LEADER CLINTON COUNT Y
Thurs., March 30, 2023 |
INSIDE
One Section | 12 pages
East Buchanan School Board School resource officer, future of East Buchanan Middle School headline the group’s regular monthly meeting. || PAGE A8
PHS Fans Come Along for the Ride
Plattsburg, Lathrop and Gower, Mo.
$1.00 | “Covers Clinton County Like Dew ” ELECTIONS
Marijuana taxes, key races on April 4 ballot by brett adkison leader editor
With the recreational use of marijuana now legal in Missouri, it’ll be up to local voters to decide how to tax the product. Several entities, including
Clinton County, will be running sales tax questions on the ballot Tuesday, April 4. Clinton County, the City of Gower, the City of Plattsburg, the City of Trimble and the City of Cameron are each proposing three-percent sales tax-
es on the retail sale non-medical marijuana within their respective boundaries. The City of Lathrop will also have a sales tax on the ballot, but of a different sort. The city will ask residents whether to impose a
one-percent sales tax to fund street improvements. Traditionally, the city has used once-a-decade, voter-approved bonds to fund widespread road improvements. With a sales tax in place, city offi-
SIGNS OF SPRING
The Plattsburg faithful enjoy the Tigers’ historic run to the Class 2 ShowMe Showdown. || PAGE A8
Community........A3 Opinion..............A4 Legals...............A9 Sports...............A7
THE LEADER Est. 1895
102 e. Maple St. Plattsburg, Mo., 64477 (UPS 435580000) 816.539.2111 email: leader@clintoncountyleader.com
VOL. 128, NO. 22
Council signs off on water, sewer rate increases leader editor
Get a comprehensive look at what went on in law enforcement the previous week throughout Clinton County. || PAGE A3
Honeycutt Media
LATHROP
by brett adkison
Sheriff ’s Report
Winner of 100+ awards from the Missouri press assoc.
||Continued on A2
As the winter weather breaks, spring sports are fully underway. That includes the return of the defending KCI Conference co-champion East Buchanan Bulldogs, who earned a 12-11 win against Pembroke Hill at Perkins Park in Plattsburg on Monday. For more photos from the game see page A12 of this edition. (Above) East Buchanan sophomore Zamuel Brushwood fires a pitch Monday in the Bulldogs’ victory over Pembroke Hill. The game was moved to Plattsburg due to field conditions. brett adkison | the leader
Residents in Lathrop will see their water and sewer bills on the rise. The Lathrop City Council approved increases to both rates during their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, March 21, passing along a five-percent water rate increase that the municipality received from its water provider, the City of Kansas City. The previous water rate for in-town customers was $12.14 for the first 1,000 gallons and $9.77 for each 1,000 gallons thereafter. The minimum rate will now be $12.75 for the first 1,000 gallons and $10.26 for every 1,000 gallons thereafter. Lathrop City Administrator Bob Burns told The Leader the city hadn’t increased its sewer rates – which are directly tied to customer water usage – since 2019. The minimum sewer charge for the first 1,000 gallons was increased from $14 to $16, and each 1,000 gallons thereafter was increased from $6.75 to $8.25. The council also approved the municipality’s workman’s compensation through Missouri Rural Ser||Continued on A2
CLINTON COUNTY R-III
Kemper Kellerstrass leaving after the school year
After eight years at the Clinton County R-III School District, athletics director Kemper Kellerstrass has announced he’ll be leaving education at the end of this year. “Essentially, it came down to work/life balance and time at home with
our growing family,” said Kellerstrass. “I’ve enjoyed the fast-paced work days and challenges that come with being an athletic director. The difficulty lies with missing the important moments at home while remaining 100-percent committed to the job. I’m sure a
lot of other administrators and coaches have walked in these shoes. I admire the people that continue to educate our youth.” Kellerstrass has served five years as the athletic director and spent six years as the strength and conditioning coach at Plattsburg
High School. At different times he also coached cross country, track and field, and both high school and middle school wrestling. Kellerstrass said the Clinton County R-III School District – and the colleagues and students therein – meant a lot to
him, adding that he’s learned a lot of life lessons in his time. “I hope I was able to influence someone’s life throughout my time at Plattsburg,” he said. “I appreciate how CCR-III gave me a chance as a new ||Continued on A2