News – Friday, October 3rd 2025

The 62nd Annual Rose Holland Trout Derby will be held today through Sunday at Montauk State Park. Derby fishing hours on both Saturday and Sunday will begin at 7:30 in the morning. Fishing will end at 6:30 Saturday evening and at 11:30 Sunday morning. Several activities will take place in conjunction with the derby including a cruise-in car show Friday from 3:00 until 7:00 at the Searcy Building Parking Lot across the Dorman L. Steelman Lodge sponsored by the Current River Car Cruisers. On Saturday, there will be a Health Screening by the Texas County Memorial Hospital from 9:00 in the morning until noon. Make sure you fast for 10 to 12 hours for the best results. From 11:00 in the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon, families can enjoy face painting, pony rides, bounce houses, games and walks throughout the grounds. A Corn-hole Tournament will begin at 1:00 with prizes awarded, and there will also be live entertainment starting at 5:00 in the afternoon and lasting until about 8:30 Saturday evening featuring James Van Kirk from Licking and others. On Sunday, prizes will be awarded in front of the lodge starting at noon including attendance prizes, the kids’ heaviest stringer, heaviest brown trout as well as any tagged fish that were caught and registered. All the proceeds raised from the derby will benefit the American Heart Association. For more information about the derby, call 573-548-2434.

Missouri has entered the fall harvest season and it’s important that drivers and farmers pay attention and share the road. In 2024, there were 194 Missouri traffic crashes involving farm equipment or implements. In those crashes, two people were killed and 65 were injured. Whether you are driving a vehicle or operating farm machinery, these crashes can be prevented by paying attention to the full-time job of driving and obeying all traffic laws. For farmers, make sure your farm equipment is properly marked with lights and a “slow-moving vehicle” emblem when you travel on the roadway. Be sure the lights and reflective materials are clean and free of debris to be visible. Utilize escort vehicles to warn motorists when moving equipment that is wider than the lane of travel. This is especially important on roadways that are narrow or have hills/curves that limit sight distance. If traffic accumulates behind you on the road where it is difficult to make a safe pass, pull off onto the side of the road in a level area, so vehicles can pass. Always drive as far to the right as possible and avoid traveling at dawn or dusk. Often, all-terrain vehicles are used for agricultural purposes. ATVs being used for farming can only travel on highways during daylight hours and must be equipped with lights, a bicycle flag, and a “slow-moving vehicle” emblem. The law requires anyone under the age of 18 to wear a safety helmet when operating an ATV. If you are driving, stay alert for slow moving farm equipment especially on hilly rural roads. When you drive behind a tractor or other farm machinery, please slow down and be patient. Wait to pass until you have a clear view of the road ahead and there is no oncoming traffic. Never pass on a bridge or when sight distance is limited by a hill or curve. Collisions commonly occur when a motorist tries to pass a left-turning farm vehicle. A tractor that appears to be pulling to the right side of the road to let motorists pass, may actually be preparing to make a wide left turn. Watch the farmer’s hand and light signals closely. Special attention must be paid when traveling at dawn or dusk when the sun makes can make it difficult to see. Traffic safety is everyone’s responsibility. It’s that simple.