Highway 6 Resurfacing Among Top Stories Of 2019

Highway 6 resurfacing, high school graduations and a movie featuring a Navy unit in which two Trenton natives served were among the top stories appearing in the Republican-Times during the months of May through August.
May
The Trenton Park Board approved an increase for the cost of a season pass as well as for holding a private party at the aquatic center. Also increased was the cost of swimming lessons. Daily admission prices were left the same.
New officers were chosen for the Trenton R-9 and Grundy R-5 FFA chapters during annual banquets held at Trenton and Galt. The new president at Trenton is Mackenzie McAtee while the R-5 chapter president is Anna Milazzo. A number of individual awards were also presented.
The Missouri Department of Transportation announced plans to resurface Highway 6 through Trenton in 2020, a project that has since been put on hold after the only bid received for the work was deemed to ohigh. As part of the project, the city of Trenton was to provide funds to rehabilitate approaches and sidewalks within the city limits. MoDOT is scheduled to rebid the project in March, however, the city council is writing a letter to the state agency, asking that bids be sought as soon as possible so as not to delay the work, which is scheduled for the summer of 2020.
Werthen Gass and Emma Gilham were named the valedictorian and salutatorian of the Trenton High School Class of 2019 during ceremonies in May. A total of 77 seniors were graduated.
Emma Baxter and Kendra Betz were the valedictorian and salutatorian of the Grundy R-5 Class of 2019. Diplomas were awarded to 14 seniors.
North Central Missouri College graduated the largest class ever – 484 students who earned diplomas and certificates. Mike Thomson, vice president of the Missouri Coordinating Board of Higher Education, and Steve Schieber, CEO for the critical access region of the Saint Luke’s Health System, were the guest speakers.
Trenton Municipal Utilities electric customers got a break on their rates when members of the city council voted to continue the winter rate charge into the summer months. Council members agreed to continue the rates due to a large cash reserve in the electric department fund. The council also authorized an electric rate study, with the preliminary report to be presented by Toth and Associates to the council’s utility committee in January.
The Trenton R-9 Board of Education voted to keep its employee insurance coverage with Blue Cross/Blue Shield after previously voting to use insurance provided by United Healthcare, which had submitted a lower bid. Blue Cross/Blue Shield offered to match the United Healthcare bid, which the board then decided to accept after consulting with the school district attorney as well as attorneys from the Missouri School Boards Association. The cost approved by the board was $601 per month/per employee.
Downtown revitalization was the focus of a presentation made by the Main Street Missouri program to around 30 persons who attended a public meeting. Keith Winge, community development director, led the discussion, which outlined how the program could be used in Trenton.
Trenton Middle School “Top Dawg” awards were presented during an assembly marking the end of the school year. Receiving the awards were fifth graders Ali Cox and Titus Kottwitz, sixth graders Shaylise Turner and Riley Gott, seventh graders Aubree Dalrymple and Jacob Gott and eighth graders Serenity Marsh and Tucker Otto. The students were chosen based on the demonstration of best overall academic success, citizenship and character education. Other end-of-the-year academic awards were presented at both the middle school and high school.
Trenton R-9 staff were recognized during an end-of-the-year ceremony. Receiving the Teacher of the Year recognition were Brenda Thorne, preschool/special education; Shelly Forester, high school; Lauren Boswell, middle school; and Heather Epperson, elementary school. Years of service awards were also presented and THS custodian Graham McVay was honored for being named a finalist for the Cintas Corporation’s “National Custodian of the Year.”
North Central Missouri College employees received salary increases following action taken by the board of trustees. The increases, which went into effect on July 1, included a 1 percent increase to the base salary as well as movement on the salary schedule for years of service for certified and nursing staff; a 4 percent increase for classified staff; and a 3 percent increase for administrative management professional staff. Coaching stipends were also increased.
The Pleasant View R-6 School District announced its recognition by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for the district’s academic performance, high school readiness and attendance. R-6 personnel announced the district had ranked seventh out of 1,228 elementary schools in Missouri.
June
The Green Hills Women’s Shelter was the topic of a feature story appearing in the Republican-Times. The shelter had recently moved into a new facility, allowing its services to be offered more effectively.
The Grundy County Nursing Home District Board of Directors announced an increase in room rates at Sunnyview Nursing Home and Apartments, effective July 1. Rates went up $10 per day, with increased operating costs being cited.
In preparation for the possible location of medical marijuana facilities in the community, the council approved changes to the city ordinance that addressed the topic. The North Central Missouri Development Alliance and the city of Trenton announced in August that a company was looking to locate a facility in Trenton that would be a safe and secure cultivation and production facility that would produce pharmaceutical-grade cannabis. While the name of the company was not made pubic, announcement was made by the state on Dec. 26 that an application by Kings Gardens Midwest LLC for a cultivation facility in Trenton had been denied.
Five Points Alive, an arm of the Trenton Downtown Improvement Association, held its first event – a “Chalk on the Walk” – using the streets of downtown Trenton as an “art pallette.” After being cancelled due to the weather, the event was rescheduled for July with several groups and individuals showing off their chalk drawing skills.
Nine bands were announced for the third annual Mid-America Music Festival, held in July at the Black Silo Winery. The headliner was Sawyer Brown, whose show was rained out when a thunderstorm hit the area on the evening of the second night of performances. Despite the rain, a large crowd attended the event, with proceeds going to assist Camp Rainbow, the BTC Area Youth Benefit Corp., the North Central Missouri Children’s Advocacy Center, the Green Hills Animal Shelter and the Foundation Trust for THS.
An attendance requirement for students in the Trenton R-9 School District who participate in extracurricular activities was eliminated by the school board on a 3-2 vote. Before the change, students were required to have a 90 percent attendance rate before being allowed to participate in activities such as dances, assemblies and non-academic-related trips. The change was made following a discussion about concerns with the policy, in particular as it related to high school prom. Voting yes were Dr. David Whitaker, Dorothy Taul and Marcie Cutsinger. Voting no were Doug Franklin and Cliff Roeder. Brandon Gibler and Corey Leeper were absent.
Trenton Police Officer Jasmine Diab was shot and seriously wounded while transporting 38-year-old Jamey Griffin to St. Joseph for a mental evaluation. Griffin was able to get possession of her gun, discharging it into Officer Diab’s abdomen. Griffin sustained a gunshot wound to his hand and attempted to flee the scene before being detained by bystanders at a Winston convenience store, where the police car was stopped. Officer Diab was lifeflighted to a Kansas City hospital and underwent three surgeries before being released for physical therapy. Several fundraisers have been held to help with expenses. Officer Diab has not yet returned to active duty. Griffin, meanwhile, is scheduled to appear in the Livingston County Circuit Court on Jan. 7 for a plea/trial setting on three charges in connection with the incident, which also led to the Trenton City Council approving safety modifications for city police cars.
Camp Rainbow was the beneficiary of the Wheels and Wine Car Show held at the Black Silo Winery. Despite a rainy weekend, 65 vehicles took part in the event.
July
Trenton was a stop by two out-of-town visitors who were featured in stories appearing in the Republican-Times. Trenton Thornburg of Muncie, IN was on a mission to visit every “Trenton” in the U.S. before returning to college while Bernie Harberts of Lenore, NC was headed to Hailey, ID with his two mules, Brick and Cracker.
The Trenton Middle School FCCLA chapter sent four teams to national competition in Anaheim, CA, with the team of Gavin Chambers and Gavin McAtee earning a Gold rating for their Chapter Service Project Portfolio project.
Third graders Adrian Boren and Leah Carver were crowned the Galt Community Fair Prince and Princess.
Trenton native Larry Huffstutter shared his experiences as a member of the Navy’s Helicopter Attack Light Squadron during the Vietnam War in a story appearing in the Republican-Times. The squadron, which was the most decorated aviation squadron of the Vietnam War as well as in aviation history, was the subject of a movie, “Scramble the Seawolves,” which was shown in Trenton. Another Trenton native, Eric Alexander, was also a member of the squadron.
Retired English teacher Barbara Spencer was chosen by the Trenton High School Class of 1994 as the honoree for the annual alumni activities held over the Labor Day weekend.
More than 70 Union Pacific Railroad cars derailed near Mercer, resulting in a multi-day cleanup effort. The cars were carrying sand and were traveling to Ft. Worth, TX from Butler, WI.
August
Announcement was made of the “Paint for a Cause” art project that was coming to Trenton in October as part of the Missouri Day celebration. Local residents Dan Maxey and Kim Cleeton worked with state officials to bring the event to town. Area residents were able to become part of Missouri’s Bicentennial History by painting panels depicting the state’s heritage, with the panels to be on display in Jefferson City during the state’s 200th anniversary in 2021.
In preparation for the start of school. Bright Futures Trenton held its annual “Back to School” event, supplying items such as school supplies, shoes, backpacks, haircuts and clothing to students in need. The Grundy County Health Department also conducted a health fair.
Enrollment numbers were mixed as area students returned to classes. Trenton R-9 saw a slight decline with 1,069 students on the first day of school. That was down 29 students from a year ago.
The Trenton R-9 Board of Education voted to keep its levy at $4.127 after learning that assessed valuation numbers used to calculate the levy were not correct. The assessed valuation numbers did not take into account removal of Nestle from the district’s personal property assessment, a condition of Chapter 100 bonds used by Nestle to pay for costs in keeping the plant in Trenton. The rate could have been set at the maximum level allowed by the state but, had the board made that change, it would have affected the ability to make changes to the rate in 2020-21, if needed. The board said by leaving the rate at $4.127, the effect on future finances would be minimal.
The Grundy County Nursing Home District Board of Directors announced that Sunnyview Nursing Home and Apartments Administrator Donita Youtsey would be stepping down from her position, effective on Oct. 15. Mrs. Youtsey had been with Sunnyview since 2008. Jerry Doerhoff was hired by the board to become the new administrator.
The NCMC Board of Trustees approved naming the Learning Commons at Geyer Hall after Franklin and Frederick Bosley in recognition of the brothers’ $1.2 million gift to the school. The “Franklin and Frederick Bosley Learning Commons” houses the library, tutoring center and student support services.
Long-time Trenton physician Dr. J.A. Keuhn and his wife, Chris, were honored by the Wright Memorial Hospital Foundation during ceremonies that included dedication of the memorial wall along the hospital’s walking trail. Matt Osterthun, former WMH Foundation Director, was the guest speaker at the event.