‘News’ Articles
Written by Ray Province on 14 August 2010
The last month of Ozarks weather has been hot. Several summertime heat records have been broken. In Springfield, we have bumped along 100 degrees for several weeks. It sure makes me wish we had the summer weather of the last couple of years.
Today, we have yet another heat advisory and warning. So, there are several things to be on the look for today in the Ozarks. Try to confine outdoor work to the early morning and late evening. The temps are at least coooler then. Be on the look out for heat exhaustion, in yourself and others. Drink lots of water and little alcohol. (Sorry, even the Irish/Scots cut back on this hot a day!) Also, watch pets. Make sure they have water. We even put out an extra water dish for the animals that kind of roam our part of little Fair Grove, Missouri.
Please also, if you have older family members, check on them a lot. Many of these folks do not run air conditioning in the summer. They can dehydrate just as quickly. Ozarks weather has been hot, but we can beat the issues by sticking together.
Watch your gardens also. They really need water this time of year. We have been lucky to get a little rain the last two days. That really helps, cause plants love the warmer water temp. Cold water tends to shock vegetables.
Stay cool, fellow Ozarkians!
Ray Province, the Celtic Ozarkian
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Written by Ray Province on 08 April 2010
Frost comes to the Ozarks is what Brandon Beck of KY3.com was telling me. Unfortunately, he was right. It got down to a chilly 35 degrees in Fair Grove Missouri, at my old Celtic Ozark Garden. It’s good that it didn’t freeze, but the frost could damage flowering plants, trees, and growing vegetables.
I did take time to cover all the tender young plants in the yard. I also took time to water everything well in the afternoon, while it was sunny. The wet soil will help to protect the plants. So did the covers, as it keeps the frost off the plant. Traditionally, this technique works well. Bringing plants in from the outdoors for the night is also an option.
Tonight, we have a chance of dipping down in temperature again, to around 35-36 degrees. So, don’t forget to take care of the little plants. Remember, we are not past the last recorded frost date for the Ozarks yet. The average is around April 15th. Uncover the plants today, as the temperature will get up around 60 again.
We’ll talk again soon,
Ray Province, The Celtic Ozarkian
Tags: cover plants, frost, Ozarks, plants
Posted in Food, Lifestyles, News | No Comments »
Written by Ray Province on 19 March 2010
A farily significant spring snow storm may well be headed to the Ozarks. It is organizing in the Oklahoma area, and will implact the Ozarks over the weekend. The storm can bring very heavy rain, localized flooding, and potentially heavy snow. In my neck of the woods, it looks like we could get up to 5 inches. Sleet is also a possibility with this storm.
I was listening to Brandon Beck of KY3 this morning on the KGBX morning show with Woody P. Snow and Jane Lane. Brandon is saying we need to keep an eye to the sky with this one, and keep up with the latest weather. A lot of this storm’s impact will depend upon air tempures throughout the atmosphere. Of course, the ground has gotten a lot warmer now, so the roads will end up slushy.
Follow the latest on the storm form here. WEATHER FORECAST
Tags: Ozarks, spring snow storm, winter weather ozarks
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Written by Ray Province on 06 March 2010
In light of a recent ruling by the Missouri Supreme Court, the red light camera program in the City of Springfield, Missouri has been declared unconstitutional. As a result, the 13 cameras have been turned off. The city has also hired an independent counsel to look at an appeal of the decision.
The question all over town is this: what to do with the fines that have already been collected by the city? I could certainly see a string of suits coming. All pending tickets were suspended, as of the day of the ruling.
It sounds strange, but I think the city ought to keep the money. It really worries me when we start retroactively applying the rule of law to things willy nilly. At the time of the fines, the law was legal. Now it is not. I am not sure I would have dropped the other pending tickets either. Let people have their day in court.
It may be worth noting that there are some statistics floating the Internet that showed the red light cameras were reducing the amount of people running red lights in town. If the issue is due process, perhaps the law can be modified. It certainly seems to slow people down.
It will be interesting to see what happens with the red light camera program in the city of Springfield. The deal with traffic light fines will not go away soon. We’ll just have to see how it plays out. If you have a differing opinion, let me know. I would love to get a public debate started here.
Raymond C. Province
The Celtic Ozarkian
Tags: red light cameras, Springfield MO, traffic light fines
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Written by Ray Province on 28 February 2010
I was saddened to hear that Ozark icon Lyle Mabe passed away this week. Lyle had been sick for some time. Now, he gets to make God laugh! Those of us who have seen him perform will miss him.
Lyle and his brother strarted “The Baldknobbers” show in Branson Missouri in the late 1950′s. My father in law, Andy Luce, used to do the dry cleaning for them, at Andy’s Dry Cleaners on Commercial Street. It was at a time that building such a show was a big step. Silver Dollar City was not the big draw then. You also did not have a host of Nashville stars there to help you either. Yakov was a baby!
Lyle used to help promote the city of Branson in the 1960′s by making bus tours to local areas to promote the town as a fledgling entertainment location. He also used to do some work for Lebanon’s Empire Gas compnay. He had a great stage presence, and easy style that came to be known as “hillbilly comedy.” I’ll never forget him running around with no teeth.
Goodbye friend. The Circle will be unbroken bye and bye,
Raymond C. Province
The Celtic Ozarkian
Tags: baldknobbers, lyle mabe, Ozarks
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Written by Ray Province on 19 February 2010
Let’s kick our farmers in the backside again. As if our economy is not tough enough, we actually considered an increase in the property tax that would be assessed to farmers in the State of Missouri. Fortunately, the MO State Legislature had enough sense to stop it, at least for now.
We already have a weird system in Missouri for taxing farms anyway. We take into account the productive value of the land. So, if you happen to be doing OK on your farm, based upon the formula, you would get hammered harder than the old boy who hasn’t brush hogged his field in years.
The House voted 143-11 to block the bill. It’s dead for now, but I guarantee it will be back! While you are waiting, you need to do two things: sell your fertile land to some developer, who will build cheap houses on it, and write a thank you letter to the State Tax Commission for proposing the stupid idea in the first place.
I’m on a role this week,
Raymond C. Province
The Celtic Ozarkian
Tags: farmers, Missouri, property tax
Posted in Lifestyles, News | No Comments »
Written by Ray Province on 18 February 2010
We found a bomb in Branson Landing? What is our world coming to? I’m beginning to think that the Landing should have been left as a trout fishing spot, and boat launch.
On Wednesday night, a man from Florida and a woman from Missouri alledgedly planted two bombs at the Branson Landing. It was “alledgedly” enough that they were taken into custody. The homemade bombs would not have damaged much in the way of buildings, but really could have hurt people.
Now I’m not that crazy about the Landing myself. I enjoyed the old lake front, where I used to take my kids to feed the ducks, while I fished. My wife used to swim in Taneycomo there. A lot changed when the old business owners were forced out, but even that injustice does not justify this type of behavior.
Florida: what would someone from Florida have against Branson Landing? The Bass Pro shop is smaller than the sister store in Orlando. Our seafood is not as fresh as what I get in my favorite market in Panama City Beach. The fire show is not as cool as going to Kennedy for a launch. What’s the deal?
It’s days like this that make me wonder about my fellow human beings. God asks me to love ‘em all. But when I read stories like this in the news for the Ozarks, I’m not feelin’ the love.
We’ll talk again soon,
Raymond C. Province
The Celtic Ozarkian
Tags: Bass Pro Shops, bomb, Branson Landing, Florida, Ozarks
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Written by Ray Province on 18 February 2010
It’s been a hard year on the Mayors of the Ozarks. It has been especially hard on two rather foolish ones. What were they thinking?
The interim Mayor of Galena entered an essential guilty plea in court this week to assault charges on the former Police Chief. The Mayor got a little wigged out, and assaulted the Chief at a council meeting. Bet old Buff Lamb wouldn’t have put up that kind of behavior.
Then we have the Mayor of Nixa, who wants the town to let him stay after being found guilty od a DUI. There’s a role model for the kids. He needs to step down, and be thankful no one was killed while he was driving drunk. I don’t have a problem with someone having a bit too much to drink. I just want them to call a friend. Mr. Mayor, have you heard of using a designated driver?
People of Galena and Nixa weigh in please. We’ll talk again soon.
Raymond C. Province
The Celtic Ozarkian
Tags: assault, DUI, Galena, Mayors, Nixa, Ozarks
Posted in Events, News | No Comments »
Written by Ray Province on 14 February 2010
The Seroma Chili Cook Off 2010 was a big success in the Ozarks again. The event brought out around 8000 people this year. Place a cup in everyone’s hand, and let them roam, and you can begin to understand how much chili was cooked and eaten this year. It is staggering.
The event was held at the Springfield Expo Center. It was big enough to fill both floors. In fact, if you counted, there were over 90 different kinds of chili available for your culenary tasting.
Besides the good food and drink, the Seroma Chili Cook Off has raised well over a million dollars in its history. This year, the take was good also. It will be going to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Springfield, Missouri.
Posted in Events, Food, Lifestyles, News | No Comments »
Written by Ray Province on 06 February 2010
IdentityTruth is sharing its top 10 tips for avoiding ID theft in 2010.
IdentityTruth’s statistics point to a continual year-to-year increase in identity theft-related crimes, indicating that as criminals get more savvy, identity theft becomes easier to perpetrate. The best bet is for consumers to remain informed on how different life events — from shopping and traveling to starting college and getting married — increase their risk for ID theft.
“ID theft is about much more than simple credit card fraud. What many consumers may not realize is that at different points in one’s life, we are all made more vulnerable to identity theft related crime,” said Steven Domenikos, CEO of IdentityTruth. “Taking some simple steps now and being extra-vigilant can help people from becoming victims of identity theft.”
- When traveling: Know where your credit cards/debit cards are at all times — it’s easy to get distracted when on vacation and out of your usual routine. Double-check credit card receipts when traveling out of the country, as some receipts still print out the cardholder’s full name and credit card number. If you’re going to throw receipts in the trash, be sure to shred them.
- When shopping: Be careful when using ATMs: only use ATMs with monitoring cameras, such as those in bank lobbies. Avoid kiosk ATMs, those freestanding units often do not have cameras and are statistically more likely to be infected by skimmers (electronic devices that allow thieves to record account and PIN numbers). “Shoulder Surfing” can also be a problem at crowded stores, so don’t be afraid to question someone that is standing too close. When making purchases online, look for a familiar logo that indicates that the site is deemed secure.
- When filing taxes: Check with the Better Business Bureau to determine the creditability of your tax preparer before you entrust them with access to your personal information. Beware of calls “from” the IRS: if you receive a phone call from the IRS asking for personal information, hang up, because it’s a scam. Also, the IRS does NOT email taxpayers: if you receive emails pretending to be from the IRS asking for your personal information, this is also a scam. Don’t use online filing programs (make sure the tax filing software resides on your desktop) — online filing programs are easily penetrated by identity thieves, and sensitive information could end up on countless other servers. And finally, protect your desktop: make sure your computer has the latest antivirus and spyware to protect you from invasion.
When getting married: For women — definitively make the decision to either keep your maiden name or assume your spouse’s name — using both leaves room for error, as it would be difficult to keep track of where you’re using one versus the other. Keep your marriage license and other personal documents locked in a safe and secure
- place. Make sure your SSN does not appear on the marriage license, and decide how you will filling for taxes (jointly or separately) and file early with the correct name.
- When starting college: Almost half of all college students receive credit card applications on a daily or weekly basis. Many of these students throw out card applications without destroying them — be sure to destroy yours. Almost 50 percent of students have had grades posted by Social Security number — when you go to the security office to get your student ID, be sure to ask the school to not use your social security number as your college ID number.
- With consumer electronics: Never store identifying names, companies, or login information on your cell phone. If you lose your cell phone, all this information can be easily extracted off your SIM Card and used to access your personal information. If you lose your cell phone, contact your provider immediately to report the loss. IdentityTruth’s research shows reported cases of stolen computers have more than doubled over 2008 — have your laptop engraved with identifying information, as research shows that thieves are then less likely to steal them.
- When using social networking sites: With millions of people using social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace — and sharing sensitive information such as their full name, date of birth and address information – there are countless opportunities for identity thieves. Individuals should set restrictions on their profiles so that only friends can view their information, and should delete history/cookies if accessing those sites through public computers.
- When a loved one passes away: Although it may seem unthinkable, statistics show that identity thieves prey on the sick or deceased (known as “ghosting”) due to an increased likelihood that the theft will go undetected. Notify the Social Security Administration of a death at 800-722-1213. The SSA maintains a master file that is used by all the CRAs before issuing credit. Close all bank and credit accounts and remove the deceased’s name from all joint accounts, and notify credit reporting agencies of the death.
- The basics: Write “see id” on the back of each credit card and demand that the recipient verify your identity. Frequently look over your credit reports- question all suspicious activities. Before and after you use your credit card, be sure to cover the numbers with your hand- you never know who may be watching. Shred all credit card applications that come in via mail.
- Consider signing up for an ID theft monitoring service: Identity theft is America’s fastest growing crime. Your security goes well beyond your credit report. Identity thieves can apply for government benefits, receive medical care, obtain driver’s licenses and jobs all in your name. ID theft monitoring services provides alerts beyond what shows up on your credit report; when considering an ID theft monitoring services, comparison shop to find the one that provides the greatest value.
Tags: identity theft
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