Clay County COVID-19 Recovery
Clay County Recovery Plan

Although Clay County will remain in Phase 2, Step 2 of recovery, the public health emergency order has been extended and amended. The emergency order issued on June 15 will largely remain in place but please note the changes/highlights below:

  • All businesses and organizations occupancy restrictions are to continue at 50% of the entity’s authorized building/fire code occupancy. HOWEVER, a business may return to the entity’s authorized building/fire code occupancy provided that the following protocols are implemented and adhered to at all times: All employees or visitors to any indoor public accommodation must wear face coverings in an area or while performing any activity which will necessarily involve close contact or proximity to co-workers or the public and physical distancing standards continue to be applied. These spaces include, but are not limited to, grocery and other retail stores, special events, and public transit. Please see the full order for the list of persons who may be exempt from wearing a face covering.
  • Taverns/bars must remain at 50% occupancy.
  • Pools must remain at 50% occupancy.
  • Youth sports for children 5 years and younger may resume. Full contact sports practices may resume in stable groups of 25 or under.
  • Mass gatherings (including outdoor weddings and funerals) are still limited to 250 people.
  • Churches and indoor wedding/funeral services: must maintain 50% occupancy if face coverings are not required or can have full occupancy if face coverings are required and physical distancing is met.
  • Long-term care facilities must continue to restrict visitors.

This order will go into place Sunday, July 5 and remain in place until Monday, July 20.

As always, you can visit clayhealth.com/recovery for additional guidance, resources, and more. Read the full CCPHC Public Health Emergency Order .
Tracking local mask ordinances

This week , the city of Columbia voted to require that people wear face masks. Under the order, all businesses must provide masks to employees or face fines. This decision in Columbia continues a trend of Missouri cities and counties requiring face masks to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Besides Columbia, the current orders are concentrated in the Kansas City and St. Louis regions . The details of each order vary by location — find out if your business needs to follow certain requirements at the link below. We are also providing free signage that employers can print and display at their businesses. 
Along with handwashing, social distancing and frequent disinfecting procedures, face coverings are one of the most effective protections against the virus. The Missouri Chamber strongly encourages our members to take every safety precaution and heed local guidance to help keep our state’s workers and consumers healthy. 
Member Announcements & Events
Ameren Missouri launches new COVID-19 relief fund to help small businesses
$500,000 in program funds for energy assistance now available to small businesses and nonprofits with 50 or fewer employees

ST. LOUIS (July 8, 2020) – Today Ameren Missouri announced a new $500,000 energy assistance program for Missouri's small businesses and nonprofit organizations impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is open to small businesses and nonprofit customers with 50 or fewer employees who meet other eligibility requirements.

"We understand the hardship that many of our small businesses are facing today to keep their doors open and provide valuable goods, services and jobs in communities throughout the state," said Tara Oglesby , vice president, Customer Experience, Ameren Missouri. " That's why we created this program in partnership with the United Way to help small businesses and nonprofits with their energy costs."

Business and nonprofit customers interested in applying for assistance may do so online at AmerenMissouri.com/SmallBusinessRelief . If the application is approved, customers can expect to receive a one-time $250 bill credit.

The new program for small businesses follows similar assistance programs offered by Ameren Missouri for residential customers. Customers can l earn more about Ameren Missouri's energy assistance programs at AmerenMissouri.com/EnergyAssistance .

Since March, Ameren Missouri has provided more than $5 million in energy assistance and other COVID-19 charitable contributions to support customers and communities in need.

Ameren Missouri has been providing electric and gas service for more than 100 years, and the company's electric rates are among the lowest in the nation. Ameren Missouri's mission is to power the quality of life for its 1.2 million electric and 132,000 natural gas customers in central and eastern Missouri. The company's service area covers 64 counties and more than 500 communities, including the greater St. Louis area. For more information, visit Ameren.com/Missouri or follow us on Twitter at @AmerenMissouri or Facebook.com/AmerenMissouri . 
* LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE, EMAIL ME FOR YOUR SPOT *
With the news of 2020 Prom being cancelled, I want to reach out in an effort to make lemonade out of some lemons!
I'm offering Prom mini sessions! This will give you the opportunity to wear that dress/tux, get all dressed up and have a little fun while capturing some lasting moments. This could be couples, individual photos, friend groups, get your girls/boys together!
▪️ July 18, 2020
▪️ 30 minute session discounted to $90
▪️ You will receive edited digital files
▪️ Location TBD depending on response
Hello,
I am so very sorry for not getting with all of you sooner. As you can imagine things have been overwhelming at the Food Pantry since March.
  • We started a drive up food distribution
  • Our numbers have increased by 50%, just in June we had 13 new families sign up for assistance
  • We had to stop taking food donations and only do monetary donations (but back for food donations as of July)
  • We are currently doing our Summer food bags for kids 3 to 18 years of age
  • And I am so proud of our volunteers and the Kearney Food Pantry Board, we never missed a day of serving our community 

We have also been remodeling our FOREVER HOME , located at 108 W. Washington
  • Shelving has been donated by Westlake Hardware
  • Volunteers have put up walls, knocked walls down, painted, cleaned, tore out the front porch, mowed, tore bushes out, put bushes in, etc........
  • All the beautiful bushes were donated 100% by Marshall Nursery on 33 hwy

Two generous couples have offered $35,000 in MATCHING FUNDS to support the Kearney Food Pantry.  Donors will have their DONATIONS DOUBLED.
We have an opportunity to raise $70,000!

We have some amazing people in our community and are extremely blessed to be able to do this. If you are willing and able to help us with this you can go to our website at kearneyfoodpantry.com/donate , Facebook page or mail us a check made out to the Kearney Food Pantry. For those of you who would prefer to shop I have attached our current needs list.

I hope you all know how much we appreciate your support. We can't feed our neighbors without you.
~Suzanne
Have a kiddo leaving for college? Worried about germs in the dorm room?

The pureAir 50 Small Space Plug In Purifier is the answer!

Combat some of the strongest odors in your small spaces with pureAir 50, a plug-in air purifier for your bedrooms, bathrooms, offices, or other small spaces. Bacteria, viruses, pet odors, cigarette smoke, mold, and mildew are all kept in check with the effective purifying combination of activated oxygen and ionization.

Portable purification! Its small size is perfect for travel, allowing you to take fresh air anywhere. Simply plug it in and turn the dial to your desired level of purification. The solution for stale, stinky air is just an outlet away!

To order contact Marvin Schreiner, owner, Green Indoor Air at 816-309-6515 or marvin@greenindoorair.com. 

Testimonial: "My son is a Type 1 Diabetic. He is considered high risk. I worry about him going to college and the petri dish effect in the dorm. So, I bought the pureAir 50 for peace of mind." ~Stacie Bratcher
The Kearney Board of Alderman approved the CARES Kearney Small Business Grant Program!  The City is allocating $100,000 to provide $5,000 grants to qualifying small businesses who have been impacted by COVID-19. The Clay County EDC will be managing the grant applications for the City of Kearney.  APPLICATIONS WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED FROM JULY 10 - JULY 24!

See below for links to two important documents - the first is a checklist for the business to use. The second attachment is the application that the business will submit to the Clay County EDC to apply for the funding. Clay County EDC's contact info is listed on both documents.

Don't hesitate to reach out to me with any questions you may have about the program. Please help me spread the word! Thank you to Mayor Pogue and our Board of Aldermen for supporting our local businesses!

Shawna Searcy
Executive Director
Kearney Area Development Council
P.O. Box 291, Kearney, MO 64060
Phone: (816) 628-3343


Over here at the Old Firehouse, we are starting Christmas in July! During the WHOLE month of July, we are going to be collecting donations for the  Kearney Family Foundation . So you have all month to drop off items on this list at our building. We will end our campagin with our Drive-In at Jesse James park at the end of the month collecting final donations out there as well! This is a great way to support your local community! We hope to see our donation tub full several times!
Drive-In at Jesse James Park - July Throwback Month!

Join us at Jesse James Park for our very first Drive-In series! This is a FREE event! AND we are going to be celebrating Christmas in July as we ask for donations for the Kearney Family Foundation at the door. Saturday, July 25, 7:30 PM – 10:30 PM

Read more
www.facebook.com
Missouri counts — don't forget about the 2020 Census
Billions in federal funds go to states' hospitals, schools, roads and more based on census data. For each person left uncounted, our state loses $1,300 in federal dollars yearly.
 
Learn more at census.mo.gov and take the census at my2020census.mo.gov .
MO Chamber
Employees and consumers alike are seeking out more socially responsible companies, and organizations have taken notice. More and more companies are taking intentional action to foster a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment for employees. During this 4-week series on Tuesdays at 10am, we will explore best practices and inspire frank discussion around this critical issue.
 
The Kearney Chamber is partnering with the Missouri Chamber to bring you the upcoming Diversity and Inclusion Webinar Series (July 14, July 21, July 28, August 4). Upon registering, Kearney Chamber members can use this promotional code to receive the Missouri Chamber member rate:
 
  • D&ISeries2020 (Promo Code for the whole series)
  • D&ISegment2020 (Promo Code for the individual segments)
 
Registration and full details can be found on the Missouri Chamber website at:

  • Members: $150 (All 4 sessions) or $50/session
  • Non-members: $200 (All 4 sessions) or $65/session
 
Remember, registrants MUST use the promo code provided AND list Kearney Chamber as the referral source in order to qualify for the Missouri Chamber member rate.

Earn CLEs & SHRM credits
You can earn 1.2 – 2.4 CLEs for each segment or 6.0 CLEs by attending all four webinars. SHRM credits are also available. To ensure credit eligibility, attendees must participate in the livestream event. 
Courses to reinforce and strengthen your small business for the future.
The Managing Forward Series are FREE online courses to reinforce and strengthen your small business for the future. Hosted by the Missouri SBDC and facilitated by subject matter experts from the Henry W. Bloch School of Management at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, with examples from Missouri businesses. The series is funded by the Cares Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learn from academic experts and connect with small business owners. 90-minute courses.

Series 1: July 16 - August 27
7 weeks, Thursdays, 12:30pm-2:00pm Register for the full series here

Complete 4 of the 6 courses (not including Panel Q&A) to receive a Certificate of Completion from the Bloch School of Management Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation / Missouri SBDC.

  • July 16, Disaster Planning for Small Businesses
  • July 23, Maintaining Continuity and Effective Management of Small Businesses in Remote Environments
  • July 30, Online Essentials for Small Businesses
  • August 6, Agile Marketing, Sales and E-commerce for Small Businesses
  • August 13, Supply Chain Challenges for Small Businesses
  • August 20, Essentials of Cybersecurity for Small Businesses
  • August 27, Managing Forward series Live Q&A Panel
Meetings & Events
Mark Your Calendars:
July 14 – Ambassador Committee Meeting
July 16 – Off The Clock & Ribbon Cutting
July 20 – Coffee Connections at D’Creamery
July 21 – Marketing Committee Meeting
July 28 – Finance Committee Meeting
July 28 – Board of Directors Meeting
August 5 – Membership Luncheon at First Baptist Church

Visit the Chamber Calendar for more information on Chamber meetings and events.
Off The Clock | Ribbon Cutting

Join us for a celebration at Paisley Perk for our first post-quarantine chamber event! We're combining after hours with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the brand new Paisley Perk on Thursday, July 16 2020

Read more
www.facebook.com
Coffee Connections at D'Creamery

Please join us July 20 for Coffee Connections at D'Creamery - Limit 40 attendees (registration required)! Coffee Connections is the perfect time for you to grab a yummy breakfast, a hot cup of coffee, and make connections that will last a lifetime!

Read more
www.facebook.com

Thanks to
Lizzie Q Photography for partnering with the Chamber in June to bring you the Chamber Head Shots event. The women of the Kearney Chamber are looking pretty good!
Member Renewals
Above & Beyond Club
Go Above & Beyond!

When members voluntarily contribute an extra 10% (or more) over their annual investment amount, their contribution helps the Kearney Chamber to continue providing relevant programs and resources to serve the needs of its members, as well as supporting the advocacy and promotion of business growth.

These chamber partners claim a stake in the Chamber's mission through the  relentless pursuit of a vibrant and prosperous business community.

Our Above & Beyond Club members receive special recognition on the Chamber website and in the weekly Chamber Chat E-Newsletter.

To join the Above & Beyond Club contact  Stacie@kearneychamber.org .
Chamber Partners
Chamber Benefits
Connect With Us