• Robin Williams – The Face of Inner Pain

    It seems nearly impossible to fathom that someone as brilliant and funny as Robin Williams could be so tortured emotionally that he takes himself out of the human race. Yet, last week, one by one, each of us across the whole globe, fixed our attention on the sad news of this beloved actor’s suicide. Sometimes, a blip of news in the vast sea of information we are bombarded with daily, seems to slap us so hard in the face that we can almost hear the collective groan rippling through space and time. Then we all try our best to reckon with reality. And what a devastating reality Robin Williams’ death reveals - that someone who, by his very nature, brought

    Aug 26,
    - by Toni Becker

  • Judge Sides With City – Awards $206k

    Sadly, the judge closed the case today and awarded the city $206k. But as a friend routinely says, did you expect anything else? On the plus side, the case is now fully resolved, which allows us to finally move toward an appeal of earlier decisions in the case.

    Jun 13,
    - by Brian Becker

  • Morgan’s Small Engine

    I needed a lawnmower back in 2007. I looked at the retail chains in town and several of the implement dealers out B Hwy. On one such trip out to the John Deere store, I saw red-and-grey mowers out front of an older block building with signage proclaiming "Morgan's Small Engine" I stopped in and met the owner: Emmett Morgan. Spending time with Emmett was a treat. He's a huge St Louis Cardinals fan and loves history which includes collecting beautiful photos of our area. He recently purchased three incredible black & whites which are proudly on display. One photo is of the Texaco station which was located near the corner of Westwood and Maud where First Midwest now sits. I bought

    Jun 13,
    - by Brian Becker

  • Looking Back…Three Long Years…And Pressing On

    Our hearing in May marked 3 long years of our battle with the City of Poplar Bluff over Open Access to the Network. And today, June 7, marks three years since appearing before City Council my first time. I actually remember thinking, on my way to city hall, that once they understood what Bach had done, they would correct it. How's that for naive? One of the most remarkable achievements during this time was our second petition drive. Just over 3400 Poplar Bluff verified voters signed the petition. Our group of volunteers turned in over 700 change of address or new voter registration cards. 5000 Poplar Bluffians show up to vote for Governor each election. Under 1100 showed up in

    Jun 07,
    - by Brian Becker

  • Make Good On Your Promise City Manager Bagby

    On May 1, 2013, I informed City Council that Bill Bach had not turned in the required Fuel Factor calculations since 2007 and further stated that Bill Bach should either resign or be fired. Councilman Brannum stated he would like to discuss the Fuel Factor issue at an upcoming meeting. City Manager Bagby then promised "I can get you accurate information [on the fuel factor]." (12:00 mins on the City Council Video) It's now June and Council has had three open meetings and Bagby still has not presented the "more accurate" Fuel Factor information. These calculations are required by City policy to be calculated every six months. According to City Clerk Pam Kearbey the city doesn't have calculations on file

    Jun 03,
    - by Brian Becker

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