News Staff

“He had his guardian angels with him.” That’s what a woman wrote on Facebook, after her father was hit by his tractor while working on a farm near Clarence. Jim Chin seriously hurt. His daughter says the tractor rolled over him, putting his hip out of joint. His pelvis is broken. He also has broken ribs. And, there is internal bleeding. The family is asking for prayer.

Controversy over the governor’s mansion. A member of the foundation that oversees the Missouri Governor’s Mansion says she quit because the governor’s wife is making too many decisions. Marion Smith first raised her concerns about Teresa Parson in October. She says the governor’s wife dictates staffing and tells the foundation how to spend money. This comes after a longtime director of the Friends of the mansion also quit. The governor’s office says he and his wife support the work of the foundation.

Deer versus SUV. A Kirksville woman hit a deer Tuesday evening on route H. 38 year old Jessica Marberry had moderate injuries. The patrol says the impact of the collision set-off the airbags. Marberry was taken to Northeast Regional Medical center.

The Adair County Health Department confirmed 13 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday and 44 new cases since last Friday.

The department also reported the 45th known COVID-related death. A 70-year-old unvaccinated man died Tuesday.

Cases continue to be reported in the K-12 schools and there were eight breakthrough infections — people who are vaxed but got the virus anyway.

A pediatric vaccine clinic set for Thursday at the health department and an adult vaccination clinic next Tuesday.

Medical marijuana booming in the statet. $200 million dollars worth of medical pot has been sold in Missouri in 14 months.

And, more than 158-thousand patients are in the program. It can be used by people with cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma and a number of other conditions.

Missouri could have a law similar to the one in Texas that bans most abortions.

Republican state representative Mary Elizabeth Coleman has introduced legislation that would prohibit abortions once a heart-beat is detected. And, like the Texas law, it would allow private citizens to sue abortion clinics and doctors who violate the regulations.

The legislature goes into session next month, and right now, there are at least 17 bills that would restrict abortions that are already filed.

Good news for doing business with the DMV in Kirksville. The License Office will open here in a month or so. Doug Glaske and his wife Cheri selected by the state to run the office which closed back in November when the previous operator closed after years in business.

Kirksville city council wraps up business for the year at a meeting this evening. One big item on the agenda will be approval of the city budget for 2022. It’s a 41-million dollar spending plan.

Council will also recognize Cheryl McMann for her retirement after 14 and a half years with the city finance department.

The battle over wearing a mask in Missouri schools is heating up and the state treasurer is playing hard ball on the issue.

Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick says he will not help school districts refinance their bond debt if they force kids to wear masks. This move comes as state Attorney General Eric Schmitt has threatened to sue schools and local health departments that require masks. As of Friday, Schmitt’s office has sent 52 cease-and-desist letters to districts where parents have reported forced masking.

Add 20 more cases of Covid-19 to the current count in Adair county. 20 new cases reported Thursday. The youngest, a two year old boy. Eight of the newly reported cases are in the local schools. And four of the people diagnosed were vaccinated.

There is an adult-vaccination clinic next Tuesday at the health departmentt.

Meantime…a medical advisory group is recommending that you NOT get the Johnson & Johnson shot because of serious blood clots that have happened. They suggest that most Americans should get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, after nine deaths from the J&J shot.

The CDC will decide whether to go along with the recommendation