Speakout 1/27

I agree with the caller who called about the Cardinals. It's a dirty shame the St. Louis Cardinals have to across to the East to get a ball player for them, especially where there are so many Americans who need jobs over here and so much American talent in ball players. It's a dirty shame that jobs that are much-needed here in America are taken overseas.

I'd like to SpeakOut about the way our government sends millions of dollars to foreign countries to help them out; then they blow up and bomb buildings and kill innocent people. I say to hell with them. Before we send any more money to foreign countries, we should take care of our own. We have homeless people in this country who could use the help. Veterans who have fought in foreign wars do not get the benefits they deserve Before we spend any more money on foreign countries to help them out, let's help out the propel back home. Let's bring these much-needed jobs, that were sent overseas, back home.

I understand that Charter Cable is responsible for the programming and for the information that you get for the newspaper. Someone needs to inform them that channel 5 that they list as 9 as a PBS station has not been available since November.

The change in PBS stations has been given to the company which provides our channel listings. You should see the change reflected in the daily information soon.

I was recently told that, for the first time, East Prairie has an African-American running for the school board. If this is the first time a person of color has run, how come? What is the percentage of blacks and persons of color in East Prairie?

Bridgett Williams, a candidate for the East Prairie school board, is indeed African-American and is the first black person to run for the board as far as anyone knows. To answer the second question, you would have to approach each of the black residents of East Prairie and ask them why. Martin Lucas, who served on the school board, said some have been approached about running, but none have ever shown an interest on being on the school board. Jack McIntosh, superintendent for East Prairie schools, said blacks make up 1.5 percent of the district's student population. Census 2000 figures list blacks at 2.3 percent of East Prairie's population, according to Lonnie Thurman, assistant city administrator for East Prairie.