Missouri Department of Revenue to allow additional time to renew motor vehicle registrations and driver licenses

The Plattsburg License Office, 102 East Maple Street have closed their office to walk-in traffic until April 6, 2020, due to the COVID-19 virus. They will resume regular business hours at that time, unless advised otherwise by officials. Their regular hours are: Monday – Friday 8:30 – 5:00 pm; Saturday 9-Noon. The Driver testing (written and driving) has been cancelled until April 6 as well. The office will continue to answer phone calls during regular business hours. If not answered, leave a message and they will return phone calls.

Missouri Department of Revenue allows additional time to renew motor vehicle registrations and driver licenses
Vehicle owners with registrations (license plates) expiring in the months of March and April have been granted an automatic two-month extension and will be able to continue operating their vehicles on Missouri roadways without penalty until they can apply for renewal. For complete details visit the Clinton County Leader website: www.clintoncountyleader.com/blog/march-23rd-2020

Valid Missouri driver licenses (Class A, B, C, E, F and M), non-driver licenses and noncommercial instruction permits with original expiration dates of March 1, 2020, through April 30, 2020, have been granted an automatic 60-day extension; these licenses and permits will be considered to have a valid status for driving and local document acceptance purposes. http://www.clintoncountyleader.com/blog/march-23rd-2020

Get answers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with the help of DORA, the Department’s virtual assistant chatbot, which is programmed to respond to common taxation, motor vehicle and driver licensing questions.

Real ID license enforcement extended
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf Statement:
“Due to circumstances resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the national emergency declaration, the Department of Homeland Security, as directed by President Donald J. Trump, is extending the REAL ID enforcement deadline beyond the current October 1, 2020 deadline. I have determined that states require a twelve-month delay and that the new deadline for REAL ID enforcement is October 1, 2021. DHS will publish a notice of the new deadline in the Federal Register in the coming days.

​For close to twenty years, only two head coaches have roamed the East Buchanan sidelines every fall.
                While other football programs within the KCI Conference saw a revolving door of head coaches, East Buchanan built a winning legacy under the guidance of Ron Musser and Kevin Bryan. With the retirement of Coach Bryan, who has been East Buchanan’s head coach since 2007, at the end of the school year, East Buchanan will be welcoming in their third head coach since 2000 – Daniel Ritter.
                “I was looking for community,” Ritter said about the opportunity to coach at East Buchanan. “Knowing everyone’s name, and getting to know people and be part of a small-town atmosphere. St. Joseph has a lot of positives, but as far as a small-town feel, I don’t think it has that. I wanted to be part of something where it’s a close-knit community, and this fits that perfectly.”
                Taking over a program with such a storied history is something Coach Ritter knows will be a challenge, but it is also something he is ready to take head-on.
                “I have some big shoes to fill following the great men that have been at East Buchanan. I don’t think I look at it as pressure. I’m just trying to continue on the legacy that was already built here,” Ritter said. “It’s much harder to come into a place that doesn’t have a legacy and turn that around. I’ve got a pretty sweet gig right here – a very successful program to be able to just step in and go with it... while adding my own spin on it and adding energy to the program.”
In Coach Ritter, East Buchanan brings in a young coach making his debut at the helm of a program.
                Ritter, who played football at Missouri Western State University and graduated in 2012, began his coaching career at Mid-Buchanan. Serving as an assistant to former East Buchanan head coach Ron Musser during Musser’s only year at Mid-Buchanan in 2013, Ritter had the opportunity to learn from one of the KCI Conference’s most respected head coaches.

“My very first year I was the defensive coordinator with Ron Musser at Mid-Buchanan,” Ritter said. “We had a pretty good season but ran into some really tough competition at the end. Coach Musser was a great person to get my start under.”
                After working at Mid-Buchanan Ritter took a job at Central High School and worked under former Plattsburg head coach Jeff Wallace. He started as the freshman head coach before transitioning into junior varsity and then as an assistant coach for the varsity squad. “I had a lot of roles at Central,” Ritter said. “That was another great opportunity for me to continue to grow as a coach.”
                Being a first-year head coach entering the KCI Conference. Ritter knows that he and his eventual coaching staff will have their hands full within the toughest small-school conference in the state of Missouri.
                “I know there is a lot of history within the conference. There are good teams all around,” Ritter said. “So many of the teams are powerhouses and tons of teams have won state championships or have played for a state championship. I understand the talent level we will be going against and that’s what makes it fun. To beat people when the competition is high, that’s big time.”

MSHP Suspends All Written And Driver Road Testing Statewide

Colonel Eric T. Olson, Superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol announces that the Patrol is immediately suspending all written and skills-based driver road testing at all locations through April 6, 2020. This includes operator, commercial driver license and motorcycle testing. The Patrol is monitoring the status of the COVID-19 pandemic and will update the public on testing as more information becomes available.

This request is based on the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that are designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol appreciates the public’s cooperation in this effort to ensure public safety.

March 21, 2020
JEFFERSON CITY  --
Guidance on 90-day extension to file and pay individual and corporate income tax

• Filing deadline extended: The deadline to file income tax returns has been extended from April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020.
• Payment relief for individuals and corporations: Income tax payment deadlines for individual and corporate income returns with a due date of April 15, 2020, are extended until July 15, 2020. This payment relief applies to all individual income tax returns, income tax returns filed by C Corporations, and income tax returns filed by trusts or estates. The Department of Revenue will automatically provide this relief, so filers do not need to take any additional steps to qualify.
• This relief for individuals and corporations will also include estimated tax payments for tax year 2020 that are due on April 15, 2020.
• Penalties and interest will begin to accrue on any remaining unpaid balances as of July 16, 2020. Individuals and corporations that file their return or request an extension of time to file by July 15, 2020, will automatically avoid interest and penalties on the tax paid by July 15.

Guidance on 60-day extension of expiring driver licenses, nondriver licenses and instruction permits

• Valid Missouri driver licenses (Class A, B, C, E, F and M), nondriver licenses and noncommercial instruction permits with original expiration dates of March 1, 2020, through April 30, 2020, have been granted an automatic 60-day extension; these licenses and permits will be considered to have a valid status for driving and local document acceptance purposes. For example, a driver license with an original expiration date of March 1, 2020, will be considered valid until April 30, 2020. Similarly, a driver license with an original expiration date of April 30, 2020, will be considered valid until June 29, 2020.
• Personal driving records on file with the Department of Revenue may not reflect extended expiration dates.
• The extension does not apply to document holders whose lawful status end date is the same as the expiration date on their driver license, nondriver license or instruction permit.
• The approved extension does not waive the mandatory retesting requirement for persons who have allowed their license to expire for more than 184 days pursuant to Section 302.173 RSMo.
• Individuals who were provided notice to complete additional testing as part of a medical review program requirement may be granted an additional 60 days to comply with such requirements.

 
Guidance on two-month extension of expiring motor vehicle registrations

• Vehicle owners with registrations (license plates) expiring in the months of March and April have been granted an automatic two-month extension and will be able to continue operating their vehicles on Missouri roadways without penalty until they can apply for renewal. Vehicle owners with license plates expiring in March 2020 will have until May 31, 2020, to renew their license plates without paying a late penalty at a license office. Similarly, vehicle owners with license plates expiring in April 2020 will have until June 30, 2020, to renew without paying a late penalty.
• The time frame in which a vehicle safety and emission inspection is valid for the March and April license plate expirations will also be extended an additional 60 days.
• For waiver of late registration penalty and extension of the safety and emission inspection time frame, vehicle owners must visit a license office.
• Applicants for title will not be assessed a late title penalty when visiting a license office, effective immediately. This waiver will continue through April 30, 2020.
• Department of Revenue online services and resources
• Get up-to-date information on license office closures and hours of operation by visiting: dor.mo.gov/offloc/.
• Determine what is required to renew a registration by visiting: mydmv.mo.gov/renewalrequirements.
• Vehicle owners with a license plate renewal notice that indicates a PIN (personal identification number) can renew online at: dor.mo.gov/motorv/plates/renew.php.
• Electronic tax filing and payment options are available.
• The Tax Return Status Tracker allows customers to enroll in automatic text and email alerts that are sent each time the status of their return is updated.
• Get answers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with the help of DORA, the Department’s virtual assistant chatbot, which is programmed to respond to common taxation, motor vehicle and driver licensing questions.

Currently THE PLATTSBURG LICENSE OFFICE is closed to walk-in customers. Our intention is to re-open on April 6, 2020. We will continue to monitor our phone to answer questions. If unavailable, please leave a message and we will return your calls- 816-539-2006, Text 816-592-0176 – fax 816-539-2094

We apologize for the inconvenience,
Pam McBride, manager
Steve Tinnen, agent

As America comes to grips with the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing, entities throughout Clinton County have been quick to react.

Both the East Buchanan C-1 and Lathrop R-II School Districts canceled school and activities for this week as they prepare for the possibility of extended closures. The Clinton County R-III School District is sure to follow suit, but already had the week scheduled off for spring break. CCR-III has also suspended activities and athletics until further notice.
    
The City of Gower has closed city hall and the police department to face-to-face business. City hall has a drop box for residents to pay utilities. The staff will continue to work normal business hours and can be contacted by phone.
  
 The City of Lathrop has also closed city hall to face-to-face business while also closing the Betty Brazelton Community Room to any and all events. City hall has a dropbox for all utility payments. The city’s recycling drop off behind the Lathrop Fire Department is also closed due to Clinco’s closure in Cameron.
    
The City of Plattsburg has also closed city hall through March 31 or until health professionals advise otherwise. Plattsburg City Hall has a dropbox for utility payments or customers can pay online on the city’s website. The city will be sending out updates through its new Nixle mobile phone notification service (read more about Nixle on page A3 of this issue).
  

Installation of new telephone equipment at an estimated cost of $330,000 is on schedule for Gower exchange customers according to C.E. Walters, General Telephone area manager.
The estimated cost of the building is $40,000, central office equipment $90,000 and outside plant facilities $200,000.
This will provide one-party and four-party telephone service for all and will begin in early August, 1970, when the new Gower office will become operational. At this time, all rural 10-party service in the exchange will be eliminated.
Mr. Walters said plans for the new Gower central office call for a 20 percent increase in lines serving the nearly 400 customers in the exchange. The new office will also have space for additional equipment to meet future growth of the town and an anticipated increased demand for one-party telephone service.
An important change in connection with the service improvements will be assignment of new telephone numbers for Gower customers.
Present Gower telephone numbers will continue to be used until early August while the present central office is in use and new numbers will be used after that date.
New telephone numbers will be assigned in the near future and residence customers will be informed of their numbers in late July, shortly before they should be used.
Business customers will be contacted regarding their new telephone numbers as soon as the numbers are assigned.
Mr. Walters emphasized that General Telephone will inform any customers of his new telephone number on request as soon as it is available. He said customers should call the General Telephone business office at Plattsburg for this new number information.

​The Gower City Council spent most of their meeting Monday, March 9, discussing how best to deal with deteriorating condition of city streets.  
                The council has been discussing the street issue since November, and with input from City Attorney Joe Gagnon, they decided to move toward a November 2020 ballot issue for a one-percent capital improvements sales tax with a sunset clause.
                Alderman Kenny Pike will be working with City Administrator Carroll Fisher to make a list of streets and roads which need the most attention, but some discussion included Smith Street, Fourth Street, and County Line Road (from 169 Highway to H Highway), although other locations were also discussed. They will also put together projected figures for what a one-percent sales tax might generate annually.
                Fisher had told the council last year that some of the streets were in such poor condition that without attention, the street could be totally lost due to base erosion, and that the current city budget for street repairs did not allow city staff to adequately address all of the  needs.
                According to City Attorney Joe Gagnon, the city can designate a capital use sales tax from an eighth of a percent up to one percent, but those monies can only be used for the designated capital improvements designated by the ballot language, and depending on when the council determines to bring the issue to the voters.
                The council also discussed the possibility of a retirement community coming to the city. The developer had contacted Mayor Chip Holman about the possibility of annexation into the city. The project, which is in the discussion stages, would include single-family and multi-family housing, with the possibility of assisted living facilities in the final stage.
                Gagnon told the mayor and council that voluntary annexation was pretty straight forward, but it was another issue if the city was designating an area to annex without the landowners’ request for that action.
                The only business not to get full council support was an ordinance related to municipal merchants licenses. Currently, the city receives $15 from each business and that fee will be increased to $25 annually. Alderman Randy Jameson was the lone dissenting vote on this issue, as the rest of the council members and the mayor supported this issue.
                In other city business, the council approved a letter presented by City Clerk Gwen Ballou to be sent out to water customers regarding the city’s collection of past due water bills. They discussed and approved some facework for the council chambers, such as chair rails and painting.
                Ms. Ballou also informed the council members that a state judge had visited the municipal court last week, spent a long day looking at the court operations, made some verbal comments about suggested changes, and will be sending a written report with recommendations to the municipal court. She did say that adjustments to court costs and fines as required by law had been made.
                Under miscellaneous items, Mayor Holman informed the council about the East Buchanan girls basketball team qualifying for state semifinals on Friday, March 13, and informed them that a sendoff would be held for the team prior to leaving for state on Thursday, March 12, on Railroad Street at 10 a.m.
                With no other business, the council meeting was adjourned at 7:54 p.m. The next city council meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 6, at 7 p.m.

March 9

• Sacks to Mats from 6:30-8 p.m.  at the TriCounty Ambulance, 1703 W. 116 Hwy., Plattsburg.
• Tai Chi classes for 60 years old and up at The Gathering Place from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Preregistration is required. Call Micky at 816-368-8816 to register.

 
March 10

• Lathrop High School Blood Drive from 2-7 p.m. in the Commons Area.
• Chair Yoga at The Gathering Place, 113 N. Main, Plattsburg. Begins at 10 a.m. Open to all ages.

 
March 11

• Tai Chi classes for 60 years old and up at The Gathering Place from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Preregistration is required. Call Micky at 816-368-8816 to register.

 
March 12

• Stewartsville Area Blood Drive from 2-6 p.m. at the Stewartsville High School Gym.
• Lathrop Middle School Spring Plat, begins at 7pm

​The smooth path of United Fiber’s internet, phone and TV service to Plattsburg has recently proven to be one with potholes, as major outages of the service have the businesses and residents wondering what has gone wrong. 
                The service outage was not just in Plattsburg but throughout United Fiber’s service area, which includes Cameron, Country Club, Excelsior Springs, Gower, Hopkins, King City, Lawson, Maysville, Maryville, Pickering, Savannah, Stanberry, Stewartsville and Union Star.
                With a reputation for reliability since providing service to the Clinton County Courthouse in November 2016, the company has suffered notable outages beginning on February 20, followed by intermittent or no service on Tuesday, Feb. 25, and Wednesday, Feb. 26. Their emergency maintenance repair on Thursday morning from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. failed to correct the problem that had plagued the system on the previous days.
                Niki Dalton, business development manager for the company, released a summary about the most recent outage. She said the outages on Tuesday and Wednesday were due to a power controller on their main battery backup array. When the battery backup failed, it caused a complete power failure that led to the outages on Tuesday and Wednesday. The company’s engineers worked to get the network restored by 3:15 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 27, and continued to perform maintenance until the network was stabilized by mid-morning.
                Ms. Dalton added that network performance was also impacted during this time by a large broadcast data storm. This caused their main network up-links throughout their network to go up and down. United Fiber was able to engage some of their network partners to restore stability that day. Their company has acquired new hardware and software that will detect these issues sooner. It is set to be installed shortly.
                In the next few weeks, she said United will be fast-tracking a larger upgrade process that was scheduled for later this year. This will provide new access and routing network components, basically doubling their capacity and creating another layer of redundancy. In addition, they are constructing an extra fiber route (approximately 5 miles) to improve network topology. This will help in mitigating future issues with the system.
                In regard to the power backup failure, a new backup plan is being engineered that will be implemented in the next 60 days.
                “Our current configuration had worked flawlessly for over five years and we expect the new unit to provide similar performance,” Dalton said. “However, we are adding a second unit to provide a redundant solution so the power fault we experienced will not expose a single risk to the network.”
                On Sunday, March 1, United Fiber subscribers had issues with their streaming TV service. Ms. Dalton released the following explanation on the outage.
                “Please be advised that a transport provider for one of our links to a major data center in Kansas City has an issue on their network. This took down our traffic for our streaming TV service for roughly 15 minutes before we failed over to a redundant link. It is important to note that this does not have any relation to any of the recent outages we have had. This is purely an issue on a transport provider’s network and is affecting several of their links.”
                Additional outages will affect United Fiber customers as they schedule repairs. Eric Furr, network operations manager, released the following information about repair work scheduled on Monday, March 9, from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. He said during this time there will be a full service outage for video, data and phone. He stressed the point-to-point circuits would not be affected.
                “Outage time is not expected to last for the duration of the maintenance window. The expected outage time is 30 minutes to an hour, as physical links are moved and connectivity verified,” he said in the release.
                He said the upgrade to the new hardware had been planned for this year, but with the recent events, they have decided to move up the timeline.
                “This new core infrastructure will provide a significant amount more of compute power and uplink capabilities at our network’s core. This is an important first step of many to get the network, and ultimately your service, brought up to the standards that you expect,” Furr concluded.

EBHS' March Student of the Month is senior, Ethan Kilgore​!

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While at EBHS, Ethan has participated in basketball, football, FBLA, and NHS and plans to participate in track and golf this spring.
​
His awards and honors include being named as a 4-Year Honor Student, a 2 Sport All-State Athlete, and being crowned Courtwarming King.

​Next year, Ethan plans to attend the University of Idaho to continue his academic and athletic career.

Congratulations, Ethan!

March 6-7

• ​Allis Chalmers Swap Meet at the Lathrop Antique Show Grounds.
  
• East Buchanan Middle School Spring Play ‘James& the Giant Peach’, begins at 7 p.m. in the Elementary Gym.

 
March 7

• Gower Lions Club’s annual pancake/sausage supper at the East Buchanan Cafeteria from 5-7 p.m.
• Spring 5th Annual Craft & Vendor Show with 50+ booths from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. This is a fundraiser for  Family Worship Center Women’s and Youth Ministries.

 
March 8

• Daylight savings