Popeye Trail statues to get their own QR codes

The Chester City Council opened 2020 with news that the city's Beautification/Tourism Committee will buy QR codes for all the Popeye Character Trail statues.

The codes will allow visitors to use their smartphones to access additional interesting information about each statue. The cost for the codes will be $600.

Riverfront sewer line still above ground

Chester Mayor Tom Page said he has a meeting this week with City Engineer Harold Sheffer concerning the sewer line along the river front.

The line has been running through piping above ground with a large pump in place since the floodwaters subsided following the flood last summer.

The excavation to replace the line underground has been stalled because the Mississippi River water level has not dropped low enough to allow digging. Page said he hopes to have more information at the Jan. 21 meeting.

Other news

Page shared news from the Chester Chamber of Commerce that they will begin recognizing one local business each month. For January, Domino's Pizza is the Business of the Month.

Alderman Robert Platt reported the results from the Cemetery and Finance Committee meeting which found bills to be in order for December. He recommended payment of $109,748.

Fire Chief Marty Bert said his department finished the year with 69 calls. In December, they had five calls alone, including one on Christmas Day. He also went to the Chester High School in December and gave a presentation to the driver education classes on automobile safety, sharing photos and stories of vehicle extraction by his department.

In new business, the Council gave their approval for the purchase of new rollers for the Sewer Department. These rollers are inside the vats which break down the sewage and keep the system running smoothly. The price for these new rollers is $73,812, which will cover replacing all of them.