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The Missouri labor market showed mixed results in October 2020. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 6,400 jobs over the month, but over-the-year job losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic remained stubbornly high.
The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by 0.2 percentage points from September 2020 to October 2020, but the civilian labor force decreased more than 16,000. Missouri’s smoothed seasonally adjusted unemployment rate went down by 0.2 percentage points in October 2020, decreasing to 4.6 percent from a revised September 2020 rate of 4.8 percent. Due to lingering layoffs from COVID-19 shutdowns, the October 2020 rate was still 1.2 percentage points higher than the October 2019 rate. Missouri’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has now been either below or equal to the national rate for 68 consecutive months. The national unemployment rate was 6.9 percent in October 2020. The estimated number of unemployed Missourians was 137,729 in October 2020, down by 6,083 from September’s 143,812. November is National Diabetes Month. Diabetes is a disease that is well known, but not often well understood. Many people assume that the nutritional management of diabetes involves just limiting sugar, but this is not the case.
A variety of nutrients impact the health of a person with diabetes. Though an individual with diabetes must monitor multiple nutrients, nutritional management of diabetes does not have to be hard. The first nutrient that a person diagnosed with diabetes should understand is carbohydrates. All carbohydrates, whether complex (chains of sugars connected to each other) or simple (individual sugars), will impact blood sugar. Complex carbohydrates take longer to digest, and thus have a blunted impact on blood sugar levels when compared to simple sugars. Fiber-containing carbohydrates are the slowest to digest, and choosing high-fiber sources of carbohydrate is crucial to keep blood sugar under control. It is not necessary for individuals with diabetes to eliminate carbohydrates; rather, they should focus on consuming high-fiber carbohydrates and avoid consuming large amounts at any one time. Monitoring fat intake is another important component of diabetes management. Individuals with diabetes are at an increased risk of heart disease, and following a heart-healthy diet is essential. Increasing intake of unsaturated fats — such as those found in nuts, seeds and seafood — while simultaneously limiting saturated fats — such as those found in processed foods and animal products — will help promote heart health. High-fiber foods, in addition to helping control blood sugar, also help control cholesterol levels, simultaneously promoting both heart and diabetes health. Finally, decreasing sodium intake is also important to help control blood pressure and support heart health. Despite all of these guidelines, meal planning for individuals with diabetes does not have to be complicated. Half of the meal or plate should be filled with non-starchy vegetables (any vegetable besides corn, peas, potatoes and winter squash). Vegetables provide fiber with minimal carbohydrates or calories, helping to stay full with little to no impact on blood sugar. A quarter of the plate should be a high-fiber carbohydrate. Included in the carbohydrate section are potatoes, corn, peas or winter squash, grains such as pastas, rice or breads, and fruits. The remaining quarter of the plate should be a lean protein. Chicken, fish, turkey or lean cuts of beef or pork would go here, as well as non-meat protein sources such as cheese, tofu, nuts or seeds. Following this basic guideline of half vegetables, quarter carbohydrate, and quarter lean protein, helps make meal planning straightforward for anyone, diabetes or not. Making dietary changes to help control diabetes does not have to mean giving up favorite foods. Most all foods can be consumed in appropriate amounts. Many recipes can also be modified to decrease carbohydrate intake or improve the fat or sodium content. Try out our low-carb Crustless Slab Quiche recipe to go alongside your favorite pastry at your next Sunday brunch! The information is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for individual advice. Megan Callahan is one of your Hy-Vee Corporate Dietitians. She is dedicated to helping people live healthier and happier lives. Megan received a bachelor’s degree in dietetics from Missouri State University. She completed her dietetic internship at the University of Kansas Medical Center, where she also received her Master of Science degree in dietetics and nutrition. Megan has been working with Hy-Vee full-time for 10 years. With a passion for nutrition and wellness, Megan is dedicated to educating customers and promoting healthy lifestyles to our Hy-Vee community. Megan lives in Lee’s Summit with her husband Matt, and their 2 children Kennedy (4) & Carsyn (2). The Jackson County Health Department will offer COVID-19 testing at the following sites the week of November 23rd—25th: :
Monday, November 23, 2020: City of Lee’s Summit, 616 NE Douglas St., Lee’s Summit 64081 This is a drive-thru clinic. Register: https://form.jotform.com/202933414559155 Tuesday, November 24, 2020: The View Community Center, 13500 Byars Road, Grandview This will be a walk-in clinic. Limited individuals will be allowed in the facility at one time due to social distancing protocol. Clients may be required to wait outdoors under covering. Please dress appropriately. Register: https://form.jotform.com/203095492043149 Wednesday, November 25, 2020: Vesper Hall, 400 NW Vesper ST, Blue Springs This will be a walk-in clinic. Limited individuals will be allowed in the facility at one time due to social distancing protocol. Clients may be required to wait outdoors under covering. Please dress appropriately. Register: https://form.jotform.com/202946069499168 Please note: results will be delayed due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Pre-registration is not required but highly encouraged. Due to increased demand, openings for walk-ins are not guaranteed. Everyone knows Missouri has a state animal, the mule; a state tree, the dogwood; and a state motto, the Show Me State. But did you also know we have a state fish, the channel catfish; a state grape, the Norton/Cynthiana; and a state insect, the honeybee?
The following information is derived from the Grain Valley Police Department daily calls for service log for the week of November 4-10, 2020.
Quick News: Grain Valley Schools Announces Temporary Transition to 100% Virtual Instruction11/16/2020
In a recorded phone message and subsequent email on November 16th, Grain Valley Schools Superintendent Marc Snow informed district parents that effective Wednesday, November 18th, all schools will temporarily transition to 100% virtual instruction. Below is the transcript of Snow's message and additional details provided in the district email:
“Good evening, This is Marc Snow, Superintendent for Grain Valley Schools. I call you tonight with an important update that affects families at all of our schools. Our ability to staff our schools and programs has only gotten worse since my letter to you last Thursday. Today, only 58% of our absences were filled by substitutes, down from 73% last week. The projected sub fill rates for the rest of this week does not show improvement. Therefore, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily shift to 100% virtual for all schools beginning this Wednesday, November 18. Elementary and early childhood students will return to in-person learning after Thanksgiving, but our middle schools and high school will remain 100% virtual through the Christmas Holiday. Middle school and high school students will return to the hybrid model beginning January 4. Our Valley Kids program is available at Prairie Branch (for Prairie Branch and Matthews students) and at Sni-A-Bar Elementary (for Sni and Stony Point students) through Tuesday, November 24. This program is available for current Valley Kids families who absolutely rely on it, but we encourage families to utilize other daycare options if available. The virtual instruction our students receive in the days and weeks ahead will look very different from what everyone experienced last spring. Our teachers have scheduled class times that students are expected to call into and the work students are engaged in will reflect the new content they would have been learning had they been in person. This is not where we wanted to be and we did not want to go full virtual, but having so many staff out and with not enough subs, gives us little choice. We have held on as long as we could. More details are being sent to families and staff in an email yet tonight and each family will receive their child’s virtual schedule from the school tomorrow. Thank you for your patience with us during this time. We know our families are facing difficult challenges and I wish to assure you that our teachers and staff remain committed to working with you to continue to make the most of a tough situation. Thank you and good night.” ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
In response to rising COVID-19 rates in the area, Jackson County and Wyandotte County in Kansas issued a joint statement outlining a new health order, lowering capacity at businesses and restrict gatherings to ten (10) or fewer people. This new Order will go into effect at 12:01am on Friday, November 20, 2020, and will remain in effect until it is extended, rescinded, replaced, or amended. "Let me be clear, we are currently experiencing uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 in our communities. Due to the dramatically increasing rate of the disease in our community, our hospitals have warned that they are facing a breaking point and the care their patients desperately rely upon may soon have to be rationed, if not worse,” Jackson County Executive Frank White, Jr. said. “Along with doctors from across the metro area, our public health professionals have urged us to implement dramatic, but targeted, changes to our public health orders in an attempt to ‘flatten the curve.’ These changes are not being made lightly, but instead were made because we have been convinced that they are necessary to protect the safety and welfare of our residents.” The Order is in response to a strong resurgence of recent COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations in Jackson County, Missouri and Wyandotte County, Kansas. Unless otherwise noted in the Order, the following Public Gatherings, are restricted: · Entertainment venues including auditoriums; arenas; banquet halls; cinemas; conference centers; concert halls; performance venues; sporting venues; stadiums; and theaters; · Recreational facilities and places of public amusement, including gyms, fitness, and recreational centers, amusement parks; arcades; bingo halls; bowling alleys; casinos; night clubs; skating rinks; adult entertainment clubs; water parks; and trampoline parks; parties, informal gatherings, lectures, meetings, parades, fairs, festivals, sporting events, and performances Such public gatherings must limit the number of individuals (staff and customers) in the facility, building or room to 50 percent of the lowest occupancy load on the certificate of occupancy of the facility, building or room (whichever is lower) in which the gathering is occurring and is only permissible: · If adequate social distancing of six feet or more can be maintained. If such social distancing cannot be maintained due to facility layout, the occupancy limit should be further reduced to allow for proper distancing. · Masks or face coverings must be worn at all times. · Proper Personal Protective Equipment (such as masks and hand sanitizer) must be utilized. Restaurants, taverns, and all other such venues serving food and/or drink indoors, including public, private, or membership-only venues, shall limit the number of occupants to no more than 50 percent of building occupancy, and shall close no later than 10:00pm. · Indoor patrons must be seated and masked at all times except when actively eating or drinking; · Indoor and outdoor parties are limited to eight (8) or fewer persons; and · Parties shall be spaced with no less than six feet of distance between themselves and individuals from any other parties. Other large public gatherings of people in Jackson County are prohibited. · Large public gatherings are those with more than ten (10) people in attendance or anticipated to attend, both indoor and outdoor, except for governmental and judicial functions, healthcare facilities, private business or retail operations, religious and faith-based activities, weddings and funerals. A "gathering" does not include normal operations at spaces where persons may be in transit or coming and going individually or in groups of less than ten (10) persons. by John Unrein Eagles sophomore safety Keegan Hart intercepted the final pass of the game as time expired on the clock. Hart would weave towards the Grain Valley sideline churning for every yard he could get. The Eagles sideline erupted around Hart before spilling out on to the field in celebration. Grain Valley would avenge their only loss of the season against the visiting Raytown Blue Jays by a score of 42-7 on their way to securing the Class 5 District 7 Championship. No doubt a sweet feeling of redemption for the Eagles, who narrowly lost to Raytown one month prior by a score of 21-14. The success of the Eagles program had been repeated as they were the Class 4 District 7 Champions the year prior. Hart would digest the weight of the moment with his brevity in words after the game. “We did our job tonight. Us stopping the run allowed me to be ready when they passed. I thought to myself we are district champs on my last interception, and it made it that much more special,” Hart said. Hart would go on to rack up 6.5 tackles and two interceptions as part of a star studded defensive effort by the Eagles black shirt defense. Preparation played a key role in the Eagles defensive success their second time around in facing the Raytown offense. Grain Valley would stem (move defensive lineman late prior to the snap) late prior to the Blue Jays snapping the football. This would force the Blue Jays to react late on changing their blocking assignments. The biggest beneficiary of this game plan design by Eagles defensive coordinator Pete Carpino would be Grain Valley’s linebackers. Moving defensive lineman late to cover up offensive lineman freed up Hunter Newsom, Zach Kirk, and Jayden Jacobson to have clear lines of sight as they filled and scraped to make tackles. This was a difference maker for Grain Valley who underran rushing attempts at times in pursuit against the unbalanced offensive formations that Raytown used in their first matchup. The result nullified the size advantage that the Blue Jays possess along their offensive line. Newsom credited a week’s worth of watching a lot of film, accepting coaching, and being determined to execute as the components for the success garnered by the Eagles black shirt defense. “We prepared better this time around. That’s a good team with a lot of athletes, and we have to respect that, and I don’t know that we did that to the extent we needed the first time around,” Newsom said. “I am not satisfied. We will stay hungry. I look forward to next week.” Another adjustment made by Carpino that worked out to the Eagles advantage was tilting his defensive ends at the line of scrimmage. Facing the offensive tackle in front of them at a 45 degree angle helped Grain Valley’s defensive ends contain the outside rushing attack of Raytown. Furthermore, it forced Raytown’s offensive tackles to slide deeper out of their stance on passing downs attempting to reach their opponent on the path to the quarterback. Senior defensive end Josh McCoy was elated with this change in the Eagles defensive game plan that permitted him to attain 8.5 tackles, a fumble recovery, and 3.5 sacks for the game. McCoy had to catch his breath and slow down his speaking rate due to his excitement when asked about his effort and his team’s victory. “My teammates are great. This is great. We were great up front tonight on defense,” McCoy said. “I was able to get to the edge faster tonight because we were slanted in our stances. Us having an advantage after our first step gave us even more energy due to our success. Stemming late also gave us an edge.” Offensively, the Eagles under the direction of head coach David Allie were successful in scheming a way to neutralize the blitzes and speed they struggled to overcome in their earlier season matchup against Raytown. The result of two bye weeks for the Eagles (with William Chrisman’s forfeit the week prior to due to COVID-19) was Allie constructing an offensive formation that would hold the Blue Jays defense at bay. The shotgun wishbone or “Rhino” formation that Grain Valley unveiled consisted of quarterback Cole Keller being flanked on either side by Newsom and fellow running back Jaxon Wyatt along with Parker Bosserman lined up at tailback directly behind Keller. The advantage gained from the shotgun wishbone or “Rhino” formation is that the second and third levels of a defense must respect the option possibilities out of the look and play more assignment oriented football in accounting for all the offensive alternatives in the backfield. The result is a defense that is more selective on when they bring pressure with the blitz. It also becomes easier for the offense to generate “vertical push” at the line of scrimmage by sending multiple lead blockers to a gap on isolation or “iso” plays. Allie informed his team before the game to “be prepared” to stay in Rhino the whole game if it works. The Eagles did not break from the formation until the third quarter. The result being the Eagles rushing for 267 yards on 39 attempts, good for a 6.8 yards per carry average. “We knew against a big and fast team like that we would need to run vertically. We struggled the last time we played them blocking the backside ‘A gap’ in our one back set. Our ‘Rhino’ formation allowed us to run the ball successfully and keep our defense off the field, which we didn’t do a good enough job of the first time we played them,” Allie said. “We were able to get better production on first and second down tonight with ‘Rhino.’ (Cole) Keller did a good job tonight at the line of scrimmage in getting us in the right play against their 3-4 defense.” Allie continued, “Our kids have shown tremendous resilience tonight, as they have all season. We are in week twelve and we didn’t know if we would get past week six (with the pandemic). Every game is a big game because we are in it, and our kids have bought into that.” “We wanted to get (Parker) Bosserman touches due to him being an explosive athlete. We thought he would match up well against their athleticism, and that’s why we wanted to get him touches early on and throughout the game.” Bosserman would make good with the trust bestowed on him by his coaching staff in collecting 95 yards on the ground to couple with a rushing touchdown at the 8 minute mark of the first quarter. Equally as impressive to Bosserman’s rushing would be his display of punting on special teams that permitted the Eagles to favorably flip field position when needed. “To be honest, I didn’t know how long we would be in ‘Rhino’ tonight. I was shocked early with how well we ran the football against them,” Bosserman said. “I was excited to be in the backfield though. That was fun. I was yelling at our offensive line in practice all week and they definitely delivered.” Equally as impressive to Bosserman on the ground was Keller for the Eagles. Grain Valley’s signal caller would contribute 148 yards and 3 rushing touchdowns on option keeps read correctly against Raytown’s defensive ends. Keller would add a touchdown completion for 52 yards to junior wide receiver Logan Pratt with 14 seconds left in the first half. Keller was pleased that the offensive game plan for the Eagles worked well in securing a big playoff win for the Eagles. “They are a big team who have some two way players. We struggled with their size the first time we played them. We wanted to tire them out by playing fast and going no huddle. We had confidence that we were well conditioned enough to get it done,” Keller said. Grain Valley improves to 10-1 on the season. They will next travel to play the Platte County Pirates in the state quarterfinal round of the playoffs on November 20th at 7:00 pm. Eagles quarterback Cole Keller hands off to running back Parker Bosserman. Photo credit: John Overstreet Eagles quarterback Cole Keller sprints to the end zone.
Photo credit: John Overstreet Grain Valley Schools released a message from Superintendent Marc Snow on the afternoon of November 12th, warning parents of a possible switch to 100% virtual learning due to COVID-19 related staffing shortages. The district reported 54 (8.31%) of staff and 239 (5.19%) of students are isolating or quarantined. The message in its entirety is provided below.
Grain Valley School District Community, I reach out to you today to alert you to new developments that may lead us to a switch to 100% Virtual Learning for some or all of our classrooms or schools. Keeping all schools and programs adequately staffed has become a serious challenge. We are working to avoid any such disruption, but I feel a responsibility to alert you that it is becoming a struggle to operate all schools with all services in place. Our Eastern Jackson County region is experiencing a significant increase in new positive cases of COVID-19, leading to a sharp increase in the number of staff and students in our schools and departments who must quarantine or isolate. Through weekly meetings with regional health, government, and school district officials, I stay up to date on what is occurring in other school districts and communities in our area. We are not alone in dealing with the challenges associated with increased positivity rates in our area. Today, 54 (8.31%) of our staff and 239 (5.19%) of our students are isolating or quarantined. Fourteen of these staff and 63 of these students are out due to contact tracing of positive cases in our schools since Monday. Our school substitute fill rate is at 73% for the week, down significantly from the 89% fill rate we had last week. Today’s fill rate is 64%, which is critically low. If not improved, such a low fill rate makes keeping all schools open for in-person learning unsustainable. We expect some relief tomorrow as our middle schools and high school do not host students in person on Fridays. Our elementary students are each bringing home a Chromebook device this weekend with instructions for families to practice logging on and completing a learning task virtually. This is an important practice run for families, teachers, and our support operations in the event we have a school closure due to COVID or severe weather. We ask these students to bring the devices back to school on Monday. Despite so many of our staff and students in isolation and quarantine, the virus does not appear to be spreading in our classrooms. We know this through the contact tracing that occurs with each confirmed positive case. I am very proud of everyone for wearing masks at school, practicing social distancing when possible, and washing hands frequently. I urge any employee who feels ill or learns they have been exposed to someone with COVID to stay home and for families to do the same with their children. This morning, Governor Parson hosted a press conference, accompanied by health officials and the leader of Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The governor suggested new options for school safety protocols related to responding to positive cases in schools. We will review these new recommendations and communicate any resulting changes. We will continue to do our best to hold onto our in-person learning for preschool and elementary students, and hybrid learning for our middle school and high school students. We will keep everyone updated and appreciate your continued understanding and support. Sincerely, Dr. Marc Snow Superintendent of Schools Superintendent Snow referred to updated protocols for schools released by Governor Mike Parson this morning. The Governor's office stated the large number of students and school staff members quarantined in recent weeks has presented a significant strain for educators, school leaders, and Missouri families alike, necessitating the update. “We know that COVID-19 is not going away soon, so it is important that we continue to evaluate the guidance we’re issuing at the state level to make sure our procedures are sustainable for the next several months,” Parson said. “We have been working hard with DESE and DHSS to find a solution that allows us to continue providing the high-quality education our students deserve while still keeping them, our teachers, and all school staff members safe.” Under the updated guidance, proper mask wearing may now prevent individuals from being identified as close contacts in K-12 schools that have implemented a mask mandate. This means that if both individuals at school – the person diagnosed with COVID-19 and the person exposed to the positive case – have masks on and are wearing them correctly, the individual exposed does not need to quarantine. Exposed individuals should self-monitor for symptoms and stay home at the first sign of illness. They should also continue to wear a mask at all times to further reduce the likelihood of transmitting the virus. The person who tests positive for COVID-19 is still required to isolate at home. Close contacts in K-12 schools should continue to quarantine at home for 14 days if (1) their school does not require students and staff to wear masks, or (2) the mask was not being worn appropriately by either the person diagnosed with COVID-19 or the person who was exposed. Responding to the updated protocols released this morning, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas stated he would not recommend Kansas City schools follow the updated guidelines. "Based upon the advice of our Health Director and given the increasing uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 in our community, we respectfully cannot recommend schools in Kansas City follow the updated non-quarantine guidance shared from Jefferson City today. Masks continue to be one of the best ways to slow the spread of this virus, and I hope the governor’s acknowledgment of their benefit will encourage more to wear them. Still, masks are not a substitute for proper quarantine measures in schools or elsewhere—particularly as we’ve seen a concerning spike in cases over the past several months," Lucas said. The Pointe, the community newspaper for Grain Valley from 1998 to the early 2000s, launched this month in 1998. The first edition features a cover story on the City’s community center and city hall project on Main Street.
The issue also details discussions at the City level regarding how to best utilize $4 million in bond funding for capital improvements. Matt Farlin, one of the four original owners of The Pointe, spoke with Valley News recently and reminisced on the early days of the paper. “For several years before we started, there was talk around town that we needed our own newspaper,” Farlin said. Farlin and fellow owner Brent Ince both had backgrounds in communications, and businesswoman Vickie Officer was keen to have a publication in town to provide much needed communication regarding City and business events. “We started talking more seriously about it, and felt it was time. We started out small—none of us were millionaires and we were all working people. But we thought we could make a run of it,” Farlin said. The first few editions were printed in Oklahoma, and shortly thereafter, papers were printed at the now closed Star Journal in Warrensburg. “Shortly after we got started, we recognized that we needed a quality proofreader, and we were lucky to have Jan Reding join us. She is a consummate proofreader, and bringing her on was a huge plus for us,” Farlin said. The newspaper focused on local stories and events, and according to Farlin, was “unashamedly pro-Grain Valley”. One of the best parts of running a community paper, Farlin said, was hearing the stories of local residents and getting to know them. As far as challenges, Farlin remembers many long nights prepping the paper for print and everyone on staff wearing multiple hats. “There were some long days and nights. We were doing it on a shoestring, but we had a good time.” Farlin now works in communications with Midwest Public Risk, which keeps him connected to public service. “I get to deal with a lot of people who are in public service, and that’s the part I really love,” Farlin said. Other stories included in the Pointe’s first edition was the news that the Historical Society would be moving into its new building on Main by that December. The Historical Society maintains the location to this day, and will host its next Membership meeting on November 19th at 7:00pm. In addition to issues of The Pointe, the Grain Valley Historical Society maintains a large collection of Grain Valley newspapers and clippings related to Grain Valley news and events. The museum is open on Wednesdays at 506 S. Main. Visit the Historical Society’s website at www.grainvalleyhistory.com. |
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