Shannon County - Winona - Information (Springfield, Mexico: sale, new home, living)

[aircooledbusnut]

Hello to all,

I am currently in Afghanistan for possibly the next three years. I spent a great deal of my youth in the Waynesville/St. Robert area, I have also lived in Hartville, Niangua, Marshfield, and Springfield. I needed to be home so I bought 12 acres site unseen near Winona. The question I would pose, is about the local area around Winona, it's people and just stories of the area. I visited Alley Springs about eight years ago. I have not lived in Missouri since 2001. I had read several articles that there were issues with drugs/meth and such. I am still going to move there, but need to know if I will be building walls and moats or just a simple cabin to retire too.

[aircooledbusnut]

I am also a black powder enthusiast. Can anyone tell me the local statutes regarding Openly Carrying a sidearm. Not a glock or barretta but an 1858 Remmington. Thank you.

[ShadowCaver]

Definitely a beautiful area,,, would not fret much about the drugs problem. Would say a simple cabin, w/ sensible protective/security measures should do just fine. Best to you/yours...

As to the open carry issue:
Gun laws in the United States (by state) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
OpenCarry.org - State Information For Missouri

Might need to check the local/state officials during the work week regarding their ords.

[aircooledbusnut]

Thank you for the information, I have already read all the posts for Missouri At opencarry.com and have read all the new laws as regards concealed and open carry for the state. Difficult to check with local officials from Afghanistan. My beloved wife and children will be visiting the property I bought to begin brush cleanup and to decide on a suitable location for our
cabin. I am familiar with the climate and the beauty of southern Missouri. I cannot wait to be closer to home and occupying my new home. My Dad lives in Camdenton, Sister in Montreal, Daughter and future Son-in-Law in Springfield. So any further information any wish to relate, please do so.

[ShadowCaver]

lol, yea realized checking from Afghanistan wasn't easy for ya,,, I meant that I would try to contact the local officials come this work week for ya.

[aircooledbusnut]

ShadowCaver,

I thank you for all your assistance and help. It will be nice to once again live in an area where nieghbors actually look out for each other. Thanks again.

[OA 5599]

Shannon County is indeed very rural, and very beautiful. The scenery is spectacular, and it is one of my favorite places to visit. The county and Winona are full of hunting and blackpower enthusiasts. I don't think you'd have any problem openly carrying a sidearm around...just about every pickup truck has a gun rack in Shannon County, although like anywhere, you wouldn't want to carry it in to a grocery store or post office. Missouri has passed concealed-carry laws, by the way.

As far as the people go, they are friendly, but the county is very isolated, and very poor. It is the poorest county in the state of Missouri, and is ranked as the 78th poorest in the whole nation...simply due to the lack of any kind of jobs outside of basic service/logging/cattle/tourism jobs. There are some problems with drugs and such. The sherrif was arrested for poaching deer a number of years ago...not sure if he is still serving, however. I don't think you'd have to build moats or walls around your cabin. I spent a summer going down nearly every back road in the county for a job I had, and never had a single problem. People actually stop to ask if I was OK, and were generally quite friendly.

[aircooledbusnut]

Actually, I was being a bit sarcastic about the walls and moats. When I was with the Missouri Army National Guard, I was with a task force to clean up after Meth manufacturers and the chemical waste/hazards produced during the manufacturing. We cleaned up three separate locations in full biochemical gear due to the level of hazard presented. Even the EPA wouldn't perform the soil and ground water samples until we had all the surface mess cleaned up. It will be my wife, youngest son, mother and me moving there. I am hoping that it is ok to open carry. I would feel better about the safety of my family knowing that my wife would be armed, wherever she goes, when I am away. My wife is not a native Missourian but a Kansan, she is as tuff as nails. She plans to get her concealed, but I prefer the visual deterrent a sidearm provides when open carried.

[OA 5599]

I figured you were about the walls/moats. Even if you did build them, some good 'ole boys could probably still get across the moat in their 4x4's, or through the wall with a cutting torch

I was just reading an article the other day about how large of an environmental problem former meth labs are. One police officer was quoted saying he'd rather investigate a murder scene than a meth lab due to just how toxic they are. When I worked in a retail store in Howell County about 8 years ago, Sudafed was probably the most commonly stolen item in the entire store...but I think restrictions on its sale and how it is kept have really helped reduce the amount of meth made in Missouri, although a lot of it filters in to the USA from Mexico these days. At least less is being made here.

You probably won't need a side arm to protect yourself in Shannon County. The county is rural and poverty-stricken, but it isn't a dangerous place at all. I spent an entire summer in the county, by myself, driving down gravel roads and never had a problem. You might want to call some local law enforcement to ask about open carrying though, just to be sure. The climate in Shannon County is very gun-friendly (as it is over pretty much all of the Ozarks), but I've never seen anyone open-carrying a handgun in public.

[anr_black]

I love Shannon Co. Not from MO originally, but I spent lots of time there as a child, in Eminence. Beautiful place and hardy, but friendly, people. The biggest issue living there, as others stated, is lack of employment, but since you're retiring, that won't be an issue for you. Good luck in your move! Enjoy the beauty of the Mark Twain forest and the Ozarks!