Outdoors Archives - Missourinet

Missouri’s governor warns that feral hogs are a danger to the state and threaten agriculture (AUDIO)

March 31, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

Three Missouri House committees will be heading to the state Department of Conservation headquarters in Jefferson City on Thursday morning, to be briefed on the feral hog issue.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson, State Sen. Jason Bean (left of the governor) and U.S. Rep. Jason Smith (to governor’s right) participate in a Jefferson City briefing about feral hogs on March 29, 2021 (photo courtesy of Governor Parson’s Twitter page)

The briefing will take place at 7:30 a.m.

The Missouri House Agriculture Policy Committee, the Conservation and Natural Resources Committee and the Rural Community Development Committee will be briefed by Conservation about successes they’ve had with feral hogs and the challenges they’re facing.

Feral hogs are a major issue in southern Missouri, especially in and near the Mark Twain National Forest. Governor Mike Parson is warning that feral hogs are a danger to the state and pose serious safety risks to residents. The governor met this week in Jefferson City with Missouri Department of Conservation Director Sara Parker-Pauley, U.S.D.A., the U.S. Forest Service and state lawmakers like State Sen. Jason Bean (R-Holcomb).

U.S. Rep. Jason Smith (R-Salem), who represents 30 southern Missouri counties, traveled to Jefferson City to attend Monday’s meeting.

“Those (feral) hogs can do great destruction to the farmers, to the forests and they’ve become a very significant problem. The majority of the feral hogs that in our state are actually in the 8th Congressional District,” Smith tells Missourinet.

A close look at Smith’s sprawling district shows the how much of a presence the Mark Twain National Forest has in his district, from east to west and from north to south. Feral hogs are prevalent in the Mark Twain, which is why the Forest Service participated in Monday’s meeting.

Governor Parson says feral hogs threaten Missouri agriculture and outdoor recreation, and Congressman Smith agrees.

“We hope to have them eradicated one day, they’re awful. The best feral hog is a dead feral hog,” says Smith.

Congressman Smith warns that feral hogs are damaging cropland and forests. Missouri Department of Agriculture Director Chris Chinn has also testified that feral hogs are also a threat to Missouri livestock.

Governor Parson says Missouri will continue its eradication efforts, working alongside federal, state and local partners.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s interview with U.S. Rep. Jason Smith (R-Salem), which was recorded outside the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on March 29, 2021:

Legislation to keep sex offenders away from Missouri Department of Conservation centers has bipartisan support

March 20, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri Department of Conservation and the Conservation Federation of Missouri support legislation aimed at keeping registered sex offenders away from state Conservation areas.

House Bill 1090 is sponsored by State Rep. Barry Hovis (R-Whitewater), a former law enforcement officer with more than 30 years of experience. The House Public Safety Committee approved the bill 8-0, and it’s expected to go to the Missouri House floor sometime after the spring break.

State Rep. Barry Hovis (R-Whitewater) speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on February 3, 2021 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The bill would ban most registered sex offenders from being 500 feet from any Missouri Department of Conservation nature or education center. The Conservation Department has several of these facilities, which include the Runge Nature Center in Jefferson City and the Springfield Conservation Nature Area. Schoolchildren frequently visit Runge and the other Conservation nature and education centers.

Hovis’ bill is the same bill filed in 2020 by State Rep. Hannah Kelly (R-Mountain Grove).

Current Missouri state law bans sex offenders from being 500 feet of public parks with playground equipment, public swimming pools and children’s museums.

Missouri lawmakers return to Jefferson City on Monday. They’re finishing their annual spring break.

Conservation officials: proposal to expand Conservation Commission threatens future of conservation in Missouri

February 23, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri Department of Conservation director testified Monday night in Jefferson City against a proposal to increase the size of the Conservation Commission from four to nine, saying it could lead to regional favoritism.

State Rep. Chris Dinkins, R-Annapolis, testifies before a Missouri House committee in Jefferson City on January 28, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The hearing was delayed for about an hour, when a fire alarm began sounding at the Capitol. Lawmakers had to be evacuated, until firefighters checked the building.

Conservation director Sara Parker Pauley testified during the lengthy committee hearing.

“The Conservation Commission believes that House Joint Resolution 55, which proposes to amend the Missouri Constitution, is unnecessary and in fact, threatens the future of conservation in Missouri as we know it,” Pauley testifies.

State Rep. Chris Dinkins, R-Annapolis, has filed the joint resolution to increase the commission’s membership to nine nonpartisan members: one appointed by the governor and eight elected from each Conservation region.

Pauley testifies that Missourians approved a constitutional amendment in 1936, creating a four-person Conservation Commission to manage, conserve and restore Missouri forest, fish and wildlife. She says the 1936 constitutional amendment was in direct response to a fish and game agency that had become ineffective due to undue influence of local and state politics.

“My greatest concern is that expanding the commission will dilute and politicize the department’s ability to take care our state’s fish, forest and wildlife resources and connect our citizens to those resources,” says Pauley.

Pauley says the mandate of each of the four Conservation Commissioners is to represent the entire state and to work together. She also worries that expanding the commission could lead to commissioners competing for activities in their region.

The Conservation Federation of Missouri also testified against the bill, at the hearing.

As for Representative Dinkins, she’s filed HJR 55 to elect Conservation commissioners and expand the commission to nine. She says the commission needs more rural representation.

Dinkins testifies that the current four-person commission is too small, saying the commission’s current size limits their ability to perform their duties.

“In June of 2019, there were only two (Conservation) commissioners because the other two’s terms had ended. So one had to nominate one for chair, and the other one had to nominate the other one for vice chair and secretary, and then they had to second each other’s motions,” Dinkins testifies.

Dinkins received pushback Monday evening from a fellow Republican when she testified that the commission needs more rural representation.

State Rep. Don Rone, R-Portageville, noted that the Conservation Commission’s current chair is Don Bedell of Sikeston. But Dinkins says she and her constituents in small towns like Annapolis do not consider Sikeston rural.

Southeast Missouri’s Sikeston has about 16,000 residents.

Dinkins says her proposal would ensure that everyone has representation.

“It seems like (the Department of) Conservation has a lot to do with our rural communities, yet we don’t really have a voice,” she told Missourinet on Friday.

Missouri’s Conservation Commission currently has four members, appointed by the governor or previous governors. The Conservation Commission’s four current members are Mr. Bedell of Sikeston, Columbia’s Barry Orscheln, Mark McHenry of Kansas City and Steven Harrison of Rolla.

Bedell serves as the chair, and Orscheln is the vice chair. McHenry is the secretary, and Harrison is a member. Commissioners are responsible for appointing the Conservation director, and serve as policy makers and approve wildlife code regulations. They’re also involved with strategic planning.

If lawmakers approve Dinkins’ resolution this session, it would go to the statewide ballot in 2022. Based on comments from committee members in both parties on Monday, Dinkins’ bill is unlikely to pass in committee without some revisions.

The eight elected members would be elected in November 2024, under Representative Dinkins’ proposal.

State Rep. Paula Brown, D-Hazelwood, the House Conservation and Natural Resources Committee’s ranking Democrat, tells Dinkins she’s worried the November 2024 ballot could be 25 pages long.

Proposal to elect Missouri Conservation Commissioners goes before House committee on Monday (AUDIO)

February 22, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

A southeast Missouri lawmaker says Missouri’s Conservation Commission needs more rural representation, and that commissioners should be elected.

State Rep. Chris Dinkins, R-Annapolis, has filed a House joint resolution that would increase the commission’s membership to nine nonpartisan members: one appointed by the governor and eight elected from each Conservation region. Her legislation will be heard Monday evening by the House Conservation and Natural Resources Committee.

State Rep. Chris Dinkins, R-Annapolis, speaks on the Missouri House floor on February 10, 2020 in Jefferson City (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

“This has been brought to my attention numerous times and I think it’s important that the rural people also have representation on this commission,” Dinkins says.

Missouri’s Conservation Commission currently has four members, appointed by the governor or previous governors. The Conservation Commission’s four current members are Don Bedell of Sikeston, Columbia’s Barry Orscheln, Mark McHenry of Kansas City and Steven Harrison of Rolla.

If lawmakers approve Dinkins’ resolution this session, it would go to the statewide ballot in 2022.

“And this would ensure that everyone has representation. It seems like (the Department of) Conservation has a lot to do with our rural communities, yet we don’t really have a voice,” says Dinkins.

The eight elected members would be elected in November 2024, under Representative Dinkin’s House Joint Resolution 55.

Dinkins says there has already been a lot of written testimony submitted about her bill, and predicts rural communities will support it.

She also acknowledges that there will be opposition to it as well, and notes her bill last year didn’t get much traction.

Monday’s hearing begins at 5 p.m. at the Statehouse in Jefferson City.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with State Rep. Chris Dinkins, R-Annapolis, which was recorded on February 19, 2021:

Tractor Supply: it’s business as usual for them and Orscheln; focus is on regulatory approval

February 19, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

A company that’s acquired Moberly-based Orscheln Farm and Home says it’s business as usual for now.

Moberly-based Orscheln operates 61 stores across rural Missouri, including one in northeast Missouri’s Mexico (graphic courtesy of Orscheln Facebook page)

Tennessee-based Tractor Supply Company has purchased Moberly-based Orscheln in an all-cash transaction for $297 million.

Orscheln’s headquarters and distribution center are located in Moberly, and Orscheln operates 61 stores across rural Missouri. The store locations include Moberly, Mexico, Marshall, Cameron, Nevada, Sikeston and Sullivan. Tractor Supply has 27 Missouri store locations.

A Tractor Supply spokeswoman tells Missourinet that it’s business as usual right now for those stores and that no other plans have been announced at this time. The spokeswoman says Tractor Supply’s focus is now on regulatory approval.

Tractor Supply’s website describes the company as the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the nation.

Barry Orscheln, the longtime chairman and CEO at Orscheln Farm and Home, is well-known in Moberly and across rural Missouri. He’s issued a statement, saying the future is bright.

“For more than 60 years, my family, our Orscheln Farm and Home employees and I have been committed to serving the needs of rural communities across the Midwest. I am very proud of all that we have accomplished over this time. I am confident that with Tractor Supply, our stores will be well-positioned to continue Orscheln’s tradition of taking care of our customers and communities for the next phase of growth,” Orscheln’s statement reads.

Tractor Supply’s press release says they intend to fund the acquisition through existing cash on hand.

Bass Pro Shops to award $1 million first-place prize in upcoming amateur bass fishing tournament

February 1, 2021 By Bill Pollock

Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris announced the Bass Pro Shops U.S. Open National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championships with a total guaranteed purse value of $4.3 million. The national championship team wins a $1 million cash prize – the largest cash payout of any single freshwater fishing tournament in history.

Click to sign up

Build your own team with a fishing buddy or family member: Registration is open exclusively for amateur anglers, creating a thrilling opportunity for families and friends from all walks of life to compete together on the water. To help grow the sport, regional and international qualifier events will feature division payouts for youth, family teams, all-female teams, veterans, and more. Additional prizes will be offered for the biggest bass and other categories that add to the collective excitement. Johnny is awarding one lucky junior angler (ages 11 – 18) a $250,000 scholarship toward a conservation-related area of study. Events will offer fun for the whole family with activities and entertainment.

Entry and Qualifying Process. In an effort to provide the widest opportunities for participation, there are three ways anglers can qualify for a chance to compete in the national championship event:

Finish in the top 40 at one of eight regional qualifier events hosted around the country: Accommodating a grand total of 4,700 anglers, each regional qualifying event will be open to 250 two-person teams. Regional qualifiers will take place at some of the best bass fishing locations in the country while offering up plenty of fun:

• Lake Okeechobee, Fla. – March 13, 2021
• Lake Ray Roberts (Dallas), Texas – April 17,
2021
• Lake Mead, Nev. – April 24, 2021
• Chesapeake Bay, Md. – July 17, 2021
• Lake St. Clair (Detroit), Mich. – Aug. 21, 2021
• Old Hickory Lake (Nashville), Tenn. – Sept. 11,
2021
• Grand Lake ‘O the Cherokees (Tulsa), Okla –
Oct. 16, 2021
• Last Chance Qualifier: Bull Shoals Lake, Ark. –
Nov. 17, 2021
• Culminating in the Grand Championship finale
for those who qualify: Table Rock Lake, Mo. –
Nov. 19, 2021

Entry fees are $450 per person, $250 for youth ages 12 – 17, and free for kids under 12. Entry includes a US Open Gift Bag for each team member with exclusive goods valued at $150.

The tournaments will benefit local fish habitat with proceeds supporting the National Fish Habitat Initiative. One-third of all entry fees will directly support the project. Bass Pro Shops will match each donation as will Toyota, a longstanding conservation partner, enabling an amount equal to 100 percent of all entry fees – over $1 million – to benefit conservation.

U.S. Marshals: three southeast Missouri jail escapees should be considered dangerous

January 18, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

The U.S. Marshals are now leading the search for three jail escapees in southeast Missouri’s Iron County, and the Marshals emphasize the three should be considered dangerous. A unified command post has been established at the Iron County Courthouse in Ironton.

Missourinet Cape Girardeau television partner KFVS reports authorities are offering a $5,000 reward for information on the escapees: Tracy L. Brown, Dwight Abernathie and Samuel Gillam. The Marshals say all three were jailed on local charges. Gillam was jailed on a kidnapping charge, while Abernathie was jailed for assault and sodomy. Brown was in jail for a burglary charge.

U.S. Marshals, Iron County Sheriff’s deputies, Ironton Police and others have set up a command post at the Iron County Courthouse in Ironton (January 16, 2021 photo courtesy of Ironton Police Facebook page)

U.S. Marshals say the three moved a block wall to escape. Authorities are urging residents to lock their doors and to remain vigilant.

Marshals say the inmates escaped at about 4:30 on Saturday morning, and the Iron County Sheriff requested assistance from the Marshals at about 1 p.m. Saturday. The Marshals have sent personnel from Cape Girardeau and St. Louis to the area.

U.S. Marshals and Iron County Sheriff’s deputies are being assisted by Ironton Police, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Pilot Knob Police and by the U.S. Forest Service, Missouri State park rangers and the Missouri Department of Corrections.

The search area includes the heavily-wooded Mark Twain National Forest.

Conservative publisher to roll out Hawley’s book

January 18, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, R-Missouri

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, has a new publisher for his upcoming book. Conservative publishing company Regnery has announced on Twitter today that Hawley’s book, “The Tyranny of Big Tech” will come out in the spring.

Simon & Schuster publishing company dropped its agreement with Hawley after Trump rioters tore through the U.S. Capitol on January 6, killing five people and vandalizing the place. Hawley, who has been largely silent since the attack, accused the publisher of “assaulting” his First Amendment rights, which only applies to the government – not to private companies.

My statement on the woke mob at @simonschuster pic.twitter.com/pDxtZvz5J0

— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) January 7, 2021

Hawley led an effort to challenge the certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory. He cited voter fraud allegations that several courts have struck down.

Since the attack, Hawley has lost some key supporters, including Missouri megadonors David Humphreys of Joplin and Sam Fox of St. Louis. At the same time, he has plenty of people still on his side.

Over the weekend, Loews Hotels announced it would not be hosting Hawley’s fundraiser next month in Florida:

“We are horrified and opposed to the events at the Capitol and all who supported and incited the actions. In light of those events and for the safety of our guests and team members, we have informed the host of the Feb. fundraiser that it will no longer be held at Loews Hotels,” the statement says.

In the book, Hawley argues that big tech companies like Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple wield enormous market power and regulate and influence the news. Hawley says they organize, manipulate, and direct the conversations that Americans are having. He has been focusing on the work of big tech companies since his short time as Missouri Attorney General.

The “Christmas Star” shines Monday night as Jupiter and Saturn meet in night sky

December 21, 2020 By Missourinet Contributor

Get ready for a fantastic night time spectacle as two of the solar system’s planets join to create a once in a lifetime sight. Jupiter and Saturn will be right on top of each other on Monday night in what’s known as a conjunction. Astronomer Sebastian Zamfir says the show starts just after sundown.

“If we are patient, we’ll see that in about maybe 20 minutes, half an hour, it gets dark enough for the two planets to become visible. They will stand out because they are very bright,” he says.

Zamfir says astronomers have tracked these events all the way back to the time of Jesus.

“Some of the good candidates, as natural phenomena that would be related to The Star of Bethlehem were this kind of conjunctions, planetary conjunction. An even more spectacular one in terms of brightness happened in 2 BC and that one was between Jupiter and Venus,” he says.

The last time Jupiter and Saturn got this close together in the night sky was over 800 years ago, making this a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Missouri’s skies are expected to be clear tonight to view the show beginning just after sundown.

The event coincides with today’s winter solstice – the shortest day of the year and the official start of winter.

By Raymond Neupert of Wisconsin Radio Network

Missouri recreational equipment manufacturer to expand and create 82 new jobs

December 17, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

A southwest Missouri company called PlayPower is creating 82 new positions and investing more than $2 million to expand its site in Monett by 15,000 square feet. Gov. Mike Parson’s Office tells Missourinet the company is also expanding the location to make it PlayPower’s North American Center of Excellence.

Missouri recreational equipment manufacturer to expand and create 82 new jobs

The company has other locations in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Indiana, Texas, Mexico, England, Scotland, Poland and Sweden.

PlayPower is an international manufacturer of outdoor recreational items, including commercial playground equipment, boat docks and personal watercraft.

A press release from Parson’s office says PlayPower is using the Missouri Works program, an incentive tool to help companies expand and retain workers by providing access to capital through withholdings or tax credits for job creation. In addition, PlayPower is partnering with Missouri One Start, a division of the Department of Economic Development, to provide training and recruitment assistance that is tailored to meet the specific workforce needs of the company.