Greetings, My Fellow Missourians

On Saturday evening, Marla and I attended the Annual Missouri Cattleman’s Steak Fry at the Sedalia State Fair Grounds. Governor Mike Parson was the keynote speaker. As a Cattleman himself, our Governor is a longtime member of MCA and a supporter of agriculture, our state’s #1 industry. During the event he signed Senate Bill 391. This legislation prevents county governments from passing rules and regulations on farm and ranch families that are more stringent than scientifically founded rules and regulations promulgated by the Department of Natural Resources and other agencies. Proponents argue that a patchwork of county-by-county regulations creates regulatory uncertainty for farm and ranch families and prevents them from expanding and stops new operations from starting. Nearly 30 affiliate Ag organizations are included in the list of proponents.

Construction improvements are underway at the intersection of 13 Highway and C Highway on the north side of Lowry City. This creates a more dangerous intersection. On Sunday, the first visitor day to the Boy Scout Camp, there was a fatal car wreck. During the summer months, the Boy Scout Camp houses nearly 2,000 campers and staff. There are 5, 10 day camp sessions with each session having a visitor day. On these visitor days, thousands of people drive into Iconium. Please be especially cautious on weekends because of the numerous visitors to the camp and lake. I have spoken with MODOT’s Southwest District engineers in hopes to encourage them to speed up the project. Until improvements are completed it would be wise to use alternative routes to Iconium from Kansas City. The best choice would be about 12 miles south of Clinton by taking Highway Z East to Highway ZZ. Please be cautious and safe while driving. Also, spread the word to fellow travelers for a safe camp season.

Tuesday evening I attended the 85th Annual Sac-Osage Electric Coop Annual Meeting In El Dorado Springs. I attend as many of these as possible in District 125 because I want to stay informed on the issues of our Rural Electric Cooperatives, of which there are 5 Co-ops in our District. It is of the utmost importance that we have Electricity in our Rural areas that is reliable and affordable.

General Manager Jim Davis spoke to about 300 co-op members with the news that the co-op is starting a feasibility study to possibly install fiber optics to provide better Broad Band service to co-op members.

Gov. Parson recently signed legislation into law that will help landowners deal with the feral hog problem that plagues many areas of the state. The legislation will clarify that land owners can bring in agents to eradicate hogs on their property.

Feral hogs are an invasive, non-native, destructive species in Missouri. Their rooting and wallowing cause soil erosion, reduce water quality, and damage agricultural crops and hay fields, as well as destroy sensitive natural areas such as glades, fens and springs. According to the Department of Conservation, a single group of 10 hogs can destroy 10 to 20 acres in one night.

Last year, the Department of Conservation and the USDA killed over 9,000 hogs through trapping. However, hogs are “prolific breeders” capable of maintaining a 166 percent yearly population growth rate. Despite the fact many hogs are trapped, snared or hunted, many more are born each year.

To help landowners combat the numerous problems associated with feral hogs, the legislature passed the bill to define the term “landowner’s agent” for the purposes of who may take, attempt to take, or kill a feral hog with the use of an artificial light. Because the hogs are active at night, that is when they are most effectively hunted. However, farmers and landowners often do not have the time to hunt the creatures during the evening hours. Many times landowners bring others in to combat the damage the hogs cause. The legislation that is now set to become law will allow landowners to have more options to stop the nuisance created by feral hogs.

Upcoming events – Discover More on Route 54 is hosting the annual 100-mile yard sale on Labor Day weekend, Aug. 30-31. This will cover communities along US Hwy 54 from Nevada to Camdenton. They need sellers and bargain hunters to make this event a success! For more information on rules and locations visit https://100mileyardsale.wordpress.com/ or follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DiscoverRoute54/.