KIRX News

The Kirksville Fire Department will conduct ice rescue training at 1:00 pm on January 22, 23, and 24, 2025, at the pond in North Park. Emergency vehicles will be staged on Emmett Street adjacent to the pond. Please use caution when driving in the area during the training exercise. This vital training helps ensure first responders are properly prepared to act in this kind of scenario.

A 60 year old woman from Keokuk, Iowa, was killed after being hit by a vehicle on January 17th. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says a 2009 Ford Escape driven by a 75-year-old man from Kahoka, Missouri, hit the woman, a pedestrian, on U.S. 136, a half-mile west of the Iowa state line. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene.

The City of Kirksville would like to recognize Teresa Attebery for 40 years of service with the City. Attebery started full-time with the Kirksville Fire Department on December 30, 1984, as the Fire Secretary. Now the Administrative Assistant of the Kirksville Fire Department, Attebery is the longest-tenured City employee. Attebery assists the public and enters data to track department services. She serves on various committees and has been treasurer of the Local Emergency Management Committee since 2004. Attebery is a wealth of institutional knowledge and maintains an ongoing history book of the department. She also oversees the Adopt-A-Child program each year, which helps provide a gift for more than 400 children in Adair County.

Looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day activity with your kids? The Kirksville Parks and Recreation Department is excited to announce its Build A Buddy program is back! Each kit contains everything you need to build your very own stuffed buddy: a 15-inch stuffable animal, stuffing, mini heart, birth certificate and step-by-step instructions. Each kit costs $15 and can be purchased in person at the Kirksville Aquatic Center while supplies last. Pick them up now before they’re all gone! For more information, please contact Luke Callaghan with the Parks and Recreation Department at 660.627.1485.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) invites landowners to a prescribed burn workshop Feb. 1, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Knox County Community Center in Edina. Prescribed burning can be a valuable tool for managing native plant diversity and controlling undesirable vegetation, but it can be dangerous and ineffective when not used properly. This workshop will provide basic information on how to plan and execute a prescribed burn for land management. Registration for this event is required and can be done at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/4HT. Upon registration, participants will be asked to complete the virtual/online portion of the prescribed burn course. This online course is a mandatory prerequisite to the workshop, and there is a $25 fee to complete the online training. Participants are asked to bring their certificate of completion to the workshop. To find the online learning portion, go to http://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZoU. Should weather allow, a demonstration burn will be conducted during the workshop. Participants are asked to wear a long-sleeved shirt and pants made of natural fibers, leather gloves, and closed toe, leather boots.

The 26th Annual National Project Linus “Make A Blanket Day” Sew-In event will be held on Saturday, February 15, 2025, at the Kirksville Moose Lodge. The mission of Project Linus is to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghan, loving created by volunteer “Blanketeers”. Blankets for children in need will be assembled at the Moose Lodge, located at 2405 E. Illinois St., in Kirksville, and we would like to invite the community to attend. No sewing experience is needed to join the fun! Anyone who can learn to tie a knot is invited to participate in the event between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm. “Volunteers may bring a completed blanket, or bring their own sewing machine and complete one of the precut kits available during the event.”, stated Conni Douvier, North Central Missouri Chapter Coordinator. “Community involvement is so vital to our success at this event.”. Donations of new cotton fabric, acrylic yarn, fleece and other blanket-making supplies will be accepted during the event. The North Central Missouri Chapter of Project Linus has delivered 20,000 blankets to area children in need.

After a comprehensive selection process, Mrs. Tricia Reger and the Kirksville R-III School Board are pleased to announce that Christopher Best has been selected as the next Assistant Superintendent. Mr. Best currently serves as the Principal of Kirksville High School. In the coming weeks, the district will begin the process of selecting a replacement for Mr. Best at the high school. Mr. Best will officially assume his new role on July 1, 2025.

Remember to register your pets with the Kirksville Police Department. It only takes a few minutes and is completely free. Pet registrations can be done Monday through Friday between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm at the station. Bring your pet’s current proof of rabies vaccination to receive tags. Registrations for restricted animals require proof of insurance. Tags are good for one calendar year and must be updated each year. Registering your pet is required by City ordinance. It also helps return lost pets to their owners. If a lost pet is recovered by Animal Control, being registered helps get it back to its owner promptly.

If you own or manage a Kirksville business, it’s time to complete your business license renewal for 2025. Business license renewals were mailed the first week of January on pink paper to valid business license holders. Business license renewals are due back to the City on or before February 28, 2025. 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. If not renewed by February 28, your business license is delinquent and subject to a $100 late fee. The failure of any contractor to renew a contractor’s license by March 1 requires the contractor to pay a recertification fee of $100. The failure of any contractor to renew a contractor’s license by March 31 requires any contractor who does not meet the waiver requirements to retest, regardless of previous waivers issued, and start the application process for a new business license. To receive a contractor, electrician, or plumber’s license, the contractor has to pass their respective test, unless they qualify for an exemption to the testing which might be in effect at that time. Additionally, the City wants to remind businesses of the Student Discount program. More than 20 local businesses are offering discounts or specials to students attending A.T. Still University, Moberly Area Community College’s Kirksville campus and Truman State University. If this is something your business is interested in, visit kirksville.gov/p/student-discount for information on how to participate.

Another session of swim lessons is right around the corner at the Kirksville Aquatic Center. Spring swim classes begin later this month and will be held once a week over six weeks. Registration is $33 for passholders and $66 for non-passholders. Scholarships are available to provide financial assistance to qualifying participants and applications can be picked up at the Kirksville Aquatic Center. Register now at kirksville.gov/p/parks-recreation!