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Thursday, December 31, 2020
REPUBLICAN-TIMES TRENTON
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Established Sept. 4, 1864 - 157th Year - No. 34
Trenton, MO 64683
Family’s Fight For Treatment Weavers Never Waivered In The Face Of Adversity
Ten Pages
Trenton Building And Nuisance Board Meets Quick Meeting Addresses Six Properties
BY RONDA LICKTEIG Editor’s Note: This is the second part of a two-part story focusing on the Weaver family’s journey following the diagnosis of their son, Payne, with Spinal Muscle Atrophy. Part Two begins after Jim and Hannah have learned of two possible treatments for the genetic condition.
The Trenton Building and Nuisance Board held an open meeting on Monday at city hall to consider and act upon a handful of matters. A total of six properties were addressed at the meeting. • A building at 1117 Main St. was moved to findings of fact by the comission. • A decision on a property at 1000 Rural St. was pushed back after the owner claimed to be getting a new roof on the house. • The property at 1600
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s Hannah and Jim discussed treatments for their newborn son Payne’s Spinal Muscle Atrophy, the Trenton couple were very much aware of the blessing it was to even have a treatment available. “Up until 2016, SMA was treated with physical therapy and prayer,” Jim said. You can argue for days about the ethics of the cost of treatments, but it’s simple economics. Drug companies pay for research, marketing, distribution, liability, etc. The investment is enormous and the pool of possible patients who will use (and pay for) the treatments is small. Spinraza, a recurring treatment that involves a spinal injection, was initially a more inexpensive treatment ($750,000 for the initial four injections and roughly $400,000 annually after that). On the market since 2016, Spinraza encourages the SMN2 genes to produce SMN protein. It helps slow the symptoms of SMA and helps maintain or even improve motor function. Zolgensma, the single most expensive treatment in history, would involve one gene therapy infusion. The newest of the two treatments, it is thought to essentially cure SMA. At $2,125,000, it would be worth the money.
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Main St. is being sold but the board did move to file a certificate of existence of dangerous building on it. • Code Enforcement Officer Wes Barone reported he has filed the certificate on a property at 1109 Main St. • Board members moved a property at 604 Linn St. to a declaration of nuisance. • The old freight house is going to be torn down but the owner wants to save the bricks. The board did move that building to a declaration of nuisance. Trenton Police Chief Rex Ross said his department has worked a total of 123 nuisances this year. The meeting, which began at 5 p.m., lasted only 10 minutes.
BRIEFS Grundy COVID-19 Update Active COVID-19 cases in Grundy County were down on Wednesday. According to the Grundy County Health Department there were 84 active cases on Wednesday morning, down from the 91 active cases reported on Monday. Total cases in the county had risen to 871 from the 856 cases reported on Monday. The COVID-19-related deaths in the county remained unchanged at 28.
Commissioners Hold Meeting Photo Courtesy of Jim and Hannah Weaver
Payne Weaver was born with Spinal Muscle Atrophy. He received treatment for the condition in the form of Zolgensma, which is thought to essentially cure SMA.
[See WEAVERS, Page 5]
The Grundy County commissioners held a meeting on Tuesday in the Grundy County Courthouse. At the meeting, commissioners met with Grundy County Ambulance Director Steve Tracy and billing clerk Beth Leeper to review budget proposals for 2021. An employee classification change was approved by the commission for Sarah Crosson. Crosson completed her paramedic training and certification to allow for the change. The commission also accepted a resignation from EMT Lilly Simons. Other items on the commission’s agenda included a report from the Road and Bridge department. The crew has been performing bridge repairs on NE 90th St. as well as preparing and stockpiling fill for other tube and bridge projects. Employees have also been performing equipment maintenance during times of inclement weather. HVAC work is nearing completion on the third floor of the courthouse. All units in the courthouse, LEC, and Prosecuting Attorney’s Office are now equipped with UV-C air purifiers. The Missouri Department of Conservation has issued a notice of delayed payments in-lieu-taxes (PILT) to counties for public land held by the Conservation Commission and for private land classified as forest cropland. It is unknown as to when those funds will be received by the affected counties. Commissioners will be meeting weekdays at 8:30 a.m. beginning on Jan. 5, 2021 to prepare the annual budget.
R-T Photo/Seth Herrold
Seven elected officials were sworn in to their respective offices on Tuesday morning by Judge Steven D. Hudson, right. Those taking oaths included, from left, public administrator Jill Eaton, coroner Dewayne Slater, second district county commissioner Brad Chumbley, assessor Nathanial Curtis, collector-treasurer Barbara Harris, first district county commissioner Don Sager and Sheriff Rodney Herring. Curtis and Chumbley were the only non-incumbents in the group. Harris will begin her new term in April and Curtis will take office in September while the others begin their respective office terms on Jan. 1.
R-T Photo/Seth Herrold
TRUCK OVERTURNS NEAR 28TH STREET A semitruck hauling soybeans rolled away from a diesel pump and overturned in a ditch between Landis Oil and 28th Street in Trenton on Monday. AREA, PAGE 3
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE Trenton will be under a winter storm watch through Jan. 1. New Year’s Day could feature a wintery mix followed by snow. The high Monday at Trenton was 35 and Tuesday’s high was 33 with a low of 24. There was 1.3 inches of snow reported along with 1.6 inches of rain on Tuesday. No report was available from the Government Weather Station near Spickard.
A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER... 2020 presented unique challenges to local sports. Seasons were ended abrubtly or cancelled all together. Today we look back at the stories that defined the Trenton sports scene in the most tumultuous of years. SPORTS, PAGE 2
Trenton Republican-Times WINTERY MIX
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WHAT’S INSIDE
SPORTS ..........................PAGE 2 AREA ..............................PAGE 3 OP/ED ...........................PAGE 4 CALENDARS ..................PAGE 5 AGRICULTURE..............PAGE 6 COMICS ..........................PAGE 7 CROSSWORDS ..............PAGE 8 DEAR ANNIE ................PAGE 8 CLASSIFIEDS ................PAGE 9