Pittsburg Schools lift mask mandate

PITTSBURG, Kan. – The Pittsburg School District announces it will no longer require masks for students, staff and visitors. The district made the decision at the recommendation of the Crawford County Health Department.

Students will not be required to wear masks for summer school and summer activities. Students and staff will continue with other COVID-19 mitigation and procedures.

Plans for the beginning of the 2021-22 school year will be brought before the board at a future date. Any decision made at that time will reflect the current health climate and will be at the recommendation of local health officials.

Tourist town of Branson repeals mask mandate early

BRANSON, Mo. (AP) – The Missouri tourist town of Branson is ditching its mask mandate early after electing a new mayor who ran on platform that called for doing away with it.

Newly elected Mayor Larry Milton said that the “city heard your voices loud and clear” after the Board of Alderman voted 6-0 on Tuesday night to repeal the public masking ordinance effective Friday.

The ordinance was first enacted July 31 after extensive discussion amid rising COVID-19 case counts. Last month, the Board of Aldermen voted 4-2 to repeal it, but delayed implementation until May 24 to allow Branson’s tourism industry an opportunity to vaccinate its front-line workers. But that wasn’t fast enough for Branson voters.