Local News – Friday, June 30th, 2017

If you need to find a job, develop a resume or need help with funding to attend training to get a better job, it is now available locally! The Missouri Workforce Development Board opened a part-time MO Job Center Affiliate office in Salem on June 8th, at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory (1200 West Rolla Road in Salem) and they recently announced they would be available Monday through Thursday. Sue Nardi, a Career Consultant and a local resident of Salem, will be available Monday thru Thursday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Sue will assist customers with resume development, access to job leads, job referrals and connection to needed resources. Workshops to improve skills and increase employment opportunities can be scheduled-ask Sue for the “list of workshops”. Career assessment and access to training is also available. Employers can contact Sue for assistance posting job vacancies in Missouri’s jobs.mo.gov system; connection to Business Services for recruitment, access training programs for new employees and scheduling “Special Hiring Events” to fill job vacancies. To contact Sue for an appointment call 573-578-5573 or stop by the Salem Community Center @ the Armory, Monday thru Thursday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Thursday morning in the Dent County Courthouse. Brenda Gustafson with FEMA was in to let the Commissioners know that she has been deployed to the area for 90 days and that the Preliminary Disaster Assessment visits were done to six flood damaged homes in Dent County. In the road report District One Commissioner Dennis Purcell said that grading would be done on Dent County Road 2480, materials would be added to county road 5080, and grading would be done and materials added to county road 6670. He said he had two men taking pictures of the FEMA projects that have been completed. Purcell added that Jan Craig had been elected to the Board of Directors of the South Central Missouri Community Action Agency. He noted that she was nominated by the Backpack Program to replace Doug Walters. District Two Commissioner Gary Larson reported that grading would be done on Dent County Road 2590, materials would be added to county roads 5240 and 2590, while brush would be cut on county roads 2300 and 6450. He noted that his crew was cleaning up the entry way to The Commons in preparation for the 4th of July celebration. Larson said that some patch grading and repair was being done at the entry to the Stone Hill Cemetery on county road 5240. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles reported that Thursday afternoon he would preside over a HUD Housing Hearing and he again reminded participants to read and follow their contracts to the letter. Skiles presented a resolution that if passed would allow the county to recover general revenue expenses relative to the jail project. The Commissioners voted 3-0 to adopt the resolution. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported that the Commissioners were approving bills for payment. Salem Community Center @ The Armory Administrator Sherry Lea was in to introduce Sue Nardi of the Missouri Job Center staff. Lea said that Nardi is now housed at the Armory to assist individuals seeking employment, assistance with resumes’, and on line job searches. Nardi’s office hours are 8:00 to 4:30 Monday through Thursday. Nardi noted that she started out working two days per week, but there had been so much traffic that her work had been expanded to four days. City Administrator Ray Walden and Industrial Development Authority (IDA) President Donald Dodd were in to discuss salary funding for an Economic Development Director for Salem and Dent County. Walden said that the city has budgeted $50,000.00 salary for the position and Dodd noted that the IDA has committed $5,000.00 per year for five years towards salary for the position. Dodd requested that the County contribute $10,000.00 per year towards the salary for the position. After much discussion the Commissioners voted 3-0 to budget $5,000 for the position starting with the 2018 budget. The next meeting of the Commissioners will be Monday morning in the Courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

An accident occurred at 4:18 Wednesday afternoon in Phelps County on Highway E at Highway HH about two miles north of Rolla. According to the highway patrol report, a 1986 Freightliner Dump truck driven by 51-year old Rocco Burrell of Rolla was traveling southbound and swerved to avoid another vehicle. The dump truck skidded off the left side of the road and overturned. Burrell suffered minor injuries and sought his own treatment. A passenger, 19-year old Dakota Cooper of Licking suffered minor injuries and was transported by private conveyance to the Phelps County Regional Medical Center. Everyone was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Freightliner Dump truck sustained extensive damage and was towed by C&C Towing.