Category: General

2 planets will be visible in the night sky this weekend

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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — If you’re up early this weekend, take a look up in the sky and you should be able to see two planets.

According to NASA, the planets Mars and Jupiter will be close to each other in the sky, and visible before dawn Friday through Monday.

What’s happening?

NASA is calling it a Mars-Jupiter conjunction. A conjunction is when two objects in the sky — whether planets, the moon or stars — appear close together.

“In the case of Earth’s solar system, conjunctions happen frequently because our sister planets travel around the sun in a fairly similar ecliptic plane, often appearing to meet in our night sky despite being millions of miles away from one another,” the agency’s website says.

NASA says you’ll be able to see both Mars and Jupiter about 20 degrees above the horizon. They’ll be less than a degree apart at their closest point, or “no more than the width of a raised finger, with Mars appearing just to the lower right of the massive gas giant.”

“Planetary conjunctions traditionally have been more the stuff of astrology than serious astronomy, but they never fail to impress during observations, particular when the gas giants are involved,” Mitzi Adams with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center said.

How can you see it?

The best time to see the planets will be about 45 minutes before sunrise, NASA says. Sunrise will occur 6:35 a.m. EST Friday and 6:34 a.m. EST the following days, according to timeanddate.com. You’ll want to look toward the eastern-southeastern sky.

Most stargazers should be able to see Jupiter with just the naked eye because of how bright it will be, according to NASA. But astronomers with the agency say you may need a telescope or binoculars to see Mars, which will not be quite as bright.

“We anticipate Jupiter will shine at a magnitude of -2.2,” NASA astronomer Alphonse Sterling said. “Mars, in comparison, will have a magnitude of just 0.7.”

Light at the end of the tunnel in baby formula shortage

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(NewsNation) — The baby formula shortage has been building since an Abbott Industries plant was forced to close in February due to unsanitary conditions, but now there’s an end in sight to the problem that has plagued parents nationwide and had flights of formula coming in from overseas.

Speaking Thursday, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf said that Abbott Industries formula should be back on the shelves in June and that supplies should be completely back to normal by July.

“My expectation is that within two months, we should be back to normal and with a plethora,” Califf said.

Until then, Abbott is giving out 300,000 cans of formula for babies with dire medical needs.

However, that still leaves parents with several more weeks of scarcity to navigate. Instacart has joined many other retailers, announcing that it’s limiting customers to four cans of the same formula per order. Company officials say that formula has been one of the most requested items in recent weeks.

The problem began when the FDA ordered the Abbott plant in Sturgis, Michigan, to shut down in February after an inspection found numerous violations. The FDA found standing water, leaks in the roof, cracks in equipment that could allow bacterial contamination and even noted that employees weren’t washing their hands properly.

Lawmakers are questioning Abbott officials about policies and procedures at the plant and about why the situation was allowed to develop in the first place.

They’re also investigating concerns over the fact that only four companies produce more than 90% of the formula consumed by infants in this country, so when something like this closure happens there’s a devastating effect.

Drivers line up for $2.12 a gallon gas in Missouri town

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FREDERICKTOWN, Mo. — The lines were long around the BMW Convenience gas station in Fredericktown Thursday afternoon. For 90 minutes, gas prices were $2.12 per gallon. 

Lisa Hovis was one of the drivers who waited in line for what amounts to nearly a half-price tank of gas.  The Marquand resident routinely drives to a St. Louis hospital for radiation treatments for cancer.

“It costs me anywhere from $100 to $120 a week just to do that,” said Hovis. “With the grocery prices too, you know it’s really bad.” 

The gas discount event was organized by Americans for Prosperity. Jeremy Cady is the group’s Missouri state director.  He was busy directing cars to open pumps once drivers finished filling up their tanks.

“They’re feeling it in their wallets,” said Cady.  “They’re making tough decisions.  They’re having to choose between food and everything that they need for their daily lives and gasoline.”

He said the discounted price of $2.12 a gallon equals what pump costs were when President Joe Biden was elected in 2020.

BMW Convenience owner Bryant Wolfin hopes customers realize gas station owners are not behind the rising prices.

“We make less money nowadays than we did back when gas was close to a dollar,” he said. 

The Best 10 Burger Restaurants around Joplin, according to Yelp

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JOPLIN, Mo. — Maybe you like them stacked high, maybe you prefer them simple and small, but most of us enjoy a good burger every once in awhile – and the Joplin area has plenty of specialty patties to choose from.

From artisanal style to the classic backyard grilled kind, area restaurants have a lot to offer burger hungry patrons. From Yelp, we take a look at the top 10 featured on the site and what makes them the highest rated around – starting from at #10:

#10. Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Located on S. Rangeline Rd., this vintage-style chain offers burgers, fries and shakes and scored 4/5 stars based on 32 reviews. Their classic menu is known to many and consistent while also offering vegetarian options.

#9. Five Guys

Another chain that specializes in homemade style burgers, Five Guys also sits on S. Rangeline Rd. and made quite a splash when they first arrived. The restaurant offers a wide variety of toppings for their burgers and even more soda flavors from their Coke machine. Five Guys earned 3/5 stars on Yelp.

#8. Babe’s Drive In

Found on N. Main., Babe’s Drive In is a local eatery offering more than just beef patties and features a 50’s aesthetic interior – much like Freddy’s. Patrons have the option of dining-in or driving-through but no delivery. Babe’s Drive In received 3.5/5 stars.

#7. Stogey’s Coney Island

Family owned since 1983, Stogey’s is well known in the community and features a spacious interior with a more modern look. Located on E. 7th St., Stogey’s offers burgers as well as hot dogs. Reservations can be made or you can simply order takeout. They earned 3.5/5 stars.

#6. The Woodshed

Right on the Carthage Square, customers with an appetite will find The Woodshed offering gourmet burgers, sandwiches, and even pizza. Owned by a Carthage native, the restaurant takes on a different kind of atmosphere. Vegetarian options are also available. The Woodshed got 4/5 stars on the review site.

#5. Whisler’s Drive Up

Don’t let their simple menu confuse you, Whisler’s is another popular location located in Carthage on N. Garrison Ave. There is no indoor seating, but that hasn’t haltered their popularity: due to wait times, time sensitive orders should be called in ahead of time most reviewers warn – but it is worth it, they add. Whisler’s snags 4.5/5 stars.

#4. Bacon Me Krazy

Originally starting as a food truck, Bacon Me Krazy also has permanent location on 7th St. in Joplin and as the name says, bacon is a huge part of this restaurants menu. Like Whisler’s however, there is only outdoor seating at their curbside spot, or just park your car and takeout. The restaurant often has special deals seen on Facebook. They scored 3.5/5 stars.

#3. Broadway Burgers & More

Found on Broadway St. in Webb City, Broadway Burgers & More has, well, burgers and more: A few of the popular non-burger dishes include their bacon wrapped hotdog and Philly wrap. Featuring a casual yey cozy atmosphere, Broadway Burgers & More took away 4.5/5 stars on Yelp.

#2. Downtown Burgers

This small building found on Joplin’s Main St. also offers a wide variety of classic burgers. According to the owner themselves: “Simply old style burgers.” While there is no dining-in option or waiter service, Downtown Burgers provides easy takeout and a menu that most find something they’ll enjoy. They received 4.5/5 stars.

#1. Social BTB

Clocking in at #1 is Social BTB, found in Joplin’s Gryphon Building, and has everything for burger lovers and even specialty fries. Established in 2018, Social BTB offers a pleasant atmosphere and a simple menu that will please customers of all ages. They got 4.5/5 stars on Yelp.

*Editor’s note: This list was made with the use of Yelp, a company that publishes crowd-sourced reviews about businesses such as restaurants. Results seen in Yelp’s best restaurants lists are subject to sponsorship and paid advertisement.

Biden zeroes in on plan to cancel $10,000 in student loans per borrower

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(The Hill) – President Biden is nearing a decision on student loan debt forgiveness, with the president and his team zeroing in on canceling $10,000 per borrower, with some potential caveats.

White House officials cautioned no decision has been finalized as Biden continues to weigh his options. The president is scheduled to speak at the Naval Academy’s commencement ceremony on Friday and at the University of Delaware’s ceremony on Saturday.

Multiple reports indicated Biden considered using the weekend commencement ceremonies to announce some student debt forgiveness, with The Washington Post reporting the timing was changed in the wake of a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 children dead. A White House official disputed that was the case, however.

“No decisions have been made yet — but as a reminder no one has been required to pay a single dime of student loans since the president took office,” said deputy press secretary Vedant Patel.

Multiple sources told The Hill in late April that Biden was looking at canceling at least $10,000 in student debt, and indications are the White House appears to have settled on that number even as they work through potential limits on who the loan cancellation would benefit.

The Washington Post reported Friday that the latest iteration of the plan called for capping the debt forgiveness to individuals who earned less than $150,000 last year, or $300,000 for married couples. It is also unclear if the cancelation would apply to all student loan debt, or just undergraduate students.

Biden in the 2020 campaign supported forgiving at least $10,000 in federal student loans per person after several other candidates made student loan forgiveness a key part of their platforms.

Since taking office, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) have repeatedly pushed Biden on the issue, insisting it would provide immediate relief to minorities and low- and middle-income families. Schumer has called for canceling up to $50,000 in student debt per borrower.

While that large of a sum has been publicly ruled out, Biden has in recent weeks made increasingly clear he is prepared to provide some student debt forgiveness.

“I am not considering $50,000 debt reduction, but I’m in the process of taking a hard look at whether or not there will be additional debt forgiveness and I’ll have an answer on that in the next couple of weeks,” Biden said on April 28, days after he reportedly told members of the Hispanic Congressional Hispanic Caucus he was open to forgiving some student loans.

The White House has yet to give an updated timeline in the month since Biden said a decision was a couple weeks out, but officials have pointed to actions that have helped student loan borrowers over the past year and a half.

Biden last month extended the pandemic moratorium on federal student loan payments and interest accrual through August. Loan payments were first paused in March 2020 early in the pandemic under then-President Trump, and the moratorium has been extended multiple times since.

The White House has repeatedly said Biden is prepared to sign legislation canceling student loan debt, but in the meantime is weighing what authority the president has to unilaterally wipe out some debt.

Conservative critics have pushed for student loan payments to resume, arguing the moratorium has cost the federal government billions of dollars and that any widespread forgiveness would benefit disproportionately wealthy Americans. A Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget study that found roughly 75% of student loan repayments come from the top 40% of earners.

Students who survived Texas school attack describe scene

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UVALDE, Texas (AP) — A young survivor of the massacre at a Texas elementary school said she covered herself with a friend’s blood and pretended to be dead while she waited for help to arrive.

Miah Cerrillo, 11, told CNN that she and a friend called 911 from her dead teacher’s phone Tuesday and waited for what felt like, to her, three hours for officers to arrive at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

The 18-year-old shooter, Salvador Ramos, was inside the school for more than an hour before he was shot to death by Border Patrol tactical officers. That’s according to top law enforcement officials who provided new details Thursday of a confusing and sometimes contradictory timeline that has angered and frustrated the parents and onlookers who had urged police to charge into the school.

The children who survived the attack, which killed 19 schoolchildren and two teachers, described a festive, end-of-the-school-year day that quickly turned to terror.

Samuel Salinas, 10, told ABC’s “ Good Morning America ” that he and other classmates pretended to be dead after Ramos opened fire on the class. Samuel was struck by shrapnel in his thigh.

“He shot the teacher and then he shot the kids,” said Samuel, who was in Irma Garcia’s class. Garcia died in the attack and her husband, Joe Garcia, died Thursday of an apparent heart attack.

Gemma Lopez, 10, was in a classroom down the hall when Ramos entered the building. She told “Good Morning America” that a bullet came through her classroom wall before any lockdown was called.

Her best friend, Amerie Garza, died in the rampage.

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More on the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings

Josh Duggar’s 'special conditions' of sentencing

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — On May 25, Joshua Duggar, 34, was sentenced to over 12 and a half years in federal prison following his December, 2021 conviction on child pornography charges.

In addition to handing down a prison term of 151 months, Judge Timothy L. Brooks of the Western District of Arkansas Federal Court in Fayetteville also stipulated that Duggar will have 20 years of supervised release after that. He added some “special conditions” to the terms, noting that some of them were not “typical.”

Duggar “shall have no unsupervised contact with minors.” The judge specifically stated that Duggar must “proceed with caution” regarding any event that might include minors. He needs to receive prior approval from the U.S. Probation Office before “attending any such place, function, or event.”

Duggar must submit his person, residence, place of employment, vehicles, papers, computers and any other electronic devices or storage media for search “at a reasonable time and in a reasonable manner” any time there is suspicion that he may have violated any condition of his supervised release.

“The defendant shall not possess, use, or have access to a computer or any other electronic device that has Internet or photograph storage capabilities without prior advance notice and approval of the U.S. Probation Office,” the sentencing document says. Duggar must also pay for internet-monitoring software to be installed on any approved devices. Judge Brooks voiced specific concerns about Duggar potentially having such devices if he returns to working in a self-employed capacity. The defendant must submit to random searches of any devices.

Duggar may not “purchase, possess, use, distribute, or administer marijuana,” and he may not possess a medical marijuana card or prescription. A ban on other controlled substances was addressed earlier in sentencing, as were stipulations that Duggar is never to own or possess a firearm and that he must submit to random DNA collection.

He must participate in a sex offense-specific treatment program and pay for it himself “if financially able.”

He will also “be required to submit to periodic polygraph testing at the discretion of the probation offices as a means to ensure that he is in compliance with the requirements of his supervision or treatment program.”

Defense attorney Justin Gelfand objected to this condition, citing the “lack of reliability coupled with potential ramifications” regarding polygraph testing. He added that such tests are usually inadmissible as evidence in court.

Judge Brooks countered by calling them “just kind of routine” in many districts, and noted that they would be used as a part of future treatment, not as “a tool to trip people up.”

The defense also objected to an earlier stipulation that the judge conceded was “not a typical condition,” but one he felt was “appropriate to impose in this case.” Duggar was forbidden from ever viewing pornography of any kind again.

“He will go to great lengths to defeat” monitoring or accountability software, the judge added. Gelfand objected based on the defendant’s first amendment rights. He felt that “robust supervision conditions” were sufficient, and added that viewing adult pornography is a “completely legal activity.”

Prosecuting attorney Dustin Roberts voiced the government’s support of the court’s conditions regarding pornography and polygraph testing, and had no objections to any of the terms.

Duggar must also pay fines totaling $50,100, including a trio of specific special assessments. The fines are due immediately, but the court outlined procedures for payment plans if the defendant is unable to pay at this time, including some of the balance to be paid during his incarceration and a certain percentage of his future income dedicated to payment if necessary.

The judge concluded the proceedings in this case by addressing “one more matter” before the court: the government’s request that Duggar forfeit the HP desktop computer he used to download the illegal child sexual assault material.

“Nobody wants the computer back, so to speak,” said Gelfand. “Just preserved.” He added that the defense wanted to “make darn sure” that the device remained safely in evidence for a possible appeal.

With that, Duggar was taken back into custody by U.S. Marshals and will await transfer to a federal prison.

Children's Center celebrates 25th anniversary

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JOPLIN, Mo. — An area nonprofit, that helps kids who’ve been abused, is celebrating a special occasion. The Children’s Center of Southwest Missouri is officially 25-years old.

Members of the Center’s current staff, along with several former executive director’s and founding and current board members gathered at the facility today to cut a ribbon on the accomplishment.

Betty cagle was the original executive director in 1997 when the center sat across from Freeman Health System. It was made possible by the Health System’s former President Gary Duncan, who provided the original office space.

Cagle says Center employees have changed over the last 25-years, but the goal has remained the same.

“We still have investigators that are so focused on what they’re doing and fully focused on the children and the families, nurturing, loving, caring, you can feel it when you walk in,” said Cagle.

“It happened quite by accident on a day I saw Phil Garvin walk toward my office, didn’t stop, came in like a tornado, and told me that of the Children’s Center and said, “You need to get them a place. They’ve got work to do, we’ve got to work, we need to work with the children,” said Gary Duncan, Freeman Health System Dir., Emeritus.

“In 2016, we started offering trauma focussed therapy for our child victims, and really the important piece behind that is we’re offering that as a free service to the families and it’s really helping those children process that trauma, deal with that trauma, understand it’s not their fault they were abused and really help them find that hope and healing they’re looking for,” said Matt Stewart, Exec. Dir., Children’s Center of Southwest Missouri.

The organization has provided services to over 20,000 children since opening.

It has 4 locations — Joplin, Nevada, Monett, and Butler.

Joplin officials prepare for next school year

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JOPLIN, Mo. — The last day of school for the Joplin School District is Friday, but officials are already preparing for the next school year.

This has to do with the district’s new strategic plan, and it’s something that will go far beyond the next school year.

“I want them to know that we listened,” said Dr. Kerry Sachetta, Assistant Superintendent for Operations. “And we are putting those plans in action to help improve the academics and lives of their students.”

Tuesday night, the school board approved its new five year strategic plan. The new plan focuses on academics, instructional support and community engagement.

“Well number one the reason we exist is academics. We are here to help kids progress through and learn in all different ways that they can. When it comes to reading, writing and arithmetic and all the other subject areas, and also learn to be better citizens as they progress and go towards graduation,” said Dr. Sachetta.

The district is also making mental health a priority.

“We felt like what we heard was through the covid years as we’ve been surviving through the last two to three years. That a lot of people were stressed. A lot of different things and it doesnt take a lot to get people out off their normal routine and it is stressful and causes anxiety and everything and that’s students and staff,” said Dr. Sachetta.

He hopes the new plan will improve academic achievement and graduation rates.

“I hope that in working on it together as a team all the way across we can all see the unity in the purpose moving forward. And we can also celebrate those successes. What I want to make sure that we focus on is what we do everyday so at the end of the year good things will happen. And we will invest in our employees, too. Hopefully, they will have a happier place to work and our students will benefit because of that,” said Dr. Sachetta.

The district received feedback from nearly 300 students, staff and community members for the plan. They are rolling out the new plan this fall.

PSU construction student gives back

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PITTSBURG, Kans. — People throughout Southeast Kansas are coming together to restore and protect a piece of history.

“Nobody really wanted to see it gone but nobody knew what was going to happen,” said Lemuel Sheppard, Former Carver League President.

Since the 1940’s, the Carver League building acted as a meeting place for the black community in Southeast Kansas. But over the years the building fell into disrepair.

“It just would break your heart, anyone who’s been around Pittsburg for a long time, older than me, would drive by and look at that building ‘wow the Carver League,’ and we always wondered what was going to happen to it,” said Sheppard.

Eventually an effort began to preserve and restore the building to its former glory.

“Little by little it got some attention and some members of the community stepped in saying ‘Hey let’s save this building,” said Sheppard.

One of those members was Zachary Bures, who took the restoration on as his senior project at Pittsburg State University.

“We did a complete top to bottom renovation. We had to come in a stabilize the structure. We had to do $20,000 worth of block work, we tore out the old slab and put a new slab in, new plumbing, completely new electrical system,” said Bures. “We added a patio and a sidewalk, new doors, new windows.”

Since August, he’s worked with subcontractors and trade partners to transform the building into what we see today, helping drive further community involvement.

“Looking at the project saying ‘Hey! You guys have really done a lot of work on this project. Wow! This has really changed from what it used to be. Oh, I remember back in the day,’ or we had other individuals come in and say, ‘Can we help with the project?’ We had individuals out here helping us trim trees and cut shrubbery,” said Bures.

Soon the building will stand as a museum to the Carver League and its impact on the community.

“It’s exciting to see it because it doesn’t look like a different building, it looks like the building that it was in 1940. A brand new Carver League,” said Sheppard.