1992 set the stage for what has come to be known as the Great Flood of 1993.

These photos are courtesy of Jeff Counts, Festus Library, Arnold Historical Society, Crystal City Historical Society, Kimmswick Historical Society and Eureka Historical Society.

The report said damage estimates topped $15 billion, and more than 50 deaths were associated with the flood.

Here in Jefferson County, the water began creeping up in the spring and was speeded up by heavier-than-normal rains across the area through July.

The Meramec and Mississippi rivers first rose above flood stage in April and didn’t recede for more than 100 days, the National Weather Service reported.

Water caused traffic headaches as roadways went underwater in Arnold, Barnhart, Kimmswick, Herculaneum, Byrnes Mill, De Soto, Festus and Crystal City, as well as in many unincorporated areas of the county.

Dozens of homes and businesses were flooded and hundreds more threatened with rising waters.

Across the state, more than 100 sewage treatment plants sustained damage, and millions of gallons of raw or incompletely treated sewage flowed into the state’s rivers daily, according to the Army National Guard’s 1995 publication titled The Great Flood of 1993.

Of the 32,000 miles of paved highway in Missouri, 500 were destroyed in the flood, and an additional 2,000 miles were covered by water for varying periods. The National Guard report said additional road damage was caused by the need to reroute traffic around water obstacles, with roads built to accommodate a light rural traffic flow seeing traffic far beyond their engineered capacities.

The recreation and tourism industry in Missouri suffered, with 75 miles of the Katy Trail system washed out and routes into tourist areas affected by road closures. In Jefferson County, the town of Kimmswick, which derives a large portion of its annual income from tourism, saw business owners pack up and leave during the flood.

The Missouri Tourism Commission initiated a nationwide advertising campaign to counter the impression of complete devastation.

Local law enforcement agencies; first responders; city and county governments; churches and civic groups; students; and other volunteers came together to try to sandbag and take other steps to minimize the damage, as well as to prevent health problems associated with standing water, to control traffic and then to clean up once the waters receded.

In this week’s paper, the Leader recounts some of their efforts and revisits their memories of one of the worst floods in Missouri history.

Originally Appeared Here

Please Note: for Claims assistance or questions about coverage and exemptions You will need to call one of the numbers listed below.

Also be aware that the Workers’ Compensation Assistance Offices in different states may go by different names such as “Industrial Accidents”.
These are the only numbers that we are aware of and have available for Missouri Workers’ Compensation.

Administrative Law Judge Amy Young – Cape Girardeau Office
3102 Blattner, Suite 101 Cape Girardeau 63703
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Administrative Law Judge Angie Heffner – Kansas City
1410 Genessee Street, Suite 210 Kansas City 64102-1047
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Administrative Law Judge Bruce Farmer – Jefferson City Office
3315 West Truman Blvd. Jefferson City 65102
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Administrative Law Judge Emily Fowler – Kansas City Office
1410 Genessee Street, Suite 210 Kansas City 64102-1047
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Administrative Law Judge Jason Tilley – St. Louis Office
111 North 7th Street, Room 250 St. Louis 63101
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Administrative Law Judge John Ottenad – St. Louis Office
111 North 7th Street, Room 250 St. Louis 63101
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Administrative Law Judge Joseph Denigan – St. Louis Office
111 North 7th Street, Room 250 St. Louis 63101
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Administrative Law Judge Joseph Keaveny – St. Louis Office
111 North 7th Street, Room 250 St. Louis 63101
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Administrative Law Judge Karen Fisher – Joplin Office
3311 Texas Avenue Joplin 64804
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Administrative Law Judge Karla Boresi – St. Louis Office
111 North 7th Street, Room 250 St. Louis 63101
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Administrative Law Judge Kathleen Hart – St. Louis Office
111 North 7th Street, Room 250 St. Louis 63101
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Administrative Law Judge Kenneth Cain – Kansas City Office
1410 Genessee Street, Suite 210 Kansas City 64102-1047
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Administrative Law Judge Kevin Elmer- Springfield Office
1736 E. Sunshine, Suite 610 Springfield 65804
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Administrative Law Judge Kevin Thomas – Springfield Office
1736 E. Sunshine, Suite 610 Springfield 65804
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Administrative Law Judge Larry Rebman – Kansas City Office
1410 Genessee Street, Suite 210 Kansas City 64102-1047
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Administrative Law Judge Lee Schaefer – St. Louis Office
111 North 7th Street, Room 250 St. Louis 63101
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Administrative Law Judge Lisa Pottenger – Kansas City Office
1410 Genessee Street, Suite 210 Kansas City 64102-1047
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Administrative Law Judge Maureen Byrne – Cape Girardeau Office
3102 Blattner, Suite 101 Cape Girardeau 63703
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Administrative Law Judge Melodie Powell – Jefferson City Office
3315 West Truman Blvd. Jefferson City 65102
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Administrative Law Judge Ryan Asbridge – St. Joseph Office
525 Jules Street St. Joseph 64501
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Administrative Law Judge Ryan Asbridge – St. Louis Office
111 North 7th Street, Room 250 St. Louis 63101
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Administrative Law Judge Suzette Carlisle – St. Louis Office
111 North 7th Street, Room 250 St. Louis 63101
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Administrative Law JudgeEdwin Kohner – St. Charles Office
3737 Harry S. Truman Boulevard, Suite 300 St. Charles 63301
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Appeals (Labor & Industrial Relations)
3315 W. Truman Boulevard, Rm. 214 Jefferson City 65102
Phone: 573-751-2461
Fax: 573-751-7806
Email: lirc@labor.mo.gov

Appeals (Labor & Industrial Relations) – Mailing Address
P.O. Box 599 Jefferson City 65102-0599
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Chief Administrative Law Judge Carl W. Strange – Cape Girardeau Office
3102 Blattner, Suite 101 Cape Girardeau 63703
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Chief Administrative Law Judge Hannelore Fischer – Jefferson City Office
3315 West Truman Blvd. Jefferson City 65102
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Chief Administrative Law Judge Mark Sledlik – Kansas City Office
1410 Genessee Street, Suite 210 Kansas City 64102-1047
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Chief Administrative Law Judge Mark Sledlik – St. Joseph Office
525 Jules Street St. Joseph 64501
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Chief Administrative Law Judge Victorine Mahon – Joplin Office
3311 Texas Avenue Joplin 64804
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Chief Administrative Law Judge Victorine Mahon – Springfield Office
1736 E. Sunshine, Suite 610 Springfield 65804
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Department of Insurance – Mailing Address
P.O. Box 690 Jefferson City 65102-0690
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Department of Insurance Commissioner Chlora Lindley-Myers
301 W. High Street, Room 530 Jefferson City 65101
Phone: 573-751-4126
Fax: 573-751-1165
Email:

Dispute Management Unit

Phone: 573-526-4951
Fax:
Email:

Division of Workers Compensation – Legal & General Info – Email Address

Phone:
Fax:
Email: dwc.workcomp@labor.mo.gov

Division of Workers’ Compensation (mailing)
P.O. Box 58 Jefferson City 65102-0508
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Division of Workers’ Compensation – Central Office
3315 West Truman Blvd. Jefferson City 65102
Phone: 573-751-4231
Fax:
Email: JCDocketing@labor.mo.gov

Division of Workers’ Compensation – Records Request – Legal Unit
P.O. Box 58 Jefferson City 65102
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Division of Workers’ Compensation – Toll free

Phone: 800-775-2667
Fax:
Email:

Division of Workers’ Compensation Docketing Locaion – Kansas City Office
1410 Genessee Street, Suite 210 Kansas City 64102-1047
Phone: 816-889-2481
Fax:
Email: KCDocketing@labor.mo.gov

Division of Workers’ Compensation Docketing Location – Cape Girardeau Office
3102 Blattner, Suite 101 Cape Girardeau 63703
Phone: 573-290-5757
Fax:
Email: CGDocketing@labor.mo.gov

Division of Workers’ Compensation Docketing Location – Jefferson City
P.O. Box 58 Jefferson City 65102
Phone: 573-751-4231
Fax:
Email: JCDocketing@labor.mo.gov

Division of Workers’ Compensation Docketing Location – Joplin Office
331 Texas Avenue Joplin 64804
Phone: 417-629-3032
Fax:
Email: JoplinDocketing@labor.mo.gov

Division of Workers’ Compensation Docketing Location – Springfield Office
1736 E. Sunshine Springfield 65804
Phone: 417-888-4100
Fax:
Email: SGDocketing@labor.mo.gov

Division of Workers’ Compensation Docketing Location – St. Charles Office
3737 Harry S. Truman Boulevard, Suite 300 St. Charles 63301
Phone: 636-949-1999
Fax:
Email: STCDocketing@labor.mo.gov

Division of Workers’ Compensation Docketing Location – St. Joseph Office
525 Jules Street St. Joseph 64501
Phone: 816-387-2275
Fax:
Email: STJoe@labor.mo.gov

Division of Workers’ Compensation Docketing Location – St. Louis Office
11 North 7th Street, Room 250 St. Louis 63101
Phone: 314-340-6865
Fax:
Email: STLDocketing@labor.mo.gov

DWC – Second Injury Fund

Phone: 573-526-3505
Fax:
Email: SIFSurcharge@labor.mo.gov

DWC Customer Service & Copy Work Request

Phone:
Fax:
Email: DWCCustomerService@labor.mo.gov

DWC Fraud and Noncompliance Unit
P.O. Box 1009 Jefferson City 65102-1009
Phone: 800-592-6003
Fax:
Email: FraudandNoncompliance@labor.mo.gov

DWC Injury Processing (CARE) Unit

Phone:
Fax:
Email: DWC.Care.Unit@labor.mo.gov

DWC Second Injury Fund – Benefits

Phone:
Fax:
Email: SIFBenefits@labor.mo.gov

DWC Self Insurance Unit

Phone:
Fax:
Email: DWCSelfinsurance@labor.mo.gov

Electronic Filing

Phone: 573-526-4943
Fax:
Email: ElectronicFiling@labor.mo.gov

Medical Fee Disputes
P.O. Box 58 Jefferson City 65102-0058
Phone: 573-526-5610
Fax:
Email: MFD@labor.mo.gov.

Mine & Cave Safety
P.O. Box 449 Jefferson City 65102-0449
Phone: 573-751-1422
Fax: 573-751-3721
Email:

OSHA – Kansas City Area Ofc. – Fed. OSHA covers private Employers/Employees in MO
2300 Main Street, Ste. 168 Kansas City 64108
Phone: 816-483-9531
Fax: 816-483-9724
Email:

Vocational Rehabilitation

Phone: 573-751-3251
Fax: 573-751-1441
Email:

Vocational Rehabilitation – Email Address & Toll Free

Phone: 877-222-8963
Fax:
Email: info@vr.dese.mo.gov

Workers’ Safety Program

Phone: 573-526-5757
Fax:
Email:

Originally Appeared Here

Only six motorcyclists registered for a Dice Run through the Oklahoma City metro on August 12, but the organizers, Oklahoma’s Military Order of the Devil Dogs – MODD – were still glad they held it. They had hoped for several hundred vehicles and lots of toys to donate to The Children’s Hospital VOLUNTEERS.

“We call it a success because kids are still going to get toys and funds that they would not otherwise get,” explained David Hull, Oklahoma Senior Vice-Pack Leader and lead event planner.

Participants visited five locations, starting at Pops 66, Arcadia (on Route 66); then Frenzy Brewing Company, Edmond; Express Clydesdales Barn, Yukon; Papa’s Leather, Bethany; and Harley-Davidson World, OKC.

At each stop, drivers shook five dice, trying to roll high or low numbers to win cash awards at the ride’s conclusion. Organizers wanted out of town participants to experience a variety of places.

Danny Thomas of Pound 178 in Oklahoma City stamped tally sheets as riders came to his stop at the Frenzy Brewing Company. “For me, even if one person shows up, it’s a win. We were here. We did it. All this is for the kids at OU Medical Center VOLUNTEERS.”

Hull had more bad luck as a trailer full of toys from the Osage Nation meant for the VOLUNTEERS broke down. They will reschedule its delivery.

The Dice Run was a kickoff to a week-long 2023 National MODD convention at OKC’s Omni Hotel from August 13-20. This year’s convention marked 100 years of the Marine Corps League to which all MODD members belong.

Marines attended business meetings (bylaw changes, committees, training, etc.) as well as socialized at an ice breaker talent show, river cruise, and a grand banquet. The MODD website states, “The Military Order of the Devil Dogs is the fun and honor society of the Marine Corps League.”

Hull said the MODD has lots of programs. He cited the Young Marines program for children ages 8-18, Toys for Tots, training to perform Honor Guard and Color Guard duties, and scholarship programs for high school seniors.

On August 15, about 250 colorfully dressed Marines walked across the street from the Omni Hotel and made a formation to prepare for their annual donation to a hospital dedicated to caring for children.

They cheered as their Chief Devil Dog, Alan Sanning of Jefferson City, Missouri, gave a check for $74,000 to Sara Jacobson, the Executive Director of Volunteers and Philanthropy at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital.

“We’re purchasing special equipment like an infant warmer, airway equipment for our helicopter, an imaging panel for X-Rays, and more. We’re incredibly grateful for the MODD’s generosity,” said Sarah Parcell, Director of OU Development at the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital.

Afterwards, convention attendees had fun by bidding money to win the right to rub pies in the faces of leaders as well as dunk them in a water tank, practice throwing plastic axes at targets, play golf, and more. Relaxing with friends was a fitting ending to a day of meetings.

Earlier that day, MODD presented $2,000 from the Dice Run to the Oklahoma Children’s VOLUNTEERS group.

According to their website, the VOLUNTEERS group formed in 1973 and their purpose is “to make a difference for kids at the hospital.” Volunteers deliver toys, use pets and music as therapy, schedule special events that make children’s dreams come true, and much more.

Although the Dice Run had a rough start, the Military Order of the Devil Dogs overcame it with typical generosity that will help children survive serious medical conditions.

Originally Appeared Here

QUÉBEC CITY, Aug. 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Plus Company announced its acquisition of Munvo, a leading consulting firm that helps clients improve their marketing capabilities through a combination of technology implementations, management consulting and marketing run services. Munvo joins Plus Company’s alliance of over 24 agencies and brings with it technology-amplified creative services to deliver more value for the agency network and its clients.

Munvo’s global roster of clients features Fortune 500 companies spanning several industries, including banking and investment, insurance, telecommunications, healthcare and pharmaceutical, manufacturing, retail, travel and hospitality, entertainment, gaming and more. MunvoLab, an internal team of in-house developers specializing in custom products to build powerful digital experiences, has developed products and connectors for leading MarTech providers through their formal alliance partnerships with Adobe, Salesforce, SAS, Unica Marketing Solutions, Pegasystems, Redpoint Global, and ActionIQ.

“The addition of Munvo into the Plus Company network reflects our commitment to fostering tech-infused creativity and continued growth and collaboration among our agencies,” says Plus Company Canada President, Mélanie Dunn. “Munvo’s expertise in marketing technology and enterprise platforms will enhance our offerings in platform-driven thinking for our current and future client’s business needs, and furthers our mission of being partners in possibility.”

Headquartered in Montreal, with over 120 employees globally in Canada, the United States, and Africa, Munvo will join the network while retaining its clients, business goals, and personnel.

“We are excited to join the Plus Company network,” says Munvo President, Nabil Taydi. “Our depth of expertise, passion, and global roster of clients will be a significant asset to Plus Company and its clients, and we look forward to collaborating with complementary agencies within the network.”

“Munvo shares Plus Company agencies’ independent and entrepreneurial spirit, making it a natural fit,” says Brett Marchand, CEO of Plus Company. “Their talented team and deep knowledge of the marketing technology space will serve to strengthen our network and enable us to go deeper in our services and value to clients.”

The merger officially closed recently, with no changes to Munvo’s leadership team.

Learn more about Plus Company and our network of agencies by visiting PlusCompany.com or online @PlusCompany_ on Twitter and Plus Company on LinkedIn.

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Originally Appeared Here

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds deer hunters of regulation changes for the upcoming 2023-2024 deer-hunting season. The changes include a new firearms early antlerless portion, a new firearms CWD portion, changes to firearms antlerless permit numbers, and the addition of 14 new counties to the MDC CWD Management Zone.

“The changes to deer hunting regulations for the 2023-2024 deer season were motivated by increasing deer numbers throughout much of Missouri and in response to changes in the distribution of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the state,” said MDC Cervid Program Supervisor Jason Isabelle. “With a growing deer population in most Missouri counties, we’re increasing opportunities for hunters to harvest deer both within and outside of the CWD Management Zone this year.”

2023-2024 Deer Hunting Portions and Dates

Archery Deer and Turkey Hunting

• Sept. 15 through Nov. 10 and Nov. 22 through Jan. 15, 2024

Firearms Deer Hunting

• New! Firearms Early Antlerless Portion: Oct. 6-8 (in open counties)
• Firearms Early Youth Portion: Oct. 28-29
• Firearms November Portion: Nov. 11-21

• New! Firearms CWD Portion: Nov. 22-26 (in open counties)

• Firearms Late Youth Portion: Nov. 24-26
• Firearms Late Antlerless Portion: Dec. 2-10 (in open counties)
• Firearms Alternative Methods Portion: Dec. 23 – Jan. 2, 2024

New Firearms Early Antlerless Portion Oct. 6-8

MDC will offer a new firearms early antlerless portion Oct. 6-8 in the 100 counties open for the firearms late antlerless portion Dec. 2-10. Reynolds County will now be open during the antlerless portions.

“With deer numbers being at desired levels in most counties but continuing to increase, additional antlerless harvest is needed to stabilize the deer population,” said Isabelle. “This new season portion will help increase antlerless deer harvest prior to the November portion, when many hunters focus on harvesting bucks.”

Isabelle noted that timing of the early antlerless portion was chosen to provide hunting opportunity when weather conditions are usually favorable and to minimize conflicts with archery hunters, who usually hunt most in late October and early November.

New Firearms CWD Portion Nov. 22-26

MDC will offer a CWD portion of firearms deer season Nov. 22-26 in CWD Management Zone counties during the 2023-2024 deer season. 

According to MDC, hunters will be able to use any unfilled firearms deer hunting permits during the CWD portion and must abide by the statewide limit of one antlered deer during the firearms deer season, all portions combined. Hunters must also abide by county-specific firearms antlerless permit numbers.

“Because higher deer densities can increase the rate of CWD spread, additional deer harvest in the CWD Management Zone is needed to prevent further increases in deer numbers and help minimize the spread of the disease,” said Isabelle.

Isabelle noted that the CWD portion is timed to occur during the tail end of the primary rut, when deer movement is typically good and hunter interest remains high. CWD testing is not required during the CWD portion.

Changes to Firearms Antlerless Permit Numbers

MDC has also increased the number of firearms antlerless permits hunters can fill in most counties, including allowing hunters to fill a firearms antlerless permit in Butler, Carter, Scott, and Wayne counties. Hunters in Bollinger County will be able to fill two firearms antlerless permits beginning this year. Qualifying landowners in Reynolds County may now receive two Resident Landowner Firearms Antlerless Deer Hunting Permits. MDC has also increased the number of firearms antlerless permits from two to four in 85 counties.

“The liberalization of antlerless harvest opportunities will help slow population growth and keep the deer population at desired levels,” said Isabelle.

He also noted that the additional firearms antlerless permits will help hunters and landowners to meet their deer management goals in areas where more antlerless harvest is needed.

Expansion of the CWD Management Zone

MDC has included 14 new counties as part of the CWD Management Zone this year: Bollinger, Caldwell, Carroll, Clay, Clinton, Dallas, Grundy, Jasper, Livingston, Madison, Montgomery, Pemiscot, Ray, and Schuyler.

As with all counties in the CWD Management Zone, grain, salt products, minerals, and other consumable products used to attract deer are prohibited year-round. Hunters must also follow carcass transportation regulations. The antler-point restriction has also been removed from Caldwell, Carroll, Clinton, Grundy, Livingston, Montgomery, Ray, and Schuyler counties.

Hunters who harvest deer in select CWD Management Zone counties during Nov. 11-12 must take the deer (or its head) on the day of harvest to a mandatory CWD sampling station.

Get More Information

Get more information on regulation changes and other details for deer hunting from MDC’s 2023 Fall Deer & Turkey Regulations and Information booklet, available where permits are sold and online at mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/deer.

Originally Appeared Here

A parade of motorcycles, Jeeps, vintage cars and sports cars rumbled onto Ellis Boulevard late Saturday morning.

The vehicles trailed through Sandy Hook and other small communities on their way through Central Missouri.

In all, about 200 people participated in the Jefferson City Elks Lodge’s 16th annual Motor Rally for Vets.

During the event, Elks members and other supporters of local veterans drove (or rode) to Jamestown, California, Centertown and Russellville and rallied at each location before returning to Jefferson City. While at each location, participants could pick up a playing card and help create their best poker hand during the poker run.

Eileen Scrivner, chairperson for veterans at the lodge and a representative to Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital, said the event is annually the lodge’s largest fundraiser. A goal Saturday was to raise about $10,000.

“This is the biggie,” she said. “We encourage each person who goes along — because we have Jeeps and buses — to pay $10.”

When rally-goers returned, the lodge hosted a pork steak dinner, announced the winner of a 50/50 raffle, and held silent and live auctions. Silent auction items included gift baskets with kitchen-canned items, sports memorabilia and patriotic products. The live auction included a large wooden cooler container.

Scrivner said she personally went business to business in downtown Jefferson City to ask shops to offer gift certificates for the fundraiser, adding they were generous with their donations. Businesses outside the downtown area were equally as generous, she said.

People also donated homemade desserts, Scrivner said. The desserts can bring $200 in the auction.

“Most people know — and they see it on our flier everywhere — we always have this on the third Saturday in August,” Scrivner said. “Of course, the weather is gorgeous. Better than the rest of the week coming up.”

An Elks member, Holly Kolb, drove her Jeep for the rally. The Jeep group doesn’t go by a name, she said.

“We have a bunch of people from the Elks. We all own Jeeps,” she said. “We bring them out to be involved in the poker run. We’ve always been involved in the poker run.”

Kolb said she’s been at every rally.

“Once we all started buying our Jeeps, it was a fun way to make it more of a part of the poker run,” she said. They all do it to raise money for veterans, she added.

Mandy Foreman said there are 18 women at the lodge who have Jeeps.

“It’s Jeep life,” Foreman said. “We support anything that’s made in the U.S.A. We all wanted Jeeps, so we started our own club at the lodge.”

Barry Bryson said he has personally ridden close to 500,000 miles on motorcycles. He said he missed the ride last year, but has participated in 11 rallies.

“A lot of my friends are here. These are guys I rode with for many years,” Bryson said. “But mostly, it’s to support veterans.”

    Josh Cobb/News Tribune photo: The Motor Rally for Vets was held Saturday in Cole County. The drivers began at the Elks Lodge in Jefferson City and made stops in Jamestown, California, Centertown and Russellville to raise money for veterans programs.
      Josh Cobb/News Tribune photo:  Participants in Saturday’s Motor Rally for Vets sign up for the silent auction at The Elks Lodge in Jefferson City before making stops in Jamestown, California, Centertown and Russellville.
  

Originally Appeared Here

Victor Stefanescu
, 

Jack Suntrup

Tim Samer’s parents live near Frankfurt, Germany. Bethany Foresman’s family is more than 4,500 miles away in Jefferson City. The couple lives in Geneva, Switzerland and they’ve made journeys between the two cities for 15 years. It used to be a hassle.

That changed with last summer, when German airline Lufthansa took off for Frankfurt from St. Louis in June 2022, marking the first nonstop flight to mainland Europe since American Airlines bought Trans World Airlines and downsized operations at St. Louis Lambert International Airport in the 2000s, obliterating passenger traffic.

“I joke that we could get to Australia from Europe faster than we can get to my parents in Jefferson City, Missouri,” Foresman said. “But, that’s not true anymore.”

Enis Tatar, 20, left, greets family friend Nermina Fazlic after Tatar cleared customs after flying direct from Frankfurt, Germany, to St. Louis Lambert International Airport on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. Tatar was born here but moved to Germany when he was young.

David Carson photos, Post-Dispatch

Between July 1, 2022 and June 30 more than 65,000 passengers flew into and out of St. Louis through the route, according to an airport official. The thrice-weekly outbound flights were around 86% full during their first 11 months, said airport director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge.

St. Louis Lambert International Airport Director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge.

David Carson, Post-Dispatch

In July, they were 97.7% full. She credits the high percentage of seats sold to leisure travelers, and the support of area businesses, for the flight’s popularity.

“I also think it’s the fact — and this has been proven over and over — if a nonstop market is put in and there’s demand, your demand is going to grow even above the numbers you think,” Hamm-Niebruegge said.

It’s so popular that Jason Hall, the chief executive officer of Greater St. Louis Inc., a regional booster that pledged half of $5 million in incentives to attract the Lufthansa flight, said he hopes to see the route expand to five or seven days per week.

Lufthansa is considering that expansion. The nine-hour flight is well above the financial break-even point, said Don Bunkenburg, Lufthansa’s director of sales for the Central and Western United States.

Lufthansa ticket counter agent Karena Hoults, center, gives directions to passengers checking baggage for their direct flight from St. Louis Lambert International Airport to Frankfurt, Germany, on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023.

David Carson, Post-Dispatch

Travelers heading to and from Europe for business, fun and family told the Post-Dispatch the flight chopped the length of their voyages by four or five hours and helped them avoid connection pains.

“When you have kids, it’s incredibly important because you save so much time just managing energy and preventing meltdowns,” Foresman said.

More than a year ago, Hall, Hamm-Niebruegge and regional leaders had gathered at Lambert to mark the first flight with a celebration. Justyna Pas, of Webster Groves, was on that flight. Every year, she travels to her birth country of Poland and she took the flight again this summer.

“Usually you connect in a large city like Chicago,” Pas said last week, after arriving at Lambert. “There are huge lines and a lot of stress, a lot of running around. So this is perfect.”

Heybet Sun, 50, of St. Charles, goes to Turkey for a month each year with family. Return flights would often require them to wait in a line at customs for more than an hour. In St. Louis, he said, it only took 15 minutes.

“We need more international flights, not just this one,” Sun said.

{strong style=”font-size: 1.5em;”}Business class

The Frankfurt flight is putting St. Louis on the international map, said Kevin O’Malley, chairman of the St. Louis County Port authority, which also pledged $2.5 million in incentives.

“A city the size of St. Louis with the number of international companies that we have here, not to have an international carrier was a negative that we needed to correct,” O’Malley said.

Bunkenburg said St. Louis had long been on Lufthansa’s radar, but conversations about a new route accelerated after the chief executive of Bayer — the German pharmaceutical giant with a large plant science operation in the St. Louis region — told the airline’s CEO to consider the city as a destination more intensely.

Passengers line up to begin boarding their Lufthansa flight direct from St. Louis Lambert International Airport to Frankfurt on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. The Airbus A330-300 that Lufthansa flies to St. Louis offers business class, premium economy, and economy class seats.

David Carson, Post-Dispatch

Nearly 1,500 Bayer employees have taken 5,300 flights in the past 12 months, the company said.

“Bayer has been a significant user of these flights and it has benefited not only Bayer and its employees, but also many of those in the region, restoring a direct-to-Europe option from St. Louis,” said Jacqueline Applegate, president of Bayer Crop Science, North America, in a statement to the Post-Dispatch.

Michael Hilton, a Bayer director from Eureka, was recently traveling to Germany for meetings. He’s traveled the new route several times and says it’s always packed. “When I get on the plane, I see my colleagues often,” he said.

The Post-Dispatch reported in 2022 that businesses such as Centene, Emerson and Enterprise Holdings also backed the effort.

Lufthansa pilots prepare their Airbus A330-300 for a direct flight from St. Louis Lambert International Airport to Frankfurt on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023.

David Carson, Post-Dispatch

Hall said in a recent speech that the Frankfurt flight had been a “game changer” for Israeli company ICL Group, which broke ground earlier this month on a $400 million project in the city’s Carondelet neighborhood to manufacture a component for electric vehicles.

Hall said he’d spoken with ICL CEO Raviv Zoller in 2021, when they and others celebrated the opening of a plant protein production facility the company had constructed in south St. Louis.

“We know it was important to you to secure with Lufthansa Group that first nonstop air service from St. Louis to continental Europe in over 20 years,” Hall said to Zoller at the recent ICL groundbreaking. “Your team described that to us as a game changer, and if we got that right, more was to come. And you have delivered on that partnership.”

Ramon Lopez checks make sure the cabin service is complete before passengers begin boarding Lufthansa’s next direct flight from St. Louis Lambert International Airport to Frankfurt on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023.

David Carson, Post-Dispatch

UP IN THE AIR: St. Louis officials are studying a $1 billion project that would consolidate the city’s two airport terminals into one. Jim Gallagher thinks it’s a waste of money, but David Nicklaus considers it a necessary infrastructure investment.

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Originally Appeared Here