Tag Archives: card

Joplin gets low marks in annual Community Report Card

Posted on by

JOPLIN, Mo. – The City of Joplin just received their 2020 Community Report Card, with mostly low rankings.

The report was done by One Joplin, a private non-profit that describes themselves as the glue bringing together nonprofits, businesses, and government entities to solve community issues. Ashley Micklethwaite, executive director of One Joplin says the information on the report comes from data mining through local and national public information sources like the census, department of health and CDC.

This data was then used to display areas where Joplin needs improvements. Each category was ranked using a traffic light system.

“Think about it like a stop light,” said Micklethwaite. “So if it’s red we need to stop, we need to be looking in both directions. If it’s yellow, which is a caution, it could be improving or it could be declining. And then green is ‘hey, we are on track.’”

The categories ranged anywhere from health to income to education, where Joplin received mostly red and yellow lights. The biggest issue Joplin is currently facing, is housing

“Housing; safe, affordable housing,” said Micklethwaite. “The difference in rent and the burden of income to rent versus income to mortgage is substantial in Joplin.”

She says to combat this issue, the city needs more social services.

“For example, the economic security corporation just finished building and opening up the bungalows. It’s that type of work and housing that we need in Joplin.”

Debbie Markman, resource development director at the Economic Security Corporation in Joplin says the city needs to take action.

“It would be great if we could get wages up,” said Markman. “So that folks could then afford their housing themselves, and not have to rely on other entities to fill the gap.”

Markman adds that bringing up lower income neighborhoods will contribute to Joplin’s health overall.

Joplin city officials declined to comment about the city’s report card.

To see the full report card visit onejoplin.com/dashboard

New partnership provides Arvest Bank customers discounts for Silver Dollar City

Posted on by

BRANSON, Mo. – Arvest Bank customers can  save some money when buying tickets for Silver Dollar City thanks to a new partnership.

Arvest Bank customers who use their Arvest debit or credit card when purchasing one-day tickets on-site to Silver Dollar City, White Water or the Showboat Branson Belle will get $7 off each one-day regular admission ticket during the entire 2021 season, with a limit of six tickets per day.

Additionally, as part of the Star-Spangled Summer, Arvest Bank customers who purchase a regular admission, one-day ticket at Silver Dollar City with their debit or credit card in June will enjoy savings of $10 per ticket on up to six tickets per day. Savings for Arvest Bank customers will be announced prior to the season annually.

It’s all part of 10-year, multi-tiered collaboration between Arvest and Silver Dollar City. Arvest Bank will become the “Official Sponsor of Family Fun” at Silver Dollar City Attractions, and will be the presenting sponsor of Silver Dollar City’s Star-Spangled Summer and Echo Hollow amphitheater.

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

Posted on by

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.