Local News – Tuesday, May 16, 2017

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse. Emergency Management Director Brad Nash was in to tell the commission that FEMA and SEMA personnel will be at the firehouse this morning at 8:30. He said it would be good if a commissioner and the road and bridge district supervisors can be there to take FEMA and SEMA around and show them the worst of the worst. He said this year they requested more information then before. They want a map with all the damaged areas hi-lighted, wanted copies of the annual road district budgets, pictures of the damage as well as a spreadsheet of every road that had damage from the rains with GPS coordinates that include all the labor, materials, rentals, etc needed for each damaged area. Commissioners Dennis Purcell and Gary Larson both stated that the first three requests were covered, but there is no way that a spreadsheet with that information could be completed. Nash stated at 9:30, the people with individual assistance requests are to be at the firehouse. If you had damage from the extensive rains or flooding, call Brad Nash at the firehouse at 729-3250. Marlin Hartman was in to request additional and longer culverts be installed on Dent County Road 6160. He said some of the culverts are full or gravel and others are too short and get covered up when the road is graded. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Purcell said Dent County Road 6635 that was washed out in the Montauk area is being rebuilt. Materials will be taken to other roads in that area. Another crew is still rebuilding Dent County Road 4080. Purcell said patch grading will be done on Dent County Road 6230 on a curve while other grading will be done on county roads 5410, 5420 and 5480. He said repairs will need to be made to county road 6300 where the chip and seal was damaged by the water rushing over the road. Work will also be done on various other road locations as time allows. District 2 Commissioner Larson said patch grading will be done on country roads 2330, 2380, 4290 and 5260. Time permitting; work will also be done on county roads 5270, 3273 and 3275. Larson stated materials would be hauled to county roads 2330, 2380 and 4290, and brush would be cut on Dent County Road 3330. Presiding Commissioner Darrel Skiles reported Salem and Dent County will host the MRPC Annual Awards Dinner Thursday, October 26th, at the Salem Community Center@The Armory. At the MRPC meeting, the special speaker was Luke Holtschneider who works with the Department of Economic Development in rural development and he is working on getting broadband Internet access in the rural area. He will be holding a meeting in July. Skiles will be attending an Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District Executive Board meeting Tuesday. The commission visited the Dent County Judicial Building to review a request for renovations by Becky Sweeney in her office. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Thursday morning at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The Dent County Sheriff’s Department has released some reports. On Tuesday, May 9th, deputies conducted a consent search at a residence in the 1000 block of County Road 4300. During the search, deputies found revealed baggies containing marijuana and marijuana seeds. As a result, 37-year old Asha Kirker of Salem was fingerprinted and given asummons for possession of up to 10 grams or less of marijuana. that same day, deputies responded to the Anutt Country Store in the 24000 block of Highway C for a report of property damage. Deputies discovered that a front window had been broken. This report is still under investigation. On Wednesday, May 10th, deputies conducted a traffic stop on Highway 32 West at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church. The driver, 23-year old Kevin Coon of Salem, was arrested for driving while revoked. During a consent search of the vehicle, a clear plastic baggie with residue that field tested positive of methamphetamine was found under the driver’s seat. Coon was taken to the Dent County Jail and incarcerated. He was charged with possession of a controlled substance and given a $10,000 cash only bond. Anyone who has any information regarding any ongoing investigation should call the Dent County Sheriff’s Office at 729-3241.

The City of Salem Utility Committee will conduct a meeting, called by Chairman Alderman Chad Heithold tonight be the Salem Community Center @ the Armory beginning at 7:00. The purpose of the meeting will be to review rates for 2017-2018. The meeting of the Salem Utility Committee is open to the public.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors will be conducting their May meeting tonight in the hospital library beginning at 6:00. After approval of the minutes from the April 18th meeting, Chief Financial Officer Monica Gargus will update the Board on the summary of operations and statistics reports for April followed by Chief Nursing Officer Debbie Hines report for April. Hospital Administrator Kasey Lucas will report on the hospital foundation, auxiliary activities and community involvement along with marketing strategy. In old business will be a discussion of the City of Salem water/sewer expansion and the meeting of the budget committee regarding 2018. In new business the Board will address purchases made for the hospital. The Board may vote to go into closed session. The May meeting of the Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors is open the public.