Drought, fires and deforestation battered Amazon rainforest in 2024LACONIA — Bidders who want to be sure they get the item they want — at the price they want — may place a max bid on items over a $300 value in this year’s Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction. The auction will be held from Tuesday, Dec. 10 through Friday, Dec. 13, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Belknap Marketplace in the former CVS location. Early bidding, and the placement of max bids, will begin on Black Friday, Nov. 29, at 9 a.m. and extend through Friday, Dec. 13. Anyone can register as an auction bidder online at ChildrensAuction.org . Registered bidders can then bid early and place a max bid on high-value items over $300. Bids will automatically go up in increments to keep the bidder in the lead, up to the max limit set. “We'll let you know if someone outbids you, and you can decide if you want to increase your max limit,” said Executive Director Jennifer Kelley. Want to donate an item? Visit childrensauction.org/post/collection-box-locations to see all the drop-off locations in the region. “The organization is still seeking items of any value for this year’s auction,” Kelley said. “While many items have been received at this time, there is a need for thousands of items to raise enough money to meet the needs of the community.” Auction leaders will collect new, unused, unwrapped items right up to the week of the auction. Gift cards, electronics, tools, toys, sporting goods and household items all bring the highest bids. For more information, visit ChildrenAuction.org .
Croatia’s incumbent president wins most votes at polls but still faces runoffJEFFERSON CITY — A Republican-backed law requiring Missouri voters to present a photo ID at their polling places survived a second court challenge Monday. In a 39-page decision, Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem again rejected a lawsuit challenging the voting law . A separate lawsuit on other provisions of the measure is still pending. The law, which was approved by the GOP-led Legislature and signed by Republican Gov. Mike Parson two years ago, has been touted by supporters as ensuring clean elections, even though there have been few examples of voter fraud. Beetem said the individuals and groups that filed the lawsuit could not prove the law had injured them in their right to vote. He had previously dismissed their lawsuit and ruled similarly after it was amended and went to trial. “The individual plaintiffs have failed to establish an injury to any protected interest,” Beetem wrote. “Their claim that their provisional ballots may be rejected is purely speculative.” Beetem also said the plaintiffs had been able to vote during the most recent election and in elections prior to his ruling. The decision was praised by Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey. “We went to court, we put on the evidence and radical activists working to undermine our elections failed. This is a huge win for election security,” Bailey said in a social media post. The photo ID law was included in a larger “voter integrity” law approved by lawmakers following former President Donald Trump’s unfounded claims that the 2020 election was rigged against him. Attorneys representing the Missouri League of Women Voters and the NAACP brought the lawsuit, arguing that voters without IDs will be left unable to cast ballots. Under the photo ID provision, people without a government-issued ID can cast provisional ballots to be counted if they return later that day with a photo ID or if election officials verify their signatures. The law requires the state to provide a free photo identification card to those lacking one to vote. Beetem also said the Secretary of State’s office, which conducts Missouri elections, has spent more than $100,000 in attempting to educate voters about the law. At the state level, the case was handled by Assistant Attorney General Jason Lewis, who was named a St. Louis County judge by Gov. Mike Parson last week. There are 36 states that request or require identification to vote, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.