KIRX News

Hundreds of been vaccinated in Sullivan County following a couple of clinics this week.121 doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine were administered Wednesday at the North Central Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc., in Milan. That event was a first dose clinic. Yesterday, 200 residents got their second dose of the Moderna Covid-19 Vaccine. Including this week’s clinics, the Sullivan County Health Department has vaccinated 56 residents with their First & Second Dose of the Pfizer vaccine, 200 first and second doses of the Moderna vaccine, 200 residents with their first dose of Moderna vaccine and 121 with their first dose of Pfizer vaccine for a grand total of 577 COVID-19 vaccine doses.

Kirksville police are investigating a theft from a vehicle that was reported Wednesday morning
in the 900 block of North Franklin Street. Police obtained security footage from a nearby business which shows a suspect damaging the vehicle to gain access and stealing items before leaving the area on foot. The suspect was wearing dark clothing including a jacket which appears to have a white strip horizontally across the chest. See a photo posted at facebook.com/KirksvillePoliceDepartment. Anyone with information is asked to contact KPD.

Shelbina firefighters were dispatched to a grass fire yesterday afternoon along Highway 36 in Shelbina. Approximately 200 feet of grass burnt along the highway. The Missouri Department of Conservation is reporting moderate fire conditions for northeast Missouri. As the nice weather continues, they remind you to monitor wind conditions and relative humidity prior to burning. Also, when conducting a controlled burn, remember to call Central Dispatch at 660-665-5621 to advise them of the burn in the event of an emergency.

The YMCA will begin offering Grocery Care Packages every Friday – starting today – between 9 and 10 a.m. Each care package will contain a Breakfast, Lunch, Supper and Snack for 7 days for 1 child. It’s an effort to provide food to children in need over Spring Break. They will start with 40 care packages this week and adjust the amount offered based upon community need

The NTSB has released a preliminary report on the plane crash last month in Grundy County. According to the Associated Press, the National Transportation Safety Board’s report says the pilot of the single-engine plane ignored warnings about bad weather. The plane left St. Louis and was covered with ice when it landed in Moberly. The pilot was advised to stay put until the weather improved, but instead continued on. The wreckage was found in a wooded area near Galt the next day. Both the pilot, 82-year-old Philip Joseph LeFevre III and his 47-year-old son Philip Joseph LeFevre IV, died in the crash.

A new bridge in LaPlata opens today. According to a MoDOT release, this afternoon motorists will have the opportunity to drive across the new bridge that has been constructed on Macon County Route D in LaPlata, located just off U.S. Route 63 over the BNSF Railroad. Even though the bridge will be open to motorists, there will be times of intermittent closures so that crews can finish earthwork and seeding. A MoDOT engineer say the new bridge is much safer for the over 2000 vehicles a day that travel across it, as well as the pedestrians that use it. The new bridge is 28 feet wide, which is 6 feet wider than the previous one, and has additional safety features. This bridge is included in Governor Mike Parson’s $351 million Focus on Bridges program, which will repair or replace 250 bridges across the state. The cost for this project is nearly $2,000,000.

The Adair County Health Department confirmed four new cases of COVID-19 yesterday, bringing the total count to 2,319. There are 14 active cases and 2,285 people who have left isolation. Two cases are in the K-12 schools sector and one resides at an address with a previously confirmed case.

The National Weather Service is sharing why what was supposed to be a test alert during a Tornado Drill, ended up being a mass notification of a tornado warning. As part of “Severe Weather Awareness Week,” both Missouri and Kansas communities tested tornado sirens yesterday morning. Instead, residents across the state, and in Kirksville, got an alert on their phone to take cover immediately. According to the National Weather Service, the new code for their Common Alerting Protocol Handler, that was recently implemented, mistakenly allowed the test to go out over the Wireless Emergency Alert as an actual warning. Officials are apologizing to the public and say the software was fixed immediately.

A regional mass vaccination clinic has will happen Friday in Scotland County from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Briggs-Smith Memorial Airport just outside of Memphis. The Scotland County Health Department has been sent 2,500 doses of the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is a single-dose vaccine, as opposed to the two doses needed for the Pfizer and Moderna shots. To register, go to covidvaccine.mo.gov/navigator. That website will also let you know if you are part of eligible groups that are being vaccinated. Call 877-435-8411 with any additional questions.

The Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission recently awarded a contract to Krupp Construction, of Ellisville, Missouri, for an improvement project on Baltimore Street in Kirksville. The project consists of resurfacing, American with Disabilities improvements and drainage improvements. The project will run from just north of Illinois Street to just south of Patterson Street. The City of Kirksville will be contributing over $111,000 towards the nearly $5 million dollar project for the addition of some sidewalk in the project area. Traffic will remain open to one lane while these improvements are made. MoDOT says a more specific schedule on this project will be shared once the contractor provides the plan for completing the work.