Pulaski County Daily News

11/18/2025

Currently attending the City of St. Robert City Council. Members present are Mayor James Breckinridge; Charles Slider, Linda Ruble Daniels, Walter Reese, Michael Hanks, and Glen Askeland, along with George Lauritson via audio. Alderman Reggie Hall is absent due to a death in the family.

Chief Curenton is reporting on replacement of a Dodge Charger which was T-boned last year with a Dodge Durango. Mayor Breckinridge noted that this year’s purchase does NOT include a police package; that will be in next year’s budget.
Alderman Slider asked if the old equipment can be transferred; Chief Curenton said the equipment from the Chargers won’t transfer to the new SUVs now used by the department.

Mayor Breckinridge said he noticed that the holiday of Columbus Day in October was not on the list of city holidays.
“Bottom line: What this is going to do is add Columbus Day to the list of city holidays…. All other offices in the area, Waynesville city hall, the county courthouse and of course Fort Leonard Wood have Columbus Day off.”
Responding to questions from Slider, Breckinridge said employees will be paid regardless of whether the city gives Columbus Day as a holiday or not.
“In my opinion it’s the right thing to do.”
Unanimously approved.

Ed McLiney of McLiney and Company is reporting on plans for the Ridge Creek bond sale to extend utilities to that area. He said the city's improved bond rating will allow the city to publicly advertise the municipal bonds.
"People will bid on that loan... the bids will come in, we make sure they are bidding apples to apples... it comes in and says, ABC Bank has a 4.2 rate, XYX bank has a rate of 4.3."
McLiney said the bids typically close about 10 days after the municipal bonds are advertised for sale.

Aldermen have voted to renew employee health insurance coverage with UnitedHealthcare and with MetLife for life, disability, dental and vision insurance. The UHC rate increased by 6 percent with no increase for MetLife. Responding to questions from Askeland, City Administrator City Ivey said the city pays the cost of the city employee insurance base plan so the 6 percent increase won't be passed on to employees.

Aldermen and city staff are reporting.

Park Superintendent Travis Brooks is reporting on plans for a St. Robert Christmas celebration and winterization of the pool.
Mayor: "The pool being winterized is obviously crucially important so we don't have the issues we had this year."

Assistant City Administrator Mark Parker explained plans for "sponsorship bricks" in the Route 66 Neon Park.
Mayor: "We received a grant from the Missouri Route 66 Commission for a big giant '66' -- if you've been to Rolla it will be similar to what they have there."
That sign will be placed next to the tank, he said, and 42 sponsorship bricks have been ordered.

The city clerk said candidate filing will begin Dec. 9 and close Dec. 30 for the city council election.

11/18/2025

The City of Dixon, MO Municipal Government City Council will meet for a workshop session on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 5:30 p.m. in city hall.

Agenda items include a utility rate increase with Ordinance #569,

11/18/2025

Clara Lou (Bacon) Gillett, 84, of , daughter in

View Clara Lou Gillett's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

11/18/2025

The Lowe Dreesen Miller law firm has changed its name to the current name reflecting the role of two law partners and is accepting new clients at its offices in Waynesville and St. James.

11/18/2025

The City of Saint Robert, Missouri City Council will meet on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 5 p.m. in city hall.

Agenda items include financial matters; old and new business of the Yard of the Month, ordinances to purchase a 2026 Titan 48' x axle thinwall tipper trailer for the city transfer station, to purchase a 2025 Dodge Durango from Ed Morse Ford for the police department, amending City Code Section 120.160 (holidays) and the city's office policy manual, entering a municipal advisory agreement with McLiney and Company, accepting a UnitedHealthcare bid for 2026 employee health insurance, and accepting 2026 renewal with MetLife for life, disability, dental and vision insurance; comments by aldermen, city staff and the mayor; setting the next regular meeting for Dec. 2 at 5 p.m.; and a closed session for legal, real estate and personnel matters.

11/18/2025

Dorania Novela Lebron, 64, of

Dorania Novela Lebron, age 64, of Dixon, was born on December 23, 1960, at Lebanon, Oregon, a daughter of Burgess Uriah and Elsie Marie Kimball Spurgeon and passed from this life on Saturday, November 15, 2025 in the University Hospital, Columbia. Dorania was united in marriage on June 29, 2002,

11/17/2025

Currently attending the Richland R-IV School Board. Members present are Barbara Warren, Bart Warren, Catrina Sperberg, Sue Daugherty, Bruce Goodrich, and Superintendent Tina Freeman-Turner. Board members Elizabeth Duncan and Jordan Walters are absent.

Board members are receiving a report from Charlotte Waters, the district's Library/Media Specialist, on a library reading program in which students are encouraged to select and read books and receive awards for doing so.
Board member Barbara Warren: "How does that transition from their reading books to their reading scores when they take tests? .... It seems like our reading scores at all levels are low."
The reading coordinator is explaining how reading more books, even if they are at a lower level, helps.
Waters: "We are seeing some improvement. We are not saying everyone is there... we have made a lot of progress."
Board member Sue Daugherty asked how the school avoids AI problems.
"For us at school we have really good safety features. It's more about teaching them to be safe at home."

Superintendent Tina Freeman-Turner is presenting the district's APR test results.

Members of the four-day week committee are presenting their recommendations on the possibility of changing to a four-day school week.
According to the committee, Dr. Jon Turner, a professor of education at Missouri State University who studies rural schools in Missouri, said the transition to a four-day week has no impact on student performance.
Only 23 percent of survey respondents in Richland were strongly opposed to a four-day week, whereas 54 percent strong support the proposal. Many of the remaining respondents were somewhat supportive or indifferent to the change.|
According to the committee members, most of the factories in Lebanon work on a four-day week schedule.
Transportation cost savings are estimated to be about $6000 each in operations and maintenance, with $3600 saved per new teacher in training expenses and about $25,000 in food service savings.
A new state law requires that any district that includes a city with more than 30,000 population must have a public vote; most districts that have a consistent day off per week have had their four-day calendars approved by voters. The objections have happened when schools had hybrid calendars without a consistent day off per week.

Board member Sue Daugherty said she's "all for this, I work a four-day schedule and I love it" but asked if it's possible for a teacher to provide education on the one day per week for parents who cannot get child care. Committee members said districts that established child care programs generally shut them down "because nobody was using it."

Board member Jordan Walters has arrived.

Daugherty asked staff members present to raise hands showing support or opposition to a four-day week; staff support was unanimous. When asked, one resident asked if statistics exist on criminal activity or delinquency by students who are not in school and how other communities have been impacted by parents who have to stay home on days when schools are closed. Another resident said she's concerned a four-day week will harm education and said the district isn't prioritizing student learning.
Board member Jordan Walters: "This is just something that is being presented; no decision has been made to date."

Board members have tabled the proposal.
Barbara Warren: "You all have been ruminating about this for a long time; we need more time to consider."

The Superintendent said the district's proposal to put a crosswalk between Richland High School and Dollar General would cost $15,000 to $20,000, and because of relatively low traffic, the Richland R-4 School District rather than MoDOT Central Missouri District would be fully responsible for the cost.
"My recommendation with the current funds in our budget would be not to do this."
Proposal

Board members have approved school board candidate filing dates during the standard filing period except from Dec. 22-29 when the district office is normally closed. The office will be open on Dec. 30 for the last day of candidate filing.

Board members have gone into closed session.

11/17/2025

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11/17/2025

The Richland R-IV School Board will meet on Monday, Nov. 17, at 5:30 p.m. in the Richland High School library.

Agenda items include financial matters; visitor comments including a presentation of Richland High School fall post-season honors; reports from Superintendent Tina Freeman-Turner, Elementary Principal Heather Allen and High School Principal Shane Kardosz; new business of program evaluation of library media service, and fall sports, discussion of APR scores, four-day school week, crosswalk discussion and setting the filing dates for the school board election; setting the next meeting for Dec. 15; and a closed session for legal and personnel matters.

11/17/2025

Currently attending the Pulaski County Commission. Members present are Presiding Commissioner Gene Newkirk, Western District Commissioner Andy Helms, Eastern District Commissioner Kevin Davis, and Dave Ernst; Pulaski County Clerk. County Treasurer Mack Wilkerson was present briefly to drop off financial documents.

Sheriff Stacy Ball presented a letter to the commissioners from the Missouri Association of Counties announcing that the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office "has been selected to receive one of four 2025 MAC County Achievement Awards" at the MAC business meeting next week Monday, Nov. 24, in Osage Beach. He's been asked to "set up a display at the conference for any additional pictures, brochures, or materials you feel might be beneficial, aside from what you've already sent us."
Ball said the award is for the community re-integration program he's established to help offenders transition back into the community after serving their sentences.

County Clerk Dave Ernst has announced he won't be running for re-election in the 2026 race. At least one Republican has already announced he'll be running for the position. Presiding Commissioner Gene Newkirk, who has also attracted at least one Republican challenger said he will be running for re-election next year.
While Ernst said he hasn't yet determined his plans after his term ends in December 2026, he's "leaning toward retirement." Prior to serving as clerk, Ernst was the second-generation owner of a motorcycle dealership begun by his father in St. Robert and moved by him to Waynesville. He was elected in November 2018 and took office in 2019.

11/16/2025

Leroy Todd Robinson, 78, of

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11/15/2025

U.S. Army Fort Leonard Wood emergency personnel are requesting assistance from St. Robert Fire and Rescue personnel with a vehicle that has crashed into the gate on Polla Road. Assistance is being requested from off-post personnel due to the gate being closed.

Years ago, the City of Waynesville MO Municipal Government annexed Polla Road into the city limits. More recently, the city of Waynesville contracted with the city of City of Saint Robert, Missouri to provide primary fire protection within the city limits. While the Waynesville Rural Fire Protection District continues to have primary responsibility for fire protection outside the city limits of St. Robert and Waynesville, and typically provides mutual aid when needed in both cities, St. Robert firefighters now have primary responsibility for fire protection inside the city limits of Waynesville as well as inside the city limits of St. Robert.

As of 8:23 a.m., emergency personnel have found one vehicle upright on the shoulder of Polla Road with minor damage.

Emergency personnel report one occupant, minor injuries.