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Tuesday, April 28, 2020
REPUBLICAN-TIMES TRENTON
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Established Sept. 4, 1864 - 156th Year - No. 68
Trenton, MO 64683
RURAL WORKERS COMMUNITY ALLIANCE
Work Conditions Cited
Lawsuit Targets Milan Processing Plant MILAN, Mo. (AP) — A lawsuit filed on behalf of workers at a Smithfield Food plant in Missouri claims conditions at the plant are putting workers and the public at risk of contracting the coronavirus. The lawsuit, filed Thursday by an advocacy group and an unidentified worker, claims among other things that Smithfield has not provided employees at its plant in Milan with sufficient protective equipment and requires them to work shoulder to shoulder. It also contends that workers are discouraged from taking sick leave. “Put simply, workers, their family members, and many others who live in Milan and in the broader community may die — all because Smithfield refused to change its practices in the face of this pandemic,” according to the lawsuit. The group involved in the lawsuit, the Rural Workers Community Alliance, is a nonprofit that advocates for workers in northern Missouri, including at the Milan plant.
COVID-19 UPDATE
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Smithfield has faced complaints about working conditions at other plants and closed a plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, after about 800 workers tested positive for the virus. Other large meat processing companies, such as Tyson Foods and JBS, have closed plants because of infections among workers. Smithfield, based in Virginia, closed its plants in Martin City and Cudahy, WI last week because they rely on raw materials from the South Dakota plant. Smithfield spokeswoman Keira Lombardo said the allegations in the lawsuit involving the Milan plant are “without factual or legal merit." She said some of the claims have already been investigated and determined to be unfounded, KCUR reported. The lawsuit doesn’t seek monetary damages but is asking for an injunction to force Smithfield to comply with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and public health guidelines.
Saint Luke’s Testing Change
Grundy County Cases Still Remain At Zero There are still no confirmed cases of COVID19 reported in Grundy County as of Monday morning, according to information provided by the Grundy County Health Department. In addition to Grundy County, there are no confirmed cases in Mercer, Sullivan and Putnam counties. The Department of Health and Senior Services has reported 6,997 confirmed cases in the state of Missouri, with deaths at 274. Nationally, the death total is over 52,000. Saint Luke’s Health System, which includes Wright Memorial Hospital at Trenton and Hedrick Medical Center in Chillicothe, has updated its criteria for COVID-19 testing to include only persons who have experienced new
MISSOURI FFA ASSOCIATION
specific symptoms within the last 14 days. Those with risk-factor qualities but who have not experienced those symptoms have been removed from the testing list. The symptoms include a fever of 100 degrees or higher, loss of smell or taste, cough, shortness of breath, diarrhea, sore throat and body aches. Persons experiencing any of the symptoms must call their provider to obtain a testing referral. Local referrals must come from a medical provider based in Grundy, Mercer or Livingston counties. As of Monday morning, Wright Memorial Hospital and Hedrick Medical Center have See COVID-19, Page 3
Ten Pages LIFE SOLUTIONS Depression, Isolation
Briefs...
Program Offers Tips To Deal With COVID-19
NCMC C Board M eeting The North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees will meet in regular session at 5:30 tonight (Tuesday) in the basement of the Alexander Student Center. This is a change in the normal meeting location. Items on the tentative agenda include administration of the oath of office to board members Dr. John Holcomb and Dr. NiCole Neal, reorganization of the board, consideration of bids/purchases, declaration of surplus property, a request for a program review, consideration of a special meeting with the NCMC Foundation, a Head Start item, personnel (employments, revised job description and Head Start) and reports from the Head Start Directors, the vice president for academic affairs, the vice president for student affairs and the president. An executive session for personnel, legal matters and real estate is also listed on the agenda.
R-9 Sttud dentt Returrn, Piicku up The Trenton R-9 School District has announced plans to collect student iPads and distribute student belongings that were left at the school when classes were halted in March due to the COVID-19 virus. At Trenton High School, seniors may turn in their iPads and pick up belongings on Monday, May 4 and Tuesday, May 5, anytime between 3 to 6 p.m. Underclassmen (freshmen through juniors) will turn in iPads in the lunch line between 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. from Monday, May 4 to Friday, May 8. There will also be an iPad turn-in from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday, May 8 at the high school for those who cannot come at the other scheduled times. Pre-kindergarten through 11th grade students will be able to pick up personal belongings at their respective schools beginning Monday, May 18. Students with the last name beginning with the letters A-G will pick up from 3 to 6 p.m. on Monday, May 18; those with the last name beginning with H-0 will pick up from 3 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19; and those with the last name beginning with P-Z will pick up from 3 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20. Those who can’t make their appointed time can pick up items from 3 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 21.
R -9 Special Board Meetin ng The Trenton R-9 Board of Education will meet in special session at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29. Items on the announced agenda include discussion of high school graduation and summer school. An executive session for personnel, closed to the public, will also be held. Due to COVID-19 concerns, members will meet via Google Virtual Meeting, with the public being able to access the meeting from the Trenton R-9 website (trentonr9.ki12.mo.us) by using the Chrome app and clicking on menu, then district link, then Trenton R-IX Agendas. Click on enter public site, then special meeting and then on the video icon that appears on the page.
Virtual Recognition For 2019-20 Activities
Trenton Chapter Earns State Award The Trenton FFA chapter and two Mercer County FFA members are among those recognized by the Missouri FFA Association for their achievements during the 2019-20 school year. The Trenton FFA chapter has been awarded a National Chapter Award Program Gold Emblem while Brylee Williams of Princeton and Zachary Main of Mercer have been selected as state proficiency award winners. The awards would normally have been awarded at the Missouri FFA Convention, which was scheduled for April 22-24 but was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns. Awards are now being announced on the state FFA website. The Trenton’s Gold Emblem honor was presented in recognition of the chapter’s implementation of the FFA mission and strategies by improving chapter operations that emphasize growing leaders, building communities and strengthening agriculture. Chapters are rewarded for providing educational experiences for the entire membership. Only 10 percent of state chapters qualify for the honor, making Trenton one of 35 Missouri chapters to receive the Gold Emblem designation. The Trenton FFA growing leaders activities included FFA Sunday, with members serving as greeters and leading the children’s service at the chapter president’s church on FFA Sunday as well as connecting with the church members. Chapter activities in the strengthening agriculture category included “Farm to Fork,” a program in which members taught summer school students about where food comes from and healthy eating habits. Ac-
tivities in the building communities category included “Thrifty Volunteers,” with members volunteering at the Church Women United Thrift Store each Saturday in January and February. Members sorted items, stocked inventory and assisted customers while gaining a sense of pride and citizenship for their community. The chapter is now eligible to compete for the National FFA Chapter Award, with winners to be announced this fall at the 93rd National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis, IN. The state award is sponsored by FCS Financial. Brook Kreatz and Kabel Oaks are the Trenton FFA advisors. Miss Williams, a member of the Princeton FFA chapter, received the Swine Production Entrepreneurship Proficiency Award, while Main, a member of the North Mercer FFA chapter, was named the Swine Production Placement Proficiency Award winner. Miss Williams’ supervised agricultural experience program began with swine production, starting with a Duroc gilt. She studied pedigrees online to grow her operation and when a strain of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus wiped out her January litters, she rebuilt her operation and since that time has had two successful online sales and placed three boars in boar stud programs across the country. Miss Williams serves as her chapter vice president and has competed at the state level in the meats evaluation, horse evaluation and selection career development events, where she received a Group I individual rating in both. She received Chapter Star
National Weather Service
Mostly sunny skies are forecast this week with highs in the low to mid 70s and lows in the mid to upper 40s. Trenton’s high on Thursday, April 23 was 74 with Friday’s high reaching 59 and Saturday’s high hitting 68. The high on Sunday was 72 and the low was 46. A total of .8 of an inch of rain was recorded during that time. There was no report from the Government Weather Station near Spickard.
Placement recognition and has exhibited at the Missouri State Fair. In addition to FFA, Miss Williams is a member of National Honor Society. She serves as vice president of the Mid-River 4-H Club and is a member of the Missouri Club Lamb Association, Missouri Youth Show Pig Circuit and National Junior Swine Association. After graduation in 2021, Miss Williams plans to work for the family business, JudgingPro, an online livestock judging resource. She hopes to take over the business and wants to continue raising pigs. She also plans to attend Redlands Community College at El Reno, OK to earn an associate’s degree, then transfer to Texas A&M University at College Station, TX. During college, she hopes to be on the livestock judging teams. Miss Williams is a junior at Princeton R-5 High School and is the daughter of Bryan and Joni Williams. Her father, Bryan, is also her FFA advisor. Main, who is a graduate of North Mercer R-3 High School and attends North Central Missouri College in Trenton, has a supervised agricultural experience program consisting of working for Smithfield Hog Production at Nevada, where his position is “herdsperson II.” He assists with artificial insemination in sows and gilts and helps with feeding and vaccinating swine during gestation. He also washes trailers for transfer of sows and weaned pigs and is working toward breeding certifications. See FFA, Page 3
What’s Inside... Who’s your favorite sports athlete? Sports Editor Seth Herrold makes his case for Kansas City Royals outfielder Alex Gordon in his column, which appears on page 2 of today’s Republican-Times.
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Americans of all ages are experiencing increased social isolation and loneliness in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic and, according to Wright Memorial Hospital Life Solutions Program Director Robin Dennert, RN, it is important for individuals to find ways to connect and engage in activities to help mitigate symptoms of anxiety and depression during this time. According to the National Institute on Aging, nearly 14 million older adults in the U.S. live alone and are especially vulnerable during this time. Research has linked social isolation and loneliness to higher risks for a variety of physical and mental conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease and even death. The Senior Life Solutions program is encouraging people to engage in meaningful, productive activities to help boost mood and maintain their overall emotional health and well-being. Mrs. Dennert has put together some quick tips for individuals in hopes they will encourage self-care and support: Quick Tips for Older Adults Experiencing Social Isolation Find or keep a sense of purpose. Take up a hobby such as growing an herb garden, crossword puzzles, knitting, or other activities. Age-appropriate workouts can help you not only stay in physical shape but in mental shape as well. Gentle exercises such as walking are suggested. It is always recommended to consult a healthcare professional or primary care physician first. Manage medication. Do you have enough to last you for the next 30-60 days? If you need help managing medications, contact your doctor or a loved one who can help you. Keep a routine that includes consistent sleep/wake cycles. Incorporate talking to family or friends in that routine, whether it be writing them a letter or calling them on the phone. Quick Tips for Families Stay active, and do it together. Walk the family dog, take a bike ride or a walk together. If your church has temporarily closed, check in with them to see if they are offering virtual services that your family can attend together from home. If you have kids home from school, make a video (on your smartphone) and send it to a loved one who lives far away, which is a fun interacSee TIPS, Page 3
What’s Inside
Sports.............................page 2 Local News ....................page 3 Across Missouri.....page 4 & 5 Calendars ......................page 5 National News ...............page 6 Comics ...........................page 7 Crosswords....................page 8 Dear Annie ....................page 8 Classifieds .....................page 9