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The following information is derived from Grain Valley Police Department daily calls service log for the week of July 17-25, 2023.
July 17, 2023 300 Blk Walnut Citizen contact 1300 Blk Cherry Prisoner transport July 18, 2023 1300 Blk Blue Branch Parking complaint 800 Blk SW Highland Ave Noise complaint 300 Blk SW Rock Creek Ln Agency assist 600 Blk SW Westview Dr Citizen contact July 19, 2023 Shorthorn Dr/SW Nelson Area check PHQ Citizen contact 700 Blk SW Ginger Ln Suspicious activity PHQ Citizen contact July 20, 2023 700 Blk SW Ginger Ln Alarm 1800 Blk NW Taylor Ct Area check 1100 Blk NW Golfview Dr Welfare check 700 Blk Main St Stealing 1100 Blk SW Indian Creek Property damage PHQ Citizen contact RD Mize Rd/Tyer Rd Suspicious person July 21, 2023 100 Blk Buckner Tarsney Rd Agency assist 1000 Blk SW Rock Creek Agency assist PHQ Public service 700 Blk SW Ginger Hill Dr Suspicious person 1400 Blk S Rust Rd Lost property 1000 Blk Hill Top Stealing PHQ Citizen contact 400 Blk Buckner Tarsney Rd Agency assist PHQ Citizen contact 3300 Blk S Outer Alarm PHQ Citizen contact 1500 Blk NW Pecan Ln Sounds of shots 400 Blk Main St Citizen contact PHQ Citizen contact PHQ Citizen contact July 22, 2023 NW Pamela Blvd/NW Jefferson Welfare check PHQ Citizen contact PHQ Assault report PHQ Stealing report 300 Blk Walnut Suspicious person PHQ Forgery report 300 Blk W Front St Animal control I-70/Main St Motor vehicle accident 800 Blk NE San Karr Dr Disorderly conduct 1300 Blk SW Addie Ln Threat 500 Blk W Ryan Rd Missing juvenile 300 Blk SW Crestview Noise complaint 1200 Blk NW Golfview Parking complaint McQuerry/Sunny Ln Fireworks complaint 400 Blk SW Joseph Ln Noise complaint 1100 Blk NW Sycamore Missing juvenile 600 Blk Creek Ridge Animal control 1400 Blk Blue Branch Dr Animal control July 23, 2023 PHQ Citizen contact 400 Blk Cross Creek Suspicious persons 1300 Blk Willow Disturbance PHQ Citizen contact 1100 Blk Main St Citizen contact 100 Blk Cross Creek Animal control PHQ Citizen contact PHQ Citizen contact July 24, 2023 1100 Blk Bush Stolen auto 1100 Blk Bus Dr Stolen auto PHQ Citizen contact PHQ Citizen contact Eagle Ridge Blvd Suspicious vehicle Woodbury/N Buckner Tarsney Rd Area check Community Center Citizen contact Sni-A-Bar Animal control July 25, 2023 900 Blk Shorthorn 911 hangup 100 Blk McQuerry Citizen contact 40/OOIDA Motor vehicle accident PHQ Citizen contact 1100 Blk Eagle Ridge Blvd Alarm PHQ Citizen contact 400 Blk SW Joseph Ln Burglary PHQ Citizen contact 900 Blk Barr Citizen contact 1200 Blk RD Mize Rd Motor vehicle accident 1400 Blk NW Highview Dr Suspicious activity 200 Blk NW Katie Ct Citizen contact 900 Blk SW Ryan Rd Noise complaint 1200 Blk SW Graystone Dr Physical disturbance PHQ Citizen contact 1000 Blk SW Christie Ln Disturbance Wolf Creek/Seymore Area check 1300 Blk E Meyer Blvd Agency assist Additional calls for service: Suicidal Subject: 4 Domestic Violence: 1 Order of Protection: 1 The Grain Valley Board of Aldermen voted unanimously Monday evening to adopt a resolution encouraging the Jackson County Executive and Legislature to maintain the 2022 real property tax assessments for the 2023 calendar year. The resolution (file provided below) states inconsistent and extraordinary increases experienced by residents, called the appeals process "convoluted and inefficient", and raised concerns that the appeals process may impact the City's ability to meet the October 1st deadline to set its tax rate. A similar resolution was passed in Blue Springs on Friday, July 21st. Additional reporting on the Grain Valley Board of Aldermen meeting will be published on Thursday. On Thursday, July 13th, a Jackson County jury found Michael Hendricks of Grain Valley guilty of first-degree murder, and Maggie Ybarra of Grandview guilty of second-degree murder.
The murder charges stem from the death of Kensie Aubry. The remains of the 32-year old, the subject of a missing person investigation out of Independence, were recovered from a residence at the 4000 block of South Buckner Tarsney Road in unincorporated Grain Valley. Hendricks was also found guilty of first-degree harassment, attempted enticement of a child, child molestation in the third-degree, and first-degree sexual misconduct. Ybarra was also found guilty of attempted child enticement, first-degree harassment, first-degree sexual misconduct, attempting to tamper with physical evidence, and multiple counts of attempted tampering with a victim. Previous reporting: Hendricks, Ybarra charged with murder of Kensie AubryQuick News - Grain Valley News Remains of missing woman recovered from residence in Grain ValleyQuick News - Grain Valley News by Cole Arndorfer “A week to shape a lifetime.” This phrase has guided the goals of the Missouri Boys State program and what it aims to do for high schoolers across the state. Three rising seniors from Grain Valley High School got to experience all that Boys State has to offer this summer. Luke Arndorfer, Stylz Blackmon, and Eli Oerly were the three students selected to represent Grain Valley in the 2023 edition of the Missouri Boys State, held at Lindenwood University. From June 24-July 1, the nearly 1,000 Boys State participants were split into nine counties and 18 cities. The goal for the week is to teach the young men leadership and the purpose of government. Citizens are tasked with creating a fully functional, democratic, mock government over the course of the week. Each of the three Grain Valley representatives were split into different cities and given different roles in that city. Arndorfer was put into Blair city where he served as an attorney and a fireman. Blackmon resided in Kohn city and took on the role of Athletic Director and Assistant Fire Chief. Oerly was part of Carnahan city where he was elected to be a Senator, then elected Caucus Chairman for the Federalist Party, and Majority Floor Leader. For Oerly, elections were an integral part of the week. “With them [elections] came a lot of speeches and campaigns,” he said. “The first election I was a part of, which was Beverage Commissioner, I lost,” Oerly remembers. “This loss allowed me to learn from the mistakes I had made and correct them for my next campaign.” Those interested in becoming lawyers at Boys State must attend law school and pass the Bar Exam. Arndorfer hopes to become a lawyer in the future so he knew that is what he wanted to do at Boys State in order to gain some experience. After passing the exam, Arndorfer became an attorney in a law firm that was created with some others in his city. The firm was successful, he said, as they won over 70,000 Boys State Bucks throughout the week. Blackmon said that he got some great experience coaching with his role as Athletic Director. “I was able to coach my teams to prominent wins,” he said. “This position helped me learn how to be a better leader and coach, on and off the field,” Blackmon remarked. Each day, citizens had different events they could attend that included powerful speakers, athletic competitions, meetings and elections within cities, as well as sessions that citizens could learn more about careers they may be interested in. Among those speakers, longtime sports broadcaster and 29-time Emmy Award winner, Bob Costas, was the favorite for both Arndorfer and Blackmon. According to Blackmon, Costas gave a great talk on the importance of being versatile, not settling on just one thing, and loving what you do in your future career. Oerly had a different view on his favorite speaker. Oerly’s favorite speaker was Lt. Col. Dan Rooney, who was the first speaker of the week. Oerly was impressed with how open Rooney talked about his faith and how it helped him when he flew as a pilot in the Air Force. As Boys State started to wind down, the State Fair was held on Thursday night as a celebration of all the hard work the citizens had put in throughout the week. The fair provided a relaxing, fun night for all the citizens to take a breath, enjoy some food, play games, and have fun with the other boys attending as well as the girls attending Girls State. All three boys agree that they learned some very important lessons that they will use through the rest of their lives. “It was so great to be able to make friends and build connections with people in such a short amount of time. Some of the biggest things I learned were to stand up for what I believe in without being afraid of what others think, as well as how to be a leader, and what it takes to run the government,” Arndorfer said. For Blackmon, he said the biggest things he learned was the knowledge on how to serve, how to become a better leader, and, “the importance of service, not only within the community, but with family and friends as well.” “This week meant a lot to me, largely because I learned how to be a successful leader,” Oerly said. “I plan on joining the military and the experience I received at Boys State has helped me tremendously in the leadership skills required to be a distinguished officer in the military.” On the last day, there was an awards ceremony held where Boys State announced the individual and city awards for the week. While none of the Grain Valley representatives won individual awards, Blackman and Oerly were a part of cities that were recognized with awards. Blackmon’s Kohn city won the Most Diverse Award for having the most participants in athletics, third overall in athletic competition, and third in model city. Oerly’s Carnahan city placed second overall in athletic competition. Each of the boys highly recommend attending Boys State. “Although it may seem intimidating to be away for a week with a group of new people,” Oerly said. “You build unbreakable bonds with everyone, receive amazing leadership opportunities, and get a large sense of brotherhood in your cities.” The motto “a week to shape a lifetime” rings true for these three Grain Valley students. All three of them called the opportunity to attend Boys State a once in a lifetime experience and said that they will have the memories from that week for as long as they live. Luke Arndorfer, Stylz Blackmon, and Eli Oerly were the three students selected to represent Grain Valley in the 2023 edition of the Missouri Boys State, held at Lindenwood University. Submitted photo.
Grain Valley Historical Society's annual Ice Cream Social will be held Thursday, July 27th from 5:00pm - 8:00pm on the patio between Iron Kettle Brewing and the Historical Society (506 S. Main). Tickets are $6/adults, $5/children 12 and under and may be purchased at the door.
In addition to a variety of homemade ice creams, a variety of desserts will be available. The museum will be open for visitors to explore the many exhibits on display. For more information on the Grain Valley Historical Society, visit www.grainvalleyhistory.com. The summer months can be dangerous time for teens, as extra free time can lead them to do careless things like talking to strangers on online forums. If you're a parent of a tween or teen, you need to make sure you're speaking to your teens about the dangers of sharing sexual material online, especially because of the rise of sextortion scams targeting them.
Sextortion involves criminals reaching out and forming relationships with teens on social media platforms like Snapchat, BeReal, Discord, as well as online gaming platforms. With the help of AI, criminals are able to disguise themselves as teens to friend them and trick them into sending nude photos. Here's what you need to know: How does it work? Cyber crooks setup online profiles or steal social media accounts that appear to be around the same age as the victim. They then begin reaching out with friend requests on various online chat platforms, and then move the conversation to a platform such as Instagram where they can view the victim’s personal information and contacts. They then send the victim an intimate image and encourage them to take part in video chats or sharing their own intimate pictures. Screenshots are taken of intimate images and videos are recorded. As soon as an intimate image or video has been shared, the victim is told they have been recorded and that the recording or pictures will be shared online or with their friends and family unless a ransom is paid immediately. The scammers apply pressure to the victim and tell them the image will be deleted as soon as they pay. Some cases have incurred losses in the thousands of dollars, and these are just the cases that are reported. What's worse with sextortion, there have been instances of teens who feel they are put into a no-win situation with this scam and they take their lives when faced with public humiliation from having the photos and videos released to family and friends. What are some of the signs of a sextortion scam? Some tell-tale signs of a sextortion scam include but are not restricted to:
What to do if your teen has fallen victim to sextortion? If your children have fallen victim to a sextortion scam, then immediately support, without questions of why they did what they did, to ensure that they do not pay, and that they and you are prepared for how people may react if the images or video is released.
Hopefully, this post has given you the information you need to keep your teens safe from the dangers of sextortion scams. If you think you're being targeted, don't hesitate to reach out. 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 Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society Seven years ago, I returned to Grain Valley full-time after my House Director gig at a Mizzou fraternity. I vowed that I would devote one day each week to the Grain Valley Historical Society. My goal was to spend a few months sorting through the photos and artifacts and get the museum “in order.” Seven years later, I would love to have the museum “in order!” It is an ongoing challenge as new gifts arrive all of the time. But I’m totally off my topic. There was lots of “stuff” in cabinets and boxes that needed to be sorted. Some items, while interesting, had nothing to do with our town. They were given to other societies or trashed. Some items were real treasures, and I was able to get them catalogued and on displayed in a relatively short amount of time. And then, there were the items that definitely pertained to Grain Valley, but would anyone care? Today’s article is about two such items; two small boxes I found on the shelf in the back room. I have no clue as to where they came from or how they came to be at the Historical Society. One member seems to recall that they were found in the attic of an old house on Walnut Street when it was sold. We may never really know. I find the contents interesting today, because the two small boxes, approximately 5” x 7” x 2”, contain the City of Grain Valley Tax records for 1929. With all of the uproar regarding our 2023 tax assessments, I thought you might like to know what taxes were in 1929. According to his name on the receipt books and the bank deposit books, Albert Hoehn was the city collector and the money collected was sent to the Bank of Grain Valley. It is only a city tax, not a county or state tax. It would be interesting to know how the funds were spent. Of course, there is no mention of school tax or library tax, or police or fire protection. Maybe that’s a topic for further research on my part. At any rate, while you are looking at your current tax assessment, think about some of these bills.
How about thirteen cents for the W ½ of lot 35 which is east of Cypress St. just N. of the railroad track. How did they ever come up with these numbers? If you are curious about what the taxes were on your lot in old Grain Valley in 1929, stop by the Historical Society and look them up! I doubt if they would help you much at the assessment office today, but they might be good for a laugh. And after you pay your taxes in December, you may need a good laugh, or cry! Photo credit: Grain Valley Historical Society
As I visit with gardening friends or farmers market shoppers, I often hear that people are anxiously awaiting the tomatoes. America’s most popular home garden plant happens to be my favorite (and most successful) crop as well. It doesn’t matter if it is fresh from the garden or prepared into a favorite sauce or salsa, the versatility of the tomato makes it easy to understand why it is America’s favorite. Tomatoes belong to the Solanaceae family, more commonly known as the nightshade family. Other members of the Solanaceae family include peppers, potatoes, tomatillos, eggplant, and even tobacco. For centuries, the association with the nightshade family coupled with the strong scent given off by the plant, led to the myth that tomatoes were truly poisonous. Long before it was considered fit to eat, it was grown only as an ornamental garden plant, sometimes called "love apple." Tomatoes are native to the Andes of Peru, where they first grew in the wild as a bright red, marble-sized, cherry-type tomato. Gradually, they would spread throughout South America and north into Central America but then the trail goes cold until Christopher Columbus’ travels to and from the ‘new world,’ which would eventually land the fruit in Spain in the mid-16th century. Over the next several decades, different cultivars spread through Spain, France and Italy and became a widely accepted food in the Mediterranean region. As the tomato varieties spread north and east through Europe, they were not as widely accepted among the English and German and were often thought to be poisonous. As the colonies established in the United States, the tomato became less feared. One of the earliest notable growers of tomatoes was Thomas Jefferson, who was a remarkably progressive Virginia farmer as well as a statesman, who grew them in the late 1780’s. By the early 1800’s, tomatoes had become a common enhancement in the Creole gumbos and jambalayas of Southern cooking. By 1850, the tomato had made its way into most American urban markets and today is grown world-wide, where the temperate seasons allow. California, Florida, and Georgia lead tomato production in the US. Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, and fiber. They are also one of the richest sources of lycopene, a phytonutrient that shows great promise in cancer prevention. It’s worth noting that the amount of lycopene increases when tomatoes are cooked, as in a sauce. Whether cooked or fresh, there are numerous ways to enjoy tomatoes. This salad recipe is great as a quick meal and can be personalized with any of your favorite vegetables. It also gives a nod to the Mediterranean region who first accepted tomatoes. Mediterranean Bowl Salad Ingredients 1/3 cup cooked brown rice 1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped ½ cup diced cucumber ½ cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half ½ cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed Vinaigrette Ingredients 1 Tablespoon lemon juice 1 Tablespoon olive juice 1 teaspoon dried oregano Salt and pepper
Nutrition information: Calories: 277, Total Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 150mg, Carbohydrates: 31g, Fiber: 6g, Protein: 7g Recipe adapted from medinsteadofmeds.com, analyzed by verywellfit.com Denise Sullivan is a Nutrition and Health Education Specialist for MU Extension in the Urban West Region, serving Jackson and Platte Counties. For research-based nutrition and food safety information and programs, visit https://extension.missouri.edu/counties/urban-west-region MU Extension is a partnership of the University of Missouri campuses, Lincoln University, the people of Missouri through county extension councils, and the National Institute for Food and Agriculture of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Missouri non-farm payroll employment increased by 10,000 jobs in June 2023, and the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by one-tenth of a percentage point to 2.6 percent. Private industry employment increased by 9,200 jobs and government employment increased by 800 jobs.
The state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 2.6 percent in June 2023, up from 2.5 percent in May 2023. Over the year, there was an increase of 59,800 jobs from June 2022 to June 2023, and the unemployment rate increased by half of a percentage point, from 2.1 percent in June 2022 to 2.6 percent in June 2023. UNEMPLOYMENT Missouri's smoothed seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by one-tenth of a percentage point in June 2023, increasing to 2.6 percent from the revised May 2023 rate of 2.5 percent. The June 2023 rate was half of a percentage point higher than the June 2022 rate of 2.1 percent. The estimated number of unemployed Missourians was 81,562 in June 2023, up by 2,663 from May. The state's not-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate increased in June 2023 by four-tenths of a percentage point to 3.3 percent. A year ago, the not-seasonally-adjusted rate was 2.3 percent. The corresponding not-seasonally-adjusted national rate for June 2023 was 3.8 percent. Missouri's labor force participation rate was 63.6 percent in June 2023, nine-tenths of a percentage point higher than the national rate of 62.6 percent. Missouri's employment-population ratio was 61.9 percent in June 2023, 1.6 percentage points higher than the national rate of 60.3 percent. Missouri's unemployment rate was 2.6 percent in June 2023, one point lower than the national rate of 3.6 percent. Missouri's unemployment rate has been at or below the national rate for more than eight years. EMPLOYMENT Missouri's non-farm payroll employment was 2,991,900 in June 2023, up by 10,000 from the revised May 2023 figure. The May 2023 total was revised upward by 4,200 jobs from the preliminary estimate. Goods-producing industries decreased by 400 jobs over the month, with mining, logging, and construction gaining 200 jobs and manufacturing decreasing by 600 jobs. Private service-providing industries increased by 9,600 jobs between May 2023 and June 2023. Employment in private service-providing industries increased in leisure and hospitality (3,900 jobs); trade, transportation, and utilities (3,600 jobs); other services (1,100 jobs); professional and business services (500 jobs); private education and health services (300 jobs); and financial activities (200 jobs). Total government employment increased by 800 jobs over the month, including state government (500 jobs) and federal government (300 jobs). Over the year, total payroll employment increased by 59,800 jobs from June 2022 to June 2023. Gains were in leisure and hospitality (17,600 jobs); professional and business services (10,200 jobs); manufacturing (9,800 jobs); other services (6,100 jobs); trade, transportation, and utilities (6,000 jobs); private education and health services (5,600 jobs); and financial activities (1,200 jobs). Employment decreased in mining, logging, and construction (-1,600 jobs); and information (-900 jobs). Government employment increased by 5,800 jobs over the year, with increases in local (4,100 jobs), federal (1,300 jobs), and state government (400 jobs). by Michael Smith Summer is one of the most important times of the year for the Grain Valley cross country team. That couldn’t be more true for the 2023 boys and girls cross country squads as head coach Nick Small and the Eagles will depend a lot on underclassmen in the fall. From June until late August, Grain Valley holds five running sessions per week at different locations to get some miles in before the regular season starts. “These kids have been getting mileage in since track season,” Small said. “They put in hard efforts every week.” “We are bringing in quite a few freshmen and some sophomores that have matured. We are definitely younger with all of the runners we graduated last year.” With a bevy of newcomers entering the fold, the summer workouts are more critical than ever as Small looks for his team to build continuity. “One of the biggest things is the team bonding,” Small said. “We want them to get used to each other. You’re coming off a season in track where there is togetherness and then there is fragmentation because of the graduations. “It’s GV cross country 2023. What does that look like? In a sport like this when you are outside and it’s hot and you’re tired, you want to get out there and run for that kid next to you. If you form that relationship with everyone and that family aspect over the summer, that goes a long way.” Not only does it help with team bonding, it helps with conditioning, especially for the younger kids who may not be used to going at a pace to keep up with high school athletes. “Right now, our focus is to build up a lot of mileage,” Grain Valley senior Kayley Bell said. Our team is so young and they don’t have a lot of experience. Previous we have had really old teams so this is new for us.” To aid in building chemistry, the runners sometimes get together and participate in activities outside of just running. “Coming in and running cross country as a freshman is not an easy thing to do,” Grain Valley senior Rylan Smith said. “Being brand new, you may not know a lot of things. Sometimes we all group together before we start running.” “We will do some group activities like play pickleball. We also have games we play when we run. We call one “Wavelength.” Then we also go out and eat breakfast sometimes.” The annual Twilight Relays, which will take place today, helps with the team bonding aspect, also. It’s an event where current cross country runners get together with alumni and they play games at the school track from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Some of the games include spike ball and relay races. “I get to see a lot of my friends that I ran with when I was younger,” Bell said of the benefits of the Twilight Relays. “It’s a lot of fun.” Small said he likes to have some variety in regard to the courses his team practices on. He said he likes to mix it up and the Eagles practice on some easier courses and on some more difficult ones to get used to what the regular season will be like. This year, Small has added some new trails in Unity Village and in Lake Jacomo to his course list. He also has had his team run on the Little Blue Trace, Rock Island and Vista Trail the past couple of seasons. They also run on the Grain Valley track, as well. “We mostly like to run on soft surfaces to prevent injury and avoid wear and tear on the body,” Small said. “We like the variety of terrain so we can get on hills here and there.” While both the boys and girls teams may be young, runners like Bell and Smith have set high goals for themselves for the 2023 season, and getting warmed up during the summer is just the beginning. “I want to make it to state,” said Bell, who finished 46th at the Class 5 District 4 meet last season. “I need to get a lot of (personal records) this year to make that happen.” Added Smith, who qualified for state and finished 91st in 2022: “I am more of a track guy but I am really focusing on cross country this year. I want to get my times down. I have been working on getting my miles. Right now I am running 55 miles (per week). I want to get that up to 60.” Grain Valley senior Kayley Bell said summer workouts are important for the cross country team so younger runners can get mileage in. Photo credit: Michael Smith Grain Valley senior Rylan Smith said he's more of a track guy but focusing more on cross country this season and wants to decrease his times from last season. Photo credit: Michael Smith
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