JOPLIN, Mo. — A lot can happen in seven decades, and nobody knows that better than one local construction company.
This month, R.E. Smith Construction Company celebrated its 70th year in business.
Three generations of Smiths have seen a lot over several decades in the construction business.
As the years passed by, much of what the Smiths began to see was their own work shaping the city where their company was founded, and still operate out of today.
“It really makes me feel good to drive through Carthage, Springfield and of course Joplin, and see all the project’s that we’ve built and all that our company has done to contribute to the landscape, especially here in Joplin,” said Dick Smith, President of R.E. Smith Construction Company.
R.E. Smith is a family business, dating back to 1952 when Dick Smith’s father, Richard Smith started the business out of the family garage with just one other employee.
“My dad (Richard) came back from World War II and immediately began working at a local cabinet shop. After doing several odd jobs involving woodworking, Dad eventually drummed up enough of his own business to start doing full home construction. All of it in the beginning was on his shoulders, along with the one other employee he had to help out,” said Dick Smith.
In its infancy, R.E. Smith Construction was known for building homes, and eventually small commercial projects, like grocery stores.
After moving the business out of the family garage, Richard Smith purchased property on 2nd street in Joplin (1036 West 2nd Street) where he built the first official office for R.E. Smith Construction. After many add-ons and renovations, the company headquarters still exists at the original 2nd Street location.
After opening its new office, the company’s first big projects would come from another business that’s also rooted in Southwest Missouri: Eagle Picher.
In the 1960’s, the battery technology company hired R.E. Smith to construct several of their Joplin facilities.
As with all things, it took time for R.E. Smith Construction to become a name that Four State residents and businesses came to know.
Dick Smith, who runs the company with his brother Dave Smith, says their 96-year-old father, Richard, couldn’t be more proud of what R.E. Smith Construction Company has become.
“Over the last 70 years, R.E. Smith has gone from just two employees in 1952, to approximately 50 who work for us full time. To date, we’ve constructed 8,000 projects in eight states. We’re doing several projects now that are in the $20 to $22 million range. So, we’ve come a long way over seven decades, and I know Dad is very proud of the growth of this business that he started so many years ago,” said Dick Smith.
Out of the 8,000 construction projects that R.E. Smith has worked on over the years, there’s a few of those projects that the Smith family says they are especially proud of.
“Missouri Southern is probably one of our proudest projects. We’ve built a number of projects out there for the University. We’ve actually done quite a few projects on that campus. We’re also very proud of the Joplin Library projects, too. Anytime we can contribute to making Joplin, our home, a better place to live and to work, it’s a big deal for us,” said Dick Smith.
You can find more information on R.E. Smith Construction Company, HERE.
GROVE, Okla. – A popular best-selling children’s author made a second stop in the Four States.
On Tuesday, the author spoke with around 500 Grove upper elementary and middle school students.
On Monday, author Dusti Bowling visited McDonald County middle school students.
To those aspiring writers she told them to put down their “screens” and pick up a book, Bowling said.
“Reading increases your creativity,” she said. “Reading requires your brain to be a better writer.”
Bowling’s books center on children with physical disabilities or medical conditions.
“I wrote a book about a child with Tourette Syndrome because I wanted to give a more authentic representative of Tourette Syndrome,” Bowling told the students. “I never wanted to hurt a child with my work.”
Bowling spoke about growing up in a divorced home with alcoholic parents and some of her books deal with addiction.
Around 25 percent of children grow up with parents and other adults in their lives fighting addictions, she said.
When questioned about her books, Bowling commented “I don’t have a great imagination, but I pull from things in real life.”
Some of Bowling’s books include Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus, The Canyon’s Edge, 24 Hours in Nowhere, Across the Desert, The Day We Met, Aven Green Sleuthing Machine, Aven Green Baking Machine, The Boy Who Loved Me, Aven Green Music Machine and Grace and Daisies,
Bowling described all of her books written and explained to the students what “sparked” the idea for each book.
The authored also introduced the children to her latest book “Dust” which will be available in the future.
Writing has long been a passion for Bowling but she explained to the children the laborious process of writing her first book.
“It took 10 years and the book was rejected about 100 times” before a literary agent picked up the book Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus and the book being published, Bowling said.
Bowling’s books have won numerous regional and national awards.
She and her family live a few hours outside of Flagstaff, Arizona.
**Editor’s note: An typo erroneously indicated Tavis’ age to be 31 and not his real age of 21, as reported by JPD. This has been fixed.
MIAMI, Okla. — Ottawa County Sheriff David Dean said four Ottawa County jail escapees are in custody.
On Friday, Tyler Tavis, 21 and Daniel Zajicek, 31, both of Miami are in custody, Dean said.
Tyler TavisDaniel Zajicek
Tavis was captured in Joplin and Zajicek was captured in Miami, Dean said.
“A female was arrested for harboring a fugitive,” Dean said referring to Zajicek’s capture.
The Miami Police Department received tips about Zajicek’s whereabouts and found him at a Miami residence, said Thomas Anderson, Miami Police Chief.
“The people at the house were reluctant to let us in,” Anderson said.
Zajicek was in bed and did not resist arrest, he said.
Undersheriff Rocky Ferdig said Joplin authorities called around 12:30 p.m. saying Tavis was in custody.
Joplin Police Department received information Tavis was in Joplin on Friday morning, according to a Joplin Police Department statement.
Tavis was taken into custody without incident, the release states.
Dean said contractors were leaving the jail through the sallyport when four inmates ran out of their pod into the sallyport on Tuesday. The sallyport was open for the contractors and the inmates ran past the contractors, he said.
JAY, Okla. – A Colcord man pleaded guilty to drugging and raping two teenage girls and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Michael Ray Nipps, 57, pleaded guilty in Delaware County District Court to first-degree rape with the victim under 14 and first-degree rape with the victim intoxicated by a narcotic or anesthetic. He received a 35-year sentence with all but the first 15 years suspended on both sentences, court records show.
Provided by the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department
He also pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute and soliciting a minor for indecent exposure or obscene material and received a 25-year sentence with all but the first 15 years suspended, court records show.
On the two counts of distribution of a controlled dangerous substance, Nipps pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years.
All the sentences are to run concurrently.
Nipps was also fined $2,000, court records show.
Both victims, ages 17 and 13, told investigators Nipps gave them methamphetamine and marijuana.
Nipps eventually confessed to having “sex” with both victims and often referred to the 13-year-old victim as “the little one,” according to an arrest affidavit.
A review of Nipps’ background shows he has a criminal history of eight alcohol and drug-related charges, three protective orders filed against him, and a charge of assault with a deadly weapon.
MIAMI, Okla. — The Ottawa County Sheriff is offering a $5,000 reward leading to the capture of two escapees.
Tyler Tavis, 31, and Daniel Zajicek, 31, both of Miami have been on the run since breaking out of the Ottawa County jail through the jail’s sallyport on Tuesday.
Ottawa County Sheriff David Dean classified the men as “armed and dangerous.”
Dean said contractors were leaving the jail through the sallyport when four inmates ran out of their pod into the sallyport. The sallyport was open for the contractors and the inmates ran past the contractors, he said.
One escapee, Rusty Reece, was captured by an Ottawa County detective. Buck Martindale was apprehended on Wednesday.
Persons with information should call 918-416-4508.
KSNF/KODE — As the 2022 midterm elections approach, pundits, political organizers, and the general public alike are wondering the same thing: Will people actually turn out to vote on Nov. 8?
Stacker examined U.S. Census data to find which states had the lowest voter turnout in the 2018 midterm elections and investigated the factors impacting turnout. The Census measures voter turnout by calculating the percentage of voting-age citizens in each state who cast a ballot. In the event of a tie, the raw number of participating voters was used. However, not all citizens of voting age are eligible to vote; felony disenfranchisement laws, in particular, can alter the number of voting-age citizens who are actually able to cast a ballot.
Voter turnout at midterm elections is famously fickle. In most years, voter participation is significantly lower for midterm elections than for presidential elections. However, turnout during the most recent 2018 midterm cycle proved astonishingly high, jumping a full 11 percentage points from the previous midterm alone. Turnout can be difficult to predict, but this year, the prevalence of deeply polarizing issues such as abortion, gun control, and economic instability suggest that 2022 midterm turnout could be higher than usual. Understanding why turnout was higher than usual in 2018—as well as why some states lagged behind in voter participation—can offer insight into what to expect in the upcoming election.
Midterm elections take place every four years, halfway through the sitting president’s term. The entirety of the U.S. House and one-third of the Senate are up for election, as are many local and state-level positions. Despite unusually high turnout in the 2018 elections, some states’ voter turnout rates were significantly lower than the national average. Voter turnout can be impacted by a variety of factors, such as noncompetitive or low-profile races and disillusionment with the electoral process. Systemic barriers to voting also impact people’s ability to vote. The ability to vote easily has been shown in most cases to correlate with higher voter turnout, just as states with restrictive voting laws often see lower turnout rates.
Laws that impede people from voting easily include voter identification requirements, which require voters to provide a form of government ID in order to vote, voter registration deadlines far in advance of elections, and felony disenfranchisement laws, which prevent people serving felony sentences—and sometimes those who have already completed their sentences—from voting. Other measures, like complex absentee ballot processes, improper voter purging, and crackdowns on voter assistance, create more barriers to voter participation.
And some groups are more impacted by restrictive measures than others. In March 2022, the Biden administration released a report detailing the systemic barriers Native Americans face when trying to vote, including language barriers, limited access to polling places, and a lack of Indigenous representation in the electoral process. Black Americans are also disproportionately affected by voter suppression, in part through felony disenfranchisement laws that have their roots in a Jim Crow-era scheme to prevent Black Americans from voting.
Despite the challenges, voting is one of the pillars on which democracy stands and is one of the most fundamental ways Americans can have their voices heard. Stacker is releasing this story as part of a project called Democracy Day, in which newsrooms across the country are drawing attention to the importance of protecting our democracy and the threats it currently faces.
Read on to see which states had the lowest voter turnout during the last midterm cycle.
US National Midterm Election Turnout – 2018
Citizens of voting age: 228.83M — Percent voted in 2018: 53.4% — Percent registered: 66.9%
Voter turnout in the 2018 midterms was historically high across the country, with more participation than in any other midterm election in over four decades. The jump is even more pronounced considering the 2014 midterms garnered infamously low turnout, with significant downturns in participation in highly populated states like New Jersey, New York, and California. More than half of voting-aged Americans turned out for the 2018 election, a stark turnaround from the roughly one-third who cast ballots in 2014.
The increase in voter turnout carried across racial and ethnic groups, with Latino voter turnout almost doubling between the 2014 and 2018 midterms. Reasons for the elevated turnout have been attributed to an intensified interest in voting—from both parties—due to the polarizing nature of the Trump administration and the many hot-button issues Americans were (and are) facing. Another factor impacting the 2018 midterm cycle was the record number of congressional Republicans who did not seek re-election. Since House incumbents win re-election at rates much higher than those not already in office, Democrats had an edge in that election cycle.
10. Oklahoma
Citizens of voting age: 2.73M — Percent voted in 2018: 49.4% — Percent registered: 65.1%
Republican candidates largely dominated Oklahoma’s 2018 midterm races, an unsurprising fact considering former President Donald Trump won every county in the state in the 2016 election. One major exception was Democrat Kendra Horn’s upset victory over two-term Republican incumbent Rep. Steve Russell. The closely watched congressional race took place in the state’s fifth district, which encompasses Oklahoma City, and had not seen a Democratic victory in over 40 years. Currently, Horn is the Democratic nominee running for retiring Sen. Jim Inhofe’s soon-to-be-vacant seat in Oklahoma’s 2022 special election.
Despite higher-than-usual voter turnout in Oklahoma’s 2018 midterms, the state’s turnout still ranks low compared to the rest of the country. Oklahoma’s restrictive voting legislation, which includes a voter identification law and a voter registration deadline that is 25 days before election day, creates barriers to voting. Efforts to implement online voter registration have stalled since 2015 due to outdated technology, resulting in voters being required to mail registration forms or deliver them in person. Online voter registration is commonplace in most of the U.S., with 42 states and Washington D.C. allowing it.
9. Indiana
Citizens of voting age: 4.79M — Percent voted in 2018: 49.3% — Percent registered: 65.3%
Voter turnout in Indiana’s 2018 midterms exceeded 2014’s numbers, despite some issues at several polling places in the state. Problems included malfunctioning voting machines and not enough paper ballots. In the county of Porter, a judge ordered 12 polling places to stay open later than planned after poll workers failed to show up, forcing them to open late. Indiana’s stringent voting laws have only become more restrictive since 2018.
In addition to the state’s long-standing voter ID laws, Indiana passed measures in 2019 to shorten the amount of time voters have to request an absentee ballot, and also tried to prohibit voters from requesting that a polling place stay open longer if there were issues there (this latter measure was later struck down by a federal judge). The state also resisted popular mail-in voting measures after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
One of the most closely watched races in Indiana’s 2018 midterms was the Senate contest between incumbent Democrat Joe Donnelly and Republican Mike Braun. Keeping Donnelly, a fairly conservative Democrat, in his Senate seat was crucial for the Democrats’ hopes of winning a Senate majority. Braun, a Trump-backed candidate, ultimately defeated Donnelly.
8. Nevada
Citizens of voting age: 3.77M — Percent voted in 2018: 48.7% — Percent registered: 64.5%
Several important races in Nevada attracted national attention, including close Senate and gubernatorial contests. Incumbent Republican Senator Dean Heller, whose initial anti-Trump stance flip-flopped when it came time to launch his reelection campaign, was defeated by Democrat Jacky Rosen. Democratic candidate Steve Sisolak also triumphed over his Republican opponent Adam Laxalt to become governor, replacing longtime Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval.
Voter turnout was unusually high for the swing state—with numbers more similar to the turnout for the 2016 presidential election than the 2014 midterm—though Nevada’s turnout is relatively low compared to the national average. In the time between the 2018 midterm elections and the upcoming midterm, however, the state expanded voter access by implementing automatic voter registration and same-day voter registration. Nevada also offers online voter registration.
7. South Carolina
Citizens of voting age: 2.07M — Percent voted in 2018: 48.7% — Percent registered: 61.8%
A prominent governor’s race in South Carolina’s midterm elections drew both local and national interest after former Gov. Nikki Haley was appointed to the role of U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, leaving her post open. Her former lieutenant governor, Republican Henry McMaster, defeated his Democratic challenger James Smith with the help of an endorsement from Trump. Both Trump and Joe Biden campaigned in South Carolina on behalf of their respective picks. Restrictive voting legislation has created barriers to voting in the state, including voter identification laws, prohibiting voter registration after 30 days prior to an election, and felony disenfranchisement laws. During the COVID-19 pandemic, South Carolina changed rules around absentee voting to expand mail-in voting access without requiring an excuse.
6. Texas
Citizens of voting age: 18.37M — Percent voted in 2018: 48.4% — Percent registered: 63.3%
The much-watched Senate race between Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke and Republican Sen. Ted Cruz galvanized Texas Democrats to put in more bids for office. Despite O’Rourke’s narrow loss, Democrats won some Republican strongholds in the House, and the competitive race helped prompt a significant increase in voter turnout. Despite the historic bump in voter participation, Texas still ranked low nationally for voter turnout, a position likely aided by highly restrictive voting legislation.
A 2020 analysis from Northern Illinois University found that Texas had the most restrictive voting processes of any state, making it the most difficult state to vote in. Restrictions include voter ID requirements, a voter registration deadline 30 days prior to election day, and inadequate voter materials provided in Spanish (a provision mandated by the Voting Rights Act). In 2021, a federal judge struck down several parts of a new Texas law that aimed to restrict voting access further. Among the provisions that violated the Voting Rights Act was one that would have limited assistance for voters for whom English was not their first language and for voters with disabilities.
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5. New Mexico
Citizens of voting age: 1.49M — Percent voted in 2018: 48.1% — Percent registered: 61.7%
New Mexico’s 2018 governor’s race saw Democratic Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham win against Republican Rep. Steve Pearce in an upset, making her the first Democratic Latina governor in U.S. history and the first Democratic governor of New Mexico since 2002. Lujan Grisham campaigned on a pro-immigration, clean energy platform that came down hard on President Trump’s policies. Democrats also flipped a formerly red House seat and won several statewide elections.
Since the 2018 midterm elections, Democrats have sought to expand voting access by implementing same-day voter registration and mailing absentee ballot applications to all eligible voters. However, barriers to voting persist, disproportionately impacting Indigenous communities and those convicted of felonies. In early 2022, lawmakers introduced a bill that would, if enacted, make Election Day a holiday and make voter registration easier, among other provisions.
4. Idaho
Citizens of voting age: 1.23M — Percent voted in 2018: 47.9% — Percent registered: 60.6%
Midterm races in Idaho did not attract much national attention due to a general lack of competition in the red state. The retirement of longtime Republican Gov. C.L. Otter left the governor’s seat open, a spot which Republican Brad Little won by a large margin. Republicans also dominated other races, winning control of both House seats, and the lieutenant governor and attorney general posts. In February 2022, Idaho House Republicans passed two bills outlining several voter restrictions, including one which, if passed by the Idaho Senate, would prohibit unaffiliated voters (roughly one-third of Idaho’s voters) from voting in the Republican primary. Another would outlaw delivering absentee ballots for other people, a measure that would disproportionately impact people with disabilities and working people. The two associated bills were defeated in the Senate one month later.
3. West Virginia
Citizens of voting age: 1.38M — Percent voted in 2018: 44.1% — Percent registered: 64.5%
The 2018 West Virginia Senate race saw conservative Democratic incumbent Sen. Joe Manchin III face off against Republican Patrick Morrisey, winning re-election in an increasingly red state. Manchin’s support for the National Rifle Association, coupled with his vote in favor of conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh—his being the only Democratic vote—has earned him the reputation for being the most conservative Democrat in the Senate.
Barriers to voting in West Virginia include voter ID requirements and a 21-day deadline for registering to vote. Though automatic voter registration legislation was passed in 2016, its enactment remains delayed. During his 2016 campaign, West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner, a Republican, promoted an antisemitic conspiracy theory claiming that Jewish philanthropist George Soros was behind the automatic voter registration law and was using it to unlawfully register “more voters for the Democratic party,” according to The Associated Press.
2. Hawaii
Citizens of voting age: 971.0K — Percent voted in 2018: 44.0% — Percent registered: 53.9%
Hawaii’s 2018 midterm elections resembled most other elections in the state’s history: Democrats easily won nearly every race. But in spite of this electoral predictability—or, according to some political activists, because of it—Hawaii is reliably among the states with the lowest voter turnout. Though the state has enacted legislation that makes voting easier, including mailing ballots to all registered voters, automatic voter registration, and same-day voter registration, low voter participation has persisted. Native Hawaiians have historically been disenfranchised, most recently through felony disenfranchisement laws, as felony convictions in the state disproportionately impact Native Hawaiians. And while the vote-by-mail system gets ballots into the hands of those with stable living conditions, people experiencing homelessness are at a disadvantage when it comes to voter participation.
1. Arkansas
Citizens of voting age: 2.16M — Percent voted in 2018: 42.6% — Percent registered: 58.5%
Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson won re-election in the 2018 Arkansas gubernatorial race against his opponent, Democrat Jared Henderson. Republicans also dominated other races, capturing all four House seats. The state with the lowest voter turnout in the 2018 midterm elections, Arkansas has restrictive voting laws in place that create barriers to voting, including voter identification requirements and a several-week voter registration deadline.
Furthermore, Arkansas rejected mailed-in ballots at the highest rate in the nation during the 2020 election, throwing out 6.4% of absentee ballots, compared to the national average of less than 1%. In 2022, several new measures aimed at further restricting voter access were challenged by voter rights groups in court. One measure so far was found to have violated the Voting Rights Act, according to a federal judge. The law limited in-person assistance to people casting ballots, a measure that disenfranchised people with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency.
MIAMI, Okla. — In tonight’s Dose of Good News, National Fire Prevention Week is next week.
It’s been a thing since 1922.
This morning, it started a little early.
The historic Coleman Theatre was the site for the annual Fire Prevention Show put on by the Miami Fire Department.
The department hosts a number of these shows every year for school children.
Ones that involve a video and a skit.
It also involved bringing a teacher on stage and dressing her up in full firefighter gear.
Why? Firefighter Daniel Allen.
“We just want to show them that it’s not scary, you know, what we wear. We don’t want them to be afraid of us when we, you know, are coming in to rescue them or something like that so, we’re just trying to familiarize them with all the different things around fire safety,” said Daniel Allen, MFD.
Firefighters stressed to the audience the importance of having a fire safety program.
A 17-year-old man was fatally shot during the Tulsa McLain and Miami High School football game in Tulsa on Friday night. Tulsa police have not released any names.
The Bank of Grove donated $5,000 to the Delaware County Sheriff’s office earmarked to buy first aid kits.
Delaware and Ottawa County commissioners approve a 14-day burn ban.
The Quapaw Tribe was one of 16 American Indian tribes selected to join the Tribal Access Program program.
Micaela Renee Venis, 47, of Fairland, is charged with felony discharging a firearm into a dwelling, possession of a controlled dangerous substance – marijuana and carrying firearms while under the influence.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol photo.
Michael MciLroy, 62, of Newark, Ohio was driving a 1998 Harley Davidson motorcycle on Sunday when his jacket became tangled up in the motorcycle’s rear wheel.
Colin Raye Kirk, 28, formerly of Loma Linda, Mo. is held over for trial in Newton County.
MIAMI, Okla. – Miami Schools will no longer travel to Tulsa McLain schools for any event after a fatal shooting after Friday night’s homecoming game.
“I cannot allow our players, students, staff and family members to return to a place where we have repeatedly been put in danger,” said Nick Highsmith, Miami Superintendent in a statement released on Saturday.
Miami High School was the visiting team for McLain’s homecoming game.
Just as Miami ended the game with a 19-18 victory a 17-year-old Tulsa McLain student was fatally shot and another teen wounded.
Tulsa Police Department and Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers quickly secured the area.
Once the area was secured, Miami School Resource officers rallied the Miami coaches, school administrators and parents attending the game in Tulsa together to get the Miami football players safely on the travel bus and en route to Miami.
The players boarded the bus still in their uniforms.
Highsmith explained the scheduling of Tulsa McLain does not rest with Miami but with the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association.
Highsmith directed Athletic Director Chad Davis to speak with the association and inform them of the school’s position.
Miami schools “will accept any consequence that comes from this decision,” Highsmith said in the release.
The Tulsa Police posted on a social media site the shooting occurred just before 10 p.m., near 4900 Peoria.
Another 17-year-old was taken to a local hospital in critical condition but has improved to stable condition at this time, the post states.
The Tulsa Police Department believes the suspect is a 17-year-old Black male. Police believe the suspect is “armed and dangerous,” according to a Tulsa Police Department.
MIAMI, Okla. – A Miami parent praised the Miami school administrators and coaches for their quick reaction to a fatal shooting following Friday night’s 19-18 win over Tulsa McLain.
“I want to say our coaches were phenomenal,” said Cheryl Moudy, who attended Friday’s game. “I think this will be a very real-life experience for all students there and we should appreciate our small town.”
Moudy said she heard “three loud pops” when the players were on the field shaking hands after the game.
“They were very distinctive for those of us that heard them,” Moudy said referring to the gunshot sounds.
The Miami coaches began yelling at the players to go to the opposite corner of the field from where the shots were heard and lay on the ground.
“If any player even halfway got up the coaches were hollering to get down,” Moudy said.
Several men in the stands took charge and were yelling for people to get down, she said. Everyone moved to the same corner of the field at the end of the stands.
Moudy said there were around 30 police and firefighters on the scene along with emergency vehicles and helicopters circling above the stadium.
Some of the Miami fans bent the stadium fence and held it down so the Miami fans could leave and go straight to the parking lot, she said.
“Once we made it to our car it was a nice line to get out but no one was hateful or mean,” Moudy said. “We all just wanted to leave.”
