Clarksdale Happenings, September 2026

 CLARKSDALE HAPPENINGS  

September 2026

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

Labour Day (City Hall Closed) Sept 7th

CAF Board Mtg             Sept 8th             (6:30pm City Hall)

Patriot Day                    Sept 11th

Grandparents Day        Sept 13th

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

Autumn Starts Sept 22nd

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

Clarksdale Advancement Foundation (CAF) - Come on by to see how we are working to make Advances in Clarksdale! Meetings are on the 2nd Tuesday of the month! Next meeting Sept. 8th, at 6:30pm @ City Hall.   Help with the 5K, Halloween, and Breakfast with Santa.   All are Welcome!!! 

 5K Fun Run on Sat. 9-12-26 - Come join us! The City of Clarksdale and CAF are hosting a 5K Fun Run in Remembrance of 25 years since 9/11 and America’s 250th  anniversary! We wish to honor all those who sacrifice and give as much of their lives in the military and first responders. Looking for volunteers and participants.  Look for flyers, posts, or call City Hall or CAF for more details. 

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.

The Clarksdale Lions Club is having a Smoked Porkchop Dinner Sunday, Sept 13th, 2026, 11-1pm at the Lions Hall. $10 for 10 and under and $15 for others.  All are Welcome!

Walking Trail - Is under some construction. We are pursuing some grants for picnic tables and benches to put along the trail, taking out dead trees and seeking grants to plant some trees, and seeking to extend the trail. All different things that take time. Please be patient through the whole process.

Live! Paperless water bills! Sign up for paperless bills at https://clarksdale-mo.com/bill-payment.After you hit the green BILL PAYMENT > Pay Your Bill Now >  then under the login button, click the Sign Up button

Clarksdale Ordinance Chapter 43 - REQUIRE ADDRESS NUMBERS BE DISPLAYED

 43.010: ALL HOUSES NUMBERED. All houses and buildings fronting on public streets in the City of Clarksdale shall be numbered and shall be numbered in accordance with the master plan of numbering as written below.

 43.030: DISPLAY OF NUMBERS.  Address numbers shall be a minimum of four (4) inches in height and shall be located either near a building’s main entrance, above the garage door, or on a surface that is easily visible from the street of address.  Additional displays of assigned numbers may be displayed at the property owner’s discretion.  Assigned numbers shall be displayed with Arabic numerals in a color that contrasts with the color of the subject house or building.  Address displays in script are prohibited.  Houses or buildings that are setback more than one hundred (100) feet from a street  shall be required to display address numbers within fifty (50) feet of the street, on a surface that is easily visible from the street of address.

Bus Stop Safety

BEST PRACTICES GUIDE - REDUCING THE ILLEGAL PASSING OF SCHOOL BUSES

The greatest risk to your child is not riding a bus, but approaching or leaving one. Before your child goes back to school or starts school for the first time, it’s important for you and your child to know traffic safety rules. Teach your child to follow these practices to make school bus transportation safer.

FOR PARENTS - PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

Safety Starts at the Bus Stop

Your child should arrive at the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive. Visit the bus stop and show your child where to wait for the bus: at least three giant steps (six feet) away from the curb. Remind your child that the bus stop is not a place to run or play.

Get On and Off Safely

When the school bus arrives, your child should wait until the bus comes to a complete stop, the door opens, and the driver says it’s okay before approaching the bus door. Your child should use the handrails to avoid falling.

Use Caution Around the Bus

Your child should never walk behind a school bus. If your child must cross the street in front of the bus, tell him/her to walk on a sidewalk or along the side of the street to a place at least five giant steps (10 feet) in front of the bus before crossing. Your child should also make eye contact with the bus driver before crossing to make sure the driver can see him/her. If your child drops something near the school bus, like a ball or book, the safest thing is for your child to tell the bus driver right away. Your child should not try to pick up the item, because the driver might not be able to see him/her.

FOR DRIVERS

Make school bus transportation safer for everyone by following these practices:

•       When backing out of a driveway or leaving a garage, watch out for children walking or bicycling to school.
•       When driving in neighborhoods with school zones, watch out for young people who may be thinking about getting to school, but may not be thinking of getting there safely.
•       Slow down. Watch for children walking in the street, especially if there are no sidewalks in the neighborhood.
•       Watch for children playing and congregating near bus stops.
•       Be alert. Children arriving late for the bus may dart into the street without looking for traffic.
•       Learn and obey the school bus laws in your state, as well as the "flashing signal light system" that school bus drivers use to alert motorists of pending actions:

o   Yellow flashing lights indicate the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. Motorists should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles.

o   Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate the bus has stopped and children are getting on or off. Motorists must stop their cars and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop-arm is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving before they can start driving again.

National Preparedness Month

FEMA’s Ready Campaign has observed National Preparedness Month since 2004 to encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies. The month is a great time to take small steps to make a big difference in being prepared.

Preparedness Starts at Home, the 2025 theme, focuses on getting back to the essentials of preparedness. In addition to sharing the tips, messages and graphics you can find on Ready.gov, there are four key actions you can take to prepare for any disaster you may face:

• Know your risk
• Know what could happen where you and your family live. This helps you figure out what you need to do to stay safe. You can explore various disasters and emergencies on Ready.gov.  
• Make a family emergency plan
• Making a plan early helps you reduce stress and save time and money. Follow four easy steps and create a free Family Emergency Plan quickly and easily with our fillable form.
• Disasters are costly but preparing for them doesn’t have to be. Taking time to prepare now can help save you thousands of dollars and give you peace of mind when the next disaster or emergency occurs. Visit Ready.gov’s low and no-cost tip page to see how you can be better prepared without spending a lot of money.
• Build an emergency supply kit
• Having enough food, water and medicine can help you stay safe and comfortable until help arrives. Having what you need can also prevent injury and damage to your home.
• Build a go-bag with all the essentials you might need, so you don’t need to scramble in an evacuation situation. Find a list of supplies at Build A Kit.
• Get involved in your community by taking action to prepare for emergencies
• Emergencies can happen fast, and emergency responders aren’t always nearby. You may be able to save a life by taking simple actions immediately. You can learn these steps when you take a first aid class through many organizations in your community..
• Join a Community Emergency Response Team program and get trained on basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations.
• Take a free online independent study course through FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute or a CPR course through the American Red Cross to learn more about how to help your community become more prepared.