Area School Boards Hold Endof-Year Meetings

Area school boards met recently to discuss budgets and the upcoming school year.

Grundy R-V

Grundy R-V Board of Education met on June 28th to discuss budgets and revenues. The board approved amending the 202223 budget to reflect actual expenditures and revenues for the year. The board then approved the 2023-24 preliminary budget. Updates on summer projects and district investments were discussed with no action taken.

The board then went into an executive session and approved the hiring of Stacey Russell as part-time social worker in conjunction with the Pleasant View district and Samantha Huffman as prom sponsor.

The next regular meeting will be held Wednesday July 12 at 6 p.m. in the ele-

Briefs

Trenton FFA Summer Meeting

mentary school building in Humphreys.

Tri-County R-VII

A special meeting of the Tri-County R-VII Board of Education was held Thursday, June 29 at 6 p.m. in the library.

Under old business, the board discussed the potential construction of a new early learning center to include kindergarten, preschool and the daycare.

In new business, the board voted to transfer funds as presented by administration.

The budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year was approved. Revenues are budgeted in the amount of $3,405,916 and expenses are projected to be $3,403,517.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Tri-County R-VII Board of Education will be Monday,

The Trenton FFA chapter will host its summer meeting and cookshack sign up on Wednesday, July 12, from 5:307:00 p.m. in the THS Ag Building. There will be a short meeting at 5:30 to sign up for cookshack shifts during the North Central Missouri Fair followed by ice cream and slip 'n' slide kickball for the FFA members. All current and incoming FFA members and parents are invited to attend.

VFW District One Meeting

VFW District One will meet on Saturday, July 8, beginning at 10:00 a.m. at VFW Post 7159 in Princeton. The Department School of Instruction (SOI) will start at 10 a.m., with the regular district meeting to follow.

LNW Missouri Receives Gift

Leadership Northwest Missouri recently received a charitable gift from the Norma J. and William J. Kenney Charitable Trust, U.S. Bank, N.A. Trustee, in the amount of $2,000. These funds will be used to purchase much needed technology for Leadership Northwest Missouri which will greatly assist with sustaining their mission to build, strengthen and inspire leaders through training and networking experiences. With the upcoming graduation of the Class of 2023, alumni numbering 484 have benefited from Leadership Northwest Missouri. Effective leadership is vital to the future prosperity of Northwest Missouri and charitable donations enable the organization to present a high-quality program to a new group of regional leaders each year. Leadership Northwest Missouri is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. See their website at https://leadershipnorthwestmissouri.org for more information about the organization and how to donate. [See Boards, Page 2]

In communication reports, Janet Gott, Head Start Director discussed enrollment and implementations for the next year. Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Tristan Londre mentioned recent events on campus, the Upward Bound summer residential program, new certificates, and the discontinuation of the AEL program due to the St. Joseph School District program eliminating Trenton because of budgetary cuts. It is the hopes the program would come back if funding allows.

Dr. Kristen Alley, Vice President of Student Affairs discussed upcoming software implementations, the FAFSA simplification implementation, and preparations for the academic year. CIO Jennifer Triplett provided information on website hosting migration and Savannah Campus installations and progress.

President Dr. Lenny Klaver provided a legislative update stating that according to an independent study conducted by the state, NCMC is underfunded in state appropriations 48 percent. Klaver also discussed preliminary fall enrollment projections that have NCMC up in head count enrollment by 22 percent compared to this time last year and up 10 percent in credit hours.

In action items, trustees approved the Head Start self-assessment and community assessment. They also approved payment to Ellison-Auxier Architects, Inc. for the Nuttall Student Center, Sunbelt Environmental Services for the remediation work from fuel takes at the 1200 block of Main Street, and a bid from Generational Buildings for replacement/repair of metal roofing on the maintenance building. Trustees approved unneeded, used nursing program items from the Maryville site as surplus property.

In budgets, trustees approved the 2023-2024 proposed NCMC budgets and the PY23 Workforce Development Board administrative budget and salaries. Trustees also approved the 2023-2024 college catalog.

In personnel items, the NCMC Board of Trustees approved Head Start resignations from Kaci Persell, Lacey Cavdill and Darmaris Summerville. For NCMC, the resignation of Tobi Crippen, Extended Campus Specialist was approved. For employments, NCMC trustees approved the hiring of Kenlee Frank from Moberly as the new Assistant Softball Coach/Residence Life Coordinator and several adjunct hires including Krit Engemann, Tad Trombley, Megan Erickson, Jeffrey Grider, Cora Jackson and Janelle Golden. Trustees also approved a revised job description for Dean/Director of the Savannah Campus. Trustees lastly approved an interim assignment for Sue Nichols as Interim Dean/Director of the Savannah Campus for the 23-24 academic year.

The next regular meeting of the NCMC Board of Trustees will be on July 25, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. in the Frey Administrative Center.

July 10. Princeton R-V

The Princeton Board of Education met on June 27 to discuss budgets and school salaries.

The board approved activity balances to zero, amending the 2022-23 budget and the 2023-24 preliminary budget. An increase in the Certified Staff Salary Schedule for the 2023-24 school year was approved utilizing the

$38,000 grant to supplement pay for beginning teachers.

The Non-Certified Salary Schedule was approved for the 2023-24 school year. Step One was raised to $13.42, which reflects an additional 3 percent to the scheule base. The board approved school administrator raises for the elementary principal at 2.32 percent, the high school principal at 1.92 percent and the superintendent at 2.06 percent.

School bus drivers re- ceived an increased pay of 2.99 percent to $69 per day and $13.42 per hour for activity trips. Any route that exceeds 80 miles per day will receive compensation of $10 per day. republican-times.com republican-times.com

The board continues to proceed with the 2023 EPA Electric Bus Grant. This grant will pay one hundred percent of the cost of the electric school buses, charging stations and infrastructure. Princeton currently has one electric school bus in operation. This grant is expected to grant five more electric school buses to the district.

An option for sixth graders to participate in Junior High sports was reviewed with no action taken.

The board adjourned at 6:30 p.m.

Market Report from Monday, June 26 903 head sold

To the Great Constituents of District 2,

More than one month has passed by since the end of the legislative session, and more than 50 bills await the signature of Governor Mike Parson. To date, the governor has acted on nine of the 62 bills passed by the Missouri General Assembly:

HB 15, a supplemental budget bill for the 2023 fiscal year, adds more than $2 billion in critical funding to ensure the continued operations of state government through June 30, 2023, for a variety of vital programs, including K-12 education, public safety, higher education, transportation, health and mental health, among many others.

SB 51 will allow patients to have direct access to physical therapy by removing the requirement of getting a prescription or referral from an approved health care provider.

SB 39 will promote fairness in competition and opportunity for female student athletes by prohibiting a private school, public school district, public charter school, or public or private institution of postsecondary education from allowing any student to compete in an athletics competition designated for the opposite sex, as determined by the student's official birth certificate.

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Bobby Morrison: 816-345-0518

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Rick Tate: 660-734-1307

Sheep/Goats/Hog: Clark Allen: 660-973-6826

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Check us out on our new website: www.tinalivestockmarket.com with almost 700 acres available for haying at 17 state parks.

SB 49 seeks to protect Missouri’s children from unnecessary and harmful sex change drugs and surgeries by banning health care providers from performing gender transition surgery on young people under the age of 18 and from prescribing or administering cross-sex hormones or puberty-blocking drugs to a minor for a gender transition.

HB 131 allows the salaries of state employees to be paid in biweekly installments, as designated by the Commissioner of the Office of Administration.

SB 111 also allows for biweekly payments for state employees and eliminates the Personnel Advisory Board and moves all of those duties and responsibilities to the Director of the Personnel Division and the Commissioner of Administration.

• Boat ramps at 36 Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) areas are also now open for water collection.

• The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is offering special over-width hauling permits at no charge to help farmers and ranchers move hay.

SB 25 exempts from a taxpayer's Missouri adjusted gross income one hundred percent of any federal grant moneys received by the taxpayer for the purpose of providing or expanding access to broadband internet to areas of the state deemed to be lacking such access, to the extent such grant money is included in the taxpayer's federal adjusted gross income.

SB 167 specifies that medical examiner's certificates for commercial driver's licenses or instruction permits may be provided to the state by mail, fax, or E-mail, in addition to the means currently available.

SB 13 makes several changes relating to the regulation of certain financial institutions, making sure that the Division of Finance is in charge of the execution of the laws relating to banks, trust companies, and the banking business of the state.

More than 50 bills still await action from the Governor at this time, ranging from a variety of issues such as our state budget, tax relief for senior citizens, tax credits to attract the entertainment industry, extending post-partum coverage, empowering Missourians living with disabilities by preventing the loss of government benefits, removing financial barriers in the adoption process, combatting the opioid epidemic, simplifying our vehicle sales tax, increasing cybersecurity to protect Missourians from stalking, and ensuring Missourians are covered for lifesaving exams, while also not being subjected to unauthorized medical exams.

Drought Conditions Ongoing, Missouri Offers Emergency Hay and Water Access

The ongoing drought conditions continue to worsen in the Show-Me State, which has led Governor Mike Parson to act on recommendations from the Missouri Drought Assessment Committee, announcing the availability and process for Missouri family farms to obtain emergency hay and water:

• B Boat ramps at 25 Missouri state parks will be open for farmers to collect water

“As drought conditions continue to deteriorate across Missouri, we want to do all we can to help our family farms mitigate the devastating effects of severe drought,” Governor Parson said. “With the current water deficit, we know it will take a lot of rain for our state and its agricultural community to recover from the drought. While our prayers for rain continue, state government will do its part to assist wherever and whenever it can.”

In an effort to address these drought conditions and how they are affecting farmers, farmers are now able to access water from state parks and Missouri Department of Conservation boat launches and access points in order to make sure their livestock gets the water needed. Farmers seeking to use this allowance must use their own pumping and hauling equipment, and should contact the Department of Conservation managers in their area prior to collecting water.

To address the need for hay, Missouri state parks will allow licenses to cut hay at no cost. To take part in this, please contact the park superintendents. Missouri State Parks will allow haying on or after June 25, and hay must be removed before Sept. 25.

In addition to the contracts already in place on some conservation areas across Missouri, other opportunities to cut hay on conservation areas might be available to assist farmers in need of hay to harvest. Anyone wanting to inquire about cutting hay on conservation areas should contact their local MDC regional office. Details for each of these regional offices can be found on MDC’s website at mdc.mo.gov/contact-engage/regional-mdc-offices.

“These drought relief opportunities for Missouri landowners are proactive measures to help our state prepare for and respond to the effects of drought,” Dru Buntin, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources said. “We will continue to monitor environmental impacts to public water supplies and plan for various drought scenarios to ensure we are prepared as conditions change.”

It's a pleasure to serve and as always if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to my office at (573) 751-4285 or email me at Mazzie.Boyd@house. mo.gov

GRM Networks Awards Community Improvement Grants

GRM Networks awarded a total of $3,750 as part of the company’s Community Improvement Grant program. Organizations receiving funding in the first semiannual distribution for 2023 are the Mercer County Area Development Corporation of Princeton, Denver Community Betterment of Grant City, and the Leon Community Playground Committee of Leon, IA.

The Mercer County Area Development Corporation (MCAD) and its Bella Boutique was awarded a $1,250 GRM Networks Community Improvement Grant. Bella Boutique is a new resale thrift store in Mercer County. The grant will help offset startup costs associated with the store. Funds generated from the thrift store will be distributed through grant applications from area organizations. The MCAD has also designated 50 percent of the thrift store’s earnings to support a county-wide daycare program in Mercer County.

Denver Community Betterment representatives received a $1,250 grant to be used to help fund materials for repairs to the Denver School House, which was built in 1870. The historical school houses and maintains community records.

The Leon Community Playground Committee was awarded a $1,250 grant to enhance the Leon community’s current playground and recreation area by building a new inclusive playground for children of all ability levels. Accepting their grant from

Applications for the next distribution of grants are being accepted now through November 1, 2023. Grant amounts vary, with a minimum of $500 and a maximum of $1,500 awarded to successful applicants. The Cooperative’s Board of Directors will review applications and award grant amounts.

Applications may be downloaded by visiting grm.net/about-us/grants/.

Questions regarding grant applications should be directed to Amy Davison at

Brentley James Doll

Kenzi Doll and Johnwayne Farrington of Cameron are the parents of a 7 pound 13.8 ounce baby boy, born at 8:59 a.m. on Thursday, June 29, 2023 at Cameron Regional Medi- cal Center in Cameron. The baby was 19 inches long and has been named Brentley James Doll. He joins three siblings, Hadleigh Jeffries, Alexander Jeffries and Karsyn Farrington.

888-748-2110 or adavison@corp.grm.net.

GRM Networks is a member owned cooperative that provides communication services to customers located within a 4,500 square mile area that covers 44 exchanges in Northern

Monday-Beef corn dog, tomato/cottage cheese, mixed vegetables, baked apples, bran muffin.

Tuesday-Spaghetti w/meat sauce, house salad, corn, Jello w/fruit, garlic bread.

Missouri and Southern Iowa. GRM Networks is dedicated to delivering reliable, advanced communications technology while providing an exceptional customer experience. GRM Networks is committed to promoting and investing in

Wednesday-Tuna noodle casserole, peas, carrots, pears, whole wheat crackers.

Thursday-Chicken Strips or chicken livers, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, fruit juice, biscuit.

Friday-Philly cheesesteak its local communities. LTC Networks and SCC Networks are subsidiaries of GRM Networks and cover an additional four exchanges in Iowa and Missouri. For more information about GRM Networks, visit grm.net. on bun, diced tomatoes, potato sticks, blueberry crisp, watermelon. (Coffee, iced tea, water and milk are served daily and an alternate meal of chef’s salad, crackers and fruit cup is available each day.)