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The following information is derived from Grain Valley Police Department daily calls service log for the week of June 21-27, 2023. June 21, 2023 31000 Blk W Ryan Rd 911 hangup 1200 Blk SW Dakota Star Ct Parking complaint 2100 Blk NW Sweet Gum Ct Welfare check RD Mize Rd/NW Barr Rd Motor vehicle accident 1100 Blk SW Dean Dr Parking complaint 600 Blk NW Yennie Ave Welfare check PHQ Citizen contact - harassment report PHQ Citizen contact June 22, 2023 400 Blk NW Wolf Creek Rd Disturbance 1000 Blk NW Burr Oak Ln Fireworks PHQ Citizen contact - harassment report PHQ Fingerprints 500 Blk SW Creekside Dr Suspicious person 100 Blk W Broadway St Citizen contact 500 Blk Sw Creek Ridge Dr Suspicious person Hill Top/ Meadow Illegal parking June 23, 2023 800 Blk SW Woodland Dr Abandoned vehicle 800 Blk SW Country Hill Dr Disturbance 700 Blk Main St Suspicious vehicle PHQ Citizen contact - scam report 100 Blk NW Lindsay Ln Area check - speeding vehicle 200 Blk Main St VIN verifications June 24, 2023 PHQ Citizen contact 1100 Blk SW Christie Ln Area check - noise complaint 1000 Blk SW Sandy Ln Verbal disturbance 200 Blk Katie Ct Area check - noise complaint PHQ Warrant confirmation 900 Blk NW Maplewood Ct Verbal disturbance Main/Broadway Vehicle blocking road 700 Blk SW Joseph Cir Codes violation 100 Blk Buckner-Tarsney Welfare check 1400 Blk Red Oak Ct Fireworks 600 Blk SW Crestview Dr Alarm PHQ Citizen contact - lost property report E Duncan Rd/NW Rosewood Dr Motor vehicle accident 700 Blk Main St Suspicious person 200 Blk SW Eagles Pkwy Physical disturbance June 25, 2023 500 Blk NW Magnolia Suspicious person 1100 Blk SW Dean Dr Unattended death 100 Blk S Buckner-Tarsney Rd Citizen assist 300 Blk NW Woodbury Motor vehicle accident Main St/40 Hwy Suspicious vehicle 1300 Blk NW Ashley Ln Disturbance 1000 Blk NE Clear Creek Rd Property damage PHQ Citizen contact June 26, 2023 900 Blk NW Maplewood Ct Citizen contact 1500 NE Erin Ct Fraud 800 Blk SW Crestiview Alarm PHQ Citizen contact June 27, 2023 BB/Duncan Motor vehicle accident Additional calls for service: Suicidal subject: 1 Domestic violence: 1 Order of protection: 2 by Michael Smith
The Grain Valley softball team will be going through a transition phase. The Eagles lost eight seniors from last season’s 24-8 squad and will bring in a bevy of newcomers and junior varsity players to play on the varsity team in 2023. That’s why this summer will be critical. All month Grain Valley has been participating in summer camps, working on fundamentals, hitting, and fielding as a new-look team is working on building chemistry before the season starts in late August. The players are getting to know each other during the camps and that may be the biggest benefit, according to incoming freshman Lucy Dampf. “When you are coming in (as a new player), you don’t know a lot of people,” Dampf said. “Being able to get to know them and play with them over the summer is really good.” Added junior Izzie Salsman: “A lot of the workouts … We are doing together. We play a game about once a week, which helps with team bonding.” The Eagles have been alternating between specific aspects of the game to work on over the month, but a big area of emphasis has been on the defensive end. “We have been working a lot on perfecting our fielding form,” Grain Valley sophomore Addison Wright said. “We have been working on fielding short rollers and short hops.” Going into the season, one player who can help mentor the young players and lead the charge in building chemistry is senior Emma Jane Ogle, who was a starter last season. “She really helps us notice the little things,” Wright said. Ogle and the newcomers will have a chance to carry on the Eagles winning ways that the program has had the past few seasons. Grain Valley has won 20-plus games in the last four seasons and have not had a losing season 2017. With so many players that will get the opportunity to play at the varsity level, it may seem like a challenging task for the Eagles to continue those steaks on the surface, but they seem hopeful that they can do that and even more. “We want to try and win everything,” Salsman said. “It will take a lot of hard work but I think we have the capability to.” by Michael Smith The run game was a huge part of the Grain Valley football team’s success in 2022. The Eagles gained a lot of their yards on trap runs, option plays, and run-pass option plays as they used four players to be the primary ball carriers. Quarterback Caleb Larson and running backs Christian Lanear, Ty Williams and DJ Harris split the workload running the ball and the quartet helped lead the team to a 9-3 record and another Class 5 state quarterfinal appearance. That foursome lost Lanear and Larson to graduation, with the latter being the figurehead of Grain Valley’s rushing attack. Larson carried the ball 141 times for 1,059 yards and 13 touchdowns to lead the Eagles. The run game may be different for the Eagles this season as senior Sal Caldarella is taking over at quarterback. While he is more than capable of toting the ball, Caldarella is more of a pocket passer than a heavy runner like Larson, so the run game leans more heavily on the running backs. “We won’t schedule those quarterback runs as often like we did with Caleb. That was his forte,” Grain Valley head coach David Allie said. “Sal can run and isn’t afraid to run. Sal can throw it pretty well, so we are probably going to throw it a little more.” “He may not have as many opportunities to carry the ball as the running backs will.” Williams and Harris return with three years of varsity experience combined and should be a big part of the Eagles’ rushing attack. In 2022, Williams carried the ball 73 times for 431 yards and scored eight rushing touchdowns. Harris had 60 carries for 375 yards and six scores as he missed two games because of an injury. “He can definitely hit somebody,” Wyzard said of Harris. The 5-foot-8, 180 pound Harris is a back who mainly runs between the tackles and is a power runner who does not shy away from contact. He also has enough speed and elusiveness to bounce runs to the outside when needed. Williams started the 2022 season as a third-down running back as he was put in that position due to his experience as a wide receiver on the junior varsity team the year prior. He is also a physical runner that doesn’t shy away from contact and he can also break runs to the outside when needed. “He started out as a quarterback as a freshman then moved to the slot (receiver position),” Allie said of Williams. “He wanted to find a way to get more reps on the field, so he asked if he could try running back. He started fighting for the starting job right away.” “Through hard work and evolving his natural abilities, he was able to be an every-down back instead of that third-down type kid.” Senior Tyler Wyzard will join the three man backfield in 2023. He mostly played for the junior varsity team last year but did get some carries at the varsity level in blowouts. While Harris and Williams bring a more physical running style to the table, Wyzard offers a different skill set. “I think my speed is definitely a big strength,” Wyzard said. “I can work on making people miss. I usually just run straight into a tackler.” Versatility is one strength the running back group has as a whole, according to Harris. He said he’s confident the Eagles can continue their recent success in the run game. “We are very flexible just like last year,” Harris said. “All of our running backs can catch out of the backfield and hit people and make moves. I honestly think we have the best running back trio in the conference.” So far, Allie said he’s like what he’s seen from his running back trio. He said that he was impressed with their performances at the Pittsburg State camp two weeks ago where his team scrimmaged against teams from Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas. “We feel like we have some healthy competition there,” Allie said. “Ty and DJ have varsity experience. They have both played in big games. That’s always good. Tyler is one of the hardest working kids we have on the team.” Grain Valley running backs DJ Harris, left and Tyler Wyzard will team up with Ty Williams to form a strong running back trio for Grain Valley. Photo credit: Michael Smith
Firework sales begin next Tuesday, June 27th in Grain Valley. Locally, two fireworks tents are hosted by community organizations. The Grain Valley Band Parents Association will host its tent in the parking lot of the Grain Valley Price Chopper. The Boy Scouts and Grain Valley Chamber of Commerce will offer fireworks at their tent located on the corner of Buckner Tarsney Road and SW Eagles Parkway.
City code allows for the discharge of fireworks on Saturday, July 1st as well as July 3rd and 4th between the hours of 9:00am - 11:00pm. Downtown Grain Valley Inc. is seeking volunteers to help the organization continue its work to revitalize the downtown area. Volunteers are needed to serve a variety of roles, including beautification, event volunteers, photography, and serving on a number of committees, including design and promotion.
The promotion committee works to promote downtown as the center of commerce, culture and community for residents and visitors alike. This committee will bring forward new image campaigns for the district, assist with content and ideas for social media, and bring special events to downtown. The design committee will address public art, lighting, wayfinding signs, landscaping, use of greenspace and vacant land, preserving historical buildings, and public improvements. To express interest in volunteering on a committee, visit: bit.ly/43soXbM coverage by Clara Jaques, Student Intern Grain Valley's Public Works Department put on its annual Community Event Wednesday night at Armstrong Park. In addition to free pizza and snow cones, attendees enjoyed a variety of games, raffles, and were able to witness live equipment demonstrations. Public Works Maintenance Assistant Stefanie Ambrose has worked with the department on this effort for two years. "I feel like the turnout is amazing; it looks awesome. Everyone seems to be having fun and enjoying themselves and I have heard a lot of comments from parents and kids about how much fun they are having," Ambrose said. Photo credit: Clara Jaques, Student Intern
by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society As the City of Grain Valley continues on their quest to revitalize the downtown district, I continue to look for more history of the past. What can and should be restored? What should be remembered about downtown, or forgotten! One of the first pieces of history I found when I began the process of cataloging the artifacts given to the Grain Valley Historical Society was an old town directory. It was in a box with other “older stuff.” When I received it there was no information; no name of the doner, no explanation of the contents and certainly no dates. It was a treasure of artifacts, but no details. In my quest to learn more about the Historical Society Building, I studied the directory in an attempt to learn what business might have occupied the building at 506 Main Street. My first guess is Bill’s Market, if “Bill” is Bill Minter. I cannot wait until the Recorder of Deeds Historic Section reopens at the Jackson County Courthouse. Meanwhile, you might enjoy reading about some of the businesses in Grain Valley. Regarding the date of this directory, more research is needed. When was James Porter Rumbo (my great uncle) mayor? Was William Tucker the same William Tucker that taught at the high school? What year did Floyd Sharp come to Grain Valley and buy the lumber yard? When was the population of Grain Valley 362? And finally, why didn’t they put a date on this directory? I’m guessing the late 1930s but keep reading this column and I’ll keep looking for the answers! Photo credit: Grain Valley Historical Society
by Burton Kelso, The Technology Expert
Thank goodness for Bluetooth and Bluetooth-connected devices. This technology allows you to share data between your devices including your smart home gadgets, your headphones, and your smartphone. The best part is you can eliminate some of those wires you use to connect your devices. Many of you connect to your devices with Bluetooth, but you need to understand there are some risks involved. With anything involving technology, cybercrooks will find a way to take advantage. With anything wireless, criminals can find ways to intercept the signal between your devices. Here's what you need to know: Bluetooth works great when it comes to connecting your electronics through the Internet of Things (IoT). As beneficial as Bluetooth is, you need to understand it can potentially cause major security risks. All wireless technology is at risk of being hijacked, but one of the benefits of Bluetooth is that it only has a range of about 500 feet, which means if a criminal is going to attack your devices, they would have to be within range of your Bluetooth signal. Here are some of the methods crooks are using to get access to your personal information: Car whispering. This is a Bluetooth security threat where criminals target your car radio and entertainment systems that have Bluetooth capabilities. Once they are logged into your system, crooks will listen in on phone calls and conversations. and phone calls that take place inside the car. Bluebugging. This cyber threat allows cybercriminals to get access to your Bluetooth connections via backdoor access. Once in, crooks can peep in on you and access your private information for the purpose of impersonating you and stealing your identity. Bluesmacking. When criminals attack your devices with bluesmacking, they send messages and information to your devices until your devices shut down making them unusable to you. Bluejacking. Did you know your Bluetooth signal can be hijacked to be used to send out phishing and spam messages? Criminals can gain access to your Bluetooth to send out spam and phishing messages. Usually, when these attacks occur, criminals will send out messages that contain dangerous links that could direct you to websites will malware. Bluesnarfing. When a Bluesnarfing attack occurs, crooks log into your devices via Bluetooth with the goal to steal information from your devices such as text messages, emails, photos, and more. Can I Tell If My Bluetooth is hacked? Bluetooth attacks are designed to be discrete, so they are very difficult to identify. Here are some warning signs you can look for:
How to stay safe using Bluetooth. Bluetooth offers many benefits that make using your devices fun and connecting your Bluetooth-enabled devices is a simple process. However, you need to be aware of security risks involving Bluetooth and how to stay safe. Here's what you need to know. Make sure your device can't be found using Bluetooth. One of the easiest ways to keep your devices safe is to turn off Bluetooth when you're not using it on your devices. Each of your devices has different instructions on how to turn it off, so here are some steps for every device: Apple devices:
Don't share your sensitive information over Bluetooth. Avoid sharing your personal information over Bluetooth. If you happen to be in an area with a Bluetooth hacker, your chances of them intercepting your private information are lessened. Don’t pair new devices in public. If you’re pairing devices for the first time, be sure to do so from a secure location. When you pair devices in public, it can allow hackers to hijack the process and connect to your device. Hopefully, this post has given you the information you need to stay safe when using Bluetooth technology. Following these security tips, you can use your Bluetooth devices without worrying about mobile threats. If you need further assistance, please reach out to me with any questions you might have. I am always happy to help! Want to ask me a tech question? Send it to burton@burtonkelso.com. I love technology. I've read all of the manuals and I'm serious about making technology fun and easy to use for everyone. Need computer repair service near you? My company Integral offers the highest quality computer repair service nationwide. If you need on-site or remote tech support for your Windows\Macintosh, computers, laptops, Android/Apple smartphone, tablets, printers, routers, smart home devices, and anything that connects to the Internet, please feel free to contact my team. Our team of friendly tech experts organization can help you with any IT needs you might have. Reach out to us a www.callintegralnow.com or phone at 888.256.0829. by Denise Sullivan, Nutrition & Health Education Specialist, University of Missouri-Extension Radishes are one of the cool season vegetables that I looked forward to as a child. I wasn’t always excited to eat them, but I did like to ‘help’ pick them in the garden-maybe it was the opportunity to get dirty without getting into trouble. I did enjoy eating the bright red globes from a relish tray, especially early season pickings, as they were not as ‘spicy’ as those that grew in the warmer temperatures.
Because radishes are a cool season plant, they are one of the first things to harvest, along with spring onions and greens like lettuce and spinach, providing everything you need for a delicious spring salad. Radishes mature quickly and can continue to be grown after first harvest, but be aware, warmer temperatures tend to intensify their peppery flavor. You may have already noticed that! To plan for a fall crop, mark your calendar to plant 4-6 weeks before first frost, typically in late October in the Kansas City area. Radishes are a root vegetable in the Brassicaceae family, which also includes cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and leafy greens like kale. While we are most familiar with the red globe variety, radishes come in many other varieties and include a rainbow of colors including yellow, green, and purple. The entire plant, from root to leaves can be enjoyed cooked or raw. For their small size and low calorie count, radishes are a good source of Vitamin C, as well as the minerals potassium and folate. Depending on their color, radishes also contain a variety of phytonutrients that can be beneficial in fighting several common chronic health conditions. Radishes also have unique anti-fungal properties that is shown to be beneficial against strains of Candida, a common yeast that can cause the oral condition known as thrush. In addition to salads and veggie trays, you can add chopped radishes to sandwiches, tuna salad, tacos, or anything that you want to add a bit of crunch. They can also be pickled in either a quick or fermented process. A quick and tasty method is to combine 1 cup thinly sliced radishes with 2 cups thinly sliced cucumbers and add a simple marinade of ½ cup cider vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 3 tablespoons chopped dill weed. Mix well and marinate for 2-3 hours. For a totally different take on radishes, you might try roasting them. The typical spicy flavor mellows and becomes almost sweet, and the texture is similar to a roasted potato. The simple recipe below was even a hit with my daughter, who is not a fan of radishes! Garlic Herb Roasted Radishes (makes 4 servings) 1 lb. fresh radishes, washed and trimmed of roots and greens 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon dried parsley or chives 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
Nutrition information: Calories: 51, Total Fat: 3.5, Saturated Fat: .5g, Sodium: 192mg, Carbohydrates: 4.4g, Fiber: 2g, Protein: .9g Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.com, analyzed by verywellfit.com by Clara Bates, Missouri Independent
Missouri ranks in the bottom third of all states for children’s health, according to a recent report using data from 2021. The annual Kids Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, released this month, evaluates states on four metrics of child well-being. Those are: health, economic well-being, education and family & community. For overall child well-being, Missouri ranks near the middle: 28th of 50 states, with 50 being the worst. Other Midwestern states, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin, were in the top ten of all states for child well-being. Bringing down the state’s overall ranking was one factor in particular: children’s health. Only 15 states in the country had a lower rating for children’s health. “Our health rankings are part of the problem,” said Tracy Greever-Rice, program director of Missouri KIDS COUNT. “We have work to do here in Missouri around infant mortality,” Greever-Rice said. “And we also have work to do, like many states with large rural populations, in terms of teen and adolescent deaths.” Only 10 other states had the same or worse rates of child and teen deaths as Missouri, one of the factors included in the health measure. The rate of child and teen deaths was 39 per 100,000 in Missouri in 2021 — up from 32 per 100,000 just two years earlier. The state’s trend mirrored the national trend, which increased from 25 deaths per 100,000 to 30 deaths per 100,000 from 2019 to 2021. Greever-Rice said several factors could have contributed to the state’s relatively high rate of child and teen deaths in 2021. “Particularly at risk — and a change that we’ve seen over the past few years — are adolescent boys in more rural areas,” Greever-Rice said, “and of course, Missouri, like everywhere else has been impacted by the opioid and fentanyl epidemic. “So we just have some high risk populations here that we have work to do around.” Suicide rates among young people have increased nationally over the last several decades, particularly in rural areas, where mental health services can be scarcer, research has found. Firearms became the leading cause of kids’ deaths in the United States in 2020, surpassing car accidents. According to Children’s Defense Fund, Missouri was one of ten states that accounted for half of all child and teen gun deaths in the nation from 2011-2020. Bills to limit access to guns failed in the legislature this session. Other indicators of children’s health — the rates of low birth-weight babies, children without health insurance, and children who are overweight or obese — were all slightly worse in Missouri than on average, according to the report. The best states for children’s health, according to the report, include Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire, while the worst are Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Missouri children fared best, out of the four broad indicators of well-being, on the measure of economic well-being. The state ranked 18th of 50 on economic well-being. While 3 in 10 children nationally live in households with a high housing cost burden, only around 2 in 10 Missouri children do, per the report. The rate of kids whose parents lack secure employment is also slightly better in Missouri at 26% than nationally, 29%. The rate of children in poverty roughly mirrors the national average — 16% in Missouri and 17% nationally. The rate of teens not in school and not working is 7% in Missouri, equal to the national average. The Kids Count index also included data on the cost of child care nationally, though it did not factor into the overall well-being rating. “For many, many families right now,” Greever-Rice said, “the cost [of child care] continues to go up and availability just decreases, particularly in rural areas and underserved areas.” In Missouri, a single parent with a toddler attending a child care center would pay 28% of the median income on child care, according to the Kids Count report. Dozens of interviews conducted by The Independent and Muckrock indicated that that burden can be untenable for many families — even though it is actually a lower burden than in much of the rest of the country, per the report. As the Missouri Independent and Muckrock’s investigative collaboration, Disappearing Daycare, found, the child care crisis is one not just of cost but access: Missourians struggle to find child care openings, particularly for infants, and the situation is even worse for those seeking government assistance. The average cost for a toddler’s care at a center in Missouri was nearly $9,000, according to KIDS COUNT. |
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