News Staff

All Missouri state offices are closed today. Governor Mike Parson signed an executive order earlier this month to allow state employees to have the day off. State offices will reopen on Monday.

Missouri troopers are out in full force for the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The stepped-up patrols are aimed at keeping roadways safe. Troopers are on the lookout for speeding motorists, seatbelt violations, and impaired drivers.

Last year there were 414 traffic crashes on Missouri roadways over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. This resulted in 115 injuries and eight deaths. There were also 113 DWI arrests and 35 drug arrests.

The City of Kirksville would like to make residents aware of some upcoming office closures in December.

City Hall will close at 11:30 am on Friday, December 1, 2023. City Hall will also be closed on December 7 and 8 for renovations.

Colonel Eric T. Olson, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, reminds everyone there will be an increase in traffic over the Thanksgiving holiday. Drivers should remain alert to changes along their normal route. Regardless of traffic patterns, safety should remain a priority. The counting period for the 2023 Thanksgiving holiday weekend is from 6 p.m. Wednesday, November 22, 2023, through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, November 26, 2023. Troopers will be participating in Operation C.A.R.E., enforcing all traffic laws, and available to assist the public. Over the 2022 Thanksgiving holiday counting period, nine people were killed and 482 injured in 1,355 traffic crashes. Drivers should make sure their vehicles are in good condition and that they are well rested before they start driving. Remember: There is never a reason to speed, drive aggressively, or drive impaired.

In October, the Kirksville Fire Department received licensure as an Advanced Emergency Medical Response Agency (EMRA) from the Missouri Bureau of Emergency Medical Services. KFD paramedics and advanced EMTs (AEMT) are now able to provide advanced, critical life-saving treatment prior to the arrival of, and in conjunction with, responding Adair County Ambulance District crews. KFD is one of only 39 fire departments in Missouri licensed to provide non-transport Advanced Life Support care. KFD has been providing medical first responder services to the citizens of and visitors to Kirksville since 1995, with all firefighters required to maintain Emergency Medical Technician-Basic licensure. Many Kirksville firefighters hold higher levels of EMS licensure, with five paramedics and one AEMT currently on staff.

Two people were hurt in a three-vehicle crash on Highway 6, three miles west of Taylor, yesterday afternoon. The MIssouri State Highway Patrol said 19-year-old Zoe McGrew was driving a Chevy Cruze and slowed to make a turn, and was hit by a Toyota Highlander. The Highlander traveled into the eastbound lane and hit a Kia Rio. McGrew suffered moderate injuries and was taken to Blessing Hospital. The driver of the Kia, 47-year-old Kai Peters was seriously hurt and was taken to Blessing Hospital.

Governor Mike Parson signed Executive Order 23-10, extending Missouri’s drought alert until May 1, 2024. Currently, the U.S. Drought Monitor indicates that all or portions of at least 85 Missouri counties are experiencing moderate, severe, or extreme drought conditions. The Executive Order declares a Drought Alert in these Missouri counties and any additional county that begins experiencing drought conditions. Governor Parson said. “While we’ve had periods of marginal improvement, farmers and ranchers are still feeling the impacts, many forced to sell livestock early and scrambling for alternative feed sources. Some of the most impacted areas are our waterways, slowing barge and river port activity during our busy harvest season. We’re extending this alert to continue providing every resource possible to help mitigate the impacts and in hopes that we get plenty of rain throughout the coming winter and spring.”

MoDot says the bridge rehabilitation project on Monroe County Route D, located 0.9 mile west of Route E near Santa Fe, has been completed and is now open to traffic on November 17.
Included in this contract are two additional bridge rehabilitation projects at the following locations scheduled to begin in Spring of 2024:
Route J, over Middle Fork Salt River, 0.5 miles east of Route OO, near Duncans Bridge.
Route Z, over Brush Creek, approximately two miles north of Route D, near Strother.

One person was hurt in a crash in Chariton County this weekend. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says 21-year-old Alixandra Jacobs of Triplett, Missouri, was driving a Chevy Impala on Route E, two miles east of Sumner, at 1:45 a.m. Saturday, when the vehicle went off the left side of the road, hit an embankment, and overturned. She was taken to University of Missouri Hospital with moderate injuries. She was wearing a seat belt.

The City of Kirksville would like to make residents aware of utility installation happening in the Right-of-Way over the next few weeks. ADB-US and their subcontractor are doing construction for Ameren along a path through Kirksville. That route goes from West Gardner Street to North Osteopathy Street, then to West Cottonwood Street, then to North Elson Street, then to West Illinois Street and over to Pfeiffer Avenue. The construction is expected to last between 30 and 40 days. There will be road congestion at times, so please seek alternative routes.