News

Dayspring Bible Camp, located at the outlet of Lake Killarney will be celebrating its 75th anniversary.

There are many alumni in the Arcadia Valley who have attended the Christian camp located at the outlet of Lake Killarney. It has had various names like Arcadia Valley Bible Camp, Camp CB, Masokobi Bible Camp, Fredericktown Day Camp, Arcadia Valley Day Camp, and Dayspring Bible Camp.

The alumni and their families and friends are invited to the 75th Anniversary of the camp on Saturday, Aug. 4, from noon to about 3 pm.

During the anniversary celebration, Dave Isom, Dayspring manager, will present an illustrated history of the camp. Dr. Larry Dixon will give a talk on Continuing the Race. There will be a free BBQ lunch, a tour of the camp, and camp songs will be sung. And the entire event will be free. An offering for the camp will be taken.

Washington – U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has released the latest product of her wide-ranging investigation into opioid manufacturers and distributors.

“Fueling an Epidemic: A Flood of 1.6 Billion Doses of Opioids into Missouri and the Need for Stronger DEA Enforcement” describes how the “Big Three” pharmaceutical distribution companies together shipped around 1.6 billion dosage units of opioid products to Missouri alone between 2012 and 2017.

This volume of opioids represents more than 260 dosage units for every Missourian during the six-year period. In 2015 - the peak year for opioid shipments to Missouri during the years investigated - the three major distributors shipped approximately 52 opioid dosage units per person in the state.

The Missouri Public Service Commission has approved an agreement which reduces the annual electric revenues of Union Electric Company d/b/a Ameren Missouri by approximately $166.5 million (6 percent), effective Aug. 1, 2018.

The rate decrease reflects a reduction in the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent as a result of passage of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Ameren Missouri customers are the first customers of an investor-owned electric utility in Missouri to see the benefits of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

On June 6, 2018, the Public Service Commission opened a case under a provision of Missouri Senate Bill 564 (SB 564) which was passed by the Missouri General Assembly and signed into law. A section of SB 564 gives the Commission one-time authority to order an adjustment to the electric rates of certain electrical corporations in light of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

The good news about Crane Lake is that the engineering studies have concluded the dam is fixable, although the kind of repairs has not yet been determined and that decision might take another year and a half.

In the meantime, the National Forest Service has accepted bids for the construction of a new boat ramp and an emergency access road at a combined cost of approximately $60,000.  Work on those projects should begin this fall.

Forest District Supervisor Sherri Schwenke outlined those plans and more before a crowd of about 50 people who gathered in a meeting room at Thee Abbey Kitchen in Arcadia last Thursday.

Schwenke said in a telephone interview on Monday that she also relied on a team of local advisors for input. That ‘convening team’ included District Ranger Rebecca Ewing, DeNae Gitonga with the UM Extension, Forest Service Recreation Specialist Chris Woods, Bill Bennett and Don Firebaugh.

The annual ‘Back to School Fair,” designed to help families with school supplies and clothes, has been set for Friday, August 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Ironton.

However, there is a problem this year: Support from the community is down.

“We really could use some financial assistance,” said Danny Ray Chappel, a member of the sponsors The Arcadia Valley Ministerial Alliance and DRC Ministries.

Chappel noted the effort could also use volunteer help of every kind.

“We still need volunteers to help on the day of (the event) as well as counting, sorting, buying and stuffing (materials),” he said.

The deadline to register is Tuesday, July 31, for those who need assistance.  To register, call DRC Ministries at  573-262-4686 or 573-626- 4863.

Those willing to donate  items, (clothing, supplies, etc.), should take them to the First Baptist Church of Ironton before July 31.

If you would like to personally meet and talk with candidates for office in the upcoming August Primary election, be on the Iron County Courthouse lawn on Thursday, July 26.

Candidates of both political parties are invited to attend and make a few remarks (five minutes or less) about their candidacy. It will be an informal gathering designed to give constituents a chance to personally meet the candidates.

The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Gazebo on the lawn.  The public is encouraged to bring lawn chairs.  In the event of rain, the proceedings will be moved inside the courthouse.

The event is sponsored by the Iron County Democrat Club and is free of charge to those attending.

The club will be providing hot dogs, chips, desserts and soft drinks, also free of charge.

Members of the Iron County Commission contemplate the conference room ceiling at a recent commission meeting. The large hole was made to find the cause of some sagging ceiling portions. The commissioners were fearful of water damage - a leaking roof has led to some water damage in other areas of the courthouse, such as the legal library on the top floor. However, this problem, on the first floor, appears to be a failed brace, not water damage. A commission study is under way of the courthouse and other county-owned buildings to get an assessment of improvements that need to be made and the project costs. From left are Southern District Associate Commissioner Dwayne Warncke, Presiding Commissioner Jim Scaggs, and Western District Associate Commissioner Josh Campbell.

Professional Artist Craig Thomas of Farmington (above) works on a copy of Edgar Degas’s “The Millinery Shop” during the third annual Arcadia Valley Chalk Festival held Saturday, June 30, at The Arcadia Academy. 

Winning artists in all categories included:  (Junior artists) 1st prize - Sophia Beck, 2nd prize - Olivia Hartupee, 3rd prize - Ireland Berton; (Aspiring artists) 1st prize - Felicia Ruiz-Coon, 2nd prize - Shelby Chan, 3rd prize - Erica Crady; (Professional artist) 1st prize - Bella Randolph

Gov. Mike Parson visited the Arcadia Valley Career-Technology Center last Thursday, June 28, to emphasize both his legislative priorities and the education funding in next year’s state budget. Traveling with him was First Lady Teresa Parson.

The governor was given a tour of the CTC and visited with staff and students.

In his short address, Gov. Parson lauded the efforts of State House Budget Committee Chair Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick, State Senate Budget Committee Chair Dan Brown, and Rep. Chris Dinkins, who was also present for the visit.

“This,” Parson said, referring to the CTC, “is the future of Missouri. The young men and women from communities just like this will be our workforce of tomorrow.

“What we don’t want to keep doing is to graduate students with a large amount of debt and no place to go, or for them take a job that takes them forever to dig out of that hole.”

The 3rd Annual Arcadia Valley Chalk Festival will be held this coming weekend, June 30, at the historic Arcadia Academy.

This festival is a family friendly experience for locals and tourists alike, hosted by Darwin and Katherine Rouse, owners of the Academy.

The festival opens at 10 a.m. with a myriad of artistic vendors and challenging fun contests.  It will end at 10 p.m. with a fireworks display.  All events are free of charge.

This year will again have live music, including Ryne Watts taking the stage at 11 a.m., as well as L.S. Express at 3 p.m.  In between and after will be more music (including The Driftaways and Bobby Powell) and other entertainment.