Archive for 2017

The Salem Board of Aldermen met Monday evening in the Council Chambers for their regular meeting. The board approved the lowest bid from L & B Electronics for $3,260 to replace the current repeater antenna and cable at the Salem Police Department. These funds will come from the Capital Improvement Sales Tax. They also approved purchasing two police cars for a total of $46,876 replacing one car and an SUV currently in service. The addition of cages, lights and sirens will bring the total to near the $60,000 approved budgeted amount. The board postponed any action on the bids for a used John Deere Backhoe Loader until it can be determined which department’s current backhoe will be used for trade-in. City Administrator Ray Walden presented two bids for residential trash service that included recycling services as well. The board approved staying with the current trash service, WCA for a rate of $13.65 per month the first year, then $13.92 for year two and $14.20 for year three. This service will include a 96 gallon trash container for each resident as well as an additional 96 gallon recycling container. Recycling will be picked up every other week. Since home pick up for recycling is a new service WCA will provide consumer education opportunities. Mayor Brad Nash called for a Public Hearing in order to open discussion on the setting of a property tax rate for 2017. City Clerk Mary Happel noted the current rate is $0.6484 and the max allowed is $0.6533. This is a $0.0049 total increase. The board approved setting the rate at $0.6533. City Administrator Ray Walden reported that the Former Middle School Committee has identified a consulting firm and will bring a proposal at a future meeting. Under the new fundraising ordinance, Walden and City Auditorium Improvement Committee Chairman, Catherine Dent, asked for approval of a proposed fundraising project schedule. The committee is looking at organizing fundraisers to raise funds to make improvements to the City Hall. This proposal was approved. Walden will bring an employee pay differential list to a future meeting for further discussion. Due to Labor Day the next Alderman meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 5th. The Missouri Community Betterment judges will be in town on September 13th. Under Mayor Nash’s report, he allowed Alderman Haydn Powell to read an open letter to the citizens of the East Ward. The letter wanted to clarify that he resides on the east side of Salem at 705 E. Dent Street. He wanted to clarify his place of residence since there has been some citizens questioning where he resides. He went on to say that although he owns property in the county as well as property at the Lake of the Ozarks and Branson, he is a full time resident in the city. If anyone has questions they can call him directly, his phone number is listed on the city’s webpage. The board approved Bill No. 3340 an ordinance levying a tax rate of $0.6533 for every $100 assessed valuation of real estate and personal property within the city of Salem, for general revenue purposes. The board then adjourned.

The Ozark National Scenic Riverways invites the public to attend an open house on today from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Methodist Fellowship Hall in Eminence, Missouri. The purpose of this open house is to collect information to aid in the development of a new Long Range Interpretive Plan for the park. Park rangers will be available to discuss your ideas for outreach and public programs with you which, in turn, will assist in the development of services that meet the needs of our visitors. The Methodist Fellowship Hall is located at 18228 Church Street in Eminence, approximately 2 blocks west of the intersection of Highway 19 and Highway 106. The Long Range Interpretive Plan will help guide the creation of interpretive and educational programs, outreach efforts, media, exhibits and publications for the next seven to ten years. It will help set goals and priorities for interpretation and education. As part of the process for developing a new long-range plan for interpretive and educational outreach activities at Ozark National Scenic Riverways, it is important to include input and ideas from our stakeholders and partners. Please stop by the open house to share your ideas and feedback! We look forward to hearing from the public and encourage all to visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/ozar or our Facebook page for further updates. For more information, please contact Dena Matteson at (573) 323-4814.

Attorney General Joshua Hawley announced that a Phelps County jury has found 51-year old Charles Curnutt of Houston, guilty of statutory sodomy, endangering the welfare of a child, and four counts of child molestation for sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl over the course of several months. The case was heard on a change of venue from Texas County. The jury watched a recorded interview of the victim in which she described in detail the acts perpetrated upon her by the defendant. Her account was corroborated by testimony of a nurse practitioner confirming physical injuries to the child, the testimony of Missouri State Highway Patrol officers that located the clothing the victim described having worn during the abuse in the defendant’s home, and Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Lab technician that found high levels of the defendant’s DNA on the crotch of the victim’s pajamas. The jury took less than three hours to find Curnutt guilty of all six counts. Phelps County Circuit Judge John Beger has set Curnutt’s sentencing for November 27 at 1pm in Texas County. Curnutt faces up to life plus 67 years. Assistant Attorney General Katharine Dolin tried the case as Texas County prosecuting attorney Parke Stevens had a conflict of interest.

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse for their regular meeting. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell stated that the Montauk area received another hard rain this weekend that caused some road damage. He said he has a crew there working on repairing the roads in that area. Purcell indicated grading would be done on Dent County Roads 6370 and 6380 while brush was being cut on county roads 5100, 5103 and 5105. He also attended a tourism tax committee meeting Monday night. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson reported materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Road 3240 while only grading would be done on county road 2210. Larson also said brush was going to be cut on county roads 3020 and 3030. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles stated the Missouri Community Betterment Judges will be in Salem the morning of September 13th at the Ozark Natural and Cultural Resource Center. He also said he was in Jefferson City Wednesday for a Senate Committee Hearing on prevailing wage. The committee was asking for input from municipalities, counties and school boards in attendance, and those entities who testified were in agreement to ask the legislature to add Missouri to the 13 states that have already repealed prevailing wage since 1979 so they could be better stewards of local tax dollars. On Thursday, Skiles was in Sedalia at Senator Roy Blunt’s Ag Advisory Council meeting where he discussed the need for broadband in this area and also the need to renew the Secure Rural Schools Act that provides payments to the schools. Skiles also said that he wanted to warn residents in Dent County about asphalt, service and building scammers that are in town that will just show up out of nowhere to see if you want work done. They almost always ask for one–half down before any work begins. Skiles says if you don’t know these people, ask them for local references, ask to see their city or county business license, and do not let them in your home. If you have doubts, call the Dent County Sheriff’s Office at 729-3241 or the Salem Police Department at 729-4242. There have already been some instances where people have paid money down for work on their home, driveway, trees, etc and never saw the contractor again. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

An accident happened in Dent County Sunday night at 9:55 on Dent County Road 3180 about seven miles north of Salem. According to the highway patrol report, a 1995 Dodge Dakota driven northbound by 20-yaer old Justin Haney of Salem, traveled off the left side of the road, then returned to the roadway where Haney overcorrected and the vehicle went back off the left side of the roadway where the Dakota struck a tree. Suffering Minor injuries were the driver, Haney, and two passengers: 16-year old Shane Murr of Salem and 17-year old Gracie Wethy. All three were taken to the Salem Memorial District Hospital by the Salem EMS. Haney was the only person wearing a seat restraint when the accident happened. The Dakota sustained extensive damage and was removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing in Salem.

An accident happened in Crawford County on Highway 19 about one-half mile south of Cuba Saturday afternoon at 1:00. According to the highway patrol report, a 1994 Dodge Van driven north bound by 30-year old Juanita Williams of Steelville, was slowing to make a right hand turn when the van was struck from behind by a 2009 Toyota Corolla driven northbound by 82-year old Avis Barber of Steelville. The van overturned onto its right side. Suffering minor injuries were two passengers in the Dodge Van: 10-year old Mike Hatfield and 57-year old Matthew Williams; as well as the Avis Barber driving the Corolla. All three were taken to the Missouri Baptist Hospital in Sullivan by the Crawford County Ambulance. Both vehicles sustained extensive damage and were removed from the scene by Miles Towing.

An accident happened at 6:17 Thursday evening in Crawford County on Highway 49 about four miles east of Cherryville. According to the highway patrol report, a 1998 Ford F-150 Pickup driven northbound by 23-year old Eric Schmitt of Bixby, traveled off the right side of the roadway. Schmitt overcorrected and the truck crossed the centerline and traveled off the left side of the roadway where the truck struck a road sign, then a tree and finally came to rest in a ditch. Schmitt suffered moderate injuries and was life-flighted to Mercy Hospital in Creve Coeur. Schmitt was not wearing a seat restraint when the accident happened. The Ford F-150 Pickup was totaled and removed from the scene by Abney’s Wrecker out of Viburnum.

An accident happened in Dent County Sunday night at 11:20 on Route H about 1/10th of a mile west of Lenox. According to the highway patrol report, a 2005 Chevy Cobalt driven eastbound by 16-year old Makaila Chapman of Salem, traveled off the right side of the roadway when Chapman overcorrected and the Cobalt returned to the roadway and traveled off the left side of the roadway and struck a tree. Chapman suffered moderate injuries and was flown by Air Evac to the University Hospital in Columbia. Chapman was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Chevy Cobalt was totaled and removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing of Salem.