St. Louis Missouri

ST LOUIS MO NEWS (stlouismo.com) - Missouri turkey Hunters checked 43,416 turkeys during Missouri’s three-week spring turkey season, falling slightly short of predictions for the harvest. Cool, wet, windy weather and below-average reproduction combined to produce the smallest Missouri spring turkey harvest since 1997.

Top Missouri counties in the 2008 spring turkey season were Franklin, Missouri with 838 turkeys checked, Texas County with 801 and Osage County with 696.  The 2,898 turkeys checked during the Youth Spring Turkey Season bring the 2008 spring turkey harvest to 46,314. That is 2,148 fewer than last year, a decrease of 4.4 percent.

Near-perfect weather all across the state allowed hunters to check approximately 1,000 more turkeys on opening day this year than they did in 2007. By the end of the first week, however, they had fallen behind last year’s pace by about 460. They lost another 350 or so during the second week. The third week’s deficit topped 700, closing the season more than 1,500 behind last year’s total. This year’s Missouri harvest is the 11th largest on record and the smallest since 1997.

Before the season started, Resource Scientist Tom Dailey predicted a harvest approximately the same as last year’s. Tom Dailey, the Missouri Department of Conservation’s top turkey biologist, attributed the lower-than-expected harvest to two factors.

"We started this season with fewer birds than last year, Turkey nesting success in 2007 was the second-worst since we began keeping records in 1960, but I was optimistic that the weather would be more favorable for hunting this year, and that would boost the harvest a little." said Resource Scientist Tom Dailey.

Weather is a perennial wild card in determining turkey harvest. Warm, calm weather makes turkey behavior more predictable and encourages hunters to spend time outside. Cold, rainy, windy weather makes the big birds skittish and makes hunters more likely to sleep in.

"The severe freeze that hit Missouri just before the season opened last year really put a damper on things, With average weather, hunters could have taken as many birds this year as they did in 2007, but we didn’t get average weather." said Resource Scientist Tom Dailey.

Below-normal temperatures and frequent rain, often accompanied by violent weather, kept a lid on this year’s turkey harvest. The southern half of the state was particularly hard-hit. Parts of southeastern Missouri had received more than 12 inches above average rainfall by early May. Tornadoes ripped through southwestern Missouri during the final weekend of turkey season, and strong winds buffeted the rest of the state on the eve of the turkey season closer.

Tom Dailey also noted a decrease in the number of juvenile male turkeys, commonly called "jakes," in this year’s harvest. Young birds made up just 17 percent of this year’s spring turkey harvest, compared to 22 percent in recent years.

"This goes along with what was observed in the field last year," said Tom Dailey. "The late freeze really hurt turkey nesting, and we saw that in this year’s harvest statistics. The 5 percent of the harvest that we lost on account of having fewer jakes this year would have put us just about where we were last year."

"The fact that we still harvested 46,000 birds tells you something about how many turkeys we still have in Missouri. My hope now is that we will get back to more normal weather so the remaining birds can bring off a good crop of young turkeys."

Another factor not in turkeys’ favor is the conversion of grasslands to croplands.  "Nesting and brood-rearing habitat could be reduced this year as the high prices of corn, soybeans and wheat are tempting farmers to put pastures, Conservation Reserve Program fields and other grasslands into crop production," said Tom Dailey. "A reduction in nesting and brood-rearing cover could reduce production of all of our ground-nesting birds, including turkeys, quail, ring-necked pheasants and songbirds."

An alternative to converting entire fields to crops is enrolling existing cropland in CP38 or CP33, U.S. Department of Agriculture cropland buffer programs. These practices allow farmers to crop the best parts of fields while maintaining wildlife habitat on the margins, where yields may be lower.

Tom Dailey said Missouri’s turkey nesting prospects are not very bright because of the late, cool spring. Late springs sometimes translate into reduced nesting success. This year’s cooler-than-normal spring and late growth of vegetation are not in turkeys’ favor.

The Conservation Department recorded three firearms-related hunting accidents - all nonfatal - during the 2008 spring turkey season. That is one more than last year and well below the Missouri Spring turkey harvest average.

ST LOUIS MISSOURI NEWS (stlouismo.com) —Governor Matt Blunt today recognized 10 Missouri students who have been selected as the Missouri winners and semifinalists for the 2008 Presidential Scholars Program.

“I congratulate the 2008 Missouri Presidential Scholars and Semifinalists for their exceptional academic and artistic performance,” Governor Matt Blunt said.  “Education is my highest priority and the work and commitment of these young Missourians and their peers is a reflection of the bright future we expect for Missouri students.”

          The 2008 Missouri semifinalists are:

• Adam D. Ariel – Block Yeshiva High School, St. Louis
• Karina M. Bielecki – Central High School, Springfield
• Amelia M. Chivetta – Visitation Academy, St. Louis
• Daniel P. Cooper – Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School, St. Louis
• Kristen Z. Liu – Warrensburg High School, Warrensburg
• Daniel M. Ni – Columbia-Rock Bridge Senior High School, Columbia
• Elizabeth Y. Qin – Parkway Central High School, Chesterfield
• David J. Westrich – Notre Dame Regional High School, Cape Girardeau

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced the selection of this year’s scholars this month.  One young man and one young woman were chosen from each state as the 2008 Presidential Scholars.  Two high school seniors from Missouri are among 139 outstanding American students to be selected as 2008 Presidential Scholars. 

          The Missouri Presidential Scholars are:

• David A. Levary – Parkway Central High School, Chesterfield
• Kellyn N. Smith – St. Teresa’s Academy, Kansas City

The United States Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964, by Executive Order of the President, to recognize and honor some of the nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors.  In 1979 the program was extended to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative and performing arts.  Each year up to 141 students are named Presidential Scholars, who represent excellence in education and the promise of greatness in young people.  Candidates are identified for the academic part of the program based on exceptional scores on the SAT or ACT exams.  All of the scholars will be honored June 21-24 in Washington, D.C.

Education is Governor Matt Blunt's highest budget and policy priority, and he has increased funding for education every year he has been in office.  Including his budget recommendations approved by the General Assembly for Fiscal Year 2009, Governor Matt Blunt has delivered an increase of $1.2 billion for education since January 2005, ensuring that St Louis Missouri teachers and students have the resources they need to succeed.  

ST LOUIS MISSOURI NEWS (stlouismo.com) -- Go fly a kite on Sunday, May 25, at Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park near Wildwood. Sponsored by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the park's "Let's All Fly Kites" event will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

Everyone is welcome to bring a kite and fly it in the open field next to the park's statue. The first 20 children to arrive will get to make their own kite and fly it in the park.  Meet at the park's statue near the park's entrance.  

Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park is located 20 miles west of St. Louis on Highway BA, between U.S. 40 and Highway 100. For more information, contact the park directly at 636-458-3813 or the Department of Natural Resources toll free at 800-334-6946 (voice) or 800 379-2419 (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf). For more information about state parks and historic sites, visit the Web at www.mostateparks.com. 

For news releases on the Web, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel. For a complete listing of upcoming meetings and events in the state park system, visit the online calendar at www.mostateparks.com/events/events.htm. 

More St Louis Missouri News

Viticulture Field Day - Learn Disease Management
Boy Scouts Can Earn unique patch at Onondaga Cave State Park
Department of Natural Resources is waiving pollution regulations
Missouri's 2008 Presidential Scholar Program Winners and Semifinalists

ST LOUIS MO NEWS (stlouismo.com) – The Missouri Wine & Grape Board and the Missouri Grape Growers’ Association have announced the dates for the 2008 Viticulture Field Day, a networking and educational opportunity for grape growers across the region. The event will be held June 3, 2008 at Crown Valley Winery in Ste. Genevieve, Mo. The Field Day is sponsored by the Missouri Grape Growers’ Association and the Institute for Continental Climate Viticulture and Enology.

"Missouri’s wine industry continues to grow and is home to over 70 wineries," said Jim Anderson, executive director of the Missouri Wine & Grape Board. "The Viticulture Field Day will offer many of our grape growers a chance to hear about disease management and control in the Midwest."

In addition to research plot tours, this year’s Field Day will include two top specialists on grape disease control in the nation: Wayne Wilcox, of Cornell University, and Turner Sutton, of North Carolina State University. Dr. Wilcox will present "Downy and Powdery Mildews: Biology and Management." Dr. Sutton will present "Summer Bunch Rots and their Management."

"The 2008 Viticulture Field Day provides a venue for grape growers from across the region to gather, network and learn about current research happening in the field and how the research findings may impact the industry as a whole," said Sarah Schmidt, incoming president of the Missouri Grape Growers’ Association.

The Viticulture Field Day is from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and costs $15 per person and includes lunch. Deadline to register is May 23. To register for the meeting or if you are interested in exhibiting, contact Jennifer Rhodus, Missouri Grape Growers’ Association, at marcovineyard@wildblue.net or call (573) 562-2968.

Mother & Daughter Team To Receive Spa Day Getaway Package Including A Custom Clinique Happy Fragrance Exclusive Brides.com 'Mother-Of-The-Bride' Survey Reveals That Over One-Third Of Brides-To-Be Will Have Mom Walk Them Down The Aisle

 ST LOUIS MO NEWS (stlouismo.com) PRNewswire - With Mother's Day around the corner, Conde Nast's premier destination bridal website Brides.com (http://www.brides.com) is wrapping up its week-long celebration of the 'Mother-of-the-Bride' by awarding Columbia, Missouri child daycare professional Janet Palmer and her soon-to-be-wed daughter Chrissy with the grand prize in its inaugural Mother-to-Daughter Bridal Sweepstakes. Janet and Chrissy will receive a day of pampering at the Riversong Spa & Salon in Columbia, as well as a Clinique Happy Fragrance customized with their photo.

After reviewing over 500 submissions describing how engaged women across the country are bonding with their mothers over wedding plans, the Brides.com editors selected Chrissy's heartfelt entry, in which she shared that Janet started a hope chest for her "when she was first diagnosed with cancer two years ago." According to Chrissy, her mother "has been adding to it ever since, putting in cards and accessories for the big day."

"With Mother's Day on our minds, it seemed the ideal time for Brides.com to pay tribute to the mother-daughter relationship," said Brides.com Editor-in-Chief Michelle Preli. "The Palmers are truly a remarkable mother-daughter team and we are privileged to honor their exceptional bond with this grand prize award."

As an additional part of its Brides.com's Mother's Day special, the site conducted a survey of its users to reveal how much Moms influence a bride's wedding plans.*

In a twist from the traditional father-daughter walk down the aisle, over a third of those polled (37%) said they plan on having their mother at their side as well. However, Brides.com visitors do not always want to follow in their mothers' footsteps when it comes to the dress. A clear majority of brides (72%) said that they prefer to buy their own wedding outfit instead of wearing Mom's bridal gown.

Brides.com is a premier bridal destination site, with more than 1.2 million unique users every month and 60 percent year-over-year growth in traffic. Brides.com's dedicated editorial team creates original content, develops interactive tools, cultivates an engaged community and provides an array of beautiful imagery and video to empower the bride throughout her wedding-planning process. Brides.com commands a superior market position by aggregating content from three national magazines -- Brides, Modern Bride, Elegant Bride -- and 16 local bridal magazines.

ST LOUIS MO NEWS (stlouismo.com) - Missouri Department of Social Services' MO HealthNet Division Director, Dr. Ian McCaslin, held a town hall meeting today to discuss Gov. Blunt's MO HealthNet, the state's health care safety net for the poor. MO HealthNet is a new approach to health care that focuses on prevention, health and wellness and encourages participant involvement through avenues such as a health care home.

"MO HealthNet is an innovative program poised to help hundreds of thousands of Missourians maintain and improve their health status," said Dr. McCaslin. "As we further develop aspects of MO HealthNet such as health care homes we want to listen and learn from the questions, comments and concerns of our participants, providers, and the public. We want to be sure our program meets the needs of all involved."

The health care home provides quality, coordinated health care intended to maximize each participant's health potential. It enables both health professionals and participants to address health concerns before they become catastrophic. Participants choose their own health care home based on their preferences and unique health care needs. Approved health professionals maintain awareness of the participant's medical and health history and can recommend care, early detection and preventative services to improve wellness.

The quality, coordinated health care provided by a health care home relies on health care professionals having access to a participant's health information and the ability to share that information with other approved professionals caring for the participant. MO HealthNet allows participants' health care providers to access information through a secure, password-protected Internet-based electronic health record (EHR) tool. The EHR includes an electronic plan of care. Providers also use the tool to submit electronic prescriptions and request pre-certification for imaging procedures and some durable medical equipment items.

"We believe participants want to be more involved in their health care decisions, and we encourage them to take more responsibility for their health and well-being. Establishment of a health care home encourages participants to play a greater role in their own health care and, ultimately, improve their quality of life. We are dedicated to improving the health status of our participants and helping them become more productive citizens," Dr. McCaslin added.

Rolla is the third location for the town hall meetings. Previously, Dr. McCaslin hosted meetings in St. Joseph and Moberly. Over the course of the next several months, Dr. McCaslin will meet with the public across the state to discuss MO HealthNet, health care homes, and other aspects of the transformed program.

8 Semifinalists also were recognized

Two high school seniors from Missouri are among 139 outstanding American students to be selected as 2008 Presidential Scholars.  All of the scholars will be honored June 21-24 in Washington, D.C. 

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced the selection of this year’s scholars on May 1.  Missouri’s winners are:

• David A. Levary           Parkway Central High School, Chesterfield
• Kellyn N. Smith            Saint Teresa’s Academy, Kansas City

The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established by Executive Order in 1964.  Each year, up to 141 graduating seniors are honored for their exceptional scholarship, leadership, talent in the visual and performing arts, and community involvement.

This year’s class of Presidential Scholars includes one young woman and one young man from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and from families of U.S. citizens living abroad.  In addition, there are 15 at-large selections and 20 Presidential Scholars in the Arts.

In April, eight other Missouri students were named semifinalists in the 2008 Presidential Scholars program.  They are:

• Adam D. Ariel               Block Yeshiva High School, St. Louis
• Karina M. Bielecki        Central High School, Springfield
• Amelia M. Chivetta      Visitation Academy, St. Louis
• Daniel P. Cooper         Mary Institute & St. Louis Country Day School
• Kristen Z. Liu               Warrensburg High School
• Daniel M. Ni                 Rock Bridge High School, Columbia
• Elizabeth Y. Qin           Parkway Central High School, Chesterfield
• David J. Westrich         Notre Dame Regional High School, Cape Girardeau

Andre Mitchell, from Belleville, Illinois - ripped off hundreds of trusting investors in the St. Louis area and all over the country before going crazy on a bank robbery spree.  Mr. Mitchell was sentenced to 14 years in prison and ordered to repay more than $3 million, the U.S. Attorney's office announced today.

Andre Mitchell, 43, was former president and CEO of Global Power Global Wealth Enterprises, which promised real estate riches and crazy returns to his investor of up to 1,500%.

Mr. Mitchell used all the tricks - the money parties, a fancy cruise, invitation-only private investment offers and a house tour showing off rehabbing projects that didn't exist, the company was just a modern day pyramid scheme, prosecutors said.

Early investors got their profits through money paid in by later investors. and Mitchell used that money to pay himself, family members and employees, and the pyramid eventually collapsed in 2005.   After everything fell apart Andre Mitchell robbed three banks in Kentucky.

In February, Andre Mitchell pleaded guilty to mail fraud and money laundering in federal court in Kentucky, where he faced the bank robbery charges.   Andre Mitchell was sentenced to 168 months in prison today, ordered to pay $3,017,771 restitution to victims and $15,436 to banks, and will spend five years on supervised release after he gets out of federal prison.

Mr. Henry Allen, 63, 5500 block of Clemens in St. Louis, also pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and money laundering and was sentenced to 5 years in the big house, last September