Editorial -- Sorry, Folks, Joe Biden’s Too Busy

On Wednesday, Second Harvest just announced that they would make massive cuts in its popular Fresh Mobile Pantry that delivered food to a number of area communities. Reducing poverty and hunger is key in reducing the number of mass shootings in this country. Poverty and gun violence are directly related. Unfortunately, Joe Biden is too busy to care that inflation, rising fuel costs, and the fact that people are cutting back on giving is creating the groundwork for even more gun violence and mass shootings. He’s too busy trying to figure out new ways to stick it to the Russians.

Recently, the City of Maryville announced that due to supply chain issues, work on the road that links up Hy-Vee with 71, South Avenue, had to be postponed from July 5th to July 25th. Supply chain issues were the reason. But don’t ask Joe Biden to care. Again, he’s too busy finding new ways of sticking it to the Russians.

On July 5th, the Maryville Forum published an interview with Sheriff Randy Strong in which he said he was angry that there was no coordinated national effort to address school safety following the mass shooting in Uvalde (TX), like working to provide each school in the country with a dedicated security officer. While it would not stop all shootings (Uvalde had a security officer), it would help.

Mr. Strong said, “And I’m just gonna say what I think a lot of other people are saying too: Shame on our government, in both parties, that have not come together to put somebody in our schools to deal with this. We could put air marshals in aircraft after 9/11, but where are we now? I think that’s an immediate quick response that you could do, that you train people, and you put them in there, and that’s their sole purpose – is to protect the children and our teachers in the schools.”

The Sheriff is doing all he can to protect the schools in Nodaway County, including Northeast Nodaway and North Nodaway, Deputies who are not on call will begin rotating among the six school districts outside of Maryville. But there is a reason why the government won’t come together to stop the madness. Joe Biden is too busy finding ways of sticking it to the Russians to care. 

These are just a few of the many real life consequences of Joe Biden’s obsession with Russia at the expense of the rest of us. I’m sure he would say that these issues are just a few of the many sacrifices that we all have to make so that we can stick it to the Russians. But Mr. Biden completely misses the point.

Back in 1928, American Legion State Commander Nee, speaking at the dedication of the new Grant City Legion building, talked about the sacrifices that 4 million young men made during World War I. This includes 80,000 who laid down their lives. (Editor -- More recent statistics put US war deaths at 116,516. This includes deaths of all causes.) Millions more made similar sacrifices in World War II. Many gave their lives, and many were so scarred that they literally had nothing more to give. What politicians like Mr. Biden don’t understand is that these young men did not make these sorts of sacrifices in a vacuum. They did so in order that their children and grandchildren would never have to fight such wars again. Mr. Biden’s boss, Barack Obama, got it right before the folks at the Military Industrial Complex got hold of him.

Maybe there is one glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. It is estimated that rebuilding costs for Ukraine will be at least $750 billion to $1 trillion after the war. The corporations and billionaires who stand to profit are going to want a piece of the action as well. They need the shooting to stop in order to begin.

Area Election Results for April 5th, 2022

All results are unofficial. By law, results cannot become official until Friday at 12 noon.

Grant City Sales Tax

Yes 119, No 44. Passed.

Proposition Tigers

Yes 270, No 266. Failed; needed 4/7. Results include Independence Township.

Worth County School Board

Josh Fletchall 333, Ashley Rush 256, Brad Maudlin 379. Results include Independence Township.

Worth County Road & Bridge Levy

Yes 410, No 118. Passed.

Allendale Village Levy

Yes 26, No 1. Passed.

Sheridan Mayor

Ashley Rush 20, Barry Lyle 2, Candy Martin 1, Rick Morrow 1, Butch Thomas 1, Jim Bullock 1, Chris Fletchall 1.

Sheridan City Council

Mary Jo Riley 16, Candy Martin 15, Rodney Martin 2, Gary James 2, Dan Barnett 2, Jeff Blaine 2, Larry Dowis 1, Ashley Rush 1.

Village of Worth

Adam Downing 4, Nick Combs 3, Stacie Downing 2, Thor Downing 2, Angel Roush 2, Linda Hubbard 2, Alicia Combs 1, Gene Bowen 1, Joe Gardner 1, Selina Gardner 1, Montana Lykins 1.

Northeast Nodaway School Board

Karl Wilmes 156, Kenna Florea 137, Randa Doty 109. Results include Worth County.

North Nodaway School Board

Krista Barcus 182, Jerime Bix 119, Kane Oberhauser 212.

North Nodaway Proposition PFK (Progress for Kids)

Yes 184, No 95. Passed.

Ravenwood Mayor

Bryan Sobotka 50, Bill Stephenson 29.

Grant City Offering Free Recycling

The City of Grant City is offering free recycling. To sign up, call City Hall at (660) 564-3369. Pickups are provided by Rolling Hills Creative Living in Albany and are done twice a month. The next pickup day is March 3rd.

All items need to be put out by 9 am on the scheduled pickup day. Items accepted include cardboard, clean plastic, paper (including shreddings, newspapers), and tin and aluminum cans.. No glass can be accepted. Do not dump recycling to the RHCL recycling shed. Any questions, contact Alicia Colvin (660) 373-3410.

Grant City Requests Gas Conservation Measures Through Sunday

The State of Texas has declared a state of emergency for all 254 counties. The Winter Storm across Texas is knocking out power across the State. Evergy, the power company serving the Kansas City area and other areas has instituted rolling blackouts and other power companies are doing the same. Natural gas processing plants are losing power which in turn reduces the amount of natural gas available to pipelines serving the ENTIRE MIDWEST. 

Prices will remain at extremely high levels for the next few days and literally could be 100 – 300 times the normal price or more! The natural gas system across the Midwest will continue to see supply cuts impacting some or potentially all of you. It is impossible at this point to determine where the future gas production losses will occur. Please continue to do everything you can to limit usage. 

We recommend that you request that thermostats should be set BELOW 68 degrees, shut down schools, request industrials and commercial businesses STOP production and turning down thermostats at all businesses to the extent possible. For many of you the impact will not be as great hopefully, but the natural gas grid is deteriorating as we speak and it’s NOT getting better any time soon. Even if your supply is “whole” as we speak it is very likely it will NOT remain whole and massive penalties could be assessed by the pipelines serving you. 

This is impacting the entire Midwest and with blizzard like conditions in multiple states we will continue to see power loss and production loss. Please do EVERYTHING you can to reduce natural gas consumption immediately. There is a chance if you take this action that you will minimize the financial impact and possibly eliminate the entire financial impact to your utility. We just have to make it through the next few days. Failure to comply will result in thousands of dollars of incremental penalties. This is an unprecedented event NEVER seen before in the natural gas business.

THIS NOTICE IS APPLICABLE THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING AND COULD BE EXTENDED.

For those who have already made adjustments you are making a difference. Keep up the good work.

Thank you!

Debbie Roach, Mayor

City of Grant City

PSC Approves Middlefork Water Company Sale

On Wednesday, the Missouri Public Service Commission approved the sale of the Middlefork Water Company, which serves Grant City and Stanberry, to Public Water District Number One of Nodaway County, determining that the proposed transfer of assets is not detrimental to the public interest. Middlefork provides wholesale water services to its two customers, the cities of Grant City and Stanberry. They do not provide services directly to individuals. Nodaway County Public Water District Number 1 serves approximately 2,700 customers and serves as the permanent water supplier to all of Nodaway County and parts of Gentry and Worth Counties, including several smaller towns on a wholesale basis.

Grant City Tractor Pull Set for July 31st

The Grant City Tractor Pull is still on for July 31st at the Worth County Fairgrounds from 6:30 pm to 11:30 pm. The event is sponsored by the Northwest Missouri Tractor Puller’s Association.
The following classes are being offered; this is not necessarily the pulling order:

6,500 lb Non Turbo
6,000 lb Hot Rod
8,500 lb Pro Farm ( 12 mph )
8,500 lb Pro Field A Pump
9,000 lb Pro Field P Pump
8,500 lb Limited Pro Stock
2.6 Pro Street Diesel
6,200 lb Pro Street 4x4
10,500 lb Super Field
6,500 lb Open

Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home Sold to Rick & Jackie Ridge

 I am pleased to announce that I am retiring and have sold Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home to my nephew and wife, Rick and Jackie Ridge.  Rick has been my embalmer for many years, and is also a funeral director.  Jackie has worked in the office with me and is very efficient.  Rick and Jackie will continue to serve you in a caring helpful way.  The name Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home, and our tradition of service since established in 1868, will remain the same.
        
It has been my privilege to serve many wonderful families during these 36 years.  I value your trust and friendship, and thank you for allowing me to help care for your loved ones. 
   
I look forward to more time with my family and friends.  I am confident that Rick and Jackie will serve you well.

Thank You,
Betty Dunfee

Hikers Pass Through Allendale, Grant City, and Sheridan

Hikers Kolton Rackham and Amanda Autrey passed through Allendale, Grant City, and Sheridan Monday after passing through Eagleville and Hatfield Saturday and resting Sunday. They are on a 2,918 mile journey from Tybee Island in Georgia to Don David Park in Oregon. They are on a journey of self-discovery and are raising money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation as well as the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Asked why they had selected those charities, Kolton said that they chose Make-a-Wish because of how they help kids heal by giving them hope. “I’m a mentor and she’s a healer, and we both try to help create what kids want,” he said. Amanda said that she had struggled with suicide in the past, and that it was a beacon of light for people whose loved ones had taken their own lives.

They grew up in Utah; Kolton is a 1 on 1 mentor and helps people reach personal goals and identify mental blocks keeping them from reaching those goals. Amanda is a holistic healer and helps people with healing energy and processing out negativity. She said that in Australia, some people make a journey across the Outback, which is sparsely populated, for personal discovery. Kolton and Amanda said that they met many wonderful people along the way, helping someone celebrate their 40th birthday. “We’ve met a lot of kind people along the way, and they’ve shown a lot of hospitality to us,” she said. Amanda said that they are like family to them.

Their goal is to get to Oregon by Thanksgiving, but will take longer if necessary. Both say they want to travel more down the road. Amanda was in China for two weeks once, while Kolton took a cruise that took him to Mexico, Haiti, and Jamaica.

After their walk, their goal is to stay in Oregon, get married, and keep doing what they’re doing. Amanda said that she wanted to work with veterans and rescue animals that need a home. Kolton said that he wants to work with kids and the homeless. He said that he had a lot of good conversations with homeless people along the way and that he wanted to help people to find hope.

While between Grant City and Sheridan, they got to meet some camels. Kolton admitted that he had an irrational fear of camels. “At first, there were one; then there was six,” he wrote on their Facebook page, 2918 Miles, Monday. Kolton said that he faced his fear by feeding one an apple; then, it tried to eat his whole bag hoping for more snacks. “Amanda thought they were adorable, but that’s probably just because they didn’t try to eat her,” he wrote.

Benefit Fund Set Up for Baker, King, & Lakey Families

The Blocktonian reports that a benefit fund has been set up for the Baker, King, and Lakey families at the Great Western Bank. Any Great Western Bank can accept the donations to help those families with funeral and medical expenses. Simply let the bank know that it is for the Redding United Methodist Church’s Baker/King/Lakey Benefit Fund. Great Western Banks are located in Bedford, Grant City, and Mount Ayr.

Tands Monument to Open in Grant City

Robert (Bob) and Treasa Staton announced Sunday that they would be opening Tands Monument, which will offer a full line of monuments for loved ones.. They will offer monuments for beloved pets as well. They will handle pre-need monuments as well as walk-in customers. They will be running the business out of the Staton home in Grant City until they find a storefront property where they can move to. They are in the process of getting their state tax paperwork completed and getting merchants licenses from the county and city. They plan to begin operations next week.

Grant City Planning Session Lists Strengths, Weaknesses for City

The Strategic Planning meeting that was held for Grant City Wednesday listed numerous strengths and weaknesses for the city; many different opportunities were identified as well. Arnie Kreek of the Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments facilitated the session with city leaders. The last Strategic Plan was drawn up in 2009. The goal is to control change rather than merely react to the need for change. Another session will be held in October to put together action plans for key goals.

The Mission Statement for the last Strategic Plan was, "The Mission of Grant City is to attain the highest quality of life, moral standards, and a wholesome community environment. Grant City will continue working to improve the infrastructure, encourage business development, and promote safety and well-being for all its residents." A new list of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges for 2014 was developed.

In 2009, the areas of focus were physical appearance and aesthetic value, parks and recreation, culture and arts, public services, community development, and education and youth activities.

Strengths listed Wednesday night were people, the school, churches, history, recreation, the Skating Rink, the pool, businesses, cottage industries, dedicated leaders, youth leadership, caring people, community, the Nature Trail, the track, the ball field, the outdoor classroom, parks, civic environment, historic buildings and homes, the Senior Center, strategic location, hunting and fishing opportunities, farm economy, the Amish, the Fall Festival, Christmas activities, support of sports teams, the Partnership Library, teachers, and the Courthouse.

Weaknesses included lack of quality jobs, declining population, housing, infrastructure, unpaved streets, property cleanup, law enforcement, judicial system, declining population, handicapped accessible housing, tax base, absent landowners, indoor recreation, youth recreation, youth employment, empty buildings on the square, not close to any major highways, and a lack of a fiber network.

Opportunities that participants wanted to pursue included community involvement, home-based businesses, fiber network, cable, a historic tour district, training programs for youth, bringing in plumbing and electric services, marketing, landscaping, campgrounds, bed and breakfasts, day events, indoor youth facility, bluegrass festival, and historic reenactment. "The opportunities are here," said Kelly Heiffus of the Regional Council and a Grant City resident. "We just have to take advantage of them." "We want to know what you want in your community," said Mayor Debbie Roach.

Challenges listed include social media and rumors, resistance to change, transportation, EPA and DNR regulations, instilling community pride, poverty, and an aging population.

The city has brought in $8 million worth of grant projects since the strategic planning process was started back in 2001. The goal for the next meeting will be to break into small group discussions and work on some of the areas identified. The next meeting will be October 15th at 6:30 at Grant City Hall. The final meeting will be November 5th at 6:00 at City Hall; a meal will be served. After that, a new strategic plan will be written up for the city.

Former Wisconsin Governor One of Grant City's Earliest Residents

A former Wisconsin governor, Leonard Farwell, was one of Grant City's earliest residents, the Adirondack Almanack reports. Farwell was born in 1819 in Watertown, WI and became a successful businessman by 1849. He became the state's second governor in 1852 despite heavy attacks by political opponents who thought that he would become a tool for powerful interests. He served two years before leaving in 1854. He cracked down on banks and insurance companies that he saw as monopolistic and put together public works for the state. During Abraham Lincoln's administration, Farwell was appointed to the Patent Office in Washington by the President as an Assistant Examiner. He was an eyewitness to President Lincoln's assassination and immediately rushed to Vice-President Johnson's residence, woke him up, found a guard to protect him, and seized some weapons that were hidden for the purpose of assassinating the Vice-President. His quick thinking was credited with saving Johnson's life. He was in the well-known picture depicting the last hours of Lincoln's life. Farwell moved to Chicago, where he lost nearly everything he had in the Chicago Fire. He later moved to Grant City, where he was asked to run for governor of Missouri but declined. He died in Grant City in 1889.