GNM_09-09-2020

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Thursday for GHS Softball, Friday for GHS Football; see pages 6-7 for details

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Two elementary classrooms test positive for Covid; AMI begins Two Searcy Elementary classrooms have individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 and the school has switched to an Alternate Method of Instruction (AMI), according to a statement from school officials and the county health department. The Gallatin R-5 School District and the Daviess County Health Department have been working jointly to identify, isolate, and quarantine the individuals who have been exposed to a positive COVID-19 case in two elementary school classrooms. Due to the current circumstances, Covel D. Searcy Elementary will move to the district AMI plan located on the district website for the week of Sept. 8-11 in order to deep clean the school. Elementary students who have been previously contacted by the health department will

continue to quarantine as directed. School will resume for face-to-face instruction for all other students on Sept. 14. Information was given to the students regarding device distribution and packets. Individuals who have not been contacted by the health department or the school are not a close contact. Individuals who have been contacted must quarantine for 14 days and monitor for symptoms. People with COVID-19 have a wide range of symptoms, from mild to severe, and symptoms may appear two to 14 days after exposure to the virus. People with symptoms of COVID-19 may experience fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, new loss of taste and smell, sore throat, congestion, and/or nausea or vomiting and diarrhea.

Contact your healthcare provider if you develop any of these symptoms. Please continue to practice preventable actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 such as social distancing, wearing a face covering over your mouth and nose, proper hand washing and hygiene, and most of all, stay home if you are sick. Jamesport uses AMI Tri-County R-7 in Jamesport closed inperson classes for one day last week on Sept. 2 and held AMI for that day, due to a positive COVID-19 test in the elementary. The school was back to normal quickly afterwards. The daycare in Jamesport is currently closed, but will reopen on Sept. 10. Other businesses in Jamesport which have closed due to the effects of COVID-19 one

way or the other are Farm House Collection and Jamesport Candle Company. According to David Roll, Daviess County Emergency Management Director, only individuals are tracked for COVID-19, case by case. Just because an employee of a business has contracted COVID-19, it doesn’t mean the health department has recommended the business close. If a business employee tests positive for the virus, the county health department can give recommendations about what steps the business can follow, such as deep cleaning, etc., and remain open. In other words, a business may choose to close, not because a staff member has tested positive and been quarantined, but because there is not enough staff or employees to cover for that person’s absence.

County’s health department explains significant uptick in COVID-19 stats

Missouri Industrial Hemp Program receives federal approval for 2021 The Missouri Department of Agriculture has announced federal approval of the state’s Industrial Hemp Plan, which sets the regulatory framework through the 2021 growing season and provides the Department with primary oversight of industrial hemp production in the state. With the approval, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Marketing Service affirmed that Missouri’s plan complies with federal law and regulations. “This approval is a testament to the hard work our team has put in to open up a new regulatory framework for growers looking to diversify their operations,”

said Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn. “We’ve worked hard to incorporate feedback from growers, industry stakeholders and federal partners over the last several months. We hope that this is the certainty that many in the emerging industry have been looking for.” The approval of Missouri’s Industrial Hemp Plan was made by USDA with no required changes to existing state regulation. As a result, Missouri’s industrial hemp producers will continue operations under the existing regulatory framework. This is the first year that Missouri producers may legally grow industrial hemp within the state.

Dollar General in Altamont? …possibly! A Dollar General store located in Altamont is in the “due diligence phase,” according to Mary Kathryn Colbert, Dollar General Public Relations. The company is currently in a due diligence phase for a new Dollar General in Altamont, that would be located off Highway 6, Colbert replied in an email answering an inquiry from this newspaper. “This means we are reviewing the opportunity to add a new store in the area, but we have not committed to doing so just yet,” Colbert wrote. “Based on our current timeline, we anticipate to have a final decision on this by early 2021.” Colbert added that Dollar General customers are at the center of what the company does. Meeting customers’ needs is Dollar General’s top priority when choosing store locations. In selecting store sites, the company takes a number of factors into consideration, carefully evaluating each potential new store location to ensure customers’ price, value, and selection needs can be met. Dollar General further strives to provide convenience for customers who may not have affordable nearby retail options. As needed for opposition inquiries, Dollar General also take competitive factors, traffic patterns and community concerns into consideration. The store would employ approximately 6-10 employees, depending on the individual needs of the store, Colbert noted.

Recently, the number of COVID-19 Positive cases has taken an upswing in Daviess County, according to a joint statement from the Daviess County Health Department and the Daviess County Emergency Management Agency. Currently there are 53 positives recorded since the beginning of the pandemic in March. Of the 53 positives, 19 have recovered, leaving 34 active cases who are at various stages of their quarantine time periods. These 19 cases are not isolated to just one town, one school district, or one location. Another source of the increase is of persons who have Daviess County as their legal address but are not currently in the county, such as college students and workers. While they are not here, their case is added to our county total because of their legal address. The Missouri Department of Corrections also just released numbers held since April, increasing counts. Daviess County Health Department has been in constant contact with local school districts, monitoring and working together to develop plans for each school. This is an ongoing process to provide the safest environment for our children, teachers, and staff. Officials understand and rec-

ognize the burden that it can place on families by having the students learning from home. It is not an easy environment for many kids to work online nor for the faculty trying to present the curriculum. Many studies have shown how our children learn better within the classroom environment, not to mention the interpersonal social skills that they gain. Ultimately, the goal is to keep the schools open and to continue to provide for the education of our children. Media sources regularly report how the larger metropolitan areas have orders in place about mandatory masks in public and in businesses. Local businesses have asked you to wear masks in their stores; please abide by their requests without that request being mandatory. Some may ask why Daviess County has no mandatory ordinance. Currently, local officials are following the State of Missouri’s guidelines for the “Phased Reopening of Missouri.” Missouri is in Phase 2 and has been since June. These guidelines encourage social distancing, frequent hand washing, face coverings when you cannot distance six feet or more, as well as reduce the number of persons gathering in any one location, church, restaurant, etc. Also, if you are sick, stay home.

Daviess County Health Department Administrator Cheryl Alexander and Daviess County Emergency Management Director David Roll issued the following statement: “While this increase is something that we are keeping our eyes on, we are still relatively low in comparison to many other counties and locations around the state. At the end of the day, it takes each and every one of us to be personally responsible in our actions and interactions with each another. Please help us slow the spread of the disease.”

Coronavirus Update Confirmed Cases to Date

Caldwell County.. (+10 since 8/26) 50 Daviess Co... (34 active, 19 recovered) 53 Dekalb County..... (+29 since 8/26) 81 Harrison County.. (+24 since 8/26) 86 Grundy County.... (+59 since 8/26) 93 Gentry County... (+13 since 8/26) 102 Clinton County... (+44 since 8/26) 162 Livingston Co. .. (+270 since 8/26) 339 Missouri 95,113 cases, 1661 deaths

Statewide change (7 days): +13.8% Source: Missouri DHSS at 9 a.m. Sept. 9

USA: 6.35M confirmed cases, (u) recoveries, 190K deaths Worldwide: 27.6M cases, 18.6M recoveries, 898K deaths

Source: Wikipedia; Daily situation reports available via the World Health Organization NOTE: Most positive cases in Daviess County had either mild or no symptoms; all recovered without long-term effects. Testing is available, but talk to your physician first.

More funds for regional water system Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director for Missouri Jeff Case has announced the awarding $9,448,000 to the Great Northwest Wholesale Water Commission for the development of a new regional water distribution system. The commission was founded by Cameron, Maysville, and Stewartsville to provide affordable, clean, reliable drinking water to area communities. Ultimately, the commission will purchase treated water from Missouri American Water in St. Joseph to provide to member communities. This investment figures to improve access to clean water for over 11,000 citi-

zens in Northwest Missouri. The project will construct 36 miles of water transmission line, booster pump facilities, and two (2) elevated water storage tanks. Initially, the commission will serve the three primary communities with capability to expand to additional interested communities. This announcement of the additional award brings USDA’s total investment to $31,927,210 for this project. USDA is providing Great Northwest Wholesale Water Commission a $7,448,000 loan and $2,000,000 grant through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program. “Great Northwest Wholesale Water Commission is greatly ap-

preciative of the support shown by USDA Rural Development and excited to hear the news of the additional funding,” said commission Chairman Zachary Johnson. “The hard work and dedication of USDA staff has enabled us to move our project to bid. Thanks to their support, we can provide a reliable, high quality water service to our member cities for years to come, ending a battle our communities have faced for decades.” USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports

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