News Staff

A former sheriff for Putnam County passed away following complications with a heart procedure. 71-year-old Danny Peto died at Saint Luke’s on the Plaza in Kansas City, on Friday, March 12th. Peto was born in Higbee, on July 13, 1949. He grew up in Mercer and Putnam Counties and graduated from Unionville High School in 1967. Peto was elected as Putnum County’s sheriff in 1981. At that time, he was the youngest county sheriff in Missouri. A Celebration of Life will be held at the First Baptist Church in Unionville at 11:00 am tomorrow, with visitation at Playle & Collins Family Funeral Home in Unionville from 6:00 – 8:00 pm this evening.

Missouri Department of Transportation issued multiple road closures yesterday due to flooding including Route N in Shelby County at the North Fork Salt River. In Macon County, Route HH was closed 4 miles south of Route J at Rock Creek. To find out about roads closed to flooding, MoDOT reminds all motorists to check on current road conditions in their areas and on their routes by consulting MoDOT’s Traveler Information Map at traveler.modot.org, or through MoDOT’s smartphone app, available for iPhone and Android mobile devices.

The COVID vaccine is available at Scotland County Hospital in Memphis. Tier 3 is open to Missouri residents and Scotland County Hospital has plenty of doses of Moderna this week. Moderna is a 2-dose vaccine. Call their Vaccine Hotline to schedule your vaccine shot for today at 660-342-6295.

An open meeting is being held this evening about the hazards of commercialized wind energy collection. An industrialized wind project in the western section of Knox County will include Route 6, Route 156, and County Roads A, F, and TT and most properties. The meeting starts at 5PM at the Knox County Community Center in Edina.

The Sullivan County Health Department has received 100 doses of teh Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and a clinic will be held on Friday, March 19th, at North Central Rural Electric Cooperative, in Milan. See the Sullivan County Health Department’s Facebook page for the three numbers to call for pre-registeration, which begins this morning at 9AM.

The Missouri National Guard Hall of Fame is currently seeking nominations for the inaugural class, which will be exhibited at the Adair County Historical Museum, 211 S. Elson St. in Kirksville. Chairman John J. Sastry says they look forward to an inclusive nomination process highlighted by both individual and group submissions. Additionally, Veteran’s organizations are encouraged to survey their membership, to identify worthy nominees. To make a nomination, visit www.monghof.org and click the “Nominations” tab for the process and procedures.

Additionally, on July 17, 2021, the Missouri National Guard Hall of Fame will be hosting a fundraiser at the Kirksville Loyal Order of Moose Lodge, located at 2405 E. Illinois St. The event will feature a family-friendly “Memories of Elvis” show by performer Steve Davis. Davis has previously headlined the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas for one year as well as the VP Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. Tickets will be $10 and limited to 300.

Adair County Historical Society President Blytha Ellis says Kirksville is very fortunate to be selected for the site of the Missouri National Guard Hall of Fame. The Board of Directors of the Adair County Historical Society is supporting the project and will be hosting an initial display for this Hall of Fame at our museum in Kirksville until a permanent location in Kirksville can be secured.

On October 1st, the Missouri National Guard Hall of Fame’s Inaugural Class will be announced in Kirksville. More information on this event will be made available during the coming months.

Weather permitting, MoDOT crews will have Missouri Route 6 in Adair County down to one lane from Novinger to Rye Creek while core drilling operations are completed. Work will take place between 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. today and tomorrow. For more information on this and other projects in your area, you can visit us online at www.modot.mo.gov/northeast

Two new cases of COVID-19 confirmed by the Adair County Health Department on Saturday and four confirmed yesterday brings the total case count to 2,342. There are now 13 active cases, 2,309 people who have left isolation, and 20 known COVID-related deaths. Cases confirmed March 13 involve a 19-year-old female in the higher education sector and a 59-year-old female. Cases confirmed yesterday involve females ages 26, 32 and 55, and a 44-year-old male. One individual resides at an address with a previously confirmed case.

The Missouri Department of Transportation reported yesterday the northbound U.S. 24/61 on-ramp at the south interchange to Palmyra would be closed until further notice for emergency repairs. A MoDOT Area Engineer said it appears the bridge was hit recently, and it a girder is damaged. Bridge engineers will have to further inspect the situation to determine necessary repairs, which will require the ramp to remain closed. Drivers coming out of Palmyra to the south interchange wishing to go northbound onto U.S. 24/61, will need to first go south onto the highway then make a u-turn at the next crossover.

The old and new mosaic mural panels have been installed in the hallway of the Sue Ross Arts Center. While a few of the panels are original the others are new designs made from the original tiles created in 2013. New panels were also created with tiles made by the Green City R-1 art students year ago. You can view the murals when you stop in to see the traveling Smithsonian exhibit “Waterways” which is now showing.