POPLAR BLUFF - Captain George E. Ridens, commanding officer of Troop E of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, announced that during the month of December 2011, the Patrol will conduct a sobriety checkpoint and a driving while intoxicated saturation in the region.
The sobriety checkpoint will be in Butler County, and the saturation will be in Butler, Cape Girardeau, Scott, Stoddard, Dunklin, Pemiscot, and New Madrid counties. The operation will be conducted by the Missouri State Highway Patrol in cooperation with other local area law enforcement agencies.
The checkpoint is a static operation on a specific highway that is designed to check every driver to ensure they are sober. The driving while intoxicated saturation is a mobile operation in which troopers saturate a specific area in an effort to arrest intoxicated drivers.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol urges all citizens to report any vehicle they observe operating in a careless manner. The public can contact the Highway Patrol toll-free at 1-800-525-5555 or on their cellular phone at *55.
Extremely windy weather, combined with reduced deer populations in some areas, dropped the opening-weekend harvest 10,000 below the 2010 figure. Hunters persevered, however, and more than made up lost ground in the following nine days of the November hunt. In the end, they harvested 1,884 more than last year, a 1-percent increase.
Top harvest counties were Howell with 3,483 deer checked, Macon with 3,393 and Texas with 3,284. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) recorded six firearms-related deer-hunting accidents during the November hunt, down from nine last year.
MDC Resource Scientist Jason Sumners said changes to hunting regulations over the past 20 years are responsible for producing more large-antlered deer.
Sumners noted that in 2003, antlered deer made up 37 percent of the November firearms deer harvest. Last year, 40 percent of the harvest consisted of antlered deer. This year, the figure was 43 percent. This narrowing of the gap between doe and buck harvest began with implementation of the four-point rule for antlered deer in 2004.
MDC Director Bob Ziehmer hailed this year’s deer harvest numbers as good news for all Missourians.
“A robust firearms deer harvest is proof of a healthy deer herd that benefits all Missourians, whether they hunt or not,” said Ziehmer. “Resident deer hunters and a significant number of hunters from out of state spend approximately $700 million on their sport. That spending generates more than $1 billion in business activity. In all, deer hunting supports 11,000 Missouri jobs. In these economic times, that’s a big boost to the state’s economy.”
American and Missouri state flags will fly at half-staff across the ShowMe State tomorrow (Saturday) to honor an area soldier who died in Afghanistan.
Gov. Jay Nixon ordered that flags at government buildings in all 114 counties and the city of St. Louis be flown at half-staff on Saturday to honor 21-year-old Spc. James Roland Burnett Jr. He died Nov. 16 when his unit was attacked with an improvised explosive device in Kandahar province, Afghanistan.
The governor also ordered the flags at all state buildings in Wayne County be flown at half-staff from Nov. 27 to Dec. 2.
Burnett will be buried Saturday in Lowndes in Wayne County.
Specialist Burnett's father and stepmother live in Brownwood.
U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson recently expressed her sympathies to Specialist Burnett family and friends.
"I received this sad news with a heavy heart, and my deepest sympathies are with his family," Emerson said. "Specialist Burnett's deep roots in Brownwood and Stoddard County make this a devastating loss for many, many people in our community. Clearly, this young man understood the importance of his service to our nation, and the prayers of all grateful Americans should be him and his family now."
Some feel that the early start time is cutting into the otherwise very special day of thankfulness. But the small degree of backlash felt will only bring big smiles to the faces of many retailers as groups of shoppers are rolling out in record numbers.
Estimates indicate that Black Friday shopping will be up by 10% of last years numbers, with over 150 million people expected to shop. These estimates are expected to be conservative as 2010 estimates were undershot by 74 million.
The photo to the left shows Jodi Williams of Dexter joining the already long line at Toys R Us in Cape. With an opening time of 9:00 pm, the line wound in front of Toys R Us, past Big Lots, past Hancock Fabrics, and down the street toward Cape First. But the lines would not stop Jodi and her shopping buddy, Leigh Ann Kincy. They were set for an all-night marathon searching for great deals.
Among the major big box stores, Toys R Us will kick off its Black Friday sales at 9 p.m. Thursday night, followed by Wal-Mart at 10 p.m. Then, at the stroke of midnight, Target, Best Buy, Macy's and Kohl's all plan to open their doors.
If you haven't made the trip tonight, there is still time throughout the weekend. Please remember our local retailers here in Dexter. Your dollars spent locally stay in our community and make us stronger.
In fact, the Corner Cottage in Dexter held a special "Mingle Jingle" on Thursday from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Thursday night, hosting shoppers to hot cider and beautiful selection of Christmas decoration.
Happy Shoppings.
JEFFERSON CITY - Gov. Jay Nixon and Department of Agriculture Director Dr. Jon Hagler today went to the southern Callaway County farm of Jay and Kim Fischer to celebrate Thank a Farmer Day. They were joined by representatives of farm commodity groups and other agricultural organizations to mark the occasion, which celebrates the contributions Missouri farmers make to feed, fuel and clothe America and the world.
"Millions of Missourians will sit down with family and friends at the dinner table on Thursday as part of our national day of thanksgiving," Nixon said. "We certainly are a blessed state, and a blessed nation, with much to be thankful for. There is no lack of delicious, healthy food on our tables or in our restaurants and grocery stores. For that, we can thank the farmers of Missouri."
The average Missouri farm is about 269 acres, and with 108,000 farms, Missouri has more than 29 million acres of agricultural land.
"Our farmers provide the safest, most affordable, reliable food supply in the world," Hagler said. "The efforts of our Missouri farmers and farm families make so many of our holiday traditions and celebrations possible, and coming together today to thank them for their efforts is one small way we can recognize their outstanding work."
Nixon also recognized the owners of Fischer Farms Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze, Jay and Kim Fischer, with the Governor's Award for Agricultural Achievement, which honors outstanding farmers, growers and processors in a variety of agriculture commodities. The Fischers have a diversified farm operation in south Callaway County, just across the Missouri River from the State Capitol, where they raise corn and soybeans.
In addition to those crops, Fischer Farms also is involved in agri-tourism, offering visitors in the fall an opportunity to explore a 10-acre corn maze, go on hayrides, get pumpkins from a pumpkin patch, and engage in other family-friendly activities. The Governor noted that the pumpkins, gourds and other fall decorations used at the Governor's Mansion for this year's Harvest Fest were purchased from Fischer Farms.
"The Fischers truly represent today's Missouri farmers - diversified, smart in business, and ready to meet the needs and demands of a changing world," Nixon said. "I am pleased to present them with award in recognition of their accomplishments on behalf of Missouri's multi-faceted agriculture industry."
