Archive for 2017

An accident happened on Bridge School Road about two miles west of Rolla Friday morning at 3:35 in Phelps County. According to the highway patrol report, a 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier driven westbound by 23-year old Tyler Laster of Rolla, traveled across the centerline and went off the left side of the roadway, striking a tree before coming to rest. Laster suffered serious injuries and was taken to the Phelps County Regional Medical Center by Phelps County Ambulance, while a passenger, 18-year old Jordan Kauffmen, suffered minor injuries, was also taken to the Phelps County Regional Medical Center by Phelps County Ambulance. The vehicle was totaled in the accident and removed from the scene by C&C Towing.

An accident happened on Shaffer Road about 1 mile north of Licking Friday morning at 11:00 in Texas County. According to the highway patrol report, a 2001 Mercury Sable, driven southbound by 82-year old Clarrissa Smith of Licking, struck a horse-drawn 4 wheeled buggy, driven by 29-year old Mattie Miller, from behind, pushing the buggy off the road causing it to overturn and eject Miller. Miller suffered moderate injuries and was taken to the Texas County Memorial Hospital Center by Ambulance. The Mercury was driven from the scene, and the buggy was released to the family.

An accident happened Monday morning at 8:45 in Texas County on Route BB about four miles south of Licking. According to the highway patrol report, 53-year old Thomas Kaley of Licking driving a 2013 Chevy Cruze, failed to negotiate a curve and the Cruze ran off the left side of the road and struck an embankment forcing the Cruze to overturn. Kaley suffered moderate injuries and refused treatment at the scene. Kaley was not wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Cruze was totaled and was removed from the scene by Jay’s Automotive of Houston.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen will be meeting tonight at 7:00 in the City Hall Council Chambers. At the meeting, the board will hear from Deb Ritchey from Dent County Connect to propose a fundraiser for the All-Inclusive Playground. Bids from My Splash Pad and Westport Pools will be reviewed to install a new splash pad at the City Park on the south side of the new playground. After the consent agenda, the board will hear City Administrator Ray Walden’s report followed by Mayor Brad Nash and his report. In the introduction and reading of bills and resolutions, Bill #3341, an ordinance to authorize the Mayor to execute a contract between the City of Salem and WCA Waste Corporation to collect, haul and dispose of all refuse, rubbish and other waste generated from residences in the City of Salem as well as offer recycling services will be discussed. In new business, there will be discussion of the LAGERS annual meeting coming up in October 19th and 20th. The City will be sending an employee that is voted on by the employees. The Board of Aldermen needs to appoint an employer delegate to attend. The Board may vote to go into closed session to discuss real estate and contracts. The City of Salem Board of Aldermen meeting will be held Tuesday night at 7:00 in the council chamber of city hall and the meeting is open to the public.

An accident happened in Dent County Wednesday afternoon at 1:50 on Dent County Road 6510 about 15 miles south of Salem. According to the highway patrol report, a 2003 Yamaha motorcycle driven southbound by 61-year old Kevin Rebo of Springfield, Missouri, lost control on the gravel and the motorcycle went off the left side of the road and struck a large rock. Rebo suffered serious injuries and was flown to Mercy Hospital in Springfield. He was wearing safety equipment at the time of the accident. The motorcycle was totaled and removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing.

The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Thursday morning at the courthouse. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams reported on the CART receipts for the month of August. She said the county received $61,076.37 and the CART fund stands at $10,780.03 more than last year which is a 2.4% increase. Last year in August, the county received $58,277.62 in CART funds. Williams said the $61,076.00 was the most CART funds collected for a month in over two years. Also in attendance was City of Salem Administrator Ray Walden and Jill Hollowell from the MRPC. Walden handed out a flyer on the upcoming electronic and tire collection that will be held September 30th from 9:00 in the morning until 1:00 in the afternoon at the city construction parking lot at 3rd and Grand Streets. There will be a $10 charge for CRT TV’s, CRT computer monitors, flat screen TV’s and flat screen computer monitors. There will also be charges for tires that are collected at $2.00 for passenger tires, $7.50 for truck tires and $35 for tractor tires. The electronic and tire collection is for residential items only. For more information on what is and is not accepted, contact Jill Hollowell at the MRPC at 573-265-2993. Walden also explained to the county that with the latest city waste collection contract, WCA will begin collecting recyclables from residential customers. They will be providing a 96 gallon trash container to each resident for recycling and residents must follow the collection guidelines WCA has set up. Because of that, the city will no longer have a need for the 10 recycling bins and two trailers they currently use and have at the Upper Elementary School. Walden told the county for little or no cost, they could take have the bins and trailers for recycling. Walden told the county the city has to manually sort the recyclables and take them to Rolla. Ms. Hollowell said there may be grant money available to pay for gas and/or labor to do that if the county is interested in retaining the bins and trailers in Dent County. It may also be a possibility to talk with WCA to see if they could take the recyclables to Rolla as part of their collection process. Walden said there was no immediate need for a decision as it will take WCA a few weeks to get all of their trash dispensers purchased and distributed. Hollowell also said the Region I Solid Waste Management District many times has money that becomes available between cycles that may also be available to provide that services in the county. Hollowell also reported she is working school children with a “Keep America Beautiful” contest to help combat littering in the area. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell said grading would be done and materials would be added to Dent County Road 6500 while only grading was going to be done on Dent County Roads 6220, 6230 and 6240. He also indicated that materials would be added to county road 5130. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson stated materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Road 2090 while only grading would be done on county road 5260. He also said brush was being cut on Dent County Road 2380 and a speed limit sign was going to be put back up on Dent County Road 3260. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles reported that SOLVE in Salem needs some financial help with the HVAC system and roof from the straight line winds from a couple months back. Their insurance won’t cover all the damages that came to about $31,000. If people would like to contribute or make a donation, contact Pam Brantley at 729-7294 or stop by 203 West 3rd Street in Salem. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said the commission needed to get in the minutes that they signed the Master Tax Exempt Lease Purchase Agreement from US Bank for the new graders. The commission agreed and it was added to the current minutes. The Dent County Commission was also going to get propane bids for the courthouse. The commissioners will not be meeting until Thursday, September7th due to the Labor Day Holiday on Monday. That meeting will start at 9:00 and it is open to the public.

Ron’s Race for a Reason, honoring all local veterans, will be held today and Saturday at Flat Nasty located on 1771 Highway ZZ in Jadwin. There will be 2 classes of racing: Truck and Side-by-Side, and the entry fees are $25 which includes camping. Food will be available from the American Volunteers, and a raffle of four Henry rifles as well as various products provided by local businesses. This is a family friendly event and as a special treat for the kids, Frosty the Snowman will make a special visit to Flat Nasty and it WILL SNOW! If you need more information, you can call (573) 729-6668 or 729-1394.

This year, the Missouri Department of Conservation’s State Forest Nursery is taking orders starting a couple months early. Orders will be accepted beginning on Sept. 1st, instead of waiting until November, and orders will be accepted through April 15th, 2018. Supplies are limited so early orders have a much better chance of being filled with desired species. Orders will be shipped or can be picked up at the nursery near Licking from February through May. Native trees and shrubs can help improve wildlife habitat and soil and water conservation while also improving the appearance and value of private property. The Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) George O. White State Forest Nursery offers a variety of low-cost native tree and shrub seedlings for erosion control, reforestation, windbreaks, wildlife food and cover, and other purposes. The nursery provides mainly one-year-old bare-root seedlings with sizes varying by species. Seedlings varieties include: pine, bald cypress, cottonwood, black walnut, hickory, oak, persimmon, birch, maple, willow, sycamore, blackberry, buttonbush, holly, dogwood, hazelnut, redbud, spicebush, sumac, wild plum, and others. Seedlings are available in bundles of 10 or increments of 25 per species. Prices range from 16 to 80 cents per seedling. Sales tax of 6.1 percent will be added to orders unless tax exempt. There is an $8 handling charge for each order. Producers can receive a 15-percent discount up to $20 off seedling orders with a Heritage Card, Permit Card, or Conservation ID Number. Those interested can see images and information on available items, along with ordering information, in MDC’s 2017-2018 Seedling Order Form. It is available in the September issue of the Missouri Conservationist, at MDC regional offices and nature centers, online at mdc.mo.gov/seedlings, or by contacting the State Forest Nursery at 573-674-3229 or StateForestNursery@mdc.mo.gov.

Colonel Sandra K. Karsten, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, urges Missouri’s travelers to drive and boat responsibly during the 2017 Labor Day weekend. In Missouri, 20 people died and 429 were injured in 1,028 traffic crashes over the 2016 Labor Day holiday. That means one person was killed or injured every 10.4 minutes. Of that total, troopers worked 293 traffic crashes, which included 139 injuries and 14 of the fatalities over the 2016 Labor Day holiday. Troopers arrested 100 people for driving while intoxicated during last year’s holiday weekend. The 2017 counting period for the Labor Day holiday will be from 6:00 tomorrow night through 11:59 p.m., Monday, September 4th. The Highway Patrol will be participating in Operation C.A.R.E. (Crash Awareness & Reduction Effort) over the Labor Day holiday weekend. Speed, inattention, and impaired driving are leading causes of traffic crashes. Thus, all available troopers will be patrolling Missouri’s roadways enforcing Missouri’s speed limit, seat belt, and impaired driving laws, in addition to being available to assist motorists. Troopers throughout the state will participate in a special enforcement operation on September 1st, and again on September 4th. This operation will include Interstates 29, 44, 55, and 70, and U.S. Highways 60 and 61. Troopers will be targeting all traffic violations, and be especially vigilant of aggressive driving violations. Col. Karsten reminds the public that the Labor Day holiday is also a busy boating weekend. In 2016, there were 10 boating crashes which included zero fatalities and 10 injuries. There were no drownings over last year’s Labor Day holiday. Troopers arrested 12 people for boating while intoxicated during last year’s counting period. In an effort to increase safety on our state’s waters, all available officers will be working over the holiday weekend. Missouri’s boaters are asked to do their part by remaining alert for other boats and swimmers, and being courteous on the water. With more boats on the water, it is even more important to pay attention when operating a vessel. Remember: Never operate a vessel while you are impaired. Alcohol consumption slows reaction time. Avoid overloading your boat with too many passengers and pay close attention to the boats around you. Check your vessel’s navigation lights before heading out at night, be sure to have spare bulbs on board, and observe Missouri’s nighttime speed limit of 30 mph on the water. Causing harm to another person or their property with an excessive boat wake may subject you to enforcement action or civil liability. Treat other boaters and property owners as you want to be treated. The public is encouraged to call the Patrol’s Emergency Report Line (800) 525-5555 or *55 on your cellular phone if they witness criminal activity or experience an emergency. These emergency numbers are operational for both highway and water emergencies.