Route NN in Stoddard County will be closed as Missouri Department of Transportation crews overlay the roadway.

This section of roadway is located from Route FF to County Road 570.

Weather permitting, work will take place Monday, May 3 through Wednesday, May 5 from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. The route will be open to local traffic only.

The work zone will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use extreme caution while traveling near the area.

For additional information, contact MoDOT’s Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT

Dexter Police Will Crack Down on Child Restraint Violations

Missouri Law Requires Children Under Eight to be Restrained in Child Safety Seat. 

Dexter, MO - Missouri law requires all children under the age of eight to be in an appropriate child safety seat or booster seat unless they are 80 lbs or 4’9” tall. 

Dexter Police announced today they are joining with law enforcement agencies across the state September 20th - 26th for the annual Child Passenger Safety Week Law Enforcement Campaign to help reduce highway fatalities and serious injuries by cracking down on Missouri’s child safety seat law violators. 

Car crashes are one of the leading killers of kids. The proper use of a booster seat can reduce the risk of serious injury by 45 percent for children aged 4-8 years when compared with a standard seat belt by itself. Using the proper child safety seat provides children with the greatest opportunity to survive a crash. 

Chief Trevor Pulley said regular child safety seat and safety belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes. 

Governor Mike Parson ordered U.S. and Missouri flags to be flown at half-staff at government buildings in St. Louis on Sunday, September 6, 2020.

This is in honor of St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Officer Tammaris L. Bohannon.

“At only 29 years of age, Officer Tamarris Bohannon had already established himself as a model public servant and law enforcement officer. In just four years with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, he was honored twice with the Department’s Award of Excellence and twice as Officer of the Month,” Governor Parson said. “Officer Bohannon’s courage, commitment to excellence in policing, and devotion to his young family and the St. Louis community are his lasting legacy. We will never forget all of the good Officer Bohannon accomplished in his brief time with us.”

The flags will be flown at half-staff on the day Officer Bohannon is laid to rest.

DRIVE SOBER THIS INDEPENDENCE DAY, AND EVERY DAY:

BUZZED DRIVING IS DRUNK DRIVING

Dexter, MO  - This Independence Day, Dexter Police and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration want to remind drivers that Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. Unfortunately, the summertime merrymaking can create dangerous road conditions, as some drivers hit the streets after drinking alcoholic beverages. Make sure you celebrate the birth of our nation safely. If you are under the influence of any substance and you choose to get behind the wheel of a vehicle, you put everyone in a vehicle on the road in danger, including yourself. During the Fourth of July holiday, make sure you plan for a safe weekend of festivities. 

According to NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, drunk driving accounted for 29% (10,511) of motor vehicle traffic crash deaths in 2018. With Fourth of July festivities wrapping up in the evening or late at night, more vehicles will be on the road at night. In 2018 alone, 193 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes over the July 4th holiday period (6 p.m. July 3 to 5:59 a.m. July 5). Forty percent (78) of those fatalities occurred in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. This compares to 2017 when 38% of the July 4 holiday period fatalities occurred in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. 

“We want our community to have a happy and safe Independence Day, one that they’ll remember for years to come, for all the right reasons,” said Chief Pulley. “We’ve partnered with NHTSA to help remind drivers that Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. Under no circumstance is it ever okay to drink and drive. This behavior is illegal, it’s deadly, and it’s selfish. Do everyone in your community a favor: If you’ve been drinking at a Fourth of July party, or for any occasion, find a sober ride home.” 

“If you are drunk or high, or even a little buzzed, we are begging you: Stay off the roads,” said Chief Pulley. “Drunk driving is deadly. If you plan to be the sober driver, then don’t indulge — your friends are relying on you.” 

Prepare for the Fourth 

This Fourth of July, Dexter Police and NHTSA urge drivers to designate a sober driver before heading out for the evening. If you plan on drinking, plan how you will get around without driving. 

Remember these tips for a safe night on the roads: 

• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you have had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely. 

• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact the Dexter Police Department. 

• Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and decide to get your friend home safely. 

This Fourth of July commit to driving 100-percent sober, because Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. 

Dexter, Missouri - Dexter Police reported 15 citations along with 23 warnings issued during the enforcement period, which ran from June 5th – 14th 2020. 

“Substance-Impaired driving is more than a reckless choice by a few individuals,” Chief Trevor Pulley. “Each year, impaired driving cost the lives of thousands on America’s highways. 

Dexter Police joined forces with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and nearly 10,000 law enforcement agencies across the country in this year’s Youth Alcohol Enforcement “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.