Latest news with #JoplinCityCouncil
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Joplin City Council moves forward with allowing bow hunting for deer in city limits
An urban hunting ordinance intended to help control the deer population in the city won first-round approval of the Joplin City Council on Monday night. The ordinance provides for bow hunting within city limits on private land of 1 acre or larger with a recurve bow and permission of the property owner. The ordinance as proposed required hunters to be 21 years or older. However, councilman Josh Bard proposed an amendment to allow those as young as age 16 to hunt when accompanied by an adult. One council member opposed allowing deer hunting in the city limits. 'I think this is a crazy idea,' Gary Shaw said. 'I know there are areas where we have deer challenges. But I sit out on my patio and I don't want ... arrows flying by me, my wife and my son.' Others on the council favored the ordinance for reasons that include culling deer that can become a nuisance by congregating in herds on the city's edges, and because of the need to kill sick deer, such as those that may be suffering from chronic wasting disease, they said. Bard said that, as deer populations increase, overpopulation or other environmental factors can cause food shortages for the animals. Also, the deer cause collisions with vehicles. Councilman Mark Farnham said that residents in the city's Zone 4, which he represents, have told him that the deer carry a lot of ticks onto residential properties, where the ticks attach to people. 'It's not only a human risk,' he said of the ticks that can carry such ailments as Lyme disease, but the risk of having deer infected with chronic wasting disease. The Missouri Department of Conservation said three CWD cases have been detected in the Jasper County deer population — two in the 2024-25 seasons and the first one in the 2023-24 hunting season. That first one, northwest of Joplin along Center Creek near the Kansas line, was the closest to Joplin. No CWD cases have been detected in Newton County. Regarding those who support a city effort for urban hunting, Farnham said, 'The pressure on the city is not from hunters, but from residents seeing the number of deer and disease' in their neighborhoods. Councilman Doug Lawson said he once had a call from a resident of Silver Creek asking the city for help because there was a herd of 24 deer in that resident's yard. Deer congregating within the city damage yards by eating both natural and planted vegetation on the properties, he said. Council member Chuck Copple proposed two amendments to the ordinance. One would require that all those wishing to hunt in city limits go through a hunter safety course offered by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Also, he proposed requiring that arrows be etched with the hunter safety number issued by the department. He also proposed lowering the age for urban hunting to 16 with adult supervision. Mayor Keenan Cortez said urban hunting has been going on for years. Joplin is not trying to reinvent the wheel, he said, by adopting an urban hunting ordinance he believes it is ethical. Anyone who violates the ordinance also would have repercussions to face, he said. The mayor said that last deer season he saw a resident's post on social media asking for someone to come and shoot deer 'that were eating up everything around her house.' He also said chronic wasting disease is a serious concern among deer hunters. The Missouri Department of Conservation this spring confirmed 243 new cases of chronic wasting disease statewide from the 2024-2045 seasons. The total includes deer killed by hunters as well as those identified with CWD during targeted removal efforts. Those new cases bring the total number of CWD positives found in the state to 815 across 46 counties since the first positive CWD was identified in wild deer in 2012. Shaw said he talked to members of law enforcement about the proposal and that he believes most hunters are ethical and abide by the laws, 'but my concern is we're opening the city up to it and how are we going to control it?' Lawson favors it but prefers to make it available to those age 21 or older. Copple asked Assistant Police Chief Brian Lewis if the department has seen near misses of vehicle crashes as deer numbers increase. Lewis said that within city limits, there are eight to 10 city crashes a year and that is not an increase. Assistant City Attorney Andrea Knoblach said Jasper County reports 60 to 70 vehicle crashes a year with deer as well as incidents of damage to vegetation, gardens and transmission of diseases. Copple asked about the penalty section. Knoblach said that is going to be standard of any violation ranging from a fine to incarceration. Lewis said it would be a misdemeanor and trespassing if they don't have property owner permission. Cortez does not expect a lot of hunters, but rather people on edge of town might ask people to harvest deer. Cortez added: 'If this gets off the rails, guess what we can do? We can shut her down.' At the conclusion of the discussion, Copple made a motion to amend the council bill on the age requirement to stipulate minimum hunting age as 16 years old with a deer tag. Anyone under 16 must be accompanied by a licensed adult. That motion carried with six in favor. Shaw voted against it, and two council members, Doris Carlin and Josh DeTar, were absent. Copple also made a motion to amend the ordinance to require that all who wish to participate in an urban hunt attend a hunter safety course. That motion passed with seven in favor and two absent. Copple also made a motion to amend the ordinance that young hunters without hunter safety numbers because of their age be assigned a permit to attach to the arrows they shoot. That amendment also passed with seven votes. Bard made a motion to allow the right of retrieval if a deer goes onto someone else's property after being shot. The council voted 5-2 in favor, with two absent. The amended ordinance will require second and third readings.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New president of Freeman to be introduced at council meeting
The new president and chief executive officer of Freeman Health Systems will be introduced to the community during a meeting Monday of the Joplin City Council. Matthew Fry has taken up the leadership position of Joplin's largest employer, succeeding Paula Baker, who retired. She led the health system for 14 years. Fry previously served as the CEO of St. John's Hospital and St. John's Children's Hospital in Springfield, Illinois, before taking the helm at Freeman in March. The council also will hold public hearings on several zoning requests. Those will be for a change from industrial to multifamily residential property at 1128 Pennsylvania Ave., a special-use permit to build duplexes at 3105 Wisconsin Ave., and a site plan review for the future Vita Nova Village small-home development at 1201 S. Byers Ave. The site plan, which involves reduced-sized easements between houses, was recommended for approval by the city's Planning and Zoning Commission. The council also will take up business that had been planned for a meeting May 19 but was canceled because of a weather forecast for severe weather that night. One ordinance from that meeting reset for the upcoming meeting would allow bow hunting of deer on private property inside the Joplin city limits. According to the ordinance summary, the city does not currently have effective measures to control the urban deer population. A number of deer have been struck by vehicles on city streets, the city document states. That has brought about the ordinance that would allow archery hunting by permit and with specific conditions. While residents must abide by local and state requirements for weapons, in order to participate in urban deer hunting they must have state and city permits, abide by state hunting regulations and seasons, and carry written permission of the property owner where they will hunt. If a law enforcement officer asks to see the permit, the hunter must cooperate. Hunters must be at least 21 years old. The ordinance states that bow and arrows are not to be used within 60 feet of a house, building or structure or place where people assemble, a street, highway, park or property line. Bow hunters must shoot from an elevation of at least 10 feet from the ground. Arrows are not to be shot in the direction of a person, road, structure or domestic animal within reasonable range. Only a recurve archery bow or compound bow that requires completely manual operation without any means to cock the weapon and leave it in a stable state until it is released or fired using a trigger mechanism are authorized for use in the city limits. Hunters using a recurve archery bow or compound bow are required to take a Missouri Department of Conservation-approved hunter education course and are required to mark their arrows with their nine-digit Missouri Conservation Identification Number. The ordinance prohibits crossbow hunting. The council meeting starts at 6 p.m. on the fifth floor of City Hall, 602 S. Main St. It also is broadcast live on KGCS-TV, Channel 21, and regional cable television systems, including Sparklight in Joplin. The city also livestreams the meeting at Video-Multimedia.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Joplin City Council to consider allowing urban hunting to control deer population
An ordinance change that would allow bow hunting of deer on private property inside the Joplin city limits will be considered on first reading Monday by the Joplin City Council. According to the ordinance summary, the city does not currently have effective measures to control the urban deer population. There have been a number of deer struck by vehicles on city streets, the city document states. That has brought about the ordinance that would allow archery hunting by permit and with specific conditions. While residents must abide by local and state requirements for weapons, in order to participate in urban deer hunting they must have state and city permits, abide by state hunting regulations and seasons, and carry written permission of the property owner where they will hunt. If a law enforcement officer asks to see the permit, the hunter must cooperate. Hunters must be at least 21 years old. The ordinance states that bow and arrows are not to be discharged within 60 feet of a house, building or structure or place where people assemble, a street, highway, park or property line. Bow hunters must shoot from an elevation of at least 10 feet from the ground. Arrows are not to be shot in the direction of a person, road, structure or domestic animal within reasonable range. Only a recurve archery bow or compound bow that requires completely manual operation without any means to cock the weapon and leave it in a stable state until it is released or fired using a trigger mechanism are authorized for use in the city limits. Hunters using a recurve archery bow or compound bow are required to take a Missouri Department of Conservation-approved hunter education course and are required to mark their arrows with their nine-digit Missouri Conservation Identification Number. The ordinance prohibits crossbow hunting. A number of special managed deer hunts are held in some urban areas on state, county and city properties where there are high deer populations, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. Finding a hunting spot on private land can be somewhat difficult, the conservation department states in its online regulations. It requires legwork to locate an appropriate property and to convince property owners to allow hunting on their property. The conservation department recommends that interested hunters talk to neighbors, friends or relatives to try to find potential hunting locations, and to ask around at local community meetings or civic clubs. Additionally, check with places that may experience deer damage, such as orchards, farms and tree nurseries, the department's information states. Some Missouri cities such as Ladue restrict urban deer hunting to the archery season. Cities including Jefferson City and Kansas City have managed deer hunts to control population. Deer hunters also should be aware of the precautions regarding chronic wasting disease, which has affected some of the state's deer populations. Two CWD cases were detected in the Jasper County deer population in the 2024-25 seasons, bringing the total in the county to three so far. The first case was detected from deer sampling during the 2023-24 hunting seasons. No positives have yet been confirmed for Newton County, but that first case in Jasper County was close enough to the state line that Newton County was included as part of a CWD management zone for the first time during the 2024-25 seasons, which means different regulations applied. The state has implemented a number of management strategies to reduce the spread of CWD, including special regulations for hunting. Other business In other business, there will be a presentation on the status of the city's effort to upgrade its website. Joplin Health Department personnel also will provide information on the standards for providing adequate outdoor shelter for animals and the requirements of other cities for a discussion on whether city ordinances should be changed. The council also will hold a public hearing on the site plan for Vita Nova Village, which is to be a small home development for those in need of housing. The village is to be constructed on property at 1201 S. Byers Ave. The council also will be asked to act on some city surplus properties that were advertised for sale and are recommended for acceptance of bids. The council meets at 6 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 602 S. Main St.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Effort to recall Ryan Jackson suspended
Those leading an effort to recall Joplin City Council member Ryan Jackson announced Sunday on social media that the recall has been suspended after talks were held between Jackson and Ron Burch, who led the recall effort. Burch, on his social media page Sunday and a page titled "Recall: Ryan Jackson — Joplin City Council," said a meeting held Thursday involving other city officials helped reach an understanding. Burch said Mayor Keenan Cortez helped to arrange the meeting that involved discussion "in a nonpartisan constructive way." Burch also said that City Attorney Peter Edwards sat in on the meeting "to help mediate if need be. I think we can all agree the meeting that was held Thursday was largely positive and productive," Burch wrote. He also wrote that Jackson "was respectful, listened to my concerns, was eager to learn, took accountability for his words on social media — while not only acknowledging that his words hurt the Trans Community, but also that the Trans community is a more vulnerable group of people — one of the many things we found common ground on." He said Jackson "has agreed to be more cautious and thoughtful with his words about the LGBTQ community in public forums going forward, and has said if any issues arise his door is open to work through them." Petitioners will be allowed to continue signature collection on petitions currently in circulation, though Burch said he will not schedule formal events to promote the petitions. "Once the number of signatures needed to force a recall election are gathered, they will be submitted for verification, at which time all petitions in circulation will be submitted for verification. The formal petition campaign will be suspended, however the petition will not be withdrawn, and will remain active, as a measure of holding Council member Jackson accountable into the future, if needed, and as to not lose the valid signatures already collected," Burch wrote. He also thanked Jackson for coming to the discussions to resolve the issues and also thanked the community "to bring us to this point." A recall effort for the Zone 3 council member was launched in early April after comments made April 7 on social media by Jackson related to intersex and transgender people. Burch is co-chairman of JOMO Pride Inc., an organization that brings the JOMO Pride Fest events to Joplin and provides education, support and activism to the community on behalf of the LGBTQ+. It would take 6,711 valid signatures of Joplin registered voters to force a recall election.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Recall campaign against Joplin councilman suspended
The attached video is from previous coverage of this story. JOPLIN, Mo. — Efforts to recall a Joplin city council member are being suspended. In a social media post today (Sunday) organizers of the 'Recall Ryan Jackson' petition announced they are temporarily halting their efforts. This comes after Ryan Jackson agreed to meet with petition organizers and discuss the comments he made online about members of the LGBTQ community. According to the post, Joplin Mayor Keenan Cortez helped organize the meeting, and City Attorney Peter Edwards sat in to help mediate. The recall petition started after Jackson made several comments on our station's Facebook page, regarding a story about 'Transgender Day of Visibility.' PREVIOUS: Controversial council member's transgender comments spark recall effort PREVIOUS: Drive to recall Joplin City Council member gains momentum Organizers say: 'Mr Jackson has agreed to be more cautious and thoughtful with his words about the LGBTQ community in public forums going forward, has said if any issues arise his door is open to work through them.' Recall organizers say that while formal campaign efforts are being suspended, petitioners will continue collecting signatures, and they will be submitted for verification. They say this will be a way to continue holding Jackson accountable in the future. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
