Tornado safe room on tap for Stella officials

In the wake of the tornadoes that devasted areas of Newton County Saturday, Stella officials are meeting with representatives from the SEMA (State Emergency Management Agency) to discuss the possibility of having a tornado safe room in the city. The following news release was issued today by Governor Matt Blunt:

Gov. Matt Blunt today announced State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) mitigation staff is working with the Village of Stella in Newton County on a proposed Tornado Safe Room application for the community. SEMA will be meeting the Village Council and Community Betterment Committee at their regular meeting tonight.
"The weekend tornadoes that hit Newton County have given added emphasis to the importance of the Village of Stella and Newton County’s application for a Tornado Safe Room mitigation project," Gov. Blunt said.
SEMA began working with the community on this project several months ago. Gov. Blunt noted that the proposed mitigation project, if approved, will be located in Stella’s business district.
Dave Lupardus, SEMA Senior Hazard Mitigation Specialist, will review the draft application for Stella’s proposed Safe Room. The Harry S. Truman Coordinating Council (a regional planning commission) wrote the application, which also includes a cost benefit analysis for the project. Information at tonight’s meeting will be incorporated into Stella’s application and submitted for final review.