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Missouri River likely to enter minor flood stage this week

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Levels on the Missouri River could move into minor flood stage from Nebraska City to northwest Missouri’s St. Joseph this week. Chairman Tom Waters with the Missouri Levee and Drainage District Association says the area isn’t prepared for a high-than-normal runoff predicted.

The Missouri River spread out into St. Joseph in 2019/Photo by Brent Martin

“The big issue for us is soil moisture,” Waters tells Missourinet affiliate KFEQ in St. Joseph. “Normally, North and South Dakota, Montana through the summer and fall, it dries out and you go into winter dry, the soil moisture is dry and then it snows, you have your spring rains, but when the soil thaws it’s hungry and it soaks up a lot of that water. There’s not any of that water that is going to be soaked up this year. So, any snow, any rainfall we have we know today that that is going to run into the river and cause river levels to be higher.”

That makes members of the Missouri Levee and Drainage District Association nervous, according to Waters.

“Membership’s very anxious about what’s going on here,” Waters says. “We’ve seen people that had their 2018 crop in a bin that was flooded and lost, weren’t able to plant a 2019 crop and now going into 2020. If they don’t get this crop in, they may be out of business.”

Waters says the only good that could come out of the widespread damage from last year’s floods is that it could finally change attitudes about how best to manage the Missouri River.

Waters perceives a shift in attitudes after the 2019 floods which wasn’t the case after either the 1993 or the 2011 floods.

“Everybody realizes we have to do something different,” according to Waters. “We went through this in 2011. We went through it in 1993 and we didn’t do a lot different. I think we’re seeing some signs and hints it’s going to be different this time so that maybe five or ten years down the road we won’t have such a problem.”

Another wrinkle has been added. The US Army Corps of Engineers is on standby to help in whatever way it can in the battle against the coronavirus. At present, the Corps doesn’t believe that will hamper continuing efforts to rebuild the levees damaged by last year’s floods. Levees in the Omaha District of the Corps of Engineers have mostly been repaired. Several levees in the Kansas City District remain damaged, making vast areas of northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas vulnerable to flooding.

By Brent Martin of Missourinet affiliate KFEQ in St. Joseph

(VIDEO) Summary of today’s press briefing about coronavirus in Missouri

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Gov. Mike Parson announced today that more than 1,300 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and fourteen people have died. Some 15,600 people have been tested for the respiratory disease.

Gov. Mike Parson (Photos courtesy of Parson’s Flickr page)

Parson opened up the briefing by mentioning that state and federal officials are looking at several potential temporary hospital sites around the state to care for coronavirus patients if needed. Parson says they have three main questions in mind.

“Including located in areas with the possibility of deficient bed counts, areas large enough for patient population and areas where utilities are available to start immediate construction if necessary,” says Parson.

Potential sites include the Kemper Arena and Independence Event Center in Kansas City, Hearnes Center in Columbia, the Edward Jones Dome and America’s Center in St. Louis, the Show-Me Center in Cape Girardeau, Hammons Student Center and JQH Arena in Springfield and Missouri Southern State University’s Leggett and Platt Athletic Center in Joplin.

Missouri’s website to file unemployment claims apparently crashed after too many people were trying to submit claims. Parson says the problem has been fixed but the office continues to be flooded with calls and claims.

“There’s just thousands upon thousands of people trying to reach that office every day,” says Parson. “And we’re doing everything we can to process those claims and we’ll continue to do that. We’ve got people working around the clock over there and again, these are just things that’s never happened before and we’ve just got to work through them.”

For the week ending March 21, more than 42,000 unemployment claims were filed, up from nearly 4,000 filed the previous week.

State Auditor Nicole Galloway is calling on the governor to issue a statewide stay-at-home order to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. Galloway, a Democrat running for governor, says public health experts, organizations representing healthcare workers, business and faith leaders, local governments and others have urged Parson to issue the order. Parson responded to Galloway’s call.

Missouri Department of Natural Resources Director Carol Comer

“I would say the state auditor needs to worry about being the state auditor right now,” says Parson. “All of us elected officials right now need to have one thing in mind – it’s what do we do to help with the COVID-19 situation. This is not the time to play politics out of this issue and try to figure out who gets one up. There will be plenty of time for that down the road. Plenty of time, but today is not the time.”

To address overcrowding and social distancing problems over the weekend, state Department of Natural Resources Director Carol Comer says Missouri is temporarily closing four state parks and partially closing another one.

The state parks closing are Castlewood, Elephant Rocks, Watkins Woolen Mill State Historic Site and Park, and Weston Bend. St. Joe State Park will close the off-road vehicle riding area. The changes take effect at 5 p.m. on Thursday and are scheduled to continue until April 30.

Missouri Department of Corrections Director Anne Precythe

At the time of the press conference, Missouri Department of Corrections Director Anne Precythe says there are no positive cases within the prison system. She says a prisoner who previously tested positive for COVID-19 has since tested negative twice. He remains in the hospital for other health problems.

Two staff who do not work in a prison have tested positive. Eighteen inmates have been tested. Thirteen have tested negative. Four are pending and the other one is the case that is now negative.

The toilet paper craze has led the TP factory within the former Crossroads Correctional Center in northwest Missouri’s Cameron to boost its hours of operation. Precythe says the factory has ramped up production by 20%.

“Increasing hours of run time by adding an additional shift, has allowed us to manufacture approximately 3,500 cases of tissue each week,” says Precythe.

Each case contains 96 rolls of tissue. Government agencies and nonprofits can buy the TP through Missouri Vocational Enterprises.

The Jefferson City Correctional Center in mid Missouri is making 4,000 protective gowns.

“The Veterans Commission reached out to us with the need for protective gowns,” says Precythe. “Our clothing plant in Jefferson City created a prototype, which has been approved.”

Missouri’s seven veterans homes are in Cameron, Cape Girardeau, Mexico, Mount Vernon, St. James, St. Louis and Warrensburg.

Missouri Department of Public Safety Director Sandy Karsten

Keeping social distance during severe weather could be complicated. The tornado shelter director in southern Missouri’s Houston, Glenn McKinney, reached out to Missourinet this week, to say he hadn’t received any direction from the state about how to strike that balance. At today’s press briefing, state Public Safety Director Sandy Karsten says the number one priority is to take shelter.

“I know it has to be on the minds of many Missourians as we face severe weather forecasts and certainly watch what has happened in our neighboring states,” says Karsten. “In the situation of tornado safe rooms, we would ask that you also have a plan in which you consider the social distancing – the no more than 10 people and six feet apart. We understand that that may be difficult in certain situations.”

Missourians can take shelter and also protect themselves from coronavirus germs by covering their face, eyes and body.

Watch today’s press briefing below.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Overcrowding problems force Missouri to temporarily close some state parks

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To address overcrowding problems over the weekend, Missouri is temporarily closing four state parks and partially closing another one. A press release says the state parks closing are Castlewood, Elephant Rocks, Watkins Woolen Mill State Historic Site and Park, and Weston Bend. St. Joe State Park will close the off-road vehicle riding area.

A scenic overlook at Ha Ha Tonka State Park near Camdenton, MO at the Lake of the Ozarks.

The changes take effect at 5 p.m. on Thursday and will continue until April 30.

During a Capitol press conference Monday, Gov. Mike Parson said he was disappointed some state park visitors over the weekend were not following social distancing rules of remaining six feet apart and limiting gatherings to no more than 10 people.

Missouri Department of Natural Resources Director Carol Comer says gates to individual parking lots may close at all state parks when the lot reaches capacity.

“We’re continuing to evaluate the situation and make adjustments to operations as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves,” says Carol Comer, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. “As conditions and recommendations change, we will make additional closures as needed.”

If you want to head outside, park officials say you can still enjoy the many open spaces in your local community while limiting travel.

“We understand the importance of physical activity and getting outside during this unprecedented time,” says Mike Sutherland, director of DNR’s Division of State Parks. “However, we have to make changes to operations at some facilities, due to overcrowding, to ensure public safety.”

Park visitors are encouraged to check mostateparks.com for advisory updates and the latest actions before heading out to a state park.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Mark Twain National Forest changes operations, some sites shut down, trails and boat launches open (Detailed press release)

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Mark Twain National Forest in a press release, issued operations changes for the safety of visitors and employees, yet still serve the public.

Click here for the most up-to-date Forest Recreation information.

The release:

Offices will be assisting customers virtually; multiple recreation sites have been temporarily shut down, and services have been reduced at many more sites for the health and safety of visitors and staff.  All these actions will strongly promote social distancing on the Forest.  Although these changes may seem out of the ordinary, they are in line with current national guidance and with what other agencies across Missouri are doing to help reduce opportunities for the spread of COVID-19.

All Mark Twain National Forest offices have implemented virtual services and shut their doors to protect the health and safety of employees and members of the public during the COVID-19 outbreak in accordance with guidance from federal and state authorities.  Visitors are encouraged to contact their local forest or ranger district www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mtnf/about-forest/offices for the latest office hours and availability.

Recreation sites temporarily shut down –

Ava/Cassville/Willow Springs Ranger District (417-683-4428):  Cobb Ridge Campground; KC Pavilion within Chadwick trails riding area; Shell Knob Recreation Area; Noblett Lake Recreation Area and North Fork Campground

Houston/Rolla/Cedar Creek Ranger District (417-967-4194):  Paddy Creek Campground; Lane Spring Campground and Day Use; Pine Ridge Campground; Dry Fork Campground; and Carrington Pits Recreation Area

Salem Ranger District (573-729-6656):  Loggers Lake Campground

Potosi/Fredericktown Ranger District (573-438-5427):  Wild Boar Campground and Beach at Council Bluff; Pavilion within Berryman Campground; Marble Creek Campground and Day Use; and Red Bluff Recreation Area

Eleven Point Ranger District (573-996-2153):  Greer Crossing Campground and Watercress Campground

Poplar Bluff Ranger District (573 785-1475):  Pinewoods Lake Campground and Markham Springs Campground

REDUCED SERVICES
Restrooms have been locked at most of our recreation sites.  Other services, like access to pavilions and places where many people traditionally gather, may be temporarily suspended as well.

DELAYED OPENINGS
Some of our sites were already shut down for the off-season.  Some of these will remain shut down until further notice.  For example:  Wild Boar Campground and Chapel Hill Beach at Council Bluff Recreation Area; Loggers Lake Campground; Marble Creek Campground and Day Use Area; and Red Bluff Recreation Area

OPEN SITES  Even at open sites, please use social distancing per Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines

  • All trails and associated trailheads will remain open for the enjoyment of our users.  All trailheads will be signed with information regarding COVID-19.
  • Select campgrounds, such as Berryman Campground and Silver Mines.
  • Boat Launches, including Council Bluff

Mark Twain National Forest continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation and evaluate potential impacts and adjustments to reservations and our reservation policies through Recreation.gov.

Reservation holders will be notified via email and/or cell phone text messages if there are any changes affecting their reservation. In the event of delayed openings of some, part or all of our recreation facilities, to ensure safe social distancing, you will receive a full refund for your reservation. Please remember to review current recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and focus on recreating safely while protecting yourself, Forest Service employees and our volunteers.

As we work through this unpredictable and rapidly changing situation, health and safety will remain our number one priority. We are committed to continuing to support our communities and fulfill our mission as we all work together to minimize the impacts and spread of COVID-19.  As changes occur, Mark Twain National Forest will continue to update the public.

Missouri’s catch and keep trout fishing season opens Sunday

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Anglers fish for trout at Bennett Spring State Park near Lebanon (file photo courtesy of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources website)

Thousands of anglers are expected on Sunday’s opening day of catch and keep trout fishing season. The park sirens will sound at 6:30 Sunday morning at Missouri’s four trout parks.

Trout tags can be purchased at the state park concession stores. A daily trout tag at Bennett Spring State Park near Lebanon, Roaring River State Park near Cassville, and Montauk State Park near Salem will be $4 this year with a daily limit of 4 trout. Meremac Springs Park near St. James has a daily tag price of $5 this year, with a limit of 5 trout.

The parks will be open every day through October 31st.

Temperatures are expected to be about 40 degrees and heading to 60 degrees on Sunday.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Task force gets some positive news on Missouri spring flooding potential

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The National Weather Service says Missouri faces above-average flood risk this spring because soil is still saturated from last spring’s flooding. About 1.2 million acres of Missouri farmland was damaged by flooding in 2019.

Missouri Agriculture Director Chris Chinn (Photo courtesy of Brownfield Ag News)

But, Missouri Agriculture Director Chris Chinn says the Governor’s Flood Advisory Task Force has received a glimmer of good news from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about the potential for spring flooding.

“The reservoirs up north right now have more storage capacity than they did last year at this time. So that’s a positive piece of information that we were really glad to hear,” says Chinn.

Chinn is a member of that task force. She farms in northeast Missouri’s Clarence.

“Last year at this time, we had a really deep freeze in the ground. Right now, we don’t have that,” she says. “So, we’re not going into the spring in the exact same situations that we were last year.”

Chinn says a lot of farm ground is unprotected.

“We do have a lot of levees right now that have not been able to be repaired because the water simply did not recede,” she says.

The Missouri Department of Agriculture, Missouri Farm Bureau, Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Coalition to Protect the Missouri River are hosting meetings in northwest Missouri March 2nd and 3rd for farmers to meet with state and federal emergency management officials and the USDA’s RMA, FSA and NRCS agencies to ask questions and share their concerns.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Some sex offenders could be banned from going near Missouri nature and education centers

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State Representative Hannah Kelly, R-Mountain Grove, wants to ban some registered sex offenders from going within 500 feet of any Missouri Conservation Department nature or education center. The Missouri House Public Safety and Crime Prevention Committee is considering Kelly’s bill, which could charge violators with a felony. The measure would apply to sex offenders who have committed certain sex crimes against children.

Rep. Hannah Kelly (Photo courtesy of Tim Bommel, House Communications)

“We have an ultimate responsibility to ensure that when the prosecutor goes after that individual for perpetrating evil crimes against a child, that we have teeth in the statute to make sure that the next person who might think about doing that, decides not to because they see the proper punishment has been handed down,” says Kelly.

During a public hearing, Missouri Department of Conservation Deputy Director Aaron Jeffries says the agency asked Kelly to sponsor the measure. He says about 800,000 kids visit the agency’s nature centers annually.

“How this got on our radar was simply off-duty police officers or conservation officers participating in programs at our nature centers recognizing registered sex offenders and not being able to do anything about the situation,” says Jeffries.

Representative Andrew McDaniel, R-Deering, says the legislation would not stop someone from trying to do something bad to a child.

“The ones that are still abiding by the law and are going back into society and being decent people still – trying to – but we keep pushing them into corners by keep on adding more obstructions to their daily life,” says McDaniel.

State Rep. Andrew McDaniel (right) speaks during a House committee hearing on April 29, 2019 (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Kelly agrees that there are good and bad actors, but she says parents should not fear that someone with ill intent will harm their children when their kids step off the bus at one of the centers.

“At the end of the day, we fund these centers. These children are welcome then to these centers and along with that comes a great responsibility of their safety. It is unfortunate when individuals, as you have mentioned, have to deal with the labeling of being on that registry, but I look at that as a separate judicial matter,” says Kelly.

Kelly says tweaks are being made to the legislation that would allow registered sex offenders who are the parent, legal guardian or custodian of a child under 18 years old to attend programs with their children on such property. The changes would allow the individuals to get permission from the nature or education managers to be present on the property during programs with their kids.

Missouri Department of Conservation Nature and Education Centers include Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs, Cape Girardeau Nature Center, Runge Nature Center in Jefferson City, Springfield Conservation Nature Center, Conservation Education Center in Joplin and Powder Valley Nature Center in Kirkwood, among others.

The committee has not yet voted on House Bill 2142.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Bill would keep registered sex offenders away from Missouri conservation areas

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A southern Missouri lawmaker wants to keep sex offenders away from state Conservation areas, to protect children and families.

State Rep. Hannah Kelly, R-Mountain Grove, chairs the House Subcommittee on Appropriations for Conservation. Her bill will be heard Monday at noon by the House Crime Prevention and Public Safety Committee in Jefferson City.

House Bill 2142 is a one-page bill. It would ban registered sex offenders from nature or education centers controlled by the Missouri Department of Conservation, and sex offenders would have to stay at least 500 feet away from those areas.

Under the bill, the first violation would be a class E felony, and any subsequent violations would be a class D felony.

Kelly tells Missourinet her intent is to keep children and residents safe in and near Conservation nature and education centers. The Missouri Department of Conservation has several of these facilities. They include the Runge Nature Center in Jefferson City, the Springfield Conservation Nature Center and the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center in southeast Missouri.

Schoolchildren frequently visit Conservation nature and education centers.

State law currently bans registered sex offenders from being within 500 feet of public parks with playground equipment, public swimming pools and children’s museums.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

New legislative caucus to focus on Missouri’s radioactive waste problems

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A new bipartisan caucus has been rolled out to track information and cleanup efforts about places in Missouri with nuclear waste.

For years, many St. Louis County residents near Coldwater Creek have reported a number of health problems, including cancer, autoimmune disease, children born with deformities and some cannot have children. They say World War II era nuclear weapons waste and underground fire fumes from a nearby landfill are contaminating the ground, air, and water.

New legislative caucus to focus on Missouri’s radioactive waste problems

The Environmental Protection Agency is forming a plan to dig up and remove radioactive material posing a public health threat at the West Lake Landfill in the St. Louis suburb of Bridgeton. The plan calls for excavating about 70% of the contaminated waste and permanently capping the site. That percentage is expected to increase as crews begins digging. Work is not expected to begin there for about another 18 months.

EPA officials are scheduled to meet in about two weeks with local members of Congress and the community. The hope is to have a start date on the work during that meeting or shortly after.

During a press conference today at the Missouri Capitol, Chairman Doug Clemens, a St. Ann Democrat, says the turning point for him to form the caucus came when he saw copies of a report in recycle bins at the Capitol detailing Missouri’s radioactive waste sites. He says the launching the caucus is a big step in holding the federal government accountable.

“No one knew what they were. We need a body that provides institutional memory after Representative Chappelle-Nadal is gone, after I’m gone. We need somebody else who understands the situation to be able to sit on top of federal government oversight and possibly design legislation if need be,” says Clemens.

He says the feds have not been good about letting residents know what lies beneath.

“We have backyards in north St. Louis County, which have this stuff in it, right there next to somebody’s house. They haven’t cleaned them up yet,” he says. “One of the things that we need to combat here is ignorance about the situation – just letting people know. There’s more to this than what appears on the surface or what we’ve heard about.”

Clemens says the group wants the U.S. Department of Energy to get a budget increase or reallocate funds to Missouri to cleanup these sites sooner.

Representative Maria Chappelle-Nadal, a Democrat from University City, whose district includes St. Louis County, has been raising these concerns for years.

“In my investigatory work, I have found other landfills that have nuclear legacy waste in them,” she says. “One of those places – there is an Amazon distribution center sitting right on top of it today.”

Chappelle-Nadal is sponsoring House Bill 2225 this session that would require public hearings to be held prior to building on top of a landfill, to determine if testing for radioactive materials should be done. Testing would have to be conducted before a land use permit could be issued. The measure would also require St. Louis County to compile and keep a list of historic landfills in the county and make the list available to the public.

Chappelle-Nadal has held numerous town halls about radioactive contamination problems in her area and has learned a great deal of information from citizens about the history of nuclear waste sites, health problems area residents are having, among many other things.

As a young girl, she remembers going down St. Louis Avenue and seeing nice, new houses.

“Little did I know, until a couple of years ago, that the reason why these homes are experiencing subsidence, is because there is a landfill underneath them. I don’t think it’s right that people are living on top of landfills,” she says.

Another related measure that has been filed this year would strongly urge the U.S. Army to explain chemical testing that occurred in St. Louis in the 1950s and 1960s. Representative Kevin Windham’s proposed resolution, HCR 69, would request the federal government to conduct a study on the health effects of such tests.

Other caucus members include:

Co-Chair: Justin Hill, R-Lake St. Louis
Missouri House Speaker Pro Tem John Wiemann, R-O’Fallon
Tommie Pierson, Jr., D-St. Louis
LaDonna Appelbaum, D-St. Louis
Kevin Windham, D-Hillsdale
Adam Schnelting, R-St. Charles
Keri Ingle, D-Lee’s Summit
Mark Sharp, D-Kansas City
Ashley Bland Manlove, D-Kansas City
Paula Brown, D-Hazelwood
Rasheen Aldridge, D-St. Louis
LaKeySha Bosley, D-St. Louis
Alan Green, D-Florissant
Alan Gray, D-Black Jack
Jay Mosley, D-Florissant
Gretchen Bangert, D-Florissant
Raychel Proudie, D-Ferguson
Chris Carter, D-St. Louis

View reports associated with St. Louis County nuclear waste contamination:

63043 is the zip code next to West Lake Landfill referenced in the link directly below with elevated childhood brain cancers.

https://health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/chronic/cancer/pdf/ccanalysisSept2014.pdf

https://health.mo.gov/living/environment/bridgeton/pdf/bridgeton-healthconsult.pdf

https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HAC/pha/coldWaterCreek/St_Louis_Airport_Site_Hazelwood_InterimSto_PHA-508.pdf

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Missouri lawmakers draw attention to feral hog issue during budget hearing (AUDIO)

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Two southern Missouri state lawmakers are unhappy with a letter the state Department of Agriculture (MDA) director has sent to the U.S. Forest Service, in support of their decision to close the Mark Twain National Forest to feral hog hunting.

State Rep. Robert Ross, R-Yukon, speaks at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on August 22, 2019 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The issue came up during Monday afternoon’s Missouri House Budget Committee hearing in Jefferson City, when State Reps. Robert Ross, R-Yukon, and Scott Cupps, R-Shell Knob, mentioned the issue to MDA Director Chris Chinn, during her budget presentation.

Chinn testifies that Oklahoma has gone away from an approach Missouri was using, including hunting.

“One of the things that we learned from them (Oklahoma) is that, that above-all approach that we had been taking, they had tried as well and it didn’t work,” Chinn tells Representative Ross.

“Especially not when your (Missouri) Department of Conservation is actively working against the private landowners,” Ross responded.

The above-all approach that Director Chinn is referring to is a policy that some hunters and ranchers near the Mark Twain National Forest want to continue. It involved trapping by Conservation officials, but also hunting by residents.

Ross, who chairs the House Special Committee on Government Oversight, serves on the Budget Committee. He questions Chinn’s letter.

“That’s what really surprised me is that your agency (MDA) would take a position that was in directly in opposition of working with the private landowners, following along with the misguided approach the Missouri Department of Conservation is now pushing,” Ross tells Director Chinn.

Ross says his Texas County constituents support eradicating feral hogs, by hunting. He and Cupps say residents should be allowed to hunt for the hogs on public land.

The Missouri Department of Conservation says allowing residents to hunt feral hogs has increased the number of the animals, along with their range. Conservation agents say there have been illegal releases by people who wanted to hunt feral hogs for recreation.

The Conservation Department has launched a new plan, which aims to eliminate feral hog damage by trapping and killing the hogs themselves.

Director Chinn says feral hogs are a threat to Missouri livestock. She backs the Forest Service’s decision to close the Mark Twain National Forest to feral hog hunting.

Chinn testifies that MDA’s job, through its Animal Health division, is to protect Missouri from diseases. She says if African swine fever were to hit Missouri through the feral hog population, it would be a threat to livestock producers and agribusiness.

“A lot of these livestock eat the corn and the soybean that are raised on many of these farms, and if we should have a disease threat like that hit Missouri, it’s not only going to hurt the livestock industry, it’s going to hit our row crop as well as our grain elevators,” Chinn testifies.

Chinn emphasizes that what’s been done previously isn’t working.

After several minutes of questioning, State Rep. Hannah Kelly, R-Mountain Grove, who chairs the House Subcommittee on Appropriations for Agriculture, asked Ross and Cupps to save the feral hog discussion for another date, when both MDA and the Conservation Department can attend. Kelly wanted Chinn to have time to present her budget.

The issue has been a big one at the Missouri Capitol. Just last week, about 150 southern Missouri hunters and ranchers protested quietly outside the governor’s office, saying the MDC-federal approach won’t work.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s interview with Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) Director Chris Chinn, which was recorded at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on January 27, 2020:

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