The U.S. and Missouri flags on all state and local government buildings in Missouri will be flown at half-staff on Sunday, Dec. 7 to commemorate those who died or were wounded during the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941. A 1996 state law designates the date as Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day and directs that on that day, flags be flown at half-staff by all state agencies and political subdivisions of the state.

“As the Greatest Generation passes on, we must never forget the sacrifice that Americans from all walks of life made in that unified effort to defeat tyranny,” Gov. Jay Nixon said. “Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day reminds us of not only of their sacrifice, but also of the sacrifices that have been made by our men and women in uniform throughout many generations – including those who are serving now.”

Missouri - This week’s cold weather caught many of us off guard. It takes quite a bit of preparation to really be ready for winter storms. We check our vehicles to make sure they’re full of fluids and the tires have tread. We stock warm blankets, extra water, extra food supplies in our homes and our cars just in case we’re stuck in one place for a while due to weather. All of this preparation takes time and energy on our part, to get it all done. It makes me wonder what kind of energy it takes for wildlife to survive the cold of winter.

Some wildlife, like squirrels, will spend time stocking up and storing food sources before the cold hits. Black bears eat as much as they can in advance to store up the necessary fat they need to survive. Still others are subject to what’s available throughout the cold months, which takes a toll on their energy levels and can make surviving the winter a game of chance.

Angela Pierce, a naturalist at the Missouri Department of Conservation Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center, said we can help these animals conserve some of their energy by helping to provide their three basic needs throughout the winter months: shelter, food and water.

“Making a shelter is as easy as making a brush pile,” Pierce said.

Larger limbs and branches can be piled and then filled in with dried leaves and grass. Fallen trees can be left for the winter, also, to provide a place for wildlife to shelter in from the wind and elements. Real Christmas trees are great items to recycle for wildlife shelter, she said, by simply placing them outside after the holidays.

“These shelters provide cover for ground-foraging birds, rabbits, chipmunks, hibernating reptiles, amphibians and insects,” Pierce said.

To help provide food in the winter months, high-fat suet and sunflower seeds can be provided to winter songbirds. High-fat food sources help the birds to build up their energy sources.

Pierce also said providing warm water on a daily basis will save animals from using their energy to search for unfrozen water sources. She recommends either replenishing water daily, or purchasing a heater for bird baths or backyard ponds.

By taking a few steps to help wildlife find shelter, food and water throughout these cold months, we can help make their chances of survival much higher. To find more resources on winter wildlife, go online to www.mdc.mo.gov.

Dexter, Missouri - The 3rd Annual Stuff a Bus began today and will run through Friday, December 12th. 

A huge thank you to William's Moving Co. located in Dexter for donating a truck and driver who will deliver the goodies to the Stoddard County Gospel Mission.

The High School initiated the competition between the schools three years ago to help the local Mission with food for the holidays. 

"Last year we gave 14,626 cans to the Mission," stated Judy Patterson, DHS counselor and promoter of the project. "This year we hope to make a larger donation!"

Southwest Elementary, Central Elementary, T.S. Hill Middle School and the Dexter Senior High School will all be competing for delicious treats!  The school that brings in the most cans will receive home-made cookies from OPAA, their food service company!

Items needed for the Stoddard County Gospel Mission are dry goods and canned goods such as pasta, spaghetti, canned vegetables and fruits, mac & cheese, cookies, crackers, peanut butter, and any item that is non-perishable.

Throughout the Christmas Season people come together and realize how fortunate they are and also how some families are in great need this time of year.  The Stuff A Bus event was such a great hit the past two years they hope to continue to participate for many years to come to help those in Stoddard County.

We should feel very proud to live in such a community that is always willing to give back any chance we can.  We hope to see the Stuff A Bus event continue to positively affect many families for as long as possible.

Missouri - Building on a strong opening weekend harvest, Missouri hunters went on to check a total of 167,205 deer during firearms deer season Nov. 15 through 25. The number exceeds last year’s harvest of 157,273.

The Missouri Department of Conservation reports the top harvest counties were Howell, with 3,418 deer checked; Franklin, with 3,338 and Texas, with 3,170.

This year’s harvest is 6-percent larger than last year’s figure and 10 percent below the previous 5-year average for the November portion of firearms deer season. When added to the previous, urban, and early youth portions of this year’s firearms deer season the November portion harvest brings the year-to-date total to 185,890.

Twenty-five days of firearms deer hunting remain in the antlerless, alternative-methods and late youth portions of deer season. Archery deer season runs through Jan. 15.

The white-tailed deer is Missouri’s most popular game species and one of the most prolific, with an estimated population of more than 1 million free-ranging deer statewide. Missouri has nearly 520,000 deer hunters and almost two million wildlife watchers who enjoy deer.

Activities related to deer hunting and watching annually contribute $1 billion in economic activity to state and local economies, and support more than 12,000 Missouri jobs. Many Missouri meat processors, taxidermists, hotels, restaurants, sporting goods stores, and other businesses rely on deer hunting as a significant source of revenue.

The Show-Me State’s white-tailed deer resource also helps feed needy Missourians through the Share the Harvest (STH) program. STH brings together thousands of deer hunters, more than 130 participating meat processors, the Conservation Department, the Conservation Federation of Missouri, and numerous supporting organizations to channel ground venison to tens of thousands of hungry Missouri families each year through donations to local food banks and food pantries. Since 1992, Missouri hunters have donated more than 3.1 million pounds of venison to the needy through STH.

Thousands of private landowners manage their land for deer and deer hunting, and rely on deer and deer hunting to maintain property values.

Jefferson City, Missouri - The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) announced that hunters checked 5,691 turkeys during Missouri’s fall firearms turkey season, which ran Oct. 1 - 31. Last year’s fall firearms turkey harvest total was 5,929 birds. Top harvest counties for the 2014 season were Greene with 165 turkeys checked, Franklin with 163, and St. Clair with 160.

Adult gobblers accounted for 964 of the harvest, or almost 17 percent. Adult hens accounted for 1,588 of the harvest, or almost 28 percent. Juvenile gobblers accounted for 950, or almost 17 percent, and juvenile hens for 2,189 or about 38 percent.

MDC sold 14,117 fall firearms turkey hunting permits for this past season, a 5-percent drop from last year.

The central region of the state saw about an 8-percent increase in harvest from 2013 with 759 birds. The Kansas City region dropped about 1-percent from 2013 with 681 birds. The northeast region dropped about 3 percent from 2013 with 588 birds. The northwest region dropped about 13 percent from 2013 with 477 birds. The Ozark region dropped by about 9 percent from last year with 784 birds. The St. Louis region harvest increased by about 9 percent from 2013 with 528 birds. The southeast region fell by about 15 percent from last year with 687 birds. The southwest region dropped by about 4 percent from 2013 with 1,187 birds harvested.

Fall archery turkey hunting resumes again from Nov. 26 through Jan. 15, 2015.

For fall firearms turkey harvest results by county and type of bird, and other 2014 turkey harvest figures, go online to the MDC website at mdc.mo.gov/node/27845.