Archive for 2021

The Salem Board of Aldermen held a regular meeting Monday evening at the City Hall Council Chambers. Mayor Brad Nash appointed Shawn Bolerjack to fill the vacant seat of East Ward Alderman left by Rachel Hinderliter who had to resign after moving from the district. The board approved this appointment and Bolerjack was sworn in. In bids, the board approved a grinder pump for the Westwood Subdivision from Vandevanter Engineering at a cost of $19,087.00. Planning and Zoning Chairman Gary Brown reported on their recent meeting. Since the Planning and Zoning Committee does not have the authority to override city ordinances, but the Board of Adjustments does, the matter of subdividing the property at 805-807 North Henderson into three separate parcels is being referred to this committee to be discussed at their next meeting. The Planning and Zoning Committee did recommend and the Alderman approved a reviewed use for a daycare to be located at 1300 S. MacArthur Street owned by John and Tasha Harrison. After the consent agenda was approved, City Administrator Ray Walden reported that the new website has been launched and edits are being done. This new site is a partnership of the City of Salem, Dent County and Salem Area Chamber of Commerce using the new branding and logos recently created. The Salem Community Center @ the Armory had a total of 3,817 participants in programs in December. The Planning and Zoning Board of Adjustments will have a meeting on February 9th and the Planning and Zoning Committee will meet on February 18. The city offices will be closed on Monday, February 15th for President’s Day with the next Alderman meeting being held on Tuesday, February 16th. Public Works Director Mark Nash stated the meters have been read and bills for October usage will go out this week. The utility department is looking into a pay as you go option to be available to residents. Mayor Nash appointed Sherman Odom to fill the remaining term of Claire Dent Underwood on the Housing Authority Board. This was approved by the board. The board then went into closed session to discuss personnel and contracts.

The Mark Twain Beekeepers will be holding a Beginners Bee Class sometime in mid to late March at a location in Salem to be determined by the interest in the class. The deadline to register is February 20th and payment will be due on or before March 13th once the date has been determined. The cost is expected to be under $40 and lunch will be provided during the class. For more information, contact the Mark Twain Beekeepers by e-mail at marktwainbeekeepers@gmail.com. You can also contact Gregg Tivnan at 573-689-2254 for any questions you may have.

Preparations are underway for Ozark National Scenic Riverways to accomplish several prescribed burns this spring, between early February and mid-April. The burns will be carefully planned and monitored by the park’s Fire Management staff. Several prescribed burns planned at Ozark Riverways in 2021 will be cooperative efforts with other land management agencies. The Alley Spring prescribed burn unit is 826 acres near Alley Mill. This burn will be conducted in partnership with Missouri Department of Conservation. The Pulltite prescribed burn unit is 577 acres and is in the upper Current River area in northern Shannon County. This burn will be conducted in partnership with Missouri Department of Conservation and The Nature Conservancy. The Welch Lodge burn unit is 829 acres and is in the upper Current River area in northern Shannon County near Akers. This burn will be conducted in partnership with Pioneer Forest. Individuals in the vicinity of the prescribed burns with respiratory ailments are encouraged to take extra precautions to avoid exposure to smoke. Anyone who is concerned about the potential impacts of smoke from a prescribed burn can request to be added to the park’s notification list in order to be contacted in advance. For more information about prescribed burns at Ozark Riverways or to be included on the park’s notification list, contact Dena Matteson at (573) 323-4814 or dena_matteson@nps.gov. Prescribed burning has a variety of purposes ranging from the reduction of fuel accumulations near developed areas to benefits for native plants and animals in a variety of ways. If you would like to receive additional information about other prescribed burns in the local area, please contact Missouri Department of Conservation at (573) 226-3616 or the U.S. Forest Service at (573) 364-4621.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital (SMDH) has announced that they have been included in the first phase of the High Throughput Vaccination program in the state of Missouri. Along with Phelps Health, SMDH will be the consortium for Missouri local region I. The Salem Memorial District Hospital will be receiving a limited number of the Covid-19 Moderna vaccine during the month of February. This does not include the Covid-19 vaccination program being provided by the National Guard on Feb 11th and 12th, which will be the Covid-19 Pfizer vaccine. The Dent County Health Center (DCHC) will be assisting with the scheduling and vaccination of our community. All vaccinations MUST be scheduled. The location, date, and time of the vaccinations will be shared once it has been determined and the DCHC will schedule based on your convenience and availability. To schedule your Covid-19 vaccination, please contact the Dent County Health Center at (573) 729-3106. The Salem Memorial District Hospital and Dent County Health Center thank you for your patience and continued support.

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning for their first meeting in the month of February. Salem and Dent County Economic Development Director Sally Burbridge brought in her report for the month of January. She said the new City of Salem, Dent County and Salem Chamber of Commerce website is now available although it still is a work in progress in getting all the information updated. She mentioned the county may also want to get their own URL to direct inquiries to the site and they agreed to have Craig Technology Consultants get that done for them. She also reported the Dent County Tourism Committee agreed to help pay for new “Welcome to Salem” signs with the new branding. She reported the City Board of Aldermen did approve creating the voluntary Residential Demolition Program where a property owner could agree to split the cost of demolition with the city and retain title to the property, or sign the property over to the City and the entire cost of demolition would be the responsibility of the city. Burbridge also said there is a Neighborhood Preservation Act available where property owners could receive Missouri state tax credits for rehab or for the construction of single-family homes. She also reported that near the end of February, True Charities will be holding a planning community workshop at the Salem Community Center@The Armory with churches and non-profits who work with poverty level citizens so that the final results are moving these individuals and families to a sustainable self-sufficient place. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray stated he was called out Saturday to Dent County Road 2470 which was undermined. He said the road was repaired. Mobray indicated that work crews would be on county road 6220 putting down materials and spreading them out. He went on to report that patch grading would be done on county roads 2440 and 4080 while brush would be cut on county roads 5610 and 5670. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said he was called out Saturday to Dent County Road 3190 that was supposed to be impassable, but with some materials being added and patch work, the road was driveable. He said work crews would be out checking roads for possible washouts with the rain and melting snow. He also stated that patching would be done at various locations. Both commissioners wanted to let the public know they are aware that many county roads are not in good condition at this time due to the rain, snow, freezing and thawing. They both said they hope to be able to address some of the worse roads this week as it gets warmer and drier. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles reported he attended CCAM meeting by Zoom Wednesday due to the adverse weather. He said commissioners required annual training will be held virtually and will be available on You Tube starting February 22nd. The training is 20 hours long and commissioners will have to have it completed by June. Skiles did say that a workshop for newly elected commissioners will be held in person on March 10th in Jefferson City. Skiles went on to say the county received notification from the state treasurer’s office indicating the county was in compliance with the CARES ACT Funding and that they have received an extension until June 30th to distribute the remaining funds. Skiles said that as of December 31st, 2020, there was about $72,000 remaining. Skiles also said there were three applications that had already been submitted prior to the cutoff date that had not been funded that will now be reviewed by the MRPC for approval. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said March 10th will be the last day to register to vote in the April 6th Municipal Election. She also said that several entities will not be holding an election as they had just enough candidates to fill open board positions. A sample ballot will be available later from her office. Two representatives from Erb Equipment were in to bring the commission pricing on the 2021 graders, plus they had requested pricing on a used loader and also inquired about a skid steer to see if it could be purchased on the state bid. Also at the meeting was Carl Letmer from Aramark Uniforms who brought in pricing information for shirts, coveralls, mats and more. The county currently uses Unifirst for this service. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Monday at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

An accident happened Saturday afternoon in Dent County at 2:30 on Highway 68 about five miles north of Salem. According to the highway patrol report, 31-year old Trisha Bragg of Salem lost control of her 2011 Dodge Avenger on the wet roadway. The Dodge traveled off the left side of the roadway where the Dodge struck an embankment and a fence. Bragg suffered serious injuries and was taken by the Salem Ambulance to the Salem Memorial District Hospital. Bragg was not wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Dodge Avenger was totaled and removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen will hold their regular meeting Monday evening at 7:00 at the City Hall Council Chambers. At the meeting, Mayor Brad Nash will appoint an East Ward Alderman to fill the unexpired term of Rachel Hinderliter who resigned due to her moving from the East Ward. An oath of office will be administered before the meeting continues. The board will hear bids on the Grinder Pump station for the Westwood Subdivision before the consent agenda is reviewed and approved. Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman Gary Brown will report on the planning and zoning meeting and hearing from Thursday night, January 28th to subdivide a parcel of property from 805 to 807 North Henderson. They will also discuss a reviewed use for a daycare operation at 1300 S. MacArthur owned by John and Tasha Harrison. City Administrator Ray Walden will then provide updates on a number of city projects before Mayor Nash makes an appointment to the Salem Housing Authority Board. The board will then go into closed session to discuss personnel and contracts. The meeting of the Salem Board of Aldermen Monday evening is open to the public.

The Shannon County Health Center is happy to announce that people that fall within Phase 1A or Phase 1B, Tiers 1 and 2, can attend a mass vaccination clinic with the help of the National Guard at Echo Bluff State Park on Friday, February 12th from 9:00 in the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon. This mass vaccination may be attended by anyone in Shannon County or those in the surrounding area including other counties. The Shannon County Health Center will provide a link to register for this event as soon as it becomes available. They are still in the planning stages of this event and will provide information as it becomes available. The goal is to get a COVID shot for everyone in the community who wants one.

The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors will be meeting Tuesday evening, February 2nd at 6:00 at the fire station located at #2 South Main Street. After the roll call and approval of the consent agenda the board will review minutes from the January meeting. The board will then hear the financial report and approve bills before reviewing the calendar and hearing the monthly reimbursement report. Any old or new business will then be heard before setting the date for the March meeting. The meeting is open to the public.

Agricultural producers wanting to enhance current conservation efforts are encouraged to apply for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)-Classic, formerly known as CSP-General. The Conservation Stewardship Program is a great opportunity for Missouri farmers, ranchers and foresters to maintain and expand on existing conservation efforts according to Scott Edwards, Missouri State Conservationist of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). While applications are accepted on a continuous basis, applications must be submitted by February 26, 2021 to be considered for fiscal year 2021 funding. Through CSP, agricultural producers and forest landowners earn payments for actively managing, maintaining and expanding conservation activities on all the land they operate. The variety of CSP conservation activities offer producers a lot of freedom to select enhancements, practices, and bundles that help meet producer’s management goals. Producers interested in CSP are encouraged to contact the local USDA Service Center in Houston by calling 417-967-2028 or visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/GetStarted on line.