Hatchery Scheduled to Expand
NEOSHO (AP) - The National Fish Hatchery in Neosho is a big attraction for school groups and tourists. But it's visitors center can hold only a few people at a time. Now, relief is in sight, with federal funding assured for a new center that will be large enough to house an auditorium and an aquarium. Hatchery manager David Hendrix says the project will benefit the kids, groups and tourism in the four-state area. Founded in 1888, the Neosho facility is the nation's oldest active fish hatchery. The new center will measure 95-hundred square feet - enough to accommodate 100,000 visitors a year. The National Fish and Wildlife Service has allocated nearly three million dollars for the project. Hendrix said construction could begin this summer, with completion expected within a year.