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The north and southbound lanes of Interstate 29 through St. Joseph closed this morning and will reopen by 4 a.m. on Friday, July 19. Clarkson Construction Company, along with the Missouri Department of Transportation, will close the interstate to demolish the existing deck, install new beams and paint the girders of the Cook Road Bridge. During the 72-hour closure, traffic will be directed on the same signed detour onto I-229 that was used early this month. Southbound I-29 traffic must exit at I-29/I-229/U.S. Route 71 (EXIT 56B) and northbound I-29 traffic must exit at the I-229/I-29 (EXIT 43).

The City of Kirksville says On July 18, 2024, Stanton Contracting will begin work on Fairway Drive and Randall Drive. The construction includes replacing the intersections, starting with those on Meadow Lane, followed by the Deer Street intersections. Construction is expected to last 10 days, depending on the weather. The repairs will close the intersections, but access will be available for residents. No parking on the right-of-way or street will be allowed during construction. Please limit any unnecessary travel in the area.

An officer observing suspicious activity led to a large drug seizure last week. Just after midnight on July 5, 2024, Kirksville Police Officer Jake Vice made contact with a male and female subject near the intersection of East Harrison and North Mulanix. Ofc. Vice saw the two near a fence in an alley and then cutting through yards in an attempt to avoid him. When Ofc. Vice contacted the pair, the female initially refused to identify herself. Eventually, she identified herself as 31-year-old Jordan Sprague, of Kirksville. The officer learned Sprague was wanted on arrest warrants from Macon and Montgomery counties for traffic offenses and forgery. Sprague was arrested and transported to the Adair County Detention Facility. A subsequent search of the backpack Sprague was wearing revealed approximately 185 grams of methamphetamine, psilocybin mushrooms, prescription narcotics, digital scales, drug paraphernalia and cash. Sprague has been charged in Adair County Court with second-degree drug trafficking, and three counts of possession of a controlled substance.

The Kirksville Police Department is investigating an armed robbery that occurred on July 5, 2024. At approximately 10:27 pm, dispatch received a call of an armed robbery that occurred at 7th Heaven gas station at 1112 S. Baltimore St. Officers arrived and spoke with the clerk, who reported one male entered the store and demanded money while displaying a handgun. The male suspect was described as approximately 5-foot-5, average build, with dark brown eyes, wearing black shoes, blue jeans, a black and grey Adidas hoodie, a black face covering, and one yellow and one black and grey glove. The male suspect is believed to be white or Hispanic. The suspect stole an undisclosed amount of money from the register and fled the area on foot. At this time this incident is still under investigation. There were no reported injuries as a result of this incident. This is the second reported armed robbery in recent weeks with a similar incident reported at a Xpressmart at the intersection of Baltimore and Jefferson on June 28, 2024. Anyone with information about this incident, or any suspicious activity is encouraged to contact the Kirksville Police Department at 660.785.6945, Central Dispatch at 660.665.5621, Adair County Sheriff’s Office at 660.665.4600, anonymously at 660.627.BUST (2878), or email police@kirksvillecity.com.

The Adair County Emergency Communications Center will undergo an update to 911 telephone software at 10:00 am on Thursday, July 11, 2024. During this time, 911 calls will be routed to Sullivan County 911, the established backup center. If you have an emergency during this time, Sullivan County 911 will relay the emergency information to Adair County for dispatching as usual. Administrative phone lines will remain active. All other 911 systems will remain active. The 911 phone call reroute is expected to last no more than one hour.

After a great Fourth of July holiday weekend, the City of Kirksville is pleased to announce this year’s Red, White and Blue Festival was the biggest one yet. Across multiple events, there was incredible participation from Kirksville residents and visitors that led to a record-setting weekend.
Some important numbers to highlight:
Early estimates say there were about 4,000 people downtown throughout Saturday morning’s festivities.
The Joint Service Club Pancake breakfast served 615 people this year. It averaged 370 people in the last two years.
With 50 entries, this was the largest Red, White and Blue Parade.
The United Way Pie Contest/Auction raised its largest fundraising total.
The NEMO Car Club’s Classic Car Show had 88 participants, the most in five years.
The FLATS Uncle Sam 5k had 160 participants, up from 86 last year.

A 62 year old woman was seriously hurt in a single-vehicle crash that happened in Shelby County on Monday. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says Janet Baker of Clarence was driving a Buick Rendezvous on Highway 36 near Lentner, when the vehicle went off the right side of the road, overturned into a ditch, and became partially submerged in the water. She was taken to University Hospital in Columbia.

The indoor pool at the Kirksville Aquatic Center will be closed July 14 through July 21, 2024, for routine annual maintenance. This includes deep cleaning, paint touch-ups, and water replacement. During this time, lap swimming will be available at the outdoor pool, Monday through Friday, from 6:00 am to 9:30 am, and 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm. Water walking will be available in the outdoor current channel on those same days and times. The arthritis class will meet at its usual time, Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 9:00 am, in the outdoor pool. The Friends Aerobics class will move to 11:00 am to 12:00 pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Weather permitting, July 15, Missouri Route 79 is scheduled to close within the city limits of Clarksville, in Pike County, from Smith Street to Main Cross. The route is anticipated to be closed at this location through September 15 to allow for the construction of a new flood wall. Motorists will be directed over a signed detour utilizing U.S. Route 54 in Pike County to Lincoln County Route B. For more information on this and other traffic impacts in your area, you can visit us online at www.modot.mo.gov/northeast, or call our customer service number at 1-888 ASK MoDOT (275-6636).

The city of Kirksville says Hazel Creek Lake will be temporarily closed for all recreational activities on July 22 and 23 – weather permitting – to allow the City to treat the American Lotus plant. Boating, fishing, and all other activity on or in Hazel Creek Lake will be prohibited during this time, and the boat ramp will be closed. Hazel Creek Lake is one of the two water source lakes the City utilizes to provide water for all Adair County residents. If this process must be postponed due to weather, adequate notice will be provided to the public and all affected parties. The City will draw water from Forest Lake – the City’s other drinking source lake – during this treatment process.