KIRX News

The Rotary Shoes for Orphan Souls Caravan arrives in Kirksville today. Dana Delaware, local chair states, “The Shoes for Orphan Soul Committee of the
Kirksville Rotary Club has had an outstanding Campaign. With donations from local organizations and members, the Kirksville Rotary Club will be presenting a check for nearly $4,000. Larry Lunsford of Rotary District 6040 leads the Shoes for Orphan Souls campaign. He said on this 20th anniversary, children everywhere, including Honduras, need help now more than ever. The shoes will be delivered to Buckner International in Texas to then be distributed to children in Honduras and other parts of Central America. The check presentation will happen at 11:30AM at Colton’s Steak House.

A school bus was involved in an accident yesterday afternoon. According to a post from the Kirksville R-III School District Bus R2 was involved in the accident near the corner of North Bradford and East Illinois. At the time of the accident, no students were being transported on the bus and no injuries were reported. Details about the accident were not provided.

You’ll likely be paying more at the pump as state lawmakers passed a bill to raise Missouri’s gas tax for the first time in more than two decades. The measure would add 2.5 cents to the current 17-cent-per-gallon tax beginning this fall. It would rise over the next five years to a 12.5-cent-per-gallon hike. The bill would raise up to $514 million annually by 2027 to pay for road and bridge repairs. If signed by Governor Mike Parson, the tax would go into effect starting October 1.

A boil advisory remains in effect for some residents in Kirksvllle. The 48-hour boil advisory is in effect until 3:30 pm on tomorrow. The affected area includes First Street between Dodson and Randolph Streets in Kirksville. If you have questions, contact the City of Kirksville Public Works Department at 660.627.1291

The City’s annual Founders Day Ceremony is Saturday, at 10:00 am in Forest-Llewellyn Cemetery. The public is invited to attend in the event “where the past meets the present.” As part of the ceremony, the City will be unveiling three new gravestones to replace those damaged by vandalism, or where none had previously existed. The new gravestones mark the final resting places of Don Carlos Hewitt, former Mayor William Gibbons, and Civil War veteran Wesley C. Fickel. Additionally, American Legion Post 20 MacDougall-Lowe will be participating in the event by raising the flag of the United States. The event is hosted by the Friends of Forest-Llewellyn Cemetery Committee.

Kirksville has a new Police Chief. After a nationwide search, City Manager Mari Macomber announced the selection of Scott WIilliamson, who currently serves as a Police Lieutenant with the Kauai Police Department, where he has worked since 2008.
Williamson is a seasoned law enforcement leader with well-rounded experience in all aspects of police administration and has years of experience in patrol, investigations, and community relations building. Macomber said she believes he will bring a mix of experience and skills with a natural sense of how to work with others, and a proven record of community outreach.

Williamson said his appointment is an opportunity to contribute to a wonderful community, and an outstanding Police Department.

Macomber noted that the City received applications from 16 individuals as part of its nationwide search. The top candidates were brought in for a series of activities, ranging from meetings with other emergency service leaders, a formal presentation to representatives from various community organizations, and a final interview.

Due to the logistics of relocating from Hawaii to the Midwest, Williamson will begin his duties with the City in July. In the meantime, he will begin working with Deputy Chief Justin Jones, and others within the Department and City, to transition into the office.

Missouri will end the state’s participation in Federal Unemployment Benefits that were put in place due to COVID-19. Governor Mike Parson said during a press conference yesterday that the benefits were meant to be temporary and suggested that the benefits are adding to a workforce shortage in Missouri. The Governor cited over 221,000 known job postings across the state.The federal supplement was providing claimants as much or more than $620 per week. $300 of that was federal money. Participation in all federal pandemic-related unemployment insurance programs will end on June 12.

COVID-19 variants have been confirmed in Adair County. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has notified the Adair County Health Department that five residents who tested positive for COVID-19 in March 2021 had two of the identified variants of the virus. Three individuals had the B.1.1.7 variant which was first identified in the United Kingdom and two had the B.1.427 variant, first identified in California. PCR tests are randomly sampled for variants by private labs, hospitals, and the State Public Health Lab in Missouri. Because the samples undergo multiple steps to confirm results, those results may not be confirmed until one to two months following the individual’s initial positive test result. In response to the news about the results, Jim LeBaron, Adair County Health Department administrator said vaccines provide the best shot at containing COVID-19 and the faster-spreading variants. LeBaron says more than 14,000 Adair County residents have initiated the vaccine regimen. Roughly half of them are now fully vaccinated.

This is National Police Week. The Congress and President of the United States have designated May 15 as Peace Officers’ Memorial Day, and the week in which May 15 falls as National Police Week. There are more than 800,000 law enforcement officers serving in communities across the United States, including the dedicated members of the Kirksville Police Department. During the May 3rd City Council Meeting, Kirksville Mayor Zac Burden signed a proclamation declaring May 9 through 15, National Police Week in the City of Kirksville. The proclamation states that members of the Kirksville Police Department play an essential role in safeguarding the rights and freedoms of all individuals who enter our community.

A traffic reminder: Today and tomorrow, crews will close Baltimore Street at the Jefferson Street intersection for cross culvert work that is part of the improvement project taking place on Baltimore Street. The road will close at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow, May 11, and reopen the evening of May 12. There will be no access to Baltimore from either direction on Jefferson.