News – Monday, May 26th 2025

Memorial Day ceremonies will be held at each of the five Missouri Veterans Cemeteries today. Each of the ceremonies will include a keynote speaker, firing volley, and a reading of the names of all Veterans that were interred in the cemetery during the last year. Missouri Veterans Cemeteries Executive Director Paul Kirchhoff said that being present at these Memorial Day ceremonies is a small way we can show respect and honor our military members and thank their families for their dedication and sacrifice. He encourages everyone to attend one of these events and pay tribute to these heroes. Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day was established as a day for Americans to honor those who were killed during the Civil War. MVC continues the tradition of honoring fallen military members with remembrance events at all locations. In South Central Missouri the Missouri Veterans Cemetery – Ft. Leonard Wood is located at 25350 Highway H, Waynesville, with ceremonies starting at 1:00. For more information about the Missouri Veterans Cemetery at Waynesville contact Stacy Wilson at 573-774-3496. The Missouri Veterans Commission operates seven State Veterans Homes, five Veterans Cemeteries, the Veterans Suicide Prevention Program, and the Veterans Services Program. The Commission is committed to honoring and serving Missouri’s Veterans whose dedication and sacrifices have preserved our nation and its freedoms. For more information about the Missouri Veterans Commission programs, call 573-751-3779 or visit mvc.dps.mo.gov.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds hunters and anglers that squirrel, and black bass seasons is open. The hunting season on eastern gray and fox squirrels runs through Feb. 15, 2026. Allowed methods include shotguns, rifles, and other legal firearm methods, as well as archery equipment, slingshots, or atlatls. Squirrels may also be harvested with cage-style traps during the hunting season as long as hunters have a valid Small Game Hunting permit. Traps must be labeled with the hunter’s full name and address, or Conservation Number, be attended daily, and have an opening of 144 square-inches or smaller. The daily limit for hunting, including the use of cage-style traps, is ten and the possession limit is 20. Hunters must have a permit valid for hunting small game or be exempt. Get more information on squirrel hunting and trapping from MDC’s 2025 Summary of Missouri Hunting and Trapping Regulations online at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/4yJ. Need recipe suggestions? Browse squirrel recipes at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZcQ. Anglers may catch-and-keep black bass, such as largemouth, smallmouth, spotted/Kentucky bass, through Feb. 28, 2026. Black bass can be found statewide but have a closed season part of the year in most streams south of the Missouri River. Black bass can be caught and released legally throughout the year anywhere in Missouri, and legal-sized bass may be kept all year long from impoundments and streams with no closed season. In most state waters, the daily limit on black bass is six. Fish taken from most rivers and streams must be 12-inches long. Additional regulations may apply to specific waters or areas. Anglers must have a valid fishing permit or be exempt. Find more information on bass fishing in MDC’s 2025 Summary of Missouri Fishing Regulations, available where permits are sold, or online at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/4yU. Find tips from MDC on cooking fish at their website, https://short.mdc.mo.gov/Zrk.