Archives for May 2011

The feds will pick up most of the tab to rebuild Joplin.

After the negotiations started at 75-25, the federal government says it will now pay 90 percent of the cost to rebuild Joplin. That means the other ten percent will be picked up by local and state governments. The federal government is also paying 90 percent of the cost to restore Tuscaloosa, Alabama, also hit by a tornado last month. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon said he’s pleased that most of the recovery costs in Joplin will be absorbed by the federal government since they normally only pick up about 75 percent of clean up costs after a disaster.

Macon Police say the number of thefts there has increased.

Chief Steve Olinger says there have been several thefts from vehicles reported in the past few weeks. He said the best way to protect against this is not more police, but more you. Chief Olinger suggests that you can keep the number of thefts from cars and trucks down by not leaving valuables in your vehicles, not leaving your vehicles unlocked, no matter where they’re parked. Olinger also says the number of thefts of metals has increased, and much of that is being sold for scrap, for the cash. He says in both cases, you can decrease the chances of thefts by installing outdoor lighting and getting your neighbors involved in watching each other’s houses to deter thieves.

The Adair County Drug Coalition, Sheriff’s Office, and The Kirksville Police Department teamed up for a Prescription Drug Turn-In event this weekend. they say nearly 300 pounds of drugs were collected this time around. As in the past, people were able to drop off expired or unused prescription drugs, which officers take to be incinerated. Authorities say the event helps keep medication out of the wrong hands, including children or those who abuse prescription drugs. Plans are underway to have a year-round drop off box available in the community soon.

FEMA’s done this before.

Just as in New Orleans after Katrina in ’05, the Federal Emergency Management Agency says it may bring in trailers for displaced Joplin residents to live in while they rebuild. They have also offered rental housing to tornado victims that’s an hour away. The agency says it wants to offer housing within 55 miles of Joplin, before it brings in trailers. More than 130 people were killed in the May 22nd tornado and nearly 30 are still unaccounted for.

The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that forty-two-year-old Samuel Dunn of Kirksville is pleading guilty to one felony count of failure to register as a sex offender before United States District Judge Henry Autrey.

This charge carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. Sentencing has been set for August twenty-second.

The case was investigated by the United States Marshal’s Service.

Putnam County Prosecuting Attorney Tom Keedy said he referred complaints against two hospital workers to the governor and the Missouri attorney general.

On May 18, 2011, affidavits were filed with the Putnam County Circuit Clerk alleging that Putnam County Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees members Duane Crawford and Nettie Lewis have neglected their official duties and violated certain Missouri laws. Keedy said Missouri law authorizes the Governor to direct that the Attorney General assist or
handle such complaints. He has a conflict of interest since he is familiar with all sides in the case, but that it would be in the best interest of everybody if the Attorney General investigated the issue and then made a decision as to whether to proceed with efforts to remove the trustees from office.

MoDOT’s holding another community meeting on the future of their Macon facility.

The next meeting is here in Kirksville this coming Thursday. The meeting will be at
A.T. Still University’s Mehegan Classroom at 5:30 p.m. The Mehegan Classroom is located in the Gutensohn Clinic building. Officials will again be talking about their cost cutting measures, like shuddering more than 130 facilities and cutting some 12 hundred jobs.

Help form Kirksville is already in Joplin. Salvation Army Major Bill Hogg and three volunteers left today, taking the canteen vehicle based out of Kirksville and quite a few cleanup supplies:

Hogg says the volunteers are ready to deal with a stressfull 7 to 10 day stint in southwest Missouri:

If you’d like to donate to help the relief effort in Joplin, contact the Salvation Army locally or online at salvationarmy.org.

Bodies were lined up in the street in Joplin for family members to identify, as the death toll in is now above 90. Officials there said the city was nearly destroyed when a tornado hit last night. Rescue workers are searching the area for survivors.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency Sunday evening and activated the Missouri National Guard in response to the destruction. Even a hospital in Joplin couldn’t help survivors because it was evacuated. Officials at St John’s Regional Medical Center said the place was in the path of the twister that blew out every window in the building and tore off the roof. Reports indicate the tornado was a mile wide with winds of 200 miles an hour. The National Weather Service has not given the twister an Enhanced Fujita scale number yet, as they too are still assessing the damage. Emergency officials in Joplin said all the warning sirens were working and they had about 20 minutes from the time the sirens went off until they confirmed the tornado.

President Barack Obama said FEMA is already working to help Joplin recover and the President and First Lady sent their condolences and prayers to the victims and their families.

Kirksville has been after them for some time, and now, they’re going after seven businesses.

No court date’s been set, but the city is taking all seven to court. They’re doing it to make them comply with the city’s business license ordinance. The businesses will be in municipal court, facing charges varying from not renewing their licenses on time to operating without a license. Five did not renew their licenses on time and two are operating without licenses. The city says March first is the deadline to renew business licenses, and none of the seven did that. The city code says that’s a 20 dollar fine and a misdemeanor.