Conditions will remain calm and comfortable for the next few days. Rain returns to the area early to middle part of next week. At this time no hazardous weather is expected for the next 7 days. Here’s the seven-day forecast from the National Weather Service.

Today: Sunny, with a high near 71. North wind 6 to 10 mph. 

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 49. North wind 3 to 7 mph.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 73. Light north northwest wind becoming north 5 to 10 mph in the morning.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 54. North wind 3 to 7 mph.

Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 74. North wind 3 to 6 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 76.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 58.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 60.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 78.

Tuesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Wednesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 75. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office is updating its list of daycare providers for children in Chillicothe and Livingston County.

Sheriff Steve Cox says this is being done for both provider-education purposes and for their sex offender registration enforcement.

Part of that enforcement is enforcing Missouri law on registered offenders not residing within close proximity to day care facilities and schools.

If you have a day care establishment anywhere in Livingston County, Missouri, you should call Captain Sindy Fitzpatrick or Sheriff Steve Cox at 660-646-0515 or email your information including address and phone number to sheriffcox@gmail.com or send us a letter at 901 Webster Street, Chillicothe, MO 64601.

The Kansas Department of Agriculture, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, confirmed the presence of emerald ash borer (EAB) in Atchison County, Kan.

On Sept. 19, 2016, an adult EAB was removed from a purple prism trap by a USDA contractor near the community of Cummings in Atchison County.

Regulatory officials with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s Plant Protection and Quarantine confirmed the presence of EAB on Sept. 23, 2016.

The trapping effort is a part of a national plan to establish an early detection network created by the national EAB survey conducted by USDA-APHIS-PPQ and their contractors.

Emerald ash borer, a pest of ash trees native to Asia, was first discovered in North America near Detroit, Mich., in summer 2002. Since that time, the pest has killed millions of ash trees in Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

After confirmation by KDA and USDA, Kansas will expand the EAB quarantine, currently in place in Douglas, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties, to include Atchison County to help prevent further spread of EAB in Kansas. If Kansans outside of the quarantined areas think any of their trees may have the pest, they should notify KDA immediately at (785) 564-4468 or KDA.PPWC@ks.gov.

KDA is committed to serving Kansas farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses, and to protecting the state’s natural resources. All Kansans will play an important role in monitoring for EAB. In cooperation with USDA-APHIS-PPQ, the Kansas Forest Service and K-State Research and Extension, KDA plans to host educational meetings in Atchison County to provide information about EAB and to ensure that all necessary facilities and individuals are equipped to treat and dispose of EAB infested material properly to prevent further spread of the pest.

The EAB quarantine prohibits movement of regulated items from the quarantined area, including EAB in any living stage of development, firewood of all hardwood species, or nursery stock, green lumber or other material living or dead of the genus Fraxinus (Ash). For a complete list and more information about the quarantine, visit http://agriculture.ks.gov/EAB. To learn more about EAB, visit www.emeraldashborer.info.

(news release)

The St. Joseph School District appoints Bridget Blevins as the new SJSD Director of Communications. The Board of Education approved Blevins Monday, Sept. 26, 2016 during an executive session.

Blevins is best known in St. Joseph for her ten years as News Director, Anchor and Reporter at KQTV. She has a bachelor’s degree from Missouri Western State University. Blevins worked as morning co-host with Gregg Lynn on K-Jo 105.5, and is currently the Assistant News Director at KSHB-TV (Channel 41) in Kansas City.

“We are pleased to have Bridget Blevins join us,” said Dr. Robert Newhart, SJSD Superintendent of Schools. “She is well-known, well-rounded and well-respected in St. Joseph, and she will bring her knowledge of the media, her skill with people, and her background behind the scenes to help the district communicate effectively with the community, staff, parents, students and the board.”

In addition to her on-camera work, Blevins brings a variety of know-how to the district. She has managed day-to-day newsroom operations, planned daily content and organized media coverage for special projects.

Blevins will begin working with the district on Oct. 24, 2016. Her salary will be $85,576, Step 21 on the administrative salary schedule.

FAUCETT, Mo – Work on the Route DD overpass over Interstate 29 has been extended.

Crews from the Missouri Department of Transportation will close Route DD again Thursday between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m for routine bridge maintenance.

In addition, the southbound driving lane of I-29 will be closed during the work on the Route DD overpass.

Due to the Route DD closure, northbound travelers will only be able to access the east side of Route DD and southbound travelers will only be able to go west on Route DD at Exit 35.

MoDOT encourages all motorists to slow down, buckle up, eliminate distractions and drive safely to ensure everyone is able to Arrive Alive.

For more information on this and other MoDOT projects, call 1-888-ASK-MODOT or visit modot.org/northwest

Starting Thursday, September 29, Kissick Construction will close 9th street from Francis to Felix, and Felix from 8th to 9th street, for construction relating to the new downtown parking garage.

This closure will remain in place through the end of December weather permitting.

A detour will be in place the duration of this closure.

(news release)

A head-on crash in Mercer County just before 6am Wednesday claimed the life of a 37-year-old Princeton man.

Investigators say Thomas Gavigan was driving along U.S. Highway 136 at Ravanna when his car crossed the center line and rammed into a Mack truck. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Mr. Gavigan was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

The other driver, John Campbell, 44, of Unionville, suffered moderate injuries and was taken to the Northeast Medical Center in Kirksville.