KIRX News

There are several upcoming opportunities to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

The Sullivan County Health Department will be hosting a walk-in vaccination clinic tomorrow, for the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The clinic will take place from 3 p. m. to 5:30 p. m. at North Central Missouri Electric CO-OP in Milan.

The Adair County Health Department will be administering the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at the Farmer’s Market on the Courthouse Square in downtown Kirksville from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., Saturday, June 19th. No registration is required, and vaccine consent forms will be available for completion at the event. If Saturday is your first dose of the vaccine, you will need to receive a second dose of the Moderna vaccine on or after July 19th. If you received your first dose of the Moderna vaccine on or before May 22nd, you can receive your second dose.

A limited number of doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine will be administered at the Adair County Health Department, on Tuesday, June 22nd. Those age 18 and older interested in getting the vaccine should call the Health Department at 660-665-8491 to register.

U.S. Senator Roy Blunt joined other colleagues to introduce the Hunger-Free Summer for Kids Act. The bill would add flexibility to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program, which offers children free lunch and snacks in the summer. Blunt said the federal government’s one-size-fits-all approach leaves too many Missouri kids going hungry during the summer months because they’re unable to access existing programs, through no fault of their own

A Laclede man was seriously injured in an accident in Chariton County Friday morning. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 64-year-old Franklin Pope, lost control on a curve as he was traveling on Missouri Route 5 just six miles north of Keytesville. Pope’s vehicle traveled off the right side of the roadway and overturned. He was transported by Air Evac to University Hospital in Columbia for treatment.

Governor Mike Parson signed the Second Amendment Preservation Act into law Saturday afternoon. The Governor’s office said the new law prohibits state and local cooperation with federal officials that attempt to enforce any laws, rules, orders, or actions that violate the Second Amendment rights of Missourians. It also allows for a $50,000 lawsuit against any officer or agency who knowingly acts under any federal or state law to deprive a Missouri citizen of their Second Amendment rights. Opponents of the new law believe the courts will strike it down soon.

Adair County has administered more than 16,273 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, as of June 12, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services. In Adair County, 31.5%, of residents are fully vaccinated. While 34.5% of residents have initiated vaccination. Statewide, 53.3% of the population has completed vaccination while 42.9% of the state’s population has initiated vaccination.

MoDOT crews will be doing a culvert replacement on a portion of Missouri Route 129 in Chariton County. The road will be closed from Menneffee Road to Coyote Avenue while the work is completed between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.tomorrow. Motorists will need to find alternate routes during this time. MoDOT reminds drivers to pay attention to all work zone signs and personnel, and to always put your cell phone down to help eliminate distractions. For more information on this and other roadwork online at modot.org/northeast, or call the customer service number at 1-888 ASK MoDOT.

The woman who faces first-degree murder charges following a crash that killed four – including three children from Kirksville – made a court appearance this week. On August 14, 2020, Natasha McBride, who was driving at a high rate of speed, failed to stop at a stoplight in downtown Quincy, Illinois. She struck a vehicle driven 61-year-old Stephen Hendricks. His 54-year-old wife, Jennifer, and their grandsons 4-year-old Archer Corrick, 6-year-old Dakota Corrick, and 21-month-old Ransom Corrick all died from injuries in the crash. Prosecutors claim McBride’s “intentional acts” resulted in the fatalities. During a court appearance Wednesday morning, McBride’s attorney said the defense had obtained an expert witness and asked the judge for more time to work out the logistics. The judge continued the hearing until July 7th.

More funding is coming to the East Locust Creek Reservoir project in Sullivan County. Governor Mike Parson signed SCR 7 into law that expresses support for up to $24 million in state funds to support the 2,300 acre project, sponsored by the North Central Missouri Regional Water Commission. Parson signed the bill yesterday afternoon at the Milan Community Center. The Governor said SCR 7 takes a critical step toward ensuring Missourians in the North Central region will always have a clean, quality, and sustainable source of water.

Missouri’s sweeping abortion law, passed in 2019, has been blocked. A federal appeals court panel ruled yesterday the bill’s provisions are unconstitutional. The law bans the procedures at or after eight weeks of pregnancy, without exception for rape or incest. The measure also prohibits a woman from having an abortion because the fetus has Down syndrome. A lawsuit over the bill was filed by Reproductive Health Services, and the ACLU. A federal judge had blocked the law due to the legal challenge and the state appealed to the 8th Circuit, prompting the federal appeals court to issue a ruling.

An Adair County bridge is available for reuse. The Mussel Fork Bridge, located approximately 16 miles southwest of U.S. Route 63, is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Local governments, historical societies or other interested groups may have the opportunity to obtain the bridge for adaptive reuse purposes. Karen Daniels, senior historic preservation specialist at the Missouri Department of Transportation, said the bridge was built in 1933. The bridge is 197 feet long with a 100 foot pony truss with alternating verticals with steel girder approach spans. MoDOT’s Historic Preservation Section is accepting proposals for the relocation and reuse of the bridge or its components until Dec. 31st. More information about the bridge, and proposal guidance, can be found online at: modot.org/freebridges/.