Local News – Friday, October 13th, 2017

The Dent County Commissioners met Thursday morning at the courthouse for their regular meeting. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams presented sales tax revenues received in October for the General Revenue Fund. Williams said the county received $64,197.70 which is down form the 2016 figure of $67,993.67, and year-to-date, general revenue is down $1,759.19. She said the Law Enforcement Sales Tax figures are roughly the same as general revenue for October. Williams also presented the Road and Bridge Fund collections for October that came in at $30,477.25 which is down from the 2016 figure of $31,427.87 and the year-to-date total is up $2,693.45. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell said all full grading practices in the southern part of Dent County have been suspended due to dry conditions. He did say patch grading would be done on Dent County Road 6240 while materials would be added and grading done on county road 5170. Purcell also said workers would be cleaning out crossover pipes and culverts also on county road 5170. Purcell reported the chip and seal surface on Dent County Road 4253 was being repaired as well as on county road 6510 that will also have edge work done. Purcell indicated the graders #24 and #33 would be getting their required regular maintenance service. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said his district has received enough moisture to keep grading roads. He stated materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 3300, 5330 and 5335. Larson indicated a man went to Springfield this week for a load of oil for the Durapatcher so that two men could repair the chip and seal on Dent County Road 3210. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles gave the numbers for the electronics and tire recycling held in Dent County on September 30th. Skiles said there were 90 vehicles that came through and dropped off 4.67 tons of electronics and 1.8 tons of tires for a total of 6.47 tons of recyclables. Skiles compared that to the last collection in Salem in 2014 that brought in a total of 2.92 tons dropped off by 59 vehicles. Skiles said this year there were four collections held by the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District that collected a total of 26.03 tons of electronics. Skiles announced the Dent County Commission would be attending the South Central County Commission Association Regional meeting today in Houston. Skiles said according to a statewide report, the state of Missouri in arrears in paying the counties their per diem payments for housing prisoners in their jails. He said the state owes Dent County $91,000 in per diem charges as of September. Skiles wanted to remind everyone the Meramec Regional Planning Commission’s Annual Awards Dinner and Banquet would be held October 26th at the Salem Community Center@The Armory. A social hour will begin the banquet at 5:30 followed by dinner at 6:30 with the awards presentation to follow. There will be silent auctions held for products specific to the Ozark Region. Two Salem residents will be recognized at the banquet and they will be Ted Ziske and Baylee Bilyeu. Tickets for the banquet are available for $30 and you must purchase your tickets by Monday, October 16th. Contact the MRPC at 573-265-2993 to purchase your tickets. Dent County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Curley came in with a request for the county to issue a Quit Claim Deed for railroad right-of-way in Crawford County on property that adjoined the Wishon Farms. Curley reported that everything was in order and the commission signed the Quit Claim Deed. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Monday morning at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

What are you doing this Saturday? The Salem Community Garden will be hosting an end-of-season work day to “put the garden to bed” for the winter! The work day will be held Saturday from 9:00 in the morning until noon at the Salem Community Garden located at 801 Doss Road, behind Salem United Methodist Church. All volunteers are welcome!!! Coffee and donuts will be provided. This is also a good chance to stop by and visit if you’ve always wanted to check it out and learn more about what goes on in the community garden! Call Sarah at 729-3196 with any questions.

The Ozark National Scenic Riverways will bring the Ozark past to life during the Haunting in the Hills event tonight and tomorrow at Alley Spring. This free event features storytelling tonight from 6:00 to 9:30 as illuminated pathways will guide your way through Ozark legends, folktales, mysteries, superstitions, and natural wonders with spellbinding age-old storytelling. On Saturday, local skilled crafts people will demonstrate their skills from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM with traditional bluegrass music and dancing featured throughout the day. Food vendors will be on site with cash sales only. Alley Mill is six miles west of Eminence on Highway 106.