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Gov. Nixon proposes reopening National Park sites in Mo.

gateway arch
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Missouri has joined a growing list of states looking to reopen national parks within their borders as the federal government shutdown continues.  

In a statement released late Friday, Gov. Jay Nixon said he has directed members of his staff to put together a proposal for reopening National Park Service sites in Missouri, including the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and the Ozark National Scenic Riverways Park.  He calls the two sites “national treasures” that draw millions of tourists every year and “generate significant economic activity.”  

On Thursday, President Obama announced that he would allow states to reopen national parks within their borders, provided they pay the costs of operating them.  

Missouri Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a proud alumnus of the University of Mississippi (a.k.a., Ole Miss), and has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off the old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Mason, and their cat, Honey.
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