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Clarksdale Happenings, July 2025

July 01, 2025

CLARKSDALE HAPPENINGS

July 2025

"There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about." – Margaret J. Wheatley

Independence Day (City Hall Closed) 

July 3rd & 4th

City Council Mtg (6:30pm City Hall) July 15th

https://clarksdale-mo.com/ Find this newsletter, pay your bill, official minutes, reports, agendas, news about current projects, and more! 

Live! Paperless water bills! Sign up for paperless bills at https://clarksdale-mo.com/bill-payment.

Movie Night at the Ball Park! -  Come on down to the Clarksdale Ball Field and enjoy a movie and popcorn with us! July 11th @ around 9pm. For our inaugural showing it will be a baseball themed show like the Sandlot or the Rookie. Bring your own chairs or blanket to sit on. Join us for a fun summer evening! 

Clarksdale Baptist Church - Vacation Bible School- I Wonder - July 17th - July 19th, 5:30 - 8:30pm @ Clarksdale Baptist Church Sunday - Church in the Park @ 10:30 am

Clarksdale Christian Church - Vacation Bible School- True North- Aug 10th- 14th. Aug 10th, 6 to 8:30 pm @ Clarksdale City Park.  Foam Party Kiddies’ please wear your bathing suits. Aug 11th - 13th 6pm to 8:30 pm. Meal, Songs, Bible Lessons, Crafts, Games & Snacks @ Christian Church. Aug 14th: Family Night 6pm Spaghetti & trimmings, Bible lessons, songs & closings.

The Clarksdale  Lions Club meets every 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month and we welcome anyone to come and hear what our club does for the community and we are always looking for new members.

Clarksdale Advancement Foundation (CAF) - Next meeting Aug. 11th, at 6pm @ City Hall.  All are Welcome!!! We will be starting to plan for Trunk-or-Treat with our Haunted House, Candy, Chili Cook-Off, Carved Pumpkin Contest, and more. Need volunteers!!!

Reminder - When approaching an unmarked intersection, it should be treated like a four-way stop. With school out we need to be mindful of the children out of school. They are not always paying attention.

If you didn’t make it to the dog clinic, you can bring proof of rabies shot, plus proof of alteration to city hall to register your dog(s). $3 ea if altered, $7 ea if unaltered. 

Surveys - 50% of you have been so helpful and filled it out and returned the survey. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!  But we NEED  85% participation before we can turn it in to complete it.  It is completely anonymous. Mo-Kan makes City Hall randomly numbered address labels, we number a survey and stuff it into an envelope with a stamped return envelope.  It goes to Mo-Kan. We DO NOT see it, and they don’t have names. Completely anonymous. But SO helpful! Once we get all of them back and determine our status, we can apply for more grants.  Like the $2,500,000.00 Water project putting in new water lines, and the $456,633.00 Streets Grant for resurfacing most of our streets. Our previous income survey helped us qualify for those gants. PLEASE help us qualify for more, we know things are not getting cheaper! If you need another survey, contact city hall, 816-393-5363

Pop's EventsPop's Presents: Hootin' & Hollerin' Dekalb County Style

Hey Y'all!! We've caught our breath a little bit and want to reach out to many of those that helped us make the Dekalb County event happen and remind you how very appreciated you are!! If we have missed you on this list, please know we sure appreciate you too! We were blessed with a lot of people and organizations that came to the table.

Even though the rain was really rough on all of us, including our poor festival vendors, we truly appreciate all of those that stuck it out with us that morning. When the sun came out, so did the people and we ended up with one heck of a show! Now, some have compared it to a little Woodstock with all of that water and mud, lol, but they still had a blast! If the sun would have shown all day, imagine what a time we would have had. We hope all of you will come back and help us make it bigger and better next year!!

City of Clarksdale (HUGE THANK YOU!!), Clarksdale Advancement Foundation Tascha Kelley Hays, Zech Hays and several more (Thank you for bringing us to Clarksdale and introducing us to all of our new friends!), City of Maysville, Mayor Ron Pearl, Clint Sollars & Jarnik Buses Peoples Transportation,

Tammy Dawson (Thank you for all your work behind the scenes!), Dekalb County Emergency Management Team, Take A Bounce, Matt DeShon, Talon Equipment,Candlewood Inn & Suites, St. Joseph MO, Windy Wine Company, Scotty's Towing and Recovery (Giant Thank You), Hy-Vee, Anderson Outdoor (HUGE THANK YOU!), Slice and A Swirl, King City Lumber, Central Disposal Service CDS, Missouri American Water (HUGE THANK YOU!), Ag-Power, Inc., J&R Produce and More (beautiful floral displays), Gary W Campbell (CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH),Dale Buhman (CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH), Michael Hughes, Mike & Kara Hughes, Craig Lehman

Stephen & Dana Pate (YOU FLEW TO BE THERE!), Sherry & Ally O'Dell, Alex Rutledge & American Roots Outdoors with Alex Rutledge, Dennis & Cynthia Dees, Mike Hoerner, Bobby Barnes & @Tammi Overway, Big Toy Graphics, Stephanie at F&S Excavating

#thankyou #PopsEvents #festival #concert #stjoemo #clarksdaleadvancementfoundation #friends #family #takesavillage #community

Save the Date! Trunk-or-Treat will be on Oct. 25th this year, and Breakfast with Santa will be Dec 13th. 

If you didn’t make it to the dog clinic, you can bring proof of rabies shot, plus proof of alteration to city hall to register your dog(s). $3 ea if altered, $7 ea if unaltered

Take Simple Steps

Being #SummerReady means understanding your risk of extreme heat and taking steps now to prepare.  

Tips for Everyone

  • Learn the signs of heat-related illnesses and ways to respond from the CDC. 
  • Fans alone aren’t enough in high heat + high humidity. Get inside in air conditioning or go to a public place like the library, museum, or shopping mall to beat the heat. 
  • NEVER leave children or pets alone in hot vehicles! Heat can rise in a car, up to 20 degrees in just 10 minutes. 
  • During extreme heat, check on family, friends, and neighbors who do not have air conditioning and who spend much of their time alone. 
  • Roughly 40% of unwanted heat buildup in our homes is through windows. Use awnings or curtains to keep the heat out. 
  • Use your oven less during extreme heat advisories and warnings so you don’t make your house hotter. 

Tips for Your Specific Needs

Some people have situations that need a little more attention. Find unique tips below for what you need.

"I need ideas that don't cost a lot of money."

Identify places in your community where you can go to get cool such as libraries and shopping malls or contact your local health department to find cooling options in your area. 

Check the weather stripping on doors and windows to keep the cool air in. 

Have multiple ways to move air and reduce the temperature in your home. Fans create a sense of comfort, but may not be enough to reduce body temperature or prevent heat-related illnesses.  

"I am an older adult."

Do not stay home alone during a summer power outage or an extreme heat event. 

Make sure a trusted friend or relative has an extra key to your home, knows where you keep your emergency supplies and can use lifesaving equipment or administer medicine. 

  • Drink fluids regularly to avoid getting dehydrated and overheated. Talk to your doctor about whether you need fluids with extra electrolytes in the heat. 
  • Be careful with the amount of time you spend outdoors. Take frequent breaks to come back inside, cool off, and drink fluids that don’t have caffeine. 

"I work outside."

Make sure you drink LOTS of water to stay hydrated and prevent dehydration, heat stroke & more. 

Use cloths or even a T-shirt from the freezer to wear around your neck during extreme heat advisories or warnings.  

Take frequent breaks to hydrate and cool down. 

  • Wear a hat wide enough to protect your face. 

"I have a health condition that makes the heat really hard on my body."

Work with your support network if you have one - caregivers, neighbors, family and friends - to monitor and address your heat-related needs. Have them check in with you regularly to ensure you are safe and healthy. 

Read the side effects of medications and talk with your doctor about how heat exposure will interact with them. 

Keep a cooler and cold packs nearby to help keep refrigerated medicine, like insulin, cool during a power outage. 

Know the phone numbers and locations for local medical facilities, such as hospitals or nursing homes, to create contingency plans if you cannot access cooling options, lose power, or need more help. 

For more tips, go to Ready.gov/disability.

"I live somewhere that makes the heat seem worse."

Have an emergency plan that includes the location of cooling shelters and other possible locations with air-conditioning, such as an air-conditioned home of someone from your support network. Plan ahead to coordinate accessible transportation to/from one of these locations. 

  • If you don’t have air conditioning but have access to a freezer, place cloths and light items of clothing in there to freeze and then wear them during heat advisories and warnings. 
  • Try to stay in shaded areas if you must be outside. 
  • Carry water and other liquids with you if you plan to be away from home for a while and will be outside or on public transportation. 

Summer Safety Tips

Summer months are a common time to spend time outdoors or to take vacations and travel. While these activities can be a fun and refreshing break from day-to-day responsibilities, it’s important to stay safe.

Outdoor Recreation Safety

Before heading out for an outdoor adventure in a park, on lakes, rivers and the beach make sure you do some research ahead of time. This is especially important if you’re visiting an area with different weather or climate risks you may not be used to.

The National Park Service Health and Safety webpage has information about planning a fun and safe adventure and information about wildlife and outdoor hazards.

Pool and Water Safety for Children:

Being around water can be especially dangerous for young children. Children can drown in as little as 2 inches of water. Drownings are 100% preventable by following these water safety tips:

  • Always watch children in or near water. Never leave them unattended, not even for short periods of time.
  • Install safety devices like barriers, covers and alarms around your pool or spa.
  • Learn to swim and teach children how to swim.
  • Ensure all pools and spas have compliant drain covers and teach children to stay away from them.

Water Safety for Everyone:

  • Swim with a friend. Even strong swimmers should make sure they are in the water with someone else who can swim.
  • Know how to perform CPR on children and adults.
  • At the beach or in a lake, only swim in areas with a lifeguard on duty. Follow all signs and warnings.
  • Stay alert to rip currents. Check water conditions before going in by looking at the local beach forecast before you leave. Visit the National Weather Service Before You Go in the Water page to learn more about what to do if you’re caught in a rip current.
  • Keep an eye on the weather forecast. If a thunderstorm approaches when you are swimming or near water, get out of the water and seek shelter in a house, large building or car with its windows closed.
  • Know how deep the water is. Do not dive into the water if you don’t know how deep it is. Diving into shallow water can cause serious injury or death. Even strong swimmers should be aware when they are in deep water.

Boat owners and passenger safety

Hotel and short-term rental safety

Whether you are staying in a hotel or a short-term rental, remember to stay fire safe.

  • Choose hotels and motels that have hard-wired smoke alarms and an automatic fire sprinkler system in each guest room.
  • Read the fire evacuation plan carefully.
  • Find the closest fire exits from your room and count the number of doors between your room and the exits.

It’s important to know that short term rentals are not regulated like hotels or motels. Practice home safety like you do at home. Be sure:

  • Everyone knows the address of the rental.
  • There are working smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the rental.
  • You choose an outside meeting place a safe distance from the rental.

Grilling Safety

  • Only use a grill outside and keep a 3-foot safety zone around it, away from siding, deck rains and eaves. Open your gas grill before lighting it.
  • Clean your grill after each use.
  • If using a charcoal grill, after cooking your food place the coals and ash in a metal can with a lid once they have cooled.