Missouri
19 New England sea turtles are back in the Atlantic Ocean off Florida after rehabbing in Missouri
Nineteen sea turtles that were rehabilitated in Missouri after suffering the effects of cold water temperatures in New England were released Wednesday afternoon into the Atlantic Ocean off of Jacksonville, Florida.
It was sunny and 72 degrees as the turtles made their way into the ocean off Little Talbot Island State Park near Jacksonville, rehab facility officials said. Their long journey was made possible by the Johnny Morris Sea Turtle Center in Springfield, Missouri, and the nonprofit group Turtles Fly Too. The turtles were then driven to Florida before their release.
Twenty loggerhead and Kemp’s ridley turtles were flown in December from the New England Aquarium in Boston to the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium in Springfield, according to director of animal care Mike Daniel.
One of the turtles was critically ill and died after arriving in Missouri. But the other 19 spent 13 weeks being treated for cold stunning, which occurs when water temperatures drop quickly and cause sea turtles to suffer from various conditions such as pneumonia, hypothermia, and dehydration. Veterinarians at the center provided round-the-clock care.
Hundreds of sea turtles along the Atlantic Coast of the United States have suffered from cold stunning over the past few months, and most are typically flown to Florida for rehab.
The Missouri turtle center opened in 2020 and has rehabbed some 64 sea turtles.
The turtles were equipped with specialized satellite tracking devices that allow conservation scientists to monitor them.
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This story has been updated to correct the number of sea turtles rehabbed at the Johnny Morris Sea Turtle Center. It rehabbed some 64 sea turtles, not 55.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Missouri
Man from Clever killed in crash near his home
CLEVER, Mo. (KY3) – A man from Clever died in a crash near his home Thursday afternoon.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, a truck drove off the side of Old Wire Road west of Clever and hit a tree. The driver, 48, died after being taken to Cox South Hospital.
The Highway Patrol reports the driver was not wearing a seatbelt. No one else was injured.
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Copyright 2026 KY3. All rights reserved.
Missouri
Missing Missouri college student Melissa Oelke found dead after abandoned vehicle discovered in rural Illinois
A missing Missouri college student who disappeared during an extended spring break trip home was found dead on Saturday in Illinois, near where her abandoned car had been discovered.
Melissa Oelke, 21, was reported missing on Thursday after she left her St. Peters, Mo. home without her phone at around 7:30 a.m. that same day, the St. Peters Police Department said.
Oelke, a student at the private art College of Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan, had been home for spring break at the time of her disappearance, her father, Gerald Oelke, told the Belleville News-Democrat.
Gerald Oelke revealed to the outlet that his daughter had been stressed out over her recent midterms and extended her spring break to focus on her mental health.
After leaving her residence Thursday morning, Oelke drove around and made several stops, including at a Target in her hometown, a grocery store and a Walgreens, the outlet reported.
Oelke’s car was later found abandoned on the side of a rural road outside of St. Jacob, Illinois, approximately 60 miles east of her home.
Police swarmed the rural roadway where Oelke’s empty car was discovered stuck in an embankment near a creek, according to photos obtained by the outlet.
A dashcam inside the car had been removed before the vehicle was found, Gerald Oelke said.
Oelke had “several medical conditions that require attention,” creating a more urgent search for officials concerned for the missing student’s well-being.
Illinois emergency officials launched a search of the area looking for Oelke, using drones and K-9 units.
Officials revealed Oelke was found dead on Saturday in Madison County, Illinois, the same county her car had been discovered the day before.
A cause of death has not been released, but officials have ruled out foul play and believe there is no threat to the public, KMOV reported.
“We ask that you keep her family in your thoughts during this difficult time. Thank you to everyone who shared this post and offered your prayers,” the St. Peters Police Department said.
Missouri
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