Archive for 2022

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday for their regular meeting. City of Salem and Dent County Economic Development Director Sally Burbridge was in attendance to give her monthly report. She said there is a new and several ongoing economic projects going on with three new business licenses in April. She said she has 10 pre-applications submitted for the “Welcome Home” program in varying stages of income levels. She stated she had 20 local contractors come to a pre-bid meeting on the “Welcome Home” program and how it works. The radio interview Burbridge did last Tuesday with Riverways Federal Credit Union CEO Scott Schults and MRPC Representative Patrick Stites on KSMO is available on the city’s website online. Burbridge gave updates on the Voluntary Residential Demolition Program and housing study, plus she said work at the certified site continues with the extension of the contract with Godi Excavating and a new contract for soil bores from SCI Engineering. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said work crews will try to continue grading on Dent County Roads 5530 and 6370, while materials will be added, and grading done on county road 6080. He also said brush would be cut on county road 2490. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson indicated his crews would be adding materials and grading on Dent County Roads 2070 and 4290 while only materials would be added to county roads 2060 and 4280. Larson said grading would also be done on county road 4060 and brush would be cut on county road 4430. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said he would be attending a meeting today in Jefferson City with Missouri Department of Revenue Director Wayne Wallingford in Senator Brown’s office along with Senator Brown and State Representative Ron Copeland to discuss the county sales tax issue. He said he and Commissioner Mobray attended the Jadwin Rural Fire Department’s annual meeting and the Montauk Rural Fire Department’s fundraiser Saturday night at their respective fire houses. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said with the upcoming August and November elections, anyone with a name or address change needs to come by her office and update their information. To change your voter information, you will need to sign the form to update the information. Curley also said that the county has not received any letters of interest from people who would like to serve on the Dent County Health Center’s Board of Directors to fill their vacancy. Those interested must have their letter in to the clerk’s office by 10:00 in the morning on May 12th. If you have questions, please call the clerk’s office at 729-4144. At the last meeting, David Massengale from the US Forest Service brought in a Road Project Agreement between the county and Mark Twain National Forest as well as a Cooperative Forest Road Agreement between the county and the Forest Service. The commissioners signed both agreements. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Thursday morning at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.

An accident occurred Sunday afternoon at 5:15 in Phelps County on Water Street north of Highway T. According to the Highway Patrol report a 1997 Kawasaki Motorcycle, operated by 24-year-old Shawn Leach of Rolla, struck a pothole, traveled off the left side of the roadway, and caught fire. Leach suffered serious injuries and was flown to University Hospital in Columbia. The motorcycle was totaled and removed from the scene by D&D Recovery. At 5:34 Leach was arrested and charged with felony possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), felon in possession of a firearm, no motorcycle license, failure to register a motor vehicle, no insurance, careless and imprudent driving involving an accident. Leach was released to the hospital.

The Salem Police Department has released the following reports for early April. Friday evening, April 1st, at approximately 7:00 officers were dispatched to the 500 block of South Tower Street for a report of a domestic disturbance. During the investigation officers found that two subjects had gotten into an altercation and an assault had taken place. One of the subjects involved was very intoxicated and uncooperative with officers. As a result of the investigation, a 41-year-old Salem male was arrested and incarcerated at the Dent County Jail pending the application of warrants. That same night near midnight officers were dispatched to the 800 block of South Hickory Street for a report of a domestic dispute. As officers arrived, they encountered a male subject involved in the altercation that was acting very irate and intoxicated. As a result of the incident, a 25-year-old Salem man was arrested and issued summons for disorderly conduct. The male was incarcerated on a 12-hour safe keep to sober up. Shortly afterwards at about 1:00 Saturday morning, April 2nd, officers were dispatched to South Nelson for a report of a domestic assault. As a result of the investigation, it was found that one of the parties involved had an active warrant for their arrest out of the Platte County Sheriff’s Office. As a result, 46-year-old Michael Welch of Salem was incarcerated in the Dent County Jail on his warrants with a bond amount of $d3,000. Then on Wednesday afternoon, April 6th, at approximately 1:30, officers conducted a traffic stop for expired license plates near the intersection of Center and Missouri Highway 19. During the stop, it was found that the driver had an outstanding warrant for his arrest out of the Warren County Sheriff’s Office. As a result, 49-year-old Todd Sontchi of Salem was arrested and incarcerated in the Dent County Jail with the bond of $5,000. Please contact the Salem Police Department at (573) 729-4242 if you have any information on any ongoing investigation.

Volunteers from the MO Moto Trail Riders group and employees from Mark Twain National Forest and Meramec Regional Planning Commission cleared 27.92 tons of trash and approximately 256 tires from the Mark Twain National Forest in Dent County on Saturday, April 2nd. Cody Norris, the public affairs officer with the Forest Service, said there are more than 700 confirmed sites across this beautiful Mark Twain National Forest where we have mapped instances of illegal dumping. Every pound of that trash is a pound that doesn’t belong in the national forest. The cleanup that Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District held with the MO Moto Trail Riders was an exceptional example of what people can do to work together to keep our forests clean. Their cleanup removed to what equates to 55,840 pounds of trash from the forest. Any one of those pounds of trash could contain substances that might be bad for ground water, plastic bags or rings that could have harmed animals, or other things that are not good for the soil, water, plants, and animals of the forest. Choosing to dispose of trash properly is choosing to take care of the land. The Mark Twain National Forest is very thankful for the volunteers that help take care of the land when others have chosen to hurt it by dumping trash illegally on the forest. Thirty-three MO Moto Trail Riders, one forest service employee and one MRPC employee spent seven hours working to clear the illegally dumped trash and tires from the Mark Twain National Forest land. The group filled four dumpsters. The Dent County cleanup is the third cleanup coordinated by the MRPC in 2022. So far in 2022, the solid waste district has cleared 37.48 tons of trash from the seven-county district. For those interested in participating or organizing a cleanup, contact Kathryn Hawes, the MRPC environmental specialist, at 573-265-2993 or via email at khawes@meramecregion.org.

City of Salem Mayor Greg Parker has called a special meeting of the Board of Aldermen for this evening at 6:00 at City Hall Council Chambers, located at 202 N. Washington. The meeting is being held to consider appointments to city boards and committees. The meeting will then be adjourned.

The Dent County Fire Protection District board of directors will be meeting Tuesday evening 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 is expected to review the minutes from the April meeting before hearing the financial report and approving bills. The budget will then be reviewed along with the upcoming calendar of events, and the monthly reimbursement report. Any old or new business will then be brought before the board before Chief Brad Nash give his report to the board. The date will then be set for the June meeting before adjourning. The meeting is open to the public.

An accident occurred Sunday morning around 1:44 in Phelps County on I-44 near the 192.2-mile marker in the eastbound lane. According to the highway patrol report, a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado driven by 51-year-old Stanley Smith of Houston, Missouri, was stopped in the right lane when the front of a 2014 Toyota Avalon driven by 52-year-old Christopher Lauders of High Ridge struck the rear of the Chevrolet. The collision caused the Chevrolet to travel off the left side of the roadway and strike a guard rail. Lauders suffered serious injuries and Smith suffered moderate injuries. They were both transported by St. James Ambulance to Phelps Health. The report stated Lauders was wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident, but Smith was not. Both vehicles were totaled. The Chevrolet was removed from the scene by D&D Towing and the Toyota by Dishman’s Towing.

The Salem Police Department has released the following reports. On Sunday night, March 27th, at approximately 7:30 officers arrested 24-year-old William Scott for warrants out of the Dent County Sheriff’s Office following a traffic stop at the intersection of Franklin and Macarthur. Scott was incarcerated at the Dent County Jail with a bond of $425. The next night, March 28th, near 7:30, officers arrested 49-year-old Alexandra Blackwell of Salem for warrants out of the City of Salem following a traffic stop for vehicle registration at Warfel and Third Street. Blackwell was able to post the $85 bond on the warrants and was later released. Then on Tuesday afternoon, March 29th, at about 3:00, an officer conducted a traffic stop near the intersection of Franklin and Henderson Streets for a vehicle failing to signal while turning. As a result of the stop, the officer requested consent to search the vehicle which was granted. Found in the vehicle were items of drug paraphernalia that appeared to have been used to ingest Methamphetamine. As a result of the stop, a 51-year-old Salem female was arrested and placed on a 24-hour hold at the Dent County Jail. Finally, Thursday afternoon, March 31st, around 1:20, an officer arrested 44-year-old Jared King of Salem for warrants for his arrest after officers responded to King’s known residence in an attempt to locate him on the warrant. King was incarcerated at the Dent County Jail with the bond of $300. Please contact the Salem Police Department at (573) 729-4242 if you have any information regarding any ongoing investigation.