Local News – Tuesday, October 13, 2020
After a few cooler evenings and morning, the forest and woodland hillsides in the Ozark Region are beginning to show a little more fall color this week, while other areas are still mostly showing various shades of green. Walnut and sassafras are turning, and some black gums are showing nice reds. Maples, black cherry, and elms are starting to show yellows and reds and should be very colorful over the next few weeks. On drier sites, oaks and hickories have yellow and brown leaves, but in areas where they receive more moisture, their leaves are showing just a hint of yellow. Look for them to reach peak color in middle to late October. Although not common, our native red mulberry trees, with their large, heart-shaped leaves, are bright yellow now. In open fields and along roadsides, sumacs are showing brilliant red. Some fall hot spots to take advantage of this beautiful time of the year to get out and enjoy nature is the Current and Jack’s Fork Rivers! Sinking Creek is also an excellent tributary to now only see great colors but the incredible bluffs. If you are in Texas County, check out the Barn Hollow Conservation Area and Buck Hollow Access where Highway 17 crosses the Jacks Fork River and provides excellent opportunities to view the fall color kaleidoscope.
The Missouri Department of Conservation has announced it has changed its mandatory sampling requirements for chronic wasting disease (CWD) to voluntary sampling in 30 counties during the opening weekend of this year’s November firearms portion of deer season. The change was prompted by ongoing cases and public-health concerns in Missouri regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. The change will impact hunters who harvest deer during the opening weekend of the November portion of the firearms deer season on November 14th and 15th in any of the 30 CWD Management Zone counties that include in our area Crawford, Franklin, Gasconade, Howell, Oregon, St. Francois and Washington. While CWD sampling is no longer required that opening weekend for the 30 counties in its CWD Management Zone, MDC’s 71 CWD sampling stations located throughout the zone will remain open. MDC encourages hunters to have their deer sampled for CWD on the day of harvest. MDC will be taking precautions to ensure the health of both staff and the public during CWD sampling. Social distancing will be practiced by MDC staff at all stations. MDC staff will wear gloves and face masks at all times. Hunters and those with them will be asked to remain in their vehicles while their deer is being sampled. Hunters will only be asked to provide county of harvest and will not be asked to identify harvest location on a map. MDC asks hunters and others who are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 to refrain from visiting CWD sampling stations. MDC will continue to offer statewide voluntary CWD sampling and testing of harvested deer during the entire deer season at select locations throughout the state, including participating MDC offices, cooperating taxidermists, and new freezer head-drop locations. Sampling and test results are free. Find locations and more information online at mdc.mo.gov/cwd or by contacting an MDC regional office.
Colonel Eric T. Olson, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, invites the public to visit the agency’s recently created Show-Me Integrity portal. Accessed through the Patrol’s website, visitors get an unprecedented look inside the Patrol. Colonel Olson said that they know that accreditation, core values, community policing, service, and protection are only words until you see how they apply them every day during every contact. The Show-Me Integrity portal provides insight into policies, training, and important functions, as well as related statistics. Learn more about your Missouri State Highway Patrol by visiting the portal at https://www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov and click on the “Show-Me Integrity” portal icon in the middle of the home page. Colonel Olson also said that he hopes the Show-Me Integrity portal conveys to Missouri citizens the high standards the employees meet as they perform their duties, plus they are proud to serve you with integrity, responsibility, respect, professionalism, compassion, resourcefulness, character, and commitment.
Monday was an historic day for the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla and for the state of Missouri. St. Louis businessman Fred Kummer and his wife June have donated 300 million dollars to the southern Missouri university he graduated from in 1955 which is the largest single gift in the history of Missouri higher education. S&T Chancellor Mo Dehghani says the funding will help to launch four new research centers focused on infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems. Dehghani says he hopes they will be game changers. The university also plans to use the gift on things like creating new faculty jobs, providing scholarships and fellowships as well as launching a shuttle service between S&T and St. Louis to bring students to campus. Kummer is the founder of St. Louis-based HBE Corporation, a design-build health care firm. Missouri S&T is a research university of over 8,000 students focused on science, technology, engineering and math.
Salem Alderman Kevin James has called for a City of Salem Utility Committee meeting to be held Thursday evening, October 15th at the Salem Community Center@The Armory at 1200 West Rolla. At the meeting, the committee will receive an update on the AMI Project and utility billing before getting an update on the BHMG’s AMI project review and assessment. Following that update, the utility committee will see demonstrations of online payments and pay-by-phone options. Finally any other topics from the committee members will be heard for future considerations and actions. The meeting of the City of Salem Utility Committee meeting is open to the public.