News Staff

A man and woman were injured in a two-car crash yesterday afternoon in Chariton County. The Highway Patrol reports 22-year-old Trey Duff was trying to cross Highway 24 when he pulled into the path of a vehicle driven by 60-year-old Nancy Lee. Duff and a passenger, 19-year-old Mackenzie Davis, were taken to University Hospital for treatment of moderate injuries.

The new Kirksville Aquatic Center’s grand opening celebration date has been announced. The original plan was to open the facility on Memorial Day. But the city said due to delays by the project contractor in obtaining necessary construction materials, the celebration for the outdoor water park was rescheduled for June 19th. But that date fell through too, in part because of all the rain, which made it hard to pour concrete. But the Grand Opening is now set for Saturday, June 26, at 12:00 pm. // Visit www.kirksvillecity.com/KAC for rmore details.

The Sullivan County Health Department is offering Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccines this week. Vaccines will be available at the health department in Milan at various times today through Friday. Make an appointment by calling 660-265-4141.

Missouri is experiencing a rise in COVID 19 cases tied to the highly contagious Delta variant, first detected in India. It was announced by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention this week that the Delta variant has been reclassified as a “variant of concern” in the United States. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has been closely monitoring these developments The department says vaccination is the best tool for protection from infection.

The Adair County Health Department confirmed six new cases of COVID-19 yesterday. The overall case count has risen to 2,496 with 11 active cases and 2,465 people who have left isolation. Five of the cases are related to attendance at a church camp. One case is a fully vaccinated individual experiencing mild symptoms of COVID-19. The Health Department advises that as with the ‘flu vaccine, COVID-19 vaccines do not guarantee you will not get the virus. The antibodies spurred by the vaccine, however, reduce the severity of symptoms experienced by infected individuals.

Governor Mike Parson and Attorney General Eric Schmitt are standing by the state’s new law that would ban police from enforcing federal gun rules. This week, the U.S. Justice Department said in a letter to the Governor, that Missouri cannot reject or disregard federal gun laws. Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton said under our federal system, a state cannot nullify federal law. Parson signed the state’s Second Amendment Preservation Act into law last Saturday.

Troop B will conduct a Hazardous Moving Operation today from 8am to 4pm, in Adair, Clark, Knox, Lewis, and Scotland Counties. Special emphasis will be placed on those violations that contribute to traffic crashes such as speed, following to closely, improper lane changes, distracted driving.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol and Daviess County Sheriffs Office are needing the public’s help in identifying a subject impersonating a Law Enforcement Officer. According to a press release, at approximately 10 a.m. on June 15th, a white male wearing a law enforcement-style uniform driving a vehicle described as a black Dodge Charger with police markings with emergency lights inside the vehicle stopped a citizen on Missouri Highway 6 near Gallatin, in Daviess County. The individual represented himself as a law enforcement officer and issued the citizen citations from New York state. There was an unknown make, white cargo-style van driving in front of the citizen’s vehicle that may have been working in conjunction with the individual posing as a law enforcement officer. If anyone has information relevant to this investigation, they should contact the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office at (660) 663-2031.

Voters living in Macon’s Ward 3 headed to the ballot box on Tuesday to break a tie from April’s election regarding the Ward 3 Council Race between Chris Walk and Jeff Skjeveland, both who had received 23 votes. This time around, Chris Walk received 60% of the vote after the unofficial results were released by the Macon County Clerk’s Office. Prior to running for the seat, Walk was appointed by Macon’s Mayor and confirmed by the City Council to complete the term of councilman, Jeff Brown who moved to Shelby County. After his win in the special election, Walk will remain on council for the next two years.

Linn County added 41 new cases of COVID-19 in the last week. The health department’s weekly update shows there are 93 active cases, which is down 17. So far, 34.6% of the population has initiated vaccination and 29.7% are fully vaccinated.