Trial reaffirms conservation officers are the law
A simple fact of life: When a bad guy confronts a conservation officer in most states, that officer is a sworn police officer. And if the warden or conservation cop is assaulted, look out.
Christopher Johnson, 29, was convicted of first-degree murder this week in Adams County District Court for the slaying of Pennsylvania Wildlife Conservation Officer David Grove in November 2010.
The jury deliberated for about a half-hour before delivering the verdict against the Fairfield, PA., resident, who was also convicted of deer poaching. District Attorney Shawn Wagner intends to seek the death penalty.
Ÿ Go online at dailyherald.com to see a video on the Christopher Johnson trial linked to this report.
Slimming down: From British Columbia comes this not-so-surprising story.Fish are likely to get smaller on average by 2050 because global warming will cut the amount of oxygen in the oceans in a shift that may also mean dwindling catches, according to a study recently released. Average maximum body weights for 600 types of marine fish, such as cod, plaice, halibut and flounder, would contract by 14-24 percent by 2050 from 2000 under a scenario of a quick rise in greenhouse gas emissions, it said.#147;The reductions in body size will affect whole ecosystems,#148; lead author William Cheung of the University of British Columbia, told Reuters of the findings in the journal Nature Climate Change. His team of scientists said a trend toward smaller sizes was #147;expected to have large implications#148; for ocean food webs and for human #147;fisheries and global protein supply.#148;Berryman passes: Funeral services for Penny P. Berryman of Hot Springs, Ark., will be held Friday in Glenwood, Ark. Berryman, 62, was a former competitive water skier who turned her love for the water into a love for bass fishing by becoming one of the leading women in professional tournament fishing. Berryman was also a co-host of ESPN#146;s #147;Sportsman#146;s Challenge#148; and a 2004 inductee into the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame.Fishing report:Lake Michigan: There are still a number of #147;fresh#148; salmon lingering in and just outside the various harbors here and in southern Wisconsin. On the other hand, a few charter boats are going as deep as 150 feet to locate some of the bigger, fresh kings and larger steelhead.Fox Chain: Water levels have yet to be dropped, and that#146;s good for crappie and walleye fishermen. Walleye action very decent on Bluff Lake.Minocqua, Wis: Guide Greg Bohn reports water levels very low, which makes the normally excellent fall crappie fishing great. He#146;s finding a few big walleyes, too.ŸContact Mike Jackson at angler88@comcast.net, and catch his radio show 6-7 a.m. Sundays on WSBC 1240-AM and live-streamed at www.mikejacksonoutdoors.com.