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HERMANN MISSOURI OKTOBERFEST 2010
HERMANN MISSOURI OKTOBERFEST 2010 - CLICK ON PHOTO FOR THIS YEARS SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
_________________________________________________________________________ BOOK TO REVEAL OBAMA'S 'TRUE' IDENTITY?
Wed Apr 20 2011 **drudgereport.com Exclusive**
___________________________________________________________________________________ 'MISSING RECORDS IN HAWAII, MISSING RECORDS IN KENYA, MISSING RECORDS IN INDONESIA'...This year's high stakes publishing project quietly went to press this week, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.
After years of research and digging by the nation's top private investigators, here it comes:
The street date is a LONG month away, and author Jerome Corsi, the man who torpedoed John Kerry's presidential dreams with SWIFT BOAT, has gone underground and is holding his new findings thisclose.
"It's utterly devastating," reveals a source close to the publisher. "Obama may learn things he didn't even know about himself!"
MORE
Does Corsi definitively declare the location of Obama's birth?
Will the president's attorneys attempt to interfere with the book's distribution? [The publisher vows to vigorously fight any legal action that may be taken.]
Will the book finally -- once and for all -- put an end to the growing controversy?
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April 19, 2011
BOWLING GREEN, Mo. (AP) -- Storms with heavy rain and tornados swept through northeastern Missouri, damaging barns and yanking down power lines, but no major damage or injuries were reported.
The Pike County Sheriff's Department said the storm hit the Bowling Green area late Tuesday afternoon, and that spotters confirmed three tornadoes in the county in a 45-minute period. The department said barns and outbuildings were damaged, but there were no early reports of injuries.
Several power lines were also reported down, causing power outages in the area.
Police said there were no reports of damage or injuries in the town of Bowling Green, about 50 miles north of St. Louis.
The National Weather Service issued a series of tornado warnings Tuesday for the area, which also included sections of western Illinois.
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_________________________________________________________________________ Gas prices continue to rise in Washington DC
Gas prices hover one tenth of a cent under five dollars per gallon at a gas station in Washington on April 19, 2011.
LONDON (MarketWatch) — Crude-oil futures climbed well clear of $109 a barrel in electronic trading on Wednesday, amid post-election violence in Nigeria and ahead of a key U.S. update on petroleum inventories.
Crude for June delivery CLM11+1.36% climbed $1.38, or 1.3%, to $109.66 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
The gains came as U.S. stock futures rallied and the dollar fell sharply. The dollar index DXY-0.88% , which tracks the performance of the greenback against a basket of other major currencies, dropped 0.8% to 74.497.
Meanwhile, violence broke out in Nigeria following weekend elections, with at least 33 people killed in riots, Reuters reported Wednesday. Nigeria is Africa’s leading oil producer.
“[Oil] prices are being driven by the weaker dollar and a favorable equity-market environment,” Commerzbank analysts wrote in a note. “An additional boost after trading had closed yesterday came from the API inventory data, which showed that gasoline stocks had dropped by 1.8 million barrels over the past week.”
_________________________________________________________________________________ 5 Bald Eagles Family in Nest - Marathon Feeding Session - April 12, 2011 - Web Cam
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___________________________________________________________________________________ Family of 5 Bald Eagle Nest Webcam - April 12, 2011
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_______________________________________________________________________________ 3 Plump Bald Eagle Baby Chick Eaglets Bigger than Visiting Sparrow - Nest Web Cam April 12, 2011
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_________________________________________________________________________ HHS student realizes his dream, will leave for Marines By Don Kruse, Editor Advertiser-Courier April 20, 2011
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Kevin Hofmeister won't be able to walk with his classmates next month when they receive their diplomas at Hermann High School's commencement, but his name will be listed among the Class of 2011.
Hofmeister received an early graduation "present" last Thursday when the school board granted him permission to leave school early so he can start Marine Corps training. He has dreamed of becoming a Marine, and signed up for the Corps' Delayed Entry Program (DEP) nearly a year ago.
Early graduation is usually approved by the school board in December, but it was just two weeks ago that Hofmeister, 18, was offered an opportunity to start his training in April instead of June. Now he will be leaving Easter Monday for boot camp in San Diego, Calif.
He said his Marine recruiter called him the last day of March and informed him that there was an earlier opening.
"He said, Kevin, here is an opportunity for you to leave in April, but you will need to have enough credits to graduate and you will have to be cleared by the school board," Hofmeister said.
Dr. Chris Neale, R-1 district superintendent, said the board had no problem with granting a student with high scores an opportunity to fulfill a dream.
Hofmeister, after 13 weeks of boot camp and advanced training, will attend military intelligence school at Quantico, Va. When he fulfills a six-month obligation, he will enroll January 2012 at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau where he will be in the ROTC program, and earn his commission as an officer. He plans to make a career in the Marine Corps.
For Hofmeister, son of Bob and Mary Hofmeister of Hermann, the school board's approval was the final action that will put him on active duty.
"I've been wanting to join the Corps forever," said Hofmeister, who signed up for the DEP program when he was 17. And for the last 10 months, he has journeyed to Washington each Wednesday night to "check-in" for physical and mental preparation for boot camp.
Gary Leimkuehler, Hermann High School principal, said Hofmeister is a solid student who has scored high on the ACT and the ASVAB tests. . . Click Here to Read More.
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ST. LOUIS • Barely a day old, and already Gov. Jay Nixon's compromise on the contentious push to crack down on dog breeders showed signs of fraying Tuesday.
Nixon's administration announced this week a compromise between animal welfare advocates and dog breeders that strengthens current rules but takes out the most contentious portion of an initiative approved by voters in November.
But on Tuesday evening, more than 60 lawmakers from the House and Senate, as well as representatives of the agriculture industry, sent a letter telling Nixon they want him to sign a piece of legislation already on his desk that would roll back the proposition altogether.
Now, instead of avoiding the most acute political quandary of his career, it appears the governor could be squaring up for a fight with the Legislature over so-called "puppy mills."
"The governor's involvement would have been helpful had it been earlier," said state Sen. Robert N. Mayer, R-Dexter.
It's unclear how Nixon will approach this potential setback. The governor issued a response Tuesday saying he was "extremely encouraged that this broad coalition of legislative and industry leaders has endorsed our Missouri solution."
Only what Nixon has previously called his "Missouri solution" was the compromise he announced on Monday - not the bill lawmakers sent to his desk earlier in the month.
The back and forth represents even more tumult in a fight that has pitted rural and urban lawmakers against one another, and thrust national animal welfare groups into the political spotlight in Missouri.
The Humane Society of the United States poured over $2 million into a successful November ballot initiative, Proposition B, that targeted the hundreds of dog breeding facilities in Missouri.
While the law takes a year to go into effect, rural legislators on both sides of the aisle - concerned that the regulations would lead to restrictions on raising farm animals - wasted no time pushing a bill to the governor's desk that would have repealed much of the proposition.
Instead of signing or vetoing the bill, Nixon's agricultural advisers announced a deal Monday that pleased both members of animal welfare groups and dog breeders, hammering out an accord that strengthens current rules, but takes out the ban on keeping more than 50 breeding dogs.
The compromise still must be approved by the Missouri Legislature, a task that grew tougher on Tuesday. Among those signing the letter urging Nixon to approve the bill dismantling Proposition B is House Speaker Steve Tilley, who controls the flow of legislation in the Legislature's lower chamber.
Even so, Nixon's compromise brought together opposing sides of the issue, which could buoy its chances of passing. The agreement was signed by the Missouri Humane Society and the Missouri Pet Breeders Association, as well as other state organizations advocating for both animal rights and the dog breeding industry.
Nixon called the deal "a Missouri solution to this Missouri issue," a thinly veiled jab at the Humane Society of the United States and another national animal protection group, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, that supported Proposition B but did not sign onto the compromise pact.
But although neither outfit is based in Missouri, both have demonstrated fundraising might and political savvy. The committee formed to back Prop B collected more than $3.8 million. The group netted endorsements from area celebrities - Cardinals skipper Tony La Russa - and political luminaries - former Republican U.S. Sen. John Danforth.
When rumblings began that state lawmakers would seek to overturn Prop B, the campaign purchased billboard space around Jefferson City. In January, the Humane Society's national president, Wayne Pacelle, signed up as a lobbyist in Missouri.
This afternoon, the group has arranged a rally in Jefferson City seeking to show opposition to the compromise.
"We have a lot of concerns," said Barbara Schmitz, a spokeswoman for the Humane Society of the U.S. "It falls short of what the voters approved."
In addition to capping the number of breeding dogs, the proposition approved by voters set new standards for exercise, medical care and cage size. Many of those restrictions are relaxed under the compromise. Under current regulations, breeders' cages need to be only 6 inches bigger than the dog on each side. The agreement would require twice that amount of space by Jan. 1, 2012, and three times that amount of space by Jan. 1, 2016.
Constant access to an outdoor run also would be required, though the Department of Agriculture could waive the requirement.
Still, the absence of a cap on the number of dogs allowed - which would mean large-scale breeding operations could remain in business - has left the U.S. Humane Society sticking with the original language that voters approved in November.
The national Humane Society has already taken the early steps for a second ballot measure next year that would make it harder for the Legislature to overturn future referenda. Schmitz would also not rule out legal action.
"All options are on the table," she said.
In addition to exposing the familiar divisions between urban and rural lawmakers, the dog breeding fracas has revealed a less likely split between the national Humane Society and its local branch.
The Humane Society of Missouri - an independent organization - has embraced the compromise, unlike its national counterpart.
"We felt it behooved us since we live in Missouri to see if we can find a compromise," said Robert W. Hull, chairman of the Missouri Humane Society. "When you compromise, you aren't going to get everything you want."
Hull insisted there was no ill will between the national agency and its local counterpart. However, the local Humane Society works closely with the Missouri Department of Agriculture, both for their rescue missions around the state and the Humane Society's shelter on Macklind Avenue in St. Louis.
Not signing the compromise would have tested a sound relationship, Hull said.
"We are subject to their regulations," Hull said. "They license us."
Most of Missouri's statewide officials have attempted to stay out of the dog-breeding fight, but on Tuesday Attorney General Chris Koster signaled his support for the compromise plan.
"If the Legislature chooses to support this solution, the attorney general's office will be ready on day one," Koster said, promising to dedicate a full-time attorney to prosecute violations, as well as establish a hotline to field complaints.
Still, some area dog lovers greeted the news with a measure of ambivalence.
"I don't think there should ever be a compromise in the humane treatment of man's best friend," said Randy Grim, founder of Stray Rescue of St. Louis. "It bothers me. I think the thing that happened was rural farmers feared they would be next."
But, he added, "it's better than nothing."
Grim also noted that if Nixon was attempting to win over animal advocates, he had a funny way of showing it. A day after the dog breeding compromise was announced, the governor's office released a photo of Nixon turkey hunting in the woods of south-central Missouri.
Nixon felled a 24-pound gobbler, with one-inch spurs and a 10-inch beard.
Dogs get break from Nixon, but turkey not so lucky
BY JAKE WAGMAN post-dispatch.com April 19, 2011
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ST. LOUIS • Gov. Jay Nixon is being lauded this week for helping to broker a "landmark" agreement that both protects puppies and pleases agricultural interests. The state's turkey population, however, will get no such sanctuary from Missouri's hunter-in-chief. Nixon, continuing his tradition of donning firearm and fatigues throughout the hunting calendar, marked the opening day of spring turkey season by felling a 24-pound gobbler in south central Missouri. According to a press release from the governor's office, the full-grown bird was shot, er, "harvested" in the Pulaski County woods Monday morning. The turkey sported "one-inch spurs and a 10-inch beard." This is not the first time Nixon has hit his target on opening day. In November, Nixon observed the first day of deer season by bringing in an eight-point buck in Clark County. Monday's turkey was a big one, but it doesn't match the legislative coup he scored later in the day, arranging a "Missouri solution" between farmers and the canine lobby over dog breeding legislation in Jefferson City. While some animal advocates are not pleased with Nixon, the governor was able to avoid choosing between raising the ire of rural legislators or upending the will of voters who approved the puppy mill law in November -- a position that, either way, may have left Nixon looking like a political turkey.
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HUNTLEIGH • Ex-beer baron August Busch IV has agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit over the accidental drug overdose death of his girlfriend, Adrienne Martin, at his mansion, according to court records.
The proposed settlement, which is subject to judicial review next month, is a negotiated agreement between attorneys for Busch and Dr. Kevin Martin, the ex-husband of Adrienne Martin and father of her 8-year-old son.
The lawsuit, filed late last month, alleges that Busch was negligent in the death of Adrienne Martin, 27, and seeks damages for her son, Blake Alexander Martin. Dr. Kevin Martin is a plaintiff on his son's behalf.
A motion for judicial approval was filed Friday in court in Cape Girardeau, Mo., where Martin lives.
Judge William Syler will decide if the settlement is in the best interest of the child. If he approves it, the judge could allocate a portion of the proceeds to Adrienne Martin's parents.
Maurice B. Graham, the St. Louis attorney representing Busch, told the Post-Dispatch on Tuesday that the settlement is not an admission of negligence.
"Mr. Busch has made a decision to put this behind him and to avoid lengthy litigation, but most importantly, to help Blake Martin," Graham said. "He does not feel he has any responsibility for Ms. Martin's unfortunate death, but he does feel strongly he wants to help this young man. He is concerned, however, that Blake Martin's grandparents are seeking to receive part of the settlement intended for Blake."
Adrienne Martin's father, George "Larry" Eby, is seeking to join the suit and says he's been deprived of the "companionship, comfort, instruction, guidance, counsel and training of Adrienne Martin." The judge will take up that issue when considering the settlement.
Eby, who had been estranged from Martin in her adult years, has referred all questions to Matthew Placzek, his attorney. Placzek has declined to discuss the case in the past and could not be reached Tuesday.
Christine Trampler, Adrienne Martin's mother, has told the Post-Dispatch previously that she intends to seek custody of Blake Martin, although she has yet to take legal action.
Donald Schlapprizzi, a veteran St. Louis trial lawyer who handles wrongful-death cases — but is not involved in this one — said the proposal appeared "generous, but not overly generous."
"It seems fair," said Schlapprizzi. He added that Busch's high-profile status would be reason enough to settle the case to avoid continued media attention.
Schlapprizzi said the judge, if he agreed the settlement was appropriate, would listen to arguments from all sides involved and allocate the $1.5 million based on that.
Legal experts say wrongful-death damages paid to surviving children, in this case Blake Martin, are typically substantially greater than damages paid to surviving parents.
Any money paid to Blake Martin will be overseen by a probate court.
Authorities said that Adrienne Martin's death Dec. 19 in Busch's mansion in Huntleigh was an accident, and that a hole in Martin's nasal septum indicated 'several months to a year of cocaine use."
An autopsy put her cause of death as an overdose of the painkiller oxycodone; officials said she also had a lethal level of cocaine in her blood.
St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert P. McCulloch has said the death was clearly accidental and there was no information on which to base any prosecution. He said that neither Martin nor Busch had a prescription for the oxycodone, and that Busch stopped cooperating with the investigation after his initial police interview.
Busch, 46, was the chief executive of Anheuser-Busch before it was sold to InBev in 2008.
The sale earned Busch about $100 million, and he started collecting about $120,000 a month as a consultant.
St. Louis (KSDK ) - A wrongful-death lawsuit has been filed against August Busch IV on behalf of Adrienne Martin's son, Blake Alexander Martin.
The suit was filed by Kevin Martin in St. Louis County Circuit Court. Read the lawsuit HERE
St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch announced last month that cocaine and oxycodone were found in Adrienne Martin's system as a result of an accidental overdose and no charges will be filed in the death of the girlfriend of August Busch, IV.
St. Louis County Chief Medical Examiner Mary Case said Martin's death at Busch's home was caused by oxycodone intoxication.
The 27-year-old woman was found dead on the morning of December 19 at Busch's sprawling estate in Huntleigh after spending the night at his home.
McCulloch said Busch awoke at 11:45 a.m. and went to the kitchen to make a breakfast shake. An employee at the home said Busch found Martin unresponsive in bed at 12:30 p.m. Busch and the employee were unable to wake Martin up. Police were called at 1:12 p.m. and were at the scene a minute later. Paramedics followed soon after. Martin was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:26 p.m.
McCulloch said there was no gap in the timeline.
Busch gave an initial statement to investigators after Martin's death, but has not cooperated since, according to McCulloch.
Busch's employee cooperated during the investigation.
Investigators said pill bottles were found around Martin's body at the scene. One had a trace of oxycodone in it and another had a trace of cocaine in it.
McCulloch said neither Busch nor Martin had a prescription for oxycodone.
Investigators tried to determine where the drugs came from, but McCulloch said they had reached a dead end.
Busch girlfriend died with cocaine, oxycodone in system, sources say
BY NICHOLAS J.C. PISTOR Post-Dispatchwww.STLtoday.com Sunday, February 6, 2011
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HUNTLEIGH • The 27-year-old woman found dead at the mansion of former Anheuser-Busch chief executive August Busch IV had cocaine and the painkiller oxycodone in her blood, according to a source close to the investigation and her ex-husband. An official report showing the cause of death of Adrienne Martin won't be released until later this week. The toxicology results were given to Martin's family on Friday, the former husband, Dr. Kevin Martin, confirmed. Kevin Martin said Saturday that he was surprised at the results because "Adrienne was always very anti-drug." The source close to the investigation, who did not have authority to release results and asked not to be identified, would not speculate as to whether the drugs caused Adrienne Martin's death seven weeks ago. Oxycodone is widely recognized by its brand name, OxyContin. It is classified as an opiate analgesic and is said to change the way the brain and nervous system respond to pain, according to the National Institutes of Health. OxyContin is a slow-release pill, designed to provide pain relief over an extended period. But as a street drug, it is crushed or broken so the user gets the full effect of the painkiller at once, creating a high similar to heroin. OxyContin has been found in the bloodstreams of several celebrities who died young, including actor Heath Ledger. No drugs other than the cocaine and oxycodone were found in Martin's system, the source said. A law enforcement official said several weeks ago that an overdose was suspected. In an interview last month with the Post-Dispatch, Busch had raised the question of whether Trazodone might have contributed to Martin's death. He and family members said Martin had a prescription for that medicine, which is used for depression or insomnia. Busch also said at the time that he had been in rehabilitation early in 2010 for depression and "my other issues," but he didn't elaborate. Dr. Mary Case, the St. Louis County medical examiner, on Friday refused to disclose toxicology results and said she had turned a report over to St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch. He did not return calls seeking comment. Frontenac Police Chief Tom Becker said Thursday that officers were planning a trip to see Martin's mother in Springfield, Mo., and would possibly give her some "preliminary information." He declined to discuss specifics. Becker did not respond to subsequent requests for comment. Busch could not be reached for comment. His attorney, Arthur Margulis, said Saturday, "Having not actually seen the report, I have no comment at this time." Kevin Martin, who was divorced from Adrienne Martin last year, has told the Post-Dispatch that she had a heart disorder known as Long QT syndrome, which involves the electrical activity of the heart. He is an osteopathic physician who lives in Cape Girardeau, Mo., and is the father of her 8-year-old son. Case has said the heart disorder wouldn't turn up in the course of a normal autopsy and would only be discovered through expensive blood tests. It could not be determined whether they were conducted. Adrienne Martin had been dating Busch for about two years. She was an aspiring model and former Hooters waitress who recently left her job as an office manager at MTO Clean in Wentzville for a new position as an assistant with Pluvius, a small alternative energy company in Ballwin. Martin was found dead Dec. 19 in a darkened bedroom at Busch's mansion in Huntleigh. There were no signs of trauma to her body, officials said. Michael Jung, a Busch household employee, called 911 at 1:12 p.m. and said an unresponsive woman wouldn't wake up. He said he wasn't sure if she was alive because it was "dark back there" and he was going to get a light to check. Emergency responders pronounced Martin dead at 1:26 p.m. In response to a question about whether drugs were found at the scene, police said in December that they found nothing to suggest a cause of death. They also said the room was dark "due to curtains drawn in the bedroom" and that the room was outfitted with blackout curtains to block the sun.
_________________________________________________________________________ The quest for the perfect tomato By Erika Miller St. Louis Beacon
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Superior taste and the ability to take the heat of St. Louis summers have made the art of growing tomatoes into somewhat of a tradition among home gardeners. The National Garden Bureau has deemed 2011 the "year of the tomato," and now is the time for growers to begin prepping their gardens in anticipation of their first tomato plants.
Though tomatoes are typically a sturdy, vigorous plant, more growers are finding it difficult to produce a "perfect" tomato. "The number of problems gardeners have had has risen in recent decades," said Chip Tynan, manager of the Missouri Botanical Garden's Horticulture Answer Service. Problems with watering, spacing and overused soil can result in less-than-ideal fruit.
Tynan said many of these issues are related to a lack of understanding of what it takes to maintain good soil. "(There's) no such thing as virgin soil anymore, soils have been disturbed for generations now," he said.
Photos by Becky Homan for Bowood Farms
Bowood recommends trying a hybrid, heirloom, cherry and one new variety each year.
One option for rejuvenating soil is growing a cover crop in the area where tomatoes will be planted in the spring. Chris Wimmer, an organic farmer with the Farm at Kraut Run, plants a crop called hairy vetch in the fall. The vetch inhibits soil-borne diseases and fertilizes the soil. At the end of the vetch's season, Wimmer lets the plant dry out and sit right where it grew. The dried vetch can then be transformed into nutrient-rich mulch for the spring.
Tynan said another way a gardener can add organic matter is to look around their own garden for yard waste and turn it into homemade compost. Commercial composts are available, but these sources may not be completely free of pesticides or herbicides.
Along with soil, gardeners need to consider the amount of sunlight the plants will receive. Kathie Hoyer of Bowood Farms said the plants need at least six hours of sun per day or they won't produce fruit. Around the peak of the summer, the plants may stop producing fruit for a short period. "(The plants) don't have flowers when it gets really hot, but they'll come back again once it cools off a little bit," Hoyer said.
Researching plant varieties that do well in a Missouri climate can help yield better fruit. Bowood recommends trying a hybrid, heirloom, cherry and one new variety each year. "If something catches your eye, just go for it," Hoyer said. Hoyer recommends a new variety called Defiant, which combines a high yield with great taste and superior disease resistance.
For gardeners with small yards, Wimmer recommends the Wisconsin 55 and the Celebrity varieties. Druzba and Tropic are two new varieties Wimmer is growing this season because they are recommended for hot, humid and disease-prone gardens.
The comeback of heirlooms is a new trend in tomato growing, which Tynan said can be a good and a bad thing. Heirloom tomatoes provide great taste, but some heirlooms only do well in certain climates and the plants have a much smaller yield than other varieties.
For gardeners in central Missouri, the recommended time to put tomato plants in the ground is not until May 10-20. "It's fun to try to get the first tomato, but your plants could suffer for it," Tynan said. Tomato plants like warm soils and temperatures in the root zone should be at least 60 degrees.
Tomato plants that go in too soon will stay stagnant if the ground is too cold, and this can affect how much fruit the plant produces. Since central Missouri's tomato-growing season is so long, it's more important to have plants producing in the fall than to be the first on the block to show off a tomato.
"Once you put them in the ground they really take off in the heat of the summer," Hoyer said. Most tomato plants begin producing fruit in June and continue to yield fruit into mid-October.
When it's time to plant, all of the leaves but the top two or three on the tomato transplant need to be removed, and then the stem is buried all the way up to the leaves. "Tomatoes are the only plant we tell people to do this with," Hoyer said. Burying the stem deeply yields a stronger plant that can withstand winds and heavy rain.
Once the plants are in the ground, they need consistent watering in the growing period, but not as much once the plant begins to produce fruit.
Soaker hoses and drip irrigation systems are best for tomatoes because they deliver water right at the root line. "One of the biggest factors in the spread of diseases is splashing water," Tynan said. Placing straw or hay around the base of the plants can help minimize splashing on the leaves. Wimmer recommends using a base of compost, which will help fertilize the plant, and a top layer of mulch.
Tomato plants only need to be watered at the root line or directly on the fruit, not on the leaves. If leaves stay wet for long periods of time, they become susceptible to diseases. And leaves dry off faster if the plants have enough space.
"It's counterproductive to plant too close together, it restricts airflow and circulation," Tynan said. The ideal spacing for plants is two and a half to three feet apart, so the leaves of fully mature plants do not touch one another.
Gardeners with small yards can avoid spacing issues by growing tomatoes in pots. Shorter varieties of the plant do well in a pot more than 10 inches in diameter, with one plant per pot.
If signs of disease do crop up, Wimmer said it's important to remove the infected part of the plant right away and to wash pruners after working with a diseased plant. "You can save a plant with early signs of disease if you're on top of it," he said.
Trying to produce the perfect tomato may take a little extra work, the results are worth the labor. "When you start gardening for yourself, (all food) tastes amazing," Wimmer said.
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CINCINNATI -- Reds left-hander Aroldis Chapman, who got the last three games off to get over a tender elbow, worked the ninth inning of Monday night's loss to the Pirates and threw a pitch that registered 106 mph on the scoreboard but was clocked at 103 on another pitch tracker.
That was one of the only highlights of the night for fans that stayed around for a 9-3 loss. Chapman worked a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout. His velocity was back, to say the least. The scoreboard readout clocked a pitch to Andrew McCutchen at 106 mph.
Several other pitches were clocked at 103.
"He was rested," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "When you throw 106 miles an hour, not a whole bunch is wrong with you."
Barry Petchesky — Aroldis Chapman didn't hit 106 mph last night. Sure, the stadium radar gun registered 106. But home readings are always juiced. The objective Pitch F/X system clocked that throw at 102. Still impressive, but not a record.
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Bill allowing Ameren to recoup costs for site permit appears dead this session
By Jason RosenbaumApril 19, 2011
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A bill to allow Ameren Missouri and a consortium of energy companies to recoup the costs of a site permit for a possible nuclear power plant appears dead for this year, according to a St. Louis senator who handled the bill.
The legislation would have authorized utility customers to pay roughly $45 million for an early site permit, which proponents say could pave the way for a new nuclear reactor in Callaway County. Legislative action is needed because of a law approved by voters in 1976, which restricts utility companies from passing along on construction costs to consumers. It's commonly known as CWIP.
The bill had been stalled for weeks but managed to reach the Senate floor Tuesday after maneuvering in committee. But the measure was stymied after Senate President Pro Tem Rob Mayer ruled the bill out of order. Mayer (right) -- a Dexter Republican who has opposed efforts to alter CWIP in the past -- has the power to quash legislation or amendments if somebody objects to a measure.
The parliamentary jujitsu left proponents pessimistic about the bill's chances, especially with time dwindling in the legislative session. When the bill's handler -- state Sen. Robin Wright-Jones, D-St. Louis - was asked if the push for the site permit was dead, she responded: "For this legislative session until the 13th of May, absolutely."
"I don't think we'll be able to breathe life into it," she added.
SHAKING THE BILL TREE
Tuesday's debate wouldn't have come about without a little bit of strategy.
Earlier in the session, Mayer sent all legislation dealing with the site permit issue to a committee chaired by state Sen. Jason Crowell. Crowell -- a Cape Girardeau Republican who opposed a broader attempt in 2009 to repeal CWIP -- sponsored site permit legislation and added a ratepayer-funded surcharge for the Office of Public Counsel, which represents utility customers and the public before the Public Service Commission. He argued that keeping the agency well-funded would benefit consumers.
While a coalition of consumer groups and corporations supported Crowell's approach, a majority of the Senate's lawmakers cosponsored legislation from state Sen. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, without OPC funding. Kehoe and others noted that Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, included an increase for the OPC in the budget.
Environmental groups opposed both bills, saying that nuclear power is too expensive and subject to cost overruns. They also pointed to Japan's nuclear crisis as a reason to oppose the move.
While he held a long hearing in March, Crowell hasn't called a vote on any site permit bill in his committee. But earlier this month, another Senate committee attached site permit provisions to Wright-Jones' legislation on utilities. It was voted out of that committee on a 7-2 vote, which allowed the issue to be debated on the Senate floor for the first time.
Among other things, the measure would have allowed $45 million to be recouped for a site permit; it would also set up a process for ratepayer refunds if the plant isn't built or the permit is sold. The bill would also have lowered a surcharge used to fund the Public Service Commission and set up a separate funding stream for the Office of Public Counsel. The overall surcharge would have remained the same.
Sen. Brad Lager (right), R-Savannah, said the provision in Wright-Jones' bill would have provided around $1.5 million for the OPC, whereas Crowell has said his legislation would provide nearly $3 million for the agency.
"The Office of Public Counsel is the advocate for the consumer," said Lager, who chaired the committee that sent the legislation to the floor, in an interview earlier this month. "If we're going to move forward with the early site permit and continue to move forward with this debate about nuclear power in this state, then we believe that someone needs to be funded well enough to advocate on behalf of the consumer to make sure the decisions being made are in the consumers' best interests."
CROWELL steps in
While Tuesday's debate started with Kehoe and Wright-Jones speaking with lawmakers who supported the bill, Crowell ultimately raised a point of order about how the bill was crafted.
Crowell (right) said on the floor, among other things, that the bill went beyond its initial scope and intent. Wright-Jones' initial bill dealt with deposits required by some utilities -- not the early site permit.
The new bill "introduces new and unrelated material," stated Crowell's point of order. "Nowhere in the original bill does it contemplate a funding mechanism for an early site permit nor is the early site permit related to the original intent of the deposits required by certain public utilities."
Mayer ultimately ruled in Crowell's favor. Wright-Jones then asked for the bill to be laid over, ending debate.
Crowell was unavailable for comment after the bill was set aside.
Irl Scissors, the executive director of Missourians for a Balanced Energy Future, said Mayer's decision was "disappointing." Scissors' group had been pushing Kehoe's version of the site permit legislation without Crowell's OPC funding mechanism.
"Sen. Mayer had a chance to do the right thing by Missouri energy ratepayers and we missed this opportunity," Scissors said.
Asked if Mayer was right by ruling the bill out of order, Fair Energy Rate Action Fund director Chris Roepe said, "That's for the Senate and for their process to decide, not somebody who's a spectator on the outside."
"I respect the Pro Tem's office and the decisions that the leader of the Senate makes," Roepe said. "That's for them to judge and decide, not us."
Ameren Missouri did not return a phone call from the Beacon by press time.
The bill had been stalled for weeks but managed to reach the Senate floor Tuesday after maneuvering in committee. But the measure was stymied after Senate President Pro Tem Rob Mayer ruled the bill out of order. Mayer (right) -- a Dexter Republican who has opposed efforts to alter CWIP in the past -- has the power to quash legislation or amendments if somebody objects to a measure.
The parliamentary jujitsu left proponents pessimistic about the bill's chances, especially with time dwindling in the legislative session. When the bill's handler -- state Sen. Robin Wright-Jones, D-St. Louis - was asked if the push for the site permit was dead, she responded: "For this legislative session until the 13th of May, absolutely."
Sen. Brad Lager (right), R-Savannah, said the provision in Wright-Jones' bill would have provided around $1.5 million for the OPC, whereas Crowell has said his legislation would provide nearly $3 million for the agency.
Crowell (right) said on the floor, among other things, that the bill went beyond its initial scope and intent. Wright-Jones' initial bill dealt with deposits required by some utilities -- not the early site permit.
