News

According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, the northwestern and southeastern parts of Missouri will have the most beautiful fall foliage. Regional differences in rainfall will cause significant variations in the beauty of this year's fall foliage display. Drought plagued much of Missouri throughout the summer and continued into fall in central and southwestern Missouri. Some trees show spectacular fall color even in areas hit hard by drought. Those growing along creek and river bottoms are less affected by dry weather, so driving through valleys is one way to find fall color in drought-stricken areas. Fall color almost always peaks around October 15th in Missouri. Warm, sunny days and cool nights favor the development of brilliant foliage. Nighttime lows in the 50's and 60's cause leaves to stop producing green pigment. The eastern part of the Ozarks has received more rainfall than the western portion and will have better fall color as a result. In drier areas, some leaves are already changing color. Reds and purples are showing in sumac, poison ivy, dogwood, sassafras and black gum. Some residential maples are starting to show dull orange color. Yellows are showing up as well in other trees and shrubs. Most of these early color changes are not a brilliant as in wet years. Highway 19 and 106 in Shannon County should provide some of the better fall color viewing toward the middle of October. Also Highway 63 from Ashland to Rolla and Highway 19 from south of New Florence to almost any road in Maries County. The peak fall color for the St. Louis area is expected to be between October 21st and 28th. For fall color updates as the season progresses, visit their website at www.missouriconservation.org.

The 43rd Annual Rose Holland Trout Derby will be held at Montauk State Park Saturday and Sunday. Derby registration will begin on Friday from 5:00 to 9:00 pm. Also on Friday from 4:00 to 9:00 will be the Cruise In Car Show and at 6:00 there will be Trout Bingo. On Saturday registration will be held from 6:30 am to 9:00 pm and the Derby fishing hours will be from 7:30 am to 6:30 pm. From 9:00 to noon there will be free health screenings by the Salem Memorial District Hospital. There will also be a country store and bake shop from 9:00 to 5:00, face painting from 9:00 to noon, and the Radical Rompers 18-foot inflatable slide from 10:00 to 5:00. There will be Hike's For Your Heart throughout the day starting from 10:00 to 6:30, live entertainment from noon to 5:00 and an auction beginning at 5:30. On Sunday registration will be from 6:30 to 11:30 am and the Derby fishing hours will be from 7:30 to 11:30 am. At noon on Sunday, prizes will be awarded including attendance, the men's, women's and kids heaviest stringer along with the heaviest brown trout and the tagged fish caught and registered. Registration is $2.00 and all proceeds benefit the American Heart Association.

The Dent County Schools, Salem R-80, Oak Hill R-I, Green Forest R-II, Dent-Phelps R-III, and Northwood R-IV will be closed Friday, October 6th due to a District Teacher's Meeting. Classes will resume on Monday, October 9th.

Now at the Ozark Natural and Cultural Resource Center is the exhibit, "Quilting in the Ozarks." The exhibit will feature all kinds of quilts including vintage and antique quilts from this area. Catalogs of the featured quilts and quilters will be available for a nominal fee. The exhibit will be open through October 14th Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, Thursdays from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and on Sundays from 1:00 to 5:00 in the afternoon. For more information about "Quilting in the Ozarks," call the ONCRC at 729-0029. Their next exhibit will be held October 16th through the 31st and will be the Smithsonian Institutes - "Inspirations From the Forest".

Sports   [TOP]

The Salem Lady Softball Tigers season came to an end at the hands of the Lady Knights of St. Francis Borgia, losing 12-8. Audra Carty, Caitlin Smith and Jessica Stallings had three hits each for Salem but it was not enough. Salem finished the year with a 12-13 record. The twelve wins is the most by any Lady Tiger Softball Team since the program was created.

The St. Louis Cardinals take their 1 game to none Divisional Series lead into the game today with the San Diego Padres in San Diego. The game time today will be at 3:05 with the Dugout Show at 2:45 on KSMO. Jeff Weaver will start for the Cardinals while Dave Wells will toe the rubber for the Padres.

Mark Kotsay broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run
inside-the-park home run in the seventh inning, as Oakland downed Minnesota, 5-2, in Game 2 of their American League Division Series at the Metrodome. Jason Kendall finished with two hits and an RBI while Marco Scutaro also drove
in a run for the Athletics, who have captured the first two games of this best-of-five series on the road and can close things out with a win at home on Friday.

It took a long time for Carlos Delgado to get into the postseason, but he didn't disappoint as he went 4-for-5 with a homer and two RBI as the New York Mets defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-5, in Game 1 of their National League Division Series at Shea Stadium. Delgado, who had played 1,711 regular season games without a playoff appearance, the longest streak in the majors, drove in the go-ahead run for the Mets. Guillermo Mota (1-0) got the win despite blowing a three-run lead.

The Detroit Tigers game with the New York Yankees was postponed due to rain and will be played at noon today. The Yankees lead that series, 1 game to none.

The St. Louis Blues open the 2006-2007 season tonight on the road as they will be at San Jose to face the Sharks. You can hear the game on KSMO starting at 9:30.

NHL Scores:

Dallas 3, Colorado 2, OT
Buffalo 3, Carolina 2- Shootout
Ottawa 4, Toronto 1

Obituaries   [TOP]

Funeral services for Alta Marie LeFever of Los Angeles, California, formerly of Edgar Springs, age 74, will be held Friday morning at 10:00 at the James and Gahr Chapel in Rolla. Visitation will be held Thursday evening from 6:00 to 8:00. Interment will be in the Edgar Springs Cemetery.

Funeral services for Jimmy J.Arthur of Rolla, age 79, will be held Saturday at 10:00 at the James & Gahr Mortuary in Rolla. Visitation will be Friday from 6:00 to 8:00. Interment will be in the Ozark Memorial Gardens. Memorials are suggested to the Highway 63 Church of Christ Building Fund.

Funeral services for Caroline M. (Corley) Elgin of St. James, age 92, in be Sunday at 1:00 at the Trinity Episcopal Church In St. James. Visitation will be Saturday from 5:00 to 8:00 at the James & Gahr Chapel in St. James. Interment will be in the St. James Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Trinity Episcopal Church in St. James.

Weather  [TOP]

Today..Cloudy with a chance for drizzle and fog this morning, high near 65.
Tonight..Cloudy early in the evening, then gradual clearing, low of 44.
Friday..Sunny, high of 71.
Friday night..Clear, low of 45.
Saturday..Mostly sunny, high near 80.
Saturday night..Mostly clear, low of 49.
Sunday..Mostly sunny, high of near 80.