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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021
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REPUBLICAN-TIMES
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Established Sept. 4, 1864 - 158th Year - No. 9
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BRIEFS Poosey Driving Tour
Photo Courtesy of Macon Schweizer
GALLATIN HOMECOMING Gallatin High School crowned its 2021 Homecoming Royalty prior to the football game Friday night. Pictured are, from left, Leayrah Leeper, Ethan Williams, Elle Copple, Gabe Parker, Makayla Rainey, Rodell Sperry, Queen Cloey Waterbury, King Jordan Donovan, Kylie Stagner, Ethan Adkison, Tanna Youngs, Draven Wright, Alex Endicott and Payton Baker. The weekend also included a dance Saturday evening. Additional photos from Gallatin’s Homecoming appear on PAGE A8.
The Missouri Department of Conservation will welcome visitors to the 35th annual fall driving tour at the Poosey Conservation Area on Sunday, Oct. 17 from noon until 4 p.m. MDC will provide a tour brochure at the entrance and nature interpretive stops along the route. A portable sawmill will be cutting lumber from logs at the demonstration site. The tour traverses rugged terrain with some steep uphill climbs and downhill descents and begins at Pike’s Lake. An entrance to the lake can be found off Route W and County Road 502. Gates open at noon and the last vehicle for the driving tour will be allowed to begin at 4 p.m. MDC requests that visitors observe COVID-19 precautions such as physical distancing when exiting vehicles to view exhibits or when hiking near others. For tour information, persons may contact MDC Resource Forester Samantha Anderson at 660-646-6122. Maps and information about Poosey Conservation Area are at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZSS. To learn more about conservation in Missouri, visit http://www.mdc.mo.gov.
Columbus Day Closings
Several offices and businesses have announced they will be closed on Monday, Oct. 11 in observance of Columbus Day. Among those closed are the Grundy County Courthouse, Grundy County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Trenton City Hall/Trenton Municipal Utilities (no city council meeting will be held), Trenton Area Chamber of Commerce/License Bureau, Grundy County-Jewett Norris Library, Grundy County Health Department, North Central Missouri Children’s Advocacy Center, Green Hills Regional Planning Commission/Career Center, Farmers Bank of Northern Missouri, Farmers State Bank, Citizens Bank and Trust, US Bank, BTC Bank, North 65 Center, USDA Farm Service Agency and the Trenton Post Office. The Trenton Republican-Times office will be open and the Tuesday, Oct. 12 paper will be published as usual.
Blood Drive At Galt
The Grundy R-5 FFA will sponsor at blood drive in Galt on Friday, Oct. 8. The drive will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Galt Lions Hall. All donors will receive a free t-shirt and be entered into a drawing for a gift card. Those with questions can contact FFA Advisor Cheyenne Martin at 660-673-6511.
United Way Begins Canvassing
R-T Photo/Ronda Lickteig
The board of directors of the Grundy County Health Department held a meeting Thursday evening in an attempt to get input from the community concering isolation and quarantine guidelines in relation to COVID-19. Pictured are, from left, Board President Dr. NiCole Neal, Cari Blackburn, Phillip Ray, Taylor Ormsby and Korynn Skipper.
Residents Have Opportunity To Voice Their Opinions Quarantine Concerns Heard By Health Department Board While the conversation included comments such as “everyone’s going to die,” questions concerning the reliability of COVID-19 testing and even a reference to the Nuremberg Code, the main concerns voiced at a public meeting hosted by the Grundy County Health Department were in regard to the quarantining of healthy children and the effect the isolation imposed by the quarantines is having on those children. The meeting, in which the majority of attendees (including a member of the GCHD board) declined to wear masks as requested, was held at the health department Thursday evening. Board President
WEATHER ALMANAC Day: High/Low Rain Thursday 86/66 — Friday 76/64 .04 Saturday 79/62 .01 Sunday 79/61 .02 Barton Campus Sunday 78/56 .01
Dr. NiCole Neal said the forum was meant to gather information from the public – to get a “baseline” of opinions and ideas concerning isolation and quarantine measures. She told the group, which numbered around 50, that the GCHD staff has basically worked around the clock since the pandemic began and is trying to educate and take care of the community. GCHD Administrator Elizabeth Gibson said this is the first time the health department has really had to interact with the community in this way and the health department has the authority and the mandate to take the actions it has taken in an effort to educate and protect the public. State statute demands that the guidelines set by the local health department be “at least as stringent as the guidance by the Department of Health and Senior Services,” she explained. Ms. Gibson outlined how the health department and the school districts work together to identify who is a close contact to a positive COVID case and noted that guidelines have changed as the pandemic has moved into its second year, actually the third school year. For instance, the quarantine period was previously 14 days, but has been shortened to 10 as research has shown that a person is much less likely to transmit COVID after
10 days. She reiterated the importance of masking and the role it plays in cutting down on transmission. Following that introduction, the floor was opened to the public, with each person allowed three minutes to speak. Tammy Burgess said she doesn’t understand the guidelines and said that many school districts are not quarantining in the way Trenton R9 currently is. She said the district is discriminating against students who are eligible for the vaccine but choose not to be vaccinated. She advocated suing the school district, which she said is who should be taking responsibility for how they quarantine. Special treatment for vaccinated students should stop, she commented. Pam Bowden, a third grade teacher at Rissler Elementary School, said she had COVID-19 in November. She noted that none of her family or her students contracted the virus from her. She told the board that her children have been quarantined and one of them in particular did not do well with the Alternative Method of Instruction (AMI) that was offered. She presented a proposal to the board, which she said has been implemented in other districts, that if a student is identified as a close contact to a positive case, the parent [See GCHD, Page A4]
The Grundy County United Way has begun its residential canvass for 2021, with a goal of raising $3,500 during the canvass. Representatives from the organizations that benefit from United Way funds will be conducting the canvass and will leave door hangars with donation envelopes that can be returned to P.O. Box 146, Trenton, MO 64683. Member organizations include the North 65 Center, RSVP, Grundy County Girl Scouts, Parents as Teachers, Third Circuit Juvenile Office, Grundy County Food Pantry, Juvenile Court Diversion Program, University of Missouri Extension, Grundy County 4-H and the Green Hills Community Action Agency. Coupon cards will be sold at the Trenton Hy-Vee Store in October. When a $10 card is purchased and used to buy $50 worth of Hy-Vee merchandise, the store will refund $5. The card can be used twice for a total refund of $10 on the two $50 purchases.
Police Personnel Board
The Trenton Police Personnel Board will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 12 at the Grundy County Law Enforcement Center. The meeting is a closed session and will involve a personnel matter.
THS Band Excels
The Trenton High School Golden Bulldog Marching Band and Color Guard had an excellent outing over the weekend at the Mark Twain Invitational, held Saturday. The group earned the award for Outstanding Visual In Parade, Outstanding Color Guard in Parade Award, Best Overall Indoor Color Guard (for all divisions), Outstanding Music in Field Show, Outstanding Percussion in Field Show and Outstanding Visual in Field Show. The group also earned first place in parade, first place in indoor color guard, first place in field show and second place in indoor drumline. Anthony Webb is the THS band instructor and Christy Gibler is the color guard. The band and color guard will travel to the Monroe City Marching Festival on Saturday.
Rhonda Vincent Tickets
A limited number of tickets for Wednesday’s Rhonda Vincent Concert are still available. The concert is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Trenton R-9 Performing Arts Center at Trenton High School. Advance tickets are $25 and are on sale at the Hy-Vee Customer Service Desk and at Ron Dougan Insurance and the Trenton Downtown Improvement Association office, both located in the 903 Main St. building. Tickets at the doors, which open at 6 p.m., will be $30. There is a one-hour “meet and greet” event scheduled at the Trenton Hy-Vee Store from 3 to 4 p.m. Wednesday. The concert is a fund-raiser for the Dream Factory of Northwest Missouri.
Park Board Agenda
The Trenton Park Board will hold its monthly meeting at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday at the Moberly Park Shelter House. Discussions will be held on two items in Moberly Park, the upper parking lot and the VFW war memorial. The board will also hear reports from the pool, grounds and facilities committees as well as the park superintendent.