Welcome to the city of St Joseph's weekly digital newsletter. City Link is your source for timely and relevant information from your local government.
Thursday, December 3, 2020
Shop Smart this Holiday Season

The holiday shopping season is underway and so is the increased risk of becoming a victim of theft as well as the increased risk of spreading COVID-19. Here some shop smart safety tips to keep in mind this holiday season.
  • When you can, shop online with contactless delivery or curbside pick-up.
  • Pay attention to your surroundings and park in well-lit areas as close to the buildings as possible.
  • Carry your purse and packages close to your body. Also, try not to carry too many packages as once.
  • Prepare a shopping list in advance to reduce your time in the store.
  • Do not leave debit or credit cards on the counter and wait to get your card out when the cashier ask for it.
  • Avoid peak shopping hours to lessen the chance of crowded aisles and lines.
  • Stay home if you've been exposed or if you have symptoms yourself.
CARES Funds for the Airport

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, was signed into law by the President on March 27, 2020. This bill included 10 billion dollars of funding as economic relief to eligible U.S. airports affected by the prevention of, preparation for, and response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The CARES Act provided funds and increased the federal share to 100 percent for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and supplemental discretionary grants already planned for fiscal year 2020. Under normal circumstances, AIP grant recipients contribute a matching percentage of the project costs. Therefore, the city of St. Joseph will have no matching share obligation for the funds accepted under these circumstances. 

Rosecrans Memorial Airport received a grant for the amount of $69,000. These funds will be used to replace a 2003 Dodge Durango which is used for emergency response, airport inspections and other airport related activities. The rest of the CARES Act grant will be used to fix a drainage issue which was created by the silting of a ditch running into Browning Lake. This ditch filled with water in early 2019 when the Missouri River reached historic levels. The water rose so high that at one point the control panel and transformer for the Precision Approach Path Indicators (PAPI) on runway 13 were under water.

Thanks to all the federal delegates of Missouri for getting this relief bill passed. Staff is incredibly appreciative of this grant as it will assist with some much-needed capital improvements for our airport community.
Mental Health is Just as Important as Physical

This time of year, many are beginning to think about New Year’s resolutions. One popular resolution is to improve physical fitness to look better, feel better, prevent illness and maintain independence as we age. While that is a wonderful resolution, it’s wise not to neglect a significant part of your body, your brain.

Just as important to reaching those same fitness goals is improving mental fitness. Mental dexterity exercises incorporated into your daily routine can improve your health and sharpen your mind. These exercises can help people decompress, slow down and boost memory. The more you work out your body, the more you help your mind by increasing the flow of oxygen and increasing those “feel good” chemicals known as endorphins. Your mind needs more than this to stay fit.

Some ways to improve mental fitness is through meditation, visualization, reading, daydreaming, looking for humor in situations, using positive affirmations, trying new experiences, playing games that test reasoning or that use logic, and to stop multitasking. Adding these activities into your day can help develop a strong, active mind. 

Physical and mental fitness go hand in hand. If your resolution is to improve your physical fitness, don’t forget to add in some exercises to also improve your mental fitness. 
The Value of Good Customer Service

If you do an online search for the meaning of customer service, it says its a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction...read more
Community Testing

Registration is still open for the free community COVID-19 testing event for this Saturday, December 5. The city of St. Joseph Health Department, in collaboration with Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and the Missouri National Guard, is offering the drive-through testing event at the St. Joseph Aquatic Park from 8am-4pm.

This COVID-19 testing event is open to Missouri residents aged 7 and older regardless of whether they have symptom. The test is a PCR test done by a nasal anterior nares swab to determine if there is an active infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. This is not an antibody test.

Pre-registration is advised and can be completed online or by calling 877-435-8411.
(816) 271-5300