Archive for 2022

An accident happened in Dent County Monday Morning around 9:15 on Dent County Road 6040 about a mile south of Highway 32. According to the highway patrol report, a 1988 Chevrolet Pickup driven westbound by 29-year-old Brent Strange of Bunker, swerved to avoid another vehicle. The pickup went off the north side of the roadway and Strange overcorrected, and the pickup went off the southside of the road striking a fence and a tree. Strange suffered serious injuries and was flown by Air Evac Air Ambulance to the Mercy Hospital in Springfield. The Chevy Pickup was totaled and removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing of Salem.

The Salem Park and Recreation Department Board met on Wednesday, May 11th at the Salem Community Center@The Armory. The broad reviewed the budget and heard Park and Recreation Director Melissa Dubois report. The board discussed rates for the Alice Lou Craig Municipal Swimming Pool prices for 2022. The price per day for children from 3 to 13 years of age will be $5.00; for adults the cost will be $6.00; and for seniors, age 62 and older, the cost will be $5.00. A family pass for the season for four will be $200 and for an individual, the season pass will be $80. Pool parties will be available again this year. The cost will be $200 for one hour, $250 for 1.5 hours and $300 for two hours. A pool aerobics class will be available at $5.00 per day or a monthly pass of $60. The board also discussed sports program fees. They approved a five-dollar increase going from $25 per program to $30 per program with a late registration fee of $45. Director Dubois discussed her two-week Summer Camp that is to be held in July with a cost of $200 per child. Dubois also said the Park and Recreation Department is still looking for a pickup truck. The meeting was then adjourned.

Jerry Pyatt, the former president and CEO of The Doe Run Company, received one of two Awards of Professional Distinction from Missouri University of Science & Technology during the commencement ceremonies held on Saturday, May 14th. Missouri S&T grants a limited number of Awards of Professional Distinction annually to recognize persons who have made important contributions to their profession. Pyatt retired this past year after a 43-year career in mining and metallurgy. Pyatt’s impressive career started with a brief stint in the laboratory and quickly advanced through various leadership and management positions before he earned the role of COO in 2001, and president and CEO in 2012. In his decade as the company’s president and CEO, Pyatt oversaw an operation that contributed more than $1 billion in annual economic impact to Missouri, and included mining and milling, lead refining, alloying and fabrication, and lead battery recycling. He also was instrumental in guiding the company’s strategic exploration, research and technology projects that maintain Doe Run’s respected position as a provider of minerals, metals and specialty services. Under his direction, the company developed a number of proprietary technologies to improve environmental performance of metal production and increase mineral recovery. Pyatt received a bachelor’s degree in agriculture with a minor in chemistry from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is a graduate of the Stanford University Executive Program.

Team members from Missouri State Parks invite the public to attend informational meetings throughout the state to provide their input and comments and to ask questions about the park and its operations. Park team members will be present to answer questions and provide information. A combined informational meeting for Current River and Echo Bluff state parks and Roger Pryor Pioneer Backcountry will be held this Friday evening starting at 5:30 at Echo Bluff State Park in the amphitheater. Echo Bluff State Park is located 35244 Echo Bluff Drive in Eminence. Input from the public is important to Missouri State Parks. These informational meetings and informational videos will be available for public comment in all state parks and historic sites to help create two-way communication. The meetings or videos will inform the public on the current status and future plans for the park or historic site and offer visitors the opportunity to comment on the facilities. To learn more about this meeting, call 573-858-3015. Current River State Park is located near Salem, while Roger Pryor Pioneer Backcountry is near Eminence. For more information on Missouri state parks and historic sites, or to view the Park and Site Status Map, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The Dent County Commission met Monday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley was not in attendance due to prior commitments. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Road 6580, plus materials would be added to county roads 4210 and 4220 where patch grading was occurring due to some washouts caused by the heavy rains over the weekend. Mobray indicated Dent County Road 5550 would also be graded. In District 2, Commissioner Gary Larson said materials would be added to Dent County Roads 2320 and 2540 as part of the Conservation Rock Contract. He went on to report grading would be done on county roads 3090, 3100, 3120, 3130 and 3180. Both districts reported they had crews out removing downed trees that were blown down over the weekend from the storms. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said he attended the public informational meeting Thursday night at Montauk State Park to find out what will be happening at the park. Skiles stated that a lot of updating and improving will be done, plus it appears the parking lot at the lodge will get extensive repairs and possibly be repaved. Skiles said information from the Department of Natural Resources showed that over 559,000 visitors in 2020 and over 483,000 last year used Montauk State Park facilities to camp, fish, eat or lodge. Skiles discussed with the commissioners about the need of a county owned UTV for the Dent County Sheriff’s Department. They had one loaned to them in the past, but Skiles said with the terrain found in Dent County, if a person should get lost and a search is needed, the county should have a UTV at their disposal quickly that could also carry a gurney for emergencies. Skiles said this could be paid for out of the ARPA funds. The commissioners agreed and Skiles will ask Sheriff Bob Wells to prepare specs for the UTV best suited for use in Dent County. The commission will advertise for bids next week and anyone interested in bidding can contact the Dent County Sheriff’s Department for more information at 729-3241. Bids will be opened at 10:00 on Monday, June 6th. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams gave the report on the National Forest Service monies received by the county. In 2021, the county received a total of $182,710.24, and this year they received a total of $248,199.07. That money is divided up amongst the schools affected by the Mark Twain National Forest as well as the county Road and Bridge Fund. The Bunker R-3 School District will receive $72,039.78; Salem R-80 will get $45,532.12; Oak Hill R-1 will receive $37,602.16; the Iron County C-4 Schools in Viburnum will get $29,392.98 and Northwood R-4 will receive $1,582.26. The Dent County Road and Bridge Fund will receive 25% of the monies received and that comes to $62,049.77. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

An event to share information about Double Up Food Bucks, an incentive program that matches SNAP (food assistance) dollars spent at farmers markets and grocery stores in Kansas and Missouri so that SNAP recipients have greater access to fresh vegetables and fruits, will be held Wednesday morning at 10:00 at Country Mart on Highway 32-72 East in Salem. Details about the impact of the program to date will be given by Donna Martin, the Project Director of Double Up Heartland and Public Health Program Manager of the Mid-America Regional Council in Kansas City, as well as Joe Polizzi who is the President and CEO of Town & Country Supermarkets. Other speakers are expected including elected officials such as 143rd State Representative Ron Copeland and Mayor Greg Parker of Salem. Double Up Food Bucks provides a dollar-for-dollar match on SNAP shoppers’ purchases of fresh vegetables and fruit at participating locations. At Town & Country Supermarkets, customers who shop with their SNAP/EBT card will receive a 50% discount on their purchases of fresh vegetables and fruit. Town & Country Supermarkets started offering Double Up Food Bucks at 29 of its Missouri stores on May 4th.

The Salem Board of Aldermen will hold a special meeting tonight at 6:15 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory to consider Bill #3506 which would create an ordinance amending Chapter 115, Article II, Section 115.160 addressing staffing needs that may arise in relation to the position of City Clerk. The meeting, called by Mayor Greg Parker, is open to the public.

The Salem R-80 School Board held a special closed session zoom board meeting Thursday morning. The board accepted the resignations of high school math instructor James Felkerson, high school special education teacher Lisa Baker, upper elementary school Title match instructor Kristen Stites, alternative school instructor Shelia Curley, high school band instructor Charles Mosley, high school counselor Chelsie Fulton and middle school track coach Chris Kamprath. Next Superintendent Dr. Lynne Reed read resignation letters from paraprofessionals Stevee Seay and Leslie Jones; John Boyle from the maintenance department effective August 31st, and custodian Steven McDonald. In closed session, the board approved the separation agreement between Marty Anderson and the Salem R-80 School District. The board also offered teaching contracts for the 2022-2023 school year to Liv McCluskey as a high school special education instructor, Arlin Prorock as a high school social studies teacher, Gannon Craig as a high school band instructor, Karla Tiefenthaler as a high school English teacher, Kim Dunn as a middle school match instructor and Angela Black as an upper elementary special education teacher. The board offered coaching contracts for the 2022-2023 school year to Erin Wilson as the head softball and basketball cheerleading coach, Rebecca Hayes as the assistant softball coach and Terri Welch as an assistant track coach. The special meeting was then adjourned.

Registration for kindergarten at William Lynch Elementary School will be held this morning from 8:30 until 2:30 today. Kindergarten students MUST be five years old by July 31st. Pre-School registration for children three years-of-age as of July 31st of this year and four years-of-age will be held on Wednesday and Thursday this week from 8:30 until 2:30 each day. Appointments are REQUIRED! For more information or to make the appointment, call the school at 729-6611. Parents must bring with them proof of residence, the child’s shot record and their birth certificate.

An accident happened in Phelps County Thursday afternoon at 5:56 on Phelps County Road 5010 at Little Oaks Road that took the life of a 16-year girl from Rolla. According to the highway patrol report, a 16-year-old girl from Rolla was driving a 2014 Toyota Rav 4 northbound on the Phelps County Road when the Toyota went off the left side of the roadway, struck a ditch and went airborne. The Toyota continued on and struck a speed limit sign and utility pole before going airborne again and overturning. The 16-year-old female driver suffered serious injuries and was taken to Phelps Health by an ambulance. Two other girls from Rolla were also in the vehicle, a 15-year-old and 16-year-old. The 15-year-old passenger was taken to Phelps Health by a private conveyance with serious injuries. The 16-year-old passenger in the Rav 4 was taken to Phelps Health where she was pronounced dead just before 7:00 by Dr. Lawrence Hutchinson Thursday evening. All the girls were wearing seat restraints at the time of the accident. The Toyota was totaled and removed from the scene by D&D Recovery. The Missouri State Highway Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Rolla Police Department and Rolla Rural Fire Department.

An accident occurred Saturday afternoon around 3:58 in Phelps County on County Road 7460 about nine miles south of Rolla. According to the highway patrol report, a 2001 Honda 400 EX driven by a 14-year-old juvenile male of Newburg, was travelling northbound and failed to negotiate a curve. The Honda then struck a 2022 Ram 1500 driven by 55-year-old Jeffery Ledbetter of Rolla, who was travelling southbound. At about the same time, a 1996 Honda TRX 300 EX driven by a 14-year-old male juvenile from Edgar Springs, was also travelling northbound and failed to negotiate the same curve, striking the same Dodge Ram. The driver of the 2001 Honda 400 EX suffered serious injuries and was transported by Phelps Air to University Hospital in Columbia. The driver of the Honda TRX 300 suffered minor injuries and sought his own treatment. Both injured parties were wearing safety equipment at the time of the accident. Both Honda’s sustained moderate damage and were driven from the scene. The Ram sustained minor damage and was driven from the scene.