Scroll Down for Sports, Weather and Obituaries! For State-Wide News, go to the MissouriNet! To read previous editions of Your World Today please visit our Archives Page.

The Missouri Department of Conservation reports that hunters checked 89,728 deer during the opening weekend of Missouri’s November firearms deer hunt, a decrease of 8.3 percent from 2010. Warm temperatures and high winds had a role in this year’s numbers, but there are also signs in some areas of a change in regional deer populations. Some areas where deer numbers are down include parts of the Kansas City, Northwest, Southwest and Central regions. The opening-weekend harvest in those areas was down between 11 and 18 percent. The opening-weekend harvest in southeastern Missouri and in the Ozark region was similar to last year’s. According to Resource Scientist Jason Sumners from the Missouri Department of Conservation, a decrease of 8,000 in the opening-weekend harvest is not likely to have a significant effect on the overall deer harvest but may reflect a general trend of lower deer numbers in many parts of rural Missouri. With 12 days of the November hunting season ahead, followed by a nine-day antlerless deer season, 11 days of muzzleloader hunting and a two-day late youth season, hunters have plenty of time to catch up. Archers have through Jan. 15 to hunt. Sumners said he expects the 2011-2012 deer harvest to be in the neighborhood of 250,000 to 275,000. Top harvest counties during the opening weekend were Howell with 1,702 deer checked, Macon with 1,617 and Texas with 1,588.MDC recorded one non-fatal, firearms-related hunting incident during the opening weekend.

Missouri transportation officials are concerned. After just nine months in 2011, the number of pedestrian traffic deaths is nearly equal to those experienced in 2010. In fact, during the first quarter of 2011, 21 pedestrian deaths were recorded, compared to nine during the same period in 2010. Fatal incidents occurred in urban and rural areas, on highways and city streets, during the night and in broad daylight. Those killed included people crossing the road or walking along the side and those who exited their vehicle after an earlier crash and were struck by other traffic. By the end of September, 54 pedestrians died as a result of a traffic crash. In all of 2010, there were 57 similar fatalities. The Missouri Department of Transportation launched a safety campaign, "Be Safe. Be Seen" to remind pedestrians and motorists to look out for each other. The Missouri State Highway Patrol recommends that once drivers pull as far off the road as possible, all occupants remain in the vehicle with seat belts fastened. If you have pulled off the roadway onto the shoulder for any kind of emergency or vehicle malfunction and need assistance, call *55 or display a Send Police sign available from any Highway Patrol troop headquarters. MoDOT recommends that when walking near a highway or street, move in the opposite direction of traffic, so you can see oncoming vehicles. It's also important to note that drivers are more likely to expect to see pedestrians at crosswalks and intersections. Even at those locations, pedestrians should keep close watch and prepare to yield to vehicles. To find more pedestrian safety information, please visit www.savemolives.com.

This Friday at 10:30, the students and staff of William Lynch Elementary will celebrate the students’ positive behavior choices with a Dress-up Parade. The parade will go past the old City Hall and the businesses from H&R Block to the Highway 19 corner, across the street past Bank of Salem, then back across at the next corner. Parents and the public are welcome to come be spectators and celebrate with them.  

Criminal justice students from Central Methodist University (CMU) laid down the law when they competed in Region III competition of the American Criminal Justice Association/Lambda Alpha Epsilon recently in Springfield, Missouri. CMU students weren’t the only ones faring well; the ACJA contest also had a division for professionals, and Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Teri Haack placed first in five categories and third in another. Perhaps most rewarding for CMU’s chapter was their High Percentage Sweepstakes Trophy. That award goes to the institution taking home more trophies per person than any other participating college or university. CMU took 14 students to the contest. Many of those 14 will advance to the national competition next March in Cincinnati, Ohio. One of those 14 students was Christina Burke, a sophomore criminal justice major from Salem, who placed first in Criminal Law-Lower Division.

Route 32 in Iron County continues to be reduced to one lane while Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform shoulder repairs. This section of roadway is located from Route 21 to Route KK. Weather permitting the work will continue through Friday, November 18^th from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. The work zone will be marked with signs and warning devices. Motorists are urged to use extreme caution while traveling near the area. For additional information, contact the Missouri Department of Transportation's Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-275-6636.

Sports [TOP]

Alexander Steen scored the game-winner midway through the second period, as the St. Louis Blues beat the Detroit Red Wings, 2-1. Matt D'Agostini scored the other goal for the Blues, who have gone 3-0-1 under Ken Hitchcock since he replaced a fired Payne Davis. Brian Elliott turned aside 21-of-22 shots for the victors. The Blues will host the Florida Panthers Thursday night at 7:00.

The Salem Fall Athletic Banquet will be held Thursday at 6:30 at the high school cafeteria. The sports to be honored include softball, volleyball and football.

Obituaries   [TOP]

Funeral services for Mary ‘Mae’ Lacy of Steelville, age 97, will be held this morning at 11:00 at the Steelville Assembly of God Church. Interment will be in the Fairview Cemetery in Butts, Missouri. All arrangements are under the direction of the Britton-Bennett Funeral Home in Steelville.

Funeral services for Mary E. Powell, age 43, of St. Charles, formerly of St. James, will be held today at 1:00 at the James & Gahr Mortuary in St. James. Visitation will be from 10:00 until service time. Interment will be in the Wishon Cemetery.

Funeral services for Larry Beck of Rolla, age 68, will be held Thursday at 11:00 at the Dent County Memorial Chapel. Visitation will be tonight from 6:00 to 8:00 with a Masonic service at 7:00. Interment will be in the Cedar Grove Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Choices for People of Rolla.

A Memorial services for Anita L. Hanes of St. James, age 53, will be held Friday morning at 11:00 at the James and Gahr Mortuary in St. James. Visitation will be held from 10:00 until service time.

A Memorial with visitation services for Betty Brasure of Bland, age 78, will be held Friday from 5:00 to 8:00 at the James & Gahr Mortuary in St. James. Memorials are suggested to the Brasure family.

Memorial services for Barbara Caroline (Turner) Walters of Salem, age 91, will be held at a later date in Santa Monica, California, and are under the direction of the Dent County Memorial Chapel in Salem.

Memorial services for Sharon Kay Kinsley Magnus of San Antonio, Texas, age 67, will be held Saturday, November 26^th at 11:00 at the Ridgeview Christian Church in Rolla. All Arrangements are under the direction of the James and Gahr Mortuary in Rolla.

Weather [TOP]