News Staff Dog bites on the increase in Kirksville, and the police chief wants to do something about it.
Chief Scott Williamson wants dogs that bite someone to be spayed or neutered — and to get a microchip — so police can keep track of them in case they are vicious. So far this year, 37 dog bites reported, compared to 24 in in 2019 and 13 last year.
Council would have to approve the chief’s plan…no action on it is scheduled at this point.
A fata house fire Sunday night in LaPlata. An 82 year old man who lived in the home died. He’s indentified as Dean Green. The home was destroyed…investigation into the cause continues.
The state patrol says a man driving a front-end loader while high on drugs, caused a pile-up about 6:20 yesterday morning on US 136.
The loader, operating with no lights — was rear ended by two different vehicles — one of them a tanker truck that overturned and caught fire. A
Then, another vehicle ended up hitting the tanker. Two people with serious injuries were flown to the hospital.
The driver of the front end loader, 39 year old Benjamin Coop of Greentop, was charged with operating under the influence of drugs, plus other charges. He was not injured in the wreck.
The state has set the date for the 2022 deer and turkey seasons. The youth portion of turkey season starts on April 9th and 10th. The fall turkey season will run during the entire month of October.
The firearms deer season will get underway for youth on October 29th and 30th. The November portion of the firearms season will run from the 12th through the 22nd.
An extra day for Christmas holiday in the Kirksville R-III School District. The school board decided to go ahead and let vacation begin a week from Wednesday — the 22nd. Originally, it was going to be a half-day of school.
Classes start again after the holidays on Tuesday, January 4th.
The battle continues over mask mandates. Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt is now telling school districts and county public health departments — that he will take them to court — if they do not stop enforcing health orders such as mask mandates and quarantine rules.
Schmitt points out that a judge in Cole County last month issued a ruling that said health orders from local authorities are “null and void.”
Meantime, Truman State’s indoor mask mandate continues. It will stay in effect when students come back after Christmas break. But it will be reviewed again before the end of January.
A Go Fund Me page has been set-up to help with funeral expenses for 14 year old Jordan Griffey. He died after accidentally shooting himself Saturday near Kahoka while he was hunting. His funeral is set for 5 p.m. this Friday in the Clark County R-1 High School gym
Covid-count: between last Friday and Monday, the Adair county health department confirmed 40 newcases of COVID-19 and four more COVID-related deaths that were previously not reported.
That means there are 134 cases active at the moment, with 41 residents who have died.
The new cases involve a girl as young as one with the virus, and a woman who is 95. New cases also include 5 and 6 year boys.
There are seven new cases connected with local schools. And three people with the virus had been vaccinated.
This Thursday, the health department has a pediatric vaccination clinic. Register…by calling 665-8491.
If you’re going to the Adair county library, why not take a few canned goods to drop off in the barrel in the lobby. The Library is collecting food through December, with everything that’s dropped off, given to the local Salvation Army.
Items must be unopened and not expired.
Pandemic payola….paying people to take the vaccine hasn’t worked too well. An investigation by the The Missouri Independent shows that few health depts in the state have taken advantage of the state’s gift card program…to give cards to people who roll-up their sleeves. Adair county has been involved in the program to reward vaccinations with a car…but as of mid november only 15 cards were handed out. Several states that offered big money for taking the shot…didn’t move the needle very much. North Carolina, for example, had four drawings for a million dollars in their vax lottery and the program did not prompt many people to get the shots