News Staff

The Adair County Health Department on Friday issued a list of precautions as COVID-19 cases continue to rise and the start of the 2021-2022 school year approaches. Based on the Health Department’s current surveillance and contact tracing, officials strongly recommend that all residents take the following steps: Use masks indoors including all schools, businesses, and public places. Get vaccinated if you are 12 years of age or older. Get a booster vaccination when they become available. Avoid gathering with other people whenever possible. Get tested for COVID-19 if you think you have been exposed to the virus. See the full list of recommendations posted on the Adair County Health Department’s Facebook page.

Kirksville R-III so far will have no mask madate for students in the classroom, but that’s not the case for buses. The school district announced Friday that all passengers and drivers will be required to wear facemasks while on the bus. This is due to a Federal Mandate that does include school buses and will be in effect until the mandate is dropped.

Governor Mike Parson requested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency approve a major disaster declaration for Missouri to provide federal assistance to a total of 21 counties in response to severe storms and flooding that began on June 19 and continued through July 1. Among those counties included is Chariton County in Northeast Missouri. Governor Parson said that due to extremely heavy rains and significant flash flooding in late June, Missouri experienced nearly $7.3 million in damage to roads and bridges alone. The joint preliminary damage assessments, conducted by the State Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, and local officials began on July 8, and estimated a total of $10 million in damage to public infrastructure and emergency response costs eligible for federal assistance.

The Kirksville R-III School District will continue with its plan to not mandate masks for students when they return to the classroom this month. During this week’s School Board meeting, Superintendent Robert Webb said he’ll let local health care experts make those kinds of decisions, while he keeps the school’s focus on the educational aspect and total well-being of the kids.

The Adair County Health Department this week encouraged community members to return to wearing a mask and maintain social distance when in a public indoor space. Jim LeBaron, Adair County Health Department administrator, said taking those measures, and getting vaccinated will stop the rapid spread of the Delta variant here.

The Kirksville Police Department announced the hiring of a new Police Officer, Jacob Hubbard, who began his duties on August 9th. Officer Jacob Hubbard is 2018 graduate of Truman State University and 2020 graduate of the Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Academy. He has prior law enforcement officer experience from past employment with the St. Louis Metro Police Department and medical experience from serving as an Emergency Medical Technician with Christian Hospital EMS.

For the second consecutive day, the Adair County Health Department confirmed 20 new cases of COVID-19, raising the overall count yesterday to 2,944. There are 129 active cases and 2,788 people who have left isolation. The Health Department also confirmed the July 29 hospitalization of a 75-year-old male whose case was reported Aug. 2. He is hospitalized at the VA Hospital in Columbia. A 71-year-old female reported Aug. 6 was admitted to Boone Hospital Aug. 5. Neither are on a ventilator. An 82-year-old male hospitalized at Northeast Regional Medical Center Aug. 7 was discharged Aug. 11. Of the new cases yesterday, ten reside at addresses with at least one other confirmed case. One is employed at an
area meat processing plant and one is a resident in a skilled nursing facility.

The treasurer of an area organization has been charged with fraud. Police say 39-year-old Misty Brewer, of Kirksville, who was employed by the Iowa-Missouri Truck and Tractor Pullers Association, used company debit cards to buy personal items. Brewer made more than 100 charges on two cards between June 1, 2018, and Jan. 1, 2021 for items like food, clothes, concert tickets, internet and cable service, and more. In total, Brewer charged over $4,000 to the cards.

The Adair County Health Department confirmed another 20 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday. The overall count has reached 2,924 with 125 active cases and
2,772 people who have left isolation. Jim LeBaron, Adair County Health Department administrator, says the rising case numbers keep the county in the COVID-19 high-risk category.

Stormwater improvements on Dear Street will begin next week. The contractor for the City of Kirksville, Boone Construction, will begin work on a stormwater improvement project to replace a box culvert on Dear Street on August 16th. The project will consist of constructing a single-cell concrete box culvert across Dear Street and relocating a section of water main. This will result in the temporary closure of Dear Street – near 1310 E. Dear St. – from approximately August 18 to September 24th.

Summer on the Square is moving off the square. Due to the renovations on the Adair County Court House, Kirksville Arts is moving the remaining three concerts of Summer on the Square to the Solstice Artery on the north side of the Sue Ross Arts Center, located at 215 S. Franklin. The City is allowing Kirksville Arts to use the green space between City Hall and the Sue Ross Arts Center for the performances. The remaining performers are: Lenny Spy, a rock group from Columbiawho perform tomorrow night, Kirksville Stringband a Celtic-Blues-Infused Folkrock group from Kirksville on August 20th and Truman Steel on August 27th.