Archive for 2019

An accident happened in Texas County Monday morning at 8:00 on Route VV about seven miles southeast of Licking. According to the highway patrol report, 48-year old Barbara Williams of Licking was driving a 2001 Chevrolet S-10 eastbound by when she fell asleep at the wheel. The Chevy traveled off the roadway and struck a tree. Williams suffered moderate injuries and was taken to the Texas County Memorial Hospital by the Texas County Ambulance. She was not wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Chevy S-10 was totaled and removed by a private party.

An accident occurred Tuesday morning at 6:38 in Maries County on Highway 68 about six miles north of St. James. According to the highway patrol report, a westbound 1999 Ford Ranger, driven by 27-year- old Cole Parker of Rolla, traveled off the right side of the roadway and overturned. Parker suffered serious injuries and was flown by Arch to MU Health in Columbia. The report stated that Parker was wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident. The Ford was totaled and removed from the scene by Ron Dishman’s Towing of Rolla.

The Dent County Sheriff’s Department has released a number of reports. On Wednesday, September 18th, deputies traveled to a residence in the 6500 block of East Highway 32 in an attempt to serve an arrest warrant. During the course of the incident, a 34-year-old Salem woman was arrested for an active warrant through the Dent County Sheriff’s Office, Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office, Phelps County Sheriff’s Office and Rolla Police Department. The woman was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office where she was incarcerated. On Thursday, September 19th, Dent County Deputies conducted a traffic stop in the 600 block of South Water Street. During the course of the traffic stop, a 21-year-old Salem man was arrested for driving while having his license revoked or suspended, a 2nd or subsequent offense and for the unlawful use of drug paraphernalia. The man was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office where he was fingerprinted, issued a summons and released. On Thursday, September 20th, deputies traveled to a residence on Route O for the report of a burglary. During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that $1,624.00 worth of items had been stolen. Later that same day, deputies conducted a traffic stop on Highway 72 and Dent County Road 2230. During the course of the traffic stop, a 30-year-old Salem man was arrested for driving while having his license revoked or suspended. The man was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office where he was fingerprinted, and issued a summons for driving while having a license revoked or suspended, failure to register a motor vehicle annually and for being an owner who operated a motor vehicle without maintaining financial responsibility. The man was then released. That very same day, deputies arrested a 40-year-old Salem man at the 3200 block of South Highway 19 due to active warrants through Dent and Texas County. The man was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office and was incarcerated. Also on September 20th, Dent County Deputies conducted a traffic stop in the parking lot of Phil-Mart. During the course of the traffic stop, a 21-year-old Salem man was arrested for possession of marijuana or synthetic cannabinoid of 10 grams or less, a prior drug offense. The man was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office where he was fingerprinted, issued a summons and released. On Saturday, September 21st, deputies traveled to a residence near 700 block of South Washington Street to serve an arrest warrant. During the course of the incident, a 21-year-old Salem man was arrested for having an active warrant through the Dent County Sheriff’s Office for the possession of marijuana or synthetic cannabinoid of 10 grams or less and the unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. The man was taken to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office where he was incarcerated. If you have any information regarding the theft or any ongoing investigation, contact the Dent County Sheriff’s Office at 573-729-3241.

The Healthy Dent County Fitness Center will hold a Self Defense Course during October. The class will be held Tuesday & Thursday evenings in October (excluding Halloween) from 6:00 to 8:00. Steve Walberg, a Retired Correctional Officer with the Department of Corrections, is the instructor for the class. This course is designed to help females become more aware, prepared, and ready for any situation that may occur in everyday life. It will teach break-away and escape techniques for surviving an attack. Each lesson will be approximately 2 hours long. The course will be held at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory on the gym floor. The cost of the program is $45 or $35 if you are a fitness center member. The class is limited to the first 20 participants to register. Call 573-739-1127 or email director@salemfitnesscenter.org for more information. You can also stop by 1200 West Rolla Road for more information.

October is breast cancer awareness month and you’re invited to join the Salem Memorial District Hospital in showing support for those who have lost their life to breast cancer, survived breast cancer, or are currently fighting breast cancer, on Tuesday, October 1st. The Rising Above Breast Cancer walk will begin at noon leaving from the area around the post office and be escorted by the members of the Salem Police department down to and around the courthouse square. Detect it, treat it, and defeat it.

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the Dent County Courthouse for their regular meeting. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell stated grading was going to be done on Dent County Roads 5490 and 5500 while brush was going to be cut on county roads 2400, 6280 and 6283. Purcell said the low water crossing overlay and upgrade on Dent County Road 6580 near Highway 119 has been completed and that crossing is now open to the public. Purcell did say the work crews would be moving south on county road 6580 to the Pigeon Creek crossing where work crews will begin prepping that road for upgrading. This crossing will now be closed to through traffic. This is a major upgrade with the replacement of two pipes and concrete work. The crews plan on pouring concrete on Wednesday, weather permitting, and would hope to have the road back open soon. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson stated materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Road 2120 while brush was going to be cut on county road 4010. Larson said crews are still working on truck #69 as not all the parts came in, and crews were working on brush cutter #6 before it went out to cut brush. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said he would be attending a CCAM Committee Board meeting in Jefferson City to interview firms to represent CCAM’s priorities to the state legislature. The commissioners then met with John Garvey Monday morning to get an update on the opiod litigation. At the last meeting, the commission was updated on the work being done on the jail project and reviewed the budget payments that totaled $7,852,159.52. The commissioners discussed some pending items before taking a tour of the jail. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

A man from St. Louis lost his life Sunday afternoon in Reynolds County on county road 849 about ten miles east of Bunker after an UTV accident. According to the highway patrol report, a 14-year old juvenile was driving a 2011 Polaris Ranger westbound when he lost control of the UTV and it overturned onto its right side, ejecting a passenger on the UTV who was 66-year old Ura Humes of St. Louis. Humes was pronounced dead at 3:55 Sunday afternoon by Reynolds County Coroner Jeff McSpaddin. Humes body was transported by the coroner to the McSpaddin Funeral Home in Ellington. According to the report, neither the driver nor the passenger was wearing a safety device at the time of the accident. The UTV was removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing of Salem.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education met on Thursday, September 19th at the district administrative offices. Superintendent John McColloch gave an update on the lighting project, the CDBG Workforce Grant Application as well as the recent facility planning committee meeting. McColloch introduced Amber Pryor who gave an update on the computer science program. The building principals all gave their reports that showed that William Lynch Elementary School had a current enrollment of 273 students, the Middle School has 248 students and the High School has 574 students. High School Principal Marty Anderson reported that 53 students were earning 344 dual credit hours. In the construction trades report, the Construction 2 class is working on a 20′ x 180’ lumber building for Roberts/Judson while the Construction 1 class is working on the Fleming Building. There are building a new back entrance, new stairs, new bathrooms, tearing out drywall and all the old electric. They are running new electric in the building, and also supporting the existing floor structure. The construction trade Introductory class is working on plans and figuring material for a 8′ x 10′ storage shed, building a 4′ x 4′ dog house for a customer, building an oak podium as well as working on plans and figuring material for 18′ x 8′ shelves for one of our teachers. The bus routes were approved by the board as was the Special Education Compliance Plan. The board set the 2020 graduation date for May 15th at 7:00 at the High School Football Field. The board went on to approved the MSBA 2019B Policy updates before going into closed session where the board approved employing Kristy Bermudez as the assistant varsity volleyball coach and Kristi Steelman as head varsity volleyball coach for the remainder of the year. The board also heard about two personnel issues from Superintendent McColloch before the board came out of closed session and the regular meeting was adjourned.

A two vehicle accident involving a Salem resident occurred Friday evening shortly after 6:00 in Texas County on Route CC about six miles north of Licking. The highway patrol report states that a 2014 Chevrolet Equinox being driven by 51-year old Daryl Hunter of Salem, was westbound on Route CC when he crossed the center line and struck a 1991 Chevrolet Blazer being driven by 42-year old Craig Dotson of Rolla. Dotson sustained moderate injuries and was transported by Texas County EMS to Phelps Health in Rolla. Both vehicles were totaled in the accident and removed from the scene by Jay’s Automotive. According to the report, both drivers were wearing seat restraints at the time of the accident.

A one vehicle accident occurred Friday evening at 6:20 on Highway 49 in Iron County about two miles south of Viburnum. According to the report released by the highway patrol, a 2009 Ford Taurus driven by 23-year old Raymond Dunn of Viburnum was traveling south on Highway 49 when he ran off the left side of roadway and struck a tree. Dunn was taken by ambulance to Salem Memorial District hospital for treatment of moderate injuries. The Taurus sustained moderate damage and was towed from the scene by Blackies Towing of Viburnum. The driver was not wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident.

The Salem Police Department has released the following reports. Tuesday night, September 10th, at approximately 8:09, an officer located a 28-year-old male of Salem in the 100 block of South Pershing who had an active arrest warrant from Whitfield County, Georgia. The suspect was taken into custody on the warrant and incarcerated pending extradition. Then on Thursday night, September 12th at about 11:14, an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 500 block of East Roosevelt in reference to a theft. The investigation of the report revealed a person or persons unknown entered a residence, took an air conditioner and other items valued at $295.00. The report is under investigation. The next day, Friday the 13th near 7:05 in the morning, an officer located a 31-year-old male of Salem at Wal-Mart who had an active arrest warrant from Texas County, Missouri. The suspect was taken into custody on the warrant and incarcerated pending extradition. Finally, on Sunday morning, September 14th at approximately 7:57, a vehicle was stopped for a traffic violation. The investigation of the stop led to the arrest of a 31-year-old male of Salem for driving without having a valid driver’s license. The suspect was issued a summons to appear in court and released. Please contact the Salem Police Department at 729-4242 if you have any information regarding any ongoing investigation.

If you need plants or shrubs for you landscaping, go native with the Missouri Department of Conservation. Native trees and shrubs can help improve wildlife habitat and soil and water conservation while also improving the appearance and value of private property. George O. White State Forest Nursery near Licking offers a variety of low-cost native tree and shrub seedlings for reforestation, windbreaks, erosion control, 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, pecan, persimmon, river birch, maple, willow, sycamore, blackberry, and many others native to Missouri. Seedlings are available in bundles of 10 or increments of 25 per species. Prices range from .22 to .90 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. Receive a 15-percent discount up to $20 off seedling orders with a Heritage Card, Permit Card, or Conservation ID Number. According to the MDC Nursery Supervisor, some species are very limited and he encourages people not to wait when placing their orders. You can learn more and place orders through MDC’s “2019-2020 Seedling Order Form” and you can find it 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. You may place orders now through April 15, 2020. Orders will be shipped or can be picked up at the nursery near Licking from February through May.