News – Wednesday, October 9th 2024

The 61st Annual Rose Holland Trout Derby was held this past weekend at Montauk State Park with incredible weather! The Derby raised $16,829 which set a new record for the tournament with the proceeds benefiting the American Heart Association. The money came from the silent auction, trout tag sales and the country store. There were 776 trout tags sold Saturday and another 412 on Sunday. A total of 64 tagged fish were caught during the derby with 15 of them lunkers. Three of the fisherman who caught lunkers were from the local area: Chance McDonald from Rolla caught a 6 lb, 4 oz lunker; Fred Martin of Licking caught a six pound lunker, and Patrick Potts of Licking caught a 3 lb, 8 oz lunker. The Men’s Heaviest Trout caught was by Ken Noce of Bloomsdale, Missouri, which also won him the Slippery Liz II Award for the heaviest fish and it was nine pounds and four ounces; and the Women’s Heaviest Trout was caught by Lisa Brenneke of Bismarck for the third straight year and it weighed in at two pounds and 15 ounces. The Heaviest Brown Trout caught during the tournament weighed in at five pounds and was caught by Garrett Wilfong of Des Arc. Taking First Place in the Kids Heaviest Stringer was Caleb Byrd of West Plains whose stringer total was at four pounds, seven ounces. The Second Place winner in the Kids Heaviest Stringer was Emmett Stafford of Silo, Missouri and his total catch weighed in at four pounds and five ounces. The 3rd place award went to Cole Andrew Petty of Farmington with a stringer that weighed in at four pounds and four ounces; while Gavin Steinhorn of Hazelwood took 4th place with a stringer of four pounds even. The Slippery Liz I trophy, which is the first tag drawn at the derby, went to Phillip Minttler. Fourteen attendance prizes were also given away. The Derby is held in honor of Rose Holland who was the trout hatchery manager at Montauk for 24 years who passed away in 1963 from heart disease. Co-Coordinator of the derby, Darlene Griffith, wanted to thank all those who attended this year’s derby and all the volunteers who helped make it a great success!

The cooler temperatures and changing leaves are a tell-tell sign that winter is on its way. In preparation, the Missouri Department of Transportation will hold its annual winter operations drill on Thursday, October 10th. Motorists may notice an increased number of MoDOT trucks on state routes during the drill, which will begin at 8:00 in the morning in rural areas and 9:00 in urban areas. The exercise should be completed by 3:00 in the afternoon. With turnover rates and many positions still open, driver training on this day is more critical than ever. MoDOT has approximately 3,000 employees across the state involved in work to clear roads and bridges when winter weather hits. During the drill, MoDOT employees will react to a simulated forecast of significant snow for the entire state. The department’s emergency operations centers will active, and all employees involved in winter operations will be deployed to their trucks. Emergency communications systems will also be tested. MoDOT spent $38 million on winter operations last year and used 81,000 tons of salt; 928,000 gallons of salt brine; and 134,000 gallons of beet juice. MoDOT is several hundred employees short of having full staff to plow two 12-hour shifts. Applicants are being accepted now for full-time maintenance workers and for emergency equipment operators. For more information on how to apply for a position with MoDOT, go to www.modot.org or call 888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636). 

The Heartland Regional Food Business Center (HRFBC) is investing $11 million in grants across six states, including Missouri. Grants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 aim to strengthen local and regional food supply chains. Small and diverse food and farm entrepreneurs serving local markets are eligible to apply. The grants will help businesses start, grow, and connect within the food industry. The first round of applications is due October 15, 2024, with awards tentatively announced on January 15, 2025. For more information and to apply, visit heartlandfoodbusiness.org/business-builder/

The City of Salem Utility Committee meeting will be tonight at 6:15 at the Old City Hall Auditorium at 202 North Washington. At the meeting, the committee will hear financial updates, billing updates and hear work reports from utility crews, followed by questions and public comments before adjourning. The meeting, called by Alderwoman Catherine Dent, is open to the public.

The Missouri Department of Agriculture has announced the availability of funding to help Missouri farmers and food processors obtain organic certification. This support comes through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Certification Cost Share Program. Under this program, producers can be reimbursed for up to 75% of their certification costs, with a maximum reimbursement of $750 per certification scope. Missouri has received $49,425 in program funds for this initiative. To be eligible, businesses must obtain or renew their organic certification and document their certification costs incurred between October 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. Interested parties should complete an application, which will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted or the eligibility period ends. Applications will be accepted until November 1, 2024. For more information contact Whitney Williams at Whitney.Williams@mda.mo.gov or by calling (573) 751-7794. Those interested in other financial assistance opportunities can visit their website at Agriculture.Mo.Gov.