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Storm Shelters save lives, but many people don't have them because they are simply too expensive. After witnessing the damage from the Joplin tornado, Russel Gehrke made it his mission to provide storm shelters to Joplin tornado survivors that can't afford one on their own. Gehrke said, “I noticed the playground at burger king was still standing and that was kind of like…huh.   And then I noticed another playground standing at the Catholic church. It got me thinking that the plastic used in the playgrounds that withstood the tornado, we could make a concrete form out of recycled plastics and build storm shelters that are more cost effective.” Testing storm shelters in an expensive endeavor.  The typical test costs about $3,500.  So, in order to cut down on those costs to test his new materials, Russel invented "The Shredder".  "The Shredder" is a glorified pitching machine that is powered by a motorcycle and can throw pipes and 2x4s at about 200 ft/sec.

 I was interviewed last Thursday by an Associated Press reporter who is doing a story on a bill that just passed the Missouri Senate which would make it illegal for teachers to communicate with students or former students (until they graduate from high school).   I understand the thought behind the bill, but as usual our legislators did absolutely no research into how social networking is being used by teachers to improve education, both for them and for the students.   My students have introduced me to many technological innovations and I have done my best to use these ideas to  help them.

Facebook hit a billion users Sept. 14, the company reported Wednesday morning. In a letter, Mark Zuckerberg said one billion people are actively using the website, calling Facebook his proudest achievement. "This morning, there are more than one billion people using Facebook actively each month. If you're reading this: thank you for giving me and my little team the honor of serving you," Zuckerberg's letter read. "Helping a billion people connect is amazing, humbling and by far the thing I am most proud of in my life.

HARRISON, Ark. -- Investigators with the Boone County Sheriff's Department say the website Facebook, came in handy for an arrest of a man and woman for weapons and drug charges this week.  Vicki Bogardus and Michael Wheeler are both convicted felons.  Investigators were monitoring a gun group on the popular website.  Officers say Bogardus was in that group, trying to sell an assault rifle.  Deputies went to her home and found 15 guns.  Wheeler...

TUSCUMBIA, Mo. -- The Miller County sheriff says a Facebook threat led to several students at Tuscumbia High School being suspended.  A citizen's tip started the investigation.  According to the sheriff, the students were threatening to retaliate after the district took disciplinary action following a prior incident.  No one in a position of authority will say how many students were suspended or for how long.  No charges have been filed....

The official beginning of summer means the beginning of the peak of travel season. Americans are expected to hit the roads and skies this year, like they haven't in the past few years. But experts say before you pack your bags, make sure your home is secure while you are not there. More than ever, some will be tempted to brag about their vacation online through social media, despite repeated warnings not to give away that information. "Younger folks especially admitted they updated their status or tweeted about their location and that's opening them up to greater risk of theft at their properties," said Timothy Bowen, Director of Property Claims with MetLife insurance.

Facebook has released its exhaustive 2012 Year In Review, a collection of the top events, memes, people and more from this past year. The Presidential election was the year's top event on Facebook, Fun's "We Are Young" was the most listened to song, and the top movie was The Hunger Games. The most checked-into place was Times Square, and the top sports team on Facebook is the New York Giants. That data in and of itself is a pretty fascinating read . But Facebook is also personalizing its Year In Review, culling the top posts, check-ins and stories from your individual timeline over the past year.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- An online sex sting landed a man from Nixa in jail last Saturday.  Springfield police say Mark A. Evans, 35, started chatting with a boy on Facebook and then scheduled a meeting with him for sexual relations. Police says this is an all-too-common problem: trusting teenagers going online and befriending people whom they don't really know that well, or people whom they don't know at all, and assuming it's harmless. Police say parents should beware. If a teenager quickly closes down the Internet if you walk up behind him, or if she tries to quickly toggle between pages, it could be a sign that he or she is up to no good.

CLAYTON, Mo. -- Clayton High school students say they thought a Facebook page for a teenager named Suzi Harriston wasn't real.  Hundreds of kids "friended" her before word got around it might be a ruse.  Shortly after the page was taken down, the principal, Louise Losos, stepped down as well. Parents call the allegations troubling.  The school district issued a statement saying the district and Losos had a fundamental dispute concerning the appropriate use of social media.  A new principal has been appointed.

What started as a Facebook campaign will become reality for a special kind of Barbie doll. Earlier this year, a facebook page encouraged toymaker Mattel to create a bald Barbie for children who deal with medical conditions that cause them hair loss. Mattel now says it will produce the doll beginning in 2013. Mattel says these special Barbies won't be on store shelves however. Right now Mattel is planning to give the dolls directly to children who've been affected by hair loss through certain hospitals.

Brandon Beck KY3 Meteorologist bbeck@ky3.com Facebook Twitter  

BRANSON, Mo. - A well-known talk show host will make his way to Branson for two separate three-day stretches in May and June. Jerry Springer will The Welk Resort Branson's "The Price is Right, Live!" show from May 24-26 and June 6-8, the resort said on the Facebook page for "The Price is Right, Live!" The show is a live stage version of the television game show. Contestants are chosen from the audience to participate and win a variety of prizes. Springer is perhaps best-known for hosting the talk show "The Jerry Springer Show" that covers a variety of topics.

Brandon Beck KY3 Meteorologist bbeck@ky3.com Facebook Twitter  

Brandon Beck KY3 Meteorologist bbeck@ky3.com Facebook Twitter  

SPRINGFIELD -- A Springfield man faces domestic assault charges after Police say he beat up his girlfriend in a fight, reportedly, over a Facebook photo. Marcus O'Neal, 28, is charged with three counts of domestic assault.      According to court documents, O'Neal noticed his girlfriend marked "like" on a Facebook photo of her female friend with a guy.      Police say O'Neal became jealous and turned violent after seeing the posting.      Although the woman told him she was not involved with the man in the photo, court documents state O'Neal slapped her, picked her up by the neck, carried her to the bedroom and threw her on the bed.      All the while, her kids begged him to "please stop.

Brandon Beck KY3 Meteorologist bbeck@ky3.com Facebook Twitter  

Brandon Beck KY3 Meteorologist bbeck@ky3.com Facebook Twitter  

OZARK, Mo  -  The Ozark Fire Department is hoping to get some new equipment, and they're asking for the public's help. They've entered a contest sponsored by Phenix Fire Helmets to win 40 new fire helmets.  The department says the helmets they have now are about seven years old but there isn't enough money in the budget to buy new ones. If the department wins the contest for the 40 new Phenix TC-1 helmets, they say it will help offer them the protection they need to keep their community safe.  "We could use them, of course, any fire department could use them because of the tough economic times right now, we're struggling just as well as several other departments out there," says Cpt. T.J. Hughes with the Ozark Fire Protection District.

CAPE FAIR, Mo. - Firefighters from several agencies responded to a fire that burned two mobile homes Sunday afternoon. According to the Southern Stone County Fire Protection District's Facebook page, one home was fully involved and another caught fire at the Sunny Lane Mobile Home Park in the Cape Fair area. Firefighters from Northern Stone County, Jenkins and Central Crossing worked alongside Southern Stone County fire crews to contain the blaze, which reached a second alarm. Southern Stone County firefighters said Monday morning no one was injured in the blaze.

Brandon Beck KY3 Meteorologist bbeck@ky3.com Facebook Twitter