Local News – Thursday, May 11th, 2017
An accident occurred at 4:25 Tuesday afternoon in Shannon County on Highway 19 about ten miles north of Eminence. According to the highway patrol report, a 2002 Suzuki Verona motorcycle driven by 40-year old William E. Sweigard of Salem was traveling southbound on highway 19. The accident occurred as Sweigard lost control of the motorcycle and overturned. Sweigard suffered moderate injuries and was transports by ambulance to the Salem Memorial District Hospital in Salem. He was wearing a safety device at the time of the accident. The Suzuki Verona motorcycle sustained extensive damage and was towed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing of Salem.
Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation shows that turkey hunters checked 39,239 birds during Missouri’s 2017 regular spring turkey season April 17th through May 7th. The top harvest counties were Franklin with 932 birds checked, Texas with 843, and Callaway with 697. Young turkey hunters harvested 4,100 birds during the 2017 spring youth season, April 8-9, bringing the overall 2017 spring turkey harvest to 43,339. The 2016 overall spring turkey harvest was 48,374 birds with 4,167 harvested during the youth weekend and 44,207 during the regular spring season. He added that the number of birds harvested this spring wasn’t too far behind last year’s harvest total going into the second weekend of spring turkey season, but the heavy rains that blanketed much of the state shortly thereafter caused the harvest to drop rapidly. In the local area, there was a total of 631 turkeys checked in Dent County while Phelps County had 606 birds harvested followed by Crawford County with 479 birds taken. The 2017 spring turkey season included two non-fatal hunting incidents. One involved a shooter who mistook another hunter for a turkey and the other was a self-inflicted shooting injury.
The National Association of Letter Carriers, (NACL) is once again conducting a “Help Us Stamp Out Hunger, Spread The Word” campaign and it will be held this Saturday, May 13th. All you have to do is fill a bag and place healthy non-perishable food donations near your mailbox and the local mail carriers will pick those items up. All items collected will be distributed to local food pantries for distribution.
“Old Mill Days” will be held Friday May 12th and Saturday May 13th at Montauk State Park from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. This annual event celebrates the historic Mill and rich Ozark heritage. Each year, the valley comes to life with historical re-enactors, historical artisans and other local Ozark crafters. Step back in time and explore lost traditions of a time many have forgotten. Friday is an educational day for students and the public alike. On Saturday, the event doubles in excitement as local artisans will be selling their wares in front of the mill. Contact the park naturalist for more information at (573) 548-2225.