Joplin Hospital To Reopen; Local Service Agencies Say Be Discriminating With Aid

By Laura Ziegler

Kansas City, Mo. – Officials in Joplin say the St. John's Regional Medical Center will be rebuilt, after being all but demolished by the EF5 tornado last weekend.

Also, emergency management officials said this morning anybody needing to get into the most heavily damaged areas of the city will need official credentials or ID placards. Volunteers, construction workers, and residents wanting to get back to their homes are included under this new rule. Meanwhile, Harvesters, area service agencies, and the regional office of the Federal Emergency Management Agency are warning people not send food or supplies to the disaster site. They encourage people to check the websites for the various agencies to see specific requests and needs.

Security around the tornado destruction in Joplin has tightened, and now volunteers, construction workers, and residents all are being asked to state their purpose for entering those areas.