09-07-2023 Post Telegraph

PRESTON COLE/Princeton Post-Telegraph

The widows of Princeton High School’s first two softball coaches were recognized before Monday’s (Aug. 28) Tiger 2023 season and home openers when a bench honoring those men were unveiled. Pearl Scurlock (left) and Ginny Niemeyer were presented with flowers as they posed behind the metal bench honoring their husbands, George Scurlock and Dave Niemeyer.

Coach Scurlock led the Tigers during their first two seasons, 1986 and 1987, with the 1987 Tigers beating coach Niemeyer’s Mercer Cardinals - the first of 41 Tiger wins over Mercer. Coach Niemeyer took over the Princeton program in 1988 and in 1991 led the Tigers to the program’s first Grand River Conference title - the first-ever GRC title - first district title and first state tournament berth. He’s the only Mercer County coach to lead the county’s teams to the Final Four of state play - Princeton in 1991 and 1994, Mercer in 1983. Tiger

to the new Princeton field.

MDC announces changes to 2003-24 deer hunting rules

JOE JEREK

Special to the Post-Telegraph

JEFFERSON CITY The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds deer hunters of regulation changes for the upcoming 2023-2024 deer-hunting season. The changes include a new firearms early antlerless portion, a new firearms CWD portion, changes to firearms antlerless permit numbers, and the addition of 14 new counties to the MDC CWD Management Zone.

“The changes to deer hunting regulations for the 2023-2024 deer season were motivated by increasing deer numbers throughout much of Missouri and in response to changes in the distribution of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the state,” said MDC Cervid Program Supervisor Jason Isabelle. “With a growing deer population in most Missouri counties, we’re increasing opportunities for hunters to harvest deer both within and outside of the CWD Management Zone this year.”

2023-2024 Deer Hunting

Portions and Dates

Archery Deer and Turkey Hunting

Sept. 15 through Nov. 10 and Nov. 22 through Jan. 15, 2024

Firearms Deer Hunting

New! Firearms Early Antlerless Portion: Oct. 6-8 (in open counties)

Firearms Early Youth Portion: Oct. 28-29

Firearms November Portion: Nov. 11-21

New! Firearms CWD Portion: Nov. 22-26 (in open counties)

Firearms Late Youth Portion: Nov. 24-26

Firearms Late Antlerless Portion: Dec. 2-10 (in open counties)

Firearms Alternative Methods Portion: Dec. 23 - Jan. 2, 2024

New Firearms Early Antlerless Portion Oct. 6-8 MDC will offer a new firearms early antlerless portion Oct. 6-8 in the 100 counties open for the firearms late antSee Deer hunting, Page 9

GRM Networks holds Fiber Field Day at two sites

Special to the Post-Telegraph

PRINCETON GRM Networks hosted Fiber Field Day on Aug. 31.

This event brought together policy makers and industry partners to see firsthand broadband deployment in rural America through a working demonstration Mt. Moriah, followed by lunch and a town hall meeting at GRM Networks’ corporate headquarters in Princeton.

The town hall brought together subject matter

experts to discuss and address the importance of high-speed internet in rural America and the impact of GRM Networks' fiber for telehealth, distance learning, business development and precision agriculture. The day included a tour of the network access facility which provided a unique experience to see the infrastructure necessary to deliver reliable fiber

See GRM Networks, Page 8

softball alumni fundraised for the bench, which will soon be moved

CAROL HEIN/Special to the Princeton Post-Telegraph

Andrew Berke (at podium), administrator of the USDA Rural Utilities Service, spoke during the opening ceremonies of GRM Networks’ Fiber Field Day last Thursday (Aug. 31) in Mount Moriah. Others who spoke were Josh Scidemann (from left), vice president of Policy and Industry with NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association; Mitchell Bailey, GRM Netwoks CEO; and Danny Busick of Newtown, Missouri 3rd District state representative. More information appears on Page 8.

PRINCETON SOFTBALL

Tables turned, Tigers run-ruled

PRESTON COLE

Princeton Post-Telegraph

PRINCETON After winning its first two games by run-rule margins, the Princeton Tigers got the tables turned on them last Thursday (Aug. 31), as visiting Worth County took an 11-0 victory on Gentry Field.

Princeton managed just one hit, a single by senior Emma Walkup, and made eight errors in falling to 2-1 overall, 1-1 Grand River Conference West.

The Tigers had just one fielding error in each of its first two games before their rough early inning against WoCo.

Worth County (2-1, 1-1

GRCW) got all the runs it needed with a 2-run round in the top of the first inning, the second run coming in on a play during which Princeton made two errors on one play.

After a scoreless second, WoCo got a run in the third before taking the game out of reach with a 6-run rally in the fourth. Worth County got its final two runs in the top of the fifth, and kept the Tigers from scoring the two runs they needed to extend the game.

Princeton 17, Schuyler 2

PRINCETON The Tigers got two 6-run innings, scored in

all four innings, and blasted Schuyler County last Monday (Aug. 28) in their season and home-opening game.

Leadoff batter and shortstop

Addy Henke, coming off her 2022 all-state season, hit the fifth pitch in the bottom of the first well past the 200-foot left field fence, one of just two Tiger hits during a 6-run outburst.

Princeton added two runs in the second before the Rams (03, all by mercy rules) got their runs in the top of the third. The Tigers got their second 6-run blitz in their half of the third, and ended the game on the 15run mercy rule with three in the fourth frame.

Princeton gathered just eight hits in scoring 17 runs, but benefited from six SC errors and 10 walks.

Macey Lewis and Grace Kelly each got two hits, and Henke and Lewis got three RBI.

Kelsey Goodin recorded eight of SC’s 12 outs on strikeouts.

Princeton 12, King City 2

PRINCETON The host Tigers scored in four of the game’s five innings in winning their inaugural GRCW game in runrule fashion last Tuesday (Aug. 29).

King City (1-1, 1-1 GRCW)

scored the game’s first run in the top of the first. Princeton answered with a 3-spot in its half of the inning, led by a 2-RBI single by Emma Walkup. The Tigers went up 4-1 in the second on an RBI single by Aubrey Kelly, and ended the competitive part of the game with a 4-run third.

In that inning, Kelly hit an RBI single, Faith Siemer got a 2-RBI single, and Grace Kelly smacked an RBI single to make it 8-1.

King City got its second run in the fifth, but Princeton got another 4-run round in the bottom of that inning. Grace Kelly smacked an RBI double, Walkup hit an RBI single, Hannah Meighen got an RBI on a bases-loaded walk, and an RBI single by Aubrey ended the game on the 10-run mercy rule.

STATISTICS

vs. Worth County

OFFENSE - Hits: Emma Walkup. Walks: Riley Clark, Audrey Kelly.

PITCHING - Kelsey Goodin:

4 innings, 11 runs (3 earned), 8 hits, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts, 1 hit batter; Hannah Meighen: 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts. vs. King City

OFFENSE - Hits: Grace Kelly

4, Clark 3, Macey Lewis 2, Walkup 2, A. Kelly 2, Faith Siemer.

2B: G. Kelly. RBI: G. Kelly 4, Walkup 3, Siemer 2, A. Kelly 2, Meighen. Runs scored: Lewis

4, G. Kelly, Clark 2, Addy Henke, Siemer, Walkup, A. Kelly. Walks: Siemer 2, Meighen 2, Henke, Lewis, Clark, Evan Boxley. Stolen bases: Lewis.

PITCHING - Goodin: 5 innings, 2 runs (0 earned), 5 hits, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts. vs. Schuyler County

OFFENSE - Hits: Lewis 2, G. Kelly 2, Henke 1, Clark, Meighen, A. Kelly. 2B: Lewis. HR: Henke. RBI: Henke 3, Lewis 3, G. Kelly. Runs scored: Clark

3, Henke 2, G. Kelly 2, Walkup

2, Meighen 2, A. Kelly 2, Lewis, Siemer, Boxley, Celia Stiles. Walks: Henke 2, Siemer 2, Lewis, Clark, Boxley, Meighen, A. Kelly, Kaydence Stockman. Stolen bases: Lewis 2, Clark. Hit by pitch: Stiles. Sacrifice: Kelly.

PITCHING - Goodin: 4 innings, 2 runs (2 earned), 3 hits, 0 walks, 8 strikeouts.

2022 Princeton all-state shortstop Addy Henke hit a long home run over the left field fence - the MSHSAA-recommended 200 feet from home plate - on the fifth pitch of the season in the bottom of the first inning of the Tigers’ runrule, 17-2 win over Schuyler County last Monday (Aug. 28).

Kelsey

PRESTON COLE/Princeton Post-Telegraph Tiger freshman Riley Clark went 4-for-5 at the plate and scored five runs during Princeton’s 2023 season-opening victories over Schuyler County and King City.

PRESTON COLE/Princeton Post-Telegraph

PRESTON COLE/Princeton Post-Telegraph

Goodin fired a pitch to a Schuyler County in the first inning of Princeton’s win over the Rams on Aug. 28. Goodin was the winning pitcher in wins over Schuyler County and King City.

MERCER SOFTBALL

Cardinals claim first win of ‘23

PRESTON COLE

Princeton Post-Telegraph

MERCER Shaking off a gutwrenching loss two nights earlier, the Mercer Cardinals battered HDC Conference rival 15-2 last Thursday (Aug. 31).

Mercer (1-2, 1-1 HDC) started quickly, getting four runs in the bottom of the first inning and two more in the second for a 6-0 lead. Grundy got its first run in the top of the third, but the Cardinals responded with another 4-run round in their half of that frame before ending the competitive phase of the game with five runs in the fourth. The Panthers (0-1, 0-1 HDC, playing their first game, got a run in the fifth before the game ended the game on the 10-run mercy rule.

Maddi Fisher got two hits and five RBI to lead Mercer’s offense, and Sari Rogers and Kylie Cowles combined for seven RBI. Makenzie Hagan got the win in the circle.

East Harrison 15, Mercer 11 CAINSVILLE Mercer took an 11-6 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning last Tuesday (Aug. 29) after converting z 5-4 deficit into the Cardinals’

6-run lead over the previous two innings. But the Cainsville/Ridgeway co-op Bobcats put together a 9-run rally, kept Mercer from scoring in the top of the seventh to get their first victory over Mercer since the East Harrison program was founded.

The big blow for the Bobcats in the sixth was an inside-thepark (albeit a park whose fences are longer than the 200-foot MSHSAA recommendation) that gave EH the lead.

Putnam County 8, Mercer 3

UNIONVILLE The host Midgets held Mercer off the scoreboard until the final inning of a non-conference game last Tuesday (Aug. 29).

Putnam (2-1, 0-1 Grand River Conference, scored single runs in the first, second and sixth innings, and the Midgets scored twice in the fourth and added three runs in the fifth. The Midgets got their final run in the bottom of the sixth before Mercer scored its runs.

STATISTICS vs. Grundy County

OFFENSE - Hits: Maddi Fisher 2, Bailey Houk, Emma Shipley, Kylie Cowles, Brean-

na Houk, Sari Rogers. RBI: Fisher 5, Rogers 4, Cowles 3, Shipley, Br. Houk, Riley Stark. Runs scored: Shipley 3, Fisher 3, Ba. Houk 2, Cowles 2, Br. Houk, Makenzie Hagan, Stark. Walks: Stark 2, Ba. Houk, Shipley, Cowles, Br. Houk. Stolen bases: Shipley 2, Cowles.

PITCHING - Hagan: 5 innings, 5 runs (5 earned), 9 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts. vs. East Harrison

OFFENSE - Hits: Fisher 2, Br. Houk 2, Payton Houk 2, Shipley, Ba. Houk, S. Rogers. 2B: Shipley. RBI: Shipley, Ba. Houk, Br. Houk, Gracie Rogers, P. Houk, S, Rogers. Runs scored: Br. Houk 2, P. Houk 2, Fisher, Shipley, G. Rogers, S. Rogers. Walks: Ba. Houk, Cowles, G. Rogers.

PITCHING - Hagan: 6 innings, 15 runs (10 earned), 12 hits, 5 walks, 6 strikeouts. vs. Putnam County

OFFENSE - Hits: Fisher. RBI: Ba. Houk, Cowles, G. Rogers. Runs scored: Shipley, Cowles, Br. Houk. Walks: Fisher 2, G. Rogers, Hagan. Stolen bases: Fisher 2, Shipley, Ba. Houk, Br. Houk.

PITCHING - Hagan: 7 innings, 8 runs (3 earned), 3 hits, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts.

PRESTON COLE/Princeton Post-Telegraph Bailey Houk, shown here getting a hit against East Harrison, also got a hit during Mercer’s 15-2 HDC Conference win over Grundy County on Aug. 31.

PRESTON COLE/Princeton Post-Telegraph

Makenzie Hagan delivered a pitch againt East Harrison at Cainsville on Aug. 29.

INFORMATION

HOW TO CONTACT THE COURIER (Shopper)

PRINCETON PAGES

Princeton Post-Telegraph

PO Box 286/704 West Main Princeton, MO 64673

Phone: 660-748-3266

Fax: 660-748-3267

Email: posttele@grm.net

PRINCETON DEADLINES

ALL DISPLAY ADS (Ads with borders)

ALL CLASSIFIED ADS

NEWS & PHOTOS: 10 a.m. Friday

* - includes photos sent via email

UNIONVILLE PAGES

Unionville Republican PO Box 365 111 South 16th Street Unionville, MO 63565

Phone: 660-947-2222

Fax: 660-947-2223

Email: urep@nemr.net (news) or unionvillerepublican@mac.com (ads)

UNIONVILLE DEADLINES

ALL ADVERTISING:

Noon Friday

NOTE: Deadlines change for holiday printing schedules. Advance notice will be provided.

PLEASE CHECK YOUR AD!

If an error is made in your ad, we will be happy to correct it. However, we are not responsible for errors that appear for more than one week.

ALL garage sales (and similar sales) MUST be paid for in advance, unless you have an account that is in good standing.

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE

All real estate and/or houses, and all rental housing and/or property, advertised in the Princeton Post-Telegraph newspaper and the Courier shopper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. We will not knowlingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

EDITOR’S NOTICE

The receipt of news, advertisements, letters to the editor, and/or press releases by the Princeton Post-Telegraph DOES NOT constitute an agreement to publish such news, advertisements, letters to the editor, and/or press releases. All news, advertisements, letters to the editor, and/or press releases will be published at the discretion of the editor. At all times, the editor reserves the right to edit, amend, and/ or delete any and all information at will, with or without explanation.

The limit of liability of the Princeton Post-Telegraph takes no responsibility for advertising, legal and/or non-legal, not published. The Princeton Post-Telegraph takes no responsibility for the non-publishing of news, letters to the editor, and/or press releases.

This notice also applies for advertisements for the Courier (shopper).

GUNS & AMMO

WOOD’S GUN SHOP

5 Miles South of Ravanna 660-748-5795

9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday

1-5-2023-ufnP+C

SERVICES

Boyer Land Company LLC

Aaron Franklin, Sales Agent Princeton, MO 64673 660-748-6314

YOUR REAL ESTATE SPECIALIST!

1-5-2023ufnP+C

WANTED: HUNTING LAND

WANTED: Looking for deer hunting lease in Harrison, Mercer, Putnam or Worth County for 2023 season and beyond. Will pay top dollar, not an outfitter. Fully insured, references available. 1-715495-3241. 8-17-4tbP+C

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Midwest Farms LLC, an established and progressive pork company located in Burlington, Colorado, is accepting applications for leadership positions in pork production. If you are honest and like working with and caring for animals, we would like you to be a part of our team. We offer a competitive salary and benefit package which includes paid vacation, holidays, sick leave, and medical and dental insurance. Please email us for an application at jobs@midwestfarms.com or call 719-3467211 for more information.

8-24-4tbP+C

NO HUNTING

NOTICE - Hunting and trespassing with dog and/or gun, trapping or fishing on land owned or leased by the undersigned is strictly forbidden. You are hereby warned to keep off these properties. Trespassers will be prosecuted.

No tresspassing for any reason on land that we own or lease. John & Linda Baughman. 9-29-22-52tpP+C

No hunting or trespassing on any land owned by Bill and Peggy Heck

9-15-22-52tbP+C

No hunting, fishing or trespassing on property owned, leased or rented by Joe and Victoria Ryan

4-27-23-52tpP+C

NO HUNTING

No hunting, trespassing or fishing on property owned, leased or rented by Howard or Joe Don Pollard 4-21-22-52tpP

Absolutely no hunting or trespassing on Choate property at any time. 3-30-23-52tpP

Absolutely no hunting with guns or dogs, fishing, or trespassing on land owned by Berndt Farm and Berndt Twin Lake Inc 11-10-22-52tpP

No hunting or trespassing on Cox family property - Andy and Donna Cox, and Robert and Tina Cox. 12-3-20-104tpP

School Food

All menus subject to change.

PRINCETON Breakfast is available to all students. It is served with a choice of 1% white milk or skim chocolate milk. Cereal is available as an option every day except where noted. Fruit and juice are available every day. Nutri-grain bars are available on select days.

Monday, Sept 11: breakfast burrito.

Tuesday, Sept. 12: pancakes, sausage patty.

Wednesday, Sept. 13: french toast sticks.

Thursday, Sept. 14: breakfast sandwich.

Friday, Sept. 15: biscuits, sausage gravy.

Lunch is served with the choice of 1% fat-free white milk or fat-free chocolate milk. Students in grades K-5 have the choice of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or the menu entree. Students in grades 6-12 have the option of a chef salad or the entree every day unless noted. All bakery items are whole wheat or whole grain. Fruit is served with lunch.

Monday, Sept. 11: BBQ pork sandwich or sub sandwich, baked beans, buttered peas.

Tuesday, Sept. 12: mandarin orange chicken or popcorn chicken, broccoli with cheese, brown rice.

Wednesday, Sept. 13: chicken nachos or ham and cheese sandwich, refried beans, romaine salad with tomato.

Thursday, Sept. 14: cheeseburger macaroni or cheese lasagna rollup, buttered carrots, hot roll, cottage cheese.

grades 7-12 will have the choice of either option or a chef salad.

Monday, Sept. 11: a) ham sandwich; b) taco salad; tater tots.

Tuesday, Sept. 12: a) salisbury steak; b) hamburger; mashed potatoes, green beans, roll.

Wednesday, Sept. 13: a) goulash, breadsticks; b) turkey sandwich.

Thursday, Sept. 14: (a) pizza dunkers; b) shrimp; peas.

Friday, Sept. 15: a) tenderloin sandwich; b) BBQ beef sandwich; carrots, sugar cookie.

CAINSVILLE

Breakfast is served with fruit, juice, and milk.

Mondays: breakfast burrito, cereal, toast. Tuesdays: french toast with syrup and peanut butter, turkey sausage. Wednesdays: cereal, toast, hash brown patty, scrambled eggs. Thursdays: pancake, turkey sausage. Fridays: biscuits, gravy.

Lunch is served with milk. Fruits and vegetables are available every day, and students are required to have at least one cup of either on their tray.

Monday, Sept. 11: BBQ rib patty, tater tots.

Tuesday, Sept. 12: fried rice, egg rolls.

Wednesday, Sept. 13: fish sticks, macaroni and cheese.

Thursday, Sept. 14: maid rite, green beans.

Friday, Sept. 15: chicken nuggets, french fries.

Senior MenuS

All menus subject to change. MERCER COUNTY

SENIOR CENTER

Serving from 11 a.m.12:30 p.m. Meals can be picked up at the west door (facing Broadway Street) from 11:30-12:15. Meals served with 2% milk, coffee or tea. All bread, rolls, buns and crackers are whole grain; at least half grains are whole grains. For meal deliveries, call 660-748-3636 by 10 a.m.

Friday, Sept. 15: bacon cheeseburger, potato fries, corn, assorted fruit, chocolate pudding pie.

Pounding

From Page 7 present at school functions long after his children graduated high school. He has also provided a monthly newsletter to the congregation with a portion of it published in the Princeton Post-Telegraph for well over a decade. Gary still serves as a board member for the Kauffman Scholarship Fund. Most importantly, Gary has tended his flock by officiated hundreds of baptisms, weddings, funerals and hospital visits throughout north Missouri over the past 30 years.

From 1865, when the church congregation was reorganized by Elder B.F. Lockhard after the Civil War ended, to today, a period of 158 years, there have been exactly 50 pastors serve Princeton First Christian Church, with an average pastor tenure of just three years. For any pastor of any church in this country to stay five years with the same congregation is a testament to both the minister and the church body; for one to stay for three decades is a truly remarkable accomplishment.

Mercer co. Food Pantry

Located in the basement of Princeton United Methodist Church.

Second and fourth

Tuesday: 9-10:30 a.m.

Other Tuesdays: 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Note: Persons can pick up their food in the church basement. At present, social distancing will be observed, and masks are recommended but not mandatory.

Language

From Page 12

will kill you. “Two packs today, and I am still standing, so where is your proof?”

Temperature indicates the presence or absence of heat. Add heat, and the temperature goes up; remove heat and the temperature goes down. Reports from around the world indicate the temperature of Earth is increasing, signifying heat is being added. How accurate these reports are I can’t say. I also refuse to say every scientist, farmer, sailor, mountain climber, or forest ranger that serves as witness to our changing climate is lying to raise taxes and sell wind turbines.

Leopard vs baboon

Absolutely no hunting or trespassing on Highland Farms land owned and operated by Dixie Berger, Joe Berger & Steve Berger.

5-19-22-52tpP+C

Absolutely NO TRESPASSING, including but not limited to hunting, fishing, hiking, mushroom hunting and drones on land owned and/ or rented by FRJ Family Farms, LLC and Roberta Zimmer. 3-23-23-52tpP+C

Absolutely no hunting or trespassing on land owned by Barbara & LeRoy Hider 10-13-22-52tpP+C

NO HUNTING OR TRESPASSING on any land owned by LAKE MARIE PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION. 7-28-52tbP+C

Friday, Sept. 15: chicken nuggets or toasted four-cheese ravioli, potato chips, corn, dessert.

MERCER

Breakfast is served with orange juice and white or chocolate milk. Cereal is an optional entree.

Mondays: egg entree. Tuesdays: cereal, toast. Wednesdays: breakfast roll. Thursdays: sausage, pancakes. Fridays: biscuits, gravy.

Lunch is served with milk. A salad bar and fruits and vegetables are available every day, except where noted. Students in grades PK-6 will have the choice of option A or a chef salad. Students in

Everyone is welcome to eat at the Senior Center. Meals for anyone age 60 and older are a suggested contribution of $5. Meals for anyone under age 60 cost $7.

Monday, Sept. 11: Philly steak and cheese on hoagie bun, potato wedges, lima beans, pineapple.

Tuesday, Sept. 12: chicken parmesan, green beans, cheddar biscuit, side salad, tropical fruit.

Wednesday, Sept. 13: loaded baked potato (with ham, broccoli and cheese), sliced bread, baked apples, magic cookie bar.

Thursday, Sept. 14: pizza casserole, hamburger, hominy, cheddar biscuit, peaches.

To celebrate the occasion, the church congregation hosted an old fashion pounding, followed by a luncheon. In the mid1800s, most pastors didn’t receive a salary. To help with the preacher’s living, several times a year the congregation would perform a pounding. Especially if the preacher rode a regional circuit, he wasn’t home enough to care for animals or crops to raise for food, or take care of chickens for eggs, or an old cow for milk. And in those days, it was much more affordable to raise your own food than buy it. Families of the church would surprise the preacher and show up with pounds of flour, sugar, butter, sweet corn, vegetables, fruits, meat, firewood, blankets, or whatever else they could spare.

Cheston Easter is chairman of the Board of Directors of Princeton First Christian Church.

Who do you think would come out the winner in a leopard vs baboon fight? The experts say that if the leopard is big enough and the baboon is alone the cat has a good chance of killing and eating the baboon. But baboons are social creatures that travel in herds. So, when a hungry leopard came across a herd of some 50 baboons in the Kruger National Park in South Africa recently it took the chance of isolating one of them. A visitor, Ricky da Fonseca, saw the whole thing and reports that the baboons “attacked as a troop. This threw the leopard off and they capitalized, surrounding it, screaming, and biting at it. They showed no mercy at all." Luckily, with a few bruises and cuts on his body, the leopard ran off. Surely his ego was more hurt than his body.

correctionS &

CLARIFICATIONS

The Princeton PostTelegraph strives for accuracy and fairness in all of its news stories and photo captions. If you feel we have made an error, please contact us at 660748-3266 or posttele@ grm.net (email) to request a correction. If it is found we are in error, we will be happy to publish a correction or clarification.

Climatologist: Climate change is just a hoax

GRIMALDI

JOHN

Special to the Post-Telegraph

WASHINGTON, DC “In the good old summertime,” as the song goes, you can expect a heat wave or two in certain parts of the country. Indeed, summer is the warm season. It’s the norm. And, come November and December it will be chilly and downright cold in many parts of the country. But there are those who seek to politicize the natural order of climate on Earth.

Climatologist Judith Curry was what some might call a global warming alarmist who ultimately came to the conclusion that climate change is not what it is claimed to be; it is not an end-of-the-world disaster in the making. As she put it in a recent interview with news correspondent John Stossel, “I was adopted by the environmental advocacy groups and the alarmists and I was treated like a rock star. Flown all over the place to meet with politicians. (But) like a good scientist, I investigated [and found] that part of it was bad data. Part of it is natural climate variability.”

Curry went on to tell Stossel that “the origins (of climate change) go back to the ... U.N. environmental program (and was motivated) by anti-capitalism. They hated the oil companies and seized on the climate change issue to move their policies along.”

In an article published on the BizNews website, she noted that “It’s very far from gloom and doom. People who think that they can control the climate… It’s just a pipe dream. Even if we went to net zero, we would barely notice. It would be hard to detect any change in the climate. The climate is going to do what the climate’s going to do. And there’s a lot of inertia in the system. If the carbon dioxide that we’ve put in is as important, as bad as some people seem to think, those effects are going to be with us for a very,

Old and bold

COMMENTARY

very long time. And stopping now isn’t going to change that trajectory very much.”

Confirming Dr. Curry’s assessment are two prominent climate scientists, Dr. William Happer, professor emeritus in physics at Princeton University, and Dr. Richard Lindzen, professor emeritus of atmospheric science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

According to The Epoch Times, they have gone on record to say the Environmental Protection Agency’s new rules to cut CO2 emissions “grossly overstated the harm from CO2 emissions while ignoring the benefits of CO2 to life on Earth.”

Professors Happer and Lindzen went on to note that “all of the models that predict catastrophic global warming fail the key test of the scientific method: they grossly overpredict the warming versus actual data. The scientific method proves there is no risk that fossil fuels and carbon dioxide will cause catastrophic warming and extreme weather.”

Furthermore, their EPA testimony noted that “the agency’s emissions rules fail to consider the fact that CO2 and fossil fuels are essential to life on earth, particularly human life.” They went on to point out that “increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere create more food for people worldwide, including more food for people in drought-stricken areas. Increases in carbon dioxide over the past two centuries since the Industrial Revolution, from about 280 parts per million to about 420 ppm, caused an approximate 20% increase in the food available to people worldwide, as well as increased greening of the planet and benign warming in temperature.”

John Grimaldi is an editorial contributor with the Association of Mature American Citizens.

An “air chair” is not as comfy as it may sound - especially if you are a nonagenarian. But that didn’t stop 94-year-old Ejnar Dyrr from sitting back on his hydrofoil, a sit-down platform pulled by a motorboat, as it skimmed across the Pineview Reservoir in Ogden Valley, Utah. His eight children, 27 grandchildren and 30 or more great-grandchildren were on hand to cheer him on. The feat is likely to win him a page in the Guinness Book of World Records. Dyrr learned how to ride an air chair when he was younger - at the age of 88.

THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment for religion, or prohibiting the free exercise there of; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people to peacefully assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

have an idea!” a hallmark of these famous Missourians

PAUL HAMBY

Special to the Post-Telegraph

MAYSVILLE, Mo. “I have an idea that will make a task easier or fill a need or teach someone.” This concept is the most powerful force in a free market economy. Missouri has been home to many inventors, entrepreneurs and entertainers.

“C.F” and “Chub” O’Reilly, children of Irish immigrants, were born in St Louis. They opened their first auto parts store in Springfield in 1957. Soon they added O'Reilly Automotive Distributors, a division formed to serve independent automotive jobbers. Today the company has sales over $10 billion and 5,600 stores.

George Washington Carver was born into slavery on a farm near Diamond in 1864. He became an inventor and plant scientist. He studied soil and taught farmers to rotate crops to improve soil health. He created hundreds of recipes for the use of various underused plants, including sweet potatoes and peanuts. Carver published 44 agriculture bulletins to teach farmers.

Dale Carnegie was born into poverty on a farm near Maryville in 1888. In 1904, at age 16, his family moved to a farm near Warrensburg. Carnegie said he had to get up at 3 a.m. to feed the pigs and milk his parents’ cows before going to school. He graduated from Warrensburg State Teachers College in 1906. He had a short, successful career selling for Amour in Omaha, Neb., with his territory becoming #1 in the nation. He left sales to pursue teaching public speak-

COMMENTARY

ing at the YMCA in New York. In his first session, he had run out of material. Improvising, he suggested that students speak about “something that made them angry,” and discovered that the technique made speakers unafraid to address a public audience. From this 1912 debut, the Dale Carnegie Course evolved and is still taught worldwide today. In 1936, he wrote the book How to Win Friends and Influence People It is still a bestseller 87 years later. Carnegie tapped into the average American’s desire to have more self-confidence.

Free people figuring out how to solve problems and needs is what makes our economy thrive.

Milton Friedman explains: “There has never in history been a more effective machine for eliminating poverty than the free enterprise system in a free market. Free markets may yield odd results and certainly unequal outcomes, but the greater opportunities and prosperity have made the tradeoff worthwhile for American society… but next if you look at the real problems of poverty in this

Masters of jugglery

country, almost every single one of them is a result of government action and would be eliminated if you eliminated the bad government failures. Let me be specific, we have constructed a government welfare scheme which has been a machine for producing poor people. We have induced people to come under control of welfare. We encourage families to break up. Programs under which we have made many people poor. In my opinion, a society that aims for equality before liberty will end up with neither equality nor liberty. And a society that aims first for liberty will not end up with equality, but will end up with a closer approach to equality than any other system that has ever been developed.”

“You can only aim for equality by giving some people the right to take things from others. And what ultimately happens when you aim for equality is that A and B decide what C should do for D. Except that they take a little bit of commission off on the way.” (Friedman 1978 Q&A at Stanford University.)

Paul Hamby is a free-thinking farmer and small businessman in northwest Missouri’s DeKalb County.

It’s likely that David Rush and his partner, Arthur Lewbel, did it again. They recently made 914 nonstop juggling catches and now they are awaiting word from the Guinness judges that they made it into the record book. In 2018 they earned the title by making 532 side-by-side juggling catches. Rush has earned some 250 Guinness records in his lifetime for feats such as the world’s fastest juggler, juggling the most bowling balls and making the most consecutive ax-juggling catches. Oh yeah, he also won the Guinness world record for using his nose to blow up 10 balloons in one minute.

PRINCETON POST-TELEGRAPH MISSION STATEMENT (What we try to do every week) “Gentlemen, we are going to relentlessly chase perfection, knowing full well we will not catch it because nothing is perfect. But we are going to relentlessly chase it because in the process WE WILL CATCH EXCELLENCE.”

Coach Vince Lombardi

“I

OBITUARIES

Shelley Willis Ravanna, Mo.

delight of Shelley’s life was her two grandsons, Jacob and Luke. She cherished every moment spent with them. Some of her fondest memories included making cookies with their adorable, messy assistance.

A testament to true love, Shelley and Chuck’s marriage endured strong for 46 years, their devotion unwavering to the end. Their love for each other was wholehearted and unending.

na Bunnell, and many nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and brother, Gary Richman, and her father-in-law, Kenneth Willis, who always treated her like his own.

iel) Simpson, was born in Davis City, Iowa, on February 13, 1936. He passed away on Aug. 26, 2023, in Webster Groves, Mo.

hired, and retired from there 35 years later on March 1, 1998.

Shelley Rae Willis, 64, passed away on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023 at Wright Memorial Hospital in Trenton, Mo., surrounded by loved ones.

Born on December 4, 1958, in Chariton, Iowa, Shelley was the daughter of Ray Dean Richman and Janice (Todd) Richman. She spent her early years on a farm in Derby, Iowa, before moving to Mercer, Mo., at the age of 14. It was in Mercer that she met the love of her life, Chuck Willis. They were married on May 27, 1977, following Shelley’s graduation from Ravanna (Mo.) High School. Upon marriage, they made their home in Ravanna, where Shelley resided until her passing.

Shelley began her career in the banking industry before she found her calling in public service at the Mercer Circuit Clerk’s Office. For almost 30 years, she dedicated herself to this role, retiring in 2018. Shelley took great pride in her work and enjoyed working with those around her. Beyond her professional life, Shelley held a passion for reading and gardening, finding joy in the beauty of the flowers that adorned her home.

While Shelley cherished her career, her heart belonged to her family. She reveled in the warmth of large family gatherings, where talessome true, some exaggerated - were shared with laughter. One of her joys was taking her numerous nieces and nephews to the movies on their birthdays, creating cherished memories.

Shelley was a devoted mother and grandmother. Shelley’s dedication to family shone brightly during her son Eric’s school years. She and Chuck traveled all across northern Missouri to support Eric in his beloved sports. Rarely absent from his games, Shelley would eagerly listen to Eric’s animated recaps on the occasions she couldn'’t attend. Eric’s achievements filled her with pride. The ultimate

Shelley was a valued member of the Mercer Legion Auxiliary and also previously served on the Mercer school board. She leaves behind a legacy of love, dedication, and cherished memories. Her impact on her family and community will be remembered fondly and celebrated.

She leaves behind to mourn her, husband Chuck Willis, son Eric (Amanda) Willis, grandchildren Luke Willis and Jacob Willis, brothers Todd (Alan) Richman, David (Theresa) Richman, Steven (Carrie) Richman, a brother-inlaw Larry (Betty) Willis, her mother-in-law Virginia (Kenneth) Willis and a sister-in-law Dean-

Her graveside service was held Monday, Sept. 4 at Early Cemetery in Mercer. Donations in lieu of flowers are suggested to the Mercer County Health Department and the Green Hills Animal Shelter in Trenton, MO, care of Roberson Funeral Home, PO Box 316, Princeton, MO 64673.

Ronald Simpson Webster Groves, Mo.

Ronald, or Ron as many people called him, attended four elementary schools through eighth grade and graduated from Leon High School in 1954. After graduation he did construction work in Leon and Kansas City, Mo., until he volunteered for the United States Army in June 1955.

Ron was united in marriage to Wanda Lea Peace on May 13, 1956. Wanda later joined him in Fort Lee, Va., until his honorable discharge from the service in 1957. They were blessed with two sons, Kevin Wayne and Mark Allen.

Ron was a member of Lamoni United Methodist Church, and served several years as one of the trustees and on the administration board. He loved to talk to and greet everyone who came to the services.

In his free time, Ron loved to hunt and fish, especially for large catfish. He coached Little League when his sons were young. He also enjoyed woodworking when it was too cold to hunt or fish. He enjoyed keeping himself busy. He always took the time to stop and talk to children.

ters, Janice Williams and husband, Ryland, Ferryl Simpson, Kathy Kline, and Barbara Silver, all of Independence; brotherin-law, Bob Iles of Richmond, Mo.; many nieces and nephews; and other relatives and friends.

His funeral service was held at Slade-O’Donnell Funeral Home in Leon Ion Friday, September 1, 2023, with Pastor Kasey Vogel officiating. Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery at Lamoni, Iowa. Memorials may be given to Lamoni United Methodist Church in Ron’s memory.

Another obituary appears on Page 7.

Ronald Dale Simpson, age 87, of Lamoni, Iowa, the oldest son of Dale and Florence Mae (McDan-

Over the years Ron did several jobs within Grand River Mutual Telephone Company in Princeton, Mo., starting as a lineman installer for the dial system. Then he moved to Osceola, Iowa, and worked for Clarke County Telephone Company, which later sold to General Tele & Tele when a Grand River Mutual job opened up in Lamoni, Iowa. He applied, was

Preceding him in death were his parents; wife, Wanda on Feb. 12, 2023; sister, Genevieve Iles; brothers-in-law, Richard Kline; and sistersin-law, Vickie Simpson and Bonneta Moore and husband, Robert. Survivors include his sons, Kevin Simpson and wife, Donna, and Mark Simpson, all of the St. Louis, Mo., area; brothers, Kenneth Simpson of Kidder, Mo., Frederic Simpson of Davis City, Iowa, and Darrell Simpson of Independence, Mo.; sis-

CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS

The Princeton PostTelegraph strives for accuracy and fairness in all of its news stories and photo captions. If you feel we have made an error, please contact us at 660-748-3266 or posttele@grm.net (email) to request a correction. If it is found we are in error, we will be happy to publish a correction or clarification.

Larry Wishon Osceola, Iowa

the Osceola community, serving several years on the Osceola Volunteer Fire Department, and as a deacon and elder at Osceola Christian Church. He served on the planning committee for the church, and served communion to shut-ins. He was the co-executor on the board of Miller Cemetery in Saline for many years.

Princeton FCC pastor “pounded” for 30 years

CHESTON EASTER

Special to the Post-Telegraph

PRINCETON Gary Watkins, the long-serving minister of Princeton First Christian Church, recently celebrated 30 years of service.

Larry Dean Wishon was born Aug. 28, 1939, in Saline, Mo., to Eva Marie Waldron and Hugh Wishon. He died peacefully with his family at his bedside at Clarke County Hospital in Osceola, Iowa, on Aug. 27, 2023.

His funeral service was held at Osceola Christian Church on Thursday, Aug. 31, with Pastor Danny McNeal officiating. Burial was in Maple Hill Cemetery. A lunch reception was held at the Christian Church following the burial.

Larry attended the Saline school and graduated from Princeton (Mo.) High School in 1957. Larry was the oldest of two siblings, James F. Wishon (Carolynn) of Portland, Ore., and Aleta Standruff (Jay) of Trenton, Mo.

Larry married Glenda Lee Willson, daughter of Alma Roberts and Glenn Willson, on Aug. 20, 1959.To this union the couple had two children: Randall Keith Wishon (Ronda) of Osceola and Joni Lynn Loomis (Rick) of Pasadena, Calif. His grandchildren are Drew Wishon, Grant Wishon, and Matthew Loomis.

Early in their marriage, Larry worked as a driver for Bethany Falls Concrete in Bethany, Mo., until 1975. He was active in the Cainsville community, serving as an elected member of the school board. He also served on the Volunteer Fire Department, and was an elder at Cainsville Christian Church. He was an active member of the Community Improvement and Planning committees; volunteering hours in pouring concrete for basketball courts and patios throughout the town.

In 1975, Larry was promoted to manager when Bethany Falls Concrete was sold, and moved to Osceola to manage Osceola Concrete. He would continue to receive promotions throughout his career related to his high work ethic. He was elected to the Iowa State Board of Concrete in 1983. He retired from Manatt’s Concrete and Paving as general manager in 2019, following a 20-year career with Manatt’s and over a 60-year career in the concrete business.

Larry was active in

He enjoyed watching his children, Randy and Joni, play sports for Clarke Community High School; in Osceola, and would have many suggestions for improvement after each game. He enjoyed attending Kansas Citu Royals and Chiefs games (where his company had a private suite throughout the years), which he shared with his family and friends.

Larry was a car enthusiast from early in life. He enjoyed working on his own cars and could often be seen driving his 1965 Mustang he proudly restored with Dwaine May in local parades. He loved attending local and national car races, including Kansas Speedway, the Daytona 500, and the Indianapolis 500. He attended the Long Beach, Calif., Grand Prix, while visiting his daughter, Joni and family on a near yearly basis. He enjoyed being an invited guest to the VIP tent, where he was excited to meet some of his favorite race car drivers; Mario Andretti, Michael Andretti, Paul Tracy, Jimmy Vassar, and many more. He loved attending tractor pulls and local car races with his friends, especially Bob Schader.

Two of Larry’s favorite jobs in his 60-year concrete career was his role as GM of the Manatt’s Concrete team in pouring Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa, and 235 Freeway in Des Moines, Iowa.

For many years, Larry and Glenda would spend their weekend days working in their beautiful garden that was twice featured in the Des Moines Register; their evenings were filled with having dinner with friends throughout southern and central Iowa. They also enjoyed vacationing with friends and family.

Larry and Glenda owned several thoroughbred race horses and enjoyed racing their prized horses at Prairie Meadows, as well as race tracks in Arkansas and Texas. They enjoyed attending the Kentucky Derby.

Preceding Larry in death are his parents, Hugh and Eva Wishon, brother James Wishon, grandparents, many aunts and uncles, and brotherin-laws Jay Standruff and Del Willson.

The son of a local farmer, Gary raised crops and livestock in the Spickard community and sold feed through much of his early life. On Sunday Sept.

5, 1993, Gary gave his first sermon as the newly appointed pastor of the church. After commuting from Trenton for the first four years, Gary and his family moved to Princeton in the fall of 1997.

During this time, Gary began to expand a nascent carpentry and construction business. After

two devastating fires in the 1980s, a pastor with carpentry skills was a much-needed blessing for the church. Over the following three decades, nearly every corner of the physical structure, inside and out, has been reappointed or remodeled by Pastor Watkins.

But beyond carpentry, Gary has been active in our community through numerous organizations.

The Princeton Ministerial Alliance initiated a baccalaureate service for Princeton High School graduating seniors in 1999, and Pastor Watkins has been asked to be the keynote speaker for many years. He was active and

See Pounding, Page 4

Pastor Gary Watkins

USDA’s Berke speaks during GRM Networks’ Fiber Field Day

Special to the Post-Telegraph MT. MORIAH U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Administrator of Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Andrew Berke, alongside state and local officials and high-speed internet stakeholders, visited the cities of Mount Moriah and Princeton last Thursday (Aug. 31) to celebrate the first groundbreaking of projects funded through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law under the Department’s ReConnect Program.

“With historic funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, high speed internet is bringing a better quality of life and more economic development to communities throughout our country,” Berke said. “Because of

broadband.

the progress in northwest Missouri symbolized by the event, along with several more projects getting underway across the state, USDA is helping communities build a stronger and more resilient rural America.”

To help Grand River Mutual Telephone Corporation (GRM Networks) kick off its Fiber Field Day, RUS Administrator Berke highlighted the importance that investing in high-speed internet connectivity has in narrowing the digital divide between rural America and the rest of the world. In an effort to provide an exclusive opportunity for policy makers, industry partners and other stakeholders to see firsthand how GRM is bringing fiber infrastructure for high-speed internet to northern Mis-

The day included comments from:

• Andrew Berke, administrator, United States Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service

• Josh Seidemann, Vice President of Policy and Industry Innovation, NTCA - The Rural Broadband Association

• Danny Busick, Missouri State Representative, District 3

The town hall discussion included:

• Andrew Berke and Josh Seidemann

•Telehealth: Brittney Siddens, RN, BSN, Director of Nursing Services, Harrison County Community Hospital

• Distance education: Jerry Girdner, Superintendent, Princeton R-5 School District

• Economic development: Ethan Pitt, Vice President Community Initiatives, Iowa Area Development Group

• Precision agriculture: Gary Porter, Owner/Operator, Porter Farms; member of the Corn Board of the National Corn Growers Association; past President, Missouri Corn Growers Association

souri and southern Iowa, the opening ceremony was followed by a visual fiber and splicing demonstration and a trip out to tour the network access facility.

A town hall in Princeton after the ground breaking brought together subject matter experts to further discuss the importance of high-speed internet in rural America, and the impact that GRM Networks’ efforts to bring fiber infrastructure for telehealth, distance education, economic devel-

opment, and precision agriculture have for rural Missourians.

“It speaks volumes to the importance of these infrastructure needs to have Administrator Berke here, on the ground, recognizing this historical step towards creating new opportunities for this area of the state through high-speed connectivity,” Rural Development State Director for Missouri Kyle Wilkens said. “We are excited to have him here in Missouri, hearing directly from the source

as to the positive impact this will have on rural Missourians.”

Funding for the investment breaking ground is in partnership with a $15.7 million grant through USDA’s ReConnect Program and President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This funding is allowing GRM Networks to deploy a fiber-to-the home network to connect 3,107 people, 521 farms, 59 businesses and nine educational facilities to high-speed internet in Daviess, Gen-

try, Grundy, Harrison, Livingston, Mercer and Nodaway counties in Missouri. High-speed internet will be made affordable by participating in the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity and Lifeline programs.

ReConnect investments reflect one of the many ways that USDA Rural Development’s programs can help rural areas address the unique needs of their individual and surrounding communities to help rural America build back resiliency.

Fiber line installation explained during GRM Networks’ Fiber Field Day

PRESTON COLE/Princeton Post-Telegraph GRM Networks’ Dirk Schwartzkopf (left, wearing sunglasses) explained the process by which fiber lines are placed in the ground during the outdoors portion of the Princeton-based company’s Fiber Field Day on Aug. 31 in Mt. Moriah.

GRM Networks From Page 1

Have an original item you’d like published in the Princeton Post-Telegraph? Send it to us by email: posttele@grm.net. Photos on a jpeg, please.

Deer hunting rules, seasons

lerless portion Dec. 2-10. Reynolds County will now be open during the antlerless portions.

“With deer numbers being at desired levels in most counties but continuing to increase, additional antlerless harvest is needed to stabilize the deer population,” said Isabelle. “This new season portion will help increase antlerless deer harvest prior to the November portion, when many hunters focus on harvesting bucks.”

Isabelle noted that timing of the early antlerless portion was chosen to provide hunting opportunity when weather conditions are usually favorable and to minimize conflicts with archery hunters, who usually hunt most in late October and early November.

New Firearms CWD Portion Nov. 22-26

MDC will offer a CWD portion of firearms deer season Nov. 22-26 in CWD Management Zone counties during the 2023-2024 deer season.

According to MDC, hunters will be able to use any unfilled firearms deer hunting permits during the CWD portion and must abide by the statewide limit of one antlered deer during the firearms deer season, all portions combined. Hunters must also abide by county-specific firearms antlerless permit numbers.

“Because higher deer densities can increase the rate of CWD spread, additional deer harvest in the CWD Management Zone is

tweaked by

MDC

From Page 1 needed to prevent further increases in deer numbers and help minimize the spread of the disease,” said Isabelle.

Isabelle noted that the CWD portion is timed to occur during the tail end of the primary rut, when deer movement is typically good and hunter interest remains high. CWD testing is not required during the CWD portion.

Changes to Firearms

Antlerless Permit Numbers

MDC has also increased the number of firearms antlerless permits hunters can fill in most counties, including allowing hunters to fill a firearms antlerless permit in Butler, Carter, Scott, and Wayne counties. Hunters in Bollinger County will be able to fill two firearms antlerless permits beginning this year.

Qualifying landowners in Reynolds County may now receive two Resident Landowner Firearms Antlerless Deer Hunting Permits. MDC has also increased the number of firearms antlerless permits from two to four in 85 counties.

“The liberalization of antlerless harvest opportunities will help slow population growth and keep the deer population at desired levels,” said Isabelle.

He also noted that the additional firearms antlerless permits will help hunters and landowners to meet their deer management goals in areas where more antlerless harvest is needed.

Expansion of the CWD

Management Zone

MDC has included 14 new counties as part of the CWD Management Zone this year: Bollinger, Caldwell, Carroll, Clay, Clinton, Dallas, Grundy, Jasper, Livingston, Madison, Montgomery, Pemiscot, Ray, and Schuyler.

As with all counties in the CWD Management Zone, grain, salt products, minerals, and other consumable products used to attract deer are prohibited year-round. Hunters must also follow carcass transportation regulations. The antler-point restriction has also been removed from Caldwell, Carroll, Clinton, Grundy, Livingston, Montgomery, Ray, and Schuyler counties.

Hunters who harvest deer in select CWD Management Zone counties during Nov. 11-12 must take the deer (or its head) on the day of harvest to a mandatory CWD sampling station.

Get More Information

Get more information on regulation changes and other details for deer hunting from MDC’s 2023 Fall Deer & Turkey Regulations and Information booklet, available where permits are sold and online at mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/ species/deer.

The ONLY COMPLETE COVERAGE of both Mercer County varsity-level sports programs every week!

PRINCETON POST-TELEGRAPH

Iguanas and snakes

You can imagine the shock Crystal Collins of Hollywood, Fla., had when her husband discovered an iguana in a toilet bowl in their home recently. “We both looked at each other like what are we going to do. I joked about burning the house down. Neither of us do lizards.” They wound up calling a friend to come over and help get rid of the creature. Meanwhile, in Tucson, Ariz., Michelle Lespron had a similar shock when she returned from vacation: she lifted the lid of her toilet and found a black and pink coachwhip snake. “I slammed the lid back down right away when I saw it,” she told reporters. Michelle wasted no time in contacting a snake wrangler who explained that coachwhip snakes aren’t poisonous but can get aggressive.

Cattle producers urged to check their grazing animals for prussic acid

LINDA GEIST University of MO Extension

COLUMBIA University of Missouri Extension specialists urge producers to closely watch cattle grazing pastures with Johnson grass and other sorghum species.

Cattle producers in several drought-stressed parts of Missouri have recently reported cattle deaths from suspected prussic acid or hydrocyanic acid (cyanide) poisoning, says Time Evans, an MU Extension state specialist in animal health and veterinary toxicology.

Prussic acid poisoning results when cattle eat cyanide-producing compounds in immature leaves of sorghum grasses or leaves of cherry and related species of fruit trees. This happens most often after extreme weather conditions such as drought or frost.

Evans says more than 70 adult cattle in southwestern Missouri died shortly after being released into drought-stressed pasture with lush new growth of Johnson grass.

Within a few hours of grazing in this pasture, several cows suddenly lay down and died or staggered briefly before collapsing and dying, says Evans. Few other clinical signs were observed. The remaining cattle were returned to the pasture, after which several more animals died.

Necropsies of 10 of the dead animals showed varying degrees of bright, cherry red blood. Evans says this is commonly observed in prussic acid poisoning because cyanide inhibits aerobic metabolism and prevents oxygen in the blood from being released to the tissues.

Samples from the necropsied animals were preserved for further testing. So far, Evans and diagnosticians from MU’s College of Veterinary Medicine have preliminarily ruled out carbohydrate overload, grass tetany, nitrate/nitrite in-

toxication, anaplasmosis and toxins from harmful algal blooms.

Though it can be challenging to accurately measure the presence of cyanide in postmortem samples, prussic acid poisoning remains the most likely cause of death, Evans says.

Sorghum forages include sorghum-Sudan hybrids, forage sorghum, Sudan grass and Johnson grass. These forages can accumulate nitrate in their stems – especially in response to drought – and cyanide-producing compounds in their leaves, particularly in rapidly growing immature plants.

Prussic acid poisoning from these annual forages happens most often when abundant rainfall interrupts or immediately follows a drought.

“When there’s a drought, these warm-season annuals quit growing but still take up nitrogen from the soil and accumulate nitrates and cyanide-producing compounds,” says MU Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts. When rain comes, drought-stunted plants can start to look green and lush, and rapid new growth can occur.

Roberts and Evans agree that there is general awareness of concerns

about grazing these forages immediately after frost, but they say producers might not know that what looks like excellent green grass for grazing might have high concentrations of cyanide-producing compounds following rainfall during or after drought.

Consult your veterinarian immediately if cattle collapse suddenly, die or exhibit labored breathing and staggering after being introduced to stunted or immature sorghum grasses, says Evans. Veterinarians can administer intravenous sodium nitrite and sodium thiosulfate to treat prussic acid poisoning, but animals frequently die before treatment begins.

Prevention is likely the best way to address concerns about sorghum-related prussic acid poisoning:

• Take soil samples before applying nitrogen to pastures. Excess nitrogen increases risk of both prussic poisoning and nitrate/nitrite poisoning.

• Wait to graze sorghum varieties until they reach a height of at least 24 inches. Evans strongly recommends quantitative nitrate and cyanogenic potential testing procedures prior to grazing. To allow cyanide to escape

or “gas off” before feeding to livestock, wait at least 14 days after cutting and baling sorghum spe-

cies for hay. Likewise, wait 60 to 90 days after beginning ensiling to let cyanide gas off during

fermentation before feeding to livestock.

See Prussic acid, Page 11

Photo courtesy TIM EVANS Johnson grass, a common forage, can build up prussic acid, which is harmful and sometimes deadly to animals.

Tar spot confirmed in one-third of Missouri

LINDA GEIST University of MO Extension COLUMBIA University of Missouri Extension state plant pathologist Mandy Bish says tar spot of corn has spread into many new counties in 2023.

Bish recently confirmed tar spot in five more counties. This brings to 31 the number of Missouri counties in which tar spot has been confirmed between 2019 and 2023.

Bish found tar spot in Holt and Marion counties in June of 2023 - the earliest in the year it has appeared in Missouri. In 2022, she did not confirm tar spot in Missouri cornfields until August.

Tar spot can cause severe yield loss on susceptible hybrids. The fungal pathogen that causes tar spot, Phyllachora maydis, prefers temperatures in the mid-60s. While Missouri has experienced extremely high temperatures recently, evenings in the next week are forecast to be milder and may cause the disease to continue spreading. The pathogen can survive Missouri winters.

She cautions growers

about late fungicide applications. “I am unaware of any data showing that fungicide applications applied to corn at dent (R5 growth stage) provide an economic return. I am aware of research that demonstrates the opposite.”

She recommends applications at VT-R3 stages. “Treatments at VT through R3 have shown the most consistent results in research on tar spot management,” she says.

Bish recommends the free Tarspotter app ipcm. wisc.edu/apps/tarspotter, developed at the University of Wisconsin to help guide 2024 fungicide applications in regions where tar spot is known to be present. This mobile app provides spray recommendations based on current agronomic and weather factors in each field. Bish says the app assumes the pathogen is present, so currently the app is not appropriate for our more southern counties where the pathogen has yet to be reported or confirmed.

When scouting, look for individual stroma or

black lesions on leaf surfaces. Tar spot appears as small, raised black spots scattered across the upper and lower leaf surfaces. In severe cases, its stomata appear on leaf sheaths, husks and tassels. Corn is the only known host for tar spot.

The Crop Protection Network, an association of land grant universities, offers many resources on tar spot, including a corn fungicide efficacy chartthat is updated annually. Go to https://cropprotectionnetwork.org.

Bish says several factors are known to increase disease risk:

• Tar spot previously found in the field or neighboring fields.

• Field is corn-on-corn rotation.

Grin and “bear” it

• Irrigation can hasten the onset of symptoms.

Seed dealers may be able to provide insights on what varieties seem most vulnerable.

Submit samples of suspected tar spot to the MU Plant Diagnostic Clinic for confirmation and to help the clinic track progression of the disease. Confirmed samples will be added to the Corn ipmPIPE map at https:// corn.ipmpipe.org/tarspot. Learn about submitting samples at www.plantclinic.missouri.edu.

Also, consider subscribing to the MU Crop & Pest Text Alert System (ipm.missouri.edu/ cropPest/textAlert.cfmto keep up to date with the latest information about tar spot.

The Chinese zookeepers insist that the Sun Bear on display at the Hangzhou Zoo in Zhejiang Province East China is real, despite a viral video that suggests the bear is actually a man wearing a costume. The video shows the bear standing upright on slim legs with baggy skin that certainly looks like an ill-fitting costume. According to the zoo, “when it comes to bears, the first thing that comes to mind is a huge figure and astonishing power. But not all bears are behemoths and danger personified.”

Prussic acid must be watched From Page 10

• Do not turn hungry cattle into pasture with sorghum grasses. Fill them up on other grass or hay during the day before gradually introducing them to sorghum pastures. Don’t turn the entire herd onto a new pasture at once. Consider using test animals if you have not tested for nitrates or cyanogenic potential.

• Remove animals immediately from pastures when an animal is found dead. Consult your local veterinarian and extension specialists about the need for animal necropsies and forage testing.

Evans discusses prussic acid intoxication and other drought-related intoxications in three videos:

• Prussic Acid Intoxication Concerns Following Rainfall During/After Drought Conditions, https://youtu.be/kk4myhHVjNg.

• Nitrate/Nitrite Intoxication Concerns During Drought Conditions, https://youtu.be/ HGLFqeFWhQ4.

• Forage Quality and Toxic Plant Concerns During Drought Conditions,” https://youtu.be/ Gqb-DYgGNPI.

In politics, both sides manipulate language

STAN ROBINSON

Special to the Post-Telegraph

KANSAS CITY, Mo. A recent commentary accused liberal politicians of manipulating the meaning of words in order to produce a fake reality. The author quotes fiction writer Philip K. Dick: “If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who use the words.” I believe dubious meaning words, effect the thoughts and opinions of those receiving the words, not the users of the words. Vague words reinforce the recipient’s preconceived ideas and offer no clarity on the user’s intention. The old saying “plain talk is easy to understand” has merit.

Placing blame on the word user also gives a free pass to those of us reading or hearing the words. Rapt attention is not a replacement to careful thought. As the Simon and Garfunkel song goes “A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.”

Politicians of all stripes will often state they have secured a reduction in taxes and/or spending when in reality they have secured a reduction in the rate of increase. (The commentator goes back 40 years for an example!) Granted a reduction may be in the works, but not in the manner implied. So what exactly was the word reduction meant to convey? Reduction is a perfectly good word so changing it to decrease, or lessening, or decline would not change the intent of the user or the impression bestowed upon the receiver. The generic liberal stands accused of this misconduct when in fact it is a common political practice.

This free-thinking writer denigrates the medical profession’s best advice to combat COVID-19: get vaccinated (for your

COMMENTARY

protection) and wear a mask (for the protection of you and others). Only a tyrant, he says, would dispense such advice, and not for the purpose of good health, but for the purpose of control over our lives. How such control benefits tyrannical physicians is not addressed and so remains a mystery.

If you enter my place of business you must wear a mask, if you want to work here you must be vaccinated, if you want to enroll your child in this school they need these shots. Is that tyranny or good management? It is common to seek advice from doctors and other people in the field of medicine. The realization that some people know more about a subject than we do is often hard to accept.

Despite years of evidence for the effectiveness of vaccinations in reducing the incidence of smallpox, polio, whooping cough, measles, and a host of other maladies, the cry of unproven science remains. Anti-vaccination advocates are not confined to a single political faction.

I resisted the evidence against smoking for 40 years, but I finally quit. Old habits and misconceptions die hard. It is difficult for us to accept the fact that we may not be the smartest person in the room.

Climate change deniers fit right in with us hard core smokers. The claim of unsettled science, while facing a half century of evidence, defies reason in the view of rational people. Granted the evidence is not direct cause and effect any more than the claim that cigarettes

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