The first baby of the year born at Wright Memorial Hospital is a BOY, and thanks to the good fortune brought by his timely arrival, the baby and his parents have won various prizes from businesses in a contest sponsored by KTTN and the PAR Broadcast Group.

As legislators are gearing up for a new season in Jefferson City, so to are the citizens of Northwest Missouri. Over the past few months, the Great Northwest Day at the Capitol Steering Committee gathered and prioritized legislative issues for the region’s annual visit to the state capitol city on February 5-6, 2013.

One of eight traffic fatalities across Missouri over the New Year's Holiday counting period was a truck driver from Tennessee who died in a Harrison County accident. The crash early Monday evening occurred in the southbound lanes of Interstate 35, nine miles south of Bethany.

The Meadville boys, Mercer girls, Maysville girls, Gallatin boys, and Trenton girls are all entering 2013 ranked in the TOP FIVE of their respective class in the first Missouri Basketball Coaches Association poll of the new year. To see the poll in its entirety, click on "read more":

Playing their second CLAA Conference opponent at NCMC Holiday Hoops in Trenton, the North Mercer Cardinals pulled away from a tight game at halftime with a 28-8 third quarter surge, that proved key in a 69-56 win over Hardin-Central, improving the Cardinals record to 7-2 on the season.

November's unemployment rate for Grundy County has remained steady with the month before AND nearly the same as November 2011, but there are fewer people out of work when compared to the jobless report from twelve months earlier. The latest statistics from the state of Missouri show 296 unemployed in Grundy County out of a civilian labor force of more than 4,800.

Oral historian Jim "Two Crows" Wallen will tell stories of people who died during the Civil War when Wallen presents a program on Tuesday, January 8th in Chillicothe. The presentation will be made during the quarterly meeting of the Grand River Historical Society at the Elks Club. The meeting begins with a pork loin dinner at 6:30. The cost of the meal is $7.00. The activities are open to the public.

Trenton Police Chief Tommy Wright says a Mexican man has been charged in Grundy County with kidnapping and child enticement. In addition, Wright said the man, Felix Lopez Rivera, a 21-year old Mexican citizen from the Chicago, Illinois area, was charged in Livingston County with Statutory Rape and Sodomy, and he is on a detainer from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency. Chief Wright said the Mexican man illegally was working in the United States.

Photographs of pets are being sought by the Green Hills Animal Shelter in Trenton for a 2014 Pet Photo Calendar. The deadline to submit entries is Friday, February 1st. People may enter as many photos as they wish. There is a $5.00 entry fee for each photograph.

Two nearby houses in Breckenridge were damaged in an early morning fire on Monday. The Chillicothe Fire Department, on a mutual aid request, assisted Breckenridge firefighters at the scene of the fires at 7th and Wisconsin before daybreak on New Year's Eve.

A Princeton girl, 17 year old April Whipple, was injured in an auto accident early last (Thursday) evening two miles east of Princeton.

Sophomores and juniors from 26 area high schools will have the opportunity to win all-expense paid trips this summer.

The Trenton Bulldogs celebrate "Courtwarming" on Thursday night, January 3rd, hosting Brookfield in games to be heard on KTTN FM 92.3 and www.kttn.com. Courtwarming king and queen candidates were recently announced by THS, with royalty to be crowned BETWEEN Thursday night's girls and boys varsity games.

The Mercer County Health Department has a ten week wellness program that begins on Monday, January 7th. Participants are asked to choose at least one of four designated items to monitor. They are: Exercising at least 30 minutes for a minimum of five days a week, Eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, Drinking at least five to eight ounce glasses of water day, and eating foods from each of the five food groups daily.

Even with the majority of the detainees having been moved from the Livingston County Jail in Chillicothe, facility problems continue. Sheriff Steve Cox reports that "what appeared to be smoke" seen on jail cameras was actually "steam from a ruptured hot water pipe". This incident happened in an area of the jail that remained in use as a holding area when arrests are made and the detainees are waiting transport to the Daviess-DeKalb Regional Jail in Pattonsburg.

The Sixth Annual Green Hills Wellness Challenge begins in January and will conclude on April 5th. Registration is January 10th and 11th during regular business hours at the Ketcham Community Center or the Grundy County Health Department (in Trenton). Participants must be at least 18 years old, or have a signed parental consent.

Just a few days prior to the start of the Missouri Legislative session on Wednesday, January 9th, 7th District State Representative Mike Lair and Open Line Moderator John Anthony sat down for a 30 minute interview to preview the upcoming session.

Click Here To Listen To The Entire Open Line Program

Due to a water main break, the following Sullivan County Public Water Supply District #1 customers will need to be placed on a precautionary boil advisory.

The track and weights at the Ketcham Community Center in Trenton will continue to have limited accessibility during the remainder of Holiday Hoops basketball games, which continue through Thursday, January 3rd. However, the cardio room near the front desk on the ground floor will continue to be open, even when games are taking place.

Reports have been received by the PAR Broadcast Group concerning no fewer than EIGHT injury traffic accidents from New Year's morning and New Year's Eve.