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by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society Unless you live south of Grain Valley and travel on Ryan Road or Moreland School Road, you may never have heard of Shippy Road. It is less than .2 mile long; only about 1,000 feet from north to south. If you travel on Moreland School Road, you may have noticed Purdee Cemetery on the northeast corner where Shippy Road turns off to the north toward Ryan Road.  Although I do not know when Seth and Rozella Shippy lived there, I do remember Mr. Shippy in his later years when he lived in a small, probably no more than 4-room, house on the east side of Gregg Street, next to the tennis court. Yes, Grain Valley had one tennis court back in the 1950s. It was on the corner of Walnut and Gregg behind the Christian Church. I believe the Church may have owned the land. I also remember the day the house burned. I was visiting Aunt Opal when my cousin, Donald Fristoe, raced from his parent's house on the opposite corner and brought Mr. Shippy out of his home. The volunteer fire department, without a city water supply, was unable to save his burning home. But that’s a story for another time. Mr. Shippy was well into his 80's and I don’t recall where he moved after the fire. Seth V. Shippy was born to Lewis and Matilda Shippy in Luzerne, Pennsylvania in 1869. Seth, his parents, and his ten brothers and sisters lived in Stephenson, Illinois during most of his youth. At some time during the 1890s at least some of the family moved to Sni-A-Bar Township where Seth met and married Rozella Arnold (1880-1945) on November 22, 1898. I found Seth Shippy family on every U. S. Census between 1900 and 1950, but only two mentioned their place of residence: in 1930, Moreland was recorded and in 1950, Gregg Street. The first five censuses gave Seth’s occupation as “farmer” and the 1950 census list “retired” in that space. I found no record of Lewis and Matilda Shippy living in Grain Valley or Sni-A-Bar Township; however, they are buried at Koger Cemetery alongside Seth and Zella. Apparently only one sister, Ida Viola (Russell), stayed in Grain Valley. The remaining 8 spread out from Holden and Kansas City to as far away as Iowa and Washington State. As for Seth and Zella, their six children remained in the area. If you are a long-time resident, you might remember Bill (1907-1991) and Clara Bell (Harris), Pete (1911-1990) and Cecil (Cary) (1909-2008); Arnold (1915-1997) and Ardie Bell(Phillips) (1915-1991), and Ralph (1918-1989 and Nellie (Martin) (1922-2022). Their daughters were Mabel (1902-1920) and Elsie (1903-1981). Next week, I will travel a bit further down Moreland School Road.  The Grain Valley High School Marching Eagles performed at the Golden Regiment Invitational in Blue Springs on Saturday, September 28th, and were named Open Class Grand Champions. The band also received first place in Open Class 2, as well as recognitions for Outstanding Visual Performance, Outstanding General Effect, and Outstanding Musical Performance. Community members will have the opportunity to view an exclusive performance of the Marching Eagles 2024 field show, “To Where You Are” on Thursday, October 10th at Moody Murry Field. There is no entrance fee, but a donation to the GVBPA is greatly appreciated. Gates will open at 8:30pm; no video or audio recording will be allowed. Guests are encouraged to arrive at 8:00pm to get in line. The Marching Eagles performed at the Golden Regiment Invitational on Saturday, September 28th, and were named Open Class Grand Champions. The band also receives first place in Open Class 2, as well as recognitions for Outstanding Visual Performance, Outstanding General Effect, and Outstanding Musical Performance. Photo credit: Addie Kennedy  by Michael Smith Grain Valley head coach David Allie and his players said they thought they had their best week of practice going into Friday’s game against Raytown South. It showed as the Eagles dominated and controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball as they cruised to 47-0 blowout on the road. A point of emphasis in practice was improving the snap exchange between center Korbyn Goodwin and quarterback Chase Neer. Last week, the Eagles lost two fumbles due to two muffed snaps in a 35-6 victory over Ruskin. It was something Neer and Goodwin got down during practice as the snap exchanges between the two out of the shotgun and pistol formations were perfect on Friday. That led to a strong day on offense as Grain Valley totaled 342 yards from scrimmage. “It was all about preparation,” said Goodwin, who is playing at center for the first time in his career. “Our scout defensive line was a big help. They represented Raytown South’s D line pretty well in practice. “We have been working on snaps before and after practice. Our coaches helped drive us to do that.” Grain Valley senior DJ Harris echoed similar sentiments. “There are good practices and there are perfect ones,” Harris said. “This week was just straight perfection. We were all locked in. We had very few mental mistakes.” Getting the snaps down between Neer and Goodwin was critical for Grain Valley to continue to utilize the same style of offense throughout the season. “If those issues continued, we were going to have to change our offense or at least how our base offense works,” Allie said. “They did a great job working on that all week.” The Eagles (4-1, 4-1 Suburban White Conference) scored on seven consecutive possessions in the first half and didn’t have to punt once. The running game was humming and was led by senior running back Robert Palmer, who had 162 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries as he continued his Simone Award finalist campaign. Right now, he had 959 yards on the round through five games. Palmer scored from 3 and 26 yards out, both on pitch plays in which he went into the end zone untouched. Harris, who returned from a one-game suspension last week for disciplinary reasons, had 21 yards and two TDs on eight carries. He had scoring runs of 1 and 2, both on fourth down. His 2-yard TD came out of a two-back set that head coach David Allie seemed to go to when the Eagles either needed a score or a first down. “That was the Pirate formation,” Harris said. “We have some dogs in the backfield. We’re pretty deep. Our run game is excellent. We probably have the best running back trio in the district.” The third part of that running back trio is sophomore Sjoeren Aumua. He had 47 yards on three carries and scored on an 18-yard run in which he got the edge on the left and out ran the Cardinals defense out of a hurry-up offense. Neer got in on the action in the passing game with 38.9 seconds left in the first half as he connected with senior wide receiver Aaron Barr for a 39-yard TD on a corner route to the left side. Backup quarterback Cohen Morris, a freshman, capped the score with his first career TD on a 22-yard run late in the third period. “They had man coverage so we had a couple of guys go in and opened up the out to Aaron,” Allie said. Aaron made a great catch and Chase put it right on the money.” Meanwhile, the Grain Valley defense dominated and didn’t allow South to get a first down until the 5:33 mark in the second period. The Eagles limited the Cardinals to just 142 total yards with a good chunk of that coming against Grain Valley’s backups. Junior safety Brody Jones had an interception of South quarterback Landen Harden in the third period and junior defensive back Traves Watson picked off a tipped pass in the end zone after the Cardinals drove the ball to the Eagles 3 late in the fourth to help preserve the shutout. “We were more focused and there was less joking around,” senior linebacker Aiden Woodrome said. “Every game this year, the defensive line has been the core. That has set us up for success. “I used to argue with Brody on who would have more interceptions. I can’t anymore. He has more than me.”  Grain Valley senior running back DJ Harris rushed for 21 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries. Photo credit: Michael Smith  Grain Valley senior center Korbyn Goodwin led on offensive line that had one of its best games of the season after the team total 342 yards. Photo credit: Michael Smith  by Cole Arndorfer The Grain Valley Schools Board of Education met on Thursday, September 19th for their September meeting. The board recognized the Early Childhood Center as a tier two PBIS award winner, and Matthews Elementary as a tier three award winner, which is the highest a school can go within the PBIS framework. Each school was presented with a plaque marking their status. Superintendent Dr. Brad Welle started his report by discussing the district’s attendance dashboard for the month and noted threats that other area schools have received over the month as a result of the most recent school shooting receiving national news coverage. Welle said the district took the opportunity to remind parents about the importance of making sure students know how serious the threats are and the consequences of those threats. Welle then said that since the new student lunch debt program was implemented, over $14,000 has been repaid. Following Welle’s report, the board approved the CSIP annual priorities. Then, under new business, the board approved setting the tax levy rate at 4.7382. Also under new business, the board approved the list of certified and non-certified substitutes for the year. The board then moved into the board policies portion of the meeting. In this section, the board heard the first read of a set of policies set for review this year. The board will review the set of policies at the October workshop. Following this, the meeting was adjourned into executive session. The next Board of Education meeting will be at 6:00pm on Thursday, October 17th in the Leadership Center.  by Cole Arndorfer The Grain Valley Board of Aldermen met on Monday, September 23rd, for its only meeting of the month of September. The meeting consisted of a public tax levy hearing, a public hearing regarding an ordinance concerning parking regulations in backyards, one resolution, four ordinances, and city staff and mayor’s reports. First, in the public comment section, two residents spoke regarding an ordinance on the agenda regarding the parking regulations in the backyards of homes. Both residents spoke against the ordinance, citing infringement on civil liberties to do what they wanted on their own property. A public hearing was also held over tax levy rates. The proposed rates are as follows: 0.4092 for the general fund, 0.5530 for debt service, 0.0904 for parks and recreation, and 0.0360 for public health, making the total proposed tax levy 1.0886. The board approved a resolution allowing the city to enter into a contract with Hoefer Welker LLC. This will allow the city to begin the planning process for designing and constructing a new community center and pool, city hall, and maintenance facility. Under ordinances, the board approved both the first and second read of the tax levy rates that was discussed earlier in the meeting. Next, the board approved the first and second reads of an ordinance that allows the use of escrow funds to pay a portion of outstanding general obligation bonds. Third, the board approved the first and second reads of an ordinance that authorizes the purchase of property owned by L&B Development. The property includes approximately seven acres of land at the northeast corner of Duncan Road and Dillingham Road. This land would be used for municipal purposes including parks and recreation uses. The final ordinance discussed was the one that had been discussed much of the night, regarding the limiting of parking in backyards of homes. The Planning and Zoning Commission previously held a public hearing and recommended the board pass the ordinance limiting residents to no more than two of any of these vehicles: boats, unloaded utility trailers, all-terrain vehicles, non-motorized camper, or lawn mowers. After some discussion, the board voted down the ordinance. In staff reports, Community Development Director Mark Trosen announced the date for the city’s annual hazardous waste clean-up event has been set for Saturday, October 5th. The event will start at 8:00am and end either when the trucks are full or around 12:00pm. The event will be held at the Jackson County Public Works facility at 34900 East Old US 40 Highway. Trosen also announced that the city has applied for funding for three projects through the Federal Highway Administration. The projects are open for public comment, which is available through October 4, and the link can be found on the city’s Facebook page. In his report, Mayor Mike Todd thanked the city staff for their help with the fair held at the beginning of the month. The next Board of Aldermen meeting will be held at City Hall on Monday, October 14 at 6:30pm.  Jackson County Parks + Rec’s Fall Festival of Arts, Crafts and Music at the Missouri Town Living History Museum will be held Saturday, October 5 and Sunday, October 6. This popular open-air event delights visitors as the entire village comes alive with the authentic music and dance of the mid-1800s. Start your holiday shopping with unique gifts that are handcrafted by talented artisans. Knowledgeable interpreters will share their passion for bygone skills such as cooking over a wood fire, wood working, blacksmithing, the art of tin smithing and a variety of fiber crafts. Watch the preparation of homemade apple butter and cider. Additionally, children will find fun and excitement with the time-honored games that were popular with kids over 150 years ago. The 48th Annual Missouri Town Fall Festival will be held Saturday, October 5th and Sunday, October 6 from 10:00am – 5:00pm. Missouri Town Living History Museum is located at 8010 East Park Road, Lee’s Summit, MO 64064. The cost is $15 per car/van, $25 per school/commercial bus. Additional highlights of the fall festival include:
For more information, visit www.makeyourdayhere.com/missouritown.  The following information is derived from Grain Valley Police Department daily calls service log for the week of September 18-24, 2024. September 18, 2024 600 BLK SW JOSEPH CIR Check Well Being 500 BLK SW EAGLES PARKWAY Disorderly Conduct 1700 BLK NW WILLOW DR Agency Assist EMS 600 BLK SW NELSON DR Alarm-Residential 100 BLK SUNNY LN Assault 100 BLK NELSON Protection Order Violation (Served) GRAIN VALLEY COMMUNITY GARDENS Special Assignment-Other PHQ Public Service 400 BLK SW NELSON DR Citizen Contact 600 BLK HILLSIDE Follow Up Investigation 300 BLK NE COLDWATER CREEK RD Disturbance-Verbal 700 BLK SW MEADOWOOD DR Citizen Assist 100 BLK SUNNY LN Trespass September 19, 2024 BB / DUNCAN Area Check VISTA DR Agency Assist K9 Request 800 BLK NW PAR DR Citizen Assist 100 BLK NW SNI-A-BAR PKWY Meeting PHQ Walk In Report 1200 BLK N NOLAND RD Meeting 100 BLK SUNNY LN Disturbance-Verbal 100 BLK S BUCKNER TARSNEY RD Crash Left Scene PHQ Public Service PHQ Arrest or Arrest Attempt 1100 BLK SW DEAN DR Abandoned Vehicle 700 BLK N MAIN ST Crash Non-Injury 1100 BLK SW DEAN DR Crash Non-Injury 100 BLK NW SNI-A-BAR PKWY Meeting 300 BLK SW MINTER RD Agency Assist DFS 200 BLK CONCORD CIR Nature Unknown 900 BLK NW WILLOW DR Runaway 300 BLK NE OLD US 40 HWY Noise September 20, 2024 GRANITE/OLYMPIC Extra Patrol NW LINDENWOOD DR / NE RYMEG DR Vehicle Check 1100 BLK NW BUSH DR Extra Patrol 2000 BLK NE JEFFERSON ST Information PHELPS / WOODBURY Property Damage 1400 BLK SW MINTER WAY Alarm-Commerical 1100 BLK DEAN DR Check Well Being 100 BLK SUNNY LN Standby to Prevent EAGLES PRKWY / KIRBY Area Check PHQ Walk In Report PHQ 911 Hang Up PHQ Walk In Report PHQ Public Service 100 BLK SUNNY LN Threats 2300 BLK NW HEDGEWOOD DR 911 Hang Up 500 BLK SW EAGLES PARKWAY Off Duty Assignment PHQ Citizen Contact PINKHILL/BB Check Well Being 100 BLK BARR RD Check Well Being PHQ Public Service MINTER / AA Area Check 1100 BLK N BUCKNER TARSNEY RD Check Well Being 700 BLK NW MAIN ST Citizen Assist 600 BLK SW NELSON DR Fireworks PHQ Runaway ROSEWOOD HILLS Noise 100 BLK SUNNY LN Pedestrian Check September 21, 2024 500 BLK SW HILLSIDE DR Follow Up Investigation 600 BLK NW WILLOW DR Property Damage NW LONG DR/NW VALLEY WOODS DR Area Check 500 BLK SW EAGLES PKWY Off Duty Assignment 900 BLK SW SANDY LN Check Well Being 200 BLK CYPRESS ST Parking Complaint/Viol 900 BLK NW BAYTREE DR Fraud 200 BLK NW SNI-A-BAR PKWY Area Check 1200 BLK NW WILLOW DR Disturbance-Physical 1000 BLK SW RYAN RD Alarm-Commerical 1100 BLK R D MIZE RD Crash Non-Injury BB/COLBERN RD Check Well Being 500 BLK SW EAGLES PARKWAY Special Assignment-Event/Demo 3800 BLK S RUST RD 911 Hang Up ROSEWOOD HILLS Area Check 200 BLK SW BLUE BRANCH CIR Suspicious Vehicle 200 BLK NE KIM CT Disturbance-Verbal September 22, 2024 1600 BLK NE JACLYN DR Suspicious Activity 300 BLK SW EAGLES PKWY Alarm-Commerical 600 BLK YENNIE Disturbance-Verbal 1100 BLK NW PAMELA BLVD Disturbance-Verbal 900 BLK SW RYAN RD Area Check 1100 BLK NW LONG DR Stealing Under 1400 BLK NW WILLOW DR Property Damage 700 BLK N MAIN ST Area Check 100 BLK E ROCK CREEK LN Stealing Under 1600 BLK SW EAGLES PKWY Suspicious Person 200 BLK SW CROSS CREEK DR Citizen Contact 3100 BLK SW EAGLES PKWY Area Check 1600 BLK NE JACLYN DR Area Check 2100 BLK NW CHERRY CT Suspicious Vehicle 11100 BLK N BUCKNER TARSNEY RD Disturbance-Verbal 1200 BLK SW GRAYSTONE DR Disturbance-Verbal 1300 BLK NW ASHLEY LN Property Damage 1400 BLK NW EAGLE RIDGE DR Stealing Vehicle 1300 BLK NW ASHLEY LN Disturbance-Verbal 100 BLK N LEE ST Burglary September 23, 2024 700 BLK SW CROSS CREEK DRc Open Door-Structure 700 BLK SHORTHORN DR Open Door-Structure 100 BLK SUNNY LN Extra Patrol 1100 BLK / NW BUSH DR Extra Patrol 200 BLK SW EAGLES PKWY Extra Patrol 1200 BLK NW PAMELA BLVD Property Damage PHQ Follow Up Investigation PHQ Meeting PHQ Meeting 1400 BLK NW OLYMPIC DR Citizen Contact 1100 BLK NW HILLTOP LN Citizen Contact PHQ Meeting 1000 BLK R D MIZE RD Check Well Being 700 BLK N MAIN ST Overdose 1100 BLK NW PAMELA BLVD Vehicle Check 1000 BLK NE DEER CREEK RD Standby to Prevent 1100 BLK NW BUSH DR Vehicle Check September 24, 2024 1000 BLK NE MCQUERRY RD Open Door-Structure 1110 BLK N BUCKNER TARSNEY RD Pedestrian Check 200 BLK SW EAGLES PKWY Citizen Contact 1400 BLK NE MARY CT Stealing Under 100 BLK SUNNY LN Extra Patrol RD MIZE/ MEADOW Administrative PHQ Court PHQ Public Service 1400 BLK NE MARY CT Follow Up Investigation PHQ Public Service PHQ Walk In Report MAIN ST/EAGLES Vehicle Check 200 BLK NE KIM CT Agency Assist LE 400 BLK W FRONT ST Stealing 1100 BLK NW BUSH DR Extra Patrol 1900 BLK NW HEDGEWOOD DR Residence Check Additional calls for service: Suicidal subject: 2 Order of protection: 2 CIT/Mental Health Welfare Check: 2  by Phil Hanson, President and CEO, Truman Heartland Community Foundation Several reports on charitable giving were issued over the summer, and I want to share a few of their findings and my perspective on the charitable giving environment. In June, the annual Giving USA Report was issued, reporting that total Charitable Giving in 2023 increased to $557.16 Billion an increase of 1.9% over 2022. Unfortunately, when adjusted for inflation, the total decline was 2.1%. This follows a decline of 3.4% in 2022 in current dollars, which was a decline of 10.5% adjusted for inflation. So, overall charitable giving in the past two years has not been growing. Giving by individuals continues to provide the preponderance of giving. At $374.4 billion individual giving is 67% of the total and when you add in Bequests from individuals it is 75% of the total. Giving by Foundations was 19% of the total and corporations 7%. The Giving USA Report includes a relatively new chapter reporting on giving by and to donor advised funds (DAFs). The report indicates that grants made from DAFs in 2022 totaled $52.16 Billion, an increase of 9.1% over the preceding year. During this same time, the approximately 300 donor advised funds here at your Community Foundation increased grants by 20% to $3.2 Million in 2022. Donor Advised Fund Giving is one of the most positive trends in charitable giving. A study was also done for the first time, “The 2024 DAF Fundraising Report-The Inaugural Benchmark Study on Nonprofit Fundraising from Donor Advised Funds”. The study utilized data from 20 larger nonprofits with 34,498 donors who gave to them via their DAF. A key finding from the study was that once donors began giving via their DAF their giving to the organization increased on average 96%. For example, if a donor had given a $1,000 gift by credit card previously, their gift from their DAF would be nearly $2,000 per year after. Some people criticize DAFs as a way for the wealthy to get an immediate tax deduction but not have to make an immediate grant from their fund to their charities of choice. They often characterize this as hoarding their charitable giving. Organizations like your Community Foundation, which work with community members who have DAFs, realize that DAFs are to charitable giving what 401(k)s are to retirement or Health Savings Accounts are to healthcare expenses. They are dedicated sources for charitable giving, and as this study found, having this dedicated source enhances the generosity of donors. Again, donor advised fund giving is one of the most positive trends in charitable giving. Call or email the staff at your community foundation today to learn how you can do more with your giving with a DAF. (816) 836-8189 or [email protected].  Half of Missourians have faced recent medical debt, survey findsby Clara Bates, Missouri Independent Two of every five Missouri adults owe money to medical providers, according to a survey published Tuesday by the nonprofit Missouri Foundation for Health. Those debts include unpaid fees for services ranging from lab tests and doctors’ visits to emergency treatment and dental care. Often, the bills are from one-time or short-term medical expenses, the report states. One in ten Missouri residents have more than $5,000 in medical debt. The result is that Missourians with medical debt commonly cut back on spending for basic needs, exhaust their savings and increase other forms of debt, like credit card debt. “When people struggle to access affordable health care, the effects ripple through our economy,” said Sheldon Weisgrau, foundation vice president of Health Policy and Advocacy, in a press release. “It’s not just about health; it’s about financial stability, workforce productivity, and the ability of families to thrive,” he added. The foundation commissioned a statewide survey of over 2,000 adults last spring, conducted by the research firm SSRS. Data were weighted to be representative of the population. The survey found Hispanic and Black Missourians are more likely to have medical debt compared to white adults. Those in rural areas are also more likely to have current or recent medical debt, as are those with disabilities. Half of Missouri adults have held medical debt at some point in the last five years, according to the report. Most of them — 78% of those under age 65 — had health insurance at the time they received the care that sent them into debt. One reason those with coverage are incurring debt, the report notes, is that many have unaffordable deductibles — meaning out-of-pocket costs they must pay before the insurance company starts to pay. Cost-sharing measures, like copays, can also be high. GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
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In 2023, the average family deductible in Missouri was $3,783, according to the nonprofit KFF. The average deductible for single coverage in Missouri was $2,340. Yet many Missourians live paycheck to paycheck. Four in ten Missourians don’t have the money to pay for an unexpected $500 bill, the Missouri Foundation for Health survey found. “The burden of medical debt is not only financially devastating but also demoralizing for families,” said Samantha Schrage Bunk, MFH health policy strategist, in the press release. The results in the survey were similar to the national average found in a 2022 survey conducted by the nonprofit KFF. The states with the worst rates of medical debt haven’t expanded Medicaid, KFF has found. Missouri implemented Medicaid expansion in October 2021. There has been increasing attention to medical debt at the state and federal level in the last few years. At least 17 states this year proposed legislation related to consumer relief for medical debt, though not Missouri, according to LexisNexis’ state legislative tracker. The Missourians surveyed widely support policies that would require greater price transparency, limits for hospital charges and uniform criteria for financial assistance programs. “Missourians are clear – they want policy changes that make health care affordable and accessible, and they’re looking for government and health care systems to listen to them and take action today,” Schrage Bunk said. In an earlier report, published in March, Missouri Foundation for Health interviewed focus groups. “[Medical debt is] something that I will have to pay for the rest of my life,” one low-income woman, who has between $1,000 and $2,500 in debt is quoted as saying. Others quoted needed to declare bankruptcy due to medical debt, or took hits to their credit that hurt their ability to find housing and employment. One rural farmer needed to take on odd jobs in town to try to pay off thousands in debt. A man with disabilities needed to pay hundreds each month for years, instead of saving for retirement. A young mother needed to cut back on spending for food and clothes for her kids to pay hospital bills. Another described the “vicious cycle” of taking out credit card debt to try to pay off medical debt. “Honestly, if you’re middle class or low class,” one interviewee asked, “how can you afford $2,000 a ride in an ambulance?” SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST.
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Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: [email protected]. Follow Missouri Independent on Facebook and X. 
MDC provides freezer drop-off sites in Kansas City region to aid hunters in voluntary CWD testing9/26/2024
by Erin Woodiel, Missouri Department of Conservation To make it easier for deer hunters to help monitor Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has deployed deer head drop-off sites in four counties in the Kansas City region. Each site has a freezer that will preserve the samples, which will be picked up later by MDC staff for CWD testing. To submit a deer head for testing, hunters will be required to cut off the head in advance, so it can be left in the freezer. The goal is to provide hunters an additional way of submitting their harvested deer for voluntary CWD testing. These self-serve drop sites will enable hunters to submit deer heads for sampling at their convenience throughout the 2024-2025 fall deer hunting season. The sample drop-off sites in the Kansa City region include:
For an interactive map showing all voluntary CWD testing drop off sites throughout the state, go to https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZCH. Hunters should cut off the deer head (and antlers for any bucks) while leaving about six inches of neck attached before coming to the drop-off location. Materials will be available at the freezer sites, such as trash bags, zip ties, and data sheets, that hunters can use in labeling the heads. Hunters will need to record their name and contact information, as well as their Telecheck ID numbers and the location the deer was harvested. They can then simply leave the head in the freezer. Staff will collect the head and pull the samples to be submitted for testing. The drop-off sites will not be available for use during the opening weekend of the firearms deer season (Nov. 16 - 17) in counties where mandatory CWD sampling is required. Hunters harvesting deer in mandatory CWD sampling counties must use the MDC staffed sampling locations normally used for CWD Mandatory Sampling during the opening weekend. Hunters will be able to check the results themselves online using their Telecheck ID at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZuE within three weeks. MDC will notify a hunter directly if their sample returns a positive result. The Centers for Disease Control does not recommend consuming meat from a deer that has tested positive for CWD. CWD is a neurological disease that is fatal to deer. A deer may be infected with no visible symptoms. The only way to positively identify the presence of CWD is to extract lymph nodes from the animal’s neck. The disease has been confirmed in St. Clair County in MDC’s Kansas City region, as well as counties elsewhere in the state. Hunters can play an important role in helping MDC monitor and track the disease in Missouri by providing this valuable data. Hunters who harvest deer from any of the CWD Management Zone counties are reminded that they must follow carcass transportation restrictions when traveling to CWD testing sites. Visit http://short.mdc.mo.gov/Z9V or see the 2024 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Information and Regulation booklet for details. The drop-off sites will be available to accept samples until the conclusion of the 2024-2025 archery deer season, Jan. 15, 2025.  To make it easier for deer hunters to help monitor Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has deployed deer head drop-off sites in four counties in the Kansas City region. Photo credit: MDC  by Michael Smith Grain Valley head softball coach Flip Courter said he would have never imagined going the way it has so far in 2024. And that’s a good thing. The Eagles came into Tuesday’s Suburban White Conference matchup with Truman as the No. 1-ranked team in Class 5 with a 20-0 record. They have the rare luxury of having three caliber starting pitchers they can use in any game – Makenna Moore, Molly Jones and Tuesday’s starter, Sydney Hemme. The pitching for Grain Valley has been dominant, as the Eagles had only surrendered 19 runs coming in. That continued against the Patriots as Hemme tossed a one-hitter, had no walks, and struck out 12 batters during a 5-0 victory on the road. Truman’s lone hit was on an infield single from Victoria Schearer in the fourth inning. The only other base runner from the home team came because of an infield error for the Eagles in the first. Other than that, Grain Valley continued its dominance that it’s had all season. “I don’t know if anyone goes into a season thinking they will be unbeaten a month into the season,” Courter said. “We’ve beat some darn good teams like Ray-Pec, Blue Springs South and Kickapoo. I was looking at the rankings, we have beat eight state-ranked teams. “These girls never think they are out of the game. They step on the field expecting to win. I knew we were going to be good.” Added Hemme: “I grew up watching Grain Valley softball since my sister played for four years before me. We have always been a good organization overall, but to be 21-0 and beat teams like Ray-Pec and Blue Springs South, I have to give credit to Makenna Moore. She has pitched a dominant season.” Truman couldn’t get hard contact off Hemme all game as her pitch mix of a fastball, changeup, screwball and rise ball. Hemme got a lot of swing and misses high in the zone on the rise ball and her screwball ran in on the hands of right-handed batters, which produced weak contact. “Her screwball looks like it’s going right down the middle of the plate then it comes in on your hands,” Courter said of Hemme. “She threw with a little more (velocity) today. We watched her in the bullpen, and you could hear the pop of the glove.” Hemme said the screwball was the first pitch she mastered when she first started playing softball. “It was the pitch I could catch onto easy,” she said. “It just became my most dominant pitch from there.” Grain Valley’s offense struggled to get going in the first five innings as they had four base runners and just two hits in that span but couldn’t scratch across a run against starting pitcher Piper Fatool. The Eagles (21-0, 9-0 conference) finally broke through in the sixth inning as Sydnee Wagner found a hole up the middle for a single and Sal Haley reached on a dropped fly ball to left field. Moore followed up by floating an RBI single in the left-center field gap to get the scoring going. After catcher Olivia Slaughter walked, sophomore Molly Jones got the biggest hit of the game as she stroked a bases-clearing double down the left field line to make it 4-0. “Their pitcher was moving around the zone a little bit,” Jones said. “She didn’t have a lot of spin pitches. We were kind of just getting under it. We started barreling the ball up in the middle of the game.” Wagner added an insurance run in the seventh inning with a sacrifice fly to left field that scored sophomore Madison Rust from third base.  Grain Valley junior pitcher Sydney Hemme, left, allowed just one hit and 12 batters while Molly Jones had a big bases-clearing double in the sixth inning as Grain Valley defeated Truman 5-0 to improve to 21-0 on the season. Photo credit: Michael Smith  The East Side of Main Street, Circa 1920 by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society The September 2024 calendar photograph shows Grain Valley in the early 1900s. The east side of Main Street, then known as Broadway was part of the original town. This picture begins at the railroad tracks and looks North. The first building, on Lot 19, is Warren Webb Hardware, built by William Warren and Tommie Webb. An early photo of the building is dated 1902. Next door, on Lot 20 is the old hotel. The two-story brick building had several owners before it was converted to a gas station and garage with tiny one or two room apartments on the second floor. The building, then known as the Huff Building, burned in 1959. Across Front Street on Lot 22 there was a two-story green house owned by Mrs. Morrison. The lower floor housed her millinery shop. Mittie Sanders, my maternal grandmother, was working there in 1906 when she married my grandfather. She used to tell me about the fancy hats they made for the ladies of Grain Valley to wear to church and for special occasions. Next was O’Connell’s Tonsorial and Bath House (Lot 24). I’m unsure of the business on Lot 25, but the sign on the building indicates that it was also the location of the telephone office. Eventually the first two buildings were torn down and replaced by a brick structure known as the Ryan Building. On a 1924 map it was labeled as a hotel. Today that building houses a tattoo shop. The final building visible on the calendar page (Lot 26 & 27) is Williams Meat Market, later Frantz’s Grocery Store until it closed in 1973. Here is an excerpt from this column written in April, 2020: Frantz Grocery was one of the last old-time stores of its kind, offering services that slowly died out with the introduction of modern supermarkets. The grocery store specialized in high-quality meat and Mr. Frantz and his butcher, Otis Williams, cut it for the customer’s needs. If Mom needed a 3-pound roast, that’s what she got! If company was coming it might be 4 or 5-pounds. If you ordered hamburger it was ground just before it went into the wrapper and a variety of lunch meats could be bought by the slice. The first two buildings, Lot 19 and 20, are now a parking lot. Two locations in this photo are currently for rent in Downtown Grain Valley. There are more stories to be told! As previously reported (Quick News - Grain Valley News), the Grain Valley Eagles won their homecoming game against Ruskin 35-6 on Friday evening. Celebrations prior to the game included a few "firsts" for the student body: Downtown Grain Valley and Grain Valley High School student government partnered to host a Community Pep Rally and bonfire downtown last Wednesday evening, and students also celebrated their first pep rally in the school's new fieldhouse. Prior to the game on Friday, three alumni were inducted into the Grain Valley Hall of Fame: Jason Fenstermaker (Class of 2004), Marcia Napier (Class of 1964), and Brandon Morris (Class of 2005). At halftime, Addison Powell was crowned as homecoming queen by last year's recipient Harper Allie, and Alex Osborn was crowned king by 2024 king Ty Williams.  Photo courtesy Olivia Powell.
Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker's office announced in a September 19th press release that a Grain Valley man has been charged in an August 2013 rape in Grain Valley after he was identified by DNA testing,
Jason Dewayne Bell faces Rape in the 1st Degree and Sodomy in the 1st Degree. A grand jury indicted Bell in August. According to court records, the Missouri Highway Patrol issued a report to Grain Valley detectives alerting them that defendant's DNA was found in a sample collected from the victim in an August 2013 sexual assault. In March 2024, the victim told detectives she went to a pub in Independence with others when the defendant started driving her to a parking lot near trucks and he sexually assaulted her outside the parked vehicle. Detectives reported the defendant had been a suspect in other sexual assault investigations. The defendant is currently being held in custody. Anyone with more information regarding the defendant should contact Grain Valley police detective Jason Werges at 816-847-6262. by Michael Smith The Grain Valley football team played sloppily according to head coach David Allie. The host Eagles were locked in a Suburban White Conference matchup with Ruskin, which came into the game with a 3-0 record. Grain Valley lost two fumbles and struggled on offense in the first half as senior Robert Palmer, who had 660 yards rushing through the first three games, was held to just 40 yards through the first 24 minutes. However, its special teams and defense helped keep Ruskin at bay. Two interceptions from junior safety Brody Jones and a standout performance from junior linebacker Hunter Nally helped the host Eagles take a 35-6 victory Friday at Moody Murray Memorial Field. Nally had perhaps the best game of his young career as he had a team-high 11 tackles, which included three for a loss. He had a critical punt recovery which Grain Valley punter Colton Clyman sent deep into Ruskin territory. The ball bounced off the back of freshman Joe Haney and was recovered by Nally at the road team’s 5-yard line, which set up Grain Valley’s first score midway through first period. “He’s a heady player,” Grain Valley head coach David Allie said of Nally. “He’s blessed with a great mind and knows where the ball is going to be. He’s a good leader for us and works hard. You can coach technique, but you can’t coach instincts and Hunter has that.” Jones also had a career game with his two picks. His first one came when Ruskin had the ball in the red zone. He caught it near the goal line on an overthrow by Ruskin quarterback Adarious Brown late in the second period. He also sealed the contest with another interception that he returned to the Ruskin 32-yard line after catching a wobbly throw from Brown as he was hit by senior defensive end Alex Osborne with 47 seconds left in the game. “I think it’s the best game of my career,” Jones said. “We still have lots to improve on. It wasn’t a perfect week.” Added Allie: “He’s a ball hawk. He likes to hit people, but he can catch the ball.” Another big play came with 1:08 left in the first half. Ruskin had a chance to cut Grain Valley’s lead to one score. The road team had the ball at the Grain Valley 1-yard line but Brown was tackled short of the goal line on a QB sneak attempt on fourth down by senior linebacker Aiden Woodrome, which forced a turnover on downs. It also helped Grain Valley’s cause that senior defensive end Mattice Poke made his season debut after he missed the first three games with a high ankle sprain. He is a part of the defensive line that has exceeded expectations coming into the season. “I iced up the ankle a lot and the adrenaline helped take care of the rest,” Poke said. “I took advantage of the snaps they gave me.” The defensive line helped hold Ruskin to just one touchdown on a 1-yard run by Logan Taylor. Grain Valley limited its opponent to just 267 yards of offense. “We’ve discussed before how coaches said (the defensive line) doesn’t pass the eye test, but when the game starts, they understand those guys can play,” Allie said. “Adding Mattice back from that high ankle sprain helped. You need some depth and some bodies up front.” Meanwhile, on offense, Palmer continued his stellar season that has him on pace for an all-state selection. He finished with 137 yards and a career-high four TDs on 18 carries. The road Eagles were able to stuff some runs up the middle from Palmer, but the senior was still able to find the end zone twice – once 5-yard score on an outside pitch to the left and a 2-yard jaunt up the middle as he powered his way through multiple defenders. After some schematic adjustments from head coach David Allie, Palmer got going in the second half as he went for 97 yards and two more scores in the final 24 minutes. The host Eagles had more designed runs for Palmer on the edges and behind the guards. He scored from 9 yards out on a delayed handoff from quarterback Chase Neer on the first drive of the third period and went into the end zone untouched on fourth-and-goal early in the fourth. “There are some things we didn’t do right schematically,” Allie said. “We missed some dudes (on blocks). We made some adjustments and they worked, and we found that crease we were looking for. The kids came out and understood we played sloppy in the first half.” Added Palmer: “(Ruskin) came out heavy and ready to win. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, so at halftime, we talked about what they were doing, made some adjustments and it worked.” Palmer now has 797 yards and 9 TDs on the season on the ground. Sophomore running back Sjoeren Aumua added a 4-yard TD run up the middle in the fourth period to help his team get a comfortable victory.  Chase Neer for a run against Ruskin. Photo credit: John Overstreet  Aaron Barr shuts down a run to prevent a Ruskin touchdown. Photo credit: John Overstreet  Sjoeren Aumua breaks loose for a running play. Photo credit: John Overstreet |
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