Archive for 2022

An accident happened Tuesday afternoon at 3:45 on Highway 63 about three miles north of Cabool that took the life of a Rolla man. According to the highway patrol report, a 1995 Dodge 3500 Flatbed Pickup driven northbound by 74-year-old Rickie Walker of Rolla, crossed the centerline of the roadway and went off the left side of the road. The pickup then collided with a small drainage ditch and a fence before the overturning. Walker was pronounced dead at the scene by the Texas County Coroner Marie Lasater. His body was taken to the Elliott-Gentry-Carder Funeral Home in Cabool. The pickup had moderate damage and was removed from the scene BY Jay’s Automotive of Houston. Walker was not wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The highway patrol was assisted at the scene by the Cabool Fire Department.

The City of Salem Finance Committee and Capital Improvements Committee met jointly Tuesday evening at the Council Chambers. Capital Improvements Chairman, Shawn Bolerjack, updated the committee on budget requests from the City Department Supervisors. In the Street Department Fund, the projected revenue for next year is $151,000 and requested projects totaled $172,500 after staff had already removed a snowplow for $140,000 and a bush hog for $15,000. Budget requests include $80,000 for street maintenance, $12,500 for crack seal repair, $75,000 for boom mower replacement and $5,000 for a 200-gallon sprayer. This leaves a deficit of $59,000 that will be made up by cutting down on the street maintenance since only $2,000 has been spent this fiscal year. In the Park and Recreation Department Fund, expected revenues are $515,750 with requested projects of $5,000 for park improvements after removing $20,000 for parking lot repairs at the pool. In the Capital Improvements Sales Tax Fund, revenues are expected to be $1,217,400 and the requested projects total $235,000. The projects include sidewalk construction at $25,000, adding a pipe for $5,000, a mower for $13,500, City Hall Auditorium work for $5,000, Police Vehicles for $65,000, Industrial Park/downtown signage for $50,000, an airport gas pump for $40,000 and a welder for $7,000. This is after staff cut $111,000 from the original request. Committee members then heard from representatives that have collaborative agreements with the city. Eric Meusch with the Dent County Extension requested the continuation of $5,800 support that helps fund the 4-H position; Tabatha Utley with the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce requested the continuation of $10,000 that support tourism projects; and Sherry Lea, the Executive Director of Healthy Dent County requested the continuation of $10,000 for the Salem Community Center @ the Armory and Healthy Dent County. Finance Director Stacey Houston reviewed the city’s current financial update. The city began the fiscal year 2021-2022 with a cash balance of $5,120,797 and expects to end the year with $4,657,118. Projected revenues for fiscal year 2022-2023 are $12,320,553 with expenses at $14,300,000 leaving a deficit of $1.9 million. The proposed budget shows no raises for employees and 42% of the budget is for the police department. The committee discussed ways to make up the $1.9 million deficit including raising electric rates and proposing an online sales tax be placed on the ballot that would fund public safety. The proposed electric rate increase is estimated to bring in an additional $1.4 million if approved by the Board of Aldermen. The next Utility Committee meeting will be Tuesday, June 21st at 6:00 pm and the next Finance Committee meeting will be Wednesday, June 22nd at 6:00 pm, both meetings will be held at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory.

The Bonebrake Center’s 2022 Mudbugs will be held this afternoon from 4:00 until 5:00 and is targeted at 6 to 12-year boys and girls, but all ages are welcome. These activities will be held outside, and kids should be prepared to get dirty. Activities should last about an hour, and they ask that a parent or guardian accompany your children. The cost of the Mudbug event is $1 per child. For more information, call Janet Price at (573) 269-1026 or e-mail bonebrakecenter@embarqmail.com.

The Creative Arts Center will host a cupcake decorating class this evening starting at 6:00. Come have fun and celebrating the flavors and looks of summer! Take home a dozen cupcakes to enjoy with your family over Father’s Day weekend! No piping skills or previous cake decorating skills needed, just come and have fun and learn some quick steps to decorate some fun cupcakes! The cupcake decorating class with Shannon Phelps will be held at 6:00 this evening and the cost is $25 which includes all supplies. The Creative Arts Center has two easy ways to sign up for events! First, you can call or text 573-247-0651. You can also pay ahead with Square at 573-247-5306.All square transactions will be charged a $1.50 transaction fee. You may also visit their website to sign up and prepay for classes online at: www.salemcommunitybetterment.com.

The first Arcadia Valley Community Picnic will be held this Saturday from 10:00 to 4:00. This event, a partnership between the Arcadia Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Battle of Pilot Knob State Historic Site, is a way for the community to kick off the summer with games, food and kids’ activities, as well as a horseshoe and bean bag toss tournament for both the adults and kids. The local art guild also will be on hand to host the Arcadia Valley chalk art competition. This year’s theme, “Fairy Tales,” will have visitors enjoying several fun fantasy activities, including arts and crafts, dressing up for pictures and a play. All proceeds will go toward supporting the annual Chamber of Commerce fireworks display, which is held on the historic site grounds every July 4th. For more information, contact the site’s museum at 573-546-3454 and speak with Brick or Bryan. The Battle of Pilot Knob State Historic Site is located at 118 E. Maple in Pilot Knob.

On Friday, June 10th, Dent County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Curley reported that a sentencing hearing was held for Cheri Sturdivant of Salem. She had pled guilty to the distribution of meth and was sentenced to ten years in the department of corrections. Sturdivant was a prior and persistent offender. Then on Tuesday, June 14th in Dent County in front of Judge Megan Seay, Lisa McGraw of Salem had her probation revoked and she was sentenced to 10 years in the Department of Corrections.

Take Dad to the river for Father’s Day weekend and participate in the 15th annual Upper Current River clean-up and Kayak give-away. The event is scheduled for this Saturday, June 18th. Registration will take place at Cedar Grove, Akers Upper Landing, or the Pulltite river access points between 8:00 and 10:00 on the morning. You will also pick up your mesh trash bags at these points. Locations for clean-up include Montauk State Park to Baptist Access, Baptist Access to Cedar Grove, Cedar Grove to Akers, Akers to Pulltite, and Pulltite to Round Spring. You may also clean-up a put in or take out area such as Tan Vat, Baptist, Parker Ford, Cedar Grove, Flying W, Welch Spring, Akers, Pulltite, Sinking Creek or Round Spring. No BBQ will be held because they do not want participants to congregate due to Covid-19. The drawing for the Kayak will come from all registration forms. The drawing will take place at noon and the winner will receive a text or call on June 18th to arrange pick up of the kayak that day. The Scenic Rivers Stream Team Association needs to know the total amount of trash that is picked up so they ask that when you get home to e-mail photos and let them know how much trash you collected. There will be a prize for the most trash collected, and the most unusual item found. You can email this information to jack_Maryficker@hotmail.com. A group site at Round Spring is reserved for participants to use without charge

The Salem Board of Aldermen met Tuesday evening in the City Hall Council Chambers. After approval of the consent agenda, the board discussed Bill #3507 which would have created an ordinance setting new electric rates for residential and commercial customers that would have included a $10 Service Availability Fee and a 27% rate increase. Alderman Kyle Williams, who is the Utility Committee Chairman, said the increase would be a heavy burden for many people as times are hard now with rising prices. Alderman Shawn Bolerjack said he did some calculations after the utility committee meeting and for a person with a 600-kwh bill, the rate increase with the $10 Service Availability Fee would have been over $27 which in essence would have been a 42.7% increase. He feels there may need to be a higher service availability fee for commercial accounts rather than for residences. Williams said since the finance committee has not yet approved the final budget, he said he would like to see what other options might be available to reduce the burden on the people including looking into some budget cuts the city may be able to take. Alderman Tod Kinerk said he would let the automatic rate increase happen on July 15th as people are already expecting it and eliminate the numerous discounts offered to specific groups. He said he personally would not support any Service Availability Fee. Alderwoman Kala Sisco agreed with Alderman Bolerjack and Williams in exploring other options to reduce the deficit. The board voted down the bill unanimously. The board heard a request to seek a 50/50 grant from Employers Mutual to get a new dog box for the animal control officer that will accommodate larger and more aggressive dogs safely. The current dog box is no longer functionally safe. The cost of the dog box is $8,000 and the city would be responsible for $4,000. The board approved the request. The board accepted the appointment of Leigh Ann Price to the Salem Public Library Board to replace Ruth Ann Parker who resigned. The meeting was then adjourned.

The Missouri Department of Transportation’s draft plan for the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program from 2023-2027 is available for your review and comments at MoDOT.org. A number of projects are in the program for Dent County that includes a bridge rehabilitation on Highway 119 over Pigeon Creek in the 2023 year, and the bridge replacement on Highway 19 over Gladden Creek is also scheduled for 2023. In the year 2027, a bridge improvement over Spring Creek on Highway 19 is expected while in 2026, MoDOT has scheduled a bridge improvement over Dry Creek on Route B. Other expected projects in Dent County for the fiscal year 2025 will be pavement improvements to Route K from Highway 19 to Route KK, and on Route J from Highway 72 to 32. Near Dent County in
Crawford County in 2025 will be pavement improvements to Highway 49 from Highway 19 all the way to Highway 32. You can comment on the plan by clicking on the “View Draft STIP” button the STIP plan this Friday by going to MoDOT.org near the middle of the page. Once in that window, you can click on the link to make comments.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol would like to remind the public that driver examination stations throughout the state will be closed on Monday, June 20th in observance of Juneteenth. Normal operations will resume on Tuesday, June 21st. For more news, follow the Missouri State Highway Patrol on Twitter.

An accident happened in Phelps County Sunday night just after 10:00 that took the life of a 16-year-old boy from St. James. According to the highway patrol report, a 2002 Chevy S-10 was being driven by a 16-year boy from St. James northbound when a 16-year-old passenger fell out of the truck bed. The passenger, who was another 16-year-old boy, was pronounced dead at Phelps Health by Dr. Lawrence Hutchinson at 11:27 Sunday evening. The Missouri State Highway Patrol was assisted at the scene by Phelps County Sheriff’s Department and the St. James Ambulance District. The body of the 16-year-old boy was released to the Phelps County Coroner.

An accident happened Saturday afternoon just after 4:00 on Highway 63 about a mile north of Excello that left two people from Rolla with moderate injuries. According to the highway patrol report, a 2106 Dodge 2500 Truck driven northbound by 50-year-old Patrick Johnston of Rolla, struck a slow moving RG31 Military Vehicle from behind that was being driven by 29-year-old Brandon John of Independence. Johnston and an 11-year-old juvenile each suffered moderate injuries. The boy was taken by the Adair County Ambulance to the University Hospital in Columbia while Patrick Johnston was transported by MU 4 to the University Hospital in Columbia. The Missouri State Highway Patrol was assisted by the Macon County Sheriff’s Department, the Macon County Ambulance, the Macon County Rescue Squad, the Macon County First Responders, and the Missouri National Guard. The Dodge was totaled in the accident and removed from the scene by Still’s Towing while the military vehicle was driven from the scene.

The Dent County Commission met Monday morning at the Dent County Courthouse for their regular meeting. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson was not present due to previous commitments, so road supervisor Travis Turner sat in at the meeting to give the road report. District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray stated grading would be done on Dent County roads 5015,6240 and 6670 while brush would be cut on county road 6600. He said a man went to Springfield to get oil to do chip and seal repair. Supervisor Turner said materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 2110, 2115 and 3180 while brush will be cut on county roads 2270 and 2303. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles reported he attended the Transportation Advisory Committee meeting last Thursday at the MRPC and the new Statewide Transportation Improvement Program for the next five years has been released. The proposed program is available for public review and comment which will end this Friday, June 17th. Skiles said this supposedly is the largest STIP program ever. He also said use of funds under the BRO (the off system local bridge replacement program), can now apply to low water crossings. Skiles said MoDOT scheduled start for the resurfacing of Highway 72 from Salem to Rolla is to begin on Monday, June 20th. This will depend on the availability of materials for the job. Skiles said at the Public Housing Authority meeting Thursday, he was elected the new Vice-Chairman; while at the External Relations committee meeting, the date was set for the annual awards meeting which will be held on October 13th at the Vienna Knights of Columbus. Skiles said he would be attending the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District full council meeting today. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley wanted to remind everyone the courthouse will be closed on June 20th for the state holiday of “Juneteenth” and that June 21st will be the first day to vote absentee for the August Primary. Remember you must declare a party to vote for and bring your voter registration or photo ID with you. The last date to register to vote in the Primary will be July 6th. She also said she attended the South Central Regional Clerks meeting on Friday in West Plains. At the last meeting, the commission set the Board of Equalization meeting for July 18th at 1:00 at the commissioner’s office. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The Board of Alderman will meet this evening at 6:00 in the City Hall Council Chambers at 202 North Washington Street. The board will read and discuss Bill #3507 which would create an ordinance establishing rates for electric services provided by the City of Salem. In new business the police department will request an approval for a safety grant for a new dog box for animal control. Next, the board will discuss the Library Board’s recommendation to add Leigh Ann Price to the Salem Public Library Board due to the resignation of Ruth Ann Parker. The meeting will then be adjourned.

The City of Salem’s Finance and Capital Improvement Committees will hold a joint meeting at the Council Chambers this evening at 6:30. They will hear an update on audit for fiscal year ending June 2021. Then get an update on the 2021-2022 fiscal year, including capital projects and collaboration agreements. Next go over the 2022-2023 capital project. Finally discuss the 2022-2023 proposed budget. The meeting is open to the public.

Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park has been nominated as one of the “Best State Parks for RVing/Camping” in the nation in USA Today’s 10 Best Reader’s Choice Awards. Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park is home to many natural landscapes like woodlands, glades and rivers. The park has 17 different natural terrestrial communities and supports more than 850 plant species; in fact, it’s home to 40% of the plant species of Missouri. The park supports two outstanding areas designated as Missouri wild areas because of their wilderness qualities. It’s no wonder that the park’s campgrounds have been nominated each year as one of USA Today’s 10Best. You can vote daily until 11:00 in the morning on June 20th to make Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park the #1 Best State Park for RVing/Camping. To vote for Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park, go to www.10best.com/awards and click on the button for Best State Parks for RVing/Camping.