It Figures

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Deer are causing more problems for Nebraskans, and it’s not just on the highways. Two homeowners reported that deer crashed into their houses recently, according to the Associated Press. Monnie and Harvey Maske say they came home from church one Sunday to find their home in shambles. There was broken glass, furniture knocked over and blood everywhere. Monnie Maske says they thought someone had trashed their home until they found a set of antlers outside a broken picture window in the living room. About three miles away, another homeowner reported a deer had crashed into his basement window. Police tried to track the deer but had no luck.

850

A Missouri highway safety coalition has set a new goal of cutting annual traffic accident deaths to less than 850 by 2012, which would be the lowest mark since 1949. The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety wanted to get highway deaths below 1,000 by this year. It met that target a year early with 992 Missouri traffic deaths in 2007. The coalition includes the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. One of the group’s top priorities has been urging lawmakers to let police stop a driver solely for a seat belt violation. Rural lawmakers have been the main obstacle to that legislation.

$5.7 Million

Missouri does not have to refund more than $5.7 million in taxes paid by eight insurance companies because the firms’ request to get their money back didn’t arrive on time. The out-of-state insurance companies each requested refunds from taxes paid in 2004 on premiums collected in Missouri, according to an Associated Press story. The deadline for seeking their tax refund fell on a Saturday. The insurance companies’ Express Mail request could not be delivered until the following Monday, so the Revenue Department rejected it. The Missouri Supreme Court upheld that decision Nov. 4, in a 7-0 ruling. The high court ruled that no provision allows for an extension in such circumstances if the deadline falls on a Saturday.

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South Dakota officials have announced that the state now has four teams of emergency specialists to help communities respond to disasters. Gov. Mike Rounds says 41 people volunteered to be on the Incident Management Assistance Teams to help make South Dakota a safer place to live. He says the teams can help communities that become overwhelmed by local emergencies. The four teams are organized in regions and can be deployed to any area of the state.

Topics Legislation Missouri