Archive for 2020

The Dent County Fire Protection District board of directors met Tuesday evening at 6:00 at the fire station located at #2 South Main Street. After approval of the consent agenda, the minutes from the August meeting were reviewed and approved as presented. During the financial report, bills were reviewed and approved or the month. During the review of the calendar, it was noted that on the September 19th the Dent County Sheriff’s Department will be holding training, and on October 9th the Salem Memorial District Hospital will be installing child car seats. The monthly reimbursement report showed a total of 17 calls for the month of August including two structure fires, one car fire, and six first responder calls. The department was called to three vehicle accidents, had two training calls and responded to three fire alarms. This brings the calls year to date to 167 with the average cost per call being $120.01. In old business, Chief Brad Nash informed the board that the bathroom furnace had been installed. There were no reports or new business to discuss. The date for the next meeting was set for October 6th at the 6:00 at the fire station before the meeting adjourned.

Colonel Eric T. Olson, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, encourages everyone to plan for a safe 2020 Labor Day weekend. The Labor Day holiday is a busy boating weekend and it’s everyone’s responsibility to travel safely and observe all Missouri laws. It is also important to observe social distancing and other CDC guidelines related to the coronavirus, and stay home if you are ill. In 2019 over Labor Day, there were 11 boating crashes which included four injuries, and no fatalities. There were no drownings over last year’s Labor Day holiday. Troopers arrested 10 people for boating while intoxicated during last year’s counting period. Marine enforcement troopers will be working to make our waterways safer during the holiday weekend. Missouri’s boaters are asked to do their part by remaining alert for other boats and swimmers, and being courteous on the water. With more boats on the water, it is even more important to pay attention when operating a vessel. Remember: Smaller vessels should yield right-of-way to larger vessels. Boaters should avoid overloading their boat with too many passengers and always pay close attention to the boats around them. Never operate a vehicle or vessel while you are impaired as alcohol consumption slows reaction time. The public is encouraged to call the Patrol’s Emergency Report Line (800) 525-5555 or *55 on your cellular phone you they witness criminal activity or experience an emergency. If your celebration includes alcohol, designate someone else to drive whether you are in your boat or your car.

The U.S. Census Bureau continues to evaluate its operational plans to collect and process 2020 Census data. They are announcing updates to our plan that will include enumerator awards and the hiring of more employees to accelerate the completion of data collection and apportionment counts by our statutory deadline of December 31, 2020, as required by law and directed by the Secretary of Commerce. The Census Bureau’s new plan reflects their continued commitment protect the health and safety of the public and our workforce. A robust field data collection operation will ensure they receive responses from households that have not yet self-responded to the 2020 Census. They will improve the speed of the count without sacrificing completeness. As part of the revised plan, there will be additional training sessions and provide awards to enumerators in recognition of those who maximize hours worked. Field data collection will end by September 30, 2020. Self-response options will also close on that date to permit the commencement of data processing. Under this plan, the Census Bureau intends to meet a similar level of household responses as collected in prior censuses, including outreach to hard-to-count communities. Once they have the data from self-response and field data collection in their secure systems, they plan to review it for completeness and accuracy, streamline its processing, and prioritize apportionment counts to meet the statutory deadline. In addition staff will be increased to ensure operations are running at full capacity. The census bureau also recognizes that events can still occur that no one can control, such as additional complications from severe weather or other natural disasters. Priority will be given to the health and safety of the census workforce and the public and they will continue to follow Federal, state, and local guidance, including providing appropriate safety trainings and personal protective equipment to field staff. To date, 93 million households, nearly 63 percent of all households in the nation, have responded to the 2020 Census. If you know someone who has not yet responded, please encourage them to do so today online at 2020census.gov, over the phone at 1-844-330-2020, or by mail.

Due to COVID 19, the Salem Memorial District Hospital has extended their health fair screenings for the entire month of September, but the event will be held this time at the hospital. In an effort to comply with social distancing and to maintain a safer environment to serve the community, you will need to pre-register and schedule your health fair screenings to be performed at the hospital. You can register for the health fair profile which will include a full lipid profile, comprehensive metabolic panel as well as tests for uric acid and iron levels for a cost of $35. Other tests being offered include a hemoglobin A1c for $15. A TSH (thyroid) test, Urine microalbumin test, and the PSA test for men will still be offered for $15 each. A DEXA Scan test can also be scheduled for $35, however, this test will require an order from your physician. The screenings will be held Monday through Friday morning from 7:00 until 11:00, AND all appointments MUST be scheduled. Participants will enter through the north entrance of the hospital and be COVID screened after which the fees will be collected and consent forms will be signed prior to testing. Labs will be drawn in the hospital library, then patients will exit out of the same entrance. To schedule an appointment and pre-register, you may call Karen Brown Monday through Friday from 8:00 in the morning until 4:00 in the afternoon at 573-729-6626 extension 4005.

As the state attempts to return to normal amid the global pandemic, the Missouri Department of Transportation is dealing with a surge in work zone crashes despite decreased traffic volumes. MoDOT has already had 39 truck/trailer-mounted attenuators hit in work zones across the state this year. That compares with 19 hits at this time in 2019. Attenuators are like giant, crushable shock absorbers which absorb momentum and reduce the force of the impact. Damage to drivers and vehicles involved is lessened. MoDOT Director Patrick K. McKenna said they have had a 100% increase in TMA hits at a time when traffic on Missouri roads has decreased by nearly 50% for much of the year. That’s not only an overwhelming figure; it’s also completely avoidable with appropriate driver attention. Distracted driving has been recognized as a major factor in work zone crashes. Since 2014, cell phone related crashes in Missouri have increased by 35%. Using a cell phone in a car is potentially one of the most dangerous actions you can take while driving. Any time highway workers are present on a Missouri roadway – whether it’s a long-term lane closure, a moving operation, or shoulder work – your safety and the safety of those workers depends on drivers’ focus and attention. Since 2012, the state “Slow Down and Move Over” law requires motorists to slow down and change lanes when approaching MoDOT vehicles or law enforcement and emergency vehicles with lights flashing. Failure to do so is a Class A misdemeanor and can result in fines and/or imprisonment. To further underscore the importance of driving safely in work zones, last year Governor Mike Parson signed “Lyndon’s Law,” to revoke the driver’s license of anyone who hits a highway or utility worker in a work zone or an emergency responder in an emergency zone. Lyndon Ebker was a 30-year employee of MoDOT when he was hit and killed in a Franklin County work zone by a distracted driver in 2016. McKenna said that operating a motor vehicle—whether it is an 18-wheel commercial transport or the family sedan—is a full-time job. Road conditions can change in a heartbeat. We don’t want that heartbeat to be the last—either for you or our workers.

The Salem Police Department has released reports between the dates of August 15th and August 25th. On Saturday, the 15th at around 12:36 in the afternoon, an officer conducted a traffic stop on a motorcycle at the intersection of Center and Warfel Street and it was found that the driver was operating the motorcycle without a driver’s license and was found to be in possession of controlled substance, pills not prescribed to the driver. The driver, a 43-year-old Salem male was arrested and issued a summons to appear in court. Then on Sunday, August 16th near 10:00 in the evening, an officer conducted a traffic stop for an expired registration at the intersection of Jackson and Dent streets. Contact was made with the driver and it was discovered the he had a suspended driver’s license. As a result, a 31-year-old Salem male was arrested and later released on a summons. During the evening of Monday, August 17th around 8:49, an officer was dispatched to Phil-Mart for a report of a theft of propane. It was reported that two males had a propane tank filled and left without paying for the propane. The estimated amount of Propane that was not paid for was $20.53. The incident is still under investigation. On Wednesday, the 19th of August at around 10:30 in the morning, an officer was dispatched to the lobby of the police department to speak with a victim about someone using her debit card for approximately $1,800 of purchases without her consent. This incident is still under investigation. During the afternoon of August 21st near 2:20, an officer was dispatched to the lobby of the police department to speak with a victim about someone using her debit card without her consent in the amount of $877.00. This incident is still under investigation. Please contact the Salem Police Department at 729-4242 if you have any information regarding an ongoing investigation.

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse for their regular meeting. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams presented the CART money received by the county in August and the total figure came to $62,940.00 which is more than $2,900 over 2019 when the county received $60,037.34 in August. Year-to-date, the CART funds are $24,439.57 less than what was collected in 2019 which is about a 5.4% decrease. Williams also brought in the quarterly budgeted disbursement requests for the Salem Nutrition Center of $14,000 and the SMTS Bus Service of $6,750 which were signed by the commission. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell stated grading would be done on Dent County Roads 5080, 5090 and 6670 while materials will be added and grading done on county road 6245. Materials will also be added to Dent County Road 6250. Purcell said brush would be cut on county roads 4220 and 5120, and the work crews are 95% of the way finished with Dent County Road 5520 which they rebuilt last week. Purcell said 179 dump truck loads of clay material were used on the road. He said crossover pipes were installed and two inch clean rock was put down. Workers will be putting down 1 inch base over that and finish up the job this week. Purcell stated that the commission will sign the two Federal Land Access Program projects he has been working on so that the county can solicit engineering firms for the projects. The projects are the replacement of the Cooley Bridge on Dent County Road 5610 in the Bunker area, and the asphalting of the Tan Vat hill on Dent County Road 6670 that goes into Montauk State Park. County workers will prep that hill with the installation of a number of crossover pipes before at least four inches of asphalt is put down. The money for the project comes from the Federal Highway Administration and is distributed through MoDOT. The county will contract out both of these project and they must be completed by June 1, 2022. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson reported grading would be done on Dent County Roads 2540, 2550 and 3300 while materials would be added and grading done on county road 4380. Larson said brush would also be cut on county roads 3140 and 3150. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said he spoke with the Dent County Assessor Jamie Homeyer and she was able to secure a contract with her software vendor Clear Basin for one year to allow people to fill out and submit their personal property lists online for property tax assessment. There will be a $1,500 set up fee and $5,000 for the contract for one year. The county will submit this for reimbursement through the CARES Act funds. Skiles said he plans to travel to Columbia Wednesday representing CCAM in negotiations with the management of the Holiday Inn to see what can be done about the annual training having to be cancelled in 2021 that would have been held at the motel. Skiles hopes that an equitable arrangement can be reached, be it a small penalty or an extension of the contract that both sides can be happy with. Skiles also wanted to congratulate Judy Apperson from the Salem Community Center@The Armory on her retirement. Apperson helped create new county addresses through the rural addressing service that is handled out of their office. Skiles also presented an addendum to the MRPC contract for services for the CARES Act application review. The addendum indicates that participating counties would help pay for any attorney fees and postage costs of large packages dealing with the application process. The addendum was approved by the commissioners. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley wants to remind everyone the last day to register to vote for the General Election will be October 7th. Curley will be attending the Annual County Clerk Election Authority conference in Kansas City this week. The Commission had five CARES Act Reimbursement requests. One came from Green Forest R-2 School for $2,365.21, another from Northwood R-4 School for $33,831.30 and a third from the Salem Memorial District Hospital for $53,768.00, a fourth for the Ozark Dental center for $20,000 and the last one from the dent County Health Center for $7,831.67. The Commission approved all five requests. It was also announced that with Monday being Labor Day, the county commissioners will not meet again until September 14th at 9:00 at the courthouse.