(KFVS) - The United States Coast Guard is offering boating safety tips for hunters.

The Coast Guard says capsizing and falling overboard into cold water are major hazards for hunters. During hunting seasons, most waters are cold enough for a serious hypothermia threat.

They say responsible hunters need to be aware of the dangers and follow a few simple rules to make hunting on the water safer and more enjoyable. The tips include:

• Leave a float plan with someone at home, describing where you are going, who you are with and when you expect to return.
• Transport firearms to the boat unloaded, cased, muzzle first, with the action open.
• Always wear an approved and properly fitted life jacket when in a boat.
• Carry a throwable flotation device in case someone falls overboard.
• Stow visual distress signals on board.
• Know the weather forecast for the area. High winds can be dangerous.

A gun stolen from the Carbondale police chief's vehicle may have been used in a deadly shooting earlier this week.

Carbondale Police Chief Jody O'Guinn said that it appears his personally owned handgun, which he reported stolen from his locked vehicle in June, may have been the gun used in the fatal shooting of Deaunta R. Spencer on September 14.

"I am devastated and deeply saddened that this gun, which was secured within my personal vehicle, was stolen and subsequently may have been used to take the life of another," said Chief O'Guinn in a press release. "My prayers and deepest sympathy go out to the family of this young man and I grieve with them in their loss."

The gun was found during an ongoing investigation by the Carbondale Police Department.

Matthew J. Jones, 18, of Carbondale has been charged with Spencer's murder.

Carbondale Police say Jones and the victim were acquaintances and had a personal dispute

A tree killing beetle is moving further south in Illinois.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture said the emerald ash borer was discovered just north of Salem in Marion County and at the Green Creek Rest Area on Interstate 57 in Effingham County.

According to the department, the beetle has been spotted in 20 counties in the state.

The emerald ash borer is a small, metallic green beetle that is native to Asia, according to the department. Its larvae burrow into the bark of ash trees, causing the trees to starve and eventually die.

Experts say the beetles travel easily and ask that people do not bring firewood or untreated wood products from other areas.

The department is asking local and regional tree companies, villages, and cities to consider the group's appliance agreement program to familiarize themselves with the rules about processing and transporting ash materials.