Timeless leadership... Bryan Long, outgoing Oak Grove city administrator, was presented with an engraved clock from City of Oak Grove and Board of Aldermen as a tribute to his leadership. photo by Sandra Cowherd
Farewell luncheon honors service of city administrator
by Sandra Cowherd
About 75 people attended a farewell luncheon August 6 in honor of the City of Oak Grove's outgoing city administrator, Bryan Long.
"We thank you for the day. We thank you for the Longs. We ask that you bless them as they travel south to Oklahoma," Hank Melhorn said, as he called the luncheon to order with a word of thanks. "We have been blessed with their presence for the last four years. We have learned from them. We hope they have learned from us."
City staff, fire department, police department, business people, chamber of commerce members, current and former aldermen were on hand to wish the Long family well. Read complete story in Focus on Oak Grove.
P&Z Committee considers site plan for the Dream Center
by Ruth Beamer
Oak Grove Planning and Zoning Committee met for nearly two hours August 5 to reconsider a second request for approval of a site plan for the Dream Center at 10th and Broadway and to discuss a proposal for a downtown overlay district. Uniform Development Code (UDC) changes also were considered.
The original Dream Center site plan approved in 2006 expired after 12 months. After the plan was approved, little work was completed and the Board of Aldermen directed staff to issue a dangerous building code violation. The site plan is unchanged other than the type of facade that is now required in a C2 zone.
Discussion between committee members and Tony Knight, vice president of S&T Enterprises, developers of the Dream Factory, brought issues from both sides to light. Read complete story in Focus on Oak Grove.
| Linda Williams named new OGHS assistant superintendent
by Sandra Cowherd
Linda K. Williams, Grain Valley, new assistant superintendent at Oak Grove R-6 Schools, grew up in Higginsville. She earned a bachelor of science degree from Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg, a master of science from Texas A&M Commerce, and specialist in administration from CMSU.
Williams knows education from a teacher's point of view.
"I spent the first 17 years of my career in Texas as a high school business teacher," Williams said. "The bottom line is all good administrators know about teaching." Read complete story in Focus on Oak Grove. |
|
Linda Williams |
Oak Grove R-6 noncertified staff to receive 3.5% wage increase
by Bud Jones
During a special August 6 meeting, members of the Oak Grove R-6 Board of Education approved a 3.5% wage increase, retroactive to July 1, for all full-time noncertified district staff members. Vote to approve was 7-0.
According to Dr. James Haley, district superintendent, the wage increase for noncertified staff members will cost the district an additional $54,764 during the 2008-09 school year.
Proposal was initially introduced to board members by Haley during the July 28 meeting, but several board members indicated at that time they needed more time to evaluate the proposal. Read complete story in Focus on Oak Grove.
Fulks attends mayoral caucus meeting Friday
by Sandra Cowherd
Oak Grove mayor Mark Fulks attended the first Metropolitan Caucus of Mayors on Friday. Kansas City mayor Mark Funkhouser hosted the meeting in downtown Kansas City.
Friday meeting was organized to ascertain if there is enough interest from Kansas City area mayors to continue organizing caucus. Oak Grove mayor felt there seemed to be strong interest and he plans to attend the next caucus meeting.
"The basic idea is mayors from the area get together to compare notes on problems and solutions," Fulks said. Read complete story in Focus on Oak Grove.
| 
