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TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021
TRENTON
R-T REPUBLICAN-TIMES 75¢
©W.B. Rogers Printing Co., Inc.
12 PAGES
Established Sept. 4, 1864 - 157th Year - No. 65
republican-times.com
OPENING NIGHT
BRIEFS Oath Given To Incumbents
The oath of office was given to those elected to offices at Galt during a meeting held Wednesday. According to information provided by City Clerk Ashley Bonnett, the oath of office was given to Mayor Jessica Gannon as well as to aldermen-at-large Sierra Fletchall and Jason Grindstaff. All three were incumbents and ran unopposed in the April 6 election. They will each serve two-year terms. In other business, council voted to accept a proposal from Benton and Associates of Kirksville to conduct an engineering study on possible improvements to be made to the city water system. The proposal was one of five received after a request for qualifications was sent to engineering companies. Partial funding for the study is being paid for through a grant from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. The next regular meeting is scheduled for May 12 at 6 p.m. R-T Photo/Ronda Lickteig
The Trenton High School Choir, under the direction of Tyler Busick, performed “Home,” a selection that was written by Ryan Main and commissioned in honor of former long-time choir director Ann Brinser. Main was in the audience as the song had its world premier at the grand opening of the Trenton Performing Arts Center on Friday.
Decades-Long Dream Becomes Reality As TPAC Hosts First Performances The realization of a decades-long vision became reality Friday evening as the Trenton Performing Arts Center played host to its first performances. Opening night featured performances by the Trenton High School Band and the Trenton High School Choir with a nod to the past as the students made history by being the first to perform in the center, with the band under the direction of Ethan Stewart and the choir under the direction of Tyler Busick. THS alum Lisa Zang Huffstutter introduced long-time former band instructor Buddy Hannaford, who served as guest conductor for the selection “Brighton Beach” before addressing the crowd of invited guests. Another former instructor, Tim Gilham, joined the band on the tuba for the selection “Amazing Grace.” He was introduced by another THS alum, Sheridan Jamvold Mounce, who told of the influence he has had in her life and the life of other R-9 band members. On the vocal music side, the highlight was the world premier of “Home,” composed by Ryan Main, who was in the audience. The song was commissioned in honor of former THS choir director Ann Brinser in recognition of her “legacy of excellence.” Trenton R-9 Director of Supportive
Commencement Speakers Announced Chinn, Turner Will Address Class Of 2021 At Ceremony
Chris Chinn
Dr. Davin Turner
Central Missouri College on Saturday, May 8. Director Chinn will speak at the 9 a.m. morning ceremony and Dr. Turner will be the 1 p.m. afternoon speaker. Both ceremonies will take place at the Ketcham Community Center on the NCMC campus. Chris Chinn, a fifth generation Missouri farmer from Clarence, was named Director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture in January 2017. Director Chinn has held lead[See NCMC, Page 4]
Grundy R-5 Staff Getting A Pay Raise Board Approves 2.4 Percent Increase For All Staff, Certified And Non
Staff and administrators in the Grundy R-5 School District will receive a salary
Drama Club Presentation
R-T Photos/Ronda Lickteig
The Trenton High School Band, under the direction of Ethan Stewart, performed its first concert in the new performing arts center on Friday. At left, former THS band instructor Buddy Hannaford, who was a guest conductor, addresses the crowd at the opening-night activities held at the PAC. Another former director, Tim Gilham, performed with the band during the event, which included recognition of those involved in the construction of the PAC, which was part of a $7 million project funded through the continuation of a 90-cent debt service levy for capital projects within the district. Following the performances, tours of the renovations at the THS/Trenton Middle School buildings were given.
[See TPAC, Page 4]
Missouri Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn and Dr. Davin Turner, Chief Medical Officer and President of Mosaic Life Care Medical Center St. Joseph will give the commencement addresses at North
R-9 Mask Policy Changes
The Trenton R-9 School District made an abrupt about-face on Friday, announcing that masks will no longer be required by students or staff in district facilities as part of the district’s COVID-19 mitigation strategy. The announcement came Friday morning after it had been discussed at the April 13 R-9 Board of Education meeting that the district’s mandate that masks be worn would be continued through the testing season in an effort to ensure that testing would not be interrupted by sickness or quarantine issues. It was noted at that time that the policy was an administrative one, not a board policy. In his announcement, R-9 Superintendent Mike Stegman said that in the event the district does have a positive case over the remainder of the school year, contact tracing and the district’s quarantine protocol would be followed as specified by the Grundy County Health Department. Following that announcement came a second announcement, which was a reminder that due to a federal executive order and CDC guidelines, masks are still required to be worn on all school buses. Grundy County currently has no active cases of the COVID19 virus.
increase following action taken Wednesday evening at a meeting of the R-5 board. According to information provided by Superintendent Phil Fox, the board heard a presentation on salaries and then approved the addition of $600 to the base, raising it to $31,200. The increase for both certified and non-certified staff is 2.4 percent. Administrator salaries were also dis-
cussed, with the board approving the base salary for High School Principal Matt Rayl at $65,600, with the base salary for Elementary Principal Jennifer Dyer set at $66,500. Superintendent Phil Fox will be paid $38,520 for the part-time position. Following a closed session, the board voted to renew the contracts of all noncertified staff who were considered for re[See GRUNDY, Page 4]
The Trenton High School Drama Club will present “Til Death Do Us Part” on Friday, April 30 in the Trenton Performing Arts Center, located at THS. The audience participation wedding mystery will begin at 7 p.m. under the direction of drama club sponsor Tashyana Dowell. Tickets are $6 for adults and $5 for students and can be purchased by contacting Mrs. Dowell at THS, 660-359-2291 or at tdowell@trentonr9.k12.mo.us.
Galt Alumni Banquet
The theme of the 98th annual Galt-Grundy R-5 Alumni Banquet is “It’s Never Too Late,” with the event to be held Saturday, May 8 in the Grundy R-5 High School gym at Galt. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with the meal to be served at 6:30 p.m. With the cancellation of last year’s event, honor classes for the past two years will be recognized and all alumni, former students and teachers are encouraged to attend. Reservations are $18 and must be made by May 1 to guarantee a meal. They can be made by calling Shelly Searcy at the high school at 660-673-6511.
Plans Under Way For 2021 Marching Festival October Event Has Big Plans After Going Virtual In ’20
Plans are underway for the 2021 Missouri Day Marching Festival in Trenton set for Saturday, Oct. 16. “This year will be special in many ways,” reports Phil Ray, speaking on behalf of the Marching Festival Steering Committee. “With the cancellation of last year’s festival resulting in the staging of a virtual marching festival, we fully expect everyone wanting to be back on the street, on the court and on the field as we look forward to the 2021 marching season. This year,
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
KINGS OF KIRKSVILLE...
It will be mostly sunny in and around Trenton this week with high temperatures in the 50’s. There is a chance of rain on Friday. The high in Trenton on Thursday was 58 with Friday reaching 53 with .24 of an inch of rain falling. Saturday saw a high of 62 and Sunday’s high was 62 as well with a low of 47. The high on Sunday at the Government Weather Station near Spickard was 59 with a low of 40.
The Trenton High School boys tennis team dominated the Kirksville Under The Lights Tournament on Thursday and Friday, dispatching of host Kirksville and Chillicothe to win the team title at the event. SPORTS, PAGE 2
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MOSTLY SUNNY
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Missouri is celebrating its bicentennial, and Trenton is the home of THE Missouri Day Festival. We will be welcoming several special guests from across the great state to celebrate with us on Oct. 16.” The Missouri Day Marching Festival will once again play host to numerous bands from across Missouri and southern Iowa. This year’s marching festival will include parade, indoor guard, indoor percussion and field. “We strive to create a diverse panel of judges to offer a fair and conducive educational environment for students and instructors, a long-time tradition of the local marching festival,” explained Ray. On-line registration is now available for schools who are [See FESTIVAL, Page 4]
WHAT’S INSIDE
SPORTS ..........................PAGE 2 LOCAL ......................PAGE 3 & 4 CALENDAR .....................PAGE 5 CHURCH .........................PAGE 6 ACROSS MISSOURI .......PAGE 7 COMICS ..........................PAGE 8 CROSSWORDS ................PAGE 9 CLASSIFIEDS ................PAGE 10 AREA .............................PAGE 12