Archive for 2020

The Salem Board of Aldermen held a meeting Monday at the City Hall Auditorium and followed social distancing guidelines. Alderman Kim Steelman was not at the meeting. After a description by Public Works Director Mark Nash, the board approved the purchase of a battery operated Wire Squeezing Tool from Fletcher Reinhardt for $4,510. After the consent agenda, the board heard from City Administrator Ray Walden. He said the Salem Community Center@The Armory had a total of 4,471 participants that included the fitness center, public access, meetings and more. Walden said he released a statement that updated the information on city operations and reminded the public to be vigilant in their efforts to follow the guidelines established due to the COVID 19 virus. Walden reminded everyone that Spring Cleanup Weeks are this week on your regular trash day as well as next week on your regular trash day. He said there would be an appliance, electronics and tire collection at the Salem sewer and water construction parking lot at 3rd and Grand Streets on Saturday, May 16th from 9:00 in the morning until 1:00 in the afternoon. Anything with a cord or battery operated can be brought in. Participants will have to stay in their vehicle as helpers will unload the items. There will be a charge for TV’s, monitor screens, tires and refrigerated appliances with freon. Questions can be answered by calling Jill Hollowell at 573-265-2993. The pickup is sponsored by the City of Salem, the MRPC, the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District and funded by the Department of Natural Resources. Walden then gave a detailed report on capital projects for the aldermen discussing which items have been completed, others projects that probably won’t get done this year and many that will come in under budget. City Clerk Mary Happel went over the health and life insurance options for the city. She said the city received renewal rates form United Health Care that went up 6% from last year, but if they moved their life insurance to United Heath Care from Anthem, the increase would only be 2%. The increase in cost for the life insurance change was one penny a month per employee with the change otherwise it would have been $5.20 per employee per month, while the cost for the base monthly health insurance plan was reduced to $402.90 per month. Last year, the benefits were capped at $550.00 per employee and this year the employees who use the HSA plan will receive $61.82 into their HSA account per month from the city, while those who want the better coverage will have to pay $69.27 more per month. The board approved going with United Health Care for the health and life insurance. The board approved Bill #3448 that adds the Municipal Records Management to Chapter 122 of the Municipal Code; approved Resolution 8-2020 that will offer a 5% rebate on the electric and water bill for those customers who are current and want to pay up to their April 30th billing; and approved Resolution 9-2020 that will change the city’s utility payment plan from three months to as many as 12 months. The board postponed their vote on replacing Doris Stempniak who resigned from the Salem Housing Authority with Richard LaBrash until they get more clarification if it is Richard LaBrash Sr or Richard LaBrash Jr who will be taking her place. The meeting was then adjourned.

A one vehicle accident happened shortly after 5:00 Monday afternoon in Phelps County on highway 63 about five miles south of Rolla. The report from the highway patrol states that a 2015 Nissan Versa driven by 20-year old Elijah Hamilton of Edgar Springs was traveling north when he ran off the right side of the road and struck an embankment. Hamilton, who was not wearing a safety device, was transported by ambulance to Phelps Health in Rolla for treatment of minor injuries. The Nissan was totaled in the accident and removed from the scene by C&C Towing.

The Dent County Sheriff’s Department has released some reports for April. On Tuesday, April 28th, a deputy traveled to a residence in the 1300 block of South Main Street to serve an arrest warrant. During the course of the incident, a 36-year-old Salem man was arrested for having an active warrant through Dent County. The man was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office Jail and incarcerated. The next day the Dent County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a suspicious vehicle that was parked in the 1700 block of Iron Mountain Road. Deputies responded to the area and checked on the vehicle. During the course of the incident, a 28-year-old Rolla man was arrested for possession of a controlled substance except 35 grams or less of marijuana. The man was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office where he was fingerprinted, issued a summons and released. On Thursday, April 30th, a deputy conducted a traffic stop in the 100 block of East Hunt Street. During the course of the incident, a 41-year-old Salem man was arrested for the possession of a controlled substance, driving while having his license revoked or suspended and delivering or possessing a controlled substance at a county jail. The man is currently incarcerated at the Dent County Sheriff’s Office Jail. Later that same day a deputy traveled to a residence in the 1000 block of Dent County Road 5070 to serve an arrest warrant. During the course of the incident, a 33-year-old Salem man was arrested for having an active arrest warrant through Dent County. The man was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office where he later posted bond and was released. If anyone has information regarding an ongoing investigation, please contact the Dent County Sheriff’s Office at 729-3241.

The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Monday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. Dent County Health Center Administrator Kendra Mobray attended the meeting to let the commission know that many businesses were opening or expanded their services Monday with suggested guidelines by Governor Mike Parson. Mobray said Dent County still has had no positive coronavirus tests as of Monday morning. Salem and Dent County Economic Development Director Sally Burbridge was in attendance to let the commission know she has been working with over 50 companies in town to keep them updated through the ‘Stay at Home” order and will be available for any questions that may come up. She said a couple of new business leads occurred but nothing solid as of Monday morning. She said she has been working on the city and county branding and brought in a sample for the commissions to review which they liked. The website is still under construction, but moving forward. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell indicated materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 4122, 4124 and 5600 while only grading would be done on county road 5550; and only materials would be added to county road 5900. Purcell said brush would be cut on county road 6210 and that the tourism tax income for March took a hit due to the “Stay at Home” order and was down $4,068.82 from March of 2019. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson stated grading would be done on Dent County Roads 3220, 3225 and 5260 while materials would added and grading done on county road 2540. He also reported brush would be cut on county road 2110. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles talked with the commissioners about the Coronavirus Relief Fund in which $521 million federal dollars were sent to the State of Missouri in which they in turn distributed to the individual counties. The counties are to properly allocate the funds for direct coronavirus expenses incurred as well as to be distributed as grants to small businesses to reimburse them for the cost of their business interruption caused by required closures. Dent County will be receiving $1,827,024. Skiles said there are very restrictive guidelines to many parts of the fund and other guidelines that have yet to be established or interpreted on other parts. He also said the monies distributed would be subject to intense scrutiny and if not done properly, the county would be responsible to pay the funds given out back. He said the logistics on how to distribute the money would be a local nightmare and suggested that an organization like the MRPC would be better staffed to be able to provide a better service for those who need the help. He said he would like to get everything organized where the application process and distribution methods were in place before asking for any business to apply. The funds can be used to reimburse direct expenses from March 1st through December 30th, 2020. Any monies distributed from this fund would have to be done before March 21st, 2021. The board then set a meeting for Tuesday, May 26th at 9:00 with a budget hearing set for 9:30 that morning. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported the new tentative budget would be available in her office on May 12th. She said absentee voting continues and the testing of the voting equipment will be done on Friday, May 22nd at 9:00. She said her office would be open for absentee voting on Saturday, May 30th from 8:00 in the morning until 12:00 noon. She also stated that she and the county treasurer balanced on all accounts for the month of April. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

A free University of Missouri Extension webinar series on home gardening begins 6:30 this evening. MU Extension specialists developed the eight-part series to help people who want to grow healthy foods, according to Juan Cabrera-Garcia, MU Extension horticulturist. The eight-part evening series includes an hour of instruction and 30 minutes for questions and answers. Registrants may attend individual sessions or the entire series. Classes cover the basics of cool- and warm-season gardening, including container gardening, from fertility to food preservation. Topics and specialists teaching the webinar include Planning Your Garden on May 5th with Donna Aufdenberg. Crop Fertility on May 12th with Justin Keay, Insects in Your Garden on May 19, Tamra Reall, Disease Prevention and Management on May 26th with Debi Kelly, Cool Season Crops on June 2nd, David Trinklein, Warm Season Crops on June 9th, with Katie Kammler, Container Gardening on June 16th, with David Trinklein. The sessions will conclude with Preserving the Harvest on June 23rd with Leslie Bertsch. You can register for each Wednesday night class at extension2.missouri.edu/events/home-gardening-webinar-series or email jcabrera-garcia@missouri.edu to learn more.

An accident happened in Dent County on Highway 19 about ten miles north of Salem Sunday afternoon at 12:54. According to the highway patrol report, 25-year old John Mogab of Sullivan was driving a 2008 Ford Ranger when he swerved to miss a dog and traveled off the left side of the road where he struck an embankment and overturned. Mogab suffered minor injuries and was taken by a private conveyance to Phelps Health in Rolla. The Ford Ranger was totaled and removed from the scene by American Muffler and Tire of Salem. Mogab was not wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident.

Today many businesses that were considered “non-essential” will be opening back up, bank lobbies will reopen, and restaurants will be allowed to have inside dining again, although there will be some restrictions. Please check out the industry specific guidelines that have been released as part of the “Show Me Strong Recovery” plan. Those guidelines provide specific regulations, as well as do’s and don’ts for churches, food establishments, lodging and outfitters, barber shops, beauty salons, nail salons, tattoo parlors, gyms and hotel swimming pools. To view the guidelines check out the Dent County Health Center’s Facebook Page. You can also contact Kendra Mobray at the Health Center at 729-3106 or email dentcountymocovid19@gmail.com.

A one vehicle accident happened Friday afternoon around 2:40 in Crawford County on Highway 19 near Route VV. According to the report from the highway patrol, a 2000 Harley-Davidson motorcycle being ridden by 40-year old April Cahill of Rolla was southbound on Highway 19 when she failed to negotiate a curve and ran off the right side of the roadway striking a sign before overturning. Cahill suffered moderate injuries and was transported to Phelps Health Hospital in Rolla by a Dent County Deputy. The Harley sustained moderate damage and was removed from the scene by C&C Towing.

An accident happened Friday night in Crawford County Friday night at 11:35 on westbound Interstate 44 near the 206 mile marker. According to the highway patrol report, a 2003 Honda VTR Motorcycle driven westbound by 50-year old Danny Kent of St. James, swerved to avoid contact with another vehicle. The Honda overturned and traveled off the left side of the roadway. Kent suffered moderate injuries and was transported to Phelps Health by the St. James Ambulance. He was wearing safety equipment at the time of the accident. The motorcycle was totaled and removed from the scene by Spurgeon’s Towing of St. James.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen will be meeting tonight at 7:00 in the City Hall Auditorium for their regular meeting. For those who want to attend, you will need to enter through the doors on the north side of the building. At the meeting, the board will hear bids for a battery operated wire squeezing tool before reviewing the consent agenda. After the agenda is approved, the board will receive an update from City Administrator Ray Walden about city projects, get an update on capital projects and discuss the health and life insurance premiums for the employees for the city. The board will hear bill #3448 that amends Chapter 122 of the municipal code for the City of Salem that deals with the Open Meeting and Records Policy by adding a new section dealing with the municipal records management. The board will discuss Resolution 8-2020 that would adopt a policy on creating utility rebate credits for the City of Salem of 5% on electric and water billing on usage from January 24th through April 30th. The board will also discuss Resolution 9-2020 that would amend the City of Salem Payment Plan from three to 12 months for the period of usage just mentioned. In New and Miscellaneous Business, the board will discuss a Salem Housing Authority Board appointment to replace Doris Stempniak who resigned. The meeting will then be adjourned. The city of Salem Board of Alderman meeting is open to the public. The city will still be enforcing social distancing at the meeting.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education will hold special meetings today and Tuesday afternoons at the district administrative offices boardroom at 5:00 each day. These special meetings will be closed session meetings to discuss personnel. After the agenda is approved at each meeting, they will immediately go into closed session.

Trout fishing updates include the James Foundation reopening Maramec Spring Park to a limited number of visitors (maximum of 250 people at one time) today. There will be no admission to enter the park and daily trout tags are currently waived until May 16th. The campground and bathrooms will be open while the store, playgrounds, pavilions, museum, cleaning station, and café will remain closed. For more information, visit the Maramec Spring Park website at maramecspringpark.com/. Daily trout tags, along with a fishing permit, unless exempt, will be required beginning May 16th for fishing at all four trout parks including Bennett Spring State Park near Lebanon, Montauk State Park near Salem, Roaring River State Park near Cassville, and Maramec Spring Park near St. James.