MOUND CITY, Mo. (AP) – Thousands of migrating birds have been showing up at the Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge in northwest Missouri.

The state Conservation Department says the marshes are teeming with about 200,000 snow geese, as well as ducks and flocks of pelicans.

There are also a few dozen bald eagles using the area in time for the refuge’s 33rd annual Eagle Days on Dec. 3-4.

Squaw Creek refuge manager Ron Bell said the migration has been unusually late this year, and he was concerned the snow geese wouldn’t make it in time for Eagle Days. But Bell says the birds began arriving last weekend.

All Eagle Days activities are free and include guided bus tours of the refuge, which is about 30 miles north of St. Joseph.

As Missourians settle in for the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, the Department of Conservation encourages hunters who recently bagged a deer to share the harvest.

The Share the Harvest program provides ways for deer hunters to donate venison to needy state residents.

5,731 hunters donated last year to the Share the Harvest program totaled over 300,000 lbs. Of venison.

For more information on how you can donate, visit www.mdc.mo.gov

 

As many Missourians are traveling and preparing a Thanksgiving feast today, the State Fire Marshals warns cooking fires are the most dangerous house fires.

The National Fire Protection Association notes house fires double on Thanksgiving Day. Missouri Fire Marshal Randy Cole says pay attention to the food in the oven, especially when guest start to arrive.

Cole adds its also important to make sure children are NOT running around or playing in the kitchen. He adds make sure all fire alarms are working.  Another safety measure could simply be to use the correct cooking equipment.

 

The command post used while investigators have searched for a missing Kansas City child has closed.

Detectives and FBI agents are working out of their usual offices but will continue to search for Lisa Irwin, who was 10 months old when she disappeared from her home on Oct. 4.

Police said Tuesday the command post closed because leads in the case have slowed. And other crime cases have piled up while officers concentrated on finding the girl, putting strain on detectives and victims involved in other cases.

at least seven detectives will stay assigned to the baby Lisa case, but will also work on other cases. FBI agents will continue to work with police at the same level as before.

 

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – MoDOT will restrict construction work on heavily used highways during the Thanksgiving travel period.

MoDOT says work on all projects that could affect travel lanes will stop at noon Wednesday and resume at 9 a.m. Monday.

The restrictions apply to interstates and Missouri state highways.

Motorists could still see crews working on sections of highway where permanent barriers are in place. The agency says crews will also close lanes as needed for emergency maintenance.

Details about work zones are available on the traveler information map on MoDOT’s website, along with the reports on road conditions.

The program is designed to increase customer traffic in St Joseph businesses and brings incentives for customers to shop locally.

The program is growing as customers catch on to the appealing $10,000 prize, Chamber of Commerce CEO Ted Allison said.

“We watch the numbers grow each year. So people are catching on to this and that’s why we continue to be excited,” Allison said. “It’s really designed to keep people thinking about the local economy.”

Allison says this year more than 60 businesses are participating in the Shop St Joseph Campaign.

No purchase is required to win, but one ticket for every $10 will be given to customers. Customers can also get one free ticket from each merchant. The drawling for the $10,000 grand prize is December 19^th.

 

Hunters have bagged more than 900 deer so far this year in Buchanan County.

 The antlered potion of deer season closed last night.  Totals seem to be lower than last years numbers, but the hunt is not over for more than two thirds of the state.

 The antler-less portion opens today for several counties including every county north of the Missouri River.  It will close December fourth.

 Muzzle-loader season runs December 17th through December 27th.  

In northwest Missouri, Harrison county continues to lead the harvest this year with more than 3,000 deer taken.  Nodaway county has a total more than 2,800 and Daviess county has taken more than 2,400.

Howard county in southern Missouri leads the state with more than 4,400 deer harvested this year.  

Find up-to-date harvest numbers from the Department of Conservation Website.

 

 

 

 

A Savannah woman faces a felony charge of animal neglect after a Kansas City group rescued more than two dozen dogs from her home. Officials say a high school track player and two high school staff members were bitten last month by a dog on the property.

Shirley Hatfield pleaded guilty in 2009 to two misdemeanor offenses related to animal abuse. Hatfield says she couldn’t find homes for the dogs, and was spending more on dog food than she did on her mortgage.

She said she did not want the dogs destroyed. She said she is relieved that Wayside Waifs has taken them in.

Wayside Waifs said Monday that it took two trips to rescue all the dogs. Wayside Waifs responded at the request of the Andrew County Sheriff’s Department.

A northwest Missouri man with a history of alcohol-related driving offenses will serve what amounts to a life prison term for an accident that killed a 31-year-old woman.

Frederick Thornton of Cameron was sentenced Monday for second-degree murder, aggravated DWI, and a probation violation.

Prosecutors say Thornton ran a red light on US-69 near the Cameron Walmart on Jan. 28. He hit a car driven by 31-year-old Laura J. Fisher.

Fisher was killed while Thornton jumped out of his truck and ran away.

Thornton had four driving while intoxicated convictions before the accident.