News Staff

Flags will be at half-staff at fire stations around MIssouri today. The governor ordered the move to honor 35 year old Dustin Brandhorst. He died answering a call in Fair Grove, when the fire struck he was driving overturned.

No boating or fishing or swimming on Forest Lake at Thousand Hills Park for three days next month.

The lake will be closed for another round of treatment to stop curly leaf pondweed. The dates are April 19th through the 21st.

Also during those days, the city will not draw drinking water from Forest Lake, instead taking water from Hazel Creek Lake.

Tracking what your kids are taught at school. A bill in the state House would require teachers to post their lesson plans online at least twice a year, so that anyone can see them.

State Teachers group is against it, saying it will stress teachers out by giving them more work. But supporters say it will let parents know what’s happening in classrooms — especially in such things a sex education and history lessons.

A new job for a local university leader.

Janet L. Gooch will leave Truman state to become the chancellor of the University of Illinois Springfield and vice president for the University of Illinois System. Gooch has been at Truman since 1995 — currently serving as the executive vice president for academic affairs and provost

MIssouri gas prices could drop about 19-cents a gallon — if the legislature passes a gas-tax holiday.

Two bills that would pause the tax for six months have been introduced. The idea, to ease some of the pain at the pump. Right now, AAA says Adair county is running about $3.66 a gallon. The statewide average for unleaded regular is $3.76.

Spring yard cleaning time. Kirksville is ready to prick up limbs and brush that you pull from your yard.

The pick-up is scheduled for April 4 through 8. In order to guarantee pick up, your brush must be placed curbside by 7:00 am, Monday, April 4, 2022. This includes limbs that are no longer than 10 feet in length, and / or no wider than 18 inches in diameter. For more information, contact the Public Works Department at 660.627.1291.

In Missouri politics, things are getting ugly as former governor Eric Greitens tries for a political comeback with a run for Senate.

He’s invovled in a custody battle with his ex-wife, and in court papers, she says Greitens was physically abusive and unstable. No immediate comment from Greitens. But other politicians are chiming in. U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, says Greitens should drop out of the race and said “If you hit a woman or a child, you belong in handcuffs, not the United States Senate.”

In Washington on Monday, President Biden’s pick for the U.S. Supreme Court, Kentanji Jackson, will be questioned by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Missouri’s Josh Hawley, a member of the Committee, took to Twitter to accuse Jackson of being too lenient on child sex offenders. The White House fired back saying that Hawley has no credibility when it comes to child sex crimes.

A Moberly woman has been indicted in a series of armed robberies. 28 year old Mary Sumpter is accused along with a man from Jefferson city. They’re charged with robbing a Moberly check cashing business, as well as a couple of banks, and other businesses in Marshall, Boonville, Pilot Grove and Hannibal.

The indictment says that the two pointed guns directly at employees, and used physical restraints on workers in two of the robberies.

Law enforcement agencies around the state are sending condolences to the Bonne Terre Police Department.
Two Bonne Terre officers were shot by a suspect. One died and the other is critical.

The shoot out happened at a Motel 6. Police say a man came out of a room and opened fire. The officers managed to return fire, killing the suspect.

The officer who died is identified as Patrolman Lane Burns, and Corporal Garrett Worley is in the hospital.