Summer

Despite the fact you're paying more turkey producers aren't making more.  In fact this year likely won't be a profitable one for the turkey industry, and a lot of it has to do with our infamous hot and dry summer.   Of course we tend to think more about turkeys this time of year but the price of everything turkey inside grocery stores has been steadily rising in 2012.  Experts say the wicked summer reversed a downward trend in prices.   "It's a $15 turkey for free. "   This is a heck of a deal.  Just ask an expert-- "turkey, that's all my daughter will eat. "   Ariana Mallory's 3-year-old is a turkey connoisseur.  So when Mallory heard about this-- "you get the free turkey when you buy the ham"-- she headed to Hy-Vee.  See, her daughter's got expensive taste, at least these days.

The warm winter, hot summer, and mild fall so far, have made ideal conditions for a bug with pinchers. It may surprise you, but the striped scorpion is native to Missouri and not all that uncommon in the Ozarks, especially in a year like this one. Bug Zero says it treats homes with a certain spray dust. Because scorpions like to hide in cool, damp places, exterminators aim for the crevices in and around your house. Experts say lake homes are especially known for attracting scorpions, but local exterminators are also getting calls from Ozark and even Springfield.

A big change for the Springfield-Greene County Health Department this summer only highlighted another change needed: more in-depth pool inspections.  The health department hopes to have a city ordinance in place to allow for that by next summer.   In May, the health department said, for the first time, it would not only be inspecting public and hotel pools but also subdivision and apartment pools.  After 543 inspections, department officials now know those inspections need to go deeper.

It will definitely feel hot for the unofficial end to summer.  It will be a mostly sunny and humid day.  The heat index will be near 100°. Tonight will be mostly clear and mild.  Lows will be in the lower 70's.  Storms will develop to the north.  We will be in a stable environment so the rain will stay north but some of the clouds will drift into our northern counties.  Tuesday will be even hotter will some 100's possible.  ...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - It's almost the unofficial end of summer and an end to a summer to remember for thousands of allergy sufferers in the Ozarks. Lately, clinics around Springfield have seen more parents bringing in their kids to get help to get allergies under control, especially now that kids are back in school. Click on the video to hear some tips allergist Dr. Greg Lux has for parents and allergy sufferers. Wonder what the pollen count is day to day? Click here .

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - For anglers in the Ozarks, catching that big one -- or any fish for that matter -- is getting a lot tougher. The summer heat and drought are not only increasing fish kills statewide, but also making things difficult for future fishing. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, the low water levels have encouraged the growth of algae and other aquatic plants which tend to use more oxygen than they produce. That can be harmful to fish. Those low levels have also killed some eggs and young fish, meaning the fish population will likely take a hit. "Two or three years we'll probably see a dip in our catch rate because the young fish that should have been produced this year, many were left high and dry or they were concentrated enough that predators got to them before they were able to grow," Andy Austin with the Missouri Dept.

Bad news for Ozarks anglers Monday night; catching that big one or any fish for that matter is getting a lot harder.  This summer heat and drought are increasing fish kills statewide, but also making things difficult for future fishing.     The fishing community won't see the full impact of this hot and dry summer until two or three years from now, when the fish that should have hatched and matured don't even exist.   Theron Gladden and his dog Olly don't come to Valley Water Mill Lake with high expectations.

BOIS D'ARC, Mo. - This summer's drought has hit hard at farms in parts of the Ozarks, and now owners are struggling to feed their horses. As grass withers away and continues to die at several farms, it serves as an indicator of just how dry conditions are despite recent rains. Less grass means less food for horses -- something that has several owners ready to give them up. Kate Huy used to rescue abandoned horses and breed them. She says the recession made the horses hard to sell.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - With countless wildfires and disasters this summer, the American Red Cross has had to deploy higher numbers of volunteers from the Ozarks. With hurricane season in full swing, organizers say it's going to take a lot more people to help. More than 20 volunteers went from the Red Cross's Springfield office to five different states this month to help with wildfires and other disasters, including Tropical Storm Debby and fires in Oklahoma. Organizers say this is just the beginning -- when hurricane season hits hard, they're expecting the number of volunteers deployed to double.  The Red Cross typically sends upward of 40 volunteers from this region to help.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Every week, the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks collects water samples from recreational rivers and streams throughout Springfield. Last week, and for most of the summer, results showed E.coli levels were higher than the state allows. Officials say the hot and dry conditions may have been behind the growth of bacteria this summer. Even though the levels dropped back to normal this week, more rain is expected this weekend and the rivers could have the same problem again.