1-21-15 Lamar Democrat

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Grandparents Don't Forget To Stop By Or Send In Your Form And Photo Of Your Grandchildren For The Valentine Special!

Serving Lamar, Golden City, Lockwood, Jasper, Sheldon, Mindenmines and Liberal for 145 years. Incorporating The Daily Democrat, Golden City Herald & Lockwood Luminary.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015

2 SECTIONS, 12 PAGES

Home Improvement Time!

Cross off projects on your list with the help of the businesses on page 3A!

Tips for homeowners on their first renovation projects

Home renovations are typically exciting, as homeowners get to see the visions of their dream homes come to see RENOVATION, page 3A

Another scam, this one via telephone

LAMAR-Be vigilant. Don’t be gullible There are numerous scams going around, all of which are attempting to separate innocent people from their money. The latest appeared in this area, January 13, in the form of a telephone message from the IRS. The caller (a female voice) informed the recipient of the call (in a stern voice) that a law suit had been brought against him/her, and this call was the “final notice.” There was no further identification. The recipient of the call was not home at the time, so the caller left a telephone number (on voice mail) that the recipient should call. Always remember, the Internal Revenue Service does not identify itself as the “IRS,” and never (repeat, NEVER) uses a telephone. If that agency wants to contact someone, it will use the United States mail. Persons targeted by a scam should contact the Lamar Police Department or Barton County Sheriff ’s Department. Both departments have been alerted about the above scam. Always, be vigilant.

INDEX SECTION A Correspondent........................... 2 Home Improvement.................. 3 Friends & Family....................... 4 School.......................................... 5 Sports.......................................... 6 SECTION B Area News.................................. 2 Records....................................... 3 Records/Miscellaneous............. 4 Legals/Classifieds....................... 5 Area News.................................. 6

Photo courtesy of Jeremy Brand

Highway 160, and wondered what was happening, I am here to tell you. What you heard was If you were awakened on De- a large group of police officers cember 20, around 7 a.m., to all from the City of Lamar, Barton kinds of sirens sounding along County Sheriff ’s Office, Cedar By LT. JOHN DAVIS Lamar Police Department

County Sheriff ’s Office, Greenfield Police Department, Jasper County Sheriff ’s Office, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and Joplin PD, giving a group of 104 kids a police escort to

the Lamar Walmart Super Center for the Eighth Annual Lamar Police Department Shop With A Cop program. see SHOP, page 2A

Emery receives Champion of Freedom award JEFFERSON CITY-The Missouri Alliance for Freedom, a nonpartisan and nonprofit organization that encourages a free market, personal liberty, and limited government, has honored State Senator Ed Emery with its Champion of Freedom award. The presentation was made, January 13, in the State Capitol. The Missouri Alliance for Freedom scores votes on legislation in five key areas, property rights, individual liberty, limited government, free market, and personal responsibility. The scoring was based on legislation that came before the 2014 session of the General Assembly. Those legislators who had a 90 percent or greater voting record in support of the five key areas were honored. Emery voted in favor of such bills as one that placed restrictions on license plate reader cameras as an infringement on individual liberty, favored a bill that prohibited school districts from discriminating against students because of their reli-

gious beliefs, favored a bill that strengthened the right to keep and bear arms, and favored a bill that would bar the State Board of Education from implementing the Common Core State Standards. He opposed raising the state debt ceiling to raise money to repair old state buildings and opposed putting before voters an amendment to increase the sales tax to fund the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT). The proposed amendment was put on the ballot, August 5, 2014, and was soundly defeated. In accepting the award, Emery said, “It is humbling to be recognized by the Missouri Alliance for Freedom as a ‘Champion of Freedom.’ Their passion for defending and expanding individual liberty and economic freedom for all Missourians is consistent with my own vision for state government.” Emery has served eight years in the House of Representa- Ryan Johnson, left, of the Missouri Alliance for Freedom, tives, and is currently in his presented the Champion of Freedom award to State first term in the State Senate. Senator Ed Emery, January 13, in Jefferson City.

Lamar council work session addresses auditor’s recommendations By RICHARD COOPER Democrat staff writer

LAMAR-The Lamar City Council spent two hours in a work session, January 12, to craft a written bid policy, which

the city had already been following in compliance with state guidelines. However, Marshall Decker of Decker and DeGood CPAs told the council on November 17, 2014, that following guidelines is not good enough.

The policy should be in writing. The mayor and council examined, line by line, a nine-page procurement policy that had been prepared by City Clerk Traci Cox, and was based on

An interesting read, Skelton autobiography By RICHARD COOPER Democrat staff writer

Ike Skelton served in the U.S. House of Representatives as Fourth District Congressman for 34 years. Not until 2001 was Barton County included in his district. Since Barton County is heavily Republican, it was unlikely Skelton, a Democrat, could carry a majority of the vote here. However, when voters found him to be moderately conservative and a strong supporter of national defense, he managed to reduce Republican majorities somewhat. He made many friends in Barton County and visited as frequently as his schedule would allow. On one occasion, he slipped into La-

mar completely unannounced to visit the National Guard armory. As he described the visit, “I just wanted to thank them for their devotion to duty.” Not a single local Democratic party official was present to greet him. I learned of his coming through a tip from a National Guard official. He said his goal was to visit every National Guard armory in the Fourth District and deliver the same message of gratitude. Skelton was defeated for re-election in 2010 by Vicky Hartzler, who was even more conservative and appealed to voters in the rural Fourth District. Never an issue to be discussed, but possibly a factor in the election was age. Ike was

almost 80. In the years after he left office, Skelton began writing his autobiography, Achieve the Honorable: A Missouri Congressman’s Journey from Warm Springs to Washington. It includes a closer look at his personal life and expands on his public life. Just two weeks after publication of the autobiography, Skelton died of pneumonia at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington on October 28, 2013. Those who admired his dogged support of a strong military and his devotion to spending holidays abroad with the troops should enjoy the memoir. It may be ordered at area book stores or Amazon.com.

the policies of Carl Junction and Aurora. The council determined that any purchase exceeding $7,500 must go through a competitive bidding process with the award of the purchase requiring council approval. Preference will be given to local bidders if they are within five percent of the lowest bid and maintain an office within the city. If there is no bidder within the city but a bidder who maintains an office within Barton County and is within five percent of the lowest bid, the same preference shall apply. Numerous times during examination of the nine-page procurement policy, Mayor Keith Divine or City Administrator Lynn Calton remarked, “We already do this.” Therefore, there is little change involved. It is a matter of putting current procedures into written form. Also discussed during the meeting was adoption of a fraud policy, something that is a more recent development. A see AUDITOR, page 4A


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