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Clarksdale Happenings, March 2026

February 26, 2026

 CLARKSDALE HAPPENINGS

March 2026

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

Day Light Savings Time Begins March 8th

CAF meeting           March 10th

St. Patrick’s Day           March 17th

City Council Mtg         March 17th

(6:30pm City Hall)

Spring Begins         March 20th

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

Automatic Bill Pay and email notifications - are both available. Go to our web-site https://clarksdale-mo.com, hit the green Bill Pay button, the green Pay Your Bill Now button. It will take you to a new page. Sign Up if you haven’t yet, or sign In if you have already signed up. When you are on your home page, in the bottom left corner there should say Auto Pay: Off (Update). Click update, and follow prompts.  

Clarksdale Advancement Foundation (CAF) - Next meeting March10th, at 6:30pm @ City Hall.  All are Welcome!!! 

CAF Valentines Dinner!  Thank you to all who participated in the Taco Dinner! Proceeds go to repairing the ramp.

Coming!!! CAF Easter Egg Hunt - April 4th, 2026, Starting at 1pm in Clarksdale City Park. Free will donations. Baked goods sale also. 

The Clarksdale  Lions Club - will be having our Monday night pitch tournaments at the Lions Hall at 7pm.   March 2nd.

Lions Sale - The Lions Club sale will be on April 18th. Deadline for all consignors for the auction is March 26th.

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.

Notice of Election - April 7th, 2026. The City of Clarksdale will not have anyone running for election, however there will still be voting for county questions and school board members to vote on.

Winter Weather - Find winter road conditions on MoDOT’s Traveler Information Map, http://traveler.modot.org/map/, visitors to modot.org can find information on plowing priorities, sharing the road with snow plows, equipping your vehicle for winter travel and much more.

Following a disaster there may be power outages that could last for several days. Stock canned foods, dry mixes and other staples that do not require refrigeration, cooking, water or special preparation. Be sure to include a manual can opener and eating utensils.

Suggested Emergency Food Supplies

Consider the following things when putting together your emergency food supplies:

  • Store at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food.
  • Choose foods your family will eat.
  • Remember any special dietary needs.

We suggest the following items when selecting emergency food supplies. You may already have many of these on hand. Download the Recommended Supplies List (PDF).

Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, vegetables and a can opener

  • Protein or fruit bars
  • Dry cereal or granola
  • Peanut butter
  • Dried fruit
  • Canned juices
  • Non-perishable pasteurized milk
  • High-energy foods
  • Food for infants
  • Comfort/stress foods

Food Safety and Sanitation

Without electricity or a cold source food stored in refrigerators and freezers can become unsafe. Bacteria in food grow rapidly at temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit and if these foods are consumed you can become very sick. Thawed food usually can be eaten if it is still “refrigerator cold.” It can be re-frozen if it still contains ice crystals. Remember “When in doubt, throw it out.”

Do:

  • Keep food in covered containers.
  • Keep cooking and eating utensils clean.
  • Throw away any food that has come into contact with contaminated flood water.
  • Throw away any food that has been at room temperature for two hours or more.
  • Throw away any food that has an unusual odor, color or texture.
  • Use ready-to-feed formula. If you must mix infant formula use bottled water or boiled water as a last resort.

Don’t:

  • Eat foods from cans that are swollen, dented or corroded, even though the product may look safe to eat.
  • Eat any food that looks or smells abnormal, even if the can looks normal.
  • Let garbage accumulate inside, both for fire and sanitation reasons.

Cooking

Alternative cooking sources can be used in times of emergency including candle warmers, chafing dishes, fondue pots or a fireplace. Charcoal grills and camp stoves are for outdoor use only. Commercially canned food may be eaten out of the can without warming.

To heat food in a can:

  1. Remove the label.
  2. Thoroughly wash and disinfect the can. (Use a diluted solution of one part bleach to 10 parts water.)
  3. Open the can before heating.

Managing Food without Power

Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.

The refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours if it is unopened.

Refrigerated or frozen foods should be kept at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below for proper food storage.

Use a refrigerator thermometer to check temperature.

  • Refrigerated food should be safe as long as the power was out for no more than four hours.
  • Discard any perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs or leftovers that have been above 40 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours or more.

Using Dry Ice:

  • Know where you can get dry ice prior to a power outage.
  • Twenty-five pounds of dry ice will keep a 10 cubic foot freezer below freezing for three to four days.
  • If you use dry ice to keep your food cold, make sure it does not come in direct contact with the food.
  • Use care when handling dry ice. Wear dry, heavy gloves to avoid injury.

For more information about food safety during an emergency visit FoodSafety.gov.