Local briefs, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020

By Phil Cobb | October 22, 2020 |

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Nodaway County Clerk offers election information

MARYVILLE, Mo. — Nodaway County Clerk Melinda Patton is offering some Nov. 3 election information. For all registered voters who need to vote absentee due to absence or illness on Election Day, her office will be open from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 31. Voters should bring proper identification such as a voter registration card, driver’s license or passport. Anyone who needs curbside assistance because of illness or disability may also request an absentee ballot and vote from a vehicle.

According to a news release, Patton also notes that a public test of the automated tabulating equipment and the direct recording electronic equipment for the election will be held. The test is set for 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 30 in the Nodaway County Administration Center.

United Electric linemen return to Louisiana

MARYVILLE, Mo. — For the second time within a month, United Electric Cooperative linemen traveled to Louisiana to assist Beauregard Electric Cooperative after another round of devastation from Hurricane Delta.

According to a news release, just nine days after completing repairs, crews returned as part of 108 linemen sent from 21 Missouri electric cooperatives.

The damage was not as significant as that caused by Hurricane Laura, noted the release; nearly all of the cooperative’s members again lost power in the hours following the second hurricane. Crews had to replace between 500 and 1,000 poles this time, compared to the 5,000 broken poles replaced after Hurricane Laura.

Counting the latest group, Missouri has sent 467 linemen to assist Beauregard Electric Cooperative since Aug. 29.

MU Extension seeks help for fertilizer strip trials

COLUMBIA, Mo. — The University of Missouri Extension is seeking growers for a strip trial program is comprised of simple comparisons made between a treatment and a check across the field.

According to a news release, there is a minimum requirement of four strips of each treatment and the more strips the better. Yield is measured using the yield monitor data from harvest.

This fall, Extension is looking for growers who have an interest in sulfur, potassium and phosphorus trials. Growers who are interested should contact their MU Extension Field Extension Agronomist to determine if the trials will fit the grower’s goals along with the university.

“We will work with growers on application equipment and use as applied maps to know where fertilizer application strips are applied and then use harvest data to make comparisons,” the release noted. “These trials are often simple as we work with local fertilizer suppliers for application strips.”

If interested in participating in the program, contact Wayne Flanary, Field Specialist in Agronomy at 816-279-1691, office or 913-220-3670, cell phone.

FEMA to offer 2nd round of fire department grants

FEMA has announced it is providing a second opportunity for volunteer and combination fire departments to apply for funding under the Fiscal Year 2020 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program – COVID 19 Supplemental.

Through this funding opportunity, FEMA will directly award funding for personal protective equipment and other supplies to support COVID-19 response. This includes reimbursement for applicable PPE expenditures made since Jan. 1, 2020. According to a news release, grants will be awarded, using a competitive process, to applicants whose requests best address the priorities of the grant.

FEMA is accepting applications now. The application period will close on Nov. 13.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Office (AFGP) has developed tools to help potential applicants plan their AFG-S application ahead of the application period. These documents can be viewed on the AFGP website at http://bit.ly/FEMAgrants.