News Staff To encourage Missourians to prepare for severe weather and learn how to protect themselves, the National Weather Service, SEMA and local emergency managers will observe Severe Weather Preparedness Week March 4 – 8.
Missouri’s annual statewide tornado drill will also be held on Wednesday, March 6 at 11 a.m. as part of the week’s preparedness activities.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been working to update its floodplain maps in our area. Preliminary maps have now been released and there is a 90-day public appeal period before the maps are finalized.
It is important to view the preliminary maps because if your property is in or near a flood zone, there may be impacts on your property. These flood hazard determinations are the basis for local floodplain management measures, as well as keeping the community qualified for the National Flood Insurance Program.
The appeal process opens on February 7 and will remain open for 90 days.
In April 2023, an EF-2 tornado swept through Bollinger County, Missouri, devastating a community and claiming the lives of five people. In July, two more people were killed in separate incidents after massive trees uprooted by a severe storm in the St. Louis area fell onto a house and a car. That same month, another individual was killed when a tree crushed a camper during a round of severe storms in southwest Missouri. These tragedies all serve as reminders of the importance of being prepared for severe weather anytime, anywhere, and that it’s not just tornadoes that can prove deadly. To encourage Missourians to prepare for severe weather and learn how to protect themselves, the National Weather Service, SEMA and local emergency managers will observe Severe Weather Preparedness Week March 4 – 8, 2024. Missouri’s annual statewide tornado drill will also be held on Wednesday, March 6 at 11 a.m. as part of the week’s preparedness activities. Some Missouri communities may choose to conduct the drill on a different day due to conflicting local events. At 11 a.m. on the day of the tornado drill, NOAA Weather Radios set to receive the Routine Weekly Tests (RWTs) will alert listeners that the tornado drill has begun. Outdoor warning sirens will also sound across participating Missouri communities. At that time, participants should practice taking cover in a designated shelter area or an interior room on the lowest level of a secure structure.
One person suffered moderate injuries after hitting a deer on Tuesday morning. The Highway Patrol says it happened on Route O, seven miles north of Macon. 57-year-old Gail Riley was driving a Yamaha Star, and hit a deer in the roadway, and Riley was ejected. He was taken to Univeristy of Missouri Hospital.
The City of Kirksville says business license renewals are coming due soon. Business license renewals are due back to the City on or before February 29, 2024. Return the completed renewal form, along with all required documents and fees, to the Finance Department at City Hall. If you have not received your renewal notice, please contact the Finance Department at 660.627.1251.
The Missouri Department of Transportation Northeast District Office will host a job fair to hire full-time maintenance workers, construction technicians and inspectors, highway designers, signal/lighting electricians, and mechanics/equipment technicians to start as soon as possible. The event will be from 10 am – 2 p.m., Saturday, March 9, at the MoDOT New Florence Maintenance Facility, 540 Tree Farm Road, New Florence, MO, 65803. MoDOT offers full training and benefits including medical insurance, paid annual and sick leave, educational assistance, paid holidays and more. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, have a high school diploma/GED and a valid driver’s license. Applicants also must successfully complete a criminal background check, drug screening, work simulation and physical – comfortable clothing and closed-toe shoes for the job fair are encouraged.
March 1 marks the annual opening of catch-and-keep trout fishing in Missouri at the state’s four trout parks: Bennett Spring State Park near Lebanon, Montauk State Park near Licking, Roaring River State Park near Cassville, and Maramec Spring Park near St. James. The catch-and-keep season at the trout parks runs through Oct. 31. The daily limit is four trout, and the possession limit is eight for all four parks. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) operates trout hatcheries at all four parks and will stock about 20,000 trout among the four parks for opening day. MDC will continue to stock the trout parks daily during the catch-and-keep season, totaling more than 800,000 trout annually at the four trout parks and about 1.5 million trout annually statewide.
Two people are recovering from injuries received in a single-vehicle crash that happened on Southbound I-35, three miles north of Bethany, on Thursday afternoon. The Highway Patrol says 66 year old Angelina Dull Knife of Ridgeway was driving a Ford F150, when the vehicle went off the west side of the road, down an embankment, and hit several small trees. She suffered serious injuries and was taken to Harrison County Community Hospital. A 12 year old male in the vehicle suffered minor injuries.
Governor Mike Parson announced that the State of Missouri will be providing up to 200 Missouri National Guard (MONG) members and 22 Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) troopers to support Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star mission at the Southern Border. MSHP troopers will begin active support by March 1, and MONG personnel will begin their mission on March 10. Advance and logistical planning for both deployments is currently underway in coordination with the State of Texas.
Missouri Professional Auctioneers Association is proud to announce that Scott Kuntz of Scotty’s Auction Service in Macon, has won the 2024 Missouri bid calling championship at the MPAA Winter Conference held at the Drury Plaza Hotel in Columbia, Missouri, on February 17, 2024. There were 14 contestants from 4 states entered in the competition. After a preliminary round, finalists answered 2 interview questions and then auctioneered two (2) assigned items. The interview was weighted at 40% and Finals Bid Calling weighted at 60% to determine the total final round contestant score. The Champion Bid Caller receives a belt buckle, a plaque, a cash prize and next year’s conference registration. They are then asked to return the following year and emcee the MPAA Bid Calling Contest and auctioneer for the Ringman competition.