Trees

Mt. Vernon, Mo. -- Even though it's still August, walking through Robert Burkett's front yard, you'll hear the distinct crunch of fall. "I just got sick of heart. I really did," Burkett said. Dozens of Burkett's prized oak trees are dying.  Burkett, who lives near Mt. Vernon in Lawrence County, first noticed the leaves turning brown a few weeks ago.  "The big old oaks, they're just like king of the woods.  Then I see them all dying out, and I'm like, 'There's something wrong here,'" Burkett said.

SEYMOUR, Mo. -- A fully grown black bear, surrounded by a crowd, created a unique situation in Seymour all day.   The bear wandered in from the woods and climbed a large tree in the middle of town about 7 a.m.   For the rest of Tuesday, it was the talk of the town.  Just before sunset officials cleared the area of Garfield and Cordie and set a live trap baited with food and water.  The bear did climb out of the tree about 9:15 p.m., but...

Jeremy Rabe shows us how to make Christmas card ornaments and a tree branch candy centerpiece. Visit the KY3 House Helpers Facebook page here for a chance to win one of these holiday items.

Jeremy Rabe shows us how to make a tomato cage light-up tree and personalized holiday mugs. Visit the KY3 House Helpers Facebook page here for a chance to win one of these holiday items.

SHANNON COUNTY, Mo--Crews are working to clean up debris after severe storms moved through.  We talked with a sheriff's dispatcher who told us several trees are down blocking roads and even some driveways.  The damage is mainly around Birch Tree and Winona.  A tree also fell onto a house, no word on injuries.     We also talked with a representative from Howell-Oregon Electric Cooperative who says numerous power poles are also down.  He couldn't tell us how many customers are without electricity.

JEFFERSON CITY, MO. -- You can help plant a tree in a Missouri state park and in the city of Joplin without lifting a shovel.  Missouri State Parks is participating again this year in the Odwalla Plant a Tree Program that allows people across the nation to vote where they want trees planted. Odwalla has committed $100,000 to the campaign and each vote will be equal to $1 that can be used for trees. The number of votes a state receives will determine the number of dollars it earns to purchase and plant trees in state parks.  If you enter the six-character code printed inside the Missouri state park system’s new Welcome Kit, Odwalla will donate an extra dollar per vote.

WINONA, Mo. -- Several hundred households in Shannon County lost power on Sunday night because of storm damage.  One man also lost his life. Straight line winds up to 60 miles per hour blasted through the Winona and Birch Tree area.  The storm's fury tore down power lines and had some residents worried a tornado was about to descend on their homes. Summer Proffit lives two miles south of Winona. “We didn't know it was actually going to hit until we seen the thunder and lightning,” said Proffitt.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Fall colors across the Ozarks have been breathtaking despite the drought.  But, if you'd like a little more color in your yard next year, spring ahead with fall planting. Cooler months typically mean less yard work, but getting your hands dirty now can set your yard up for success when the warm temperatures return.  "The fall season is always the best season to do any planting," said Tom Meyer, manager at Carson's Nurseries. "It gives the tree some time to settle in before it really has to take off and grow the next spring," said arborist Noel Boyer of All About Trees.

SPRINGFIELD -- Donations for the Tree of Lights Christmas Campaign are up about 4-percent from this time last year. With fewer than two weeks left in the campaign, the Salvation Army has raised $963,819 of its $1,000,000 goal.    Last year, The Salvation Army provided more than 110,000 meals to the hungry, assisted 11,500 local residents with social service programs and distributed nearly 7,000 bags of food to families and low-income senior citizens.       Donations also allow the agency to provide shelter for those in need--including Emergency Cold Weather Shelters.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.-- Springfield's Victory Mission is wanting your used clothing, in exchange for a free Redbud tree for you to plant. The clothing will then be distributed to people in our community who are in need. You can drop off your clothes at Second Baptist Church, 3111 E. Battlefield, Springfield.  Watch the interview with Victory Mission Executive Director Jim Harriger to learn more about the mission.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Mo. -- Funeral services held Friday afternoon for a man from Birch Tree killed in a logging accident. John Glasscock was cutting trees in Texas County on Tuesday when one fell on him.  Glasscock was 23.  The service will start at one o'clock at the Yarber Mortuary in Mountain View.

LACLEDE COUNTY, Mo. - Its feeding time on the Atkinson farm.  Instead of a bale of hay, or a bucket of grain, Danny carries a chainsaw as he trudges through his drought stricken pasture. Because of the lack of rain, drain and grass is harder to come by.  However, Danny Atkinson has come up with a way to keep his livestock fed. “We have resorted to cutting trees,” explained Atkinson. Since there's nothing green on the ground to eat, he's turning to the green growing on trees.

FORSYTH, Mo. - Taney County Sheriff Jimmie Russell has received several reports of damage after Saturday night's strong storms. The worst of the damage is along Highway 176 north of Walnut Shade.  Deputies found numerous trees down and damage to one home.  The homeowner suffered minor injuries, but refused medical treatment. A barn collapsed in the strong winds near Bradleyville in eastern Taney County.

Joplin, Mo. -- The Joplin tornado claimed dozens of lives and leveled hundreds of homes and businesses.  It also wiped out thousands of trees.  As part of the recovery process, new trees have been donated, but now the intense drought is threatening to destroy them. "We're watering as many trees as we can get to today," said Marlina Zimmerman, 18, a volunteer who traveled to the area with a church group from Wisconsin. "I think we were really surprised, at first, at how much you can still see. You know where the tornado went through.  We're not used to that, because you don't get many tornadoes in Wisconsin," Zimmerman said.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- It will likely take weeks to clean up the damage caused by the storms that rolled through the Ozarks on Saturday.  Tree experts said Monday that some of the damage caused by downed trees could have been prevented. "We are seeing trees that uprooted and blew over that had major pockets of decay," said Noel Boyer, an arborist and the owner of All About Trees, a company in Springfield. Boyer said some of the warning signs that homeowners can see include major spots of decay on tree trunks and cracks or splits in the bark of tree trunks.

SEYMOUR, Mo. -- A fully grown black bear, surrounded by a crowd, created a unique situation in Seymour all day.   The bear wandered in from the woods and climbed a large tree in the middle of town about 7 a.m.   For the rest of Tuesday, it was the talk of the town.  Just before sunset officials cleared the area of Garfield and Cordie and set a live trap baited with food and water.  The bear did climb out of the tree about 9:15 p.m., but...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - A local bank is celebrating its grand opening by making a little boy's wish come true. Arvest bank hosted a range of events at the grand opening of its newest branch on East Sunshine in Springfield. Face painting, games, bar-b-que and frozen custard were part of Wednesday's activities, but there was something that meant much more. Four year old Eli Tree was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) two years ago and is in the process of beating disease.

BIRCH TREE, Mo. -- An autopsy will be done on Thursday on the body of a man from Mountain View who was shot by the Birch Tree city marshal on Wednesday night. The shooting happened on U.S. 60 east of Birch Tree, just after midnight.  Sgt. Marty Elmore of the Missouri State Highway Patrol says the marshal told investigators he had just arrested Ronald Andrews, 51, at a home at the request of the Mountain View Police Department.  Elmore says Andrews was wanted for questioning about an assault that occurred early Wednesday evening in Mountain View.  The marshal was transporting Andrews when Andrews reached for the marshal's weapon.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The Salvation Army says it needs about another $35,000 to get to 95% of its Tree of Lights Campaign goal for 2011. Major Norman Grainger says the Salvation Army can avoid automatic budget revisions if it gets to $950,000 of the $1 million dollar goal. Grainger says the agency is grateful for all the donations that have come in so far, considering the current economic climate. "Each day we help numerous individuals and families from all walks of life," he said.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Despite the cold on Thursday, many are just thankful we're not dealing with an inch to an inch-and-a-half of ice on everything.  The ice storm of 2007 changed the way many of us prepare for winter weather. Nita and Leonard Clough's house got just a trace of snow on Thursday.  Five years ago, the whole place was covered with ice.  "When I think of the ice storm, I think of the noise.  We had a whole field of trees out back and, all night long, it sounded like a war zone," said Leonard.