NORTHWEST
MISSOURIAN
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021
MARYVILLE, MISSOURI
NWMISSOURINEWS.COM
VOL. 110, NO. 13
@THEMISSOURIAN
MAKAYLA POLAK | NW MISSOURIAN
A clinic participant shows off his vaccination card to Jodi Griffin, quality improvement coordinator at Mosaic Life Care, after receiving his COVID-19 Pfizer booster shot in the Carl & Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse Nov. 8. The booster shots were available to people fully vaccinated with Pfizer before May 9.
COVID-19 cases surge, reach highest level in nearly a year
Increase to water, sewer rates passed at Council meeting QUENTIN MORRIS News Reporter | @TheMissourian
Maryville residents will see a increase in water rates by 13% and sewer rates by 28% over the next year after a vote from Maryville City Council at the Nov. 8 meeting. The goal of the rate change is to make sure the water system can maintain the city’s enterprise fund. An enterprise fund is a self-supporting government. According to NewGen Strategies & Solutions LLC, which was hired by the city in May to perform a comprehensive rate study, the amount of money raised by the current sewer and water rates was not enough to pay for the wa-
ter system. The Council passed the measure unanimously; mayor Benjamin Lipiec not present. In response to this study, the city will significantly increase both water and sewer rates. During the next two years, all customers will see a 13% increase in volumetric and minimum water use charge, and they will also see a 28% increase in volumetric and minimum sewer use charge. The average customer should expect between an 18.5% to 21.1% increase in their monthly bill. The plan also includes a 3% increase in the water and sewers rates for the following three years.
SEE WATER | A4
cluding people being lax on precautions and colder weather forcing more people to gather indoors. We just have to, individually where we are at, do the best we can,” Patterson said of following proper precautions. Last November was the peak of the pandemic for Nodaway County, with over 300 active cases of the virus for 10 consecutive days. It was the only point in the pandemic cases reached the 300 mark. Northwest trends have mirrored that of the county, with 30 active cases at the University as of Nov. 8., the most since November 2020. Northwest has not had fewer than 10 active cases since the beginning of November. At the time of publication, the University accounted for just over 37% of active COVID-19 cases in the county.
SEE COVID | A4
NEW WATER AND SEWER RATES FOR 2022 TOTAL DIFFERENCE (%)
INSIDE CITY LIMIT: 100
20.9%
$24.23
300
USAGE (C.F.)
T
he south end of the Carl and Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse was host to a familiar site Nov. 9. Mosaic - Maryville staff in neon safety vests, folding chairs, vials of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, and members of the community were all nestled at one end of the indoor track as they had many times throughout the winter and spring of 2021. The booster vaccine clinic, created and held through a partnership between Mosaic - Maryville, the Nodaway County Health Department and Northwest, distributed Pfizer booster vaccines to 462 individuals Tuesday. The clinic comes amid a county surge in COVID-19 cases to levels not seen since the early days of vaccine distribution. There were 103 active cases of COVID-19 in Nodaway County at the time of publication,
the most active cases in the county since Christmas Day 2020. Eligible populations at the clinic were those over the age of 65, those aged 18-65 with underlying conditions, and those at high risk of transmission — law enforcement, educators, among others. “I think it’s important to have every layer of protection that’s available to you,” NCHD Administrator Tom Patterson said of booster shots. Wednesday NCHD announced 23 individuals tested positive for COVID-19, the most since Dec. 3, 2020. Patterson, who was optimistic about the direction of cases in the county in weeks prior, said he doesn’t really feel that way now. Neither Nate Blackford, president of Mosaic - Maryville, or Patterson pointed to one thing that caused the surge. Both said it’s likely a combination of things, in-
19.6%
$44.73
400 700 1,000 1,500
$54.98
19.3%
$85.73
18.9% 18.7%
$116.48
18.5%
$167.73
21.1%
$563.34
5,000
$1,366.88
12,000
$0
$300
$600
$900
$1,200
100 400
30.6% 36.2%
$65.44
38.4%
$142.60 $455.10
3,000
$0
$1,500
$26.86
1,000
$100
19.6%
TOTAL DIFFERENCE (%)
OUTSIDE CITY LIMIT: USAGE (C.F.)
NATHAN ENGLISH Managing Editor | @nathan_3nglish
$200
$300
$400
47.8%
$500
GRAPHIC BY CHEYENNE HELLEBUST DESIGNER
Northwest Missouri’s oldest and largest independently-owned and operated bank. Maryville Savannah Mound City St. Joseph 660-562-3232 660-442-3131 816-324-3158 816-364-5678 AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1914.
Member FDIC PLEASE
RECYCLE