National Poppy Day to honor sacrifice made by armed forces

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Every year on May 28 it is a familiar sight, someone wearing a red poppy. But do you know why it is worn? The red poppy is a nationally recognized symbol of sacrifice that is worn by Americans and citizens of Allied nations since World War I to honor those who served and died in all wars. Michael Hayslip talked with American Legion Auxiliary National president about the importance of National Poppy Day and how you can get involved.

More information about National Poppy Day can be found at poppydayusa.org.

Missouri State hosts annual Spring Blood Drive

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Missouri State University and the American Red Cross will hold its annual Spring Blood Drive March 23, 24 & 25 at the Foster Rec Center (945 E. Madison) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

If you book your appointment using the sponsor code “MSU,” you can get a Red Cross T-shirt. Appointments can be booked at redcrossblood.org, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App or call 1-800-REDCROSS.

Pittsburg student to test constitutional knowledge in state contest

PITTSBURG, Kan. – Pittsburg High School student Owen Miller is off to Manhattan, Kansas for the American Legion Oratorical Contest.

The local American legion is helping fund his trip. The contest is intended to help students develop knowledge of and a deeper appreciation for the U.S. constitution.

“I did have competition at districts so, that was a lot of fun,” said Miller. “But I kind of automatically won here at Pittsburg since I was the only person who entered so not a lot of people at our High School was really aware that this was happening, which to me was kind of disappointing. These people are my friends who would enter, would be the people I’d really enjoy competing against.”

The national competition was cancelled this year, but the prize money was split up and given to states for their contests. Owen could get nearly $6,000 dollars if he wins on March 13.

US infrastructure gets slightly better grade on engineers’ report card: C-

RESTON, Va. – America’s infrastructure received an overall grade of C- from the American Society of Civil Engineers, according to the group’s 2021 Report Card, released Wednesday.

The scorecard — which the society has released every four years since 1998 — is the first time the nation’s infrastructure has scored outside the D range in 20 years, the group said.

Despite the upgrade, society Executive Director Tom Smith contends this year’s ranking still misses the mark.

“While that is an incremental, small improvement, it still is not something to write home about. It’s certainly not a grade that you’d be proud of,” Smith told CNN.

The society, which represents civil engineers around the world and frequently advocates for increased investment in infrastructure, evaluated the United States on 17 major categories, including aviation, roads, bridges, drinking water, energy and schools.

At the top of the class was rail, which earned the highest mark, a B, while transit scored the lowest, with a D-.

Drinking water — which has received renewed attention after a massive winter storm slammed the South last month, disrupting water service and triggering boil water notices — earned a C-.

Overall, 11 of the 17 categories received D range grades, “a clear signal that our overdue bill on infrastructure is a long way from being paid off,” the report concludes.

The report’s grading scale ranges from A, indicating the infrastructure is “exceptional, fit for the future,” to F, meaning “unacceptable condition with widespread, advanced signs of deterioration.”

A grade of B signals the infrastructure is in “good to excellent condition,” while C is classified as “mediocre” and “fair to good condition” with some elements exhibiting “significant deficiencies in conditions and functionality.” The D range indicates poor and “mostly below standard,” with condition and capacity at “strong risk of failure.”

The society further cautions that “significant challenges lie ahead,” pointing to how US infrastructure has been strained by the coronavirus pandemic and the impacts of severe weather throughout the country.

“Just as cars demand tune-ups and roofs require incremental repairs, our infrastructure needs robust and sustainable funding to make continued needed improvements over time,” the assessment notes. “Putting off investment now will cost us and future generations down the line.”

Rep. Peter DeFazio, who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, weighed in on the latest infrastructure grades, calling them “not acceptable.”

“Once again we have a comprehensive scorecard from the American Society of Civil Engineers and America’s overall infrastructure is rated at C minus. Wastewater, highways, transit are all rated in the Ds. This is not acceptable,” DeFazio, an Oregon Democrat, said in a statement Wednesday. “The States can’t go it alone. The cities can’t go it alone. They need a Federal partner.”

The Biden administration has signaled it intends to make infrastructure investments a priority as part of a larger agenda focused on rebuilding the economy during the pandemic. Last month, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg met with a bipartisan group of senators at the White House to discuss infrastructure.

Smith expressed optimism for infrastructure investments being a “uniting factor” for the country.

“When you invest in infrastructure, it’s important for rural, it’s important for urban, it’s important for red, it’s important for blue states,” Smith said.

Flights from Joplin to Chicago may return under new airline

JOPLIN, Mo. – Commercial flights from Joplin to Chicago could return soon with a new airline.

The Joplin City Council Tuesday night heard a presentation from representatives from American and another airline SkyWest. SkyWest is looking to take over American’s flights to and from Chicago and Denver.

“(I’m) confident that Joplin will be a great market and that there will be plenty of great service provided by SkyWest to Denver and Chicago,” said Joplin City Manager Nick Edwards.

The Federal Department of Transportation needs to approve the proposal.

Missouri American Water urging customers prepare pipes for extreme cold

JOPLIN, Mo. – With below freezing temperatures forecasted in the coming week, Missouri American Water is warning its customers to be aware of the steps needed to prevent freezing pipes.

Preventing freezing pipes:

• Allow a small trickle of water to run overnight to keep pipes from freezing. Customers should consider collecting the water for later use such as watering indoor plants and more. The cost of a short-term trickle is much less costly than a repair to a burst pipe.
• Open cabinet doors to expose pipes. Opening cabinet doors exposes pipes to warmer room temperatures.

“These two tips not only help our customers protect their plumbing, but also help to support our employees,” said Matthew Barnhart, senior manager of southwest operations. “Often times when pipes freeze customers assume there is an issue with their water service, which can put a demand on our team members in the field who are working hard to do everything they can to keep the water flowing.”’

If in-home pipes freeze:

• Shut off the water immediately and not attempt to thaw frozen pipes unless the water is shut off. Freezing can often cause unseen cracks in pipes or joints.
• Apply heat to the frozen pipe by warming the air around it. Customers can use a hair dryer, space heater or hot water. Space heaters should not be left unattended, and customers should avoid using kerosene heaters or open flames.
• Once pipes thaw, water should be turned on slowly and pipes should be checked for cracks and leaks.

When you’re away from home:

• Have a friend, relative or neighbor regularly check their property to ensure the heat is working and the pipes have not frozen.
• Consider purchasing a freeze alarm. The alarm will call a user-selected phone number if the inside temperature drops below 45 degrees.

The company is also recommending its customers keep snow cleared away from fire hydrants which can help local fire fighters in case of emergency.