Month: July 2021

Staff from the Adair County Health Department will be in the Multipurpose Building at the NEMO Fairgrounds each night this week from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m to make it easier for you to get a COVID vaccine. You can complete a form, specifying which vaccine you would like to receive and the Health Department will call anyone who wants a vaccine to schedule a time and location to receive one.

Adair County has lost a second resident to COVID-19 this week. The Health Department was notified yesterday that a 30-year-old female who had been hospitalized for COVID-19 at Northeast Regional Medical Center on July 6 has died. The overall number of deaths in the county now stands at 22. Confirmed cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in Adair County with four new cases on July 14 and 10 new cases confirmed yesterday. The overall case count now stands at 2,625 with 39 active cases. A previously identified 30-year-old male was admitted to NRMC July 14 and is currently not on a ventilator. The Health Department was also notified that three females who were reported as positive earlier were determined in random testing to have had the Delta variant. Two of the women, ages 40 and 50, were fully vaccinated when they tested positive. The third, a 32-year-old female, was not vaccinated. All three are out of isolation.

MoDOT crews will close Baltimore Street again next week between Jefferson Street and Normal Street for a culvert installation that is taking place in front of Lincoln Square Shopping Center. The road will close at 7:00 a.m. Monday, July 19, and reopen in the evening on Friday, July 23. Motorists will be able to access businesses in Lincoln Square, but no thru traffic will be allowed. The following week of July 26-30, the road is planned to be closed in the exact same location so that the pavement can be replaced over the new culvert. The work is all weather dependent and could be rescheduled.

The City of Kirksville’s P.C. Mills Park Summer Block Party will be Sunday, July 18, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm in P.C. Mills Park. The city says the block party is an opportunity for residents to learn more about plans for P.C. Mills Park and the wider neighborhood. City staff will be on hand and want your input. There will also be an afternoon full of games, water, and treats, courtesy of the Parks and Recreation Department and their community partners. P.C. Mills Park is located at 1506 S. Baird Street. For more information, please contact City Administration at 660.627.1225.

The number of unemployed Missourians rose in June, which was also the same month the state ended access to federal pandemic-related unemployment benefits. Missouri’s unemployment rate increased slightly in June when compared to May. June’s unemployment figure rose from 4.2 to 4.3 percent, but that rate is still 3.8 percentage points lower than the June 2020 rate. The national unemployment rate increased from 5.8 percent in May 2021 to 5.9 percent in June 2021.

Both the water park and the indoor pool at the new Kirksville Aquatic Center are now open. There are no restrictions for attendance except for the total facility capacity of 884 visitors. The Parks and Recreation Department says if you are considering a visit to the new facility and would like an estimate of the current attendance, call the Kirksville Aquatic Center Admissions Desk at 660.627.1485.
Attendance will fluctuate throughout the day based on weather, groups and parties, and programming.

Additionally, the wading pools will continue to be open from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at Jaycee Park; Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday at P.C. Mills Park; and Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at Brashear Park. For a complete list of all City of Kirksville aquatic offerings, hours and more, visit www.kirksvillecity.com/KAC, or call the Parks and Recreation office.

The Macon County Health Department reports that during the week of July 7 – July 13, there were 39 new cases of COVID-19; of the 39 new cases, only 3 were vaccinated and none were reinfection. Health officials say Macon County cases are significantly up from the prior week and positive case counts are up almost 44% this month over the number of cases during the same period in June. Of the last 174 new cases, 166 were not vaccinated.

Missouri’s gas tax is increasing for the first time in over 20 years. Yesterday, Governor Mike Parson signed the tax hike into law, which will raise money for highway and bridge repairs. This gas tax will add 12.5 cents per gallon over five years. The first hike will happen in October. However, Parson said people can get a refund on that tax if they don’t want to pay it. You’ll need to supply certain information to the the Missouri Department of Revenue to do so. The refund will only apply to 2.5 cents per gallon. The gas tax will increase every July until 2026 — topping off at 29.5 cents per gallon.

Another Adair County resident has died as the result of a COVID-19 infection, bringing the total number of deaths to 21. An 86-year-old female was admitted to Northeast Regional Medical Center on July 11 and passed away July 12. This was the first COVID-related death since January 31st. The health department reports that the overall case count has reached 2,609 after 17 new cases were confirmed on July 12 and 13. There are currently 31 active cases.

Monday’s cases include females ages 30, 31, 41 and 57 and males ages 21 and 66. Also confirmed during contact tracing was a 12-day-old male whose mother also tested positive for COVID-19. One person confirmed Monday is fully vaccinated.
Yesterday’s cases involve two 14-year-old females and other females ages 19, 26, 29 and 32, and males ages 30, 52, 54 and 65. Three of these cases are employed at an area meat-processing plant. Three Adair County residents are known to be hospitalized at this time with none using a ventilator. Two are at Northeast Regional Medical Center and one is at Boone Hospital in Columbia.

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft is warning Missouri residents of an investment scam that cost a Sumner couple $60,000. According to a news release, the state’s Securities Division has ordered a cease and desist to Cutting Edge Supplements, LLC and Desmond R. Bloss, who has Kirksville ties, after he allegedly misused a $60,000 investment from the couple. The news release states between Nov. 28, 2016 and June 30, 2017, Bloss allegedly solicited and received investment money from the couple, which was to be used for the Cutting Edge business. Bloss was introduced to the couple through a mutual friend and maintained contact through social media and email. Bloss then misled the investors by telling them their money would be used for specific business purposes, but instead he used the money for a different business and for personal expenses, the release said. The investors have not received any return or repayment of their principal investment to this day. The Securities Division is seeking an order to cease and desist, $60,000 in restitution and $25,000 in civil penalties and investigation costs.