Reynolds County Commissioner Wayne Henson called Conservation Agent Eric Long Thursday morning and reported catching the 122-pound mountain lion on Wednesday. Henson said the cat entered a large, cage-type live trap that he set on Mark Twain National Forest land to catch bobcats, coyotes, raccoons and other mammals.
Henson brought the mountain lion, still alive and in the cage trap, to Centerville this morning.
Agent Long and MDC Resource Scientist Jeff Beringer took possession of the animal and transported it to Current River Conservation Area, where Beringer could examine the animal without disturbance. After weighing and measuring the cat and collecting DNA, Beringer released it to the wild, in keeping with MDC’s established policy for such cases.
Beringer estimated the cat’s age at 2 years. He said it was in excellent physical condition and showed no signs of having been held in captivity.
All wildlife is protected under the provisions of the Wildlife Code of Missouri. However, the Code provides for the taking of wildlife during prescribed hunting and trapping seasons and under other circumstances, such as when mountain lions are attacking or killing livestock or domestic animals or threatening human safety.
MDC has not stocked mountain lions in Missouri and has no plans to do so.
The state agency wants to learn more about mountain lions in the ShowMe State and encourages Missourians to report sightings to the Mountain Lion Response Team.
Link Of Interest
Mountain Lion Response TeamPhoto Above: Missourians are encouraged to report sightings of mountain lions in the state to the Missouri Department of Conservation Mountain Lion Response Team. (MDC Photo)
JEFFERSON CITY - Missouri’s chief executive will speak to legislators later this month.
Gov. Jay Nixon will deliver the annual State of the State address on Jan. 17. The address will be delivered to a joint session of the Missouri Legislature in the State Capitol. Nixon will detail his strategy for creating jobs and moving Missouri's economy forward during his address.
Missourians who would like to watch or listen to the Governor's address should check their local listings for broadcast information. The address also will be streamed live through the state's Web portal, MO.gov.
Nixon's office said Tuesday the speech is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in the House chamber.
The State of the State address typically outlines the governor's policy recommendations and proposed state budget for the next fiscal year.
Missouri lawmakers begin their annual session today (Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012).
Link of Interest
By Annabeth Miller, ShowMe Times Editor
JEFFERSON CITY - Missourians can now view an impressive collection of Civil War battleflags through a special website.
The Missouri State Museum is providing online viewing of Civil War battle flags through Missouri Digital Heritage. This important history can also be seen first-hand at the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City.
The Missouri State Museum has overseen the conservation of 45 Civil War battle flags since the end of the war. From now through June 2015, as part of the "Civil War Missouri: A House Dividing" exhibit, the museum is displaying a rotating seven flags in its History Hall on the first floor of the Missouri State Capitol. The flags will rotate so visitors can view as many as possible through the life of the exhibit.
The Missouri Digital Heritage Initiative, co-sponsored by the Missouri State Archives and the Missouri State Library, provides the Civil War battle flags for the first time to an online audience.
Missouri played an important role during the Civil War, with units formed in the state on both sides of the conflict. One unit formed was the First Division of the Missouri State Guard, a pro-Confederate unit organized south of Dexter at Frenchman's Spring.
"Preserving history is an important way for Missourians to connect with our past," said Bill Bryan, director of Missouri State Parks, a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. "Making the Civil War battle flags available online significantly increases citizen access to our history."
Following the end of the Civil War, Missouri Adjutant General Samuel P. Simpson collected Union and Confederate battle flags for safekeeping. Damage made some of the flags unrecognizable.
An Adjutant General report around 1917-1920 reported the flags were in vin poor condition. The flags were turned over to the new Missouri State Museum by the Adjutant General's office in the 1920s.
A Works Progress Administration project in the 1930s attempted to conserve many of the battle flags. But today with advanced technology it has been learned the flags were sometimes damaged further by this conservation effort.
In 1983 the St. Louis Civil War Roundtable was disappointed by the condition of the battle flags. Due to the group's effort, an organization to finance flag conservation was formed and in 1984 a legislative appropriation was secured to begin conserving flags. The conservation effort continues today with funding from the parks and soils sales tax administered through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
The Missouri State Museum is located on the First Floor, Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City.
Link of Interest
By Annabeth Miller, ShowMe Times Editor
New Year’s is steeped in traditions and superstitions for good luck. Certainly we could all use a bit of that! And many of the New Year’s superstitions-traditions involve what we have to eat on New Year’s Day.
Probably the most well known of these traditions – at least in the South and Mid-South – is eating black-eyed peas. Eating black-eyed peas ensures good luck and prosperity throughout the upcoming year.
Some say this is because the shape of the black-eyed peas loosely resembles coins. I never could see that one. But, they do swell as they cook – just as you want your wealth to expand during the New Year. A coin in the pot is also supposed to promise extra fortune to the one who finds it in his scoop of peas.
One of my all-time favorite cookbooks is the Dexter Centennial Cookbook, published by the Junior Civic Club during Dexter’s centennial celebration in 1973. Maybe I like it because I have fond memories of the ladies of put it together, or because I know many of the cooks who have entries in the book. Or, maybe it’s just because it was printed and assembled in my parent’s business.
Anyway, in the cookbook is an entry from Doris Darby Evans, a descendant of Randal Evans of Dexter’s famed Evans’ Pottery. Evans Pottery was just north of Dexter (on 'old" Highway 25) and was an active pioneer industry even before the Civil War.
Mrs. Evans recalls that a few days after Christmas she would “start cooking the 22 pounds of peas and 20 pounds of hog’s jowl…I cook it two pounds at each time.” Mrs. Evans writes that she served the peas and jowl with corn muffins, cabbage relish and other goodies, such as cookies and candy.
“The dish can be found in many Southern States. What would happen to the Southerner if he passed up either of these dishes on New Year’s Day? The native is pragmatic. ‘Mister, I wouldn’t take the chance of finding out.’ she writes.”
Now, today's sage of Southern cooks, Paula Deen, eats one pea for every day in the New Year.
“We Southerners know that eating black-eyed peas ensures good luck and prosperity throughout the upcoming,” she says. Deen is not leaving any chances that there might be a day without enough luck from the peas.
Legend tells us also that black-eyed peas became a lucky dish during the Civil War. Union soldiers near the town of Vicksburg burned all crops except the peas. Thinking they were animal feed, the soldiers did not bother them. Residents were on the brink of starvation – with nothing on the shelves and nothing in the fields. The peas were the only things left to eat. The resourceful Southerners adapted it into their diet, and black-eyed peas were therefore considered the food of good fortune.
Black-eyed peas represent pennies or coins. Collard greens stand for paper money. Cornbread signifies a goal. Pork symbolizes progress since they root forward when looking for food.
Eating traditional New Year’s food runs deep for some families.
Spicy Black-Eyed Peas
Courtesy Paula Deen
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 (16 ounce) package dried black-eyed peas, washed
- 1 (12 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup water
Directions
In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon, crumble and set aside to use as topping for peas. Saute onion in bacon drippings until tender. Add peas, diced tomatoes and green chilies, salt, chili powder, pepper and water. Cook, covered, over medium heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until peas are tender. Add additional water of necessary.
By Annabeth Miller, ShowMe Times Editor
Most every kid has done it. Just admit it and move on! Sure, you fiddled around with a guitar, a drum set, maybe thought you were the next great singer to take the stage.
Sure, you “practiced” on the carport, in the garage, in a basement. Maybe you and your “group” were chased out into the ‘back 40’ to practice.
Then you realized you were never going to be the Beach Boys, or Bon Jovi, Billy Joel or Sting. So you hung up the guitar, whittled down the drumsticks into toothpicks and went on your merry way.
But not this group!
Nope, these guys still think they are good. They still play gigs, they still have that rock ‘n roll music in their hearts.They still have fun - probably more fun than when they were teenagers!!
Guitarist John Steward, bassist Kip Musgrave, drummer Scott Kruse and vocalist/keyboardist Bobbi Kay Wooley Parker still play that “good ‘ol rock and roll”, still have a good time, and still can chase the cows out of the ‘back 40’’.
It started out just a guy thing. John, Kip and Scott all stalked the halls at DHS and thought they could make music. They practice the two – count ‘em one, two – songs in John’s basement. They called themselves Sittin' Pretty. And they made the momentous decision to head to the Talent Show at the Stoddard County Fair.
Good thing these guys recruited Jim Elledge and Arlen Pixley to sing backup and work as bodyguards. On the positive side, they also recruited classmate Candy Coburn to sing vocals.
“A second place finish (or creative differences?) plus high school athletics and graduation sent Sittin' Pretty heading in different directions,” Steward recalls.
Candy has gone on to greater and grander things. Thank goodness. But they had an incredible cute young lady named Addie Kruse who helped with vocals and Bobbi Kay Wooley (she’s cute too!) joined the team as well.
“BK also immediately showed she not only could sing beautifully and powerfully, but she also was a true talent on the keyboard,” said Kruse. She should play that keyboard well … her momma and daddy paid enough for piano lessons!!! Jean Rahm and MaryRuth Boone are proud!!!
The name. Let’s discuss this name thing.
The group started their musical career at the Ben Kruse 18 Fore Life Charity Golf Event Banquet. Well, Ben had this nickname - Buzzard, or just Buzz for short. So, logically speaking, since the group started on the path to musical greatness at the event which bore Ben’s name, they assumed his nickname.
“We simply put his name on our band,” big brother Scott said. “The BUZZ was born and has been playing music together ever since, getting people together for fun and good times.”
Not many bands can boast a lawyer, accountant, school principal and a beer distributer. BUZZ can, by golly. Which can be good - they have a lawyer to keep them on the straight and narrow, an accountant to make sure there's a nickel in the piggy bank, an principal to keep them out of after-school-detention, and a beer distributor ... well, for refreshment!
Which leads us to the present; this week to be exact. After the band’s World Tour (Stoddard, Scott, Mississippi, Dunklin, Cape and Dunklin counties) and headlining the Second Annual Bearcat Homecoming Tailgate Party this fall, the band has decided to blast away the old year and greet the new one.
This New Year’s Eve the band will have guitars, drumsticks, keyboard and vocal cords all ready for a BUZZ BASH at the Hidden Trails Country Club. They now have 75 whole songs on their music list and promise a fantastically great time for all.
Table reservations are being taken, so call 573.624.3638 to save a table with your name. The cost is just $15 per person and there will be drink specials throughout the night.
“It’s just a fun time and great way to get together with friends and ring in a new year,” Kruse said.
With a crew like the BUZZ playing the music, it’s bound to be a heck of a fun year!
