Mid-Missouri

Superintendent openings remain elevated this school year, but the number of retiring superintendents has come down from pandemic highs, while the number of experienced superintendents filling those openings has gone up.

According to information provided by the Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA), total openings at the superintendent level are still up, but somewhat diminished from last year’s numbers.

In total, there were 94 openings for superintendent positions in Missouri as of May 2023, compared to 97 at that time last year.

The number of retiring superintendents has dropped significantly, however. Just 35 percent of the openings were due to retirement, compared to 53 percent in 2022. In fact, the percentage of openings due to retirement was at its lowest rate in the last four years, lower even than the pre-pandemic rate of 49.2 percent in May 2019.

Kelly Hinshaw, director of leader development for MASA, said there are natural ebbs and flows in turnover each year. Sometimes, people that entered the profession around the same time tend to retire around the same time.

Of those 94 open positions, 91 have already been filled. In past years, there have been from 6-11 new openings by August.

Superintendents must have completed at least an educational specialist degree, received a recommendation for certification from the appropriate official at their university and passed the necessary tests to obtain a superintendent certificate, according to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website.

While the number of first-year superintendents surged during the pandemic, the rate of first-year superintendents has dropped back to pre-pandemic levels as of May 2023, from a peak of 78 percent in 2021 to 62 percent in 2023.

“Overall, it’s a good sign. We’d like to see a little more stability. I think it’s just good for public ed, and it’s good for kids, it’s good for students, that there’s more consistency,” Hinshaw said.

He’d prefer to see numbers in the 40s and 50s for the number of first-year superintendents, and openings closer to 70 or 80, but there is a shortage all across public education.

And the number of first-year superintendent hires has dropped significantly in the West Central area of Missouri, which includes Cole, Miller, Moniteau and Morgan counties. In May of 2022, the West Central region accounted for the greatest share of new superintendents at 22.6 percent, but this year, West Central had 8.3 percent.

In 2022, Superintendent Perry Gorrell of Cole County R-1 in Russellville, Superintendent Larry Linthacum of Jefferson City, and Jim Jones of Blair Oaks retired. Gorrell was replaced by first-year superintendent Jeff Jennewein, and Linthacum was replaced by then-Deputy Superintendent Bryan McGraw, who had previous superintendent experience. Jones was replaced by interim superintendent Mark Harvey.

Bob James also began as a first-year superintendent in Linn last year, and Charley Burch of Cole R-5 in Eugene was in his second year.

This year, first-year superintendent Ben Meldrum is taking the helm at Blair Oaks and Southern Boone interim Superintendent Tim Roth will be the full-time superintendent, but many area superintendents are remaining in their posts.

Nationally, the trend of inexperienced superintendents continues.

According to the 2022-23 American Association of School Administrators Superintendent Salary and Benefits Study, which surveyed 2,443 superintendents across the country, 48 percent of surveyed superintendents had five or less years of experience, and about 61 percent had been in their current position for five years or less.

Last year, 46 percent of superintendents had five or less years of experience.

In Missouri, Hinshaw said, “Approximately 40 percent of the state has superintendents that have been in the position three years or less, so that’s a pretty big challenge for us to try to provide what they need.”

MASA recently created an Aspiring Superintendent Cohort, a four-day training on obtaining and succeeding in their first job; a mentoring program for first-year superintendents; and a coaching program with retired superintendents and second- and third-year superintendents at no cost to the district or the superintendent.

MASA surveys of superintendents consistently unearth school finance and legal issues as the top concerns of superintendents. Curriculum development and board relations are also areas that they need support in.

Supporting superintendents came up as a conversation topic in the most recent meeting of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Teacher Recruitment and Retention in July.

“We’ve got a very young group of superintendents out there right now that worry about their career, on decisions they have to make in their communities,” said Rep. Brad Pollitt, R-Sedalia, in the July meeting. Pollitt is a former superintendent and a member of the commission.

“And we have to have boards that are willing to support them. I think we need to emphasize the support of the boards when it comes to running the school district and tough decisions that have to be made during that time,” Pollitt added.

Hinshaw said it can be a challenge for new superintendents to work with a seven-member board that doesn’t necessarily have a background in education and trying to provide them with information to create good policy.

Originally Appeared Here

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — Newly arrived service members and their families will have the opportunity to learn more about the many amenities in and around the Fort Leonard Wood community — while also completing mandatory appointments — with an upgraded newcomers orientation day called Arrive Strong — set to run Thursdays, starting July 27 at the USO.

According to Gabe Medina, the Relocation Readiness Program manager at Fort Leonard Wood’s Army Community Service, a permanent change of station, or PCS, as its commonly called, is “probably the most stressful time in a military career, whether you’ve been in the military five years, or 10 years, or 20 years.”

“Every time you PCS, it can be difficult,” he said, noting the in-processing “scavenger hunt” format, as he called it, commonly found on military installations. “You have your sheet; you go to all these 20 different offices. You get the initials and signatures, and you have arrived — you’re in-processed. It’s kind of impersonal if you’ve ever seen it.”

Senior leaders here noticed there was room for improvement, Medina said, and put in place a team to formalize — and enhance — the process.

“It’s a one day, kind of a one-stop shop, where we bring the in-processing service members and family members together, and then we bring the directorates to them,” Medina said.

To entice family members to attend, each service member will have their own table, so families will have plenty of space. Additionally, a representative from the Armed Services YMCA of Missouri will be on hand and will have activities for children in a separate room in the building.

“So, if a spouse comes and has kiddos, they will have space, where they can do some activities at the table,” Medina said. “We’re going to be having activities going on off to the side as well. So, while mom or dad are receiving the official briefings, the YMCA is going to be having activities in one of the offshoot rooms that they have there at the USO. It’s not childcare, but the kiddos will have a place to go and do some activities if they want.”

Besides the mandatory briefings all new permanent-party Soldiers must receive, Medina said many other agencies here will provide information applicable to the whole family — the Civilian Personnel Advisory Center will advise spouses on employment opportunities; the Truman Army Education and Personnel Testing Center will brief on the many colleges and universities located on post; the Armed Forces Wellness Center will discuss health and fitness; and the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation — along with ACS — will provide information on recreation and other family programs here.

Medina gave the example of FMWR’s Lake of the Ozarks Recreation Area as an often-overlooked amenity in the area. An hour’s drive from the installation, LORA offers camping, boating, swimming, water skiing, fishing and other outdoor activities at one of the country’s largest purpose-built lakes.

“We’ve talked with family members before, who have been here for a year or two — and they’re leaving Fort Leonard Wood, and they say they didn’t even know (LORA) was available,” Medina said.

The briefing is an all-day affair, Medina said, but stressed the intent is to keep the orientation focused as much as possible on information beneficial to the Soldier and the family.

“We want them to get that ‘Welcome to Fort Leonard Wood’ feel,” he said.

One of the biggest improvements, Medina said, was the addition of what he called the Community Information Fair — set to take place in the middle of the day, when the attendees can walk around to various tables set up by organizations from both inside and outside the gates.

“The fair is going to have representatives from the Exceptional Family Member Program, the Community Spouses Club, CPAC, AAFES, the Commissary — but also representatives from area chambers of commerce,” Medina said. “Those Soldiers and families can walk up to those tables, and they’ll get a goodie bag — ‘hey, welcome to the Fort Leonard Wood area.’”

The USO was chosen as the orientation’s location because it’s “relatively easy to find,” Medina said.

Kelly Brownfield, the USO’s Western Missouri Regional Operations director, said she’s happy to accommodate, noting the facility already hosts several events each month for military families.

“Having the Arrive Strong held at the USO is a great opportunity for the USO to showcase our space, amenities and activities to those new to the area, especially the family members,” Brownfield said. “Soldiers and families alike will find that there will be plenty of space available to them to sit and relax, taking them out of the traditional classroom atmosphere. The USO will have plenty of snacks and refreshments on hand throughout the entire day. There is Wi-Fi throughout the entire building that families can log onto, and if families need space to spread out, there are plenty of tables — and depending on the day, they may be welcomed by one of our USO canines, Maverick or Apache.”

While the target audience for the Arrive Strong orientation is permanent-party Soldiers and their families, Medina said the organizers are potentially looking to one day also include permanent-party Airmen, Marines and Sailors — in the end, he added it’s all about better integrating military families into the community.

“We want them to become familiar with Fort Leonard Wood, either on or off the installation, and eventually call it home,” Medina said. “I’m not originally from the area. I decided that mid-Missouri was a great place to raise my family, and I decided to stay here as well, but I like for families to be integrated and not leave Fort Leonard Wood three years from now and say, ‘I didn’t even know your organization existed.’ I want them to feel a sense of belonging to the community.”

Originally Appeared Here

Photo by Christy Porter
Alternative category first place winner George Snelling happily shows his unique bike and trophy.

Photos by Christy Porter

By Christy Porter, Managing Editor

The 5th Annual LPHC Bike Show was held at the Licking Pentecostal Holiness Church on Saturday. The event opened with a warm welcome, the warmth provided by our heavenly Father, and a welcoming greeting and prayer by Pastor Erin McConnell.

Photos by Christy Porter

As the bikers drove in, Haddlie Miller, along with her grandfather, Jim Wilson, registered them for the trophy contest and gave out raffle tickets for the ongoing door prize drawings.

Bikers and guests alike were greeted by many area organizations: the United Community Help Center with Terry and George Snelling, who gave away stuffed toys and candy; Robin Glenn with the Pregnancy Resource Center of South Central Missouri, who provided information and accepted donations, including much needed diapers for the wee ones; and Humans of Surrender, represented by Brett Aubrey and Jenny Johnson-Aubrey with Grace Woods Fellowship in Edgar Springs, who offered guidance for those seeking it.

Photos by Christy Porter

Members of the Christian Motorcyclists Association (CMA) with Ron Stow and Darlene and Mandi Wilson had literature available, as did the Bikers for Christ-Salem Chapter, represented by Mike Elliot at the booth. Both organizations and others participated in the Bike Blessings throughout the day. Biker Chad Barton’s bike received a bike blessing upon arrival and an “I was blessed in ’23” sticker was placed on the windshield. Bike blessings were also done on Biker Sunday.

Photos by Christy Porter

Organizations within LPHC provided prayer, games, food and fun, making it truly a family event. The kids enjoyed the Face Painting with Charissa McConnell, and the games with Sandra Smith. Diane Beers was available to share in prayer at the Prayer Booth, with anyone so desiring. The Men’s Ministry grilled hamburgers, cheeseburgers and hot dogs, served with chips and drinks. The Women’s Ministry held a Bake Sale with lots of yummy baked goods. Tia Dickerson and Chance Dickerson greeted diners.

Pastor McConnell shared a devotional that recognized that all have sinned; even “the best of us are sinners, but there’s forgiveness in Jesus Christ.”

He shared the scripture “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, KJV)

He completed the devotional with heartfelt prayer.

Photos by Christy Porter

Contest judges John Jones, Scott Richardson and Kenny Santee had difficult decisions to make while judging participants. Winners were selected, Pastor McConnell announced the winners and Michael Florence, aka “Preacher Man,” presented the trophies and prizes.

Photos by Christy Porter

Winners were:

General category: First place, Arthur Purser (photos unavailable); second place, Jerry Breeding; and third place, Jonathan Ashe.

Alternative category: First place, George Snelling; second place, Dex; and third place, James Gregory.

Christopher McConnell took home the Ugly award, a bucket of cleaning supplies.

Junior Bicycle contest: First place, Zoey McConnell; second place, Alex McConnell; and third place, Greyson McConnell.

There were 47 motorcycles at the bike show and three junior bikes.

Pastor McConnell extended “a special acknowledgement for Brian Friend and the Licking Chamber of Commerce for providing the grill for our event.”

Biker Sunday was held on Sunday with Michael “Preacher Man” Florence speaking. The service was followed with a fellowship dinner.

Originally Appeared Here

ATLANTA, July 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — MoistureShield®, a signature brand at Oldcastle APG®, is partnering with Mid-Am Building Supply, Inc. to expand distribution of the manufacturer’s innovative composite decking portfolio in Centralia, Illinois; Chillicothe, Missouri; Moberly, Missouri; Mt. Pleasant, Iowa; and Spring Hill, Kansas.  

MoistureShield’s Vision® composite decking in Mochaccino.

“This partnership with Mid-Am Building Supply supports our shared commitment to best serving our customers by expanding our reach in active markets where our variety of high-quality products can help satisfy the demand for more outdoor living solutions options,” said Matthew Bruce, Vice President of Sales at MoistureShield. “This partnership also enables both MoistureShield and Mid-Am Building Supply to continue growing our businesses to best benefit our customers across North America.”

“We’re excited to partner with MoistureShield to give our customers more diverse options, including the manufacturer’s four distinct product lines and vast array of composite decking styles and colors,” said Larry Stanfield, Director of Sales at Mid-Am Building Supply, Inc. “This addition elevates our already impressive lineup of outdoor living and building material products, maximizing our ability to fulfill customer needs.”

All MoistureShield products feature the Solid Core Difference™, an industry-leading protection against moisture and unmatched ability to be installed in the ground, on the ground or even underwater. The Vision® line of capped composite decking features MoistureShield’s exclusive DiamondDefense™ Coating, the strongest cap in the industry with select colors also offering proprietary CoolDeck® Technology, which helps reduce heat absorption by up to 35% compared to standard composite boards in a similar color.

MoistureShield’s Meridian™ line features CoolDeck and TruTexture™ Surface, a low-profile wood grain pattern that evokes the look and feel of real wood. Additional products include the introductory Elevate™ line which rounds out the capped product offerings and the Vantage™ uncapped composite decking which provides dependable workability beyond wood with composite performance.

About MoistureShield®
MoistureShield is the signature composite decking brand of Oldcastle APG, a CRH Company and leading provider of outdoor living and building materials. MoistureShield manufactures innovative composite deck boards with protective cap, color and surface technologies that create a natural wood look with the ability to withstand impact and water submersion. The brand’s CoolDeck® Technology is the first of its kind to deliver surface heat absorption solutions. For more information, visit MoistureShield.com.

About Oldcastle APG®
Oldcastle APG®, a CRH Company, is an international provider of outdoor living and building materials, with industry-leading positions in hardscapes, concrete masonry, fencing and railing, bagged dry mixes, lawn and garden, pool finishes and composite decking. Oldcastle APG’s signature brand portfolio includes Belgard®, Echelon®, Barrette Outdoor Living®, Sakrete®, Amerimix®, Pebble Technology International® and MoistureShield®. For more information, visit oldcastleapg.com.

About Mid-Am Building Supply, Inc.
Founded in 1967, Mid-Am Building Supply is the premier wholesale distributor of building products to America’s heartland. With more than 300 associates, we offer quick and easy access to our inventory of roofing, siding, decking, insulation, windows, fasteners, cabinets, moldings, locks and interior and exterior door products. For more information, visit www.midambuilding.com.

SOURCE MoistureShield

Originally Appeared Here

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Children’s Division has been taking steps to protect youth who go missing from foster care, but one federal agency doesn’t think enough has been done. 

Missouri has more than 13,000 foster children in its care. In 2019, 978 children went missing from the foster care system.  

In response to this, the U.S. Office of Inspector General conducted a case study in 2021 to determine where Missouri could improve to protect children. But the OIG tells ABC 17 News that two out of three recommendations to protect missing children still remain open. 

The high number of children in foster care leads to extreme workloads for case managers, state officials say. They also have had problems with keeping track of children and other issues.

Meanwhile, children would leave the system of their own volition and end up with family, friends or on the streets, one state official said.

Open recommendation 1: Missouri should identify children who have a heightened risk of going missing and reduce that risk

In response to this recommendation, Missouri updated its Child Welfare Manual in February 2022. It now includes a section about understanding runaway youth and risks for runaway youth. Some of the risks the manual identifies include a history of running away, history of abuse, unsupervised online time and history of substance use. 

The manual states children who run away multiple times are at an increased risk of being involved in human trafficking. 

Abigail Smith, social services unit supervisor for the Boone County Children’s Division, has worked for the county for 10 years. When she was a case manager, she worked with a child who was trafficked. 

“It is heartbreaking to hear the stories from her that she went through and what she had to do to survive,” Smith said. “She got into some bad situations, but when we don’t know where they are, we can’t do anything, and it is gut-wrenching to know what could be happening to them.” 

Darrell Missey took over as director of the Children’s Division in January 2022, and said there have been noticeable improvements. While he did not have a number of how many children went missing throughout the entire year, he said there is a daily list of children currently on run status. 

“When I started, the number of kids who were missing on a regular basis was over 100,” Missey said. “Right now, a lot of work’s been done and it’s almost always in the 70s or 80s, right now.” 

Smith said currently in the Boone County Children’s Division office, there are no missing children. 

“We’re continuing to work with other partners in the system to try to prevent that from happening, to try to prevent children from going at all,” Missey said. 

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Open recommendation 2: Implement a monitoring mechanism to ensure case managers comply with requirements and document compliance when children are missing and later returned to care

The report states Missouri had policies to locate children, but documentation showed case managers often did not sufficiently follow them.  

In a 2021 Missouri House of Representatives hearing to discuss the OIG report, then-interim Children’s Division Director Joanie Rogers said it wasn’t that workers weren’t trying to find missing children, rather they were just not required to document their efforts. 

In response to this, Missouri has developed a youth-on-the-run protocol and a missing youth status report for staff to track missing youth. These detail what case managers need to do when a child goes missing, including contacting law enforcement, notifying parents and notifying the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and what to do when the child is later located, such as arranging a medical examination, completing a human trafficking assessment and notifying law enforcement and parents. 

“I think it really holds us accountable in order to really try to find these missing kids or these runaways, and not only to find them, but if they return, to make sure that we get them the services they need,” Smith said. 

Missey said the state is already well on its way to addressing the problems identified in the report.

“I think (OIG) should close their report,” Missey said in an email. “We have dedicated a full-time person to this problem.  We have worked with our staff to improve documentation in all areas, but with regard to this issue, the Legislature has mandated a lot of additional reporting requirements in Senate Bill 186.  We will be following all of those mandates, and I believe that should resolve any concerns OIG may have.” 

Missouri Senate Bill 186 was signed by Gov. Mike Parson this year and further establishes the steps case managers must take when a child goes missing. 

The OIG says it requests annual updates from Missouri, and when it receives documented evidence Missouri has taken measures to implement all parts of the recommendation, the inspector general will consider the recommendation closed. 

Closed recommendation 3: Improve the case management system to be able to accurately identify children missing from care

The report says notes in case files would show that case managers often knew the status of children but they were not properly documented to allow other workers taking over the case to know where the child was located. 

“What would happen is that children who did not like the system and did not want to be here would vote with their feet,” Missey said. “They would say, ‘I’ve had enough of this,’ and they would leave. The truth of the matter is, we often had an idea of where they went. They often went home and did so in a clandestine kind of way. They often went to their girlfriend’s house or their boyfriend’s house. But the difficult thing is that some of them went to the streets, and that is what’s really, really concerning.”

Missey described the difficulty many foster children end up experiencing.

“The kids who go into foster care are more likely to have mental health problems. They’re more likely to to be involved in the criminal justice system. They’re less likely to complete their education. They’re more likely to suffer from depression. In every aspect, they have it harder,” Missey said.

The case management system at the time could not distinguish between children missing from their approved placement but in known, unapproved, places, versus children whose whereabouts were unknown.  

This is the only recommendation from the 2021 OIG report that has been closed. 

More problems and solutions

The report also had two recommendations for the Administration for Children and Families to work with Missouri. The ACF regional office reportedly offered assistance to Rogers in 2021 and Missey in 2022, but was denied both times. Missey said he doesn’t recall any communication from ACF about the report. 

However, there is help on the way. Last month, Parson approved $33.3 million in the state budget to reconstruct and reform the Children’s Division. This will include measures to retain staff and lower the number of kids in foster care. 

Smith said Boone County only has half the case managers it needs. She said case managers currently have around 25 cases each when they should have 15. 

“We can’t do the best job that we should do when we have higher caseloads,” Smith said. 

At the end of June, Missouri had 13,071 foster children in its care, according to the Department of Social Services website. Data shows at the end of May, there were 310 children in Boone County and 165 children in Cole County. 

“We have too many foster kids,” Missey said. “Missouri has nearly double the national average of foster kids per capita.” 

Missey said the state is working on reducing the number of children in care and recruiting more foster homes. Statewide, he said there are around 5,000 homes for the more than 13,000 foster children. In Boone County at the end of May, Smith says there were only 49 homes for the 310 foster children.  

One of those homes is Craig Stevenson and his wife, who have been fostering for eight years. They live in Hallsville and have cared for 16 children.  

“Having lived it for eight years, you see the good, right? You see when families are reunified and you still get to be a part of their life, you see that,” Stevenson said. “And then you see the tragedy and you see the brokenness of what children being taken from their homes does to that child.” 

Coyote Hill is a local organization that works to retain foster parents. Chief Operating Officer Kari Hopkins said she thinks foster care is a solvable problem. 

“I think it’s hyper-local,” Hopkins said. “I think every community has to kind of look at each other and say, ‘These are our kids, these are our most vulnerable humans here, and we have to wrap around them.’” 

Another local agency, the Central Missouri Foster Care and Adoption Association, agreed that fostering is a local issue. President and CEO DeAnna Alonso said she thinks more youth need to go back with family, more people need to foster and more people need to foster and adopt children older than 7 years old. 

“The state of Missouri, if we remove a child from their biological family, we all are responsible for that child as a community,” Alonso said. 

Stevenson said he and his wife’s faith led them to fostering and said the process has given them more grace. He said something a home visit worker once told them has stuck with him all these years. 

“The expectation here is you’re not here to save every kid, that’s not the point,” Stevenson said. “The point is to walk alongside people.” 

Hopkins encourages people interested in fostering to take one step forward, whether that be through volunteering or learning more about the process. 

“(Fostering) is one of the hardest jobs you will ever do, we know that … but it is also one of the most life-giving things anyone will ever do,” Hopkins said. 

Anyone interested in taking the next step can learn more at Coyote Hill and CMFCAA’s websites. 

Originally Appeared Here

Catching a largemouth bass that weighs over 10 pounds is a bucket list goal of mine.

I’ve wanted to break this magic mark since I blew up my first backlash on a bait caster at 12. Over 30 years later, I have never been closer than a few fish around the 6-pound mark.

I’m getting serious about putting this bucket list item behind me.

Bassmaster recently released its list of the 100 best bass lakes in the country. They released a master list that ranks the top 100 but also categorized lists of the top 25 bass lakes in different regions of the country.

When I think of big bass, I think about fishing down south. While the notion of big bass down south holds, according to Bassmaster, the region isn’t your best big fish bet.

There are waters everywhere where an angler could luck into a legendary largemouth.

Texas dominates the list of best bass fishing waters in the central region. For the second year in a row, Bassmaster ranked O.H. Ivie as the No. 1 bass lake in the Central Region, but this year the Texas reservoir holds the top spot overall as Bassmaster’s best bass lake in the country.

On Feb. 13, Jason Conn caught a 17-pounder out of O.H. Ivie. Texas Parks and Wildlife has recorded double-digit numbers of fish weighing over 13 pounds this year.

Missouri is on the Central Region list, with three reservoirs cutting. Lake of the Ozarks is the Show Me State’s top largemouth bass fishery at No. 14. Bull Shoals, which straddles the Arkansas/Missouri border, is ranked the 18th-best bass lake in the Central Region. Table Rock Lake is at No. 20.

These three Missouri lakes may not be ranked in the top 10 of the best fishing lakes in the Central Region. Still, when you add scenic beauty and proximity to additional attractions at the Lake of the Ozarks and in Branson, they quickly rise to the top as destinations worthy of a serious fishing trip mixed with additional entertainment.

Out west, California dominates the list of best bass fishing destinations. The top four waters in the west for bass are all from California, with Clear Lake taking the top spot.

Lake Berryessa, Diamond Valley Lake, and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta follow it. Idaho cracks the top 5 with Lake Coeur d’Alene.

I have traveled much of our country and have found very few destinations that deserve to be in the same conversation as Coeur d’Alene regarding natural beauty.

Although Texas and California top the list of states where one has the best bet of landing a lunker largemouth, the south represents where giant largemouth bass should come from. It probably has something to do with watching Roland Martin on television for so many years catching giants out of Lake Okeechobee, which does make the Southern Region list at No. 4 this year.

It may also be because the world record largemouth bass was caught in Georgia and has stood atop the world record list since 1932.

Alabama is a state one should overlook regarding the potential for a giant largemouth. It has three lakes in the Bassmaster list of the 25 best bass lakes in the Southeast for 2023.

Lake Guntersville is No. 5, and Lake Eufaula is No. 9. Pickwick Lake is on the list at 15.

Guntersville, at 69,100 acres, is Alabama’s most significant. It has been a regular on bass tournament circuits for as long as bass tournaments have existed.

Lake Eufaula, part of which is located within the Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge, is referred to as the “Big Bass Capital of the World.” There is a fishing industry around the lake.

Up in northern Alabama, Pickwick Lake has healthy populations of both largemouth and smallmouth. It consistently ranks as one of Alabama’s top bass fishing lakes.

“This recognition from Bassmaster puts a spotlight on Alabama’s exceptional bass fishing,” Chris Blankenship, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), said. “Over the past few years, we have improved boating and fishing access throughout the state to better accommodate both tournaments and anyone who has an interest in Alabama’s abundant fishing opportunities. We encourage you to visit the lakes highlighted on the Bassmaster list and explore the many other waterways that make Alabama an angler’s paradise.”

Alabama is proud of its bass fishing. To spike tourism around the bass lakes, the state has created the Alabama Bass Trail, which features 13 of Alabama’s premiere bass fishing lakes located throughout the state.

This gives anglers a great way to make travel plans for bass fishing. Someday, I hope to hookup up the boat and head to Alabama, where I’ll fish my way around the different bass lakes with the dream of topping the 10-pound mark on my mind.

Learn more about the Alabama Bass Trail at www.alabamabasstrail.org.

See you down the trail…

Originally Appeared Here

JEFFERSON CITY – The Missouri Department of Transportation released the  following list of highway maintenance and construction plans happening in mid-Missouri starting Monday, July 17 through Sunday, July 23.

Weather conditions may delay the scheduled work. Many projects will include lane closures that could cause delays.  

All counties   

• Moving operations such as mowing, brush cutting, pavement repair continue in various locations. Motorists should travel with care be on alert for slow-moving equipment.   

Boone County   

• Route UU at Gillespie Bridge Road – Utility work continues. One lane will be open, crews will flag traffic through the work zone.  There will be around-the-clock lane closures. The project is scheduled for completion in August.
• Route F – Bridge deck replacement continues. The road is currently closed at the Perche Creek Bridge. The project is scheduled for completion in August. After the completion of the Perche Creek Bridge in August, the roadway will close for the replacement of the Coon Creek Bridge, which is scheduled for completion in October.
• Route BB – Bridge replacement continues. The road is currently closed over Interstate 70. The project is scheduled for completion in October.   
• I-70 – Bridge construction continues for the new Rocheport Bridge near mile marker 115. The project is scheduled for completion in December 2024. 
• Missouri Route 163 – Bridge replacement continues. The road is currently closed over the Bonne Femme Creek Bridge. The project is scheduled for completion in September.  

Callaway County   

• U.S. Route 54 westbound outside the city of New Bloomfield – Pavement repair planned July 17. One lane will remain open.
• U.S. Route 54 westbound, at the Route TT overpass – Pavement repair planned July 18. One lane will remain open.
• U.S. Route 54 westbound, outside the city of Holts Summit– Pavement repair planned July 19. One lane will remain open.
• Route OO (Simon Boulevard) – Intersection improvements continue. Single-lane closures will be in place. The project is scheduled for completion this month.
• On-ramp from Route OO/AA to westbound U.S. Route 54 – Shoulder work planned July 17-20.   
• Route J – Bridge deck replacement continues. The road is currently closed at the Millers Creek Bridge. The project is scheduled for completion in September.

Camden County   

• Missouri Route 5 at Mount Horeb Road – Pavement repair planned July 18-19. One lane will be open, crews will flag traffic through the work zone.   
• Route 5 – Road resurfacing continues from the Niangua River Bridge to Route 52 in Morgan County. There will be nightly lane closures from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. from Route 52 to Route 7. The project is scheduled for completion in November.
• Route 5 – Guardrail installation replacement continues. The project is scheduled for completion in November.

Cole County   

• Route D from U.S. Route 50 to Route C – Pavement repair planned July 17-20. One lane will be open, crews will flag traffic through the work zone. 
• U.S. Route 50 – Road resurfacing continues. There will be nightly lane closures from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. from U.S. Route 54 to Dix Road from North Shamrock Road to Vetter Lane. The project is scheduled for completion in October.
• U.S. Route 50 west bound – Bridge rehabilitation continues over the Moreau River. Around–the–clock lane closure will be in place for the duration of the project, which is scheduled for completion in September.
• Missouri Route 179 – Road resurfacing continues. There will be nightly lane closures from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. from Route B to West Main Street. The project is scheduled for completion in November.
• U.S. Route 54 – Road resurfacing continues. There will be nightly lane closures from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. from Dix Road to Truman Boulevard from Stadium Boulevard to Main Street. The project is scheduled for completion in November. 
• U.S. Route 54 – Safety improvements continue near Hickory Hill. One lane will remain open. The project is scheduled for completion in November.

Cooper County   

• Route U from Clark Fork Road to Route J – Pavement repair planned July 19-20. One lane will be open, crews will flag traffic through the work zone.   
• Route OO – Culvert pipe replacement planned July 18. One lane will be open, crews will flag traffic through the work zone.  
• Route U – Bridge reconstruction continues. The road is currently closed at the Petite Saline Creek Bridge. The project is scheduled for completion in September.
• Route F – Bridge replacement continues. The road is currently closed at the Stephens Branch Bridge. The project is scheduled for completion in September.
• I-70 – Bridge construction continues for the new Rocheport Bridge near mile marker 115. The project is scheduled for completion in December 2024.   

Gasconade County   

• Route EE – Pavement repair planned July 17-20. One lane will be open, crews will flag traffic through the work zone.   

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Howard County   

• Route E from Missouri Route 87 to Route 5 – Pavement repair planned July 17-20. One lane will be open, crews will flag traffic through the work zone.   
• Route J – Roadside work planned July 17-20. One lane will be open, crews will flag traffic through the work zone.   

Maries County

• U.S. Route 63 from County Road 541 to County Road 519 – Pavement resurfacing continues. One lane will be open, crews will flag traffic through the work zone. The project is scheduled for completion in August 2023.   
• Route 42– Road resurfacing continues One lane will be open, crews will flag traffic through the work area. 

Miller County

• Routes A, K, KK, PP, TT – Pavement repair planned July 17-20. One lane will be open, crews will flag traffic through the work zone.   
• Route C – Bridge replacement continues. The road is currently closed at the Brumley Creek Bridge. The project is scheduled for completion in August.

Moniteau County

• Routes F E – Pavement repair planned July 17-20. One lane will be open, crews will flag traffic through the work zone.   
• Missouri Route 5 – Road resurfacing continues. There will be daily lane closures from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. from U.S Route 50 to Route 52 in Morgan County. The project is scheduled for completion in November. 

Morgan County   

• Routes E HH – Pavement repair planned July 17-20. One lane will be open, crews will flag traffic through the work zone.   
• Route DD – Bridge replacement continues. The road is currently closed at the Haw Creek Bridge. The project is scheduled for completion in August.   
• Missouri Route 5 – Road resurfacing continues. There will be daily lane closures from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Route 52 to U.S. Route 50 in Moniteau County. The project is scheduled for completion in November.
• Route 5 – Road resurfacing continues from Route 52 to the Niangua River Bridge in Camden County. There will be nightly lane closures from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. from Route 52 to Route 7. The project is scheduled for completion in November.   
• Route 52 – Road resurfacing continues. There will be daily lane closures from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. from the Benton County line to Versailles. The project is scheduled for completion in November.  

Osage County   

• Route Y – Pavement repair planned July 17-20. One lane will be open, crews will flag traffic through the work zone.   
• Routes Y Z – Culvert pipe replacement planned July 17-20. One lane will be open, crews will flag traffic through the work zone.   
• U.S. Route 50 from Route CC to Route N – Roadside work planned July 17-20. One lane will be open, crews will flag traffic through the work zone.   
• Route U – Road resurfacing continues. The project is scheduled for completion in November.   
• Route E – Road resurfacing continues. The project is scheduled for completion in November. 

Phelps County   

• Routes W FF – Pavement repair planned July 17-20. One lane will be open, crews will flag traffic through the work zone.   
• Missouri Route 68 – Road resurfacing continues. There will be nightly lane closures from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. from U.S. Route 68 to Route 8. The project is scheduled for completion in November.   
• I-44 – Road resurfacing continues from Exit 186 to Exit 195. There will be around-the-clock lane closures from U.S. Route 63 to Route 68. The entire project is scheduled for completion in December.

Pulaski County   

• Route Y – Bridge rehabilitation continues over I-44. The off-ramp is currently closed from eastbound I-44 to Route Y (exit 161). The project is scheduled for completion in December.   

Originally Appeared Here

SDSU Extension | Courtesy photo
SDSU Extension | Courtesy photo

Started in 2016, the Mid-Missouri River Prescribed Burn Association is a landowner-led effort to combat the spread of trees along the Missouri River corridor in Gregory, Charles Mix, Brule and Lyman counties. 

Sean Kelly, SDSU Extension Range Management Field Specialist, has been working with the burn association since 2016 as a liaison officer and is vice chairman of the board. Along the river, people can already see the tree encroachment. But people are still wary of using fire to fight the issue. 

“Everybody down here knows the problem. It’s just a matter of what to do to start addressing it,” Kelly said.

Kelly said one of the challenges in conducting prescribed burns, particularly along river corridors, is that it often involves a mix of public and private lands. As a member of SDSU Extension, Kelly is well-situated to bring those agencies together to hammer out jurisdictional issues.  

“I want to make sure the landowner, burn association, and any state or federal organizations are all on the same page,” Kelly said. 

He helped bring together the burn association, Department of Game, Fish and Parks, and United States Army Corp of Engineers to sign a memorandum of agreement for prescribed burns. That agreement has been a tremendous help, he said, and having a burn association made it easier to accomplish than with one or two individuals.

“I think that’s one of the great things about being organized into a burn association – you can solve problems like this,” Kelly said. 

A native of rural Winner, Kelly also brings his longtime experience as a volunteer firefighter to the board. The association has been busy since its inception in 2016, completing prescribed burns on 688 acres in 2017, 271 acres in 2018 and 314 acres in 2020. In 2022, the association had 1,832 acres planned for burns but could only burn about 300 of them. This year, there are 6,563 acres planned for prescribed burns, plus the 1,500 carried over from last year. And there are already 10,940 acres on the books for prescribed burns in 2024.

Spring is the ideal time to burn, but it’s a short window from winter snows melting to when summer growth starts – March and April, with maybe a few weeks in February or May. By June, Kelly said the burning season is done. 

In 2019, rampant flooding canceled any burns, and COVID-19 canceled most in 2020, as well. A dry, windy spring in 2022 made burning impossible. After three years of being foiled in the spring, the burn association decided to try a fall burn – and it was a success. Kelly said the success of the Mid-Missouri River association has started to persuade people in the area that prescribed burns can be done safely – and that they work. 

“Our best advertisement is when we’re getting burns done, because you can see them for a long way,” Kelly said. “Everybody wants to know what’s going on.”

For a $25 membership fee, the association helps the landowner plan their prescribed burn, including providing manpower and equipment. The landowner must attend another burn prior to their own and may need to prepare fire breaks. It can easily take a year of planning — sometimes two — between the landowner, Kelly and the burn association before a landowner gets the green light. 

Even once the planning is done, conditions must be right the day of the burn. Temperature, wind speed, wind direction, humidity – everything must meet specific parameters or the burn is postponed. Bonesteel-area landowner Tom Hausmann said the detail and caution that go into the planning eased his own trepidation. A successful 300-acre prescribed burn on his property cemented his commitment to fire as the best tool for the job. 

“When I did my burn, I really didn’t know what was going to happen,” he said. “But we got along just fine.”

Sandy Smart, SDSU Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Senior Program Leader, and Kelly credit the success of the Mid-Missouri River Prescribed Burn Association to the tireless efforts of the ranchers and landowners who lead the organization. They are the ones who have championed the burn association, providing the manpower and equipment that make prescribed burns possible. 

Once the new SDSU Extension field specialist is in place, they can build on existing efforts and relationships with partner organizations and individual landowners. Along with burn schools and the ultimate goal of another burn association, Smart said SDSU Extension will continue working with other organizations to draw attention to the trees encroaching the grasslands. It will take everyone coming together to meet the issue, he said. And just as the spread didn’t happen overnight, neither will combating it.

“This is a long-term problem, so it requires a long-term solution,” Smart said. “The hardest part is to recognize the slow change on the landscape. We have the opportunity to protect those core areas that haven’t been invaded yet.” 

–SDSU Extension

Originally Appeared Here

What does innovation mean?

“Adopting new ideas, processes, and technologies for positive change.”

Utilities have been steeped in paper processes since their beginning. Most utility work is done outside of an office setting. Even today, some of the most technologically savvy utilities still use spreadsheet printouts, paper forms, and plotted maps for much of their mobile work. Legacy processes, especially those involving mobile workers, are time-consuming, error-prone, and costly.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that more than “10% of highly skilled employees working in infrastructure will retire each year for the next decade.” So utilities and associated engineering, design, and construction firms must build, upgrade, and operate facilities at an unparalleled pace with fewer employees. Utilities can ill afford to waste valuable employee resources on ineffective and inefficient processes. Consumers are already reeling with extended call waiting times for routine calls. Utilities can barely keep up with residential solar interconnections.

Mobile GIS is one of the technologies that can create positive change and ignite innovation while shredding the paper processes. Given the changes utilities face, they cannot afford to waste time with outdated and ineffective processes.

Changes Are Happening Fast

The electric utility industry is facing enormous challenges over the next decade. So innovation at a large and small scale is needed. If the US energy system is to transition from fossil fuel-based to carbon-free, it must make drastic changes. The following graphic from the NREL study dramatically shows the possible future. Today, the US uses nearly 100 quadrillion BTUs of energy. 60% of the electric generation today and nearly all the energy used for transportation comes from fossil fuels.

TBD

 

Innovation will be needed to leap from a fossil-fuel society to a carbon-free one. First, no significant commercial electric production breakthroughs will likely occur before 2050. While the world waits for fusion nuclear technology and perhaps space-deployed solar panels, none will be deployed widely by 2050. So the innovation will come from incremental improvements and cost reductions in all parts of the utility supply chain.

The US Department of Energy studies suggest the United States needs to expand its transmission system by 60% by 2030 and possibly triple it by 2050. Moving from internal combustion engine (ICE) cars to electric vehicles will stress nearly every aspect of the delivery system. For example, to meet the projected demand of the EV transition, the US will need to increase the number of DC fast charging stations vastly. There are over 100,000 gas stations in the US. The largest fast charger on the market today is rated at 350kW per charging point. If a typical charging center has ten of these, that’s a demand of 3500kW. Imagine the increase in demand to replace the 100,000 gas stations with fast charging stations. Charger manufacturers are working on 1000kW charging points. A single charging station could have a demand of 10MW. That’s a substation class size.

A recent report in IEEE Spectrum magazine by noted contributor Robert Charette states that perhaps most of the nation’s distribution transformers will have to be replaced as more and more people migrate to electric vehicles.

Can utilities handle this increased workload with old processes?

The Problem

Utilities must increase the delivery infrastructure to handle the shift in generation and the incredible changes in delivery.

The existing utility infrastructure is getting older—the April 2020 edition of Public Utilities Fortnightly magazine states. “to say that the United States has an aging electric transmission infrastructure is a sizable understatement. The average age of the installed base is forty years old, with more than a quarter of the grid fifty years old or older. The piece writes, “Over the next three decades, we estimate that upward of a hundred and forty thousand miles of transmission lines will come due for replacement.”

With the increase in infrastructure, fewer employees, and the severity and occurrence of climate events, utilities will need innovation in the processes for all aspects of their work.

Utilities will need precise network models with outstanding data quality. GIS mobility will jump-start the innovation.

GIS Technology Provide Substantial Process Improvements

GIS has been a staple for utility operations for several decades. However, until the last decade, GIS has been viewed largely as a mapping system. It replaced the manual process of making paper maps for many utilities and served the industry well. More recently, GIS has been viewed as a strategic resource, an integrating and unifying technology that brings data management, insight, and engagement into nearly every aspect of utility work.

With all the work ahead of utilities, that shift couldn’t come at a better time. Utilities can’t waste needed employee resources dealing with spreadsheets, paper forms, and duplication of effort. GIS mobility, along with advanced network modeling with ArcGIS Network Management, Imagery Management, and Spatial Analysis, has unraveled old utility processes and has automated formerly awkward manual and paper processes, reducing the level of effort and saving money.

Mobility/Dashboards

During a recent webinar, Esri asked participants: How would you best describe your GIS Mobility?

Here are the results:

TB D

 

Over 50% of the respondents have embraced GIS mobility to a great extent. Still, nearly 40% have not fully leveraged mobility. Like its social media cousin, field mobility puts the power of GIS, mapping, spatial analysis, and rapid response in the hands of the people closest to work—those in the field and the trenches.

Fully deployed GIS mobility does a couple of things. First, it upgrades the quality of the data.

The long-standing issue with GIS is the data’s accuracy, timeliness, and completeness. Utilities have suffered from the problem of GIS backlog. Paper sheets, red-lined as-built sketches, and field notes piled on harried employees’ desks. Should this process continue with fewer employees, the data latency will increase. Rapid reporting of damage, data errors, and missing information supplied on map-based mobile devices that everyone uses today slash the time from the field to the office from days, months, and years to seconds.

Second, GIS mobility linked to dashboards enables immediate enterprise communication, coordination, and collaboration. Dashboards immediately show mobile worker input to every level of management. It helps answer the age-old utility operations question: what’s happening now? Dashboards foster rapid decision-making and assessment during construction and upgrade projects, routine inspection and maintenance, and when outages and emergencies occur.

Here are examples of how utilities migrated from their former paper processes to GIS mobile technology. The benefits are astounding – better data quality, faster response, efficiency, and lower costs. Unraveling old processes is how the industry can face the challenges squarely.

Innovation, like its first cousin, digital transformation, involves changing behavior and embracing digital technology. Here are some examples of how deploying GIS-based mobility applications has unraveled legacy processes, smoothed operations, and upgraded data quality. Here are some noteworthy examples:

Tohono O’odham Utility Authority (TOUA) is located in southern Arizona on the Tohono O’odham tribal land. Work processes had suffered due to the lack of authoritative utility records. Staff deployed mobile technology using ArcGIS Field Maps and other Esri mobile apps. TOUA deployed ArcGIS Dashboards to communicate with all stakeholders. The benefits were a dramatic reduction in complaints and labor for routine work. TOUA deployed Eos Arrow Gold Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers fully integrated with ArcGIS for precision asset location.

TOUA can now create any number of intuitive maps for greater insight.

TBD

 

Situated on Florida’s Atlantic coast, the Utilities Commission of New Smyrna Beach (UCNSB) had an issue with the locational accuracy of its assets. So, like TOUA, it implemented the Esri solution coupled with the high-accuracy GSNN receivers from EOS to provide highly accurate locations of their assets. As a result, data quality was improved, resulting in lower operational costs and improved customer service.

The Muscat Electricity Distribution Company (MEDC) delivers power to the Governorate of Muscat, the capital of Oman. It serves over 450,000 customers. Despite leveraging its GIS to automate many processes, it still used paper forms for substation inspection. It migrated its inspection to GIS mobile devices and extensive use of dashboards. As a result, the company doubled the number of daily substations inspections it performed daily.

Central Electric Power Cooperative (CEPC) provides electric transmission services across 22,000 square miles of central Missouri. CEPC needed to improve field efficiencies for servicing, inspecting, and maintaining its 1,555-mile-long network. The issue was inaccurate maps resulting in wasted time. Thus, CEPC deployed GIS mobility apps. As a result, CEPC offers a common view to all staff from the office or the field. The utility has streamlined its operations and increased the efficiency of field activities.

ESO is one of the largest energy companies in the Baltics. It distributes gas and electricity to 1.8 million customers throughout Lithuania. The extensive use of paper maps and forms survived into the twenty-first century. The challenge for ESO was to create a digital transformation culture that would win the hearts and minds of employees steeped in the past. As a result of the strong paper process culture, the company lagged in making new customer connections. Data quality was lacking. Fixing and reporting defects in the field was overly burdensome and ineffective. ESO replaced all paper in the field with GIS-enabled tablets while eliminating all paper-based processes in the office. In addition, ESO created customized maps for network quality assessment.

Mobile Apps freed ESO employees from paper forms and maps

TBD

 

Just north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the City of Sheboygan Falls Utilities (SFU) provides electric service to approximately 4,100 residential, 52 large power, and 495 commercial customers. In 2021, facing the challenges posed by decades-old as-built data, the SFU field team decided to deploy GIS technology. Modernizing its entire process, the utility streamlined information sharing from the field to the office, improved customer care through faster and more accurate responses, and created more secure, real-time information sharing.

SFU line worker maps an underground transformer using ArcGIS Field Maps, an Arrow 100 GNSS receiver, and an OpenPoint web module.

TBD

 

Putting the Pieces Together

Innovation is about thinking differently and changing behavior. GIS provides both the content and the context. The content includes detailed data about utility assets and customers. Content also includes real-time power, flooding, wind, and pollution measures. It also provides the context. Context includes location, clustering, customer demographics, land features, weather patterns, and various analytics. However, the data management processes over the decades have been spotty. Utilities must build better models of the existing systems, so they will need precise data as they move forward with significant expansion. That’s where the data collection process needs to be closer to the source of the data. Thus innovation starts with upping the quality of the data.    

To learn more, click here to download our ebook on field mobility. 

Originally Appeared Here

COLUMBIA – Residents in Columbia are voicing their concerns about new increases in electric rates that go into effect July 1.

Columbia City Council voted to approve a 6.9% increase in electric rates at its meeting Tuesday night. Council members Nick Foster, Nick Knoth, Betsy Peters, Don Waterman and Mayor Barbara Buffaloe all voted in favor of the increase, while Roy Lovelady and Andrea Waner voted against it.

According to the city, the raise is necessary in order to ensure the Utility’s department’s long-term financial stability. At Tuesday’s meeting, the department said its goal is to improve its debt coverage ratio and see positive bond ratings.  

This increase in electricity rates marks the first in nearly five years. The city says over that time, costs to provide electricity have gone up.

Under the new plan, increases will be based on usage. Those who use more electricity will be charged more, though the rate increase is not as severe at higher levels of usage.

However, at the end of the day, officials said everyone will ultimately pay more.

Many residents expressed concerns with the plan during public comment on Tuesday. Jay Hasheider, a Columbia resident and former Energy Services superintendent, said residents are against it for a variety of reasons. 

“Forty people came and talked about a whole wide range of issues, climate change, equity, the actual amount of money that’s needed,” Hasheider said. 

Hasheider claimed low-usage customers will face increases that are proportionately higher than higher-usage customers. 

“People on the low-end are saddled with the necessity of a refrigerator, and they’re paying more because they’re using less,” he said.  “But none of those had any effect on the council because they had the staff and a consultant that was telling them that they got to do it, and they got to do it now.”

He worries what this will mean for low-income households.

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“They can’t reduce their costs,” Hasheider said. “They can’t unplug a refrigerator. You know, you can only get down so low in your consumption before you’re basically at the bone and you don’t have any other way to conserve.”

Carolyn Amparan, chair of the Sierra Club Mid-Missouri group, also expressed concerns with the plan. She spoke on behalf of the group at Tuesday’s meeting and said they are against the rate increase, primarily because of its structure. 

“We felt that the too much focus in developing the design of the rate structure had gone into, just worry about the financial objectives of the city, and not taking into effect considerations like social equity, how it’s going to effect low-income customers as well as low-usage customers,” Amparan said. 

Amparan said the group fears it could particularly impact low-usage customers. Amparan stated she herself is on a fixed income that doesn’t adjust to inflation, as she receives a pension. 

“We felt that increase was too high and that’s a particular hardship on fixed-income people, as well as those that are low-usage,” Amparan said. 

“People who are already struggling, you know we’ve had increased rates in other areas as a community,” Amparan said. “Plus with inflation of late, I’m sure people’s wages and salaries haven’t kept up with the most recent inflation.”

Amparan said the community will not let this issue rest. She said they will go back to city council to ask for further action to be taken.

“You know, this is going to go into effect July 1, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t redo it again later,” Amparan said. “Better to change it sooner rather than wait another two or three years.”

Moving forward, Amparan said she hopes the city will take into account all of the city’s goals, not just the financial ones.

Lovelady, who voted no to the proposed increase, acknowledged the challenges the plan poses for both residents and the department.

“I kind just feel like we’re in a lose, lose situation,” Lovelady said at the meeting. “If we pass it, we lose. If we don’t pass it, we lose.”

Originally Appeared Here