Parma

History

Parma was first incorporated as a village in 1900. At the turn of the 20th century, Parma contained two saw mills. In 1903, Parma, along with the neighboring community of Lotta, was incorporated as a village, retaining the name "Parma." It became a fourth class city in 1905. On April 14, 2015, Tyus Byrd was sworn in as the first African-American woman mayor of Parma. Byrd succeeded Randall Ramsey, who had been mayor of Parma for a total of 37 years. Shortly before Byrd was to be sworn in, four of the city's six police officers resigned, along with the city's clerk and the supervisor of water treatment. In January 2019 the Missouri State Auditor opened an investigation into the city's finances based on a whistle-blower tip. Her initial report indicated serious mismanagement and loss of funds. Her final report showed that official records had been falsified and more than $115,000 had been misappropriated. In April 2019, Byrd lost her reelection campaign to Rufus Lee Williamson Jr. Within hours of Williamson's swearing in, the city was shocked by arsons burning down Tyus Bird's house and setting fire to the records and other departments at city hall. The city's main computer and numerous financial documents were destroyed. and subsequently charged with two counts of forgery and two counts of receiving stolen property. Two other former employees of the city had also been arrested the former city clerk, Helen Jean Frye, and former city water supervisor David L. Thatch. Helen Frye received a sentence of seven years, 120 days of incarceration and then probation. David L. Thatch was to stand trial in 2024.

Geography

Parma is located on Missouri Route 153 one mile south of the Stoddard-New Madrid county line. It is 6.5 miles northwest of Malden and 15 miles west of New Madrid. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• RISCO HIGH
  High · RISCO · 86 students · 10.8:1 ratio
• RISCO ELEM.
  Elementary · RISCO · 85 students · 7.7:1 ratio