Kirksville Archives - Missourinet

Freezing drizzle continues near I-44 corridor; wind chill advisory takes effect at midnight across northern Missouri

February 8, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

Up to one-tenth of an inch of ice is possible across the Southern Missouri Ozarks through Monday night. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Springfield’s winter weather advisory remains in effect for the entire Ozarks region.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Springfield warns up to one-tenth of an inch of ice is possible across the Ozarks through Monday night (February 8, 2021 graphic courtesy of NWS Springfield Twitter)

Freezing drizzle continues to impact much of the I-44 corridor, including Joplin, Springfield, Marshfield and Lebanon.

Meantime, much of northwest and far northern Missouri will be under a wind chill advisory through Tuesday morning. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Pleasant Hill has issued the advisory, which takes effect at midnight and includes St. Joseph, Chillicothe, Bethany and Kirksville. Wind chills will make it feel like 15 below zero. The wind child advisory expires Tuesday morning at 9.

Crews from the state Department of Transportation (MoDOT) have been working around the clock statewide, to clear roads of snow and ice. Those efforts are being impacted by the bitterly cold temperatures.

In Jefferson City, roads quickly deteriorated on Monday evening. Snow and frozen precipitation has been falling, and there’s also been some black ice. Missouri Boulevard, which is the Capital City’s busiest road, is snow-covered.

The Jefferson City Public Schools (JCPS) announced Monday evening there is no school on Tuesday due to the inclement weather and potentially unsafe travel conditions.

The winter weather has also impacted the ability of some Missouri lawmakers to travel to Jefferson City for session. House Education Committee Chairwoman Rep. Brenda Shields, R-St. Joseph, couldn’t make it to Jefferson City from St. Joseph, where snow and freezing rain had been falling. Committee vice chairman John Black, R-Marshfield, ran Monday’s hearing about tuition-related legislation from State Rep. Doug Richey, R-Excelsior Springs.

Across the Capitol building in the Missouri Senate, President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, tells Missourinet that several state senators were delayed in getting to Jefferson City, due to the winter weather. They were all able to get in, by late afternoon.

Snow and plummeting temperatures coming to much of Missouri Saturday

February 5, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

The National Weather Service (NWS) is discouraging travel Saturday for some residents across northern and mid-Missouri. The NWS says the heaviest snowfall will be in northwest Missouri, where towns like St. Joseph and Bethany are expected to see four to five inches of snow.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Pleasant Hill expects snow to begin falling in northwest Missouri on Saturday morning between 7 and 9 (February 5, 2021 graphic courtesy of NWS Pleasant Hill Twitter page)

The heaviest snow will include I-29 near the Missouri-Iowa border.

Northern Missouri’s Chillicothe, Marshall and Kirksville will see two to four inches, and the snow total projections have increased for central Missouri. Columbia and Jefferson City are now expected to receive two to three inches of snow, with the snow starting to fall there at about 11 am Saturday. Light snow is expected to start falling in the St. Louis area at about 2 on Saturday afternoon.

NWS Pleasant Hill meteorologist Brett Williams says visibility will be reduced in parts of northern and mid-Missouri.

Residents should consider filling up their vehicle’s gas tank tonight if possible, ahead of the winter weather.

Missourians will also need to bundle up and wear extra layers of clothing. The NWS in Kansas City says temperatures in the Kansas City metro will fall below freezing tonight and will likely stay below freezing for the next ten days.

Five tornado warnings issued Saturday across southwest Missouri; no deaths or damage reported

January 31, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

Saturday’s severe storms across the Ozarks prompted the National Weather Service (NWS) in Springfield to issue five tornado warnings.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Springfield issued five tornado warnings for southwest Missouri on Saturday (January 30, 2021 graphic courtesy of NWS Springfield Twitter)

January tornado warnings are rare in Missouri. NWS Springfield officials tell Missourinet there were no deaths nor serious injuries, and there’s no reports of damage at this time.

Southwest Missouri’s Joplin, Neosho, Monett, Pierce City, Goodman and Cassville were some of the communities under tornado warnings.

While there wasn’t severe weather in other parts of Missouri, Kansas City and several other cities received almost a month’s worth of rainfall on Saturday.

The NWS in Pleasant Hill says Kansas City’s normal monthly precipitation amount for January is 1.07 inches. .85 fell in Kansas City on Saturday, while one inch of rain was reported in Lee’s Summit.

Northwest Missouri’s St. Joseph saw .92, while more than an inch of rain fell in northeast Missouri’s Kirksville.

NWS Pleasant Hill meteorologist Jared Leighton says more than one inch of rain fell in both Columbia and Jefferson City. There was heavy rain all day Saturday in both mid-Missouri communities.

Rural northern Missouri county leads state in wind generation capacity, as Ameren closes on major project

January 15, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

Ameren Missouri has announced that they’ve closed on the acquisition of its second wind energy center, a 300-megawatt (MW) project in northwest Missouri’s Atchison County.

Ameren Missouri has
closed on the acquisition of its second wind energy center, a project in northwest Missouri’s Atchison County (photo courtesy of Ameren Missouri)

St. Louis-based Ameren made the announcement on Thursday, saying that renewable energy from the facility is reaching customers, as construction continues on some other project turbines.

About 100 MW are already in service, and Ameren Missouri expects an additional 50 to 75 MW by the end of March with more becoming operational this year.

Ameren says the new Atchison Renewable Energy Center and the separate High Prairie Renewable Energy Center in northeast Missouri will add 700 MW of in-state wind generation to the grid. The company says total investment in the two projects is about $1.1 billion.

The High Prairie facility is near Kirksville.

“Ameren Missouri is taking major steps forward in our transformation to clean energy, with the addition of these two large facilities. We’re planning for the long term with deep carbon reductions to achieve our goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050,” Ameren Missouri President Marty Lyons says, in a written statement.

He says Ameren will invest about $4.5 billion in 3,100 MW of renewable generation by 2030, including Atchison and High Prairie.

Ameren says part of the Atchison Renewable Energy wind project is being built by Invenergy.

Atchison County is in far northwest Missouri, near the Nebraska border. It’s a rural county, with some of the most productive farmland in the state. This is the fourth utility-scale wind energy facility in Atchison County, which will soon have a combined wind generation capacity of 800 MW, more than any of Missouri’s 114 counties.

There are several other wind farms in northwest Missouri.

Ameren also emphasizes it believes in supporting communities where it operates. They’re donating to the re-opened Tarkio Technology Institute, to support its wind energy technician training program.

The former Tarkio College closed in 1992, after more than 100 years as a four-year liberal arts school. It reopened in January 2020 and is focusing on three fields: wind energy, plumbing and welding.

Ameren Missouri has 1.2 million electric and 132,000 natural gas customers in Missouri. The utility serves the St. Louis region, southeast, northeast and mid-Missouri. It also serves part of northwest Missouri.

NWS: Jan. 15 blizzard warning starts at midnight for far northwest Missouri (AUDIO)

January 14, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a blizzard warning for far northwest Missouri, saying that accumulating blowing snow and strong winds will make travel extremely hazardous.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Pleasant Hill has issued a blizzard warning for far northwest Missouri. It will take effect at midnight on January 15, 2021 (graphic courtesy of NWS Pleasant Hill Twitter)

NWS Pleasant Hill meteorologist Brad Temeyer says the blizzard warning takes effect at midnight, and includes Maryville, Tarkio, Bethany and Craig.

“So basically for far northwestern Missouri, travel is going to be very difficult if not impossible,” Temeyer says.

The National Weather Service urges you to avoid any travel north of Highway 36 in northern Missouri from midnight until 6 p.m. on Friday. The blizzard warning area is expected to receive three to four inches of blowing snow, with strong winds.

The blizzard warning area includes heavily-traveled Interstates 29 and 35, which are used by truckers from across the nation.

“We’re looking at wind gusts probably of 40 to 45 miles an hour through at least much of the day tomorrow before that starts to let up. And you combine that with the snow that we’re expecting and it’s really going to make travel very, very difficult,” says Temeyer.

State Department of Transportation (MoDOT) crews will be working around the clock in northern Missouri, to get roads to mostly clear within a few hours after the blizzard ends. Whiteout conditions are possible.

Northern Missouri’s St. Joseph, Chillicothe and Kirksville are under a winter weather advisory, and those areas should receive two to three inches of snow.

“This is going to be a type of system where if you don’t have to travel, it’s best to get those errands and everything done ahead of time. Because once the snow starts, it’s just going to make visibility very difficult,” Temeyer says.

The NWS says the heaviest snowfall will be between 3 am and 3 pm on Friday.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s interview with National Weather Service (NWS) Pleasant Hill meteorologist Brad Temeyer, which was recorded on January 14, 2021:

Missouri’s Parson and Galloway to focus on their base in final day of gubernatorial campaign

November 1, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s two main gubernatorial candidates have busy schedules on Monday, one day before election day.

Governor Mike Parson (R) spoke Saturday at a rally in St. Peters with former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. That’s in St. Charles County, which has been a Republican stronghold. It’s an area Republicans need to do well on Tuesday.

The governor campaigns Monday in Jefferson City, St. Joseph, Kirksville, Palmyra, Cape Girardeau and Cassville, continuing his focus on rural towns. U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R) will join Parson at the Cassville event, in southwest Missouri.

Ann Dorn, the widow of slain St. Louis Police Captain David Dorn, will join Parson on Monday’s tour, along with former gubernatorial candidate John Brunner and the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association’s Mike Deering.

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Nicole Galloway, the state auditor, attended two church services Sunday in St. Louis. She also met with Democrats in St. Louis City and St. Louis County, two jurisdictions that are crucial to Democratic success in statewide races.

Galloway will begin Monday in Columbia, where she will attend a literature drop launch with area Democrats. She also speaks at the Missouri Democratic Party’s election eve rally Monday evening in Kansas City. It will feature all of the party’s statewide candidates: Alissia Canady, Yinka Faleti, Rich Finneran and Vicki Englund.

Galloway continues to focus on hospital closings, noting ten rural Missouri hospitals have closed since 2014.

Parson is focusing on rural values and experience.

Polls will be open Tuesday statewide from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. The Secretary of State’s office says a combined total of 723,058 mail-in and absentee ballots have already been returned to Missouri election authorities. Most of those are absentee ballots.

Platte City resident hopes to become first Democrat to represent far northern Missouri in Congress in 20 years

October 14, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

(News director Brent Martin at Missourinet St. Joseph affiliate KFEQ contributed to this story)

The Democrat running against U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, in northern Missouri battled COVID this year, and says a mask mandate early on could have saved lives.

Platte City resident Gena Ross won the August Democratic nomination and is facing Graves, a dean of Missouri’s congressional delegation. Ross is an adjunct professor at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas. She’s also an assistant professor of business and American government at a Kansas City area community college.

She tells Missourinet St. Joseph affiliate KFEQ (AM 680) that she was hospitalized twice for COVID, spending a total of nine days in the hospital. She tells KFEQ host Barry Birr that her experience showed her how devastating the coronavirus is.

“Corona is wicked. It is demonic,” she says. “It has no respect of person. It’s invisible. So, just protect yourself the best that you can.”

She also criticizes President Trump, saying he didn’t take the virus seriously enough, soon enough.

Ross faces Congressman Graves next month. Graves is seeking his 11th term on Capitol Hill. The sprawling, rural district hasn’t sent a Democrat to Washington since Pat Danner. The Smithville Democrat served in Congress from 1993-2001.

The sixth congressional district is larger than nine states. It includes 36 counties and the towns of St. Joseph, Chillicothe, Trenton, Bethany, Kirksville, Hannibal and Memphis.

Congressman Graves’ priorities on Capitol Hill have included agriculture and flood control.

Click here to read the full story about Gena Ross, from Brent Martin at Missourinet St. Joseph affiliate KFEQ Radio.

Northern Missouri could see small tornadoes on Tuesday afternoon (AUDIO)

May 26, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

UPDATE AT 3:10 PM: The National Weather Service (NWS) in Pleasant Hill says the threat for severe weather over north central Missouri has diminished and moved north into Iowa. The NWS says there will still be scattered showers in the area, but that they’re not expecting them to be severe.

BRIAN’S ORIGINAL STORY:

The National Weather Service (NWS) says parts of northwest, north-central and northeast Missouri could see brief tornadoes Tuesday afternoon. NWS Pleasant Hill meteorologist Andy Bailey says damaging winds are also possible.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Pleasant Hill says brief tornadoes are possible across north Missouri on Tuesday afternoon (May 26, 2020 map courtesy of NWS Pleasant Hill Twitter page)

“And really any of the towns from, say, Carrollton to Bethany to Kirksville would kind of be in that area that are possible to see these types of storms,” Bailey says.

Maryville, Moberly, Macon, Chillicothe, Trenton and Brookfield could also be impacted by brief tornadoes.

The NWS is urging residents across northern Missouri to be ready to take shelter quickly this afternoon. Winds of up to 60 miles-per-hour are possible.

“This is going to sound contradictory, but the storms are not going to be all that strong,” says Bailey. “However, any storms (that) can get rotating will have the potential to produce a brief, relatively weak tornado.”

The NWS says lightning is also possible, through about 4 p.m.

“They (possible tornadoes) should be relatively short-lived, should be just dropping down, hitting the ground, coming back up. Whether or not they hit anything is anybody’s guess at this point,” Bailey says.

The NWS is still investigating a possible tornado that touched down Monday evening near Mendon, in north-central Missouri. That’s west of Moberly.

Click hear to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and National Weather Service (NWS) Pleasant Hill meteorologist Andy Bailey, which was recorded on May 26, 2020:

Missouri GOP Congressman: COVID-19 outbreak is unlike anything we’ve ever seen (AUDIO)

March 30, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

A northern Missouri congressman who’s a dean in the state’s congressional delegation says the $2 trillion economic stimulus package is aimed at helping America emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger.

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, represents 36 counties in northern Missouri (file photo courtesy of Congressman Graves’ office)

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, voted for the bill on Friday. He says the bill provides $350 billion to the Small Business Administration (SBA), to supply main street businesses with the capital they need to keep the lights on and their workers on the payroll.

“And as long as they (main street businesses) continue to keep them on the payroll through July 2, then that becomes forgiven,” Graves says.

Governor Mike Parson has warned that thousands of Missourians will lose their jobs due to the outbreak. Congressman Graves says the stimulus boosts unemployment benefits for the millions of Americans who’ve lost their jobs.

Graves represents 36 counties in northern Missouri. His sprawling district is larger than nine U.S. states, and includes St. Joseph, Chillicothe, Bethany, Kirksville and Hannibal.

Congressman Graves tells Missourinet that some hospitals in his district have struggled to get personal protective equipment (PPE), like masks. He notes the stimulus package also includes $117 billion in funding for hospitals and the Veterans Administration (VA) to care for patients and to protect health care employees battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Those of us who represent rural areas want to make sure that rural hospitals have every bit as much equipment as they need to combat this,” says Graves. “So far, they have not been overrun, but that could quickly, quickly change.”

Parson announced Monday afternoon that the state’s Strategic National Stockpile has now shipped 7,000 gloves and 3,300 cases of masks to hospitals, EMS and long-term care facilities.

State health officials say there are now 1,031 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Missouri, along with 13 deaths.

As for Graves, he says church groups and other organizations are grocery shopping for seniors in his district, to help the seniors limit their exposure during the COVID-19 outbreak. Graves’ district has a large elderly population.

“And that’s what rural Missouri is about and all of our rural areas. We take care of people and we take care of our neighbors and our family, and that’s very heartwarming,” Graves says.

Graves says the pandemic has posed an unprecedented challenge for America, and that Americans have responded with unprecedented patriotism.

Graves and U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R) say the stimulus will also provide most American adults with $1,200 checks to help them make ends meet during the outbreak.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, which was recorded on March 30, 2020:

National Weather Service warns Friday’s commute will be hazardous across much of Missouri (AUDIO)

January 16, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a winter weather advisory for northern, west-central, western and southwest Missouri.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Pleasant Hill has updated their forecast for January 17, 2020 (map courtesy of NWS Pleasant Hill Twitter)

NWS Pleasant Hill meteorologist Scott Blair says Kansas City, St. Joseph, Sedalia, Columbia and Jefferson City will see snow and ice on Friday.

“What we’re looking at is a wintry mess out there and really it’s going to be a transition of precipitation types throughout this whole event,” Blair says.

He says the storm system will be moving from southwest to northeast Missouri.

The storm is expected to begin Friday morning in the 3-8 a.m. time frame. Blair tells Missourinet that Friday’s morning and evening commutes will be hazardous for Kansas City, Warrensburg, Columbia and Osage Beach.

“What we’re going to be seeing is snowfall starting out in these places Friday morning,” says Blair. “And as a little bit warmer weather moves into the area we’ll see that precipitation type change to a little bit of sleet and then eventually some freezing rain,” says Blair.

Springfield, Lebanon, Rolla and West Plains are also expected to see ice on Friday.

The Highway 63 corridor will see the heaviest amounts of ice, with up to a quarter-of-an-inch expected in Jefferson City, Columbia and Kirksville. Far western Missouri’s Butler and Nevada could also see up to a quarter-of-an-inch of ice.

The NWS says northwest Missouri will see the heaviest snowfall on Friday, with more than three inches expected in Maryville and Bethany.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist Scott Blair, which was recorded on January 16, 2020: