Archive for 2020

Congratulations goes out to the three winners of this year’s KSMO Big Christmas Giveaway drawn this past weekend. This year’s winners were Sierra Miller from Echo Bluff State Park, Bonnie Quick from Southtown Furniture and Tiffany Smith from Fairground Auto Plaza. KSMO Radio, Echo Bluff State Park, Southtown Furniture and Fairground Auto Plaza want to thank everyone that participated in the contest and wish everyone a very, Merry Christmas!

The Dent County Commission met Monday morning at the courthouse for their regular meeting. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams presented the CART taxes received this month and they came to $59,041.53 and that is down from December of 2019 by $676.46. Year-to-date, the CART funds received are down $32,164.32 in 2020 and that comes to a reduction of 4.6%. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell stated grading would be done on Dent County Roads 4210, 5680, 6610 and 6620 while brush would be cut on county roads 4160 and 5650. Purcell said he attended the South Central Missouri Community Action Agency meeting last Tuesday and they still have money available for weatherization, and home repair, and they still have emergency assistance available for those who may need help with their utility bills as well as rent or mortgage. There are income guidelines to qualify for this assistance. For more information, contact Sarah at 729-3500. Purcell also said that on Thursday, he virtually attended the Corridor Advisory Team meeting on the replacement or rehabilitation of two bridges on Highway 19 south. For those interested, public comments can be made by going to modot.org/roundspringbridges. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson reported materials would be added and grading done on county roads 2030, 4050 and 4055, while only grading would be done on Dent County Road 4480. He added brush would be cut on county road 4030. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said the assessor’s office has been quarantined and would be closed until December 29th. If you have a question, call 729-6060 or e-mail dentcounty@embarqmail.com. He said he attended a CCAM meeting with the executive officers Tuesday and they worked on the virtual commissioners February training and also discussed possibly having a half day special training for newly elected commissioners. Skiles also said they discussed possible legislative issues including the publishing of county condensed financial statements. He also said they support having the prosecuting attorney’s salary paid by the state. He went on to say the courthouse would be closed Thursday and Friday for Christmas. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said she balanced with the treasurer on all accounts for the month of November, and she is still working on the 2021 county budget. At 10:00, the commission opened bids for the county’s auto, liability as well as errors and omissions insurance. They received three bids and the commission awarded the winning bid to the Hollida Insurance Agency, LLC from Poplar Bluff for $115,581 for the 2021 year. At the last meeting, Dent County Collector Shannon VanKirk brought in her turnover report of $1,314,323.79 for the month of November. The Commissioners also approved CARES Act funding for All Accounted For of $15,888.18, Shelton Fabrication at $50,000, KSMO Enterprises of $2,968.17, Oak Grove Baptist Church of $2,681.98, the Dent County Health Center at $17,985.49, Plank Investments of $50,000, Curley and Co. Salon at $10,670, Cornerstone, Inc. of $4,210.98, Williams American Construction, Inc. of $50,000, SACBA at $13,052.55, Wisdom Drug, LLC for $50,000, the Montauk Rural Fire District of $1,590.00 and the Vogue family Hair Care at $4,024.52. The next meeting will be Monday, December 28th at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public. The next meeting will be Monday, December 28th at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

Thursday night at the Salem R-80 High School Library, the Salem R-80 board of Education met for their regular December board meeting. Superintendent Dr. Lynne Reed explained the savings from the refunding of the bonds the board agreed to saved $123,047 and that is about $17,000 more than projected. After the budget update, Reed reported there have been some investments in the Youth Opportunity Program for the Salem R-80 Construction Trades Program, but there is still a ways to go. She said when people review their end of the year tax situation, they tend to look for these type of tax credits that are available with the CBDG grants that are 50% of the investment made over $500. The board then heard from Auditor Matt James from Willow Springs who said the audit went well. He said he offered a clean opinion on the financial statements as well on the federal awards. James said the Salem R-80 School District’s net cash position decreased by $148,472 from $4,883,675.91 for the 2018-19 school year to $4,735,203.37 for the 2019-20. He said the district was very consistent with their expenses, but he did note the district real estate appraised values were up about $2 million dollars which did generate additional tax revenues. Athletic Director Phillip Karr reported on the last Athletic Advisory Committee meeting in December and said the next meeting would be held on January 13th to establish the organization of youth sports in the Salem and Dent County area. The board selected Brecklyn Holt as the recipient of the MSBA Belcher Scholarship Recipient, approved the renewal of the MUSIC liability insurance which offers the same coverage with an increase in cost of $7,000, and they tentatively approved a request from Choir Director Elaine Russell to allow students to travel to a national choir competition in either Orlando or Nashville in April. This will be re-evaluated in February to see where the COVID-19 virus situation stands at that time. The board heard from Amber Pryor about students receiving fine arts credit for multimedia instruction in commercial art and business in a new class being developed as part of the two year business course implementation plan at the high school. The board also approved the mask mandate for the second semester for all schools which was explained in letters sent to parents. If you need more information about the mandate, the information is available on the Salem R-80 website.

The Salem Board of Aldermen will meet this evening at the City Hall Council Chambers at 202 North Washington Street at 7:00. After the consent agenda, the board will hear from City Administrator Ray Walden who will provide an update on a number of city projects. The board will then hear and discuss Resolution #22-2020 that approves the sale of surplus city inventory and personal property that is being deemed obsolete and unusable by the city. The board will then hear Mayor Brad Nash suggest adding Jon Mihalka to the airport board before they go into closed session to discuss personnel. The meeting of the Salem Board of Aldermen tonight is open to the public.

The Dent County Assessor’s office in the Dent County Courthouse has been placed on quarantine through December 29th. The 2021 Assessment forms were mailed on December 16th and can be returned to our office by mail to 400 N Main, Salem, MO 65560, or placed in the drop box in front of the court house, or in the box by our Assessor window. Please make sure you have signed your form and put your phone number in case we have any questions. If you need other assistance with assessments, you may leave a message at 573-729-6010 and we will do our best to return your call as soon as we are able. You can also send us an email at: dentcounty@embarqmail.com. They apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience and understanding.

Dent County Prosecutor Andrew Curley has released some reports from last week. In Crawford County on December 8th in front of Judge Kelly Parker, Joshua Benton of Bunker, who was on probation for domestic assault in the 3rd degree after completing the state 559 program, absconded from supervision and his probation was revoked. He was then sentenced to serve four years in the Department of Corrections. On Monday, December 14th in front of Judge Parker, Brice Mullins of Salem had his probation revoked. He was sentenced to six years in the Department of Corrections. He has additional charges for the distribution of a controlled substance from the recent drug roundup that are unresolved at this time. Then on Thursday in Dent County in front Judge Benjamin Thompson, Megan Fisk of Salem pled guilty to the possession of methamphetamine from a charge in 2017 and the distribution of meth in 2020. Fisk was sentenced to ten years in the Department of Corrections under the RSMO Section 559.115 program which calls for a 120 day shock incarceration as requested by the prosecutor.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors in closed session discussed and approved a contract for services with the Cerner Information Technology Company out of Kansas City to merge their electronic health records into a single system. This process will take between 12 and 15 months and is being done to allow all the departments at the hospital to be able to access a patient’s file without having to change systems. There is no cost for this to be done until they go live sometime in the year 2022.

The Salvation Army Dent County Service Unit is asking for your help in meeting their Christmas Kettle goal of $35,000 this year. With only three days left to ring the bell at the familiar red kettle, the local organization is falling short of their goal. Christmas season is the only time that funds are raised locally. The $35,000 goal was established by the local board and has been the same goal for nearly 5 years, but with the pandemic hitting our community, they are for the first time ever, facing the goal not being reached. The Dent County Service Unit assists over 250 families each year with financial assistance with things like, utility bills, rent/mortgage payments and prescription costs. Families that lose their homes to fire are also assisted by the organization. If you would like to help the local board reach their goal, send your tax-deductible check in the mail to P.O. Box 190, drop off a check at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory, or drop off your donation in the red kettles that are located at Wal-Mart, Country Mart and Dollar General today, tomorrow and Christmas Eve. Your donation will stay locally to assist families in their time of need.

At the Salem R-80 Board of Education meeting Thursday night following a long discussion between administrators, principals and board members, the board adopted implementing a plan for a district mask mandate for the second semester. There is flexibility in the plan as pre-kindergarten through 5th grade students will have to wear a mask on the bus, in the hallways and when working in small groups. They will NOT have to wear masks in their cohort classroom, PE class and recess. Students in 6th through 12th grade as well as staff will be required to wear masks when less than six feet from another person, in classrooms, hallways and common areas. Students in all grade levels will be required to masks at school events (ballgames) and adults are encouraged to do so as well, plus any visitors to the buildings during the day will be required to wear a mask. This is being done to keep students and staff safer and to reduce the number of staff and students from being quarantined. A letter will be sent out by the Superintendent’s Office to all parents with a full explanation of the plan on today. It will also be on the school’s website.