PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — The handlers of Pennsylvania’s most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, say the furry rodent has forecast six more weeks of winter.

Members of the top hat-wearing Inner Circle announced the “forecast” just before 7:30 a.m. Monday.

A German legend has it that if a furry rodent sees his shadow on Feb. 2, winter will last another six weeks. If not, spring comes early.

In reality, Phil’s prediction is decided ahead of time by the group on Gobbler’s Knob, the tiny hill in the town for which he’s named about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

Records going back to 1887 show Phil has now predicted more winter 102 times while forecasting an early spring just 17 times. There are no records for the remaining years.

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) – School districts would be required to create policies addressing youth suicide awareness and prevention under a Missouri bill.

Legislation introduced by state Sen. Jill Schupp this week would also require the education department to create a model policy that could be implemented statewide.

The Creve Coeur Democrat says the legislation is meant to address and help prevent suicide deaths among Missouri youth.

She says teachers need training to recognize signs of students at risk of suicide.

Districts would need to implement prevention policies by July 2017.

Teachers also could receive education in suicide awareness as part of annual training.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new report says a monthly economic survey index for nine Midwestern and Plains rose slightly in January.

The survey report issued Monday says the overall Mid-America Business Conditions Index climbed to 54.8 last month from 54.4 in December.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss, who oversees the survey, says growth for companies outside of energy and agriculture will more than offset expected declines in those sectors.

The survey results from supply managers are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests economic growth, while a score below that suggests decline.

The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

JEFFERSON CITY – Two Missouri Republicans want to stop the public from seeing video from police cameras.

Bills filed by Republicans Rep. Galen Higdon and Sen. Doug Libla last week would exempt footage from police body cameras and dashboard cameras from the state’s open records law.

The state’s attorney general told lawmakers Tuesday in a letter that he supported broader use of body cameras but was concerned about unfettered public access to any footage under current open records law.

One of the bills would also bar the state from requiring body cameras.

Requiring police to wear cameras to record their actions is one proposal filed by lawmakers in response to the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old black man, by a white Ferguson police officer.

SPRINGFIELD (AP) – A southwest Missouri man has been charged in a deadly crash after confessing to talking on his cell phones just before it happened.

The Springfield News-Leader reports that 23-year-old Ethan Ellis, of Bolivar, is charged in Greene County with second-degree involuntary manslaughter in the June 12 crash that killed Robert Jones. No attorney is listed for Ellis in online court records.

The probable cause statement says Ellis told a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper that he was talking on his cellphone moments before the crash. Ellis said he ended the call, then looked up and saw the other vehicle. Ellis said he tried to swerve but still hit the back of the Jones’ vehicle with his pickup truck on Missouri 13.

Witnesses also reported that Ellis was speeding.