Jerry Girdner

father of Lucas & Kolton, married to lovely Kelli. K-12 School Admin

[Jon Turner @JonTurnerEdD]

Missouri wants to slap A–F grades on public schools—but there's no money in the budget for the $1.2M tab. Teachers are right: those dollars belong in classrooms, not another label that dings districts #moleg already underfunds. @MASALeader @MSTA @MissouriNEA https://t.co/j6hpClbbVo

[Jerry Girdner @GirdnerJerry]

Lucas had the honor of escorting the American flag during the final leg of Relay for America, he ran more than 7 miles through Washington, D.C., from Arlington to the U.S. Capitol on Independence Day.
A memory our family will never forget. #RelayForAmerica

[Jerry Girdner @GirdnerJerry]

@MatthewFoldi Appreciate the updates! Keep them coming!

[Jerry Girdner @GirdnerJerry]

@FoxFriendsFirst @Casey Let’s do this! You can bring this flag to DC!

[Jerry Girdner @GirdnerJerry]

@CoachBennaka Visionary today, standard practice tomorrow!

[Jerry Girdner @GirdnerJerry]

Big thanks to Kurt & Sasha Lehleitner and their daughters for planting our first 3 trees at the ballpark! 🌳

This kicks off our 30x30 goal—30 trees by 2030. More trees, shade, benches & picnic tables coming soon.

Fall 2026 planting up next—donations welcome!

[Anish Moonka @anishmoonka]

If you're under 53 years old, you have never once been alive while a human was farther than 250 miles from Earth. Tonight, four astronauts are heading 252,000 miles out. That's a thousand times farther than any person has gone in your lifetime.

The 250-mile ceiling is where the International Space Station floats. Every astronaut since December 1972 has been stuck in that zone. Spacewalks, science experiments, cool photos from orbit, sure. But nobody left the neighborhood.

The last crew to go farther was Apollo 17. December 1972. Nixon was president. The internet didn't exist. Cell phones were 11 years away. The youngest member of that crew is now 90 years old.

The farthest any human has ever been from Earth is 248,655 miles. The Apollo 13 crew set that number in 1970, and they didn't mean to. Their oxygen tank blew up, and the emergency route home took them farther out than anyone before or since. Tonight's crew will break that record on purpose.

And the crew itself. Victor Glover becomes the first Black astronaut to leave Earth's neighborhood. Christina Koch becomes the first woman. Jeremy Hansen, a Canadian fighter pilot, becomes the first non-American to do so. When they come home, they'll slam into the atmosphere at 25,000 mph, faster than any human has ever traveled.

The Moon's south pole has ice. Water ice, sitting in craters so deep that sunlight hasn't hit them in billions of years. A 2024 NASA study found way more of it than anyone expected. You can split water into hydrogen and oxygen, which gives you rocket fuel, breathable air, and drinking water, all made on the Moon instead of hauled up from Earth. George Sowers at Colorado School of Mines calculated that Moon-made fuel could shave $12 billion off a single trip to Mars. The Moon is a gas station on the road to Mars.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced last week a $20 billion plan to build a permanent base at the South Pole over the next seven years, with landings every six months. China is developing its own lunar lander and spacesuit, aiming for a crewed landing by 2030. The Artemis program has burned through $93 billion so far, and the first actual surface landing is penciled in for 2028. There's a real question of who gets there first this time around.

Harrison Schmitt walked on the Moon in December 1972 as part of Apollo 17. He's 90. Asked about it this week, he sounded pretty relaxed. "Mars is attainable," he said. "We're humans. That's what we've always done."

[Jerry Girdner @GirdnerJerry]

@TheGadgetGuru Great discussion. Really enjoyed the ride along. I’m a future Model S owner… just waiting for a used one where the first owner already paid for FSD 😬😂

[Jerry Girdner @GirdnerJerry]

🚜🏠 Tiger Trades is coming to Princeton!
Thanks to a $300,000 grant from the Patterson Family Foundation, students will gain hands-on experience in carpentry, plumbing & electrical work by building a home each year. Turning vacant lots into thriving homes, one project at a time!

[Tim Cook @tim_cook]

Apple is expanding our US commitment to $600 billion over the next four years. And our new American Manufacturing Program will bring even more jobs and advanced manufacturing to the US.

[Jerry Girdner @GirdnerJerry]

“Talk to me, Goose.”
Kelli flying high in a vintage Boeing Stearman over wild, wonderful West Virginia with WildBlueAdventures — living the Top Gun dream to Danger Zone.
📹 Shoutout to the Insta360 for capturing every epic moment. @insta360

[Jerry Girdner @GirdnerJerry]

Just wrapped up family bonding adventure—the New River in West Virginia! Conquered the Lower River with Class IV & V rapids..only flipped the boat once (we survived, but our dignity is still floating downstream)

Lots of love for the river, the wild ride, and this great country!

[Jerry Girdner @GirdnerJerry]

🚀 Soaring through history with Wild Blue Adventure Co. in an iconic Boeing Stearman from the 1940s! Thank you Bill & Ashley for the unforgettable acrobatic flight—lifelong memories made and maybe two future pilots inspired! ✈️ We can’t wait to fly again!

[Jerry Girdner @GirdnerJerry]

Just wrapped up a quick family vacay to Boone, Iowa—pedal cars on the railroad tracks! A little thrilling, a little scary, but a whole lot of fun. Highly recommend for your next adventure! #BooneIowa #FamilyFun #RailExplorers

[Sports Illustrated @SInow]

Things you love to see 🩵

[Jerry Girdner @GirdnerJerry]

Countless volunteers. Generous donations. Unmatched community pride.
Our new playground stands as proof that when a town comes together, amazing things happen for our kids.
Thank you to everyone who gave time, muscle, and heart.

[Jerry Girdner @GirdnerJerry]

First round of the year in Lamoni, Iowa — Graceland’s course (or Lamoni Country Club… I just showed up with clubs). Beautiful day. Terrible golf. All three of these guys beat me. Might switch to pickleball.

[Jerry Girdner @GirdnerJerry]

@RobertNewhart So technically we now have at least 7 charging stations in town 😂🤷🏻‍♂️

[Jerry Girdner @GirdnerJerry]

Just took a leap of faith—and a crash course in behavioral economics—by leasing a EV Blazer.
Was it a rational choice? Maybe.
Was it impulse + tax credit math + hope the grid holds? Absolutely.

[Jerry Girdner @GirdnerJerry]

@RobertNewhart lol… one at my house! We also have 6 at the school as all routes are now electric.