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Friday, September 4, 2020
REPUBLICAN-TIMES TRENTON
Trenton, MO 64683 COVID-19
Established Sept. 4, 1864 - 157th Year - No. 1
Nursing Home Has Positive Cases
R-9 Classes In Quarantine Positive COVID-19 cases continue to be reported in Grundy County, with the latest affecting the Trenton R-9 School District. Superintendent Mike Stegman has announced the district has had three cases in which a “positive event” has occurred within a classroom at the Rissler Elementary School. As a result, three classrooms of students have been deemed as close contacts and have a directive for quarantine for a period of time. This includes both students and teachers. Specific classrooms affected were not listed, other than identifying that the cases occurred at the elementary school. The total number of coronavirus cases within the district, including all persons who have tested positive and/or are quarantined, is 136 (as of Thursday morning). The district is working with the quarantined students to provide either online instruction and/or packets of work to keep the students on pace with their grade level, Stegman said. It was noted that the district plans to continue with face-to-face instruction with all other students who are not in quarantine. Stegman noted that in the district’s reopening plan, pre-kindergarten through fourth grade classes would be kept in cohort groups (within their own classrooms) and be required to wear masks when not in their groups within the classroom. This was done, he said, to help prevent a large number of close contacts with any positive coronavirus events. “The benefit would be that we would be able to not only close a classroom versus closing down the entire facility in the event of a positive case,” he said. Stegman reiterated the district protocol when there is confirmation of a positive coronavirus exposure in the district, beginning with the school nurse interview-
Coun ty C OVID D Nu umbers Up Grundy County has 20 new positive cases of COVID-19 since Monday, according to information provided on Thursday morning by the local health department. Of the new cases, 18 were reported on Wednesday and brings the total number of confirmed cases to 69, including one death. There are 38 active cases at this time. No other area data was available as of press-time.
ing the positive individual and creating a close contact list. The list is then sent to the Grundy County Health Department, which will contact the close contacts and direct the length of quarantine necessary for each. Persons not notified as a close contact would not be subject to quarantine, he said. “The district is responsible for investigating and contract tracing for any positive coronavirus case that occurs on our campus,” Stegman said, adding that each case is being handled independently. Stegman said the district is not mandating tests for suspected COVID cases, but may require a doctor’s note clearing the child before they are allowed back in the classroom. Stegman said the doctor’s note policy has been one the district has followed for years when a child has missed school due to illness. Parents/guardians with questions regarding the COVID procedures in the R9 School District may contact the district office or the building administrator where their child attends classes. Meanwhile, a staff member at Princeton High School has tested positive for COVID-19, making it the second positive case known in the district. Superintendent Jerry Girdner said both cases have been linked to separate events not related to the school. The confirmed cases are not considered to have been contracted within the building or campus.
Girdner said the district is working closely with the Mercer County Health Department and all close contacts have been notified. District administration and the Mercer County Health Department will continue to update families as necessary. In-person classes continue to be held at Princeton. Parents/guardians with questions are asked contact their building administrator and are reminded to screen their children and themselves for any symptoms. Girdner asked those who feel sick to stay at home. At Sunnyview Nursing Home and Apartments in Trenton, five staff members have tested positive for the virus and have been sent home for isolation. No residents have tested positive. Administrator Jerry Doerhoff said testing started on Monday and was concluded on Wednesday morning. Doerhoff said three of the staff members were found to be positive through use of antigen testing, which allows results to be available on the same day but also requires that a second test be done. Doerhoff said those tests were conducted on Wednesday and the individuals tested are awaiting the results. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services provided the equipment for the antigen testing. The two other positive cases reported See COVID-19, Page 10
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Briefs... Council Atten ndan nce Cha ange e Trenton Mayor Linda Crooks has announced a change in city policy regarding attendance at city council meetings, which as of now will be in effect until the end of the year. Ms. Crooks said that meetings will be available to the public via Zoom, but that only members of the council, the city clerk, the city administrator and one technical support person will be allowed to attend in person. Other persons may be allowed into the meeting with prior authorization. The change is being made due to recent developments in the community regarding COVID-19, Ms. Crooks said, adding that she is encouraging council members to attend meetings by Zoom. Those attending in person will be asked to social distance while in the council room and council members who are sick will be asked to stay home.
R-9 Bo oard d Me eeting The Trenton R-9 Board of Education will meet in regular session at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8 in the high school commons. Items on the announced agenda include bus routes, early graduation requests, the MSBA Full Maintenance service agreement, policy updates, discussion regarding essential employee status, the safety report, professional development, principal reports and superintendent comments. An executive session for personnel is also planned.
abo or Da ay Closiings La Several offices and businesses have announced plans to close on Monday, Sept. 7 in observance of the Labor Day holiday. Closed will be the the Trenton Post Office (no box or home delivery), Trenton City Hall/Trenton Municipal Utilities, the Grundy County Courthouse, the Grundy County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Trenton Area Chamber of Commerce/License Bureau, the Grundy County-Jewett Norris Library, the Grundy County Health Department, the North Missouri Children’s Advocacy Center, the North 65 Center, Green Hills Regional Planning Commission (the Career Center will also be closed), Community Action Partnership of North Central Missouri, Grundy Electric Cooperative/Grundy and Livingston County Public Water District offices, Farmers Bank of Northern Missouri, Farmers State Bank, Citizens Bank and Trust, US Bank and BTC Bank. North Central Missouri College (all campus locations) and the Ketcham Community Center will be closed on Monday. There will also be no classes in the Trenton R9, Pleasant View R-6, Grundy R-5, Laredo R-7 and Spickard R-2 school districts. The Trenton Republican-Times will be closed on Monday and publication of the newspaper will be pushed back one day to Wednesday due to the holiday. Persons having information from this weekend’s THS Alumni celebration may leave it in the entry way of the Republican-Times office or email it to rtimes@lyn.net.
Commiission Meets
R-T Photo/Diane Lowrey
Activity could be seen this week on the 17th Street Bridge project with dirt work taking place at the site. The project has been on hold since late July when the contractor, Boone Construction, clamed to have encountered rip rap or rock debris at one location during excavation for the bridge foundations. According to City Administrator Ron Urton, the dirt work is being done as part of the investigation into the debris situation. He said information from the dig will be shared with all entities involved to determine how to proceed with the project.
The Grundy County Commission met on Tuesday morning, hearing reports on various county departments. According to information provided by Presiding Commissioner Phillip Ray, the commission heard an update on the FEMA project at the Sand Hill Bridge, located near NE 110th Street in Marion Township. He said approximately 800 tons of material has been used to repair damage at the site. Commissioners also reviewed a tabletop emergency exercise plan and approved CARES Act funding requests from the Grundy County Health Department, Trenton R-9 School District and Sunnyview Nursing Home. It was reported that N95 masks have been received by the Grundy County Ambulance Department and put in stock for EMS personnel. Several new vendors are being utilized in order to ensure supplies are readily available. The agenda for the Tuesday, Sept. 8 meeting includes a bid opening for county vehicles at 8:30 a.m., followed by a road and bridge report at 8:45 a.m., an emergency management report at 9 a.m. and CRF allocation approvals at 9:30 a.m. The commission will hear an ambulance department update at 10 a.m. and hold a pre-construction meeting with Howe Company, Decker Construction and the Missouri Department of Transportation at 11 a.m. concerning the bridge project on SW 80th Avenue.
Welcome Trenton High School Alumni ALL-ALUMNI MIXER - 6 O’CLOCK TONIGHT - RIVERSIDE COUNTRY CLUB
National Weather Service
There will be sunny skies on Saturday, Sunday and Monday with highs in the upper 80s to 90. Lows will be in the mid 60s. The high in Trenton on Monday, Aug. 31 was 77 and Tuesday’s high was 80. The high on Wednesday was 88, with a low of 63. A total of 1.42 inches of rain fell over Monday and Tuesday. The high on Wednesday at the Government Weather Station near Spickard was 85, the low was 61.
What’s Inside... The Trenton Hgh School football team takes to the road tonight, traveling to East Buchanan in a 7 o’clock matchup. See page 2 of today’s Republican-Times for a preview of the contest being played at Gower.
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