News Staff

A farmer’s body was recovered inside a grain bin in Macon County. Friday afternoon at 1:45, Macon County rescue crews were called to a residence southwest of Elmer on reports of a man being trapped in a grain bin. Holes were cut in the sides of the bin, and rescuers worked to remove grain using shovels and augers. The body of 62-year-old Jerry Fletcher was found sometime between 3:30 and 4 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Some financial relief could be on its way soon to Missouri homes and schools. A $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package was passed on Saturday in the U.S. Senate, sending it back to the House for approval. The legislation includes direct payments of up to $1,400 to most Americans, a $300 weekly boost to jobless benefits into September and an expansion of the child tax credit for one year. It also puts new funding into Covid-19 vaccine distribution and testing, as well as funding for rental assistance, and K-12 schools for reopening costs.

Adair County closed out the week with 2,321 cases since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed nearly one year ago. Two new cases were confirmed Thursday and none on Friday. The Adair County Health Department has exceeded 4,000 contact tracing calls during the past 12 months. There are currently 10 active cases,

A Missouri real estate agent has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Investigators in Camden County say a witness recorded 43-year-old Leigh Ann Bauman, a popular Lake of the Ozarks real estate agent, asking them to hire people from St Louis to make the kill look like an accident. Bauman reportedly offered them $15,000. Investigators say the motive stemmed from a custody battle between her ex-mother-in-law and ex-husband. Bauman’s in jail, without bond and faces 10 years in prison.

Hundreds of been vaccinated in Sullivan County following a couple of clinics this week.121 doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine were administered Wednesday at the North Central Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc., in Milan. That event was a first dose clinic. Yesterday, 200 residents got their second dose of the Moderna Covid-19 Vaccine. Including this week’s clinics, the Sullivan County Health Department has vaccinated 56 residents with their First & Second Dose of the Pfizer vaccine, 200 first and second doses of the Moderna vaccine, 200 residents with their first dose of Moderna vaccine and 121 with their first dose of Pfizer vaccine for a grand total of 577 COVID-19 vaccine doses.

Kirksville police are investigating a theft from a vehicle that was reported Wednesday morning
in the 900 block of North Franklin Street. Police obtained security footage from a nearby business which shows a suspect damaging the vehicle to gain access and stealing items before leaving the area on foot. The suspect was wearing dark clothing including a jacket which appears to have a white strip horizontally across the chest. See a photo posted at facebook.com/KirksvillePoliceDepartment. Anyone with information is asked to contact KPD.

Shelbina firefighters were dispatched to a grass fire yesterday afternoon along Highway 36 in Shelbina. Approximately 200 feet of grass burnt along the highway. The Missouri Department of Conservation is reporting moderate fire conditions for northeast Missouri. As the nice weather continues, they remind you to monitor wind conditions and relative humidity prior to burning. Also, when conducting a controlled burn, remember to call Central Dispatch at 660-665-5621 to advise them of the burn in the event of an emergency.

The YMCA will begin offering Grocery Care Packages every Friday – starting today – between 9 and 10 a.m. Each care package will contain a Breakfast, Lunch, Supper and Snack for 7 days for 1 child. It’s an effort to provide food to children in need over Spring Break. They will start with 40 care packages this week and adjust the amount offered based upon community need

The NTSB has released a preliminary report on the plane crash last month in Grundy County. According to the Associated Press, the National Transportation Safety Board’s report says the pilot of the single-engine plane ignored warnings about bad weather. The plane left St. Louis and was covered with ice when it landed in Moberly. The pilot was advised to stay put until the weather improved, but instead continued on. The wreckage was found in a wooded area near Galt the next day. Both the pilot, 82-year-old Philip Joseph LeFevre III and his 47-year-old son Philip Joseph LeFevre IV, died in the crash.

A new bridge in LaPlata opens today. According to a MoDOT release, this afternoon motorists will have the opportunity to drive across the new bridge that has been constructed on Macon County Route D in LaPlata, located just off U.S. Route 63 over the BNSF Railroad. Even though the bridge will be open to motorists, there will be times of intermittent closures so that crews can finish earthwork and seeding. A MoDOT engineer say the new bridge is much safer for the over 2000 vehicles a day that travel across it, as well as the pedestrians that use it. The new bridge is 28 feet wide, which is 6 feet wider than the previous one, and has additional safety features. This bridge is included in Governor Mike Parson’s $351 million Focus on Bridges program, which will repair or replace 250 bridges across the state. The cost for this project is nearly $2,000,000.