Archive for 2022

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray stated the Title II work on Dent County Road 5600 will continue including the installation of crossover pipes on the county road. Substituting for District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson was Travis Turner who reported crossover pipes were being installed and materials were being added to Dent County Roads 4270, 4405 and 5280. Turner said brush would be cut on county road 2270 and a man went to Springfield to get oil for chip and seal repair. Turner went on to say that another man would be screening brown rock. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said he attended the MRPC Annual Awards Dinner at Vienna last Thursday along with Mike and Jamie Homeyer and it was a very nice event. Skiles also said he attended the South Central County Commissioners Association meeting in Houston last Friday. Skiles said the association honored five retiring commissioners from the area. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said absentee voting continues at her office with an excuse, and if you need to update your voting information such as a name change or new address, to please stop by her office and get that done before trying to vote in the election. Commissioner Skiles presented a renewal of a three-year contract for child support services with Crawford County beginning January 1, 2023, and lasting until December 31, 2025, and the commissioners approved the contract. Beth Frizzell from the Dent County Senior Services Board came to ask how the budget for the year could be amended as the Salem Nutrition Center has requested some emergency funds due to the rise in cost for the food and the number of meals being served. Frizzell said that in fiscal year 2020, the Salem Nutrition Center served 41,812 meals, 45,951 in fiscal year 2022 and to date this year, they have served 46,239 meals. Commissioner Skiles told Frizzell that any change in the budget for additional funds would require a budget adjustment and that would require a public hearing. Once the hearing is held with the revised figures, her board could approve additional payments to the Salem Nutrition Center provided the money was available. Frizzell said she would get started with the process. The next meeting of the commission would be Thursday at 9:00 at the courthouse and it will be open to the public.

In a case heard by Judge Megan Seay on Friday, October 7th, Jeffrey Chumbley, of Gravois Mills, was sentenced to serve 10 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections as requested by the state. Chumbley had been on probation for the felony possession of a controlled substance and endangering the welfare of a child. The state was represented by Dent County Prosecutor Andrew Curley who presented evidence and at the conclusion of the hearing, Chumbley was found to have violated the terms of this probation. In another case that same day, Judge Seay heard a probation hearing on Tiffany Dyer of Salem. She had been on probation for felony forgery charges, possession of methamphetamine, and the distribution of methamphetamine. Dyer, who had already served a Section 559.115 sentence in the department of corrections, was represented at the hearing by Robyn Strange. At the conclusion of the hearing, the defendant’s probation was revoked and Dyer was sentenced to serve 10 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections as recommended by Prosecutor Curley. In the final case that same day, Kara Happel of Salem appeared before Judge Seay being represented by Robyn Strange. Happel was on probation for the felony possession of Methamphetamine. During the revocation hearing, evidence was presented that showed Happel had violated four provisions of her probation. The state requested Happel be sentenced to a 120-day incarceration in the department of corrections and if successfully completed, to be returned and placed in the Dent County Alternative Treatment Court. The defense requested leniency in the form of continued probation with placement into the Alternative Treatment Court. Over the objection of the state, Happel will continue on probation with a suspended execution of sentence and ordered to enter and complete the alternative treatment court sentence.

Missouri’s annual statewide earthquake drill will be Thursday and more than 329,000 people are already registered to participate in the Great Central U. S. “ShakeOut”. A total of nearly 2 million people are registered in the 14 central U.S. states that could be impacted by a New Madrid Seismic Zone earthquake. The New Madrid Seismic Zone is one of the most active seismic areas in the U.S., averaging 200 small earthquakes each year. In 2021, 49 earthquakes occurred in Missouri, including a magnitude 4.0 quake centered near Poplar Bluff. A major earthquake in this area would damage much of southern and eastern Missouri, including the St. Louis area. Geologists say there’s a 25 to 40 percent chance of another large earthquake occurring in a 50-year time period. At 10:20 this Thursday morning, participants will practice the “Drop, Cover, Hold On” technique to protect themselves. Remember these three simple steps: DROP to your hands and knees; COVER your head and neck with your hands and arms under a table or desk if you can; and HOLD ON until the shaking stops. Experts say Drop, Cover, Hold On is the best protection from falling debris, which is the most likely cause of injury during an earthquake. There’s still time to sign up at shakeout.org/centralus. Once registered, participants will receive details on the drill, as well as information on earthquake preparedness and safety. To learn more about earthquakes and how to prepare, visit centralusquake.org.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors will meet tonight at 6:00 at the hospital library. The board will hear the summary of operations and statistics for the month of September as well as the Chief Nursing Officer report, get a staffing update, get a Home Health update, get an update on the hospital foundation, and talk about marketing and community relations. After the Chief of Staff’s report, the board will be updated on the transformer work and an update on dialysis before discussing new purchases. The meeting tonight is open to the public.

An accident occurred Saturday afternoon around 12:58 in Dent County on Route CC about two miles east of Route C. According to the highway patrol report, a 2007 Mini Cooper driven by 33-year-old Yolanda Skaggs of Salem, was heading westbound and travelled off the left side of the roadway and overturned. Skaggs suffered serious injuries and was flown by Air Ambulance to Cox South Hospital in Springfield. A passenger in the vehicle, a 15-year-old male juvenile, suffered minor injuries and was taken to Texas County Memprial Hospital by a private vehicle. The report goes on to say both parties were wearing safety restraints at the time of the accident. The Mini Cooper was totaled and removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing. The highway patrol was assisted by the Dent County Sheriff’s Office, the Montauk Rural Fire Department and Salem Ambulance.

Dent County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Curley released a report that is a stark reminder of the danger that local law enforcement incurs when protecting our community on an everyday basis. On May 6th, 2021, Dent County Deputies Drew Smith and Crystal Hayes were attempting to execute an arrest warrant on David Brown for the felony of failure to register as a sex offender. During their attempt, the defendant began discharging a firearm from a bedroom in the residence, causing the deputies to retreat to cover. A stand-off ensued that later resulted in the arrest of David Brown with additional charges for armed criminal action and various felonies. Last week on October 11th, a sentencing hearing was conducted after David Brown entered a guilty plea. Circuit Judge Michael Randazzo presided over both cases. The state was represented by prosecuting Attorney Andrew M. Curley and the defendant was represented by a public defender. Deputy Crystal Hayes testified at the hearing. The state argued for a 20-year sentence due to the severity of the circumstances of the incidents, the victim impact and due to the defendant’s extensive prior criminal history. The defendant requested leniency in the form of eight years in the department of corrections. At the conclusion of the hearing, Judge Randazzo sentenced Brown to 20 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections as recommended by Prosecutor Curley. At the time this incident occurred, there was a mother and a child in the residence. Due to the quick thinking and action of Deputy Hayes and Deputy Smith, no one was physically injured.

The Dent County Clerk’s office at the Dent County Courthouse has sample ballots available for you if you would like to pick one up and before voting in the November General Election. They are free. She can also e-mail or fax one to you. Just call her office at 729-4144. On the ballot, there are contested races for the US Senator seat, a state auditor, US Representative for the 8th District, State Senator Seat for the 16th District, Missouri Supreme Court Judges, Missouri Appellate Court Judges in the Southern District and four constitutional amendments. They also have in the office the plain language explanations of those constitutional amendments. They are lengthy and are too large to be copied by the clerk’s office, but you are more than welcome to bring your phone and photograph them to review them at home or at your leisure. Currently, excused absentee voting is going on at the courthouse, Monday through Friday during normal business hours, and you must have a photo ID to vote. Unexcused absentee voting will begin on October 25th through November 7th. Acceptable photo ID’s are a nonexpired Missouri driver or non-driver license; a nonexpired military ID, including a veteran’s ID card; a nonexpired United States passport; or another photo ID issued by the United States or the state of Missouri which is either not expired or expired after the date of the most recent general election.

The City of Salem Planning and Zoning board will be meeting Tuesday evening at 6:00 in the City Hall Council Chambers at 202 North Washington Street. The board will hear a request for a conditional use permit for a childcare facility on property owned by Angela Arthur located at 1111 South Hickory Street. They will also hear a request from Sherman and Marsha Odom for a conditional use permit for the installation of a cellular tower on property located at 1702 Doss Road. Immediately following the closing of the public hearing, the planning and zoning board will hold a public meeting to either recommend or not recommend them to the Salem Board of Aldermen. The meeting of Planning and Zoning board of commissioners Tuesday evening at 6:00 will be open to the public.

Jim Martin, the National Outreach Chair of the National Stars and Stripes Museum and Library from Bloomfield, Missouri, was in town Wednesday afternoon to present a proclamation naming Salem as a “Stars and Stripes City” at the City Hall Council Chambers. The proclamation says Salem was recognized for its “ongoing embrace and dedication to the principals of informed citizenship, commitment, and service in our democratic society.” Martin said Salem qualified for the recognition by meeting the National Stars and Stripes seven required criteria including embracing the freedom of the press as well as welcoming and embracing the spirit, commitment and service of the men and women of the armed forces of the United States of America.

The Dent County Commission met Thursday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. At the meeting, Dan Riley from Jadwin was in to complain about his land line phone service on Route K through what used to be Centurylink and is now Brightspeed. He said he has no dial tone most of the time and the company won’t repair the lines to get service to the homes in area where there are a lot of elderly people. Cell service in that area is sketchy at best and in order to make emergency calls, people have to drive a distance to a location where there is cell service. Skiles said he would attempt to contact the phone company and see if he could have someone check out this issue. State Representative Ron Copeland was in and asked what he could do to help the county. The commission asked if he could work with the Department of Revenue and get the misappropriated county sales tax issue resolved where Dent County could pay the money back over ten years and not three or five years as suggested by the Department of Revenue attorney. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said the Title II project work is being done on Dent County Roads 5590 and 5600 where culverts are being installed and rock is being added. He also said brush would be cut on county road 6220. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson indicated work crews were repairing chip and seal county roads 3210 and 3220, screening brown rock and delivering chips to the company doing chip and seal work. Larson said a new pipe was being installed on county road 5200 where ditch work was also being performed. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles wanted to remind everyone about the Family Feud event at the Salem Community Center@The Armory tonight. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said she balanced with the treasurer on all accounts for the month of September, and she also balanced with the county collector and assessor on all add-ons, abatements and collections for the same month. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams reported sales tax revenues for the county were up in all the funds over last year when the Department of Revenue again withheld sales tax monies from the county. For the General Revenue Fund and Law Enforcement Sales Tax Fund, the county received this month $102,663.50 and that is $83,294.28 more than in 2021. Year-to-date, those funds are up $401,946.62. In the County Road and Bridge Fund, sales tax revenues received were $47,081.78 and that is up from the $7,456.24 figure from 2021, and year to date, that fund is up $199,451.04. The jail trust and operating funds both received $94,150.76 in October and that is $43,819.47 more than received in 2021. Year-to-date, the jail funds are up $362,139.68. At 10:00, Aaron Benson from Great Rivers Engineering opened five bids for the Cooley Bridge replacement project which was FLAP project #56. The bridge, which is located near Bunker, had an original engineering estimate of $448,000, and the five bids received ranged from $399,110 to $1,104,999. The low bid was from H.R. Quadri Contractors, LLC of Van Buren followed by the bid from Gene Haile Excavating, Inc. for $460,975. The bids will be reviewed by Benson before he makes his recommendation to the county next week. Once approved by the commission, the bid will be submitted for funding through MoDOT. Stephen Bubanovich from Quadri was in attendance and said he would like to get started in December if the paperwork could all get approved and the county was good with that, pending that everything was complete in their bid packet. Great Rivers Engineering and the commission agreed to extend bidding on the Tan Vat asphalt project which is FLAP Project #57 until October 27th. Dent County Collector Shannon VanKirk said the county received only $22,196 in tax payments which was down about 1.13% from 2021 totals, and that tax bills will be going out on November 8th. If people would like to use the Pre-Pay tax installment plan for 2023, VanKirk said now is the time to come in an apply to get that done. She also said that people can now go to the Dent County Portal to review previous years personal and real estate property taxes. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.