​     Whether there will be trick-or-treaters this year or not is unknown, but there is never a shortage of Halloween candy on the grocery store shelves. And, the temptation to pick up a bag or two or three of those chocolatey minis is hard to resist.
     Having these treats around the house can wreak havoc on your healthy eating pledge and without a plan in place, one small piece can quickly turn into a trash can of mini wrappers.
     But, don’t fret! You can still enjoy your favorite seasonal treats without ruining your progress towards your goals by following a few Dos and Don’ts:
 
     Do: Make a plan that fits
Maybe you have decided to allow yourself three small candies a day or just a treat before dinner. Or, maybe you count several out and place them in a plastic bag and when it runs out, you’re done. Whatever your plan, make sure that it works for you and your lifestyle. Don’t set yourself up for failure, and find what works for you the best.
 
     Don’t: Waste your time trying to pick a “healthy” candy:
     Organic? Low-fat? Sugar-free? It’s all candy and whether it has limited sugar or fat, doesn’t mean it’s any healthier. Eating a bunch of candy that you feel is a better choice may not satisfy your craving and you may just ending up eating even more and then giving in to what you really wanted all along. Pick the treat you want and enjoy it!
 
     Do: Store your treats where you can’t see them
     Out of sight really does mean out of mind. You’re less likely to grab a piece if it’s not right in front of you. Try storing it in a canister that you can’t see through or in a cabinet you don’t use very often. That way you will be seeking out the candy instead of the candy seeking you out.
 
     Don’t: Eat candy when you are hungry
     Treats should be just that—treats. If you are hungry you will overeat your goodies. Plan a healthy snack or dinner and eat your treat as finishing piece. Satisfy your craving not your hunger.
 
     Halloween should be a fun holiday and doesn’t need to wreck your plan. There are plenty of ways to enjoy the holiday without letting it derail your progress. What if you do overindulge? You’re human. It’s ok. Move on and continue with your healthy eating plan the next day. You’ll find your splurge didn’t really change much.
 
     Try this yummy Halloween treat:
 

     Wi-Fi has become an essential part of our digital lives that when you don't have access to it or have a weak signal it can leave you feeling frustrated and lost.  Dealing with weak Wi-Fi means you have to deal with the stress of kids who aren't able to learn distantly or play games.  It also means that you have to deal with slow loading websites and Zoom calls that freeze up or drop altogether. 
     A good solution to fixing Wi-Fi dead zones in your home is to get a wireless range extender.  The challenge is making sure you set them up to make them effective to reach all of the areas in your home.  Struggling with the concept of range extenders and how to set them up, check out my tips that will help you get a full signal throughout your home or office.
     What are Wi-Fi extenders? The best explanation of Wi-Fi range extenders is these are devices that take your current wireless signal in your home and extend it further than your router can reach. When installed properly, this allows all your smart devices such as your smartphones, laptops, tablets, and printers to communicate effectively.  
     The standard router is only designed to reach the area of a 2,500 square foot home or office and works best in open-air environments.  However, your home or office could have things that get in the way of your wireless that can disrupt and reflect your signals such as drywall, concrete walls, and ceilings. 
     You probably didn't know your appliances such as washing machines, microwaves, washing machines, and televisions send out electromagnetic waves that can play a major role in getting in the way of your Wi-Fi Signal. 
     Extenders can be a single device to extend your wireless signal or a group of devices that form a 'mesh' network that casts a Wi-Fi net of a wireless signal to reach all areas of your home or office.
     Weak wireless or slow internet? Many of you mistake slow Internet as weak Wi-Fi.  Check with your Internet provider first to make sure you are getting decent Internet speed.  Visit www.speedtest.net on your computer, smartphone or tablet while you are near your router to see what speeds you are getting. 
     If you are getting a download speed lower than 25 Megabits Per second, then you will experience issues with streaming movies, kids playing games and glitchy or dropped video calls. Sometimes an increase in Internet speed from your provider is all you need.  You also may have to switch providers if your current Internet provider can't offer you faster speeds.
     How can you find dead areas in your home or office?  Well, complaints from your kids and spouse are a good way, but an even simpler way is your smartphone. Your smartphone and the Speedtest.net app can help you identify those dead area. Once you get the app downloaded and you connect your phone to your Wi-Fi, do an initial speed test in the same room as your wireless router. 
     When the test is finished and you get an idea of how fast your wireless connection should be, take a walk around your home or office and pay attention to where the signal is weak.  Once you identify all of the weak and dead zones in your area, you can decide where to place your extenders, but first…
     The location of your router is very important. Just as if you were setting up a brick and mortar business, location is key for the placement of your wireless equipment.  If you have a single level home or office, you should have no issues with where to place your router and extender.  If your work or home area is multi-level, things get a little more complicated. When you set up your router, you want to try to make sure it's in a central location of your home or office. 
     A router that is in an attic or a basement can cause problems, especially if you have a multi-level home as the router's wireless signal has to travel through many walls. You need to make sure your router is also placed in an elevated location. Three feet or higher is the optimum level for your router.  I know you're probably tempted to place them on the floor to hide them, but that will do more harm than good.
     The location of your extenders is also important. When you set up your extender, you will need to make sure to place it within the range of the router. If you are creating a mesh Wi-Fi network, you want to make sure mesh connected items are within range of one another. 
     If at all possible, make sure you're placing your extender within the line of sight of your router.  If you're unable to do this and have to place them around corners or behind walls, make sure they are drywall and not plaster or concrete walls. You need to place your extenders at the same level as you would your routers.  
     Setting up Wi-Fi extenders can take a little trial and error to make sure you cover all of the areas of your home.  Also, when using extenders, understand that you will lose some speed as your extenders or mesh network is essentially repeating the signal from your router which can slow down your wireless connection. Once you get your extenders set up properly, you can relax and enjoy robust internet around your home or office.

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     Want to ask me a tech question? Send it to [email protected]. 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 or technology help? 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 at Integral. Reach out to us a www.callintegralnow.com or phone at 888.256.0829.
 

     The Missouri labor market’s recovery resumed in September 2020. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 13,000 jobs over the month, and over-the year job losses from COVID-19 shutdowns dropped below 125,000. Missouri’s smoothed seasonally adjusted unemployment rate went down by 2.1 percentage points in September 2020, decreasing to 4.9 percent from an August 2020 rate of 7.0 percent.
     Missouri’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has now been either below or equal to the national rate for 67 consecutive months. The national unemployment rate was 7.9 percent in September 2020. 
     The estimated number of unemployed Missourians was 146,051 in September 2020, down by 68,345 from August’s 214,396. The over-the-month drop is due in part to the unemployed workers exhausting their unemployment Insurance benefits and leaving the labor market. The change contributed to the 2.3 percent decline in Missouri’s total civilian labor force over the month. 
     Due to lingering layoffs from COVID-19 shutdowns, the September 2020 rate was still nearly 50 percent higher than the September 2019 rate. The rate had reached a record low of 3.0 percent starting in August 2018, before edging up a tenth of a point in November 2018 and again in December 2018. The rate had remained at 3.2 percent through April 2019 before decreasing by a tenth of a point in May 2019. It then began a slow increase, reaching 3.4 percent in October 2019, where it remained for the remainder of 2019.
     The rate was steady at 3.5 percent in January and February 2020 before the COVID-19 spike began in March 2020. The rate peaked at 10.2 percent in April 2020 before decreasing slightly in May 2020, then moving strongly lower in June and July of 2020 as COVID-19 restrictions were eased. The rate was unchanged in August 2020, and unemployment again decreased sharply in September 2020.   
     The state’s not-seasonally-adjusted rate was 4.3 percent in September 2020, down by 2.8 percentage points from the August 2020 not-seasonally-adjusted rate of 7.1 percent. The corresponding not-seasonally-adjusted national rate for September 2020 was 7.7 percent.  
     A year ago, the state’s seasonally adjusted rate was 3.3 percent, and the not-adjusted rate was 2.7 percent.
 

​The following information is derived from the Grain Valley Police Department daily calls for service log for the week of October 7—13, 2020.
 

​     The Grain Valley School Board voted during their October 15th business meeting to extend the hybrid learning model for secondary students through the end of the first semester. In a 5-2 vote, the board approved the current plan continue through January 22, 2021. Through the hybrid model, secondary level students attend in-person classes two days per week and remotely from home three days per week. Early childhood and elementary students will continue with full in-person instruction with a 100% virtual option.
     During the patron comment portion of the meeting, approximately 10 district patrons shared their opinions and personal experiences with the board. The majority of those who spoke indicated a preference to continue with the hybrid model, citing safety concerns and the positive aspects of the hybrid model (including smaller class sizes, smaller course load). Those voicing concern over the hybrid model pointed to a drop in motivation among some students, the stress parents face attempting to assist students with schoolwork while also juggling work and home responsibilities, and the lack of a consistent schedule for special education and other struggling students.
     Grain Valley parent Jason Williams voiced support for the resumption of full in-person learning, pointing to concerns over the struggles special needs students experience being removed from class and related supports on a daily basis.
     “I fear that years down the road, we are going to look back, and studies are going to be done, and it will show we are hurting our kids more by keeping them at home. We know the risks, but I think parents can weigh that risk and determine if they want to send their kids to school or not,” Williams said.
     Grain Valley Schools Superintendent Marc Snow presented data from parent and secondary staff surveys conducted to gauge each population’s comfort with extending the hybrid model or ending it after the first quarter.
     151 6th -12th grade teachers completed the survey, with 86% indicating a preference to continue with the hybrid model.
     760 high school parents responded, with 51.25% stated they would prefer full in-person classes, but 25.66% of families would have their students enrolled as virtual students if only in-person and virtual were offered. This represents a potential increase of 14.83% compared to those enrolled virtually in the first quarter. 90.28% of families responding to the survey would stay with hybrid if hybrid and virtual were the only options.
     At the middle school level, 771 middle school parents responded, with 59.61% of families preferring full in-person learning. 90.77% of middle school respondents would stay with hybrid or transfer from virtual to hybrid, if hybrid and virtual were the only options.
     Snow pointed to fill rates for substitutes, indicating the percentage of substitutes who were able to cover staff absences reduced from 85% in mid-September to 79% the week of October 5-9.
     Snow also mentioned 14 of 18 area districts reported they will continue with some version of hybrid instruction in the second quarter.
 
     Board member Jeff Coleman made his position clear at the outset, stating he would vote against the continuation of the hybrid model. While voicing his support for the teachers and their concerns, he expressed his belief that students are “more resilient” and recover more quickly from COVID-19 than more vulnerable populations.
     “We as people go out to the grocery store, we go out to eat, we do all the things that we have to do. Our parents are having to go to work,” Coleman said.
     Referring to a pediatric counselor who testified before the board a few months ago, Coleman referred to the belief that “it is of greater risk not to come to school than it is to come to school with the possibility of contracting COVID. I applaud those teachers who have kids in school that are cruising along and have good successes, but not everybody is in that category,” Coleman said.
    “We have to get back to some similarity of what regular life is again and as teachers, I do want to keep you safe,” Coleman said.
     Citing multiple comments made by parents regarding the particular struggles of special needs students, English inquired what plans the district administration is considering to attend to their needs.
     Referencing the board’s initial decision to proceed with the hybrid model at the start of the school year, English stated, “We did what we thought was the greatest good at the time. I truly believe that it is working. But I’m hearing from families here that they are hurting. There are things that are going on in their homes related to education that have them frustrated. Is there anything else that we can do as an administration and as a district to reach those kids. What can we do to reach that percent (of struggling students) that we’re not currently doing,” English asked.
     “I think this is something that we need to chew on, or we’re going to find ourselves in unchartered waters again here in a few months trying to make the same decision.”
     “That last question is something I asked of our cabinet earlier today,” Snow said. “What are the answers we can give to parents who say ‘my kid is struggling’. We need to continue to talk about that.”
“What I’m looking for as a board member is a plan. I want to see that strategy in writing so that I can hold that up and show it to patrons and teachers and say ‘here’s what we need to see as a group to really bring kids back to school’,” English said.
     Snow provided his opinion on the best course of action before the board vote.
     “I’ve never been a person who’s thrived on conflict, so I don’t like the fact that this has divided our community and our board. As Superintendent, I have tried not to make any decisions that are politically driven, and I believe my decisions need to have one thing in mind, and that is what is right for the kids. Those decisions for kids need to factor in the educational, mental, emotional, and health needs of kids. To be honest, I have had a difficult time deciding what my recommendation is going to be,” Snow said.
     “As an educator, I have to believe that everyone who teaches or has taught thinks the best place for kids to be is in the classroom on a full time basis. In a perfect world, that would certainly be the case. Unfortunately, we are not currently living in a perfect world. Our world has dealt us an unfair hand to play, and in our world we have health and safety concerns that we must not disregard.”
     Snow pointed to the constant upheaval staff is feeling with ongoing quarantines of staff and students, “disrupting the classroom environment”.
     Snow continued, “We are barely, and I emphasize barely, keeping up with our ability to properly staff our schools. I’m concerned that doubling the number of students in our secondary school classrooms will double that impact.”
     “Although it brings me no pleasure to do so, I believe the right thing to do right now is to continue with  the hybrid learning model for the secondary students through at least the second quarter. That said, I do not have a vote, and that decision is ultimately up to this board,” Snow said.
     The Board proceeded to approve Snow’s recommendation 5-2, with Jeff Coleman and Tisha Homfeld voting against continuing the hybrid plan.
     In an email announcing the decision, the district outlined gating criteria for returning students to the classroom full-time, including:
     Total new cases per 100,000 in Eastern Jackson County falling below 200. The rate is currently 215.
     The Positivity rate in Eastern Jackson County trending below 10%. The positivity rate is currently at 15.05%.
     In other business, Snow reported the board will consider refunding of 2016 and 2017 bonds during its November meeting, with a potential savings of $1.5 million. Snow also reported the district will receive $167,000 in funding from Jackson County through the CARES Act to offset expenses related to COVID-19, including hot spots, cleaning supplies, and bottle fillers at water fountains.
     Snow reported the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is distributing rapid COVID-19 tests, enabling districts to test symptomatic students and staff in 15 minutes. The district applied for 5,000 testing kits and has 5 district nurses who can administer tests.
     Dr. Brad Welle, Deputy Superintendent of Student and Community Services, reported the Grain Valley Education Foundation has raised $850,000 since 2010.
     Dr. Beth Mulvey, Assistant Superintendent of Academic Services, reported the board will consider middle school math curriculum during its November meeting.
     The board will meet for a regular board meeting on November 19, 2020.
 
 

​     The Eagles worked diligently to win three consecutive sets in their match versus Fort Osage on October 12th. Scores of 25-12, 25-11, and 25-11 propelled Grain Valley to victory in the Suburban Conference matchup. The Eagles improved to a 12-7-3 overall season record in defending their home court.
     Strong net defense by Grain Valley junior Kellie Overturf, well placed serves by senior Clara Gower, and hard hit spikes by junior Olivia Williams was the recipe used for success. The Eagles were able to hold serve several times throughout the evening along with putting together a string of scoring consecutive points.
     “I think serving consistently promotes success. You can’t lose points if you get the serve over net. Years of practice and listening to coaching helps,” Gower said.
     Overturf added, “I like to be defensive at the net because it helps my team win. Making a play gets the crowd excited and that motivates me.”
     Williams finished, “Watching the ball at all times and adjusting to it while noticing where the open spots are on the other side of the net is my focus.”
     The trio feels prepared and looks forward to the Grain Valley Spike Tournament upcoming on October 17th. A sentiment shared by Eagles head volleyball coach Tori Squiers.
     Watching film prior to the match against Fort Osage and having already played against them previously this season is what Squiers attributed to her team’s victory.
     “Being in your home gym is an advantage. Our first set tonight provided us the confidence needed to continue that momentum into the next two sets,” Squiers said.
     “I have Clara (Gower) serve first for a reason. She always starts out strong and plays the back row well also. There’s a reason why she’s our team captain.”
     “Kellie (Overturf) and Olivia (Williams) play strong at the net. They work well together and always have a sense of what the other is doing. Both enjoy finishing an attack or denying an advance by the opponent.”
     Squiers continued, “I am excited about the growth of this team at this point in the season.”
 

     The Grain Valley Lady Eagles Cross Country program is fresh off their impressive Suburban Conference victory in which they placed six runners among the top seven finishers. Individual meet champion Ella Casey was joined by Annalynn Earley (2nd), Lilly Ogle (4th), Valerie Holcomb (5th), Lexie Nicholson (6th), and Kayley Bell (7th) in earning 1st Team All-Conference Honors.
     Lady Eagles Head Cross Country coach Nick Small is pleased with the buy in to the program he has received from the team. The hash tag used by the Cross Country program on social media this season has been “#more than running.” Small has encouraged this mantra as a reminder to his team to be successful in the classroom, conducting community service, and doing the little things needed to be a better competitor.
     “I really feel like this crew in general has been willing to fight together in a sport that can be very individual oriented. The success we have experienced is through being a team,” Small said.
     The Eagles have a two and half week stretch ahead of them where they will compete sparingly prior to the Class 5, District 5 meet at the end of October in Jefferson City. There have been a fewer number of meets this season on the calendar. A change that Small embraces and one that has caused programs and coaches to reevaluate their training regimen. Less racing across the nation has led to less demand on the body (due to the volume of training) and there are more personal records being set in the sport of cross country.
     “I often say there a thousand ways to skin a cat when it comes to training. Over the years we have tweaked stuff. In general, we start in the summer with adding distance to their runs in getting their anerobic capacity built up. Then, as we move through season, we look to add intensity (speed work) as we decrease load (mileage),” Small said.
     “The last couple of weeks have been the highest combination of load and intensity both. Their legs are starting to feel that a little bit. As we approach districts and prepare for state though, we are going to reduce load and intensity for what is referred to as a tapper effect.”
     “Varying the stressors makes the body continue to adapt for continued growth in performance. Hopefully, if we do it right, those various stressors culminate in success.”
     Small struggled to find just one runner who has exemplified leadership and exceeded expectations this season. Seniors Annalynn Earley and Lilly Ogle have seen their times shrink this season through courses that Small characterizes as going from easy to hard in progression.
     Small added, “It’s been impressive to watch Annalynn and Lilly run this season. We talk about a ‘switch going on’ with the mental side of running. They have figured out that switch. It is the difference between surviving a race and attacking a race.”
     Valley News asked both Earley and Ogle six spotlight questions in an effort for the community to get to know them better as student athletes.
 
1. What sets Grain Valley Cross County across from other programs?
Earley: “The people on this team. We hang out with each other outside of school and our sport. This group collectively likes hard work.”
Ogle: “We create a family atmosphere.”
 
2. Any unique pre-meet rituals?
Earley: “Our food tradition the night before a race.”
Ogle: “In the past we have done ice baths. That hasn’t happened this year because of COVID. We always look forward to the pasta dinners the night before a meet so that we can load up on carbs.”
 
3. What is the strangest thing you’ve seen happen during a race?
Earley: “One of the girls on my team lost her shoe during the first 800 meters of a race and ran the entire way with one shoe.”
Ogle: “That’s a hard one to pick just one thing.”
 
4. Who is your role model?
Earley: “Definitely my Dad. He’s a cross country coach at Fort Osage. He’s had me running since I was little.”
Olge: “My Mom is a positive person who is full of encouragement. She has pushes me to focus on positive things and not dwell on the negative.”
 
5. If you could run with anyone dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Earley: “I would run with my Grandma. She was never an athlete. She wanted to do sports in high school, but they didn’t have cross country for girls when she was younger. It would be cool to run with her.”
Ogle: “A famous singer who could sing to you the whole run and make it go buy faster. Some throwback Miley Cyrus like ‘The Climb’ would be good.”
 
6. What do you love most about running and competing?
Earley: “I like the team aspect of our sport. It’s good to know that I’m hurting for someone other than just myself. Getting to talk and laugh with those around me is fun.”
Ogle: “The way you feel after a successful race is a crazy feeling you don’t understand until you do it. People ask, ‘why do you like running?’ I tell them if you can do this, and get through it, you have an honest sense of accomplishment you can’t get any other way.”
 

     Grain Valley’s impressive 53-22 win over the visiting William Chrisman Bears on October 9th made a big statement. The Eagles kept their undefeated record intact by improving to 7-0. The continued streak of scoring at least 30 points a game also persists for Grain Valley. There was no homecoming week letdown or senior night jitters.
     The biggest statement made was by Grain Valley’s coaching staff. Football is a game of adjustments. For the second week in a row, a Suburban Conference opponent tried to take away what the Eagles do best on offense.
     The Bears came out in a 33 split front on defense. Putting both their defensive tackles on the outside shoulder of the offensive guard was done to limit the Eagle’s “down” rushing play (off-tackle trap with a backside pulling guard). The idea being that having a defensive tackle in both “B gaps” where the Eagles wanted to run would restrict their ability to move the football on the ground.
     The previous week had witnessed the Fort Osage Indians pinch (cross the face of the offensive tackle or tight end) their defensive ends into “B gaps” in an effort to do the same thing. Five and six weeks into the football season, opponents had game planned ways outside the norm of their defensive scheme to be successful against Grain Valley. The desired results were not realized.
     Eagles head football coach David Allie adjusted to William Chrisman’s defensive alignment with a myriad of formidable responses on offense. Grain Valley would turn to running option, quarterback boot, fullback dive, play action slant passes off of dive, fade passes, slot receiver sweeps and reverses off of orb motion, and getting into double tight end formations (which creates 8 gaps to defend at the line of scrimmage) that limited where the Bears defensive lineman could line up for good measure.
     Having the needed alternatives in the Eagles’ offense produced 422 total yards on 45 plays, good for a 9.4 yard per play average.
     William Chrisman’s 33 split front on defense meant that both of their inside linebackers where aligned in “A gap” on either side of the Eagles center. This meant a greater distance for both linebackers to travel in getting to the outside edge of the defense against options, quarterback boots, and sweeps. Furthermore, it meant having to come downhill to fill when Grain Valley ran dive with no defensive tackle directly in front of them to block the path of oncoming offensive linemen.
     A further consequence of the Bears having to respect inside handoffs was a large chasm opening up where the linebackers use to be prior to the snap of the football. This space was filled by Eagle slot receivers running slant patterns into the area after the handoff fake executed by quarterback Cole Keller. Allie would call this play three times on an Eagles scoring drive during the third quarter.
     “We’ve seen a lot of odd front defenses over the last five weeks. They (William Chrisman) came out in an even front with a stem (moving defensive tackles into a 33 split just prior to the snap) and we went three and out on our first drive. Now, we did not execute as well as we should’ve on that first drive either,” Allie said.
     “Then we got into double tight end formation, they didn’t stem. They started loading the box and we went outside with the football. We also tried to exploit the coverages they presented us with successful routes we ran.”
     Keeping a team’s focus at a high level is a hard enough challenge through a typical season. Allie and his staff have been able to do so with huge a return thus far. Focusing on what is important is what Allie attributes to the result.
     “We always try to find the silver lining with the cloud that’s above us with COVID-19. This team knows that they are not guaranteed another game or practice. I think that has done as much as anything to keep their focus. Hat’s off to our kids for not being anxious or trying to force stuff,” Allie said.
     “Things can get stale when get into week seven of the season. We adjusted our practice schedule a little this week by cutting one day short and another by watching a middle school football game. That helps to keep the legs fresh.”
     Allie concluded, “This is a tight group. The victory for the seniors tonight is special. The kids will remember this game for a long time.”
     An example of the Eagles being a tight knit team is the chemistry between Keller and wide receiver Parker Bosserman. Both speak highly of one another and have accepted their roles on the team as Keller returned from injury as the Eagles signal caller heading into this season, a role that Bosserman filled at the completion of the 2019 season.
     “Cole (Keller) does a good job from the snap on reading where to go with the football. He puts it in a place where I can get it and my job is to finish the completion by reeling it in,” Bosserman said.
     Keller added, “I got guys that will catch the ball and guys that will block. When you have so many weapons around you it makes it easy to have the nights we have. The three touchdown passes I threw through the air tonight are because we have guys who don’t drop passes.”
     “All I did this summer was work on my footwork to improve my accuracy. I knew this offense was full of guys who could go get the football and I wanted to make sure I could get it to them. I have improved throwing the football, but you are always sharpening in looking to get better.”
     Keller would go on to rack up 144 passing yards and 3 touchdowns through the air. Keller would further pad his stat line with 99 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns. Bosserman would complement Keller’s work by hauling in four receptions for 55 yards and 2 touchdowns to go along with 2 rushes for 32 yards on the ground.
     Homecoming king and offensive guard Jack Bailey worked well with a new partner in crime at right tackle filling in for the injured Cooper Terry. Junior Brycen Crandall teamed with Bailey in making several key blocks for the Eagles. Perhaps none bigger than Crandall’s block of a William Chrisman linebacker on the opening play of the second half that sprung running back Jaxon Wyatt for an 80 yard touchdown run.
     Bailey was all smiles and humility with his post-game comments.
     “It’s a blessing to get recognized by the student body in being homecoming king. I love this school and Grain Valley.”
     “The communication between Brycen (Crandall) and I helped with our success tonight in rushing the football. We kept things simple in discussing who we block prior to the snap each play. We had a lot of fun.”
     Defensively, the Eagles were happy to see the return of defensive tackle Quincy Jones. The 6’ 1’’ 280 pound senior wasted little time in picking up where he had left off previously. Jones would contribute 1.5 tackles and a sack in his team’s winning effort.
     Linebacker Hunter Newsom continued his streak of being the Eagles leading tackler with 11 tackles, including one tackle for loss. Newsom was joined by fellow linebackers Jayden Jacobson and Zach Kirk in trying to stop Bears running back DaShawn Shannon.
     William Chrisman would lean on sweeps to Shannon with two pulling guards as the staple of their offense. Shannon would compile 132 yards on the ground and one rushing touchdown.
     Jacobson sought to keep Shannon pinned in with maintaining outside leverage and forcing runs back to the inside. A timely interception with 26 seconds left in the third quarter by Jacobson stymied William Chrisman’s attempt to build second half momentum.
      Eagles defensive end Donovan McBride provided a consistent pass rush for his team against the Bears. His endeavors yielded a second quarter sack of William Chrisman quarterback Dayne Herl with 15 seconds left prior to halftime. McBride has accepted and excelled in his role of moving to defensive end on passing downs this season.
     “Third and long is not rocket science. What are teams going to do but pass the football. Especially, when they have no time outs left heading into the half,” McBride said.
     “I have enjoyed the move to defensive end. When you play on the inside, you get a lot of double teams. So when I’m on the edge, I should win those because they are one on one matchups.”
     The Eagles (7-0) have their work cut out for them as they travel to Raytown (4-3) in a matchup against the Blue Jays on October 16th. Raytown has possessed daunting size and speed in recent years under the direction of head coach Logan Minnick. Grain Valley will look to continue to make a statement against Suburban Conference foes.
 

     Jack Bailey and Abby Castle were named Homecoming King and Queen during a halftime ceremony on October 9th.      
     The Eagles would go on to defeat the William Chrisman Bears 53-22.
See page 9 of this week’s edition for a summary of the game.

The Grain Valley Board of Aldermen voted October 12th to authorize the City Administrator to amend the 2020 budget to allocate an additional $500,000 in funding from transportation reserves for additional road improvements.   
     City Engineer Dick Tuttle presented an assessment of pavement conditions. The City contracted with IMS to survey all of the City’s streets with a laser road surface tester to determine overall street conditions.
     The pavement condition index (PCI) is a measure of the overall street condition. The City’s current PCI is a 56 with a  backlog of 11.9%. A 56 is a less than optimal rating; most cities surveyed range between 60-65. An optimal backlog is 10% but less than 15% is considered good.
     The 2020 budget allocated $342,000 for road improvements and a pavement condition assessment. The additional funding approved by the Board will allow the backlog of needed road improvements to be reduced.
     Already on the project list for this year are the following streets:
Shorthorn-Sni-A-Bar to Cross Creek
Cross Creek—Sni-A-Bar to Ryan
Brome—Sni-A-Bar to Clover
Nelson-Shorthorn to SW Cross Creek
Rockhill—SW Cross Creek to East Dead End
Abar Court—Foxtail to North Dead End
Woodbury—Buckner Tarsney to Valley Ridge
SW Cross Creek—Ryan to South Dead End
     The additional funding will allow for the following areas to be addressed:
Sni-A-Bar Blvd.—Eagles Parkway to SW Cross Creek
Meadow Road—Hwy. 40 to RD Mize
EE Kirby—Railroad to Eagles Parkway
James D. Rollo—Main Street to East Dead End
Cypress/3rd ST—Broadway to Main
     The 2020 street program will include asphalt overlay with limited deep patching, curbs and ADA compliant ramps, and stripping.
     The 2021 proposed road budget is $1,082,000, addressing Eagles Parkway from west City limits to Minter Road, as well as seven collector streets and 16 local street projects.
     In other business, the Board approved a request for a liquor license from Iron Kettle Brewing. The brewery plans a December opening.
     The Board of Aldermen will meet for a workshop on October 20th at 6:00pm. The meeting will be held at Council Chambers of City Hall.