A group of Northwest Missouri senior citizens recently helped set priority bills during the 35th annual session of the state’s Silver Haired Legislature in Jefferson City.

The legislature advocates for senior citizen interests throughout Missouri.

Those attending were senators Sharon Ferris of Trenton, Dale Faulkner of Tarkio and Helen Leimbach-Zech of Plattsburg; and representatives Edwin and Dorothy Allender and Mary Catherine Damm, all of Chillicothe; Dale and Patricia Midland of Maryville, Martha Rush of Sheridan, John Murphy of Maysville, James Crenshaw of Lathrop, Claude Brandon of Savannah, Joyce Nixon of St. Joseph, Jennie Vertrees of Princeton and Howard Trullinger of Eagleville.

Delegates selected the following five issues as priorities to be presented to the 2009 Missouri General Assembly:

Simplifying access to information for Missourians needing long-term-care services

Increasing meal funds for area agencies on aging

Adding to the asset limits for the Missouri Health Net program

Increasing the personal needs allowance of senior citizen care facility residents on Medicaid

Regulating payday loans.

The delegates debated and voted on 22 separate proposals over the three-day session.

Betterment honored

More than 350 representatives from communities across the state will attend the 45th Missouri Community Betterment annual conference and banquet Oct. 20 in Jefferson City.

Community volunteers and youths will be recognized for their efforts to promote economic development and residents’ quality of life. The program will begin the afternoon before with registration activities.

Northwest Missouri communities entered in this year’s competition are Allendale, Jameson, Graham, Grant City, Albany, Cameron and Maryville.

Sgt. Sheldon Lyon of the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Troop H will be among the conference’s speakers.

Fall color tour

The 22nd annual Poosey Conservation Fall Driving Tour is set for Sunday in rural Livingston County.

The tour is held at the Poosey Conservation Area, which comprises 5,142 acres northwest of Chillicothe.

The area will be open to the public to view examples of Missouri Department of Conservation land management and the display of fall colors. Resource professionals will be available to explain various programs and answer questions.

The tour runs from noon to 4 p.m. The Poosey Conservation Area is located on Missouri Route A, one mile west of the Missouri Route W junction. A sign also marks the area on Route A, one mile east of the Missouri Route U junction.

Call (660) 646-6122 for more information.

Ray Scherer can be reached

at rscherer@npgco.com.