Local News – Monday, September 25th, 2017
At the Salem High School Homecoming held Friday night as part of the Alumni Weekend, Madi Shaw was crowned the 2018 Salem Football Homecoming Queen. Her court consisted of seniors Trista Heavin and Savannah Tuttle, junior Olivia Erway, sophomore Emma Southards and freshman Reggie Parks.
The Salem Marching Blue started the year off with a bang at the Sullivan Marching Festival. They placed second in their class and qualified to perform at finals among 15 other schools. In the finals, the Salem Marching Blue placed 8th and received overall captions for Drum Major and Color Guard. Salem’s Drum Majors are Laura Benowitz, Nathaniel Alterauge & Kristen Pike. The Color Guard is coached by Kelsey Schatz and consists of 8 members: Rachel Counts, Shada Malone, Alyssa Mayes, Mikayela McCall, Kristen Pike, Marcus Sapaugh & Katelyn Schwartz. High School Band Director David Schatz said it has been a long time since the Salem Marching Band has done this well at a school sized competition and the first time since he became band director in 2014. He said the old trophies in the band room show that making finals and winning overall captions hasn’t happened since the 1990s.
The Salem R-80 Board of Education met Thursday evening for their regular monthly meeting. Superintendent John McColloch gave an update on the William Lynch project and problem with the mortar. Bids are due in early October with construction to begin in early November. The football field project bids on the building of a new locker room facility on the south side of the field are due on September 29th. McColloch introduced Quin Blankenship who is the new student liaison for the Board of Education for the 2017-2018 school year. Assistant Superintendent John Smith gave a report of the district’s MAP/EOC results for the 2016-2017 school year. He pointed out there were significant gains shown in several testing areas. The board heard from 3 members of the Salem FFA Chapter who made a presentation about their Washington Leadership Conference from July. The board then heard from Mary Beth Cook from the Dent County Community Foundation gave a presentation about what they do and are trying to do in the community. In the principal’s reports, Kriste Crocker from William Lynch Elementary reported there are currently 244 students enrolled broken down to 70 Pre-Kindergarteners, 86 Kindergarteners and 88 students in the first grade. Principal Scott Roberts of the Salem Middle School reports enrollment currently standing at 216 students, and High School Principal Marty Anderson indicates there were 607 students enrolled at the Salem High School with 161 students being freshman, 157 of them are sophomores, 143 students are juniors and 146 of them are seniors. Anderson said the lunch participation is up 32% from last year from 320 students to 470 students, and breakfast is up almost 50% from 90 to 179 students. Anderson went on to report that a College Fair will be held September 28th from 1:00-2:30 where over 40 colleges and/or universities usually attend. The board approved the bus routes for the 2017-2018 school year, approved the Special Education Compliance Plan, and approved setting the graduation date on Friday, May 18th at 7:00 at the SHS Football Field. With no votes taken in closed session, the meeting was then adjourned.
An accident happened at 3:40 Saturday afternoon in Dent County about 13 miles southwest of Salem on Highway 119. According to the highway patrol report, a 1990 Olds Cutlass Ciera driven by 18-year old Evan Lunn of Salem, traveled off the right side of the road, came back on to Highway 119, then went back off the right side of the road where the vehicle impacted a concrete culvert. Lunn suffered serious injuries and was life-flighted to Cox South Hospital in Springfield. The Ciera was totaled and removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing of Salem. Linn was wearing a seat restraint at time of the accident.
An accident happened in Pulaski County Saturday at 1:15 on Interstate 44 at mile marker 148. According to the highway patrol report, a 2000 Buick LeSabre driven westbound by 36-year old Cory Watkins of Salem traveled off the right side of the roadway and struck a rock embankment. Watkins and a passenger in the LeSabre, 15-year old Samantha Watkins of St. James, suffered minor injuries and were taken by the Pulaski County Ambulance to the Phelps County Regional Medical Center. All involved were wearing seat restraints at the time of the accident. The Buick was totaled and removed from the scene by Jack’s Towing.