Camdenton man drowns in Lake of the Ozarks

GREENVIEW, Mo. -- A Camdenton man drowned Thursday evening in Lake of the Ozarks, the Missouri Water Patrol said. Earl Long, 72, was pronounced dead after his son-in-law found him floating against a boat dock and was unable to revive him. The water patrol said Long's wife saw him docking a boat at 6 p.m. When he hadn't returned to the house an hour and a half later, she sent her daughter and son-in-law to find him.

Groups fear DNR will go easy on water polluters

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Some environmental groups are unhappy with how the state is evaluating rivers and streams to determine which ones should receive new federal protections from pollution. The Department of Natural Resources hasn't yet finished its work, and environmental groups contend the agency is taking too long and fear it will be lax on polluters. Missouri is under court order to comply with stiffer federal Clean Water Act standards requiring all streams to be clean enough for someone to swim in. However, the law allows for some exemptions in cases where so-called "whole body contact" recreation isn't possible.

Public officials face waiting period at UM

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. -- Former legislators and other state officials hoping to earn a paycheck from the University of Missouri must now wait at least two years after leaving office. In a 5-4 vote Friday, university curators approved a policy that keeps the revolving door between Jefferson City and the four system campuses closed for two years unless the aspiring employee previously worked at a Missouri campus for at least three years. The four curators who opposed the measure argued that a one-year hiring moratorium was adequate, noting a comparable time frame restricts former public officials from lobbying state agencies after leaving office.

Kansas City reports its first heat-related death

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A 52-year-old man whose body was found in his apartment last month has been declared Kansas City's first heat-related death, the Kansas City Health Department said Friday. A maintenance worker discovered the man's body on June 29, the department said, declining to release the man's name until relatives had been notified. The man had not been seen since June 24. The Jackson County Medical Examiner's office determined that the immediate cause of death was heat exposure, saying the temperature in the man's room was in the 90s. None of the windows were open and the air conditioner wasn't turned on. Officials added that the victim may have also been taking medication for a medical condition.

Ethel man drowns when fishing boat capsizes

ETHEL, Mo. -- An Ethel man drowned Thursday night after falling out of a fishing boat on a private farm pond, the Macon County Sheriff's office said Friday. Raymond Howard, 41, was pronounced dead after his body was recovered by the Macon County Rescue Squad from a farm pond five miles southwest of Ethel. Sheriff Robert Dawson said Howard was fishing with another man, Tim McNamara of Wheaton, when Howard's fishing line either got snagged or he got a bite. When he stood up to pull on it, Dawson said, the boat tipped over, dumping both men into the water. McNamara was able to swim to shore but Howard went under and didn't resurface, Dawson said.

-- From wire reports