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omecomings Scheduled
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Macon County R-IV/Bucklin & Bevier Homecomings This Week
See Pages 2B and 3B
TheThe
Wednesday, January 9, 2013 USPS-299800 Vol.137, No. 27 La Plata, MO, 63549 • 12 Pages • 2 Sections • 75 Cents
Subscribers to the Home Press are the nicest people! This week we salute
Dick Rhea
La Plata, MO La Pachanga Mexican Restaurant Coming To La Plata The building that once housed the Red Rooster restaurant near the north junction of La Plata will be home to a Mexican restaurant coming to the area. Already operating a business on Baltimore Street in Kirksville, La Pachanga Mexican Restaurant manager, Rafael Ramirez, states and he and his father are currently completing paperwork to acquire a license for the eatery. According to Ramirez the Kirksville location has several customers from the La Plata, Atlanta and Macon area. Both restaurants will be ran by the current manager and approximately 10 employees will help with the day to day duties. An opening date will be announced as soon as possible. Keep in touch with The Home Press for further developments on the project.
MoDOT To Change Speed Limit On Highway 63 To 70 MPH
On Monday, January 31, 2012 the Macon County Officials gathered at the Macon County Courthouse for the “Swearing In” ceremony held in the main court room. Elected officials sworn in were: (left to right) - Lois Noland, Public Administrator, Kevin Shoemaker, Sheriff, Rick Tucker, Circuit Judge, John Schaefer, Surveyor, Jon Dwiggins, District 2 Commissioner, Brian Hayes, Coroner and Drew Belt, District 1 Commissioner.
OATS, Inc. Promotes A Culture Of Wellness
Of all the assets held by a company, none are more important than its employees. Healthy employees are the backbone of productivity, and that is no different for OATS, Inc. a statewide nonprofit transportation provider. OATS is initiating a statewide program, dubbed OATS Wellness for Life Program, which will begin next month. “As a company who is responsible for the health and well-being of thousands of Missourians, we ourselves need to embrace leading healthy lifestyles,” said Dorothy Yeager, Executive Director of OATS. “We believe that our company wellness program will be a true benefit to both the employee and employer,” added Yeager. Companies across the United States report a great deal of success when they offer wellness programs to their employees. Many report that employees have been able to avoid insulin, get rid of sleep apnea, lower cholesterol, reduce their risk for heart disease and even quit smoking. Over the last several decades, absenteeism, injuries, illnesses, and decreased productivity, associated with lifestyle habits, have resulted in increasing financial liabilities. Rising healthcare costs de-
mand an assertive response, which lead to the creation of OATS new wellness program. Missouri is listed as one of the top states with the highest obesity rates in the country. Over 30% of Missourian’s are considered obese. As a company, OATS is taking steps to help reduce that number. Over the next year OATS will implement new programs and activities aimed at keeping their employees healthy, and plan to partner with other agencies across the state to make this a unique program. Some hospitals and companies have already donated to this new program because of the benefit it will provide to so many people. With over 750 employees spread all over the state, OATS is one of the largest and most unique systems of its kind in the country. OATS, Inc. is a private, not-for-profit corporation providing specialized transportation for senior citizens, people with disabilities and the rural general public in 87 Missouri counties. The home office is located in Columbia, Missouri with seven regional offices located throughout the state. For more information about OATS, Inc., please visit their website at www.oatstransit.org.
MSHP Seeking Students To Participate In Student Alliance Program Captain James E. Wilt, commanding officer of Troop B, Macon, is pleased to announce Troop B will be conducting a two-day Student Alliance Program. The purpose of the program is to provide an opportunity for current junior and senior high school students to learn more about law enforcement and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The 2013 Troop B Student Alliance Program will be conducted at the Troop B Headquarters in Macon, Missouri, on two consecutive Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., beginning on March 16, 2013. Participants must provide their own transportation and will be on their own for a lunch break each day. During the program, students will participate in a variety of educational activities intended to familiarize them with Highway Patrol operations and equipment. Some of the activities will include: Patrol history, firearms, traffic safety, marine operations, stop and approach, and crime scene investigation. Troop B is seeking interested junior and senior high school students of good character to apply to participate in the program. In order to provide a quality educational experience, the program will be limited to 20 students. Applications can be obtained at the Troop B Headquarters, located at 308 Pine Crest Drive, Macon, Missouri; or by calling Sergeant Brent Bernhardt at (660) 385-2132. Applications must be received by February 15, 2013, to be eligible to participate.
According to the Missouri Department of Transportation speed limits will be increased on U.S. 63 back to 70 miles per hour. MoDOT tells us after making several improvements on intersections along the highway, they decided to restore the speed limit from 65 miles Xtreme Youth Conference per hour to 70. Brian Haeffner, a MoDOT area A group of 21 students and adult engineer, tells us motorists can exchaperones attended the Xtreme pect to see message boards in place Youth Conference (www.xtremthis week. “Since we’ve lowered the econferences.com) in Branson on speed limit, we’ve done speed studies December 27-29, 2012. The trip was and watch driver behavior. People reQuality automotive restoration, and collision repair organized andpaint, sponsored by Church ally didn’t change the way they were WithOut Walls (WOW) of Atlanta. driving just because the speed limit Performing artists included Britt went down,” said Haeffner. Nicole, Tripp Lee, Newsboys, Haeffner said many of the crashTenth Avenue North, Thousand es on Highway 63 were generally Foot Crutch, Casting Crowns and caused by drivers not seeing a vehiNewsong. Speakers at the confercle, and pulling out in front of them. ence included the nation’s leading “We also looked at crash data that we authorities on youth ministries inhad and speed was not a major factor cluding Tom Richter, Josh McDowin the crashes we’ve experienced,” ell and Nick Hall. said Haeffner. Funding for the (660) trip was provided216-5464 The increase in speed will be by donations to Church WithOut between the Boone and Randolph www.bradbuckpaintandbody.com Walls and the annual Fall SmorgasCounty line to Kirksville. You can bord. Emilee Burian, Aaron Clineexpect to see the speed limit change smith and Aaron Baker served as take effect in mid-January. adult chaperones. The group stayed two nights at the Hilton Convention Center Hotel during the conference. emiah Rhodes, Austin York, Jade Whit- day mornings at 9:30 A.M. for breakfast The group packed and ate meals sell, Justin Bender, Demetri Thomas, followed by small groups and worship. like pizza and sandwiches. On the Abbie Parton, Kirsten Gilliland, Chris- Their meeting place is a home at 619 trip home, the group had lunch at a tina Pennington, Katie Ogden, Alyssah South Williamson in Atlanta. For more information about the minisMexican Restaurant in Ozark, MO. Thomas, Justice Licht, Danielle Welch, The following students attend- Julie Smothers, Molly Waddle and Jus- try or to view pictures from the trip, visit www.goatlantachurch.com or call or text ed the conference: Tanner Smith, tina Reed. Church WithOut Walls meets on Sun- (660) 281-7777. Tristan Borron, Tristan Collier, Jer-
(660) 216-5464
Quality automotive paint, restoration, and collision www.bradbuckpaintandbody.com
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