AREA NEWS
New Toll-Free Number to Provide H1N1 Flu and Vaccine Information
New Toll-Free Number to Provide H1N1 Flu and Vaccine Information Call 1-877-FLU-4141 for around-the-clock assistance Missouri residents can call a new toll-free number for information about the H1N1 flu, from symptoms and basic medical advice to the availability of the new H1N1 vaccine.The number, 1-877-FLU-4141 (1-877-358-4141), will be answered 24 hours a day, seven days…
Read MorePatient Safely and Infection Control Are Top Priorities for Keokuk Area Hospital
Patient Safely and Infection Control Are Top Priorities for Keokuk Area Hospital In hopes to keep patients and visitors from receiving the H1N1 virus, Keokuk Area Hospital (KAH) has temporarily changed its visiting policy. The Hospital is not permitting visitors under the age of 18.Keokuk Area Hospital is also asking patients who have scheduled tests,…
Read MoreOctober 18-24, 2009 is National School Bus Safety Week
October 18-24, 2009 is National School Bus Safety Week The Missouri State Highway Patrol would like to inform the public that October 18-24, 2009 is National School Bus Safety Week. “Last year, one person was killed and 400 people were injured in school bus crashes. Missouri experienced 1,069 traffic crashes involving school buses,” said Colonel…
Read MoreCULVER-STOCKTON COLLEGE REPORTS FIRST CASE OF H1N1
CULVER-STOCKTON COLLEGE REPORTS FIRST CASE OF H1N1 CANTON, Mo. –Culver-Stockton College has reported its first case of H1N1 on campus, which may also be the first confirmed case of the flu virus in Lewis County. Dean of Student Life Wendy Powers said the student exhibited flu-like symptoms last week and removed herself from campus to…
Read MoreBond PROPOSES AMENDMENTS TO BLOCK BACKDOOR EPA REGULATIONS
Bond PROPOSES AMENDMENTS TO BLOCK BACKDOOR EPA REGULATIONS Senator Submits Provisions to Protect Family Farms and Small Businesses WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kit Bond today introduced a pair of amendments to protect farmers, families and workers from backdoor attempts by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to impose new carbon dioxide regulations. “These…
Read MoreMissouri wind speeds for energy production lower than predicted
Missouri wind speeds for energy production lower
than predicted
COLUMBIA, Mo. –Average wind speeds in Missouri are lower than reported on a
state-produced wind map, said a University of Missouri atmospheric scientist.
This finding may affect utilities and private investors planning to build wind
turbines to provide clean, renewable energy.
Lower-than-predicted wind speeds also may make it harder to meet goals set
in 2008 by Missouri Proposition C, which requires investor-owned electric
utilities to obtain a gradually increasing percentage of their energy from
renewable sources.
In a two-year study, MU atmospheric scientist Neil Fox gathered data from
10 wind towers across the state. At 100 meters (230 feet) above ground level,
the height at which wind turbines operate, wind speeds averaged between 0.1 and
1 meter per second slower than estimated on a wind map produced by the Missouri
Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
“While this is not good news, on the positive side, it is better to know
the genuine wind speed rather than overestimate things,” Fox said. “To reach the
targets of Prop C, we will need to use a range of renewable sources, and the
amounts of each type of energy have to be based on accurate data.”
The DNR wind map used measurements of ground-level wind speeds and other
data to estimate wind speeds at turbine height, he said. “Characterizing how
wind changes as we go up above the surface is actually very difficult. The
standard equations that get used don’t always work very well.”
The strongest winds are in the northwest corner of the state. Fox said
these sites appear to be the ones where the errors are smaller.
“In northwest Missouri, where most wind farm development to date has taken
place, we’d expect to see slightly less power generated than we might have
thought before,” he said. “Developers are not going to get quite the same return
on their investment as they thought.”
The disparity is worse in other parts of the state, though Fox said that
wind power in those areas still has potential for niche applications. “There may
be a role for smaller turbines, for personal or community-based power generation
rather than these large wind farms that a utility company would build.”
He noted that two years might be too short a time to establish a definitive
climatology. The DNR wind map drew on data sampled over a 15-year period. Both
data sets contain uncertainties calling for more investigation, he said.
“We may find that these last two years we’ve been measuring were the worst
two years in history,” Fox said. “Or we may find they were the best two
years.”
Luetkemeyer Fights for Rural Auto Dealers During Small Business Committee Hearing
Luetkemeyer Fights for Rural Auto Dealers During Small Business Committee Hearing WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9) today went to bat for rural auto dealers at a hearing to evaluate decisions by General Motors and Chrysler to close nearly 40 percent of their independently owned dealers and the impact these closures will…
Read MoreInitiative Petition Relating to Repealing the Nonpartisan Court Plan Approved for Circulation for 2010 Ballot
Initiative Petition Relating to Repealing the Nonpartisan Court Plan Approved for Circulation for 2010 Ballot Jefferson City, Missouri – Secretary of State Robin Carnahan announced today that a new initiative petition met state standards for circulation. The petition would amend the Missouri Constitution relating to the repeal of the nonpartisan court plan. The ballot title…
Read MoreMunzlinger Launches State Senate Campaign
Munzlinger Launches State Senate Campaign First District State Representative Brian Munzlinger isn’t ready to retire to his Williamstown farm. After serving in the Missouri House since 2002, Munzlinger made it official that he was a candidate for the 18th District Missouri Senate seat, challenging first-term incumbent Wes Shoemyer. Munzlinger could not run for his House…
Read MoreMissouri Electric Co-op CYCLE Means Education and Fun
JEFFERSON CITY, MO — Eighty-two high school students from across Missouri recently participated in the Electric Cooperative C.Y.C.L.E. program. C.Y.C.L.E. stands for Cooperative Youth Conference and Leadership Experience. The conference was held July 15-17, 2009, in Jefferson City. Selected as outstanding young leaders Kelsey Arnold, Shelby Bailey and Kristen Buttig, sponsored by Lewis County Electric…
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