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THE NORTH MISSOURIAN. If Any Man attempts to haul down the American Flag shoot him on the spot. — Secretary John A. Dix. Vol. I ]
Vol. 154
USPS 213-200
Gallatin, Daviess Co., Mo, Thursday, Sept. 15, 1864.
March 18, 2020
No. 43
[No 4.
This nameplate was this newspaper’s first, published during the Civil War in 1864. Read more in ‘Off the Editor’s Spike’ on page 2
Impact of CORVID-19 threat continues to unfold
The escalating outbreak of CORVID-19 across the world is shifting daily routines in this country in ways never seen before. No one knows how this pandemic story willl end, but all agree that we are experiencing an historic time on all levels of society, including locally. Decisions encouraging social spacing over individual preference are intended to thwarf the threat of contamination. Round upon round of announcements continue to unfold amidst hope that disruptions are temporary. By yesterday afternoon, health authorities had identi-
Dungy’s Supermarket “Don’t panic, be calm. It’s not the end of the world. Let’s not blow things out of proportion.” Those words of advice come from Jeremy Dungy of Dungy’s Market in Gallatin. As much as any other business, he is seeing the best and worst of human behavior under crisis. He says business has ramped up, the store is often crowded, and he has people shopping from as far away as Kansas City and Iowa. “People have been pretty understanding,” he says. “If something is out, they’re not getting irate about it. We’ve not seen any violence, no fights for foods or anything like that. People are calmer than you’d expect them to be.” As far as what his grocery store can get or not get, the warehouse where he gets his product has set some limitations on shipments. “We can’t go over ‘x’ amount,” he says. “We average 700 cases a truckload and we can’t go over that.” He does note that toilet paper is in short supply. His store has limited toilet paper to one pack per customer/household per day. The grocery store will not be running an ad in next week’s Ad Zone since the warehouse can’t give the stores any ad pricing. However, Dungy’s can and will run electronic advertising. In the meantime, people need to stay level-headed and keep
fied nine disease cases in Missouri; a Drexel man in Cass County is in self-isolation. There are 18 cases of the disease in neighboring Kansas where public schools have been officially closed for the rest of this academic year. Financial markets have come shuddering to a halt as Wall Street braces for a possible recession. Reports of panic-buying of grocery staples come nationwide as well as local. Every walk of life has been impacted. Most churches have suspended worship gather-
their sense of humor and perspective. “If people stay calm, and carry on like normal, we’ll get through this,” he says.
City of Gallatin According to City Administrator Lance Rains, the City of Gallatin is following the direction of the Daviess County Hazard Mitigation Plan. The plan says that in situations such as the COVID-19 outbreak, authority is given to the Daviess County Health Department. All services provided by the City of Gallatin will continue without interference or change at this time.
Local impacts, big and small...
Stith Funeral Home Stith Funeral Home is taking extra precautions towards disinfecting. The funeral industry is in a tough position to provide healing for grieving family and friends while following guidelines from local, state and federal health officials regarding COVID-19. “We are providing hand sanitizer and asking that people be mindful of handshaking, hugging or other expressions of sympathy, while we know this may be difficult,” say owners Kyle and Erin Stith. “We will be (continued on page 12)
The novel coronavirus called COVID-19 disrupting daily life
‘Independence Day at Happy Meadows’ on hold Gallatin Theater League is postponing the spring production of “Independence Day at Happy Meadows.” Keep your tickets already purchased for later use. As soon as a new date is set, GTL will be update the theater marquee and promotional flyers as well as advertising in newspapers, radio and on online. Members of the GTL wish to thank you for your continuing support.
Marijuana dispensary moves forward; City of Gallatin improves MIRMA score Gallatin City Administrator Lance Rains held an informational call on March 13 with the medical marijuana dispensary business, Red Stag Retail LLC, approved to come to Gallatin. “They are moving forward,” Mr. Rains said. Mr. Rains is reluctant to provide any more detail as the dispensary has not yet closed on the property located at 509 North Main Street in Gallatin. Mr. Rains noted that, should the dispensary go ahead, Gallatin will need to create and approve its own ordinance to allow for it. This is due to the Friends in Christ church being within 1,000 feet of the dispensary. The church is located across the street at 402 North Main Street.
Currently, Gallatin falls under the umbrella of the Constitutional Amendment Article XIV. According to this Article, (11) Unless allowed by the local government, no new Medical Marijuana Cultivation Facility, Medical Marijuana Testing Facility, Medical Marijuana Dispensary Facility, or Medical MarijuanaInfused Products Manufacturing Facility shall be initially sited within one thousand feet of any then-existing elementary or secondary school, child day-care center, or church. In other business at the city meeting held March 9, Rains said he will be in contacting Calico Rock, AR, and coordinating with other surrounding communities to hold a business pre-
ings. Parents are trying to figure out how to rearrange daycare schedules as life continues without the structure of school sessions. Social media buzzes as people seek out the latest update on what the disease outbreak means. The following offers snapshots of some local circumstances known as this edition goes to press.
sentation meeting with hopes to “jump start” entrepreneurship and build tourism locally. “Explore Calico Rock, Arkansas” is a presentation explaining how Calico business owners used advertising and hard work to become a hot spot of tourism and commerce. Rains announced that the City of Gallatin received a 93 on its annual MIRMA evaluation. Missouri Intergovernmental Risk Association (MIRMA) is a selfinsurance pool, owned entirely by participating members. The evaluation increased from the previous year’s score of 81. Rains plans to earn additional points in 2020 by holding quarterly safety meetings, as well as requiring (continued on page 12)
The impact of COVID-19 continues to unfold with new announcements unfolding daily and irregularly. Last week the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended cancelling events involving 50 or more people for the next 8-week period. Last night President Trump suggested to avoid gatherings which involves 10 people or more. There is no way to accurately assess how things are changing locally. To attempt to set future plans seems futile as new realities continue to unfold. The following list (what’s known as of press time) is not comprehensive but begins to describe the various disruptions of daily routines in big and small ways: • Daviess County Courthouse announced restricted entry by administrative order for the 43rd Circuit Court (Daviess, Caldwell, Clinton, DeKalb and Livingston) effective March 16. For School closings... more details, see page 9 inside. School closings may have the • Daviess Count Clerk is biggest immediate impact for awaiting a determination whether most local households. Missouri Gov. Mike Parsons has declared the April election can be postponed Missouri in a state of emergency, until June. a designation which still allows • Gallatin Truck & Tractor and school closing to be made on the Pierce Auto canceled Customer Aplocal level. The following are clospreciation dinners. ings announced by schools of the • Book signing sessions anGrand River Conference: nounced by author Deborah Dilks ● Closed until March 30: Milan, for Jameson and Pattonsburg have North Andrew, Putnam County been canceled. ● Closed until April 6: Albany, • USPS has advised NNA that Gallatin, King City, Princeton, St. Joseph Christian, South periodicals permits will not be reHarrison, Stanberry, Worth voked if a newspaper has to susCounty; Trenton pend a print issue during coronavi● Closed until April 7: Braymer, rus quarantines. Pattonsburg, Polo • All local restaurants no lon● Closed until April 14: Maysville ger offer dine-in service; this mirTri-County R-7 at Jamesport rors similar announcemens in efsuspended all after school acfect throughout the country. tivities until further notice (this • Government employees are impacts Gallatin-Jamesport basebeing told not to cross state boundball cooperative). ary lines en route to work. Chillicothe R-2 has canceled all classes and activities for the next • Gas prices may plummit to 3 weeks (no use of school spaces 98 cents per gallon by the weekend allowed) and is implementing onThose making decisions typiline “Flexible Learning Days” cally opt for public safety over any For more, see page 6 other concern. The oft repeated comment is: “In the end, it will be impossible to know if we overreacted or did too much, but it will be quite apparent if we underreact and did too little.” List of disinfectants expanded The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has releasing an expanded list of EPA-registered disinfectant products that have qualified for use against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The list contains nearly 200 additional products — including 40 new products that went through the agency’s expedited review process. To view the list of EPA-registered disinfectant products, visit https://www.epa.gov/pesticideregistration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2
Local food bank staying put The Food Bank of the Gallatin Adventist Community Services Center, 1210 South Willow, will stay where it’s at, according to Karen Reed, director. The food bank leaders considered closing earlier this year in hopes that a new location and new leadership would continue efforts to serving this community. The food bank is a very laborintensive enterprise, with boxes
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of heavy food being loaded and unloaded off trucks. The work was putting a strain on an aging group of volunteers. Volunteers, some serving at the Service Center for as long as 18 years, have indicated they are willing to keep the food bank open. The Seventh Day Service Center Thrift Store will not be open today, March 18, due to parking lot construction.
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