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asketball Photo Review Pages 4 & 5A
75¢
Tuesday, December 31,19, 2013 Wednesday, June 2013 USPS-299800 Vol.137, No. 53La Plata, MO, 63549 • 8 Pages • 1 Section • 75 Cents
Subscribers to the Home Press are the nicest people! This week we salute
Snowy Owls Visiting Missouri
Elsie Wheeler La Plata, MO Postage Rates to Increase
The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) approved the U.S. Postal Service’s full 4.3% request for an exigent (emergency) rate hike on Standard Mail, effective Jan. 28. Rates will go up 5.9% with the regular CPI-based increase of 1.6% added in. Stamps for first-class letters will go up three cents to 49 cents on Jan. 26, while bulk mail and periodicals will go up 6 percent.
Benefits Of A Designated Driver There are different types of heroes. Some, like our military, defend our country and protect our freedoms from far away lands. Others, like police and firefighters, serve and protect citizens here at home. But there are other heroes who often go unrecognized but save lives across the world every day. Who are these unknown heroes? They are designated drivers and they have saved the lives of thousands of people and have prevented thousands more from becoming injured in an automobile accident. The Role Of The Designated Driver: A person who agrees to abstain from drinking alcohol in order to provide a safe trip home for others, a designated driver is an important part of any social event. They are responsible for getting people home safely and also help people avoid being arrested for drinking and driving. Being arrested for DUI is an embarrassing and lifechanging experience for many people and it’s something to avoid at all costs. Designated drivers are also highly respected at social events. In fact, nine out of every ten Americans wants to see a designated driver at social events. This important role can help legitimize a personal reason to abstain from drinking alcohol and it allows the person to attend social events without fear of having to make excuses as to why they aren’t drinking. Many servers and bartenders will even offer free non-alcohol drinks to a designated driver.
Snowy owls are rare in Missouri. This snowy owl was observed at Smithville Lake near Kansas City in December. Photo Credit: Terri Nickerson. In the magical realm of Harry Potter, “About once every four years, snowy owl horned owls, which are common in Mismany fans will recall his pet snowy owl sightings will peak in Missouri, generally souri but are much darker than snowy Hedwig. Long before this beautiful owl in years when populations of their prey owls. Most of the snowy owls visiting cast a spell on the literary front, snowy (mainly lemmings) crash,” said Missouri Missouri this winter are juveniles. Durowls have bewitched those who have seen Department of Conservation Wildlife ing past irruptive years, about ten percent them in person. Now, many in the show- Ecologist Brad Jacobs. “During these of the young birds died of starvation. me-state have the opportunity to see this crashes, the birds travel south in search “Snowy owls that migrate this far south powerful white owl from the north. of food.” are unfamiliar with humans and cars; Rodney Chappell was working outdoors Referred to as “irruptions” only a small some do not survive to make a return in Columbia on Dec. 17 when something portion—usually immature individu- trip north,” Jacobs said. “They are used unusual caught his eye. An avid birder, als— are observed in the Northern part to a solitary life on the tundra with few he saw a glimpse of something large and of the state. humans, vehicles and power lines. Here, white. This year, however, the birds are being they are hunting and living in unfamiliar “The first thought I had was that it was a spotted further South and earlier than conditions.” hawk,” Chappell said. “But it flew nearby normal. Since December 1, Snowy owls Jacobs cautions motorist who see large, so I got a better look and its white plum- have been observed at Smithville Lake in white birds standing on or near roadways age really stood out.” the Kansas City area, Kirksville, Trenton to give these birds a brake, as snowy owls What Chappell thinks he saw was a and Long Branch Lake in Macon. are not used to avoiding automobile trafsnowy owl. The large, white owl with According to Jacobs, there seem to be fic. black markings is rarely seen in mid- a few more birds than normal, perhaps “Snowy owls are used to hunting in wide Missouri and a single snowy owl in the even more individuals observed than by open spaces and often land on highways,” region is big news to birders. Missouri this time during the 2011-12 southward Jacobs said. “Many of the birds will be fois on the southern edge of their winter irruption, the last and largest recorded cused on hunting and probably won’t be range. Snowy owls normally inhabit the irruption with 69 individuals reported in quick enough to get out of the way of a high arctic region of North America and Missouri. speeding car.” Eurasia. Snowy owls are similar in size to great Continued on Page 2A
Green Graduates From Law Enforcement Training
Continued on Page 3A
VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR BREAKING NEWS!
Heath Green graduated from the Law Enforcement Training Institute at the University of Missouri on December 13, 2013. This was a 16-week Class A Certified Basic Law Enforcement Training Academy. He was elected President of his class because of his exemplary leadership skills and was recognized for his academic achievement. Heath is now an officer of the Columbia Police Department. He is the son of John and Marilyn Green of La Plata.
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