Joplin devastation
It's going to be hard to concentrate on much of anything today except the suffering going on in Joplin, just an hour away from us. When I went to bed last night, the death toll was 24. This morning, it's 89 and sure to climb higher. I just read an article that said if it reaches 115, it will be one of the 10 worst recorded tornado death tolls in the country. Not a record anyone aspires to achieve.

Our thoughts and prayers will be with our customers, friends, and everyone in that area, a place that was forever changed in a few moments yesterday evening.

One of my best friends lives in Joplin. We taught next door to each other, and she later became my principal, then superintendent. Just as soon as I heard about the storm last night, I called to check on her. Since she lives in a subdivision west of the city, her worst problem was hail damage. We even made plans for me to drive up on Tuesday for lunch and some shopping. Obviously, that was before the extent of the damage was known. Right now, I'm sure the best thing for those of us who aren't involved in rescue or clean-up efforts is to stay away.

Once again, we are reminded how precious life is, and how quickly our world can be forever altered.