Archives for June 2017

The heavy rain from storms over the past couple of days has caused flooding and several road closures to the south and west of Adair County. Road were closed yesterday in Chariton and Linn Counties, among others, the Missouri Department of Transportation traveler information map provides real-time updates on road closures can be found online at: traveler.modot.org/map/

A driver is facing charges after a crash near Huntsville. The Missouri Highway Patrol has arrested 36-year-old Danny Bowen on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment in relation to a crash that happened earlier this month. The wreck on June 10th, north of Huntsville, ed to the death of 27-year-old Moberly resident Nicole Ashbaker, and injuries to four other occupants. Bowen, the driver, faces first-degree involuntary manslaughter, and four counts of child endangerment. An arraignment has been scheduled for Monday in Randolph County Court.

The grand marshals for Kirksville’s 4th of July parade has been announced…

The All American Red, White and Blue Parade will take place tomorrow, in downtown Kirksville, rain or shine, as part of the annual All American Red, White and Blue Festival! This year’s theme is “FRONTIERS TO THE FUTURE!”

The City has announced that the Grand Marshal of this year’s parade will be Karla Dwyer! Dwyer, a pharmacist in Kirksville, is the 2016 recipient of the Outstanding Woman Leader award from the Missouri Women of Today. She is involved in the Rotary Club of Kirksville – Thousand Hills, the I Think I Can Foundation, the Healthy Women Advisory Council, the Kirksville Country Club, and previously served on the Board of Directors for the Adair County Ambulance District.

The Junior Grand Marshal will be Megan Pennington! Pennington is a 2017 graduate of Kirksville High School where she most recently served as president of the student body, vice-president of the National Honor Society, and captain of the KHS Dance Team. She was also selected for the 2017 Missouri All-State Choir and performed as a lead in KHS’ musicals.

The All American Red, White and Blue Parade kicks off at 9:30 tomorrow moring and will travel south down Franklin Street past the Square. The Kiwanis Club of Kirksville has coordinated a float competition with prizes for first, second, and third place entries!

When classes begin this fall, many Missouri college students will have more options for earning the math credit they need to complete their degree. Karen Johnson has a report.

For decades, college algebra has been the required math course for most degree programs. Now, a majority of public colleges and universities in Missouri are set to roll out new “math pathways” for degrees such as English, business, and history. Dr. Rusty Monhollon, assistant commissioner for academic affairs at the Missouri Department of Higher Education says thousands of Missouri students will benefit from mathematics courses, such as statistics and quantitative reasoning, that are more aligned with their specific field of study. The development of new math pathways is supported by a growing number of educators nationwide who believe college algebra is not the best math course for many students, depending on the type of degree they are seeking. I’m Karen Johnson

Governor Greitens signs several transportation-related bills. Karen Johnson has the details.

One bill allows farm equipment on highways at night with proper lighting on state highways. An additional law also taxes propane used for motor vehicles. The tax starts at 5 cents and will increase gradually to 17 cents per gallon by 2025. Another new provision will allow Department of Transportation workers to use flashing red and blue lights while working at night. That law also will require drivers to pull over or slow down when passing utility vehicles, who can use white and amber flashing lights when stopped. And one other law creates statewide licensing for electrical contractors. I’m Karen Johnson.

Needed improvements to Missouri’s highways and bridges is being given the green light. Karen Johnson explains how.

The Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, or “STIP,” approved by the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission, will enable the Missouri Department of Transportation to protect the current condition of state highways and bridges – a $54 billion asset that carries a $125 billion replacement cost. Transportation Planning Director Machelle Watkins told commissioners the STIP includes 605 new projects that invest in 2,247 lane-miles of interstate pavements, 3,302 miles of major route pavements, 7,462 miles of minor route pavements and 499 bridges.Missouri has the nation’s seventh largest state highway system with 33,873 miles of roadways and 10,394 bridges. I’m Karen Johnson.

The Missouri Supreme Court this week denied he Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois application to appeal the Missouri Court of Appeals decision, which overturned the Missouri Public Service Commission’s order of approval for the Mark Twain Transmission Project. The ATXI president says they are disappointed by this decision but that their main focus is to work with landowners, county commissioners and other stakeholders to move the project forward with the current plan that involves a new route for the 345,000-volt transmission line to run through Northeast Missouri. The new project will be a single pole, whcih means less impact to property owners. Find information about the new proposal online at: www.ameren.com/mark-twain

The lion statue head that went missing on Monday from Moberly Lion’s Beuth Park, has been found. According to a press release, local tips and cooperation from residents led to the recovery of the missing property, and the detention of two individuals believed to have been involved in the incident. Further investigation is still being conducted. MPD says this is an example of the community and the police working together to address issues within the community, adding that without the help of the community, this case would have been difficult to solve.

Truman State University is having a retirement celebration tomorrow for Richard J. Coughlin, who has served as dean of libraries and museums and interim vice president for academic affairs and provost. The public is invited to attend the reception at the Kirk Memorial tomorrow from 2-4PM.

A regularly scheduled audit is released for Shelby County in Northeast Missouri. Karen Johnson has more.

Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway has released the audit and the county has received an overall performance rating of good. Auditor Galloway also issued an audit of the Shelby County Circuit Court, with a rating of excellent, the highest rating available. Galloway says It appears that the officials in Shelby County are working to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars and remain accountable to citizens. She adds recommendations have been made to assist officials in making improvements at the county level and their responsiveness and cooperation is appreciated. The audit raised concerns related to the county’s railroad tax collections. The county collector withheld about $3,000 in excess commissions, which should have been distributed to local school districts. The county has fixed the error. I’m Karen Johnson.