Ralls County, Missouri
BOWLING GREEN, Mo. — NECAC is extending the application period for a federal rent-assistance program in 11 Missouri counties. Income-qualifying applicants to the NECAC Housing Choice Voucher program will be placed on a waiting list. Counties covered are Lewis, Lincoln, Macon, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike, Ralls, Randolph, Shelby and Warren counties, and the Vandalia/Farber areas…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Local nonprofits looking to build their programming, expand their mission and better their communities are invited to apply for grant funding through the Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri’s annual community grant program. The deadline to submit grant applications is 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, May 1. Grants totaling more than…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL — A resurfacing project on Missouri Route 79/Mark Twain Ave./N. Third Street from Grand Avenue to Church is expected to begin the week of April 8. Work will begin on the N. Third portion of the project between North and Church. The route will be reduced to one-lane traffic during working hours. Flaggers will be…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Hannibal Public School District’s Proposition Innovation got a yes from Marion and Ralls County voters on Tuesday’s ballot. Proposition Innovation, which will allow the school district to borrow $30 million to complete the Hannibal Innovation Campus and make other needed improvements, was approved in a 1,706 to 780 vote. Hannibal voters…
Read Full Article Meteorologist Brent Clair says we might be getting some nasty weather soon.
Read Full Article MONROE CITY, Mo. — Double Hearts Ranch, 42451 Oakland Road, along with Brush Arbor Church will hold an Easter egg hunt for children ages 2-11 on Saturday, March 30, at the ranch. Pastor Larry Hinds will do a presentation on the Easter story, “The Legend of the Donkey’s Cross” written by Halli Worthington. Ernie the…
Read Full Article PERRY, Mo. — All Vietnam veterans are invited to a “Welcome Home” celebration at 9 a.m. on Friday, March 29, at the M.W. Boudreaux Memorial Visitor Center, 21629 Highway J. This celebration honoring all Vietnam war veterans will include a Vietnam era pinning ceremony. Refreshments will be served. Event sponsors are Community Loving Care Hospice,…
Read Full Article BOWLING GREEN, Mo. — NECAC will accept applications for a federal rent-assistance program in 11 Missouri counties through March 31. Income-qualifying applicants to the NECAC Housing Choice Voucher program will be placed on a waiting list. Counties covered are Lewis, Lincoln, Macon, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike, Ralls, Randolph, Shelby and Warren counties. NECAC contracts with…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — Construction progresses on the bridge replacement project on Missouri Route 79, over Bear Creek, the Norfolk Southern Railroad and Warren Barrett Drive. This project is four-tenths of a mile north of Route T in Hannibal. Starting April 1, there will be a scheduled closure of Route 79 at this location. The route will…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — Garth Woodside Mansion Bed and Breakfast in Hannibal experienced a kitchen fire on Sunday morning with no injuries or damage to the approximately 150-year old home. Ralls County Sheriff, Brad Stinson, reported the Ralls County Sheriff’s Department was dispatched to the mansion at approximately 8:52 a.m. Sunday morning for a grease fire,…
Read Full Article RALLS COUNTY, MO. – Ralls County voters will see a tax on the April 2 ballot to extend a countywide sales tax for one-half percent for 10 years. Ralls County Commissioners said it is not a new tax and it will not add cost to the amount of sales. Set to expire on March 31,…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri invites nonprofits throughout its 12-county service area to apply for a grant of up to $7,500 through its annual Community Grant program. Grants totaling more than $210,000 will be awarded to nonprofit organizations advancing arts and culture, community betterment, education, health and human…
Read Full Article United Way Community Impact Partner Highlight: Audrey Pickett at YMCA – A Passion for Helping Others
HANNIBAL, Mo. – Audrey Pickett can be found nearly every day rolling around in her wheelchair with a smile on her face at the YMCA of Hannibal. For her, this agency has become a home. “It’s different when you don’t see the impact the YMCA has every day, but when you live it every day…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — John Jackson of Hannibal announced Tuesday he will be running for presiding circuit judge of the Tenth Judicial Circuit in Missouri in 2024. The Tenth Judicial Circuit covers Marion, Monroe and Ralls counties. Rachel Bringer Shepherd announced last month that she will not seek re-election. She has held the position since 2010.…
Read Full Article CENTER, Mo. — MFA Oil Foundation recently awarded the Ralls County Library a grant for 12 STEAM to Go Kits for patrons in grades 3-12. STEAM to Go Kits are collections of hands-on games, machines, building pieces, experiments and more to encourage exploration of STEAM concepts (science, technology, engineering, arts and math). These kits have…
Read Full Article NEW LONDON, Mo. — A Palmyra man facing murder charges in a November 2023 incident was arraigned Tuesday and pled not guilty. Randall L. Hendricks, 36, appeared in Ralls County Circuit Court with Public Defender Todd Schulze before Judge Rachel Bringer Shepherd. He entered his not guilty plea after waiving formal arraignment. Hendricks has been…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. – Thanks to fundraising efforts through the Hannibal Salvation Army, 1,519 Northeast Missouri children received Christmas gifts in conjunction with Toys for Tots and 788 families received a box containing a full holiday meal. Eddie and Tracy Lennox were the 2023 Christmas Campaign Chairs. Eddie Lennox revealed on Monday that the total raised…
Read Full Article MAYWOOD, Mo. — Rachel Bringer Shepherd announced Monday in an email that she will not seek re-election as presiding circuit judge of the 10th Judicial Circuit, which includes Marion, Monroe and Ralls counties in Missouri, in 2024. She has held the position since 2010. “I have been very grateful for the opportunity to serve as a presiding…
Read Full Article CENTER, Mo. — The Ralls County Library will welcome visiting authors throughout the new year, thanks to a recent $5,000 donation they received from EDF Renewables. The $5,000.00 donation from EDF Renewables for the Visiting Author Fund. The library reported in a recent press release that the donation will provide future author visits to the…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — Amanda Bowen, the Salvation Army family services caseworker in Hannibal, joined the Salvation Army in August 2020. When people in the community turn to the Salvation Army for help, they connect to the Hannibal native. “It is hard to ask for help,” Bowen said. She knows this personally. “We say all of…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — During its regular meeting on Nov. 1, the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission awarded several contracts for seal coat, resurfacing, bridge rehabilitation, concrete pavement repairs and pavement marking projects in the Northeast District. Local projects are: A $4.7 million contract was awarded to Emery Sapp and Sons, Inc. for seal coating and…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. – Coyote Hill is United Way of the Mark Twain Area’s Community Impact Agency that will be highlighted throughout November. Coyote Hill Hannibal is a satellite operation of Coyote Hill based in Harrisburg, Mo outside of Columbia, Mo. The organization began in the early 1990s with the goal to provide safe, quality foster…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. – During its regular meeting on Oct. 12, the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission awarded contracts for a bridge replacement, as well as seal coat and resurfacing projects in the Northeast District. A $12.4M contract was awarded to KCI Construction Company for a bridge replacement project on Missouri Route 79, over Bear Creek,…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — Laura Berry, who lives at River Bluff Senior Apartments in Hannibal, hopes to see a decrease in her utility bill this year after workers from Northeast Community Action Corporation spent their morning weatherizing her home. Berry’s apartment is one of 40 units at River Bluff Senior Apartments to receive new smoke detectors,…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. – Austin and Crew are two pit bull puppies from a litter born at the Northeast Missouri Humane Shelter born 18 hours after someone brought their pregnant mom in. Only a few months old, the two healthy pups are happy to greet guests who come to visit them at the shelter. Three of…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — The North East Community Action Corporation (NECAC) is taking applications from the elderly and disabled for the federally-funded Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program and the Energy Crisis Intervention Program in 12 Missouri counties. The program is under way for applications from the elderly and disabled with applications for all others starting Nov.…
Read Full Article NEW LONDON, Mo. – Travelers through Ralls County, Mo., will soon see signs honoring veterans who were wounded or killed in combat. Senior Vice President George Befort III and Finance Office Walter Schley of the Military Order of the Purple Heart recognized Ralls County as a Purple Heart County in a ceremony on Sept. 14…
Read Full Article CENTER, Mo. – Sharon Lake, of Center, Mo., always considered herself patriotic, but she got a new perspective when her son joined the Air Force in 2002. Lake’s son, Michael Copenhaver, served in the U.S. Air Force for 10 years before retiring as an aircraft hydraulic systems specialist in 2012. Copenhaver’s service ignited Lake’s patriotism…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — Community concerns regarding local roads were voiced Thursday evening at a public meeting hosted by the local Missouri Department of Transportation. The meeting was planned to discuss unfunded needs in the area. MoDOT, working with its regional planning partners, has outlined a draft of high priority unfunded needs, which identifies $1.1 billion…
Read Full Article CENTER, Mo. — New York Times bestselling adult author Alexandra Ivy will talk about her books and answer questions during a “Snack and Chat” at the Ralls County Library in Center from 6-7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 7. Ivy grew up in a small town in the Midwest with dreams of a career as an…
Read Full Article Mark Twain Area Ukulele Club invites people to strum along at ukulele jam sessions starting Thursday
SAVERTON, Mo. — The Mark Twain Area Ukulele Club is offering ukulele jam sessions, starting Thursday, Aug. 3. These gatherings will take place the first and third Thursday of each month from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Genesis Bible Church Fellowship Hall, 12613 Saverton Drive in Saverton. There is no fee to participate. Ukulele…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Hannibal Regional Economic Development Council (HREDC) has selected Maria Kuhns as the new executive director of the organization. The decision was made by a search committee comprised of board members following an extensive search process. Hal Benedict, board president of HREDC, said, “We are thrilled to have Maria take on the…
Read Full Article CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Birkey’s Farm Store, a Case IH and Case Construction dealer based out of Champaign, announced Wednesday the company had entered into a purchase agreement to acquire Selby Implement Company’s stores in Quincy and Hannibal. The acquisition is expected to close July 31. “This is a great opportunity for Birkey’s to expand our…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — An Edwardsville, Ill. man was injured in a one-car crash Tuesday night in Ralls County. The Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) reported a 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt driven by Mark C. Taylor, 46, was heading north at just before 8 p.m. Tuesday on U.S. 61, south of Meyers Trail in northern Ralls County,…
Read Full Article Ameren Missouri and Cool Down Missouri have donated 75 window air conditioning units to the North East Community Action Corporation to be distributed to qualifying elderly and disabled residents in nine Missouri counties. Locally, Ameren customers living in Lewis, Monroe, Pike and Ralls counties can participate. In a press release, NECAC’s Kayla Wasson said, “We…
Read Full Article NEW LONDON, Mo. — The Ralls County Board of Equalization will convene at 9 a.m. Monday, July 17, in the county commissioner’s chambers on the main floor of the historic Ralls County Courthouse. Any person who disagrees with the values of real estate and/or personal property established by the assessor may appeal to the county’s…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. – Local foster children and families will receive a boost in services thanks to a $10,000 grant presented Tuesday afternoon to Coyote Hill, a foster care licensing and support organization, from the Hannibal Rotary Club. Members of Hannibal Rotary chose Coyote Hill out of a number of applicants for the grant. Hannibal Rotary…
Read Full Article BOWLING GREEN, Mo. — NECAC recently announced the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program is ending. The two-year emergency program provided help to income-qualifying people for water and sewer bills. NECAC will be taking applications for a water bill assistance program through June 30. Applications may be dropped off at NECAC County Service Centers. They may…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Salvation Army Quincy Area Command is collecting and distributing electric fans to those in need this summer. Distribution of fans began June 1 from its Family Services facilities in both Quincy and Hannibal. Anyone living within the Quincy Area Command’s service area of Adams, Pike and Brown counties in Illinois and Marion,…
Read Full Article CENTER, Mo. — A total of 33 veterans from Missouri, 26 from Ralls County, will participate in the next Great River Honor Flight mission to Washington, D.C., scheduled for Thursday, June 15. This is the third of six trips planned for this year and will be the first time that the departure and homecoming will…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. – A $15 million tax credit project will include the renovation of Hannibal’s old St. Elizabeth’s Hospital into 60 apartments for seniors and building six single-family homes on donated lots. Partners for the project are NECAC, NeighborWorks America, City of Hannibal and 3 Diamond Development of Lincolnwood, Ill. Additional funding sources may be…
Read Full Article The Mississippi River flowed lazily under the Centennial Bridge, which connects Illinois and Iowa in the Quad Cities. Cars cruised past on a Saturday afternoon in early May, waving and occasionally honking at a long line of environmentalists who say the river is alive. Glenda Guster was among the roughly 80 people to join the…
Read Full Article NEW LONDON, Mo. — You don’t have to live in New London to enjoy the 37th annual New London Park Days this weekend. The festivities start Friday with craft booths and food vendors opening at 11 a.m. and the beer garden opening at noon. The opening ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. on the…
Read Full Article RALLS COUNTY, Mo. — Former Ralls County Lt. Gloria Jennings filed a civil lawsuit on May 1 alleging misconduct, sexual harassment and retaliation by Ralls County Sheriff Brad Stinson. Jennings alleges Stinson and other members of Ralls County Sheriff’s Department retaliated against her by moving her office, isolating her from other coworkers and initiating an…
Read Full Article CENTER, Mo. — Monica Huff, of New London, Mo., stood tearful in front of a crowd gathered in the Mark Twain High School Cafeteria on Sunday afternoon. She was there, as were the others filling the room, for Dr. Mark Tucker, who retired at the end of last month. Lovingly referred to as “Doc” Tucker…
Read Full Article CENTER, Mo. — Capt. Erik A. Gottman, commanding officer of Troop B of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, recently announced Trooper Kurtis A. Hurley has transferred from Troop C, Zone 9, serving the citizens of St. Charles County, to Troop B, Zone 6, serving the citizens of Clark and Scotland counties effective April 9. Hurley…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL — As children, Anie and her little brother lived in seven different foster placements in five years. (Anie’s name was changed to protect her identity.) With each move, they had to start over in a new community. When Anie was 6-years-old the promise of a “forever family” shattered when she and her brother were…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. – Three people and one couple in Marion County who live out the mission and vision of the United Way of the Mark Twain Area within their own lives will be honored April 21 at the United Way’s Evening of Philanthropy, sponsored by Hannibal Regional Healthcare System and Benson Financial. The event will be at the…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL — Drivers can expect to see a lot of activity around Mark Twain High School on Missouri Route 19 near Center as construction begins on a corridor improvement project from Bus Barn Road to Mark Twain Road in Ralls County near Center. The work is scheduled to begin during the week of March 20,…
Read Full Article I knew Sam Leake as a farmer and family friend before he decided to run for State Representative in the late 1980’s. His second son, Scott, was one of my best friends from Kindergarten through graduation at Mark Twain High. Scott’s wife, Rhonda, also grew up two blocks from me in Perry. We were also…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri invites nonprofits throughout its 12-county service area to apply for a grant of up to $7,500 through its annual community grant program (formerly known as competitive grant program). Grants totaling more than $177,000 will be awarded to nonprofit organizations advancing arts and culture,…
Read Full Article Trooper Mark W. Hicks will be promoted Wednesday, March 1 to the rank of corporal and designated the assistant zone supervisor of Zone 8, Marion and Ralls counties, for the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Hicks was appointed to the patrol on Feb. 1, 1998. After graduating from the patrol academy, Hicks was assigned to Troop…
Read Full Article MONROE CITY, Mo. — Loyd’s Gifts and Collectibles is moving its Monroe City store, currently at 111 S. Main, to a new location at 100 N. Main inside Applebee Tree Flowers and Gifts on Tuesday, Jan. 17. In a press release, owner Doug Tenhouse said, “Loyd’s really enjoys being a part of the Monroe City…
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