Local News – Thursday, November 30th, 2017
An accident occurred at 11:20 Tuesday night in Dent County on Dent County Road 6490 about a mile north of Jadwin. According to the highway patrol report, 26-year old Richard Hutchings of Salem driving a 2017 Chevy Impala swerved to miss a deer in the road and went off the right side of the roadway and struck two trees. Hutchings suffered minor injuries and was taken to the Salem Memorial District Hospital by a private vehicle. Hutchings was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Impala was totaled and removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing.
According to a report from the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department, 40-year old Michael Garrison was arrested Tuesday afternoon in St. Clair and was charged with the abandonment of a corpse. Garrison’s charges came from a Phelps County Sheriff’s Department investigation from the discovery of a female body on January 17th, in a ditch at the intersection of Phelps County Roads 3000 and 3220 that was called in to Central Communications by a citizen. The woman was later identified as 25-year old Kayla Wilson of Cuba, formerly of Salem. After an autopsy it was determined that the cause of death was due to an accidental overdose. The investigation later revealed Garrison and another male subject were responsible for abandoning the body in the ditch on January 17. He was transported to the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department where he later posted a $15,000.00 bond. The charge is merely an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. Evidence in support of the charges must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has granted Missouri an extension through October 10th, 2018, to satisfy requirements of the REAL ID Act and its regulations. During this extension, federal agencies may accept Missouri-issued driver licenses and identification cards for official purposes, including air travel. Joel Walters, director of the Missouri Department of Revenue, the state agency that oversees the issuance of driver licenses stated he was pleased that the Department of Homeland Security has recognized the State’s efforts on this issue. With this extension, Missourians will not be inconvenienced while they continue their work to improve state-issued identification.
Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that young hunters ages 6 through 15 harvested 3,056 deer during Missouri’s late youth portion of the 2017 deer hunting season, which ran November 24th through 26th. Top counties for the late youth portion were Franklin with 72, Douglas with 71, and Howell with 69 deer checked. During the late November portion of the youth season Dent County totaled 60 deer, while Crawford County checked 39, Iron County recorded 9, Phelps County checked 46 and the number for Shannon County was 27. Last year’s harvest total for the late youth portion was 2,944. For the latest deer harvest totals by county and portion, visit MDC’s website. Archery deer hunting continues through Jan. 15, 2018. Up next for deer hunting in Missouri is the antlerless portion of firearms deer season which runs December 1st through 3rd. Lastly, the alternative methods portion will run December 23rd through January 2nd, 2018. Get more information on deer hunting in Missouri through MDC’s free 2017 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet available where permits are sold, from MDC regional offices and nature centers, and online at MDC’s website.