Archive for 2021

The 6th Annual Veteran Affairs Day will be held Friday, April 23rd from 10:00 in the morning until 2:00 in the afternoon at the American Legion Walker Roney Post 99 and All-American VFW Post 6280 on Highway 32 West in Salem. The Veteran Affairs Day is an annual outreach to all veterans from parts of central rural Missouri to provide easier access to VA services. It includes the American Legion District 16 and the VFW District 2 which includes Camden, Cole, Crawford, Dent, Howell, Laclede, Maries, Miller, Phelps, Osage, Pulaski, Reynolds, Shannon, Texas and Wright counties. Representatives from the Department of Veteran Affairs, including enrollment and claims processing specialists as well as benefit advisors, will be in attendance. The Truman VA Hospital will also have the COVID vaccine available for veterans and their spouses. The Columbia Veteran Center will have counselors and advisors on hand in their mobile unit. In addition, the Missouri Veterans Commission will have Service Officers at the event. A light lunch will be provided around noon. It doesn’t matter when you served, if you are a veteran and have questions, have a claim or need to enroll into the VA healthcare system or get the COVID vaccine, please attend. Don’t miss out on your hard-earned benefits. Call the American Legion Post 99/VFW Post 6280 at (573) 729-3710 for questions, to schedule private time with a counselor or if you would like to be vaccinated for COVID-19.

Salem Memorial District Hospital and the Dent County Health Center will hold a mass vaccination event for COVID-19 to include ALL Missouri residents over the age of 16 at the Dent County Fire Station TODAY. The booster vaccine being held at the same location on Friday, May 7th. Please go to the Dent County Health Center or Salem Memorial District Hospital Facebook page for more information and how to register for this event. There is also a registration link on the Salem Memorial District Hospital website at SMDH.net.

The Missouri Department of Conservation encourages drivers to be cautious on the roads this spring and give turtles a brake! These reptiles are often hit by cars during the warmer months, but are at special risk this time of year because they are more active. Common turtles spotted crossing Missouri roads include three-toed box turtles, ornate box turtles, and snapping turtles. Turtles emerge from their burrows and begin the hunt for food and mates during warm and wet conditions, which can lead them to cross roadways, oftentimes resulting in their death. Thousands of box turtles are killed every year by vehicles. Young males make up most of the travelers, sometimes wandering as many as six miles searching for territories and mates. Females are also crossing the roads in search of nesting areas. Turtles are cold-blooded creatures and depend on external sources of heat to determine their body temperature. This explains why people see them on warm asphalt during cool, spring days. Vehicles are one of the leading factors in box turtle declines, and MDC urges motorists to be cautious and slow down when they see a turtle in the road. If helping a turtle make it safely across, check for traffic and move the turtle across the road in the direction it is traveling. Additionally, MDC encourages Missourians to leave turtles in the wild. Taking a wild animal, whether a turtle or other wildlife species, and keeping it as a pet normally ends in a slow death. Leave turtles in the wild, follow the speed limit, and keep your eyes on the road. Most Missouri turtles can live up to 30 years, but the common box turtle can live up to 80, occasionally living more than a century. For more information on Missouri’s turtles, visit the MDC online Field Guide at nature.mdc.mo.gov

The Dent County Commissioners will not be meeting Monday, but will be holding a closed session meeting Tuesday at 1:00 at the Dent County Courthouse. That meeting is not open to the public.

Intercounty Electric held their annual Junior Essay Contest during the month of February where high school juniors wrote a 250 to 500 word essay about a topic chosen by Intercounty. In the past, the top scoring students from each school would win a trip to Washington DC while the second and third place students would receive a trip to Jefferson City. Because of the concerns with COVID, the Intercounty Electric Board of Directors elected to go with a $2,000 scholarship for the students who came in 1st place from their school, and $500 scholarships for those students who took 2nd and 3rd place. The first place winners from each school in our area included Sierra Rusco from Salem, Winter Murray from Licking, Mallory Moats from Rolla and Allana Chitwood from St. James. Students who came in second and third place from the area schools included Andrea Bray and Hailey Ballwin from Salem; Krysta Joyner and Cadrian Hutsell from Licking, Simon Yoakum IV and Isabell Staley from Rolla and Kira Gordon and Elysia Frayer from St. James. Congratulations to all these students who were chosen as the top three essays at their school, and Intercounty Electric wanted to thank all the students that wrote and submitted an essay in the contest.

The Missouri Department of Conservation and the Conservation Federation of Missouri thank the thousands of Missouri deer hunters who donated 238,920 pounds of venison to the state’s “Share the Harvest” program this past deer season, including 4,787 whole deer. They also want to thank the participating meat processors throughout the state who grind the donated deer meat into ready-to-use packages, and the many sponsors who financially support the program. Meat-processing fees are covered entirely or in part by numerous local sponsors, along with statewide sponsors that include Shelter Insurance, Bass Pro Shops, Missouri Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation, Missouri Food Banks Association, and Missouri Department of Conservation. Since the “Share the Harvest” program was started in 1992, it has provided more than 4.5 million pounds of lean, healthy venison to help feed hungry Missourians, including this past season’s donations. In 2019, hunters donated 282,935 pounds of venison to “Share the Harvest.” During the past season, some meat processors were unable to take donated venison due to an increase in the processing of domestic beef and pork. The donated deer meat goes to local food banks and food pantries to help feed hungry Missourians all around the state. To get “Share the Harvest” venison, contact local food banks or food pantries.

The Salem Police Department has released some reports. Officers with the Salem Police Department conducted 42 traffic stops for various traffic violations with 7 resulting in a summons or arrest from the period of March 27th through April 9th. Some of the reports include one from Saturday, March 27th near 8:00 in the morning as officers responded to the 100 block of South Hickory in an attempt to serve a warrant. Officers were trying to locate a male subject that had an active warrant for his arrest. Contact was made at the address and as a result, a 70-year-old Salem man was arrested and incarcerated on his warrants. On Tuesday, March 30th shortly after 10:00 that night, an officer took a report of property damage. It was reported that a 2005 Chevrolet Impala had been broken into and approximately $10 was taken out of the car while it was parked near the intersection of Babb Lane and Roosevelt Streets. This report is currently still under investigation. On Tuesday, April 6th just after noon, an officer was dispatched to Wal-Mart for a report of shoplifting. It was reported that two subjects had stolen items from the store. Contact was made on a subsequent traffic stop with the pair. As a result, a 50-year-old Salem woman and a 43-year-old Salem man were arrested and issued a summons to appear in court for shoplifting. Please contact the Salem Police Department at (573) 729-4242 if you have any information regarding an ongoing investigation.