Crop Growing Season Could be Wettest on Record in 121 Years

(University Extension) -- At the end of July, Missouri fell a few raindrops shy of having the wettest May to July on record. Before the final tally of the average, the rain totaled 22.41 inches. The wet record was only 0.14 inch more at 22.55 in 1981.

Pat Guinan, University of Missouri Extension climatologist, says the rainfall total can change. “It could be the wettest on record, as current numbers are preliminary.”

It takes a while to receive all rain reports from 200 official reporting stations across the state, said Guinan.
Monthly totals were 7.26 inches in May, 7.31 in June and 7.84 in July. The July rain ranks fourth-wettest going back 121 years.

“The wet year is an anomaly,” Guinan says. “It’s not just total rain, but the frequency.” In three months, the Kansas City weather station reported 48 days with measurable rain. The normal, based on 30 years of records, is 32 days.

Wet weather hit agriculture hard. Crop farmers faced delayed and prevented plantings. Livestock farmers couldn’t bale quality hay for winter feed.

“Haymaking was hit hard,” says Craig Roberts, MU Extension forage specialist. “Those with management-intensive grazing did well if they matched livestock demand to forage growth. A downside was waterlogged soils.”

Frequent cloudy skies affect growing-degree days that drive crop development. Plant photosynthesis depends on sunshine. Water-soaked soils slow root growth and cut usable nitrogen.

“Most unusual was widespread distribution of rain across the state,” Guinan told farmers at the annual Crop Injury Clinic at MU Bradford Research Center, Columbia. “There was no drought anywhere.”

At the crop clinic, Guinan said El Niño’s influence is difficult to discern in Missouri, which is in a transition zone between the northern and southern United States.

Earlier, at the end of regular soybean planting, MU Extension soybean specialist Bill Wiebold said more than 1.3 million acres of the crop remained unplanted in Missouri. The state led the nation in unplanted crop.

On July 27 the Missouri Agricultural Statistics Service reported corn silking fell 28 points behind last year. Soybean blooming was 38 points below last year. The 2014 crop set yield records.

“Not just farming was affected by rain,” Guinan said. “Persistent wet conditions create uncomfortable days. High temperatures with high humidity bring heat stress.” Guinan noted there were high heat indexes in the summers of 2010 and 2011 as well.

County governments and road districts across the state suffered lost bridges and washed-out culverts. The wet season disrupted construction and transportation, Guinan added.

As state climatologist, Guinan has 24 online real-time Missouri weather stations. Search for “Missouri Mesonet” or go to http://agebb.missouri.edu/weather/stations/.

Paige Blaine Named to Dean's List

Paige Blaine was named to the Dean's List for State Technical College. State Technical College would like to congratulate students who are eligible for the Dean's List for the 2015 spring semester.

To be placed on the Dean's List, a full-time student must earn a semester grade point average between 3.5 and 4.0 on a 4-point scale.

Ranked among the best nationally, the State Technical College of Missouri serves a unique role as one of the leading two-year technical colleges in Missouri and the Midwest region.  State Tech has built a reputation as a highly specialized, student friendly college with an exceptional reputation with business and industry.  State Tech stands alone as Missouri's first and only public higher education institution with a statewide mission devoted solely to technical education at the Associate of Applied Science Degree level.  Visit www.statetechmo.edu to learn more.

County Signs Stolen from Closed Road

"Road Closed" signs blocked off a county road were stolen in one case and knocked over in another case, the county said. "I wouldn't mind it so much if it was something minor, but if someone falls in, it's a major liability issue for the county," said Road & Bridge Supervisor Jim Fletchall. The county will prosecute cases of road sign theft or driving around county barricades. One problem spot was near Sheridan, where people were driving around barricades near Clint Larison's.

The recent rains have forced the closure of several roads and have washed out or eroded numerous farm tubes. A tube on Road 178 is out, which has been a recurring problem. "It's rained so much, it's been cutting out everywhere," said Presiding Commissioner Ted Findley. On Thursday morning, Sheridan received three inches, Maryville had 6, and Worth and Stanberry received 8. On Sunday, the county received anywhere from .8 of an inch to 2 inches in just a half-hour span. More rain hit the area Monday morning. Fletchall said that motorists should be cautious when driving county roads. The gravel washed out north of Ted Findley's house near Denver.

Fletchall said that he was planning to record a lot of data for FEMA purposes. He said that there were a few places he wasn't sure would be fixed before the crops were out.

Raymond McElvain reported that two weeks ago, someone drove along his road and tore up #159 near Denver. When the recent round of rains struck, he said that the road was no longer passable except with a four-wheel drive. The water was running in the road and not in the ditch, and it would be difficult to do before it drys up.

The county appointed Janice Borey to the Library Board. The county appointed Treasurer Linda Brown to record the minutes in Clerk Roberta Owens' absence. Fletchall reported that there were brake and clutch issues with the CAT Grader. One pickup needed the four-wheel drive fixed because it was always getting stuck on the muddy roads. Another pickup needs two tires.

Worth County Sheriff's Report

7-13 -- Officer transports female inmate to court.
7-13 -- Trespassing report called in.
7-13 -- Resident in to report a scam.
7-14 -- Officer investigating domestic at local business.
7-14 -- Officer issues traffic ticket.
7-15 -- Person in to report a scam.
7-16 -- Officer responds to 911 Med Alert; all OK.
7-16 -- Officer assists with funeral traffic.
7-17 -- Person in to file a statement.
7-17 -- ANR Pipeline will do a blowoff on Tuesday the 28th near 490th Road.
7-17 -- Report of missing road closed sign; county will prosecute if caught.
7-17 -- Officer in pursuit assisted by Highway Patrol; subject issued summons.
7-18 -- Officer responds to alarms at Hy-Vee.
7-18 -- Officer investigates report of wild animal (badger) under school bus.
7-18 -- Officer investigates a drunk person on a bike.

Smokin' Assassins are Grand Champion for Worth County Smokeoff in 99 Degree Heat

The Smokin' Assassins, an outfit out of Maryville, was the Grand Champion for the Worth County Smokeoff after Saturday's competition. Beer-B-Que was Reserve Champion and also received the Peoples' Choice Award. Smokin' Assassins is a family-based outfit. "I couldn't have done it without either my wife Tiffany or my son Cade," said Brian Arnold. "Tiffany kept me in line and did much of the cooking, and Cade did much of the hard work. We tried three new recipes this time, and we were fortunate."

Temperatures rose to 99 degrees around the area on Saturday. Despite record rainfall that day, the ground looked parched with the change in the weather. However, a dozen smokers braved the heat. Local favorite Beer-B-Que has consistently done well in these competitions and another local team, B&G BBQ, consisting of Brian and Julia Judd of Ravenwood and Greg Miller of Grant City, tried its hand in the contest for the first time and won some prizes. Other winners:

Beans
1st -- Smokin' Assassins; 2nd -- Terre Haute Smoking; 3rd -- B&G BBQ.

Chicken
1st -- Platte River Custom Pits; 2nd -- Smokin' Assassins; 3rd -- Beer-B-Que.

Ribs
1st -- Brian's Beef; 2nd -- Beer-B-Que; 3rd -- Terre Haute Smoking.

Pork
1st -- Beer-B-Que; 2nd -- Smokin' Assassins; 3rd -- Terre Haute Smoking.

Brisket
1st -- Brian's Beef; 2nd -- Platte River Custom Pits; 3rd -- B&G BBQ.

Miles Saville, Lola Morin are Little Mr. & Miss Smokeoff

Miles Saville was named Little Mr. Smokeoff and Lola Morin Little Miss Smokeoff during the first night of the Worth County Smokeoff Friday. Lola likes Lucky Charms and likes to play outside. Miles likes oatmeal, playing outside, and riding his bike. He said he wanted to be a firefighter when he grew up. They were crowned following the Baby Show, at which babies and young children aged 0 to 3 were shown.

Around 12 BBQ contestants arrived for Friday's events and two more were expected to arrive during the night for the contests on Saturday. A band played that evening and a DJ capped off the Smokeoff for Friday night. A mechanical bull challenged anyone who was not faint at heart; there was also a dunk tank and some vendors.

School Faces Possible $215,484 Deficit for Next School Year

The Worth County School Board approved a budget that includes a possible deficit of $215,484, which Superintendent Dr. Matt Martz said was the worst-case scenario that could happen to the district. This assumes that only 96% of state revenues come in, that overall state revenues will be down by around $140,000, and that federal revenues will be down by around $37,000. Expenses are expected to be down by around $91,882 according to budget figures. The school will not know the figures for the current school year until the final payment from the state comes in. Dr. Martz said that part of the reason was that state gambling revenues were lower than expected.

Dr. Martz said that the budget forecast means that the school will stay above the 25% threshold in reserves; however, if the financial situation does not improve, there could be cuts coming down the road. The budget includes an increase of $1,000 to the base teacher pay as well as a 4% across the board raise for administration, teachers, and non-custodial staff. The board also voted to allow affected teachers to recover two steps from previous salary freezes.

Pole vault equipment was thrown around by the recent storm, which bent and tore part of a fence as well. The school has been approved for a Solid Waste Grant that will include $9,975 for a composter. The school match will be around $2,000, including in-kind work. Dr. Martz said that would decrease the need for dumpsters, resulting in overall savings to the district. The school plans to upgrade its Internet service and received a discount for phone services.