Archive for 2021

An accident happened Wednesday afternoon at 2:03 in Phelps County on Highway 68 about 12 miles south of St. James. According to the highway patrol report, a 2003 Jeep Liberty driven southbound by 30-year-old Michael Light of Salem, lost control of the Jeep on the wet pavement and traveled off the right side of the roadway where the Jeep struck a tree. Light suffered serious injuries and was transported by Mercy Lifeline to the University Hospital in Columbia. Light was not wearing a seat restraint when the accident happened. The Jeep was totaled and removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing.

An accident happened in Pulaski County Wednesday afternoon around 1:06 on Interstate 44 near the mile marker 155. According to the highway patrol report, a 2014 Hyundai Sante Fe driven eastbound by 53-year-old Richard Jordan of Nixa, lost traction and struck a 2019 Volvo driven eastbound by 41-year-old James Moore of Houston, Texas. At that time, a 2018 Ram 3500 Pro Master driven eastbound by 33-year- old Ryan Kittle of Ashland, Kentucky, was starting to slow down when the Ram was struck by a 2016 Chevy Malibu driven eastbound by 22-year-old Brooke Schults of Salem. Schults suffered minor injuries and was transported by the EMS to Phelps Health. Also suffering minor injuries was Kittle who declined treatment at the scene. Everyone involved was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The 2014 Hyundai had moderate damages, 2019 Volvo sustained minor damage, and the 2018 Ram 3500 sustained extensive damage. All three of these vehicles were driven from the scene. The Chevy Malibu was totaled and removed from the scene by TC Towing. The highway patrol was assisted by the Waynesville Police Department and Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department.

A one vehicle accident occurred Thursday morning at 11:50 in Texas County. According to the highway patrol report, a 2000 Nissan Maxima, driven by 34-year-old Christopher Frisby of Lennox, ran off the left side of the roadway and overturned on Route CC about eight miles north of Licking. A passenger in the Nissan, 39-year-old Janell Schmitd of Lennox, suffered minor injuries and was transported by Texas County Ambulance to Texas County Memorial Hospital. The report stated that both Frisby and Schmitd were wearing safety restraints at the time of the accident. The Nissan sustained moderate damage and was removed from the scene by Jays Automotive.

The Dent County Sheriff’s Department has released several reports. On Saturday, April 10th, a deputy conducted a traffic stop near the 1100 block of South Main Street. During the stop, a 27-year-old Salem woman and a 26-year-old St. James man were arrested for the possession of a controlled substance except for 35 grams or less of marijuana or synthetic cannabinoid. Both the man and woman were transported to the Dent County Jail where they were fingerprinted, issued a summons and released. On Sunday, the 11th, a deputy traveled to a residence in the 4000 block of Dent County Road 2120 for a report of a theft. Upon arrival, the deputy discovered that a 34-year-old woman and a 37-year-old man were the reported victims. That report is still under investigation. On Monday, the 12th, a deputy traveled to a residence in the 900 block of East 4th Street to serve an arrest warrant. A 23-year-old Salem man was arrested for an active warrant through Dent County for harassment in the 1st degree and tampering with a victim. The man was transported to the Dent County Jail and incarcerated. Later that same day, a deputy traveled to a residence in the 1000 block of Highway 68 for a report of a theft. Upon arrival, the deputy discovered a 64-year-old Salem man was the reported victim. This report is still under investigation. On Wednesday, the 14th, a deputy traveled to a residence in the 7500 block of Highway 19 South for a report of a suspicious vehicle. During the course of the incident, a 37-year-old Eminence woman was arrested for an active warrant through Audrain County Sheriff’s Office. The woman was transported to the Dent County Jail and incarcerated. The next day a deputy conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of Highway 19 and West 8th Street. During the traffic stop, a 20-year-old Salem man was arrested for driving while having their license revoked or suspended, a 1st offense. The man was transported to the Dent County Jail where he was fingerprinted, issued a summons and released. Finally on the 17th, a deputy conducted a traffic stop on Highway 72 and county road 3040. During the traffic stop, a 35-year-old Salem man was arrested for driving while having his license suspended, a 1st offense. The man was taken to the Dent County Jail, where he was fingerprinted, issued a summons and released. If you have any information about an ongoing investigation, call the Dent County Sheriff’s office at 247-3241.

Waste Corporation of America will be providing the annual residential spring cleanup for Salem residents during the weeks of May 3rd through May 7th and again May 10th through May 14th. They ask that residents have all trash curbside the night before your normal scheduled trash day. E.P.A. law will not allow the collection of the following materials that include yard waste, batteries, tires, motor oil, chemicals, or solvents or paint, appliances or non-compactable items such as concrete, tree stumps, steel, or construction debris. For more information or for more questions, you may call 1-800-926-3935.

Between the dates of April 10th and 23rd there was a total of 272 calls for service. Officers with the Salem Police Department conducted 38 traffic stops for various traffic violations with 8 resulting in a summons or arrest. Officers conducted 17 traffic accident and informational investigations. Between those dates, separate burglaries reported at churches and businesses throughout town. Officers conducted follow up investigations into these matters which involved an approximate missing property value of $5000 along with an unknown amount of property damage. As a result of the investigations, suspects were located and these matters were sent to the Dent County Juvenile Office for further. Please contact the Salem Police Department at (573) 729-4242 if you have any information regarding an ongoing investigation.

Hunters, anglers, and trappers who use the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) “MO Hunting” free mobile app will need to perform an app update. The update will provide the most current regulation and data information, including display information to apply during May for Missouri bear hunts and elk hunts. The update will also include new display information to Telecheck fall deer and turkey, along with bear and elk harvests. Updates became available Tuesday of this week. Apple will require users to have at least the iOS-12 version to use the updated MO Hunting app. Android will require users to have at least Android 5. For more information on MO Hunting, go online to mdc.mo.gov and type “Hunting App” in the search box.

The Salem Community wide yard sale will be Saturday. Maps are available at area convenience stores, the city administration building, and the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce office in the Crossroads Shopping Center. A central sale will be held in the parking lot behind the city administration building. Spaces on the city parking lot are still available for $8.00 and may be reserved by calling 729-4811 until 3:00 tomorrow.

Missouri State Parks invites the public to participate Learn2 Paddle kayaking classes offered at select parks this summer. The program is for anyone who wants to experience kayaking but is not sure where to start. It is also perfect for those who want to get out on the water but don’t own a kayak. In the Salem and Dent County area the Current River State Park will host two-hour kayaking classes May 12th from 1:00 until 3:00, June 7th from 10:00 until noon, July 5th from 1:00 until 3:00 and on July 19th from 10:00 until noon. Missouri State Parks will provide kayaks, paddle and instructors. Participants are encouraged to bring their own life jackets due to ongoing public health concerns; however, life jackets will be available for anyone who needs to borrow one to participate. Visitors are strongly encouraged to follow social distancing guidelines, come prepared with hand sanitizer and bottled water, and please stay home if you are sick. Face coverings are encouraged when social-distancing measures are difficult to maintain. Participants must be at least 10 years of age. Children 14 and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian during the entire program. Participants should be comfortable around water. All Missouri State Parks rules and regulations apply. This is a family-oriented program; alcohol and tobacco products are not allowed while participating in the Learn2 Paddle program. The class registration fee is $5 per participant; registration is required. For registration information, visit mostateparks.com and click on their Learn 2 button under Topics. For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

As you head outdoors this season to enjoy the sunshine and warmer weather, you may encounter a variety of newborn animals. Young wildlife can pull on our heartstrings as they appear to be abandoned, but that’s usually not the case. The Missouri Department of Conservation reminds the public that interfering with wildlife can do more harm than good. MDC State Wildlife Veterinarian Sherri Russell says young animals are rarely orphaned. If the young is left alone, the parent will usually return. Parents are normally out searching for food and cannot constantly attend to their offspring. Baby birds are a common newborn people can come across in the spring. If you see a chick with feathers hopping on the ground, leave it alone and bring pets inside because it’s a fledgling and the parents are nearby keeping watch. Fledglings can spend up to 10 days hopping on the ground learning to fly. If you find one that has no feathers, you can return it to the nesting area if possible, as it most likely fell out of the nest. Other common issues include dogs catching young rabbits and lawn mowers running over their nests. People have good intentions, but the care and rehabilitation of wild animals require special training, facilities, and permits. Without such care and knowledge, wild animals will remain in poor health and could eventually die. Not to mention, it’s illegal to possess many wild animals without a valid state or federal permit. Russell also said wildlife can become dangerous as they mature, and can carry parasites, disease, and cause property damage. To learn more about Missouri’s many native wildlife species, visit the MDC online Nature Field Guide at mdc.mo.gov.