News Staff

The Red Barn Arts and Crafts Festival is this Saturday! Don’t miss out on celebrating 50 years of one of the premier arts and crafts festivals around. It runs from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm right in downtown Kirksville.

On the evening of Friday, September 20, 2024, the Kirksville Police Department received a citizen tip containing a video recording of a threat against Kirksville schools. This video was on social media and is separate from posts found on Thursday, September 19, 2024. Detectives investigated the video and determined the creator’s identity to be a local juvenile. At about 1:10 pm on Saturday, September 21, 2024, the juvenile was taken into custody and delivered to the Bruce Normile Juvenile Justice Center. Detectives obtained a search warrant for the juvenile’s residence and are continuing to investigate all remaining leads for this case. They also continue to investigate the posts from September 19. The Kirksville Police Department is dedicated to the safety of our children and takes any threat against the schools seriously.

Don’t forget to get this on your calendar. The 50th Annual Red Barn Arts & Crafts Festival, Saturday, September 28 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm in #DowntownKirksville. There will be a number of new exhibitors participating this year so make sure you come out and enjoy the day.

The Missouri Job Center in Kirksville will be hosting an Open House on Wednesday, September 25th, from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The Open House is aimed at reminding the public about the variety of services and resources available at the Job Center. The event is organized by the Workforce Development Board of North Missouri, Missouri Office of Workforce Development and Gamm Inc. The Missouri Job Center plays a vital role in supporting job seekers and local employers, offering services such as job search assistance, resume building, career counseling, skills training, and more. The Open House provides an opportunity for the community to engage with staff and learn more about these resources.

The City of Kirksville says household hazardous waste (HHW) drop-off for City residents will be Saturday, September 21, 2024, between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm at the Public Works Complex, located at 2001 N. Osteopathy St. Citizens must call Public Works to schedule an appointment. Citizens will not be allowed to drop off waste without an appointment. Appointments are limited and no additional appointments will be made once the schedule is full. HHW applies to any leftover household products that contain corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive ingredients. Commercial hazardous waste is not accepted. Latex paint is not accepted. You can dispose of latex paint in your trash as long as it is in a dry, solid, hardened state. You may use kitty litter or sand to harden it, or simply leave the lid off so it can dry out. A maximum of 10 total gallons of paint will be accepted from each citizen who has a scheduled appointment.

The next bridge replacement project included in the Northwest Bridge Bundle project is scheduled at the end of this month. The Putnam County Missouri Route 129 bridge over North Blackbird Creek, located north of Unionville, will close beginning Monday, Sept. 30. The project to replace the bridge is expected to continue through February 2025. During construction, motorists should seek an alternate route around the closure. The North Blackbird Creek Bridge was built in 1947 and has a traffic volume of approximately 417 vehicles per day.

MoDot says a project to resurface Sullivan County Missouri Route 6 is scheduled to begin Monday, Sept. 23. Magruder Paving, LLC, working with the Missouri Department of Transportation, will resurface Route 6 from Missouri Route 129 in Green City to the western city limits of Green Castle. During construction, the roadway will be narrowed to one lane with flaggers directing motorists through the work zone. A 12-foot width restriction will be in place. The project is expected to be complete by Oct. 1, 2024.

A 52 year old man from Palmyra died after having a medical incident while driving a Harley Davidson motorcycle. The highway patrol says Scott Miller was in Palmyra on the evening of September 10th, when he suffered the medical incident, lost control, hit a curb, overturned, and was ejected. He was not wearing a helmet.

Governor Mike Parson and Missouri State Fair Director Jason Moore announced today that 345,643 visitors attended the annual State Fair in Sedalia, which was held August 8-18, 2024. The Missouri State Fair is the state’s largest agriculture showcase, bringing people together each summer from across the state. In a survey of State Fair attendees, the family-friendly agriculture exhibits and shows, fair food, and the tradition of the Missouri State Fair ranked high on the list of why fairgoers came to the Fair in 2024. The mild temperatures experienced during the early days of the Fair were a bonus, with more than 50,000 individuals in attendance on the first Saturday.

The Kirksville Police Department would like to inform residents of an arrest following a vehicle pursuit and share information on how a new law increases the consequences of fleeing a traffic stop.
At approximately 1:55 am, on Saturday, August 31, 2024, a KPD officer attempted to stop a vehicle near Missouri Highway P and US 63. This vehicle failed to stop and fled from the officer. Based on the officer’s observations, the driver appeared intoxicated. Other vehicles and agencies joined the pursuit. During this short pursuit, the suspect almost struck law enforcement vehicles and was driving erratically. The driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed near Cherry Lane and North Lincoln Street. The driver was identified as 20-year-old, Taylor J. Baker, of Kirksville. Baker has been charged in Adair County Court with driving while intoxicated, two counts of first-degree assault on law enforcement, property damage, and aggravated fleeing a stop or detention. The aggravated fleeing charge is now classified as a class D felony, which carries a minimum of one year in prison without probation or parole. On August 28, 2024, Valentine’s Law took effect, making it a felony to flee from law enforcement and create a risk of injury. This law was named for St. Louis County Detective Antonio Valentine, who was killed in 2021 while chasing a fleeing suspect.