In response to a letter published on Monday by Presidents and Executives of 6 healthcare providers that serve Southwest Missouri, Mayors of 4 cities have responded. K R P S’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more. 

On Tuesday, Carl Junction Mayor Mark Powers, Carthage Mayor Dan Rife, and Webb City Mayor Lynn Ragsdale each signed a joint statement responding to the plea for help Freeman and Mercy Joplin. The two largest hospitals in Southwest Missouri issued a statement Monday saying that each facility was nearing capacity because of the rise in COVID 19 cases. The mayor’s joint statement said in part, “The cities of Carl Junction, Carthage, and Webb City jointly encourage our good citizens to double down on your COVID protocols.” unquote. Separately late Tuesday, Joplin Mayor Ryan Stanely issued a comment of his own, saying in part, “We appreciate our healthcare leaders reaching out to us for assistance. This is an opportunity to work together in collaboration with our neighboring communities to act in unison to combat the spread of COVID-19.” Late Wednesday, the Joplin City Council announced that they would hold a special session tonight at 6 to consider a mask mandate. You can watch the broadcast in the Joplin area on channel 21, or online at the cities website, Joplinmo.org.  For K R P S, I’m Fred Fletcher-Fierro in Webb City