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FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2022
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TRENTON
REPUBLICAN-TIMES ©Honeycutt Media, LLC
Established Sept. 4, 1864 - 158th Year - No. 58
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Spickard Ups Base Salaries
BRIEFS Rissler Spring Program
Students in kindergarten, first and second grade at Rissler Elementary School will present a spring music program on Tuesday, March 29 in the Trenton R-9 Performing Arts Center. The kindergarten program will be presented at 6 p.m., with students to arrive by 5:45 p.m., and first and second grade students will present a program at 7 p.m. and should arrive by 6:45 p.m.
Minimum Wage And Mileage Raised As Well
Spickard R-2 Extravaganza
The Spickard R-2 PTO will hold its Basketball Extravaganza on Friday, April 1, with a spaghetti dinner and various basketball games planned. The event will kick off at 5 p.m., with an eat-what-youwant, pay-what-you-want spaghetti dinner and a pie auction in the cafeteria at 5:30 p.m. The Little Pirates Pee Wee game is scheduled to get under way at 6 p.m., followed by the Pirate players vs. parents/staff game at 6:30 p.m. A Spickard alumni game will begin at 7 p.m. Anyone with questions about the event can contact Terri or Amy at 660-485-6121.
United Way Campaign
The business campaign of the 2022 Grundy County United Way fundraising drive has begun, with nearly $4,000 already raised toward the organization’s $25,000 goal. Funds donated to the organization stay in the county to help organizations that focus on youth, education, the elderly and underserved populations. Those slated to receive funding this year include the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), Grundy County 4-H Council, Parents as Teachers, Green Hills Community Action Agency, Grundy County Juvenile Office, Juvenile Court Diversion Program, Community Food Pantry, Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri, Grundy County Council on Aging and the University of Missouri Extension. Donations can be sent to United Way of Grundy County, P.O. Box 146, Trenton, MO 64683.
Utility Committee Meeting
The Trenton Utility Committee met Tuesday evening, agreeing to make a recommendation to the city council for a purchase. According to Trenton City Administrator/Utility Director Ron Urton, the only action taken at the meeting was to agree to recommend to the full council that a backhoe be ordered for the Underground Department since the cost of the equipment will increase April 1. It was also discussed that the Street Department is in the same situation. The recommendation will be on the agenda for the March 28 city council meeting. Of note in his report, Urton said that the water crew is still in the process of replacing old meters for the AMI system but continues to have difficulty getting permission to access basements to replace the meters. Urton said final notices will be sent before more “drastic measures” are taken. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 19.
County Awards Bids
The Grundy County Commission accepted two bids for CART rock during a meeting Tuesday, as well as a bid for concrete. According to Grundy County Clerk Betty Spickard, the commission accepted bids for CART rock from both Norris Quarries (Princeton and Gallatin) as well as Trager Limestone of Gallatin. Township officials can choose either vendor for their rock. Jamesport Concrete submitted the only bid for concrete, which was $140 per cubic yard for six-bag and $158 per cubic yard for eight-bag. Two mowing bids were submitted, with the bids tabled until it can be verified that insurance requirements are met. The commission also met with representatives from Jefferson Township concerning the need for a tube on Southwest 68th Ave. and traveled to that area in the afternoon to determine the size of the tube that will be placed there.
R-9 Candidate Forum
The Trenton Teachers Association, Trenton Hy-Vee and Trenton Republican-Times will host a “Meet the Candidates” Night on Wednesday, March 30. The forum will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Trenton High School Commons and will feature the candidates for the Trenton R-9 Board of Education who will be on the April 5 Ballot. Mindy Walker, Northwest Region member service coordinator for the Missouri State Teachers Association, will moderate the forum. Those invited to attend include the four candidates for two three-year terms: incumbent Dorothy Taul, Jeff Spencer, Toby Havens and Joshua Shuler, as well as Jason Hostetler, who was earlier appointed to the board to serve until the election and was the only candidate who filed to fill an unexpired term. Incumbent Marcie Cutsinger has chosen to not seek re-election. R-9 patrons are encouraged to send questions for the candidates to Charley Crimi at ccrimi@trentonr9.k12.mo.us. If time allows, questions will be taken from the audience during the forum, which is scheduled to be livestreamed.
THS Photo/Tucker Otto
TUNING UP THE BAND
The Missouri Small School Band Directors Association held a festival at Trenton High School Wednesday. The event, hosted by the THS Band, gave area school bands the opportunity for a tune-up prior to the spring music contests. Judges for the event, which had been rescheduled from March 11, were Jared Shulse, Julie Capps and Bill Williams.
In-District Tuition Stays Steady At NCMC Prices Going Up For Students From Out Of District Some North Central Missouri College students will see an increase in tuition and fees following action taken at a meeting of college trustees on Tuesday. Vice President of Business and Finance Tyson Otto, who made the recommendation for the increases, said they are necessary to “ensure the college can continue to pay for quality programs and quality instruction.” NCMC President Dr. Lenny Klaver agreed and said the increases are “reasonable” and still keep the college’s tuition at less than half the in-state tuition of regional four-year state institutions. Students living in the college’s taxing district, which follows the boundaries of the Trenton R-9 School District, will not see an increase in tuition for the 202223 school year as the cost will remain at $92 per credit hour. All other students
will see a $5 per credit hour increase in tuition. The increase applies to the following categories, with the new tuition rate listed: other Missouri residents ($158); other U.S. residents ($195), international students ($195), online, outreach and course by arrangement (all $180), PN and ADN on-ground nursing students ($162) and ADN online, ($188). Dual credit and early college students will see no change in their tuition, which is $108 per credit hour for dual credit students; $14 per credit hour for in-district early college students and $64 per credit hour for out-of-district, online and outreach early college students. Fees that apply to all students saw a $2 per credit hour increase to $20 for both the student development fee and the facility fee, with the technology fee set at $10 per credit hour. Several fees for new allied health programs were approved, including a $300 per credit hour fee for the radiologic technology program and the surgi[See NCMC, Page 7]
The Spickard R-2 Board of Education took action Monday evening to increase the district’s base salary as well as raising the minimum wage and mileage reimbursement. According to information provided by Superintendent/Principal Erica Eakes, the board adopted a new salary schedule, raising the starting base salary from $28,125 to $29,500 for the 2022-23 school year. In addition, the minimum wage paid to noncertified staff was set at $11.15 per hour, effective immediately. Also going into effect immediately is mileage reimbursement at a rate of 58 cents per mile. Personnel issues were discussed, with the board accepting the resignation of Cathie Lowrey as music teacher. Applications are being sought for the position, which is for one day per week for the 2022-23 school year. All of the current teachers were offered contracts for the 2022-23 school year. Board members voted to proceed with the application process to obtain a USDA Rural Development Grant that would be used to purchase an eSIP phone system from Grand River Mutual and approved the extension of the contract with the Pleasant View R6 District for the Early [See Spickard, Page 6]
ELECTION 2022
Two Vying For Unexpired Term Editor’s Note: In an effort to inform our readers about the candidates in the April 5 Election for the Grundy County Health Department Board of Directors, the Republican-Times is including profiles of those candidates. Korynn Skipper and Ken Weaver, who are vying for the opportunity to fill an unexpired two-year term on the board, are featured today. Four other candidates - Amy May, Cari Blackburn, Jewell Harris and Stacey L. McCullough, are seeking to fill two open four-year terms. Their profiles appeared in an earlier edition of the Republican-Times. As these profiles contain medical information and opinions, it should be stated that the Republican-Times does not endorse any of those opinions and cannot verify their validity.
Skipper Has Served On The GCHD Board Since 2018
Weaver Challenges For Spot On The GCHD Board
Name: Korynn Skipper Provide a brief summary of your background and any special skills/training you would bring as a member of the Grundy County Health Department Board of Directors: I have been a nurse for 23 years with a Master’s in Nursing Education. I have experience in many areas of nursing including mental health, medical-surgical, emergency and obstetrics. For the past 15 years I have been a nurse educator at North Central Missouri College and since 2018, have been the director of the Practical Nursing Program. My time as an OB nurse and nurse educator has provided me the
Name: Ken Weaver Provide a brief summary of your background and any special skills/training you would bring as a member of the Grundy County Health Department Board of Directors: I am a life-long resident of Grundy County. I have served on church boards, city councils and country club boards. I retired from one of the top 10 agriculture companies in the United States, working 42 years in management and sales. I have a common sense approach to decision making and look at more than just one side of any issue. I have been a student of this event since it [See Weaver, Page 6]
Korynn Skipper
opportunity to work closely with the Grundy County Health Department, giving me insight into many of the services they provide our community. Unlike past elections, several candidates are seeking seats on the health department board. What prompted [See Skipper, Page 6]
Ken Weaver
WEATHER ALMANAC Day: High/Low Rain Monday 70/50 .47 Tuesday 60/41 .77 Wednesday 42/37 .04 Barton Campus Wednesday 40/36 .11