Local News – Thursday, December 28th, 2017

A meeting was held Wednesday afternoon at the Salem Community Center@The Armory to discuss the future of the recycling bins and trailers that have been at the Salem Upper Elementary School for years. Since the City of Salem included in their new contract with WCA to offer recycling to residents within the city, they have decided to eliminate the use of the recycling bins effective Wednesday, December 27th. With that decision, the bins will no longer be at the Upper Elementary School. The city received the bins and trailers from the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District through grants and they really want to keep the bins and trailers in this district to help local folks with their recycling needs if at all possible. The bins accepted #1 and #2 plastics that included clear or opaque plastic as well as the colored bottles like laundry detergent or bleach jugs, tin cans and glass. The city has a number of bins. The items collected had to be re-sorted by workers as sometimes people would include non-recyclable materials where they had to be separated before being taken to the Rolla Recycling Center. The city workers during peak times would take the bins to Rolla two to three times a week. City Administrator Ray Walden said the new contract with WCA allows for more items to be recycled and put into one provided cart at the home where the items can be taken to Lebanon and separated by a machine. The new contract does not allow for the recycling of glass. Walden said the Scenic Rivers Industries will be taking two of the bins and a trailer for their aluminum can collecting. The Scenic Rivers Industries does NOT and never did recycle glass, only the city provided that service with the bins. No one at the meeting was ready to commit to offering the same recycling services the city had in the past, but discussions will continue to see if something can be done to help county residents with their recycling needs, possibly at a different location or on a part time basis.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen held a special meeting at the City Hall Council Chambers Wednesday night. The board approved Bill #3354 that authorized the Mayor to execute and the City Clerk to attest to a quit claim deed for the old railroad right-of-way between the City of Salem and the Southeast Missouri Behavioral Health, Inc. that is a non-profit corporation of the County of St. Francois, and the board also approved an ordinance that authorized the mayor to execute a public improvement funding agreement with Ridge Properties 1, LLC for commercial improvements on Highway 32-72 West. The board then adjourned.

The Ozark National Scenic Riverways and Missouri State Parks will be hosting a Winter Paddling Clinic on Sunday and a First Day Float on Monday, January 1st. The Winter Paddling Clinic will be held at Echo Bluff State Park on Sunday in conjunction with their New Year’s Eve Celebration. On Monday, January 1st, paddlers will celebrate the New Year with a float on the Current or Jacks Fork Rivers and gather at Current River State Park in the afternoon for a bonfire and warm beverages. Millions of floaters enjoy Missouri rivers each year from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Experienced paddlers continue to visit our rivers in September and October, but paddling activity can continue during the winter months with the right equipment and a few simple precautions. Winter paddling offers several advantages, including the opportunity to experience solitude on the river and the ability to more easily view wildlife and other river features often blocked by heavy vegetation during the summer. For the First Day Float, experienced paddlers are welcome to float any section of the Current or Jacks Fork River that is open. Less experienced paddlers are encouraged to float the Current River between Pulltite and Round Spring. An instructional float will be conducted from Current River State Park to Round Spring, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Space is limited to 20 participants for this free, guided activity. Reservations can be made by contacting Ranger Dave Tobey at (573) 323-8093 by Friday, December 29th. Once the First Day Float is filled to capacity, participants may sign up for the guided Last Day Float to be held on Sunday, December 31st. Instructors for the guided floats are ACA-certified. A First Day Hike will be offered at Echo Bluff State Park at 8:00 a.m. Current River State Park will provide a bonfire complete with warm beverages for paddlers and hikers throughout the day. Echo Bluff State Park is located 14 miles north of Eminence on State Highway 19. The Current River State Park is located approximately 1 mile north of Echo Bluff State Park.