Archive for 2018

The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Thursday morning in the Dent County Courthouse. Bill Stack was in with questions concerning the roadway in the property he recently purchased. The Commissioners said that the County had no claims or consideration to the roadway running through the property. He also wanted to inquire whether the Commissioners were in support of the “Ride for America” being planned by the American Volunteers organization. All three Commissioners voiced their support. In the road report, District One Commissioner Dennis Purcell said the rain was very welcome since it had become almost too dry to grade. He said brush would be cut on Dent County Roads 6180, 6170, and 6175, plus materials would be added to county roads 6640 and 6470. Purcell also reported that white rock was being stockpiled at the Road and Bridge shed, and he had men out repairing and replacing vandalized road signs. District Two Commissioner Gary Larson reported that his crew was tidying up the low water crossing on Dent County Road 5260 and hauling materials there to block the crossing. He said the materials would be used to prepare approaches next week when the road reopens in mid week. Larson noted that the replacement of the three low water crossings this year was made possible by the 1/4 cent sales tax for Road and Bridge that tax payers passed. He also reported that part of his crew was working on #4 brush cutter and others were out cleaning out culverts. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles wanted to remind citizens of the over seven million dollars in lease certificates that are available in $5,000 increments for investors. L. J. Hart and Company should be contacted at 800-264-4477 for details and information. He said that the Courthouse would be closed Monday in observance of Columbus Day, and that Thursday, October 11th, there will be a pre-construction meeting for the Justice Center at 10:00 in the Judicial Building conference room on the second floor. The official ground breaking would be that afternoon at 1:00. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley wanted to remind voters that the last day to register to vote for the November election is Wednesday, October 10th, that absentee voting continues in her office, and that sample ballots can be obtained from her office. Richard LaBrash and Sheriff Bob Wells were in to discuss the “Ride for America.” Wells said that event is going to be held October 20th and that registration continues at Cowtown at Cuba. He said that he would have extra deputies on duty that day, plus there will be deputies riding SUV’s as part of the contingent. Wells went on to note that the ride would be about 76 miles long with riders departing The Commons around 8:00 in the morning and most should be back in by 5:00 that afternoon. He said Jadwin Canoe Rental will be the half way point with a break for lunch and refreshments at the campground. LaBrash said that all riders will receive a packet with all the guidelines, rules, etc., as well as listings of businesses in Salem and Dent County. Maps and detailed information will be released very soon. For more information contact Richard LaBrash at (573) 729-1394 or Sheriff Bob Wells at (573) 729-3241. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Thursday morning at 9:00 in the Courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

An accident happened Thursday morning at 4:45 in Iron County on Highway 32 about three miles west of Bixby. According to the highway patrol report, a 2003 Buick Regal driven eastbound by 39-year old Carl Norris of Salem, crossed the centerline and struck a 1995 Chevrolet 1500 driven westbound by 25-year old Tyler Dennison of Bixby. Norris suffered serious injuries and was taken to the Salem Memorial District Hospital by ambulance while Dennison suffered moderate injuries and was also taken by ambulance to the Salem Memorial District Hospital. Neither Norris nor Dennison were wearing seat restraints at the time of the accident. Both vehicles were totaled and removed from the scene by Blackie’s Towing.

A one vehicle accident occurred Wednesday morning at 10:30 on Route A about 10 miles east of Bixby in Iron County. According to the highway patrol report, a 2003 GMC Sierra driven by 68-year old Duane Wiltberger of Black, was traveling northbound when the Sierra traveled off the right side of the roadway, overturned and struck a tree. Wiltberger suffered minor injuries and was taken by ambulance to the Iron County Medical Center. Wiltberger was wearing a safety restraint at the time of accident. The GMC was totaled and removed from the scene by Anderson Towing.

The Salem Community Wide Yard Sale will be held tomorrow. People who have items they would like to get rid off are encouraged to participate in the yard sale. You can hold you yard sale at your own home, at the City Administrative Office parking lot on 4th Street just east of Iron Street, or with the permission of any property owner to use their location. If you wish to reserve space on the parking lot, you will need to call the City Administrative Offices at 729-4811. Each space may be reserved for $8.00 and more than one space can be reserved. Those spaces are reserved on a first come, first served basis. Also next week is the Fall Cleanup Week in the City of Salem. You can place at your curb side extra items you wish to dispose of such as stoves, washers, old clothes, microwaves, old grills, etc. You can also put out your recyclable leaf or grass bags and bundled branches at the curb, but not in the same location as your trash items. You cannot putout any petroleum products such as oil or transmission fluid, tires, paint and batteries. All your trash items will be picked up on your REGULAR pickup date.

“Reel Them in for Healthy Hearts” is the theme for the 55th Annual Rose Holland Trout Derby to be held this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Montauk State Park. Friday’s activities include a car cruise-in sponsored by the Current River Cruisers Car Club and Trout Bingo with Park Naturalist Steve Bost at 6:00 at the Campground Amphitheater. Then Saturday there will be SMDH free health screenings at the lodge, a country store at the meeting room across from the lodge, a bake shop from 7:30 in the morning until noon at the lodge, a Bar-B-Cue at the country store from 11:00 in the morning until 2:00 in the afternoon, kid’s activities including a bounce house and double slide, guided hikes, live entertainment and an auction beginning at 5:00. Prizes will be awarded on Sunday at 12:00 noon in front of the Dorman L. Steelman Lodge. Awards will go to the men and women’s heaviest stringer, kids’ heaviest stringer, heaviest brown trout and any tagged fish that have been caught and registered. The Rose Holland Trout Derby is sponsored by anglers and friends of Montauk State Park and coordinated with the Department of Natural Resources. All proceeds raised will benefit the American Heart Association.

If you have a properly equipped 3G or a 4G cellphone, it probably buzzed Wednesday at 1:18 for the first test of the new “Presidential Alert” wireless warning system. The alert should have warned you this was only a test and no action was needed. In many cases, your phone then aired an Emergency Alert System test like the ones you hear on radio and see on TV. You got this alert because your service provider is one of the more than 100 service providers that participate in the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system, which is run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA sent the alert as the first test of the system to push an alert to cellphones across the U.S.

The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors met Tuesday evening at the Dent County Fire House. The bills for the month of September were reviewed and approved, and the budget was reviewed. The monthly reimbursement report was presented with a total of 10 calls for the month of September including a brush fire, 1 landing zone, 2 first responder, 1 vehicle accident, 1 mutual aide, 1 haz-mat call, 2 fire alarms and two trainings. There has been 221 calls year to date with the average cost per call being $115.10. The next meeting date was set for Tuesday, November 6th at 6:00 at the Dent County Fire House. The meeting was then adjourned.

A two vehicle accident occurred at 7:45 Tuesday morning, September 25th at the intersection of Highway 32 and Park Street. According to the report released from the Salem Police department, a 1995 Chevrolet Suburban, driven by Susie Coffman of Salem, was entering onto Highway 32 from the Burger King parking lot and failed to yield to a 2007 Chevrolet Aveo driven by Leslie McBee of Salem. The McBee vehicle struck the Suburban in the driver’s side front door. The Suburban continued on and struck a MODOT sign, knocking it down, before coming to a rest. Both vehicles received extensive damage. McBee complained of neck pain and sought her own treatment.

An accident happened in Dent County Tuesday morning at 9:10 at 1715 Highway 32 West. According to the highway patrol report, a 2017 Dodge Ram, operated by 36-year old Sebastian Hernandez of Goshen, Wisconsin, was reversing when Hernandez attempted to exit the vehicle. The report stated he stepped on the accelerator causing the Dodge to accelerate backwards. The driver fell from the vehicle and was struck by it. Hernandez suffered minor injuries and refused treatment at the scene. The Dodge sustained minor damage and was driven from the scene.

The Salem Police Department has released the following reports. Wednesday September 26th at approximately 3:15 in the morning an officer located a 32 year-old female of Salem near Highway 32 and Warfel Street 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. That afternoon at approximately 12:54 an officer was contacted at the Salem Police Department in reference to a stolen license plate. Investigation of the report revealed a person or persons unknown took a license plate from a 2015 Ford that was parked near County Road 5040. The report is under investigation. Later that same afternoon at approximately 3:26 the School Resource Officer was contacted in reference to a theft. Investigation of the report revealed a juvenile female of Salem had stolen $200.00 from the wallet of a juvenile female also of Salem. The juvenile suspect was detained and released to a parent. The report will be forwarded to the Juvenile Office. Later Wednesday night at approximately 11:26 an officer was contacted at the Salem Police Department in reference to a forgery. Investigation of the report revealed that a 44 year-old female of Salem had altered a check written to her to pay out $700.00 more than the check was originally written for. Further investigation led to the arrest of the suspect who was released pending the application for a criminal summons. Thursday afternoon, September 27th, at approximately 1:31 an officer was dispatched to Wal-Mart in reference to a shoplifter. Investigation of the report led to the arrest of a 37 year-old female of Salem for stealing merchandise. The suspect was issued a summons to appear in court and released. Please contact the Salem Police Department at (573) 729-4242 if you have any information regarding an investigation ongoing or previously mentioned.

The Salem Board of Aldermen met Monday evening at the City Hall Council Chambers for their regular meeting. At the meeting, the board heard bids for a 2500 foot reel of #2 TRXLPE with a two inch red duct 15 KV 220 mil primary wire. The winning bid went to Cape Electric for $2.53 per foot. The board also heard bids for the fine screen and washing compactor equipment for the Waste Water Treatment Facility with the winning bid going to Eviro-Care Co. for $132,860; and also awarded a bid for the surface aeration for the Waste Water Treatment Facility for $89,335 to Aeration Industries International, LLC. After the consent agenda was approved, the board discussed a compact excavator for the cemetery. The city was looking at a Bobcat or a Kubota. New Public Works Director Mark Nash said to make the job more efficient, they wanted the long arm model and added to the bid a three foot bucket plus the two foot bucket as well as a frost attachment. He said the base track on the Kabota was longer and allowed for more stability and recommended the city go with that model from Wayde’s Equipment for $48,945.60. Salem Park and Recreation Director Tye Lydon presented a financial report for the summer time activities. Lydon said the revenues from the pool admission and parties along with the pool concession stand after direct expenses came to a profit of $940.35. The cost to operate the splash pad came in at $233.02 for the summer, so the water sports at the park came in $712.33 in the black. Lydon also reported on the baseball and softball program, the summer camp for kids, pavilion rentals, and the co-ed softball league showed the Park and Recreation Department Summer Programs netted a $23,484.71 gain over expenses. Public Works Director Nash said in his first ten days he has been getting around and meeting with the workers. He also said they have begun cleaning up a number of city properties and wants to create a schedule to keep them presentable. City administrator Ray Walden said he and City Clerk Mary Happel attended the Missouri Municipal League conference and attended numerous seminars. He went on to report he and Electric Department Supervisor Bryon Johns will be attending the Public Utility Alliance meeting to find out more about future rates and trends. Walden said the City Wide Yard Sale is this Saturday with the Fall Cleanup Week starting October 8th and lasting through the 12th on your regular pickup date. Remember to please place all your items at the curb you want picked up. Petroleum products, tires, batteries and paint can not be placed at the curb. You can also put out your leaves, grass clipping or limbs at the curb, but please keep them separate from the trash items. Walden said he will meet with the Old Middle School Committee again and hopes to have some information for the aldermen at the next meeting about what direction the city should go with the project. The board approved Bill #3401 that created an ordinance amending Ordinance #3390 that annexed the Al Brown Fields into the city. The new ordinance covers a parcel of the property that was omitted. The board went into closed session before adjourning the meeting.

Has your son or daughter signed up for the Missouri Department of Conservation has announced that Hunter Education Skills Sessions for this area yet? They will be held from 5:30 until 9:30 in the evening in Salem at the Salem Community Center@The Armory this Friday, October 5th; in Rolla at RTI on Tuesday, October 9th and Wednesday, October 10th; and again in Salem on Monday, October 15th at the Salem Community Center@The Armory. Certification is limited to those who are 11 years of age or older. Students should be sure to bring either a completed study guide called “Today’s Hunter” or a copy of the certificate verifying the completion of the online portion. Missouri’s hunter education course is required for any hunter born on or after January 1, 1967. There is no cost for the class. You can just go to the Missouri Department of Conservation website at huntfish.mdc.mo.gov and search for hunter education. If you are having difficulty registering online, you can contact the phone registration vendor at 1-888-283-0364. Event call center hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon.

Missouri has been given another extension to comply with the REAL ID Act. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security granted Missouri its second extension in less than a month Monday. This new extension runs through August 1st of 2019. With this extension, federal agencies will accept Missouri-issued driver’s licenses and ID cards for official purposes such as domestic air travel. In September, the agency issued an extension for Missouri through January 21st of 2019. Prior to that, Missouri’s extension was only valid through October 10th, 2018. In September, the Missouri Department of Revenue Director Joel Walters stated that he expects Missouri to be fully compliant with the REAL ID Act by March 2019.