Missouri
Missouri man faces charges of poaching elk in wildlife refuge
A Summersville man has been charged in a November 2025 elk poaching case, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation, in part due to information provided by the community.
The man, who was not named in a news release, is facing four charges in Carter County courts: Taking elk inconsistent with the rules (season and permit) of the “Wildlife Code of Missouri,” taking elk inside a state wildlife refuge, taking elk with the aid of artificial light and wanton waste of the elk. The man is set to appear in court on April 14.
Poaching is taking wildlife outside of season, without the proper permit or in other violation of the Wildlife Code of Missouri.
According to the news release, a Poplar Bluff couple found a mature bull elk shot dead “and left to rot” inside the wildlife refuge at the MDC Peck Ranch Conservation Area on Nov. 26, 2025. Conservation agents responded and began investigating the scene, documenting and storing evidence, and performing a necropsy.
In addition to interviewing potential witnesses, agents received several anonymous calls and Operation Game Thief reports related to the elk’s death. Agents also used surveillance video from a cooperating business and information from search warrants, as well as analytical and firearm tracking-support from the Missouri State Highway Patrol Forensics Lab and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Brad Hadley, the lead conservation agent on the investigation, said cooperation from community members and OGT hotline tips helped the case progress.
“This speaks to how much people in Missouri value our wildlife and support efforts to conserve and protect it,” Hadley said in the news release. “From the couple driving the elk viewing route in Peck Ranch who first reported it, to all the people who provided tidbits of information, to the local business that gladly shared its pertinent security videos, to the prosecutors and courts that granted the search warrants, and to the MSHP Forensics Lab and the ATF — a tremendous thank you!”
The Operation Game Thief hotline allows people to report poaching and other possible violations of the Wildlife Code of Missouri by calling 800-392-1111. Callers may remain anonymous and may be considered for a reward.
The Kansas City Chiefs selected linebacker Nick Bolton in the second round, 58th overall, of the 2021 NFL Draft. The University of Missouri Tigers star is a two-time Super Bowl champion and can now add Hall of Famer to his resume after a special reveal from head coach Andy Reid after a recent team practice.
“You guys know I’m a Missouri Tiger at heart; I had a chance to coach there, for you that didn’t know, before I got in the NFL. We got a couple of Missouri Tigers here, but we got one that’s real, real famous right now. Not only for his play here with the Chiefs, but also what he did at the University of Missouri,” said Reid. “He did great things there. We know him as kind of a team guy. He’s Nick Bolton, right? We know him as a team guy, the ultimate team guy, but today you’re going to get an individual award, bud. Today you’re going into the University of Missouri Athletic Hall of Fame.”
During his college football career at Missouri, Bolton was named First-Team All-SEC in 2019 and 2020 and Second-Team All-American in 2020.
Bolton had another impressive season in 2025, leading the Chiefs with 154 total tackles, along with a sack and an interception. He was selected as an alternate for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Despite conflict between the U.S. and Iran, gas prices in Missouri have been falling since last month, and even last week.
According to GasBuddy.com, average gas prices in Missouri have gone down 53.9 cents a gallon since last month and 9.9 cents per gallon since last week. This correlates with national average gas prices, which have been down 55.6 cents per gallon since last month and 6.9 cents per gallon last week.
Head of Petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, Patrick De Haan, says, “Fresh attacks were traded between the U.S. and Iran before both sides agreed to halt hostilities just in time Sunday, preventing what could have been a significant spike in oil prices.”
Patrick says that even though the market is unpredictable at the moment, “GasBuddy anticipates the national average will continue drifting lower this week.”
A fundraiser on Friday helped raise money for a mid-Missouri family’s effort to get their daughter medical treatment.
Hurts Donut from Springfield, Mo., traveled to Ashland to help the Kroeckel family raise money for their daughter, Harper’s, life-changing medical treatment in Italy.
“After exhausting available treatment options in the United States, the family is now pursuing specialized care that offers new hope for her future,” wrote the Hurts Donut shop in a press release. “Because the treatment, travel expenses and extended medical stays are not covered by insurance, the family is facing more than $85,000 in out-of-pocket costs.”
Harper had been born prematurely at 35 weeks and admitted to the NICU, where a nurse discovered a spot that they assumed to be diaper rash on her bottom. However, further inspection led to her diagnosis of Capillary Malformation-Arteriovenous Malformation, or CM-AVM.
CM-AVM is a genetic mutation at the cellular level that causes blood vessels in certain areas to be tangled, causing swelling, pressure, chronic pain and, in some instances, bleeding. In Harper’s case, it could potentially spread to her spine or brain.
The donut shop set up shop at the Ashland Optimists Club and donated 100% of its Special Tribute donut sales to the Kroeckel family, as well as 10% of the proceeds from its dozen donut sales.
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