​     The Grain Valley Police Department is once again offering its free R.A.D. self-defense training for women program.
     The comprehensive course for women, sponsored by Jackson County COMBAT and Grain Valley Chiropractic, will be held over four evenings starting April 20th.
     The Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) System is a program of realistic, self-defense tactics, concepts, and techniques. It is a comprehensive course that begins with awareness, prevention, risk reduction, and avoidance, before progressing to basic hands-on defense training.
     Classes will be held from 5:30pm—8:30pm on April 20th, April 22nd, April 27th and April 29th at First Baptist Church Grain Valley. The course is limited to 20 registrants.
     To register, contact Officer Iiams at 816-847-5000 x1173 or 816-847-6250.
 

​     Grain Valley High School’s Scholar Bowl team has had a successful season, recently winning the White Division Scholar Bowl conference championship.
     The four person team of seniors Carter Barnes, Teej Hayes, Lath Hicks, and junior Alex Brooks, led by Head coach Jordan Henson and assistant coach John York, are modest about the talents that have brought them to post-season play.
     Henson has worked with the team since they began high school, and is quick to praise their hard work and dedication.
     “This is a faithful crew. This is my fourth year teaching in the district, so I’ve worked with our seniors since they were freshman and now they’re about to graduate. We’re excited to see how the season concludes,” Henson said.
     In a style similar to the beloved quiz show Jeopardy, teams compete by answering questions from a variety of disciplines, buzzing in to answer and earn points. While each member studies to answer every question, they identified a few of the member’s strong suits.
     Barnes is especially valuable when it comes to science and mythology; Brooks is the go-to person for religion, world and natural history. Hayes can be counted on when a pop culture question “pops” up.
     This year, most of the competitions have been held via Zoom with online buzzers for competitors. The team has taken the changes in stride,
     “There are always the random moments where the connection might not be particularly clear, but they’ve adjusted well,” Henson said.
    With most of the team graduating at the end of the year, the program is focused on rebuilding and recruiting new members, which has been a challenge in a year with virtual and hybrid school.
     The team members all agreed that Scholar Bowl is  a great opportunity to compete with a close-knit group in an activity that allows for its members to participate in other activities at school and in the community. When asked what they enjoyed most about Scholar Bowl, the consensus was clear—winning. This is an experience the team has enjoyed quite a bit this year as they enter post-season play. Next up is MSHSAA District competition April 17th, and if the team is successful, they look forward to sectional competition in late April and state competition in early May.
     The team members are planning to pursue careers as diverse as the topics they face in competition. Hicks is heading to Missouri S&T to study engineering. Barnes will head to UMKC to study biology, and Hayes plans to study cyber security. Brooks is looking at studying to become a veterinarian or vet tech.
     Current GVHS students and incoming freshmen looking to continue the winning tradition of this current team may reach out to Mr. Henson or Mr. York.
 

     The Eastern Jackson County Yard Waste Collection Center, located at
37910 E Pink Hill Road, Oak Grove, MO 64075, opens Saturday, April 3rd. The center is open each Saturday April through November, 8:00am—4:00pm.
     Yard waste only is accepted at the center, with the following fees for residents applying:
     Pick-up trucks and small trailers: $15
     Large trucks and large trailers: $10 per 
     cubic yard
     Bags: $1

     Items not accepted:
     Aluminum Cans
     Glass
     Hazardous Waste
     Metal
     Plastic Bottles
     Tires
     Trash
     Visit https://www.jacksongov.org/495/Yard-Waste-Collection-Center for more information.
 

     Today the Missouri Community Service Commission (MCSC) announced the Bicentennial Community Service Challenge. The Challenge encourages Missourians to volunteer for 200 hours this year in honor of the state’s 200th year of statehood. Those who complete the Challenge will receive a certificate for their service during Missouri’s bicentennial year.
     “Through the Bicentennial Community Service Challenge, we're observing this historic year for our state while recognizing the many Missourians who serve,” Scott McFarland, Executive Director of Missouri Community Service Commission said. “Volunteerism has played a key role in Missouri’s rich history, and it’s also vital in building a strong and prosperous future.”
     According to AmeriCorps, more than 1.5 million Missourians volunteer each year, totaling more than 130 million hours of service. These hours are estimated to be worth billions of dollars in value for Missouri communities. Service projects can range from tutoring to disaster relief and more.
     “Missouri’s bicentennial is an opportunity to celebrate what makes our state great,” Jefferson City Mayor Carrie Tergin, Co-Chair of the Missouri Bicentennial Commission said. “The Bicentennial Community Service Challenge is a productive way to mark this milestone by joining the countless Missourians who volunteer their time to improve our communities.”
     Missourians who wish to take part in the Bicentennial Community Service Challenge can download a volunteer form to track their progress throughout the year. Completed forms are due by December 31, 2021, to be eligible for a certificate. Details on the challenge, including service opportunities, are available at ShowMeService.org.
 

     Grain Valley Parks and Recreation has opened reservations for its Community Garden for residents, located in the heart of downtown Grain Valley, on the northeast corner of Walnut and Main.
     Four by twelve foot (4’x12’) garden plots may be reserved for $10, and include the bed with garden soil and irrigation.
    Gardeners provide their own plants and tools, and are responsible for maintaining the plot throughout the growing season.
     Everything you harvest in your plot is yours to keep.
     To reserve a garden plot, call or visit the Grain Valley Community Center at 713 Main, or by phone at 816-847-6230.
 

     ​GVPD Officer Matthew Arends was honored this week with the Mid-America Regional Council Grain Valley Police Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Officer of the Year award.
     “Officer Arends received this award for his involvement and coordination of the Grain Valley Police Department CIT program. CIT trains officers in working with individuals who are dealing with a mental health or other type of crisis, by giving officers insight into the factors that contribute to crisis, and resources for treatment, counseling and other services. CIT is important as it helps officers recognize situations and behaviors that can be more appropriately handled by resources outside of law enforcement, such as health care or mental health providers,” GVPD Captain Jeff Palecek explained.

​     After brutal cold weather caused schools and businesses to close, headaches with frozen pipes, water main breaks, and dangerous travel conditions the week of February 15th, the National Weather Service Kansas City projects high temperatures in the upper 40s to 50s by early next week.
     While the area welcomes the rise in temps, a downward trend in COVID-19 cases is welcome news as well.
     According to data from Missouri’s Show Me Strong Recovery plan website, as of February 16th, cases are down 50.1% and deaths down 28.6% compared to the prior seven days in Jackson County. The past seven days, the County has reported 241 positive cases and 5 deaths.
     Officials stress mask wearing, social distancing, regular hand washing, and monitoring of symptoms are still critical steps to continuing the downward trend.
 

​     Registration for students beginning Kindergarten in August 2021 is now open. Students must turn 5 years old on or before July 31, 2021 to begin school next August.
     To enroll, parents will need to establish a log in with the PowerSchool portal on the Grain Valley Schools website, www.grainvalleyschools.org.     
    
     The following items are needed for registration:
     Certified Birth Certificate (state-issued with seal)
     Immunization Records
     Proof of Residency: must include parent/guardian name and address printed on the paperwork (water, electric or gas bill no more than 30 days old)
 

​      The Grain Valley High School dance team, fresh off a successful regional competition in which they placed 1st in the mix competition and 3rd in the jazz competition, are headed to state competition on February 27th. While the state competition may be virtual this year, the preparation that goes into the event is just as intense.
     Head coach Natalie Upton, in her third season as head coach, is impressed with the focus of the thirteen girls on the team.
     After missing out on spring practices, summer camp, and some of the traditional performances on their annual schedules due to COVID-19, the team rallied and their hard work paid off at the recent regional competition. 
     “It was a really an awesome experience for us to bond as a team and have that in-person performance experience this year,” Upton said.
     “They’ve actually been really awesome and flexible. They’ve just been very positive and made the best of a tough situation. I don’t know if we are all more focused or if the little break in the spring was what we needed, but we are much more prepared this year going into state competition than we have been in years past.”
     In a normal year, the dance team performs at each football game and at least one basketball game a week in addition to their competition schedule. The team was able to perform at football games this year, and is now preparing full time for their state performance.
    Team captains Abbey Neer, Reese Servi, Halle Harshman choregraphed one of the routines to be performed for the state competition. Each have been dancing for as long as they can remember, but performing virtually is new for all of them.
     “It was the first time we gave the captains the opportunity to choreograph a routine, and they have done an amazing job with it. The visuals are really outstanding,” Upton said.
    “Virtual competition is not as exciting without an audience to perform for, so we have to work together and build each other up to create that energy,” Servi said.
     While the complications COVID-19 has brought on their school and dance team schedules, the members are focused on the positives.
     “It’s allowed us to focus more on just our competition routines, because we are not going to basketball games and other events, we’ve been able to really focus in on our competition pieces,” Neer said.
     Edith Cruz, a nationally recognized choreographer, came in to work with the team on their jazz routine, which will be the second piece they perform for state competition.
     The team will record their performances next week in preparation for the virtual state competition on February 27th.