Archive for 2021

On September 21st, 2021, the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control announced $13.25M in grants to prevent and reduce substance use in youth 18-years of age or younger. The Healthy Dent County Prevention Coalition was awarded $125,000 per year for five years to strengthen the infrastructure among local partners to create and sustain a reduction in local youth substance use. After five years, community coalitions may re-compete for another five-year cycle. The Healthy Dent County Prevention Coalition also received a $100,000 grant from the Department of Mental Health to reduce youth substance use. With these grants, two Prevention Coordinators have been hired to teach the evidence-based “Too Good for Drugs” curriculum in all Salem and Dent County schools. Melissa Gould will teach students in grades 6 through 8 and Jason Eddie will teach students in grades 9 through 12. The “Too Good for Drugs” curriculum is a comprehensive family of substance use and prevention curricula designed to mitigate the risk factors associated with risky behavior and build protection within the child. The program builds the basis for a safe, supportive, and respectful learning environment. Recognizing that local problems need local solutions, these grant funded coalitions engage multiple sectors of the community and employ a variety of environmental strategies to address local substance use problems. Both grants involve local communities in finding solutions and also helps youth at risk for substance use recognize the majority of our Nation’s youth choose not to use substances. As demonstrated by independent evaluations, the Drug Free Communities Support Program significantly reduces substance use amongst youth, the target population. The Healthy Dent County Prevention Coalition was formed in 2017 to develop effective, evidence-based strategies to prevent youth substance use. The mission of the HDC Prevention Coalition is to facilitate community participation in the prevention of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use among our young people and community. For additional information about the HDC Prevention Coalition please contact Healthy Dent County’s Executive Director, Sherry Lea, at 573-729-8163 or sherry@salemcommunitycenter.org.

Many people don’t realize that minerals are a part of every manufactured product we use daily. That’s one reason why The Doe Run Company (Doe Run) is providing local teachers with a fun and educational curriculum along with the materials that teach children about the ways minerals are used in our everyday lives. Doe Run packaged kits containing instructions for two minerals-themed activities and a gift card to purchase the materials needed to complete them. They have been distributed to classrooms at Iron County C-4 Elementary in Viburnum and Salem Upper Elementary. Doe Run is working to bring the kits to other local school districts too. One of the activities is “Cookie Mining,” which utilizes chocolate chip cookies, toothpicks, paper clips and graph paper to teach children about mining. Children take on the role of a miner by first selecting the ‘mine’ – a cookie – that they want to purchase. Next, they choose the type of mining equipment they wish to use, either a toothpick or paper clip. After mining their cookie for its chocolate chips, children must ‘reclaim’ the leftover cookie. Finally, they tally up the “value” of their mined chips and subtract the costs they incurred. A second hands-on activity is called “Toothpaste with a Twist,” in which children can make and flavor their own toothpaste. This exercise shows students how minerals are essential ingredients in maintaining good oral hygiene.

The Salem Board of Aldermen met Friday night at the Salem Community Center @The Armory for a special meeting called by Mayor Kim Steelman. At the meeting, the board reviewed and discussed Bill #3494 which created an ordinance amending the City of Salem Code of Ordinances, Chapter 110 in regards to the mayor and board of alderman. This bill addressed Article 1 Board of Aldermen, Section 110.120 concerning vacancies and how they are filled. The Bill proposed changing the original wording by adding “The Board of Aldermen may adopt procedures to fill vacancies consistent with this Section. The successor shall serve until the next regular municipal election, at which time a successor shall be duly elected to fill the remainder of any unexpired term for the office.” The other parts of the original ordinance remained unchanged. This bill was approved by the aldermen. The board then approved Resolution #33-2021 that repealed Resolution #32-2021 and provided for a Municipal Election on April 5, 2022 for one West Ward Alderman to serve a term of one year expiring in April of 2023, for one West Ward Alderman to serve a term of two years expiring in April of 2024, one East Ward Alderman to serve a two-year term expiring in April of 2024, and a mayor to serve a two-year term that would expire in April of 2024. The signup dates remain the same starting at 8:00 in the morning on December 7th and ending at 5:00 PM on December 28th at the City Administration building in the office of the City Clerk as in the previous resolution. The meeting was then adjourned.

The local Salvation Army Dent County Service Unit raises funds locally with the familiar red kettle at Christmas time. The famous red kettle will be located at Country Mart, Dollar General and Wal-Mart starting the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and lasting until Christmas Eve every Friday and Saturday. Counter kettles will be located at various locations throughout the community. The kettles are the primary way that funds are raised to continue meeting the needs of the less fortunate in our community. Volunteer bell ringers are needed each year to help raise funds. To volunteer to ring the bell at the red kettle, please visit the online registration webpage at www.registertoring.com or call Susie at 729-6771 or 247-7099. For additional information regarding The Salvation Army please stop by the Salem Community Center @ the Armory, 1200 W. Rolla Road or call at 729-8163.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen will hold a special meeting this evening at 5:45 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory to read Bill #3494 that will amend the City of Salem Ordinance on how board vacancies are filled. They will then read Resolution #33-2021 that will repeal Resolution #32-2021 that provided for the Municipal election on April 5th, 2022. The new resolution allows for the election of a West Ward Alderman for one year to finish out the term of the late Kenny Nash who was replaced by Kevin James, and the election of a West Ward alderman for the normal two-year term currently held by Greg Parker. The election of an East Ward alderman for a two-year term will also be held and that is currently being held by Kala Sisco who was appointed after East Ward Alderwoman Kim Steelman was appointed mayor. The election of the mayor will also be on the ballot who will also serve a two-year term. The meeting will then be adjourned. The special meeting was called by Mayor Kim Steelman and it is open to the public.

For those interested in filing for an elected city position, you must meet these requirements. To qualify for the East or West Ward Aldermen positions you must live in and have been a resident of that ward for at least one year and be 21-years-of-age. To qualify to serve as mayor, you must have been a citizen of the city for at least one year and be 25-years-of-age or older. Ther is a filing fee of $25 for any candidate filing for city office. The first day to file for office will be December 7th with the last day to file being December 28th. The city administration office hours will be from 8:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon to file for office. You must also have all your property and real estate taxes paid up to date. If you have any questions, please call 729-4811.

At 8:45 Wednesday evening in Dent County, 40-year-old James D. Hansel of Salem was arrested by the highway patrol and charged with felony trafficking of drugs in the 1st degree, felony possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor for the unlawful use of a weapon, and for possession of drug paraphernalia. Hansel was being held in the Dent County jail on a 24-hour hold.

Dent County University of Missouri Extension Council invites residents to join the 2021-2022 group of volunteers that make Dent County a better place to live through extension programs. Representatives will be elected in a non-partisan election January 10th through January 14th, 2022. Candidates must be at least 18 years old and reside in Dent County. Applications are due be November 19th to the Dent County Extension at 112 East 5th Street and are available by email at dentco@missouri.edu, by calling 573-729-3196, or online at www.extension.missouri.edu/dent. The Dent County Extension Council is the local link between county residents and the University of Missouri four-campus system. Responsibilities include attending monthly meetings on the 4th Monday of each month, identify concerns of the community to connect citizens with Extension resources, administer the county budget and assist in planning, promoting, and carrying out Extension efforts. Individuals interested in serving on the council may contact Sarah Hultine Massengale, County Extension Specialist at 573-729-3196. Information about the Dent County Extension office can be found on the web at extension.missouri.ed/dent.

The beginning of the firearm deer season will be tomorrow morning starting one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Only one antlered deer may be taken during the entire firearms season (all portions combined). You may take only two antlered deer during the archery and firearms deer hunting seasons combined. Don’t forget that the antler-point restriction applies in some counties. If you harvest a deer from certain counties in the CWD Management Zone during the opening weekend, November 13-14, you must take your deer to a designated CWD sampling station. The firearm deer season will end on November 23rd. Don’t forget to telecheck your deer once it has been harvested. Also, don’t forget to “Share the Harvest” to help those hungry in the state get nutritious meat. This program is administered by the Conservation Federation of Missouri and the Missouri Department of Conservation. Donating is easy. Simply take your deer to an approved meat processor and let the processor know how much venison you wish to donate. Find a processor on the mdc.mo.gov website.

It’s past the fall color peak, but the colors continue to look nice throughout much the Ozark Region. Although the colors are subdued and trees are dropping their leaves, there is enough variability across the landscape for another week of good viewing opportunities. The forested hillsides are showing a range of glowing reddish browns to yellow browns. An occasional bright yellow or red crown can still be seen across the slopes. Shortleaf pine and eastern red cedar are becoming more prominent and stand out against the backdrop of oak and hickory. A few black gums are hanging on to their red leaves, but they are starting to drop. Dogwoods seem reluctant to turn let go of their dark purple leaves and are still looking pretty. Their bright red fruits stand out along the branches, if one is close enough to see them. You can still find occasional red or sugar maple landscape or forest trees that are striking with intense crimson and red. Scarlet oak, named because of its brilliant scarlet fall color, is starting to look reddish brown, but it hasn’t reached peak color. These trees will be the season’s grand finale when they change. The recent cold nights have brightened the color in areas where trees still had a lot of leaves. However, expect trees to start dropping their leaves in earnest this coming week.