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Friday, February 22, 2019
REPUBLICAN-TIMES TRENTON
Trenton, MO 64683
Established Sept. 4, 1864 - 155th Year - No. 51
75¢ per copy Check out the Republican-Times on the Internet: www.republican-times.com ©W.B. Rogers Printing Co., Inc.
Twelve Pages & 1 Insert
Fire Destroys Main Street Buildings Monday Blaze Claims This & That, Cut & Curls, Chamber An investigation is continuing by the State Fire Marshal’s office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to determine the cause of a fire on Monday that destroyed two downtown business buildings while causing extensive damage to a third in the 600 Block of Main Street in downtown Trenton. Trenton Fire Chief Brandon Gibler said the state fire marshal's office and ATF were called in to review the Monday afternoon fire that destroyed structures housing This and That Pawn Shop and Antiques, owned by Scott Treadwell, and Cut and Curls Beauty Shop, owned by Jodi Barron, and caused extensive damage to a third building that was the location of the Trenton Area Chamber of Commerce and License Bureau. Gibler said that representatives from the fire marshal’s office and ATF spent most of Tuesday at the scene of the fire in an attempt to learn the cause of the fire as well as where the blaze started. Interviews were conducted with several individuals and a trackhoe was brought in, if needed, to dig through the rubble in hopes of finding clues to help in the investigation. Gibler said it could be some time before either office makes a final report. Gibler said a call came into the fire station around 4:06 p.m. on Monday and when firefighters arrived, they found heavy smoke throughout all three buildings. Firemen initially fought the fire from the inside, however, when there was a partial structure collapse, firefighters were forced to withdraw and attack the fire from the exterior. Trenton set up its ladder truck to provide an elevated master stream and the Chillicothe Fire Department also provided aide with their aerial truck, setting up beside the structures. There was a partial collapse of the exterior of the buildings. No injuries were reported. Roads in the area of the fire, which had been closed on Monday night, were re-opened to traffic around 4 o’clock on Tuesday afternoon. Firefighters were unable to open the hydrant located at Eighth and Main streets, near the corner of the courthouse, however, the fire hydrant across the street next to the Plaza
R-T Photos/Wendell Lenhart
Firefighters from Trenton, Grundy County and the surrounding area, pictured above, spent Monday afternoon and Monday night fighting a fire that destroyed buildings housing the This and That Pawn Shop and Antiques and the Cuts and Curls Beauty Shop in the 600 block of Main Street. The building that housed the Trenton Area Chamber of Commerce and License Bureau offices was extensively damaged. The State Fire Marshal’s office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were called to the scene to investigate. At left, flames could be seen shooting up from the back of the three buildings.
Chamber Banquet Back On
Apartments was able to be used. Both hydrants are on the same pipe, according to City Administrator/TMU Director Ron Urton. Electricity was also turned off for a period of time as a safety precaution. Trenton Chamber Executive Director Debbie Carman said efforts are being made to find a new location for
the chamber and license bureau offices, which remain closed at this time. The chamber’s annual banquet, scheduled for Friday, March 15, will still be held. Treadwell, who owns the building that houses both the pawn shop and beauty shop, said he is still trying to process the fire, which he described
Despite the fire on Monday and a previous cancellation announcement, the Trenton Area Chamber of Commerce has decided to go ahead and hold its annual banquet on Friday, March 15. Chamber Executive Director Debbie Carman said two chamber members have stepped forward to help lead efforts to proceed with the event. The Large and Small Business of the Year, Pillars of the Community and the Organization of the Year will be honored and entertainment will include the second annual Chamber Lip Sync competition, where Trenton R-9 School Superintendent Dan Wiebers will be defending his title as Trenton’s “lip sync champion.” The event is open to both chamber and non-chamber members. The ticket cost is $35 each and reservations are required. They can be made by contacting Micah Landes at the North Central Missouri Development Alliance, 660-973-2996; Kim Washburn at US Bank, 359-3944; Crystal Whitaker at ChiroSolutions, 359-3500; or Ms. Carman at 635-0892. There are also silver sponsorships for $500 (a table of eight, recognition in the program and a banner) or table sponsorships for $320 (a table of eight and recognition in the program). Ms. Carman said persons can pay at the door or the chamber will send an invoice for payment. “I would encourage the community to support not only those individuals and businesses being honored, but to also support the chamber as we work to get up and running again,” Ms. Carman said.
as devastating. He said he is looking at several options, including the possibility of purchasing the chamber building, which would give him ownership of the entire front of the block.
CITY COUNCIL
Briefs... Absentee Ballots Available
NCMC Board Meeting
Absentee ballots for the April 2 Municipal Election are now available in the Grundy County Clerk’s Office. According to Grundy County Clerk Betty Spickard, the ballots can be voted until 5 p.m. on Monday, April 1 in her office, located on the second floor of the courthouse. The last day to request to have a ballot mailed to the voter is Wednesday, March 27 and the last day to register to vote in the April election is Wednesday, March 6.
The North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees will hold its regular monthly meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 26 in the Frey Administrative Building. Items on the announced agenda include consideration of IT purchases, personnel (transfer and adjunct faculty) and reports from the president, the vice president of academic affairs and the associate vice president for student affairs. An executive session for personnel, legal matters and real estate is also planned.
R-9 Board Meeting The Trenton R-9 Board of Education will meet in special session at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at the district office. Items on the agenda include a salary proposal from the Salary and Welfare Committee and discussion of the 201920 non-certified salary contingency, which was tabled following discussion at the Feb. 12 meeting. An executive session for personnel is also scheduled.
County Commission Agenda The Grundy County Commission will meet in regular session on Tuesday, Feb 26 at the courthouse. Items on the agenda include a 9 a.m. meeting with representatives from the North Central Missouri Children’s Advocacy Center, a 10 a.m. meeting with Ambulance Director Steve Tracy, followed by an 11 a.m. meeting with Shannon Howe of Howe Company to discuss bridge studies.
National Weather Service A messy day is expected on Saturday with rain and snow possible. The rest of the weekend looks sunny, highs ranging from the mid-30s to the mid40s and lows as low as 11. The high at the Government Weather Station at Trenton on Feb. 18 and 19 was 29, Feb. 20’s high was 36, the low was 15. A total of 3.3 inches of snow fell on Feb.19. There was no report from the Government Weather Station near Spickard.
Committees Meet
The Administrative and Utility committees of the Trenton City Council met on Tuesday night, making decisions regarding road money and substation transformer replacement. City Administrator Ron Urton said the Administrative Committee decided to allow the Missouri Department of Transportation to take back $46,000 in STP funding the city has banked for a possible road project. The city was fac-
The THS girls basketball team will be playing for the title of the Class 3, District 14 title with two wins this week. See page 2 of today’s Republican-Times for a recap of the games with Carrollton and Brookfield.
Trenton Republican-Times “News Every Day...When YOU Want It” www.republican-times.com
See Fire, Page 3
City Giving Back STP Road Funds
What’s Inside...
CLEARING OUT
He said he would eventually like to own the whole block and perhaps build a structure there. Parking was
ing a timeline of obligating the money by September, which would require a plan to be filed with MoDOT no later than July. Because the city could not use the funding for the 17th Street Bridge project, officials had to determine another project to be done. Urton said that projects under the STP program require at least a 20 percent match from the entities that receive the funds and See City, Page 3
What’s Inside Sports.............................page 2 Local News ....................page 3 Opinion/Editorial .........page 4 Community ...................page 5 Agriculture....................page 6 Thank a Farmer ...........page 7 Comics ...........................page 8 Crosswords....................page 9 Dear Annie ....................page 9