Archive for 2021

A one vehicle accident happened Monday afternoon at 5:00 on Highway 32 about seven miles west of Salem. The report released from the highway patrol states that a 2009 Chevrolet Silverado being driven by 18-year old Hilton Sewell of Salem was traveling eastbound when the vehicle began to skid, crossed the center line and traveled off the left side of roadway where the Chevy struck a tree. Sewell, who was wearing a safety restraint, was transported by the Salem ambulance to the Salem Memorial District Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. The Silverado sustained moderate damage and was removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing.

An accident happened in Phelps County Monday afternoon at 2:35 on Interstate 44 westbound near mile marker 191. According to the highway patrol report, a 2004 Ford F-150 driven eastbound by 67-year old Doralee Elliott of St. James, traveled off the right side of the roadway, struck an embankment and overturned. Elliott suffered moderate injuries and was transported by EMS to Phelps Health in Rolla. Elliott was wearing her seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Ford was totaled and removed from the scene by C&C Towing of Rolla. The highway patrol was assisted by the Rolla City Fire Department.

An accident happened in Phelps County on Interstate 44 westbound near mile marker 192 around 2:19 on Monday afternoon. According to the highway patrol report, a 2008 Ford Focus driven westbound by 29-year old Kyleigh McDowell of Rolla, lost control on the ice covered roadway, traveled off the right side of the road and overturned several times. McDowell suffered minor injuries and was taken by EMS to Phelps Health in Rolla. The Ford was totaled and removed from the scene by Spurgeons Towing of St. James. McDowell was wearing her seat restraint at the time of the accident. The highway patrol was assisted by the Rolla City Fire Department.

An accident happened in Texas County on Highway 63 about four miles north of Licking around noon Monday. According to the highway patrol, a 2001 Ford Ranger driven southbound by 52-year old Debbie Yates of Licking, ran off the right side of the roadway and overturned. Yates suffered minor injuries as did a passenger in the vehicle, 29-year old Toby Yates. Both were taken by ambulance to the Texas County Memorial Hospital in Houston. Both were wearing their seat restraints at the time of the accident. The Ford Ranger was totaled and removed from the scene by Jay’s Towing.

A fatality accident occurred Saturday night at 6:19 in Crawford County on eastbound I-44 at the 206.2 mile marker. According to the highway patrol report, a 1997 GMC C150, driven by 57-year old John Cramer of Cuba, began skidding on the snow covered roadway. The GMC traveled off the right side of the roadway, struck the ground and began overturning. Cramer was partially ejected and was pronounced dead at the scene by Crawford County Deputy Coroner Paul Hutson at 6:26. The GMC was totaled and removed from the scene by Chris and Son’s Towing of Cuba. The highway patrol was assisted by the Cuba Fire Department.

A one vehicle accident happened Thursday afternoon at 3:30 in Crawford County on Route Y just south of Route B. According to the report released from the highway patrol, a 2002 Mazda MVP being driven by 39-year old Bobbi Meyer of Steelville traveled off the left side of roadway and struck a tree. Meyer, who was wearing a safety restraint at the time of accident, was transported by EMS to Missouri Baptist Hospital in Sullivan for treatment of moderate injuries. The Mazda was totaled and removed from the scene by a private party. The highway patrol was assisted by the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department.

Dent County Health Center Administrator Kendra Mobray at the Dent County Commissioner meeting Monday reported that people who fall in the Phase 1A and 1B, Tier 1 and Tier 2 who want to get vaccinated need to call the Dent County Health Center at 729-3106. You MUST have an appointment to get vaccinated. Those who currently would qualify to get vaccinated are health care workers, public health administrators, emergency responders, those who are 65 years of age or older, Emergency Management workers, Public Works agencies, and anyone under the age of 65 who has a compromised immune system. When you call you will be asked some questions and placed on the waiting list and will be called back to set up an appointment. This Thursday and Friday from 10:00 in the morning until 6:00 in the evening, the National Guard will be administering about 2,000 vaccines to those who live in the Region I area that includes Dent, Phelps, Crawford, Pulaski and Laclede counties. This vaccine will be the Moderna vaccine. The Salem Memorial District Hospital gave 200 Moderna vaccinations Friday at the Dent County Fire Station and they will be doing that again on Wednesday. There are two more vaccinations scheduled at the firehouse on February 18th and 25th where 200 people will be vaccinated on each date. Those that get vaccinated in February will then have to get their booster shot in March and appointments for those shots will be made when they get the vaccination. For those going to the Commons, your booster shot will be held on March 4th and 5th. Mobray also stated that a link through Jordan Valley Community Health Center to make your appointment for Thursday and Friday is now available: https://bit.ly/3cDrdFD. When you show up for your vaccination, please make sure you bring a photo ID, have your COVID-19 Fact Sheet and consent form filled out, and wear a short sleeve shirt. These documents are available at the SMDH.net website or at the north entrance of the hospital. Again, for questions or to make an appointment for those who qualify, call the Dent County Health Center at 729-3106.

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse for their regular meeting. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray reported brush would be cut on Dent County Road 5615, crews will be repairing a washout and doing maintenance on county road 4220, crews would be replacing a stop sign at the intersection of county road 6370 and 6380, and crews would be replacing a sign on county road 6510. Mobray also said crews would be putting a spreader box on a truck with the forecast calling for some snow and freezing rain. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson reported materials would be added to Dent County Road 2270. He went on to say that a full service on truck #68 was going to be done and maintenance will be done on truck #124. Larson said crews will be installing spreader boxes on a couple of trucks for District 2 and then they will service the compressor the county has on a trailer to fix an air leak. He also said that the backup generator at the Oak Grove Baptist Church needs to be checked and tested. Presiding Commissioner Darrel Skiles said he will be attending a Transportation Advisory Meeting Tuesday afternoon with other meetings at the MRPC Wednesday and Thursday. He also said there was a CARES Act application from the Salem Memorial District Hospital that was approved for $14,045.64. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said she balanced with the collector and assessor on all collections, abatements and add-ons for the month of January. Curley mentioned the courthouse would be closed on Friday for Lincoln’s Birthday and Monday for President’s Day. She went on to say the only elections in April to be held for the Municipal election will be for the City of Salem east and west ward aldermanic seats, the City of Bunker alderman seat, and the Salem R-80 and Green Forest R-2 school boards. She did mentioned there were 18 voters who could vote for the Green Forest R-2 school board that would normally cast their vote at the Dent-Phelps R-3 School will be receiving a letter from the clerk’s office that saying they can vote at her office for the R-2 school board race this April. This will save the taxpayers money by not having to staff a polling location at Dent-Phelps R-3 School for 14 hours for the 18 voters who could vote at that location. At last meeting, the Commissioners approved the yearly mapping contract with Landmark Surveying Co for $375 a month and Ronald J. Schwartz for $100 per month, approved CARES Act funding for the Dent County Health Center for $9,612.75 and $11,120.57, approved the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce agreement for services for $750 a year and approved the request from Sheriff Bob Wells to remodel the old jail cell at the sheriff’s department into a conference/interview room. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Monday, February 22nd at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.

An accident happened in Carter County at 11:42 Thursday night on Highway 21 at Highway 60 about five miles east of Van Buren that left two area women with serious injuries. According to the highway patrol report, a 2000 Ford Fusion driven southbound by 39-year old Sunshine Hilderbrand of Boss, went off the right side of the road and overturned. Suffering serious injuries were Hilderbrand who was transported by Air Evac to St. Louis University Hospital in St. Louis. A passenger in the car, 23-yaer old Deanna Leasor of Viburnum, also suffered serious injuries and was transported by the East Carter Ambulance to the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Neither woman was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Ford Fusion was totaled and will be removed at a later date.

An accident involving a Salem resident occurred Thursday afternoon at 2:25 in Phelps County on Highway 68 about twelve miles south of St. James. According to the highway patrol report, a southbound 2017 Freightliner, driven by 33- year old Michael Price of Salem, and a northbound 2016 International, driven by 41- year-old Bobby Revelle of Potosi, met in a curve of the roadway and the International struck the trailer of the Freightliner. The International then traveled off the right side of the road, struck a MoDot sign, and came to rest in the ditch. Revelle suffered minor injuries, but chose to seek his own treatment. According to the report both drivers were wearing safety restraints at the time of the accident. The International was removed from the scene by C & C Towing, while the Freightliner was driven from the scene.

Dent County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Curley has released a number of reports from cases heard in Dent and Crawford County in front of Judge Megan Seay. On Tuesday, February 2nd in Crawford County, Curley reported that Joshua Smith pled guilty for failing to register as a sex offender within three days of his loss of employment. He was convicted as a prior and persistent felony offender and was sentenced to 10 years in the Department of Corrections under Section 559.115 with a shock incarceration of 120 days as requested by the prosecutor. On Friday, February 5th in Dent County, Curley reports that Joshua Benton of Bunker had his probation revoked and his sentence of ten years in the Department of Corrections was executed by Judge Seay. Also on Friday, the sentence hearing was held for Levi Cardwell of Salem. He was on probation for the possession of a controlled substance when he was caught in the law enforcement roundup in January of 2020 for distributing meth to an undercover officer. Prosecutor Curley sought the execution of the previously imposed sentence of seven years. Over the objection of the state, Cardwell was allowed to continue to be on probation with the added condition of drug court. Also over the objection of the state, the defendant was released on jail on his own recognizance. The next case was James Stobbs of Salem who was on probation after his release from a 559.115 program from the beginning of 2020. His probation was revoked and he was sentenced to serve seven years in the Department of Corrections. The next case last Friday was for Sean Rice of Salem who was sentenced to serve seven years in the Department of Corrections. This sentence was requested by the state for receiving stolen property and for the felony possession of a controlled substance. The last case heard Friday before Judge Seay was that of Coren Miles from Bunker. She pled guilty to two counts for the possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine and was given five years probation supervised by Probation and Parole.

Volunteers for AARP are still conducting free tax filing assistance at the Salem Community Center@ the Armory computer lab if you haven’t already filed your taxes and need help. Appointments for this free tax filing assistance need to be made and the month of February has already been booked. You can still make appointments for all Fridays in March and those will continue every Friday until April 9th. Call the Salem Community Center at 729-8163 to make your appointment. This is the 16th year that Healthy Dent County has partnered with AARP to provide this free tax service to our community. This local service is provided entirely by AARP trained volunteers. The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers are trained in filing certain tax forms and schedules, including the Form 1040. However, the Volunteer Protection Act requires that the volunteers stay in the scope of the program. If counselors feel they do not have adequate knowledge or your return is too complex, you may need to seek another qualified counselor or paid tax assistance. The Salem Community Center @ the Armory is located at 1200 West Rolla Road.