Photo by Eric Keith / St. Joseph News-Press / Purchase this photo

On a hot August day, Riley Moore beats the heat with an ice cream cone.

The Missouri Legislature has found a way to combat one of the state’s most serious problems.

No, not gas prices. The stifling heat.

In July, Gov. Matt Blunt signed a bill that made the ice cream cone Missouri’s official state dessert. The bill was originally proposed to bill sponsor Sen. John Loudon of St. Louis County by a group of students who wanted to recognize Missouri’s role in inventing the ice cream cone, which debuted at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair.

Ice cream was a popular item in St. Joseph on Monday as the mercury climbed to 96 degrees, making it the hottest day of the year. Most people avoided cones, opting instead for sundaes or shakes that wouldn’t melt all over the unsuspecting owner’s arm.

Jennie Nichols, 4, sat in the shade and ate her sundae at Dairy Queen on Mitchell Avenue. Her grandma Inga Bruce and aunt Kay Ferris took her out for the treat because they were in the area after a doctor’s appointment.

Ice cream trips have become more rare for the family members since their neighborhood Dairy Queen closed in the South Side.

“We’d go a lot more if we still had a Dairy Queen in the South End. We miss that place,” Ms. Ferris said.

Monday’s heat will give way to thunderstorms and cooler air through the weekend. Temperatures will approach the upper 80s today, with highs in the mid-80s expected from Wednesday to Saturday, with a chance of rain through Friday, according to weather specialist Lindie Patton of St. Joe Now.

Clinton Thomas can be reached at clintonthomas@npgco.com.