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Missouri Senator Mike Cierpiot has introduced Senate Bill 581 (SB 581) which would establish the “Show-Me a Brighter Future Scholarship Act”. The bill was placed on the Informal Calendar on February 18th. The bill aims to establish a scholarship fund to assist income-eligible families who attend school in unaccredited or provisionally accredited districts to attend private schools.
Missouri taxpayers would be able to contribute to the scholarship fund in exchange for a tax credit in the year in which they contributed. “Since I arrived in Jefferson City in 2011, my efforts in education have focused on helping families with children in poorly performing buildings get into successful buildings. I believe everyone agrees that the best way to solve the problems in our cities is giving the kids growing up there a good education. It's not a quick fix but, is the best fix. SB 581 does exactly that,” Cierpiot said. The program is similar to empowerment scholarship accounts established in other states, including the Kansas Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program, which was enacted in 2014. Critics of these programs counter that funds should be used to increase funding to struggling school districts rather than incentivize families to leave. “Some say we should simply increase funding to these schools. History shows us that does not improve them. Kansas City and St. Louis spend enormous sums and failing buildings remain,” Cierpiot said. “SB 581 caps the tax credit plan at $25 million to start. That means $25 million won't come to General Revenue and with 34% of all General Revenue going to K-12 education it will cost K-12 $8.5 million while removing up to 4,000 kids from it, saving K-12 the full $25 million.” “I support education reform. Especially when it can help a parent do what's best for their kids. SB 581 will have little impact on the school districts in my Senate district but, it might have a giant impact on the lives of 4,000 kids.” by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society Prior to the 1942-1943 school year, Superintendent Jay Walker became seriously ill and was eventually diagnosed with a rare disease, Guillian-Barre Syndrome. The body’s immune system attacks the nerves and the result is paralysis. Mr. Walker spent several weeks at University Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas. His replacement, Mr. Fullerton discontinued the weekly column in The Broadcaster. There was, on December 21, 1942 a meeting to begin a Civil Defense Organization and all “loyal citizens of Grain Valley,” were urged to attend. There wasn’t, however, any follow-up article, so I cannot tell you how successful the program was. Fortunately, it never had to be put to the test. Rationing continued , and on February 22, 1943 the second ration book took effect. This program continued until the war ended. It was a necessary, but not a popular result of the war. Jeep Day (April 14, 1943) was the only other event reported in the remaining issues of the school papers through the conclusion of the 1943-1944 school year. Forty-five United States Jeep Certificates were mailed to Missouri Schools which sold $900 worth of War Bonds and Stamps within a stated time contracted with the war Savings Staff in Jefferson City, Missouri. Grain Valley bought five jeeps. The Jeep Day parade consisted of all grades and students from the nearby rural schools. Each class carried a banner with a slogan. The order of the parade was the police car, two Jeeps, the band, the visiting rural schools (Murphy, Pueblo, Tarsney, Elm Grove, Moreland and Oakland), followed by Grain Valley primary students and ending with the Seniors. After the parade, everyone returned to the school and students were given free jeep rides for the remainder of the day. There continued to be bi-weekly reports on War Stamps and Bonds, but evidently the good citizens of Grain Valley had given away all of their scrap metal, as there were no further drives. For more than two years the United States fighting in World War II, with no end in sight. Perhaps they decided no news is good news. Perhaps morale was so low that no one wanted to read about the war. The exact date of the war's end is not universally agreed upon. It was generally accepted, at the time, that the war ended with the armistice of 14 August 1945 (V-J Day). The formal surrender of Japan, which was on 2 September 1945 officially ended the war in Asia. Unfortunately, I do not have any issues of The Broadcaster from the fall of 1945. Hopefully, it was front page news! Learn more about the Grain Valley Historical Society at www.grainvalleyhistory.com. Follow Grain Valley Historical Society on Facebook (@grainvalleyhistory). The Honor Roll was constructed on the west side of Main Street near the old Christian Church (SW corner of Main and Walnut Streets) It remained there through the 1950s and honored the women and men from Grain Valley who served in World War II. Photo credit: Grain Valley Historical Society
Candidate filing for Missouri’s August primary began February 25th, with a total of 349 candidates visiting the Secretary of State’s office on the first day to ensure their name will be on the August 4th ballot.
“We’re grateful to all the candidates who filed at our office yesterday,” Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said. “It’s inspiring to see the number of individuals willing to run for public office and serve the people of Missouri.” Of the 349 candidates that filed yesterday, the party affiliation broke down to 216 Republican, 125 Democrat, six Libertarian, one Green and one Constitution. For the District 32 Missouri State Representative seat, Republican incumbent Jeff Coleman of Grain Valley has filed for re-election. As of February 26th, Coleman is unopposed. Candidates for U.S. and state offices, along with some judges, are required to file in person at the Secretary of State’s office at 600 W. Main St. in Jefferson City. Candidate filing will continue through March 31st during regular office hours, 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday. Candidates who filed on the first day were given a random number to determine the order their name will appear on the ballot. Candidates filing from now until March 31st will be placed on the ballot in order of their filing time. Exceptions for in-person filing will be made for candidates that are active duty members of the armed services or unable to appear in person due to physical disabilities. For a current list of filed candidates, visit s1.sos.mo.gov/candidatesonweb. Taco Bell® is celebrating the opening of its Grain Valley location with a ribbon cutting and grand opening event on Tuesday, February 25 from 11:00am - 1:00pm. Members of the Grain Valley Partnership will be in attendance and will have the chance to enjoy the same mouth-watering flavors guests have come to know and love, but in a brand new, contemporary atmosphere. Taco Bell is located at 1101 South Buckner Tarsney Road. All area residents are invited to attend the grand opening event.
A public hearing is scheduled for March 9th to allow for public comment related to a proposed zoning change at the current Old Towne Marketplace off of SW Eagles Parkway. Old Towne Marketplace LLC has submitted an application requesting a change of zoning on approximately 1.2 acres from Downtown Transition Zone to R-3p (Multi-Family Residential District—Planned Overlay District) and approximately 1.9 acres from C-1 (Central Business District) to R-3p (Multi-Family Residential District—Planned Overlay District). The proposed development, Lofts at Old Towne, includes 154 apartments on the site and a mixed-use indoor amenity center. The development will repurpose the former Patricia’s Foods site into the mixed-use indoor amenity center and 64 rental units. Three three-story apartment buildings containing a total of 90 rental units are planned for the vacant tract to the west. The proposed 154 rental units will consist of 10% one-bedroom units, 80% two-bedroom units, and 10% three-bedroom units. The mixed-use amenity center will consist of an indoor pool, pickle ball courts, exercise room, media/theatre room, tenant co-op workspace and Wi-Fi café, leasing office and tenant storage units. City zoning regulations require two parking spaces for a 1 or 2-bedroom unit and 3 parking spaces for a 3 or more bedroom unit. Using the Old Towne Marketplace parking area and the proposed rental units and existing commercial spaces, the required number of parking spaces would be 537; post development parking will be 541 spaces. According to a City staff report, the development would be completed in two phases. The three apartment buildings planned for the tract west of the current Marketplace will be completed in phase 1. Phase 2 will consist of the demolition and then construction of Building A, located where the vacant Patricia’s Foods is located. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval on the rezoning and preliminary development plan during its February 12th meeting to the Board of Aldermen. A public hearing is required and is scheduled for 7:00pm on Monday, March 9, 2020 during the Board of Aldermen’s regularly scheduled meeting. Renderings provided in an application by Old Towne Marketplace LLC illustrate the changes planned for the current Old Towne Marketplace. A public hearing is scheduled for Monday, March 9th regarding the proposed zoning change. Image credit: City of Grain Valley A rendering of The Lofts at Old Towne submitted with the rezoning application.
Image credit: City of Grain Valley The Grain Valley School Board has placed a $14.5 million school bond issue on the ballot for the April 7, 2020 election for the purpose of completing Phase 5 of the district’s long-range plan of additions and renovation to Grain Valley High School. Phase 5 includes: Band Room Percussion Room Choir Room Stagecraft Room Drama Classroom Black Box Theater Additional Parking Renovation of Jerry Mueller Performing Arts Center Long-range planning for the growth of the student population at Grain Valley High School began in 2012 and Phases 1 thru 4 of additions and renovations to the school have been completed. The high school currently serves nearly 1,300 students. Renderings of the planned additions are printed on page 7 of this edition. Grain Valley Schools announced the addition of a $14.5 million school bond issue to the ballot for the April 7, 2020 election. The purpose of the bond is to complete for Phase 5 of the district’s long-range plan of additions and renovation to Grain Valley High School.
Renderings at right illustrate the fine arts additions planned as well as additional parking at the high school. Illustration credit: Grain Valley Schools by John Unrein The Grain Valley Eagles Boys Basketball team demonstrated toughness in their 65-50 loss to the Grandview Bulldogs on Friday, February 14th. The Eagles did not let their height disadvantage or the full court pressure they faced the entire game hinder their will to compete.
Grain Valley consistently broke Grandview’s press by advancing the ball with good floor spacing and sound judgment in passing. The result of this work often left Grain Valley winded at the start of their half-court offense. The Eagles met the challenge with their starters turning in an abundance of minutes played and points scored. Seniors Caden Matlon and Josh Kilpatick along with Junior Jaden Yung were the top scorers for the Eagles. Matlon sunk a trio of three pointers on his way to scoring 20 points. Kilpatrick and Yung backed Matlon’s effort by scoring 10 points each themselves. Grandview’s high octane offense was fueled by Sophomore Taj Manning in the post and Senior Reggie Morris Jr. in the frontcourt. Manning led all scorers with 23 points. Morris Jr.’s 19 points came from sound shooting judgment and efficiency at the free throw line. The opening sequence of the second half demonstrated the story line of the game. Manning came down from the top of the key on a set screen to dunk the received alley-oop pass for the Bulldogs. Both Yung and Matlon responded for the Eagles with back to back three pointers that cut the Grandview lead to 35-24 with 7:01 left in the 3rd quarter. The Eagles would go on to cut the lead to below double digits twice more in the second half. However, they were unable to chip away at Grandview’s lead any further. Grandview’s bench depth and player substitution rotation kept fresh bodies on the court as they pulled away at the end of the contest. Grain Valley Head Basketball Coach Andy Herbert was disappointed in the outcome, but not with his team’s effort. “I thought our kids did a really good job against their press. We talked and prepped for this before the game in that the press will not only physically exhaust you, it will mentally exhaust you was well in that you have to make thousands of decisions.,” Herbert said. “Our team was able to handle that and have three to four possessions of good basketball in a row before we got silly with some things. That’s a credit to them (Grandview) and their defense.” “We really competed. The effort was there tonight by us. When you play someone as physically demanding as Grandview, you can get your feelings hurt when they alley-oop or make an exciting play. I am proud that those things didn’t bother us tonight as we played with a straight face.” Herbert continued, “Jaden (Yung) belongs. He’s subtlety improving. He’s always had ability. It’s been the little things though that he’s worked on regarding his footwork and defense that’s making the difference for him right now.” Yung’s stat line for the game also included 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Yung seemed to enjoy the pressure and the competition that occurred on the court with the comments he shared after the game. “Definitely, we passed the ball well tonight and hustled to get open. They (Grandview) run up and down the court a lot. It’s fun to face a team with their talent. It gives you a chance to step up and do your best in giving your team a chance,” Yung said. Kilpatrick echoed Yung’s remarks and felt the Eagles had worked hard in practice to prepare for their Suburban Conference opponent. “We worked a lot in preparing for their press. Our JV guys worked hard in making sure we were ready for this by what they did in practice. Grandview is a great team. The tough shots that didn’t go for us tonight led to them getting fast break points and pulling away,” Kilpatrick said. “Something I’ve learned over the years is that having height comes with the responsibility to crash the boards. Everyone of us has the obligation to get position, regardless of whether we are at a height disadvantage. They have a great player in Manning that gets rebounds and is a handful in the paint. We did our best. I was very pleased with how we played for three quarters. The fourth quarter we were in foul trouble and they made their free throws.” Herbert shared his thoughts as his team prepares for late February basketball that lies ahead. The Eagles will move into Class 4, District 14 Tournament play with a 15-8 record. “Tonight, was a game we can build on. There are bits and pieces we can take away that are positives. We also must get better at avoiding clusters of negative offensive possessions. It can’t be turnover, bad shot, turnover. It becomes hard to withstand those things against the good teams we are going to face in district play,” Herbert said. by John Unrein As Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline could be heard blaring down the hall from the Grain Valley Lady Eagles Basketball locker room, Head Coach Randy Draper couldn’t contain his smile. There was no doubt a boisterous celebration taking place behind closed doors by his players. The Eagles had just capped a thrilling overtime victory against the visiting Grandview Bulldogs by a score of 67-57.
“Our kids focused well tonight. The band was loud, and the crowd was awesome. It was a great atmosphere for a high school basketball game. It’s funny that the louder things got, the better we played in the last quarter and overtime,” Draper said. “I appreciated our toughness. (Jordyn) Weems and (Malia) Guttierrez did a excellent job against Cierra Smith for them (Grandview). She still managed to score an abundance of points. However, there were a few things we tweaked and tightened up at the end that made a difference defensively for us.” Smith was a handful much of the game for the Eagles. The Sophomore Guard for the Bulldogs would lead all scorers with 41 points. Much of Smith’s success came from making good decisions at the top of the pick and roll offense deployed by Grandview. Draper and his staff made a defensive change with 3:00 left in the 4th quarter that paid dividends in stopping Smith. Both Weems and Guttierrez started coming underneath the pick and anticipating the side in which Smith would dribble. This permitted the Eagles to stop her advance and get a hand in her face when she shot. The adjustment limited Smith’s ability to score for the remainder of the contest. Freshmen Grace Slaughter and Ella Clyman led the Eagles offense. Slaughter was Grain Valley’s top scorer with 33 points and 4 rebounds. She was backed by Clyman, who contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds in their team’s winning effort. Slaughter was dominant during overtime as she would tally 10 of the 12 points scored by the Eagles in the extra period. The memory of the first time Grain Valley played Grandview was still fresh in Slaughter’s mind and spurred her efforts. “I kept replaying the first time we played them (Grandview) in my head. It was not a pretty game against a conference opponent. We knew coming out tonight that they were going to be physical and aggressive. I knew we could perform better and wanted to play full throttle,” Slaughter said. Slaughter was also impressed by the defensive efforts of her teammate, 5’2” Senior Guard Savannah Scott. The Eagles Court Warming Queen, who was honored at halftime, would go on to make 3 key steals during the game. Two of those steals occurred by Scott during overtime and helped the Eagles stretch their lead late. “Everyone on this team has a role. Savannah (Scott) plays hers very well. She came up big tonight with the two steals in overtime. People may underestimate her because of her size, but that doesn’t tell the whole story of the type of player she is,” Slaughter said. Clyman was equally as happy with what her team was able to accomplish. The young post player for the Eagles was not intimidated by the physical play occurring under the basket. “I’m glad I could help my team win. I tried my best. It was fun watching us overcome and win late. I will give a lot of credit to Keely (Hill). Her boxing out (for rebound positioning) helped me secure some boards. We worked our butts off tonight,” Clyman said. The Grain Valley Lady Eagles Basketball team improves to a 15-7 record as they move closer to Missouri Class 4, District 14 Tournament competition. Senior Savannah Scott was crowned Court Warming Queen and Senior Josh Kilpatrick was crowned King during a halftime presentation on Friday, February 14th at Grain Valley High School. Photo credit: Valley News staff Six Grain Valley High School wrestlers will head to the 90th Boys MSHSAA Wrestling Championships at Mizzou Arena in Columbia February 20th-22nd:
Freshman Dru Azcona (113) Junior Donovan McBride (285) Cameron Mickelson (152) Junior Hunter Newsom (182) Senior Trenton Starr (126) Senior Drake Tipton (170) |
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