Around Town

By: Ernie Wren

The big news this past week was of course the black bear sightings in Southern Boone. While currently rare, this may become a bit more frequent due the growing bear population in Missouri, which is now estimated at 800 animals. As spring moves into summer, bears leave their winter dens in search of food. Male black bears have a range of about 50 miles, but it is the female bears that do not share their territories with other females, which pushes the growing population outward. The Department of Conservation reminds people that feeding bears can be dangerous, as it makes them more comfortable around people. If you spot a bear, be sure to take a picture if you safely can and post it to mdc.mo.gov/reportbears. There have been several action items for the City of Ashland this week. The Parks Board has announced that Kricket Alley will be the live band playing at this year’s Fall Festival, on Saturday, September 11th, at 5pm. The band’s Facebook page describes the band as, “a high energy variety party band that is fronted by Kricket and features six lead singers on stage which gives them the ability to cover an incredible mix of all your favorite tunes!”. I would say the Park Board volunteers are gearing up for one fantastic Fall Festival to kick us out of the pandemic funk. They are also planning for the annual 4th of July Parade to be held on Saturday, July 3rd, at 9am.

See more in this weeks Boone County Journal