KIRX News

The Missouri State Highway Patrol and Missouri Department of Revenue wish to inform the public there has been a change to the commercial driver license testing procedure. Commercial driver license (CDL) applicants need to be aware Missouri is adopting a modernized testing standard effective December 4, 2023. CDL examiners at all Patrol examination sites and all third-party examination sites will utilize the new testing procedure. The changes in testing procedure include a more streamlined pre-trip examination and more efficient basic skills course. Those wishing to prepare for a CDL skills test administered December 4 or later should utilize the following CDL manual to learn applicable procedures: New Missouri CDL Manual. The current testing procedures will remain in effect statewide until December 1.

MoDot reminds, Fall has arrived, and that means more wild animals, especially deer, are on the move as cooler temperatures begin to settle in and nights become longer. The Missouri Department of Transportation reminds motorists to be prepared for the sudden appearance of wild animals on Missouri roadways throughout the fall months. In 2022, Missouri drivers experienced 3,699 crashes involving a deer. One deer strike occurred approximately every 2 hours and 20 minutes in the state. In these crashes, there were 5 fatalities and 424 people were injured. According to State Farm Insurance, the Show-Me State now ranks 10th in the country for potential animal collisions – up from 14th last year – with a 1 in 80 chance of hitting an animal while driving. MoDOT maintains nearly 34,000 miles of highways, putting Missouri 7th nationally in state highway miles.

MoDot says the US Route 136 bridge over the North Fork MIddle Fabius River in Schuyler County is set to open in mid-December, weather permitting. That’s a month later than originally planned, and the delay was caused by unforseen soil conditions, along with delays in the availability of materials. The road closed in early August for the bridge replacement project.

MoDot says Weather permitting, a resurfacing project located on Route Y in Pike County, from Business Route 61 in Bowling Green to the end of state maintenance, is expected to begin on October 17 and is anticipated to be complete by December 1.
The $4.7M contract includes several additional resurfacing projects which are scheduled to begin in spring of 2024,with all projects completed by November 1, 2024:
Audrain/Montgomery County, Route AA – From Route BB to Missouri Route 19 in Wellsville.
Audrain/Montgomery County, Route BB – From U.S. Route 54 to Missouri Route 161.
Montgomery County, Route A – From Missouri Route 19 to Missouri Route 161.

MoDot says The Livingston County Route C bridge over the Shoal Creek Drainage Ditch, northwest of Dawn, is open following a bridge replacement project. L.G. Barcus and Sons, Inc., working with the Missouri Department of Transportation, began the project to replace the 89-year-old historic pony truss bridge in March 2023. The roadway was reopened to all traffic yesterday, Oct. 10.

A 57-year-old man from St. Charles, Missouri, was seriously injured after his vehicle hit a deer yesterday. The Missouri State HIghway Patrol says Michael James was driving a Harley Davidson motorcycle on Lace Avenue, three miles east of Excello in Macon County, when his motorcycle hit a deer in the road, and James was ejected from the Harley. He was transported by air to University Hospital in Columbia.

For the fifth year in a row, Truman State University has received a Tree Resource Improvement and Maintenance (TRIM) grant from the Missouri Department of Conservation. TRIM grants offer cost-share funding for government agencies, schools and nonprofit groups to manage, improve or conserve trees on public lands. The 2023-24 grant is specifically for the removal of unhealthy and invasive trees on campus for pedestrian safety, and the amount total is more than $27,000. In October, Truman is scheduled to receive free trees from Forest ReLeaf of Missouri. The local Conservation Department has organized a community effort in northeast Missouri to have a truck load of trees brought to Kirksville through Project Communitree, some of which will be planted on campus.

A 55-year-old man from Kahoka was seriously injured in a crash that happened on U.S. 136 near Kahoka last night. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says Kevin Todd was in a 2013 KymCo Super 8, when it ran off the side of the road and overturned. He was airlifted to Blessing Hospital.

The City of Novinger says the Chariton River Bridge is now open. It had been shut down on September 11th and was expected to reopen by October 9th.

The City of Kirksville’s new online utility billing site is now live. You can view it by heading to www.municipalonlinepayments.com/kirksvillemo, or by the usual methods on KirksvilleCity.com. Once on that page, click on Utility Billing. Then click Sign In Or Sign Up. That is where you will create your account for the site. Once completed and logged in, click Add Account to connect your service address to your account. For the account number, you will enter the number that is listed on your September bill, which will be in your mailbox soon. Your bill will have a QR code that, if scanned, will take you directly to the Account Setup page. Enter Kirksville in the second box on that page. Now that your account has been created, you can see your current bill and make a payment. You can also enroll in auto-pay or schedule a payment.