Archive for 2019

An accident occurred Friday afternoon at 12:20 on Dent County Road 2470 about a quarter mile North of Highway 32. According to the report released from the highway patrol, a 2010 Ford Focus driven by 38-year old Mary Kitchens of Salem, was westbound and ran off the right side of the road, into a ditch and overturned. Suffering minor injuries in the accident was Kitchens, and a passenger in the Focus, 29-year old Bryant Mendenhall, also of Salem. Both were transported by ambulance to the Salem Memorial District Hospital for treatment. The Focus was totaled in the accident and towed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing. According to the highway patrol, Kitchens was not wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident, however, Mendenhall was wearing a safety restraint.

The Salem Planning and Zoning Commission will be meeting at 6:30 tonight for a public hearing for the approval of a plat for Scenic Rivers Plaza Subdivision, Ridge Properties I, L.L.C. before the commission holds a public meeting on the proposed subdivision starting at 6:30. The regular Board of Aldermen meeting will begin at 7:00, and after the consent agenda, the Board of Alderman will reorganize with a President of the Board being determined. The board will hear from Gary Brown on the results of the hearing and meeting of the City of Salem Planning and Zoning Commission. Park and Recreation Director Tye Lydon will then give his report before City Administrator Ray Walden gives his report followed by City Attorney William Camm Seay who will give an update on nuisances. The board will discuss the dumping of the sewage from Porta-Potties from Black’s A-1 Septic, LLC. The Board will then discuss Bill #3413 that would allow Mayor Brad Nash to enter into an agreement with the city and Wave technologies to install a wireless broadband access point on the Water Tower on Condray for one year effective from February 1st, 2019. the board will then go into closed session to discuss contracts, real estate and personnel. The Planning and Zoning Hearing, Planning and Zoning Meeting and regular Board of Aldermen meeting tonight will all be open to the public.

The Salem FFA Chapter placed third in the horse evaluation and selection career development event at the 91st Missouri FFA Convention April 25th and 26th in Columbia. There were 47 teams in the competition. The team members are Jodie Dean, Parker Vanwyk, Monica Jessen and Wesley Willams. Individually, Dean placed fifth, Vanwyk placed 17th, Jessen placed 74th and Willams placed 159th out of 176 participants. Salem FFA advisors are Lane Howard and Heather Johnson. The contestants were evaluated in five classes of horses for performance and conformation and presented oral reasons on two of the five classes judged. In addition, the students competed as a team in a problem-solving activity over equine science selection, management and production. Through this event, students become acquainted with current market and industry trends. Sponsored by University of Missouri, Columbia, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, this CDE is one way the FFA prepares student members for career success. CDE’s engage student learning and make a real connection to lifetime goals. The Missouri FFA has 25,375 members representing 347 chapters.

The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors will hold their monthly meeting Tuesday night beginning at 6 PM at #2 South Main. After the call to order of the outgoing board and roll call the board will approve the consent agenda and review minutes from the previous meeting. Following the financial report and approval of bill there will be a calendar review and monthly reimbursement report then old and the Declaration of Election Results will be done, which will be followed by Departing Remarks and the 2018-2019 Board will adjourn Sine Die. The oath of office will be administered to the new Directors. The Board Secretary will call the Incoming Board to order and the election of officers will take place. New business will then be addressed including depository and withdrawal authorizations and the signing of signature cards. The board may vote to go into closed session if necessary. The date will then be set for the June 4th meeting at 6:00 at the Fire Station prior to adjournment. The meeting is open to the public.

The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Thursday morning in the Dent County Courthouse. Doug Barnes was in from Town & Country Bank with two additional documents that they failed to bring to Monday’s signing of the lease/purchase financing agreement. The Commissioners signed the paperwork. In the road report District One Commissioner Dennis Purcell said that his district received 2.1 inches of rainfall and some high winds, so some of his crew was out checking for downed limbs and trees, while others were cleaning out culverts. He also reported that he had a man stockpiling white rock, plus going after a load of 3/8” chips for chip and seal repairs. Purcell said that he had a man replacing the pintle hitch on Truck #123. District Two Commissioner Gary Larson reported that he had two men hauling rock to the stock pile. The rest of his crew was checking for washouts and downed trees. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said that he planned to attend the Economic Development Workshop Thursday evening. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley noted that bills were being approved for payment. Commissioner Larson noted that the Commission needed to take bids for chip and seal overlay for the summer. The Commissioners voted 3-0 to open bids at 10:00 May 16th. Bid specifications can be obtained by contacting Curley’s office. Camm Seay stopped in to discuss a number of judicial issues with the Commissioners. At Monday’s meeting phone bids were taken for diesel fuel for the Road and Bridge Department. The bid was awarded to Phil Mart with the low bid of $2.26 per gallon for 7,500 gallons. Dent County Collector Shannon VanKirk was in to propose that the current contract with the City of Salem be extended for another four years for the collection of City of Salem taxes. The contract specifies the payment to Dent County in the amount of $12,000 and to VanKirk for $5,500. The Commissioners approved the contract 3-0. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams was in to discuss the depository agreement bid that will be from July 31st, 2019 through July 31st, 2023. The Commissioners voted 3-0 to seek bids for depository agreement and they will be due and opened May 16thh at 10:00 a.m. The next regular meeting of the Commissioners will be Monday morning in the Courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The Missouri Conservation Commission and Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) recently honored Pioneer Forest’s longtime forest manager Clint Trammel posthumously by inducting him into the Missouri Conservation Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony was held during Pioneer Forest’s annual community barbecue in Salem on April 25. Trammel was also honored during the ceremony with a second plaque presented by the Missouri Consulting Foresters Association and the L-A-D Foundation. The L-A-D Foundation now owns Pioneer Forest after founders Leo and Kay Drey donated the property to the organization in 2004. The privately-owned, 143,000-acre Pioneer Forest is located in the heart of the Missouri Ozarks. Trammel died June 21, 2018, at the age of 78 following a lifelong passion for and career in forestry. He joined the staff of Pioneer Forest in 1970 after several years working for MDC. He served as forest manager for 28 of his 35 years at Pioneer Forest and is that organization’s longest-serving forest manager. He held a master’s degree in Forestry from the University of Missouri in Columbia. He was co-founder and first president of the Missouri Consulting Foresters Association and a founding member of the Forest Stewards Guild. In 2005, he was named Missouri Forest Conservationist of the Year by the Conservation Federation of Missouri.