Southwest Missouri News

Branson

Recycle Center earns first income

For the first time in nine years of operation, the Branson Recycle Center has yielded income for the city of Branson. According to a city of Branson news release, final figures are in from August 2000 through August this year, the first period during which the Branson Recycle Center processed its own materials, and it processed a total of 568 bales of material.

That material included 279 tons of cardboard, plastic, aluminum and various types of paper, and it brought $3,690 in income. The center remains "heavily subsidized" by tax dollars, the release stated.

To increase efficiency and improve appearance, several renovations are being made to the Branson Recycle Center, such as a new freight dock on the east side of the facility and a screen around the fence on the south and west sides.

A grant from the Solid Waste District will fund the materials for the new dock, and a grant also will pay for the construction of a pole barn that will protect workers and equipment during inclement weather.

"Branson area residents are doing a good job recycling, with 28,000 vehicles using our Recycle Center last year. We also have at least 50 businesses who regularly bring us their cardboard, plastic or aluminum cans," said Debbie Redford, environmental specialist for the city of Branson.

Carthage

Companies support Day of Caring

More than 40 volunteers painted, sorted clothes for the needy, tutored students and did a variety of other jobs as part of the annual "Day of Caring" sponsored by the Carthage Area United Way on Oct. 9.

Volunteers from 10 Carthage companies and organizations worked at eight of the 17 agencies that benefit from United Way donations.

Volunteers worked at Carthage Cross-lines Ministry, Carthage Development Center, the Family Literacy Council, the Carthage Salvation Army, Sunshine Home Inc., at buildings in Carthage's Central Park used by Jasper County 4-H Clubs, at the Lafayette House in Joplin and at the Ozarks Area Girl Scout Camp south of Joplin.

The volunteers involved were from Leggett & Platt, JCT Title, Schmidt Associates, the Carthage Police Depart-ment, Carthage Radiologists, Southwest Missouri Bank, Schreiber Foods, McCune-Brooks Hospital, Carthage Water and Electric, and H.E. Williams.

The United Way sponsors "Day of Caring" events throughout the United States to encourage volunteerism, provide people in the community an opportunity to see how their United Way dollars are used and to provide volunteer help to the agencies and their clients.

Joplin

RWE takes over AWW

The takeover bid for U.S. water supplier American Water Works by the German energy group RWE has been accepted by the boards of both groups.

The deal still needs the approval of antitrust authorities and a majority of the shareholders of American Water Works.

Company officials said the deal should be completed by March to September 2003. It would make RWE the world's third largest water supplier, with 56 million customers in 44 countries.

American Water Works is the parent company of Missouri-American Water Co., which provides water to Joplin and other Missouri communities.

Freeman names board member

Dorothy "Dot" Bramlage Wilcoxon, owner of Food-4-Less and co-owner of Fort Riley National Bank in Fort Riley, Kan., recently joined the Freeman Health Board of Directors.

Wilcoxon is the immediate former chairperson of The Freeman Foundation and has served on several boards including the George A. Spiva Center for the Arts and the Jasper-Newton Medical Alliance.

The Freeman Health System Board of Directors is the operational board of Freeman East and West and is the parent board for all other Freeman subsidiary corporations including Freeman Neosho Hospital, Ozark Center and The Freeman Foundation. The board consists of 13 members.