Archive for 2021

The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Monday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. At the meeting, Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams reported to the commission the amount of sales tax funds received by the state this month. For the General Revenue Fund and Law Enforcement Sales Tax Fund, the county received $99,016.85 for each fund and that is down $13,445.50 from last year’s figure of $112,462.35. For the Road and Bridge Fund, the county received $47,551.25 and that is down $6,853.13 from last year’s receipt of $54,404.38. The Jail Trust Fund and Operating Funds each received $95,107.93 and that was down $13,704.05 from the 2020 figure of $108,811.98. Williams said she hadn’t heard back from the Department of Revenue when she asked them why the sales tax for General Revenue and the LEST Fund from July was much higher than for the jail funds and the Road and Bridge Fund. In the road report, 1st District Commissioner Wes Mobray stated grading was going to be done on Dent County Road 5610 and that materials would be added to county road 4210 where the low water bridge work is being done. Mobray went on to say the bridge would be closed another three weeks before it will be open to traffic. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson reported materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Road 3350 while brush would be cut on county road 3305. He said major service was being done on grader #31 and the #9 tractor used for brush cutting was having new runners and blades installed. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said he attended the MRPC External Relations Committee meeting via phone conference. He wanted to remind everyone that the MRPC Annual Volunteer Awards Dinner would be held on October 21st at State Technical College of Missouri at Linn. He said he nominated Joe Brand for all the volunteer work he has done to receive an award. He also said at the regular MRPC meeting that they will have a meeting with Attorney Travis Elliott around the end of the month to discuss what can be done with the ARPA funds the county has received. Skiles indicated he would be at the MRPC offices today along with the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District Executive Board to review and grade the applications for grants for recycling and the reduction of waste in landfills. He will also attend the Economic Development meeting at Echo Bluff tonight at 6:00, which was organized by Salem and Dent County Economic Development Director Sally Burbridge. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported on the annual County Clerk Election Authority meeting held last week. This meeting qualifies for the 20 hours of mandatory requirements for her position as county clerk. She was also elected chairman of the South-Central County Clerk’s Region that covers 13 counties. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen will be meeting tonight at 6:00 at the City Hall Council Chambers at 200 North Washington. At the meeting, the aldermen will hear from the Heartland Metal Finishing Management Team as they want to discuss the pretreatment program key elements along with effluent limits, sampling location and more. Following the consent agenda, the board will hear bids for ultra-violet lights for the Waste Water Treatment Facility. They will then discuss Bill #3489 which would create an ordinance to establish a procedure to dispose of potential conflicts of interest for certain municipal officials, discuss Resolution #27-2021 which is a resolution to execute an agreement between the City of Salem and the Meramec Regional Planning Commission for technical assistance on floodplain management, discuss Bill #3490 that would create an ordinance to establish rates for electric services that would offset the impact of the financial impact of the February 2021 weather event, discuss Resolution #28-2021 authorizing the mayor to execute an employment agreement between the City of Salem and Ray Walden, and discuss an ordinance to authorize the mayor to execute a contract change order between the City of Salem and Nexgrid for electric AMI meters. In the reports of city officials, boards and committees, the alderman will hear the report from City Administrator Ray Walden, Mayor Kim Steelman and Public Works Director Mark Nash. The board will also discuss the LAGERS annual meeting where the board will be appointing an employer delegate to attend the meeting. The board will approve the Fall Clean-up Week will be designated October 11th through the 15th and approve any committee appointments that are made. The board will then go into closed session. The Salem Board of Aldermen meeting tonight will begin at 6:00 and is open to the public.

The Salem Area Arts Council will host a “Taste of the Arts” Expo at the Creative Arts Center this Saturday from 3:00 until 7:00. It will be a small carnival style family fun day complete with small art activities for young and old. There will be live music with Chris Blood and Michael Conners, a sidewalk chalk contest, a children’s table with art activities, screen printing, wheat weaving, quilting, pottery, painting, air brushing concessions and vendors. For more information, contact Danielle Norris at 573-247-5306 or Tana Kettner at 573-247-0651.

The Dent County Fire Protection District board of directors met last Thursday night at 6:00. After the roll call and approval of the consent agenda, the minutes from the August meeting were reviewed and approved as presented. Joe Weber from Weber and Associates was present to discuss the policy and procedures manual and answer any questions from the board. The manual will be reviewed and discussed again at the October meeting. Bills were approved with a balance of 149,180.64 as of August 31st. During the budget review, the board discussed changing the budget back to a line-item budget for the 2022 year and breaking down the budget in more detail. It was recommended that the board put together a finance committee to review and set up a new long-term plan for the department. The board agreed and the committee will be comprised of fire department officers and board members. Dave Greenshields will serve as the board member for the committee. An officer from the department will be assigned at the next officers’ meeting. Treasurer Dave Wells asked the board to close one of the bank accounts that was set up during the fire station renovation as it was no longer being used and has gone dormant. The board agreed but asked Chief Nash to check with the auditor and the USDA to make sure this could be done. Chief Nash discussed with the board about having an audit performed for the department and DCERA. Normally an audit is performed every three years, but due to the construction Chief Nash felt it necessary to have an audit performed to ensure that all finances are being handled correctly. The board agreed and asked for him to set it up. The board reviewed the other budget items before reviewing the calendar. On Thursday, September 16th, the department will be in training and the next night, will be at the Salem High School Football game. Air Evac will be holding training at the department on September 21st and 22nd and again on the 28th and 29th. There was a total of 26 calls during the month of August with a total of 214 calls year to date. It was reported the insurance money has finally come in for Engine 85 where a deer strike damaged the truck. The department is still trying to find someone to repair the truck as it will have to be a company that can repair fire engine trucks. The security cameras at the fire station have been installed and are in operation and the new fire software conversion is still ongoing. In new business, Chief Nash reported computers and gun lockers have been installed in six trucks and are operational for the new emergency reporting software. Also, Panasonic met with the chief to discuss new computers for all the trucks in the future. Panasonic is working with the department to acquire grant money to fund this project. Chief Nash reported to the board that several trucks are having problems including electrical problems on Truck 80, the tele-squirt nozzle and has a check engine light keeps coming on in Ladder Truck #81, and the hose net on the back needs to be repaired or replaced, Engine 82 has had a backup camera installed and Engine 83 has an intake that needs to be repaired or replaced. Several of the trucks are already scheduled for repair or have had the repair parts ordered. In the building report, it was noted that the upstairs floor and equipment room work is still in progress and that the department is working with Rommel Lock and Alarm on a door lock system. The date was set for the next meeting which will be Tuesday, October 5th at 6:00 at the firehouse and will be open to the public. The fire board then went into closed session.

You can go native with the Missouri Department of Conservation. Native trees and shrubs can help improve wildlife habitat and soil and water conservation while also improving the appearance and value of private property. The George O. White State Forest Nursery near Licking offers a variety of low-cost native tree and shrub seedlings for reforestation, windbreaks, erosion control, wildlife food and cover, and other purposes. The nursery provides mainly one-year-old, bare-root seedlings with sizes varying by species. Seedlings varieties include: pine, bald cypress, cottonwood, black walnut, hickory, oak, pecan, persimmon, river birch, maple, willow, sycamore, blackberry, buttonbush, hazelnut, redbud, ninebark, spicebush, elderberry, sumac, wild plum, witch hazel, and others. Seedlings are available in bundles of 10 or increments of 25 per species. Prices range from 34 cents to $1 per seedling. Sales tax of 6.1 percent will be added to orders unless tax exempt. There is an $9 handling charge for each order. You can receive a 15% discount up to $20 off seedling orders with a Heritage Card, Permit Card, or Conservation ID Number. The nursery grows millions of seedlings each year, but some species are very popular and sell out quickly. Even if a species is listed as sold out, customers can still place an order for them. Sometimes orders get cancelled, freeing up inventory. Customers won’t be charged for seedlings unless they are available to ship. Learn more and place orders through MDC’s 2021-2022 Seedling Order Form. Find it in the September issue of the Missouri Conservationist, at MDC regional offices and nature centers, online at mdc.mo.gov or by contacting the State Forest Nursery at 573-674-3229 or StateForestNursery@mdc.mo.gov. Place orders now through April 15, 2022. Orders will be shipped or can be picked up at the nursery near Licking from February through May.

The Missouri Department of Conservation now offers a new design option for its Conservation Permit Cards that features target-shooting equipment. The new design is in appreciation of recreational target shooters and the contributions they make to wildlife conservation funding through their purchases of firearms, ammunition, and other items. MDC is offering free Permit Cards to shooting-range users at its five staffed shooting ranges for a limited time. The new Permit-Card design featuring target shooting equipment shows an over/under hinge-action shotgun, a semi-automatic handgun, ammunition, paper targets, and clay targets displayed on a rustic wooden shooting bench. Permit Card buyers can also select from four other design images: a white-tailed buck, smallmouth bass, mallard duck, and eastern bluebird. Permit Cards are another option to MDC’s paper and electronic permits and provide a durable alternative to carrying hunting, fishing, and trapping permits in paper or electronic form while in the field. As new permits are purchased and old ones expire, the updated information is automatically accessible through the one-time-purchase permit cards. Conservation agents can scan users’ cards to verify active permits. A Permit Card costs $2 and does not expire. Purchase a Conservation Permit Card online at mdc.mo.gov/buypermits, at MDC offices and nature centers, or retail permit vendors. After purchase, the Permit Card it will be mailed to the address on file within four to six weeks. Learn more at mdc.mo.gov/permits/conservation-permit-card. Because of permit-notching requirements and Telecheck steps required for deer and turkey hunting permits, Permit Cards cannot be used as a form of permit proof for deer and turkey hunting. Permit Cards cannot be used as proof of daily trout tags at trout parks so anglers will still need to purchase and wear their daily trout tags. Permit Cards cannot be used to show possession of a Federal Duck Stamp so waterfowl hunters must still carry the document verifying the purchase of a Federal Duck Stamp or the actual stamp. Permit Cards do not replace commercial permits and lifetime permits, which must be purchased through the MDC Permit Services Unit by calling 573-751-4115.

A motorcycle accident happened Wednesday evening around 6:45 in Crawford County on Highway at the Steelville High School. The report from the highway patrol says that a 2018 Kawasaki EX650 being operated by 36-year-old April Verble of Cherryville was traveling too fast for conditions when she traveled off the right side of the roadway, struck and embankment, and overturned. Verble suffered minor injuries and chose to seek her own treatment. The Kawasaki had minor damage and was removed from the scene by the owner. The report went on to state that Verble was wearing a safety device at the time of the accident.