FLIP PAGES FOR WEBSITE.qxp_Layout 1 6/15/20 10:57 AM Page 1
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
REPUBLICAN-TIMES TRENTON
Trenton, MO 64683
Established Sept. 4, 1864 - 156th Year - No. 82
75¢
per copy Check out the Republican-Times on the Internet: www.republican-times.com ©W.B. Rogers Printing Co., Inc.
Eight Pages COVID-19 Phase 2 Set To Begin
Grundy County Cases At 10
Submitted Photos
It was a busy weekend with the Trenton High School prom activities on Saturday night and Pleasant View R-6 School graduation on Friday night. At left, seniors Sam Schilling and Allena Allen were named the 2020 THS Prom king and queen during the Grand March at the Spillman Event Center in Jamesport. Attendants were Quentin Hughs, Mark Trump, McKenna Cox and Kendall Crowley. At right, three students were graduated during ceremonies at the Pleasant View R-6 School. Carly McBee, at left, was named the class valedictorian while Christy Stretch, center, was the class salutarorian. She also was named the recipient of the Eckert Citizenship Award. Seanacie Ireland, right, was also graduated.
WRIGHT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
Briefs...
Visitor Guidelines Changed
Suspended Hospital Services Reopening It’s “back to normal” at Wright Memorial Hospital as services suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic are being reinstituted over the course of the next several weeks. The latest involves patient visitor guidelines. WMH CEO Steve Schieber said in a recent interview that Saint Luke’s Health System, which includes Wright Memorial, is now allowing one visitor per patient at a time. Previously, no visitors were allowed to enter the hospital due to COVID-19. Schieber noted that persons entering the facility must go through screening at the entrance and all are required to wear a mask covering their nose and mouth at all times while in the facility. Cloth masks are acceptable for visitors. Visitors will be limited to individuals age 14 and over, with visitors not being permitted for those patients who have confirmed or suspected COVID-19. There would be an exception for end-of-life circumstances. Persons unable to
visit a family member can contact the hospital to facilitate an online visit. Meanwhile, out-patient services have also been reopened and doctors in the physicians’ clinic are also taking appointments. “As you know, we had to scale those back when the COVID-19 first happened to make sure that we were prepared to meet the emergency needs of any patients who might need our services,” he said. “Thankfully, we didn’t have those issues and we can now get back to operating 100 percent.” Schieber noted the hospital continues to have its COVID safety precautions in place, both for those who come to utilize the facility’s services as well as staff members who are providing those services. “We want to make sure we are keeping everyone safe,” he said. Schieber recognized the WMH staff for their efforts during the COVID-19 situation. “Our staff, and Saint Luke’s,
AREA SCHOOL BOARDS
NCM Fair Cha anges An nnounce ed
was just phenomenal through this whole situation,” he said. “We were fortunate in that we were able to get whatever it was we needed when we needed it. We didn’t experience what other facilities went through in not having equipment or having to do massive layoffs.” WMH has been partnering with Hedrick Medical Center to provide drive-through COVID-19 testing at Chillicothe, a service that continues on a daily basis. However, that service has now been expanded to a site in Trenton (the former Green Hills Medical Clinic on Iowa Boulevard), which is offering testing Monday through Friday. “We were seeing an increased unsage of our testing (at Chillicothe) by individuals who were coming from a long distance,” Schieber said. “A site in Trenton gives us a chance to better serve those who are in the north part of our service region so that they don’t have to travel as far.” See WMH, Page 3
The North Central Missouri Fair Board has announced that only livestock/animal shows will be held during this year’s fair event. The board made the decision at a meeting on Thursday night, citing concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision means there will be no carnival, Rock Barn exhibits or grandstand shows in 2020. The board did say it plans to host a full fair schedule in 2021. Information about the livestock/animal show dates, rules and regulations will be released in the coming days. Information will also be made available on the fair’s Facebook page and website.
Su upe erinte enden t Re esigns Long-time Trenton Park Superintendent Jason Shuler has resigned from his position. According to Trenton City Clerk Cindy Simpson, Shuler submitted his resignation at a special closed meeting of the Trenton Park Board on Wednesday, June 10. He will use his accumulated paid time off, however, his last official working day was June 5. Assistant Superintendent David Shockley is in charge of park operations at this time. The board is currently in the process of reviewing the job descriptions for both the park superintendent position and the assistant superintendent position before advertising for the vacancy. Shuler, who is the owner of a concrete and construction business in Trenton, was hired as the superintendent in April 2000.
C OVID-19 Te esting A total of 1,429 persons have been tested for COVID19 by Wright Memorial Hospital and Hedrick Medical Center. WMH has tested 377 persons, including 260 from Grundy County, 66 from Mercer County and 51 from other counties. HMC has tested 1,052 including 600 Livingston County residents, 173 from Grundy County, 37 from Mercer County and 242 from other counties.
Prom Set For June 20
Grundy R-5 To Open June 27 Graduations The Grundy R-5 Board of Education discussed graduation activities and took action on several items during a meeting on Thursday night, June 11. According to information provided by Superintendent Phil Fox, the board agreed to open both the fifth/sixth grade and high school graduations to anyone who wants to attend. The ceremonies will be held on Saturday, June 27 in the high school gym at Galt, with the fifth and sixth grade graduation at 10 a.m. and high school graduation at 2 p.m. The district will provide face masks and hand sanitizing materials for those who wish to utilize these items. If possible, the
district is also requesting social distancing be observed. Prom will be held on Saturday, June 20 at the Galt square. A group of Grundy R-5 parents will be in charge of the evening activities. The board voted to participate in the A-Plus program for the 2020-21 school year as well as approved a memorandum of understanding with Grundy County to access county CARES Act funding. The district has been allocated $41,000 through a CARES Act fund for schools, which will be used to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic as well as technology im-
provements. The board heard reports on the summer maintenance program as well as end-of-year withholding of state funds, including discussion of investments for district reserve funds. Administration was asked to gather information regarding a breakfast program at the high school. The board reviewed and approved elementary and secondary principal reports. The board set a special meeting for 5 p.m. on Monday, June 29 to close out the 2019-20 school year. See R-5, Page 3
What’s Inside...
National Weather Service
Trenton High School athletes will be meeting with coaches on Thursday night to discuss plans for the 2020-21 sports seasons. See page 2 of today’s Republican-Times for details about the meeting, to be held at C.F. Russell Stadium.
Sunny skies with warm temperatures this week with highs in the upper 80s and lows dipping into the mid 60s. The high temperature at Trenton on Thursday, June 11 was 89. The high on both Friday and Saturday was 90. Sunday’s high was 87, the low was 64. There was no report from the Government Weather Station near Spickard.
Trenton Republican-Times “News Every Day...When YOU Want It”
STEAMY
www.republican-times.com
There are 10 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Grundy County. According to an announcement from the Grundy County Health Department, two more cases were confirmed over the weekend. Grundy County has added six COVID-19 cases within the past week, with all six isolating at home. Potential close contacts of those individuals have also been notified. On Monday, the state COVID-19 website lists 12 confirmed cases in Grundy County, however, the health department said that number was incorrect. Other counties in north Missouri have also announced additional cases, with Sullivan County having the biggest jump with 92 cases as of Monday morning. Of that total, 38 cases remain active. Department officials state that all cases have been determined to be community related and that close contacts of the infected individuals have been or are being notified regarding how to proceed with quarantine measures. Mercer County had one additional case reported last Friday, bringing the county total to five. One of those individuals is out of self-isolation. No other information was made available by the health department. Livingston County also has one more case, bringing its total to five. Livingston County Health Center Director Sherry Weldon said the case is travel-related and that the individual is isolating at home. Efforts are under way to notify all individuals who may have been exposed to provide guidelines and monitoring for development of symptoms. The state website has Livingston County’s total listed at seven cases. Other area county totals include Linn, 11; Carroll, 10; Harrison, 9; Caldwell, 7; Daviess, 7; and Putnam, 1. As of Monday morning, the total number of cases in Missouri was listed at 15,810, including 879 deaths. The report of additional cases in north Missouri comes at the same time Gov. Mike Parson has announced the state will be moving into Phase 2 of the “Show Me Strong Recovery” plan on Tuesday. He said Missouri has met the four pillars set forth in Phase 1 to move ahead and “fully reopen.” During Phase 2, there will be no statewide health order, with all statewide restrictions being lifted. However, local officials will still have the authority to put further rules, regulations or ordinances in See COVID-19, Page 3
What’s Inside
Sports.............................page 2 Across Missouri ............page 2 Calendars ......................page 2 Local News ....................page 3 Comics ...........................page 4 Crosswords....................page 5 Dear Annie ....................page 5 Classifieds .....................page 7