Nixon To Tour Storm Damage Saturday

STATE OF EMERGENCY

Governor Jay Nixon will tour the storm damage at Fair Grove High School Saturday, one day after a swath of wind-whipping storms swept across Missouri, damaging property, causing injuries and taking at least three lives.
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The roof was ripped off the Fair Grove High School as a result of what's being called by meteorologists as an "inland hurricane."

Nixon's tour is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m.
Willard Rep. Shane Schoeller says he'll also attend.
The Governor is slated to visit Joplin around 11 a.m.

Nixon declared a state of emergency earlier Friday:
"My primary concern is the safety of Missourians and this executive order makes state agency resources available to help communities respond to the storms," Gov. Nixon said.
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CONGRESSMAN ROY BLUNT STATEMENT:
"My thoughts and prayers are with the families and communities . . . Our area has seen this type of destruction and much worse in the past but always come together to help friends and neighbors recover."

Kinder, Nixon Recognize Ice Storm

Noticeably, there were no mentions during the State of the State festivities Tuesday night, but on Wednesday both Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder and Governor Jay Nixon recognized the thousands that remain without power in the southern most parts of Missouri.

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KINDER'S STATEMENT:

"Over past 24 hours, many towns and communities across the southern portion of our state have been crippled by devastating winter weather. These storms have resulted in mass power outages, transportation problems and the need to open warming shelters in many towns. From speaking with local government officials, it appears that Scott and Stoddard Counties have been some of the hardest hit in our state. A short time ago, I sent a letter to Gov. Nixon asking him to declare a state of emergency for the regions hit hardest by this storm. At this hour, it is apparent that these towns need our help. During this crisis, we must respond quickly with the full resources of the State Emergency Management Agency and the Missouri National Guard."

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NIXON ORDERS NATIONAL GUARD HELP:

"Several cities in southeast Missouri are without power, and members of the Guard will help ensure that crucial service providers such as hospitals, nursing homes and water treatment facilities are able to function,” Gov. Nixon said. “I commend the men and women of the Missouri National Guard for always being at the ready to help their fellow Missourians."

Guard soldiers will be supporting locals in southern and southeast Missouri. It isn't clear if any Guard troops are in southwest Missouri, but thousands of residents in Barry, Stone and Taney counties remain without power.

The winter storm event has received blanket coverage on KY3 newscasts, as well as other southwest Missouri T.V. stations.

Kinder's Call

BLUNT CONSIDERING REQUEST

BRING ON THE HEAT

A spirited campaign for Lieutenant Governor, a call for a special session, and the ongoing financial pickle of providing heating assistance to seniors and low-income Missourians as the cold weather approaches.

***WATCH THE KY3 NEWS @ 10 REPORT HERE***

Peter Kinder calls for a special session to address to pass $103 million dollars for seniors and low-income residents. He says the money needs to be approved now -- so it can get to those in need in December, not February or March.

"When they come between the months of January and March, we're kind of behind the game. The cold weather months, as we know, come many weeks before that," Kinder says. "Under this plan, it could conceivably start in December, well before Christmas."

OACAC Executive Director Carl Rosenkranz reacts:

"The timing is unusual, however it may have taken that long to get information together. On the surface, the timing is a little unusual, but maybe that's how long it took, I don't really know," says Rosenkranz. "We always thought it would be better to have it as part of the regular appropriations and then you wouldn't have to call a special session."

THE PAGE CAMPAIGN REACTS:

"Voters will not be fooled by Lt. Gov. Kinder's sudden change-of-heart 8 days before an election," says Page spokesperson Bret Bender. "A full-time lieutenant governor would have been advocating for seniors during the legislative session, when it would not have cost taxpayers $100,000 per week and when oil was twice the price it is now. This is nothing more than the transparent political stunt of a losing campaign," adds Bender. "It's too early to see what affect the new surge in federal funding will have for utility bill assistance. Matt Blunt and Peter Kinder have already left $1.6 billion in Washington that should have provided health coverage for our citizens. We cannot afford to turn our backs on more federal dollars because Lt. Gov. Kinder is looking for a bump in the polls," Bender goes on.

CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR WON'T GO NEAR IT

"The Lt. Gov is treating it as a campaign issue. We’re not going to comment on the Lt. Gov’s campaign," says Jay Nixon spokesperson Oren Shur.

"He defers to the current governor on this call," says Kenny Hulshof spokesperson Scott Baker.

THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE REACTS:

"Governor Blunt is considering Lieutenant Governor Kinder's request," says Blunt spokesperson Rich Chrismer. "The governor has said it is very possible that it makes sense to do this in a Special Session. Lieutenant Governor Kinder is a great advocate for Missouri seniors and others who need this type of assistance so the governor was not surprised he made the request and he will consider it very carefully," Chrismer adds.

WATCH MONDAY'S Q & A WITH KINDER BELOW:

McCaskill Compares McCain to Missouri Weather

Appearing on FOX News Wednesday, Sen. Claire McCaskill compared John McCain to Missouri weather:

"John McCain, frankly, Neil, has reminded me of the weather in Missouri, when it comes to economic policies. Wake up tomorrow, and it's going to change.
He has been all over the map. One day, he's a regulator. One day, he's a deregulator. One day, he says government should get out of the way. The other day, he's proposing huge government programs."

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McCaskill goes on to talk about race, and Obama's tax plan.

FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE

Emerson Talks Earthquake Preparedness

Researchers, emergency officials and Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson are preparing for a potential earthquake in the New Madrid zone, reports Ky3's Dave Snider.

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"The sooner we get ready for it, the better prepared we are. Then, we'll pray, it won't happen," says Emerson. Adds that even if the epicenter is in Arkansas or Tennessee, "the area that's going to be impacted is HUGE."

"We're Not Going To Go Out And Buy Everybody A Weather Radio"

BOND OFFERS SOME TRUTH SYRUP

TO STORM VICTIMS DURING DAMAGE TOUR IN NEWTON COUNTY,

WHEN ASKED ABOUT HOW MUCH THE FEDS SHOULD PROVIDE TO PEOPLE TO PREPARE FOR THE NEXT DISASTER

***WATCH JOINT KIT/CLAIRE CLIP ABOVE***

Flooding: Also Harmful To Blogging

BEAVER DAM

Carroll County, Ar.

Flood Victims Can File Taxes Late

Taxpayers in 35 Missouri counties approved for federal disaster assistance will get an extension to pay most of their taxes.

The announcement comes from Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder, and could impact many Ozarks residents impacted by recent flooding.

Flood victims will now have until May 19th to file their 2007 returns.

“Missourians who have been devastated by this historic flooding will now have more time to focus on the fundamental task of returning their lives to normal,” Lt. Gov. Kinder said.

“Although, this simple extension will not recover lost belongings or replace damaged homes, it is our hope that moving this deadline will alleviate one more concern in this time of misfortune," he added.

Taxpayers in the following Ozarks counties qualify for the extension: Christian, Greene, Laclede, McDonald, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski, Shannon, Stone, Taney, Texas, and Webster. The Department of Revenue considers taxpayers who live in, have businesses in, or employ tax preparers in the affected counties eligible for the relief.

Missouri taxpayers who qualify need to indicate their eligibility for relief by including the phrase “Missouri Severe Storms and Flooding” at the top of their tax forms so the Department may take appropriate action.

Governor Blunt: Prepare For More Flooding

(RED is Bad.)

"I URGE MISSOURIANS . . . TO HEED FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS."

They say the Ozarks is a good place to raise your family. Maybe if your a father of water rats.

The worst weather in America is scheduled to continue Thursday, and Gov. Matt Blunt is even ramping up expectations. “The National Weather Service indicates several more inches of rain will fall across the state impacting areas impacted by the recent flooding,” Gov. Blunt said in a statement. "I urge Missourians to watch for and heed flash flood warnings and if necessary seek shelter with friends or relatives outside of the areas vulnerable to flooding.”

The director of Public Safety is even urging residents to "monitor the media."

(Please, our higher ups don't need any encouragement;)

Tune to any of your local stations for yet another weather Freak Show.

Flooding, Flooding Everywhere

THE WEATHER FREAK SHOW

COMETH

Highway Z east of Fordland in Webster County

(Courtesy: KY3 Weather Team)

Snowballed

Not all live shots are created equal, especially in the snow. So, I spend the entire night slugging around Arkansas covering their snowstorm, and this is the thanks I get? If you want to see what I mean, just fast forward to the end of my story, to the live shot.

And to think, the story wasn't even political.

Slushstorm

The ice fell early this morning in Springfield, but later turned to rain, making this more of a slushstorm than anything else. At least in the Springfield area.

For us political junkies, the real storm will come tonight -- when Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton face-off in Texas at CNN's debate. Clinton needs a long-ball tonight. As Pat Buchanan puts it, "she's in the 2-minute drill." You can bet the Obama folks are boning up on Kosovo and Serbia right now.

And what do make of this John McCain story and his personal-professional-romantic relationship with the lobbyist? To steal Tim Russert's language, it looks to be "lots of smoke, but no fire." To me, the most striking thing is the timing of the release of the story. We know the New York Times had planned to run this story back in December, but opted against it after pressure from the McCain campaign. Would this have altered New Hampshire and beyond? The right seems to be rallying behind McCain now, so in that sense, it may end up being a unifer among conservatives.

Will it have legs? Further reporting would be the key to uncovering a possible fire festering beneath the smoke.

Frozen Over

No work e-mail. Or Internet. Thousands without power. It's the worst ice storm in the Ozarks since, well --- last year. Pardon the interruption. But in local TV news, weather is life.

Tornado Warnings on Election Day

ONLY IN THE OZARKS

WILL WEATHER HAMPER TURNOUT?
WARNINGS IN:

SOUTHERN STONE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MISSOURI...
TANEY COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MISSOURI...
* UNTIL 415 PM CST.

The Storm Before The Storm

TWISTERS PUMMEL THE OZARKS

. . . AS NEW HAMPSHIRE GETS READY FOR HISTORY

As Southwest Missourians get hammered with a round of relentless tornadoes, the people of New Hampshire are beginning to vote in the nation's first primary.

As tradition, voting in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire begins at midnight.

If the polls are correct (they were basically right in Iowa), Barack Obama will defeat Hillary Clinton Tuesday -- possibly by double-digits. Maybe that's why Hillary Clinton cried today. Or maybe, just maybe, she's human like the rest of us. Either way, it looks like Tuesday will deliver an aftershock to the initial political earthquake just 5 days before.

On the Republican side, poll after poll shows John McCain narrowly ahead of favorite neighboring son Mitt Romney. But observers see Romney gaining momentum in the final 24 hours, winning over coveted independent voters that McCain is counting on. The more Republican this primary is, the better it is for Romney. McCain is hoping to split the G.O.P. vote, and win independents, sending him towards one of the greatest political comebacks in history. Romney won't go quietly, but a loss Tuesday will mean one foot in the grave.

The year is just 7 days old, and it's already been politically fascinating. The first credible female candidate is on the ropes to an African-American superstar, being compared to the likes of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy. Who would have thought that the longer, more interesting race could be the Republican one? And after the dust settles on these amazing primaries, how will the general election live up to the hype?

Here's to hoping you and yours are safe from the storms tonight . . .

Blunt On Fox Tuesday Morning

GOV. WILL TALK WINTER WEATHER

Gov. Matt Blunt will be a guest on FOX News Channel’s America’s Newsroom with hosts Bill Hemmer and Megyn Kelly on Tuesday at 9:10 a.m. Central time regarding Missouri’s emergency response efforts to severe winter weather.

You can watch my KY3 News @ 10 report on the hardest hit area by the ice storm HERE.