FLIP PAGES FOR WEBSITE.qxp_Layout 1 4/1/20 3:12 PM Page 1
Friday, April 3, 2020
REPUBLICAN-TIMES TRENTON
Trenton, MO 64683 COVID-19
75¢
per copy Check out the Republican-Times on the Internet: www.republican-times.com ©W.B. Rogers Printing Co., Inc.
Ten Pages
Established Sept. 4, 1864 - 156th Year - No. 61
COMMISSION Hear Virus Update
Grundy County, Surrounding Area
Area Schools Remain Closed The Grundy R-5, Laredo R-7, Pleasant View R-6 and Spickard R-2 school districts have announced they will be following the Trenton R-9 School District’s lead and extending the school closure time by four weeks due to COVID-19 concerns. Letters informing patrons, parents and students of the decision were sent out on Monday following consultation among Grundy County school administrators and the Grundy County Health Department. Classes at Grundy R-5, Laredo R-7 and Pleasant View R-6 are now tentatively scheduled to resume on Monday, April 27 while Spickard R2 will be returning to classes on Thursday, April 30. The Trenton R-9 District had announced early on Monday that it would not be sending students back to school until April 27. At Grundy R-5, teachers will begin working later this week on a new virtual education website for all students. Principals William Dow and Jennifer Dyer will have a short parent survey regarding technology on the district website and parents are being asked to take a few moments to complete the survey. The district food service will continue providing meals and any child age 18 and under living in the school district is eligible. Persons can call the school at 673-6511 to reserve a meal. At Laredo R-7, teachers will be preparing student learning packets to be delivered on April 6, with announcement of specifics of delivery to be made once plans have been finalized.
Additional educational activities are listed on the district’s Facebook page and students and parents are asked to share their home learning activities. Questions and concerns can be addressed by contacting Administrator Misty Foster at mfoster@laredotigers.net. Pleasant View R-6 will have its teachers in communication with students and will be sending more work to students as needed. Parents are urged to communicate with their child’s teacher for questions about the work. While the R-6 food service is not eligible to serve free meals, students are encouraged to utilize the meals being offered by the Trenton and Grundy R-5 school districts. Parents/guardians are reminded to contact the district from which they would be picking up a meal each morning before picking up the meal at the designated time (359-4643 at Trenton, 673-6511 at Grundy R-5). Additional information will be made available through the district’s Facebook page, DoJo, Textcaster and local media outlets. Superintendent Rebecca Steinhoff, who will be working from home while the school is closed, can be emailed at rsteinhoff@pleasantview46.org. Spickard R-2 will continue sending packets home to students as well as having education “challenges” posted on the school website and Facebook page. Suggestions have also been made to parents regarding activities that can be done to encourage additional learning. Hours that teachers will be avail-
M obiile CO OVID D-19 9 Te esting Wright Memorial Hospital and Hedrick Medical Center are currently operating a joint, temporary COVID-19 drive-through testing site at the former Washington Street Food and Drink location at 1100 Washington St. in Chillicothe. The offsite drive-through testing is only available to patients who have a referral from a physician. The drive-through location will be operating from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. Patients who are experiencing COVID-19 related symptoms as designated by the CDC (fever of 100 degrees or higher, new cough within the last 14 days and shortness of breath) are asked to call their provider to receive further instructions. As patients arrive, they will be asked to follow the traffic flow, stay in their vehicle and to be prepared to provide proof of identity as well as provide their date of birth. Tests will only be administered to those who arrive after a physician referral.
able to answer questions will be posted on the school website and Facebook page as well. The office will be open from 9 to 11:30 a.m. each day and administrator Jonnie Beavers can be contacted at 485-6121 or by email at jbeavers@spickard.k12.mo.us. The district will continue providing lunch and breakfast to students. Parents can call between 9 and 10 a.m. each day to schedule a meal or for more information. The district will also continue offering its "care closet" for those students needing hygiene products and cleaning supplies.The building remains closed to the public and persons needing access are to contact the school to make an appointment with school personnel. Trenton R-9 will continue to provide enhancement materials and ask that students and patrons continue to email
Principal Addresses Year-End Activities
R-9 Offers Brreakffast The Trenton R-9 School District has added a breakfast component to the meals it will be serving to youth while students are not in classes due to COVID-19 concerns. Youth ages 18 and under living in the R-9 District are eligible for both breakfast and luncheon meals, which are being prepared by the district and offered in a "grab and go format." Meals can be ordered Monday through Friday between 8 to 9:30 a.m. at 359-4643, with pickup between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in the high school driveway. Those requesting breakfast will actually be ordering for the following day, but the breakfast meal will be picked up along with lunch. For example, calls made on Monday will be for Monday lunch and Tuesday breakfast. Trenton R-9 announced on Monday the district will be extending its closing dates through Friday, April 24.
Editor’s Note: The following information has been provided by Trenton High School Principal Kasey Bailey and addresses what the school district is doing regarding year-end school activities involving THS students.
See THS, Page 3
teachers with questions and needs regarding the materials available. The district will continuing offering both breakfast and lunch to all youth ages 18 and under residing in the school district who call and reserve a meal (see story below). All school buildings will remain closed and all extracurricular events, practices and use of Trenton R9 property for social gatherings have been cancelled or postponed. Buildings will remain locked down and no one is to enter the facilities without prior authorization. Staff and patrons needing to pick up items from the facilities must first contact their building administrator to make arrangements to enter the building. Office hours for administrators will vary in each building, but administrators can be reached by email. The district office will remain open from 8 a.m. to noon each day.
Briefs...
TRENTON R-9 COVID-19 Update
by Kasey Bailey THS Principal As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt the normal operation of businesses and organizations across the country, Trenton High School faculty and administration want to keep our patrons updated on the situation as it affects our students. Faculty and administrators will be checking on individual students and families this next week to make sure they have access to lessons being posted to Google Classroom. Part of that effort is to identify families who don’t have regular and reliable access to the Internet. If this is a problem for your family, please contact the high school office at 359-2291 between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. so that we can assist you. Teachers have been and will continue to post weekly assignments to Google Classroom and make printed copies
Filing Da ate Pa asses Only one local race will appear on the Aug. 4 Primary Election ballot in Grundy County, with a three-way race for second district county commissioner. The race for second district commissioner will be decided in the primary as three Republican candidates have filed. Incumbent Joe Brinser, Trenton resident Brad Chumbley and rural Trenton resident Martha Roberts all filed for the seat, with no one filing as a Democrat. Nathaniel Curtis of Trenton is the only candidate who filed for the office of assessor, a position that has been held by Kathy Veatch, who has indicated her intention to retire at the end of her term. Also filing by the deadline were incumbents First District County Commissioner Don Sager, Sheriff Rodney Herring, Treasurer/Collector Barb Harris, Public Administrator Jill Eaton and Coroner Dewayne Slater. All have filed as Republicans.
Se econ nd No otice Ma ailed R-T Photo/Seth Herrold
Trenton Municipal Utilities Electric Department employees were busy on Wednesday installing a new electric transformer at the north substation, just off Industrial Drive. The city currently has three main transformers, all of which were installed in the 1970s and, according to City Administrator Ron Urton, have far outlasted their 25-year design life due to proper maintenance by TMU and not being loaded to maximum capacity. The city council last year, with the recommendation of the city engineer, approved a plan to replace all three transformers over the next two to three years
National Weather Service
The weather will be all over the place this weekend, with rain and thunderstorms expected on Friday night and snow possible on Saturday morning before partly cloudy skies return on Sunday. Highs will reach the upper 60s and lows will hit the mid30s. The high at Trenton on Monday, March 30 was 68. The high on Tuesday was 66 and the low was 42. There was no report from the Government Weather Station near Spickard.
The Grundy County Assessor’s office has mailed out 2020 Second Notice Assessment Lists to those taxpayers who have not returned their lists by the deadline. Due to the current COVID-19 virus situation, Grundy County Assessor Kathy Veatch is requesting that taxpayers mail them or put them in the drop box on the Eighth Street side of the courthouse. Those who have questions are asked to contact the assessor’s office at 660-359-4040, ext. 2 or email the office at assessor@grundycountymo.com. Mrs. Veatch and her staff will do their best to answer any questions and handle business on the phone. Those who must go to the office in person are asked to call for an appointment.
What’s Inside... Thursday should have been the home opener for the Kansas City Royals. Republican-Times Sports Editor Seth Herrold laments the lack of Major League Baseball and other sports in a column appearing on page 2 of today’s R-T.
Trenton Republican-Times “News Every Day...When YOU Want It”
RAIN LIKELY
County Joins Opiate Lawsuit
www.republican-times.com
The Grundy County Commission agreed on Tuesday to join several other Missouri counties in a class action suit involving the wrongful manufacture and distribution of prescription opiates. According to information provided by Grundy County Presiding Commissioner Phillip Ray, the commission will engage in the civil suit against those who are legally responsible for the wrongful manufacture and distribution of prescription opiates and the damages caused by that action. Ray said no local companies or businesses have or will be named as defendants and the litigation focuses on opioid manufacturers and wholesale distributors. Other counties involved in the suit as of March 9 are Adair, Barton, Clinton, Dade, Henry, Hickory, Lawrence, McDonald, Pike, Polk, New Madrid, Ralls, Ray, St. Clair and Vernon. Commissioners also held a conference call with Grundy County Health Department Administrator Elizabeth Gibson, who reported there are still no positive COVID-19 cases in Grundy County, however, she does feel it is only a matter of time before the county has a confirmed case. She said Harrison and Livingston counties both have a positive case and 1,031 cases and 13 deaths have been reported statewide as of Tuesday morning. Ms. Gibson stated that a county-wide infrastructure conference call is being held each Wednesday to update various entities on the ever-changing pandemic. In a meeting with Grundy County Emergency Management Director Glen Briggs it was learned federal disaster applications for FEMA Disaster 4490, response to the COVID-19 pandemic, are being accepted until April 25. All political entities, such as cities, school districts, townships and counties, can apply for federal assistance to help pay for items such as hiring professionals to disinfect facilities, etc. Briggs also said he has submitted a request to the State Emergency Management Agency for personal protective equipment for use by fire, EMS, law enforcement and the coroner. That request is currently “in progress.” In other business, the commission held a conference call with Grundy County Ambulance Director Steve Tracy, who reported on the extra precautions and equipment being utilized during the coronavirus outbreak. The commission was given an update on changes in operations and were informed they are day by See County, Page 3
What’s Inside
Sports.............................page 2 Local News ....................page 3 Op/Ed ............................page 4 NASCAR .......................page 4 Across Missouri ............page 5 Agriculture....................page 6 Comics ...........................page 7 Crosswords....................page 8 Dear Annie ....................page 8