News – Thursday, July 18th, 2024

The Dent County 4-H and FFA Expo is underway. Exhibit Entries were judged yesterday followed by the dessert auction in the evening. Today, livestock registration will be from 9:30 until 11:30 and all livestock must be in place by 11:00am. Livestock weigh-ins are scheduled to start at noon. The “Pig Pals” show is at 5:00 followed by the exhibitor and family supper at 6:30. Friday’s shows will kick off at 7:00 with the hog show, followed by the Sheep and Goat Show. The Small Animal show is scheduled to start at 1:00 and it will be followed by the Beef and Dairy Show. Buyer supper is at 6:30. Saturday will be the culmination of the Expo with the 4-H and FFA Market Sale at 9:00. For additional information contact the Dent County Extension office at (573) 729-3196.

To celebrate 35 years of river conservation, Stream Teams United and the Missouri Stream Team Program are hosting the 2024 Watershed Celebration at Meramec State Park on Saturday, July 27th. Missouri Stream Teams from around the state are invited to attend the festival, which also celebrates the 25th anniversary of Stream Teams United, a non-profit partner of the program. The Missouri Stream Team Program is a volunteer-led effort to conserve Missouri streams. Sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, and the Conservation Federation of Missouri, the program focuses on education, stewardship, and advocacy for Missouri stream resources. In 1988, a small group of anglers became fed up with unsightly trash disrupting their fishing in Roubidoux Creek in Pulaski County. These conservation-minded Missourians decided to clean this section of stream, thus forming the first Missouri Stream Team in 1989. The Roubidoux Fly Fishers Association, Stream Team #1, is still going strong 35 years later. The program has since grown to more than 6,000 Stream Teams around the state with more than 135,000 volunteers. MDC Evgagement Specialist Cara Coates Coates says the ongoing work of more than 6,000 Stream Teams and their volunteers have made significant positive impacts on the health of Missouri’s streams over the last 35 years. That work includes volunteers giving more than 3.5 million hours of time, removing more than 14,127 tons of trash from Missouri waterways, planting 405,794 trees along streams, conducting 35,049 water quality monitoring trips, and stenciling 21,741 storm drains. As part of the Missouri Stream Team Program celebrations they invite all Teams to attend the 28th Annual Watershed Celebration at Meramec State Park on Saturday, July 27. The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and includes lunch provided by the Missouri Stream Team Program, kids games and crafts, tubing on the Meramec River with complimentary shuttle and other activities including free camping offered to Stream Teams Friday and Saturday evenings on a first-come, first-serve at Group Site A at Meramec State Park. Registration is required to estimate attendance. To learn more about Missouri Stream Teams and how you can participate, visit mostreamteam.org.

Onondaga Cave State Park will celebrate the reopening of its famous cave on Friday, July 19, at 10 a.m. with a special lighting ceremony. The cave has been closed while a new LED lighting system was installed, marking the completion of the first of several revenue bond projects for Missouri State Parks. Discovered in 1886 and opened for tours in 1904, Onondaga Cave has been a popular tourist attraction for 120 years. As a National Natural Landmark, it draws over 20,000 visitors annually to view its rare and majestic speleothems. The new LED system replaces the outdated incandescent lighting installed in the 1950s. This upgrade will benefit the cave’s ecosystem by reducing invasive algae growth and providing a more suitable environment for cave-dwelling creatures. Onondaga Cave State Park is located at 7556 Highway H in Leasburg. For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Energy is now accepting applications for subgrants under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG), with applications being accepted through July 30th. Nearly $2.4 million is available to local governments for projects that will promote energy savings, energy conservation or emissions reductions in communities that were not eligible for formula EECBG funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. Applicants may request between $100,000 and $500,000 for eligible projects. To learn more about EECBG and download the required application forms, visit dnr.mo.gov/energy/grants-loans/efficiency-conservation-block-grant. Questions about the application process can be directed to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Energy at energy@dnr.mo.gov, 573-751-2254 or toll-free at 855-522-2796.