Sherman A1
Sherman A1's JournalSt. Louis archbishop assesses damage to Old Cathedral in Palm Sunday storm
ST. LOUIS • Overnight wind and rain left thousands of Ameren customers without power Sunday morning and the Old Cathedral in downtown without part of its historic roof.
“They say God’s always got a plan,” St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson said in an interview while assessing the damage. “I think we are going to have to wait for him to reveal what this one is.”
A top layer of lead-covered copper was blown off the west side of the building overnight. About 10:30 a.m. Sunday, another large section on the east side of the roof also began sliding off the structure.
There is a layer of wooden decking under the roof covering, but water penetrated the interior plaster ceiling. Officials are unsure of the extent of the interior damage. Several pots were scattered among the pews to catch dripping water. An emergency crew arrived to spread tarps on the roof and cut up remaining debris.
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/st-louis-archbishop-assesses-damage-to-old-cathedral-in-palm/article_d5dce247-c255-5a28-b035-d82606fa32f1.html#tracking-source=home-top-story
US Amphibious Ship Tests New 'Carrier' Mode in Drills With Philippines
The American military vessel was earlier spotted passing through the disputed waters of the South China Sea despite numerous demands from China, who has a significant military presence in the region, calling for the US to stop such "provocations".
The US Marine Corps have been testing a concept of a so-called "Lightning Carrier" during joint drills with the Philippines military, Business Insider reported. The idea of this concept is to load an America-class amphibious assault ship, such as the USS Wasp currently participating in these drills, with 10 or even more F-35 Lightning II jets – twice the amount normally loaded on such vessels.
"The experiments led to the realization that this is an option […] I think the Marine Corps may be realizing that this is the best use of their large amphibious assault ships. I think you are going to see more and more deployments like that", Bryan Clark, a naval affairs expert told the media outlet.
US Marines are planning to use such "Lightning Carriers" as a supplement for big navy carriers. According to a Marines Corps spokesman, they will take full advantage of the amphibious assault ship as a sea base, but at the same time will provide a significant air force with strike capabilities.
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2019/04/mil-190413-sputnik04.htm
Andrew Yang CNN Townhall is 7pm EDT Tonight April 14th
Just a reminder to for those who might be interested in learning about Universal Basic Income and his many other policies.
Andrew Yang CNN Townhall is 7pm EDT Tonight April 14th
Just a reminder to for those who might be interested in learning about Universal Basic Income and his many other policies.
Member of Springfield mosque threatened to 'kill everyone there,' police say
Police say a member of a mosque in Springfield threatened to kill everyone at the building because they were protecting his abused partner.
Richard McLendon, 39, was charged Wednesday with communicating a terrorist threat. He is being held in the Greene County Jail without bond.
According to a probable cause statement, a leader of the Islamic Center of Springfield came to the Springfield Police Department headquarters on Sunday to tell officers about a situation involving two of his members.
The leader allegedly said one of his members accused McLendon of abusing her and asked for the mosque leaders to help arrange a safe place for her to stay, which they did.
https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/crime/2019/04/12/springfield-mosque-terrorist-threat-alleged-abuse-member-police/3438646002/
Pipeline rupture incident report released; Rupture caused by pipe corrosion
A stress corrosion crack caused the massive natural gas explosion March 3 north of Mexico, according to an incident report.
The report, filed by Energy Transfer Partners with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, was released April 2. Energy Transfer is the owner of the Panhandle Eastern Pipeline, which ruptured approximately one mile north of Mexico near Missouri Highway 15. The company had 30 days to submit a report to the safety administration.
The 30-inch diameter pipe is comprised of carbon steel, with a specified minimum yield strength of 60,000 pounds per square inch. Pressure inside the pipe did not exceed the maximum allowable operating pressure. The investigation did not find evidence of human error or control room malfunctions.
The widest part of the rupture was 94 inches and the entire rupture’s circumference was 864 inches in a pipe buried five feet underground. Two people were evacuated from the incident area, but no injuries or fatalities were reported.
https://www.hannibal.net/news/20190412/pipeline-rupture-incident-report-released-rupture-caused-by-pipe-corrosion
Hartzler told federal rules hamper flood control efforts
BOONVILLE — Put flood control ahead of wildlife.
That was the message mid-Missouri farmers and levee district officials had for Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Harrisonville, Thursday when she visited Maggie’s in Boonville to talk about flooding on the Missouri River.
The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers has faced criticism for how it handled releases from Gavin’s Point Dam in southeastern South Dakota in March. A massive storm brought rain to Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa and Missouri that led to record flooding along the river north of Kansas City.
Critics are focusing on federal policies that require the corps to consider fish and wildlife on an equal level with flood control and navigation as it manages the river.
https://www.columbiatribune.com/news/20190411/hartzler-told-federal-rules-hamper-flood-control-efforts
Perhaps it is the humans that need to adjust to things, but I'm just guessing here.......
Indictment claims charity money went to Missouri politicians
JEFFERSON CITY — Officials at a Missouri nonprofit organization accused of bribing Arkansas lawmakers also illegally used the charity’s money to funnel campaign contributions to Missouri politicians, according to a federal indictment.
Three former Republican Missouri lawmakers confirmed Friday to The Associated Press that they had participated in fundraisers and received campaign donations from people affiliated with the Springfield-based nonprofit Alternative Opportunities Inc., a provider of mental health and substance abuse services that has since merged with Preferred Family Healthcare Inc.
But former state Sen. Ryan Silvey, former state Sen. Bob Dixon and former state Rep. Ward Franz each said they didn’t know the nonprofit’s resources may have been used for the political fundraising, as alleged in the federal indictment released Thursday.
None of the Missouri lawmakers are accused of wrongdoing in the indictment, which targets former nonprofit executives Tom and Bontiea Goss and former Arkansas state Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson, who is the nephew of Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson. The Gosses and Hutchinson have pleaded not guilty.
https://www.columbiatribune.com/news/20190412/indictment-claims-charity-money-went-to-missouri-politicians
Teacher contract talks break down over union issue
Collective bargaining sessions between the Columbia teachers’ union and school board ended Thursday without an agreement and no future meetings scheduled.
The Columbia Board of Education team insisted the contract include language that the contract would expire if the union isn’t certified by July 1. The team from the Columbia Missouri National Education Association team said it couldn’t ask teachers to agree to a contract with that language.
The stalemate resulted from a law approved last year requiring certification elections of public unions conducted by the State Board of Mediation and re-certification elections every three years. The Missouri National Education filed a lawsuit challenging the law and St. Louis County Circuit Judge Joseph Walsh issued a temporary injunction in March, blocking enforcement. The injunction prevents the state Board of Mediation from scheduling union elections.
Union and district negotiators disagreed sharply about whether the law should be recognized in the contract.
https://www.columbiatribune.com/news/20190412/teacher-contract-talks-break-down-over-union-issue
Politically Speaking: Speaker Pro Tem Wiemann Previews Home Stretch Of Legislative Session
House Speaker Pro Tem John Wiemann is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the O’Fallon Republican discussed some of the issues that may consume the Missouri House’s time over the next few weeks.
Wiemann is part of the GOP leadership team that runs the Missouri House. As speaker pro tem, Wiemann often presides over the Missouri House — and is part of some key policy discussions among the Republican supermajority.
Originally from Phelps County, Wiemann is an insurance broker who first won election to the House in 2014. But he’s been involved in Missouri politics for several decades. He worked for then-Secretary of State Roy Blunt in the early 1990s. And he also helped out on his father’s unsuccessful state Senate campaign in 1990 against then-Democratic state Sen. Mike Lybyer.
Since House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, is barred from running for another term next year due to term limits, Wiemann was widely seen as potential successor for the speakership. But he ultimately decided not to run. He is supporting House Majority Leader Rob Vescovo’s bid for the position.
https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/politically-speaking-speaker-pro-tem-wiemann-previews-home-stretch-legislative-session
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