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Kansas City News Today Kansas City Front Page is a weekly news publication, with daily updates, spotlighting attractions, events, business and hospitality in Kansas City. |
KANSAS CITY NEWS TODAY - Sunday, August 9, 2009  New State-by-State Reports Show How Health Insurance Reform Will Benefit All Americans KANSAS CITY, MO, (kansascityfrontpage.com), August 9, 2009 - HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has released Stable and Secure Health Care for America, a series of new state-by-state reports outlining how health insurance reform will improve health care for all Americans. Sebelius announced the availability of the new reports as part of a Webcast -- "Health Insurance Reform: What's In It For You?" -- where Sebelius and top HHS officials took questions from the American people and discussed the importance of health insurance reform. The new reports are available at on the Internet at www.HealthReform.gov "These reports show how health insurance reform will help Americans save money, get better care, strengthen their insurance if they already have it, and afford insurance if they don't," said Sebelius. "Every American will benefit when we pass health insurance reform." The reports are the second in a series of state-by-state reports on health care across the country. Earlier this summer, Sebelius released The Health Care Status Quo in Your State, a series of state by state reports on the current state of health care in America. The report for Missouri and Kansas is available at http://www.healthreform.gov/healthcarestatus.html. The full H.R.3200: America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 (Introduced in House), is available on the web site for the Library of Congress at www.thomas.gov/
KANSAS CITY, MO, (kansascityfrontpage.com), August 9, 2009 - First Lady of Missouri Georganne Wheeler Nixon and USPS District Manager and Lead Executive Danita Aquiningoc dedicated the Missouri State Flag stamp, August 6, in the Rotunda of the Missouri State Capitol. The commemorative postage stamp is one of 10 featured in the third edition of the popular Flags of our Nation stamp series. The Missouri flag was designed by Mrs. Marie Elizabeth Oliver of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Governor Elliot Major signed the bill into law that made the "Oliver flag" the official state flag of Missouri on March 22, 1913. "On behalf of the Governor, I am pleased and honored to help dedicate this stamp commemorating the Missouri state flag," Nixon said. "Our state's heritage is closely tied to the history of America's two greatest rivers, the Mississippi and the Missouri, and that heritage is reflected in the design of this stamp. The Governor and I encourage Missourians to obtain this stamp as a way to celebrate our history." As it crosses the nation on the face of an envelope, Aquiningoc said the Missouri State Flag stamp will represent the great state of Missouri. She said, "This stamp will be a calling card for educators, children, and historians to learn more about Missouri's rich heritage. It will enrich philatelic collections around the world and encourage children to start stamp collections. It may evoke pleasant memories of a childhood or vacation spent in Missouri. The Missouri State flag stamp will mean different things to different people; however, to Missourians, I believe it will mean "home."
OVERLAND PARK, KS, (kansascityfrontpage.com), August 9, 2009 - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded Smith Electric Vehicles U.S. Corporation (Smith) a $10 million grant toward the production of all-electric, zero emissions commercial trucks for a nationwide demonstration project to validate performance across a range of climates and locations. The grant will help to hasten vehicle purchasing and deployment among Smith's customers as the government provides incentives to reduce the cost of commercial vehicles. The trucks will be purchased by and distributed to customers nationwide, including AT&T, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Frito-Lay, Kansas City Power & Light, Pacific Gas & Electric Company and Staples, which were presented with the keys to the first U.S. Smith Newtons last week in an event on the National Mall. To produce its new electric vehicle fleet, Smith has already announced the imminent opening of a new production facility in Kansas City. The grant will contribute toward new equipment and accelerate hiring plans for "green collar" manufacturing employees. The announcement came at an event held at Kansas City Power & Light's vehicle maintenance facility. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced the grant on behalf of the administration. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, II and Mike Chesser, chairman, Kansas City Power & Light, were also in attendance. "This project is an endorsement of the electric commercial truck industry and begins to provide the resources needed to quickly increase production volume, which in turn will lower costs, increase demand and create more jobs," said Bryan Hansel, CEO of Smith. "We have the potential today for tens of thousands of electric trucks in the fleets of corporate America. This demonstration fleet will allow major corporations to evaluate the technology at greatly reduced cost, which we expect will rapidly accelerate the shift from trial phase to volume orders. "Today the Obama Administration demonstrated its commitment to this fast-emerging industry and to green fleet vehicle technologies that will define the future of American automotive manufacturing. We are honored to be among the DOE grant recipients and commend the Administration for its leadership and shared vision that we can create a viable, sustainable industry and deliver green fleets today," continued Hansel. Smith vehicles feature the latest in Lithium-ion battery cell technology, power management and direct drivetrains. The grant program supports demonstration fleets of two Smith vehicles: the Smith Newton and a Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) version of the Ford Transit Connect, which is built through a partnership with Ford Motor Company.   The Kansas City Front Page is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan Kansas City area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com All rights reserved world wide © 2007 - 2009 Moore Design Group. |
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