Holiday weekend begins

By many accounts, this is likely to be the busiest Fourth of July weekend on record on Missouri highways, lakes, and waterways. Triple-A is predicting more than 50 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this weekend, an increase of 2.4 percent over last year. 43.2 million people will hit the highways to drive to their destinations. The Missouri Highway Patrol reports 11 people were killed and 449 injured in Missouri last year in 1,069 traffic crashes during the Fourth of July period. There is an additional day in the counting period this year, which runs from 6 o’clock this evening to 11:59 on Tuesday, July 4th. Missouri Troop I Information and Education officer, Sergeant Mike Mitchell, says he is not surprised to hear about record numbers anticipated on the state’s highways and waterways this year.

Missouri boaters are advised of the need to be aware that it is illegal to discharge fireworks from a water vessel.