Stoddard County, Missouri - Route W in Stoddard County will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform pavement repairs.

This section of roadway is located from Route Z to Route D.

Weather permitting, work will take place Monday, Oct. 20 through Friday, Oct. 24 from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

The work zone will be marked with signs.  Motorists are urged to use extreme caution while traveling near the area.

For additional information, contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/southeast.


Route Z in Stoddard County will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform pavement repairs.

This section of roadway is located from Route 153 to Route W.

Weather permitting, work will take place Monday, Oct. 20 through Friday, Oct. 24 from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

The work zone will be marked with signs.  Motorists are urged to use extreme caution while traveling near the area.

For additional information, contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/southeast

Jefferson City, Missouri - Hunters checked 594 deer during the urban portion of Missouri’s firearms deer season. Officials with the Missouri Department of Conservation attribute the lower-than-average harvest in part to warm, rainy, windy weather.

County harvest totals during the urban portion were: Greene, 122; St. Charles, 88; Boone, 84; Franklin, 55; Jefferson, 54; St. Louis, 47; Cole, 40; Clay, 36; Cass, 33; Jackson, 24; Platte, 11.

Hunters are only allowed to shoot antlerless deer during the urban portion. This focus on harvesting female deer is designed to control deer numbers in urban and suburban areas, where hunting pressure is lighter and the potential for deer-vehicle accidents and property damage is greater.

This year’s harvest was below average for the urban portion, which became part of the firearms deer season in 2003.  Over the past 11 years, the urban portion harvest averaged 961 deer. However, the harvest has been between 500 and 700 deer in four of the past six years.

Warm temperatures have been associated with lower urban portion harvests in the past. Temperature does not appear to have been a factor this year, since daytime highs ranged from the mid-50s to high 60s. Conservation Department Resource Scientist Jason Sumners says gusty wind and rain during the four-day hunt likely played a role in holding down this year’s urban harvest.

“No one likes to hunt in the rain, and windy weather makes it harder to detect deer movement,” says Sumners. “Considering the widespread rains we had during the urban hunt, this harvest is pretty good.”

Sumners said expanded archery hunting opportunities in many of Missouri’s urban communities, plus the hemorrhagic disease outbreak in 2012, have helped reduce deer numbers in some urban areas, and likely played a role in keeping the urban-portion harvest down.

Missouri’s firearms deer season consists of six portions, totaling 42 days. The remaining portions of Missouri’s firearms deer season are: early youth (Nov. 1-2), November (Nov. 15-25), antlerless (Nov. 26-Dec. 7), alternative methods (Dec. 20-30), and late youth (Jan. 3-4).

For more information about Missouri’s 2014-15 deer harvest, visit mdc.mo.gov/node/2613.

Poplar Bluff, Missouri - What little girl wouldn't want to be a princess for a day, especially with her Daddy?  No matter her age, dads can bring their daughters to the annual Father Daughter Ball set for Saturday evening in Poplar Bluff.

Hosted by the Poplar Bluff Masonic Lodge 209 AF & AM this year's event will be spectacular. 

"It's an event for fathers to spend more time with their daughters and their daughters are princesses for the day.  Each young lady will receive a tiara and t-shirt along with a special pumpkin carriage ride around the Aad Gratto," state Terry Yarbrough, one of the Youth Advisors for the Masonic Lodge.  A professional photographer will also be on hand taking photos.

"Last year was our first attempt at a Father Daughter Ball and we had an overwhelming response with 110 tickets sold.  This year's event we are practically sold out with 256 tickets available," continued Yarbrough.  "Our hopes are for next year to open it to other communities and fill a larger venue.  It's a fundraiser for our youth, but the real priority and most importantly of all it's for the daughters to have a very special evening with their fathers."

"Mama-razzi" will be posted out front in a special roped off section taking pictures of their handsome men and their lovely daughters as they walk the red carpet under a posted sword archway to an evening of glitz and glamor!   Steak and chicken dinner will be served along with baked potato, salad, drinks and desserts.  Music by Atom Entertainment with David Williams rocking the night away!

"Last year we had several military dads with daughters of all ages," stated Yarbrough.  "We had girls from 2 - 42 dancing with their dads and having a wonderful time.  It makes for  a special moment that they get to spend with their dads."

This year two lucky fathers and their daughters received a Cinderella Pumpkin Carriage ride from the Masonic Lodge to the Aad Gratto building. A drawing was held and the winners were Tate & Bailey Tayler along with their dad Travis and Trinity & Tangent Tuggle along with their dad Trampus.  Congratulations ladies you have the honor of riding with your dads to the Ball in a real Cinderella Pumpkin Carriage.

The 2nd Annual Father Daughter Ball will be Saturday, October 18th from 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. at the Three Rivers Shrine Club, 3102 Kennedy Lane.  All proceeds from the Ball will go to Masonic Youth Organizations of Poplar Bluff, the Shriners Hospital Transportation Fund and UCAN.  Divisions of the Youth Oranizations are the Divine Chapter Order of DeMolay, Poplar Bluff No. 115 International Order of Rainbow Girls ages 11-21, and Squires of the Round Table.

“There is such a need for girls to spend quality time with their fathers, and giving back to the community is so important to these youth groups,” stated Earnie Wilson, Secretary of the Poplar Bluff Masonic Lodge.

The evening of dining and dancing, with dads in tuxedos and daughters in gowns and tiaras, will provide a lifetime of memories to be cherished by all in attendance.

Jefferson City, Missouri - Recent heavy rains are hampering farmers' efforts to harvest a bumper grain crop. As muddy fields dry, Missourians must race to draw grain from the fields and get it to market.

At the request of Richard Fordyce, director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, the Missouri Department of Transportation announced that Missouri grain haulers will be allowed to haul corn, soybeans and other grain crops at heavier than normal weights.

Private and for-hire motor carriers may carry up to 10 percent more than their licensed weight; however, the heavier loads are not allowed to use interstate highways.

Overweight permits are not required for these slightly overweight loads. All other traffic and motor carrier regulations that normally apply remain in place. This waiver is in effect immediately through midnight, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014. While the waiver is in effect, participating motor carriers are limited to:

A loaded, gross weight no greater than ten percent (10%) above the gross licensed weight of the commercial motor vehicle

Transportation only within the State of Missouri

Drivers must obey all posted bridge weight limits

When crossing a bridge, the driver must restrict the vehicle speed to no more than thirty miles per hour (30 mph) and must center the truck between two lanes of the bridge.

The truck driver must yield to oncoming traffic, and travel on highways other than Missouri interstate highways.

No overweight travel is allowed on Missouri interstate highways.

All travelers are advised to visit the MoDOT Traveler Information Map at www.modot.org for up-to-date road closure information. For more information, call MoDOT Motor Carrier Services at 1-800-877-8499 between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central time.

Each year on October 16th, employees across the United States show appreciation and thankfulness to their boss’s for being kind and fair throughout the year by celebrating National Boss’s Day!

National Boss’s Day, also known as National Boss Day or Bosses Day is a secular holiday that began in 1958.  Patricia Bays Haroski was working as a secretary for State Farm Insurance Company in Deerfield, Illinois when she registered “National Boss’ Day” with the United States Chamber of Commerce.

  October 16 was chosen as it was her father’s birthday.   Patricia was working for her father at that time, therefore making her father, her boss.

It was four years later, in 1962, that Illinois Governor, Otto Kerner, backed Haroski’s registration and officially proclaimed Boss’ day.

In 1979, Hallmark Cards introduced Boss’ Day cards to their inventory.

Happy Boss’s Day to all of the bosses out there!