Local News – Thursday, November 2nd, 2017

The Salem Police Department has released a number of reports. On Sunday, October 22nd at approximately 12:08 in the afternoon, an officer was detailed to Wal-Mart in reference to a shoplifter. The investigation of the report led to the arrest of a 23-year old male of Salem for stealing merchandise valued at $10.54. The suspect was issued a summons to appear in court and released. On Monday morning, October 23rd at approximately 9:12, an officer was sent to Casey’s General Store on Highway 32 in reference a theft of fuel. The investigation revealed the driver of a passenger vehicle pumped fuel valued at $25.00 and left without paying. The report is under investigation. That same day at approximately 3:11, a vehicle was stopped for a warrant investigation. The investigation led to the arrest of a 35-year old female of Salem on an active arrest warrant from the City of Salem. The suspect was incarcerated pending a court appearance. Later that evening at approximately 6:23, an officer located a 38-year old male of Edgar Springs in the 100 block of West Fourth who had an active arrest warrant from Dent County. The suspect was taken into custody on the warrant and incarcerated pending a court appearance. A little later that evening at approximately 7:17, an officer located a 21-year old male of Salem in the 1800 block of South Oak who had an active arrest warrant from the City of Salem. The suspect was taken into custody on the warrant and incarcerated pending a court appearance. On Tuesday afternoon, October 24th at approximately 12:59, an officer was contacted at the Salem Police Department in reference to credit card fraud. The investigation of the report revealed that a person or persons unknown made unauthorized credit card purchases online valued at $615.59. The report is under investigation. Please contact the Salem Police Department at (573) 729-4242 if you have any information regarding any ongoing investigation.

To reflect estimated changes in the wholesale cost of natural gas as well as a change in the company’s Actual Cost Adjustment (ACA) factor, Ameren Missouri natural gas customers in its Rolla service area will see natural gas rates change under a filing that took effect on Wednesday, November 1st. The ACA factor is a mechanism which tracks any over-collection or under-collection of actual natural gas costs over a 12 month period. The net over- or under-collected balances are subsequently either refunded or collected the next year. Residential customers in Ameren Missouri’s Rolla service area that includes the towns of Rolla, Salem and Owensville, will see natural gas rates increase by approximately $0.08 per hundred cubic feet of natural gas, going from approximately $0.68 per Ccf to approximately $0.76 per Ccf. Approximately 55% to 60% of a customer’s current natural gas bill reflects the cost of natural gas from wholesale suppliers. The wholesale cost of natural gas (the cost your local natural gas company must pay to its suppliers for natural gas) is not regulated by the Missouri Public Service Commission. The wellhead cost of natural gas is unregulated and is primarily driven by supply, demand and the weather. The Missouri Public Service Commission does conduct an annual regulatory review to ensure that regulated natural gas companies make prudent decisions in securing natural gas supplies for their customers. Ameren Missouri serves approximately 3,800 natural gas customers in its Rolla service area.

The Missouri Department of Conservation and the Conservation Federation of Missouri encourage deer hunters around the state to share their harvests through the state’s Share the Harvest program. Share the Harvest coordinates the efforts of thousands of deer hunters, numerous participating meat processors, many local supporting organizations, and a handful of statewide sponsors to help feed hungry Missourians. The program works by deer hunters donating their extra venison, from several pounds to whole deer, to participating meat processors throughout the state who grind and package the deer meat. The packaged venison is then given to food banks and food pantries for distribution to Missourians in need of food assistance. Processing fees are covered entirely or in part by numerous local sponsors, along with statewide sponsors that include the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Conservation Federation of Missouri, Shelter Insurance, Bass Pro Shops, Missouri Chapter Safari Club International, Missouri Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation, Midway USA Inc., Missouri Food Banks Association, and United Bowhunters of Missouri. Hunters should contact individual processors to determine what funds are available. The cost of processing is the hunter’s responsibility when funds to help cover the full cost of processing are not available. Nearly 4,300 Missouri deer hunters donated more than 198,000 pounds of venison to the program last deer season. Since the program was started in 1992, Share the Harvest has provided more than 3.6 million pounds of lean, healthy venison to help feed hungry Missourians. Find participating processors in the MDC’s “2017 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information” booklet, online at huntfish.mdc.mo.gov or by calling 573-751-4115 or 573-634-2322.