Region pummeled by more severe weather

Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois communities braced for yet another round of torrential rain last night as thunderstorms rumbled across the region.

The storms left more water on already saturated ground, increasing the risk of flash floods. River crest prediction were raised.

Flooded streets were reported in Jackson, Cape Girardeau, and Anna, Illinois.

Funnel clouds were spotted west of Marble Hill, where the roofs were blown off of barns, trees were splintered, and at least one trailer was snapped in half.

Law enforcement agents also reported a funnel cloud near Doniphan in Ripley County.

And a possible tornado was spotted west of Poplar Bluff, where more rain fell on the already flooded city.

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Governor Nixon announces new small business funding in Jackson

JACKSON, MO (KRCU) - Governor Jay Nixon visited Main Street Flooring in Jackson on Thursday to announce 27 million dollars in new federal funding for small and mid-sized businesses.

The funding will come in the form of low interest loans.

Nixon said that the funds will help small businesses at every stage of the financial continuum, from starting, to expanding, to reaching maturity.

The governor spoke with a group of Southeast Missouri entrepreneurs representing the construction, real estate, technology, and entertainment sectors.

“I think you have some entrepreneurs here who have solid idea that if we can give them the tools to move forward with their business plans, they’re going to grow,” the governor said. “We were kind of inspired by these local businesses as we looked around the state at what these models were. And I just also want to reflect to people that small and mid-sized towns are a great place to live and I think that shopping locally and working with local businesses is a really good thing.”

The application period for the loans begins today at MO.gov.

In other news, Nixon says that the state is prepared to temporarily weather a federal shutdown. He says that federal dollars help fund many Missouri programs. Action plans have been developed just in case the government indeed shuts down.

“If that occurs, hopefully we will not have to implement those. There’s a lag time in some situations of a couple of weeks or as much as thirty days on some of the various programs. So we’ve already been meeting to prepare if that occurs. I’m hopeful that they’ll get a deal up there and continue to move forward,” Nixon said.

Nixon specifically mentioned that vital programs such as public safety should not be interrupted.

Jacob McCleland, KRCU

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Jackson begins initial DREAM planning

JACKSON, MO (KRCU) - The City of Jackson has decided to move forward with its Uptown improvements by taking advantage of its D.R.E.A.M. status.

Jackson is in the first three stages of its D.R.E.A.M. process, which consists of examining buildings and consumer surveys. The plan will cost between $150 thousand and $180 thousand, with a $36 thousand match. It’s payable over three years.

Mayor Barbara Lohr says that she was surprised and pleased when Jackson was selected as a member of the D.R.E.A.M. team but decided to let the planning be left to the professionals, PGAV, Inc., a planning firm. The Missouri Development Finance Board contracted PGAV in order to provide planning to the D.R.E.A.M. cities.

“They get a nice vision. When I look at visions I see dollar signs. Oh, how much is that going to cost? I will probably do better just to leave my mind wide open to that,” Lohr said.

D.R.E.A.M. stands for the Downtown Revitalization and Economic Assistant for Missouri.

The D.R.E.A.M. initiative is available for small and mid-sized Missouri communities to access state programs that revitalize downtown areas and create jobs. It helps communities to renovate the areas and draw new businesses in.​

Rachel Weatherford, KRCU

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Conservation agents struggle with over-zealous fishing at Rotary Lake

JACKSON, MO (KRCU) - Conservation agents are dealing with anglers who take far more than their fair share of trout from Rotary Lake in Jackson.

The Missouri Department of Conservation and the city of Jackson jointly stock the lake with 1800 trout in November. Trout season began on February 1st.

Agent supervisor Russell Duckworth says that on February 8, an angler was caught with what he calls “a massive over-limit” of trout.

"This is something that goes on fairly frequently at the lake by a few individuals. We’re not exactly sure who that is. But we do get complaints from other anglers that are trying to do the right thing and stay within their limit," Duckworth said. "But they will see people catch and keep more than they are supposed to."

Licensed anglers may keep four trout per day. Even at that rate, the population is greatly diminished within four to six weeks of the beginning of trout season.

Those who pull out more than four fish per day receive a one-hundred dollar fine for the first over-limit fish, plus 15 dollars more for each additional fish, as well as court costs.

Jacob McCleland, KRCU

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