Archive for 2022

The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce and City of Salem “Parade of Lights” float winners have been announced. In the “Commercial” category, the winner was Parsons Chiropractic while the “Non-Commercial” winner was the Dent County Health Center. Congratulations to the winners and a big thank you goes out to all the businesses and organizations who entered floats this year in the parade. In the “Horse” category, Kimberly Stewart was selected the winner by the judges.

Missouri’s Office of Broadband Development (OBD) in collaboration with Meramec Regional Planning Commission will host a virtual video call on the topic of broadband availability on Monday, December 19th at 3:00. Citizens, public officials and other leaders will have an opportunity to hear about how they can help improve recently released maps showing broadband availability specific to the Meramec Region. Newly created Federal Communications Commission (FCC) maps will determine what share of $42.45 billion in federal broadband funding will come to the state of Missouri through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, a component of the infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act. The map will identify what locations in the state qualify for help using those funds. To see the FCC map, visit broadbandmap.fcc.gov. At the meeting, OBD staff will review what the map shows about the region and introduce attendees to the FCC’s challenge process, which allows individuals and institutions to submit corrections to the map. By establishing that a given location does not have the level of service listed on the map, the challenge process can open that location up to future funding opportunities and increase Missouri’s share of BEAD funding. Initial estimates indicate that each additional challenge that successfully identifies a new unserved location could be an additional $5,000 of broadband infrastructure funding to the state. The National Telecommunications Information Agency, the federal agency responsible for the BEAD program, has indicated that all challenges filed by January 13th will be considered in its decision about how much BEAD funding each state receives. Challenges filed after that date are still important in order to ensure that no locations are missed when the time comes to fund projects using the BEAD allocation. OBD is partnering with University of Missouri Extension to provide in-person technical support for anyone interested in filing challenges at their county offices across the state. Residents in Dent County should contact the Dent County Extension office is 729-3196. This event is only one component of extensive technical assistance OBD plans to offer to individuals, local governments, and other groups interested in participating in the challenge process. On Friday, December 16th, at 1:00 in the afternoon, OBD will hold a statewide call for anyone interested in hearing more about how they can participate in the challenge process. The December 19th Webex meeting is specific to the Meramec Region. The Office of Broadband Development will also answer questions about the challenge process over the phone at 526-1028 or by email at broadband@ded.mo.gov. In addition to encouraging individuals to file challenges, OBD staff will review how local institutions can promote participation in the challenge process and to work with local officials to identify data sources that could be used for larger-scale challenges. Beginning in 2023, Missouri will use BEAD funding to launch its Connecting All Missourians initiative, which aims to provide high-quality broadband internet to every home and business in the state. Please contact Linda Carroll at MRPC for the meeting link, by phone at 573-265-2993 or by email at lcarroll@meramecregion.org. MRPC is assisting the OBD with outreach and community engagement in the Meramec Region.

The Missouri Department of Conservation encourages experienced Missouri birders to become citizen scientists by helping with the National Audubon Society’s 123rd Christmas Bird Count, or CBC between December 14th through January 5th, 2023. The CBC is an early-winter bird census where thousands of volunteers across the U.S., Canada, and many countries in the western hemisphere go out over a 24-hour period on one calendar day to count birds. Christmas Bird Counts are held annually to gather data on winter bird populations and to track the long-term status of species and large-scale trends. Each CBC has a coordinator who assigns portions of a 15-mile diameter count circle to participants to count all birds seen and heard over a 24-hour period. Missouri hosts about 20 CBCs, in our area the event will take place at Maramec Spring Park and at Big Spring in Van Buren on Saturday December 17th. For more information, including contacts and instructions, visit mobirds.org. Click on a count and contact the CBC organizer listed if the count is accepting new volunteers.

The City of Salem Airport Board will be meeting this evening at the City Hall Council Chambers at 202 North Washington Street. The meeting, called by Airport Board President Tyler Naramore, will be held to discuss future planning for the airport with Lochner and get updates on a number of projects including the fuel tank, pilot lounge, new hanger project and gate opener. The Airport Board meeting is open to the public.

The Rural Hospital Group (known as RHG) will be holding a strategic planning meeting with the Salem Memorial District Hospital Thursday morning at 8:30 at the conference room of the Crossroads Inn and Suites at 1200 South Main Street. All members of the SMDH Board of Directors have been invited to participate which constitutes this being considered a public meeting. The public is invited to attend any part of the meeting that is not closed to the public in accordance with Chapter 610 of the Revised State Statutes of Missouri.

Filing for the two positions on the Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors is now underway at the Dent County Fire Protection District Building. Filings will be held now through December 27th by appointment. Call for your appointment between the hours of 9:00 AM until 12:00 noon at 729-3250. The two board positions that are open are a two-year term and the other is a six-year term. These filings are for the April 4th Municipal Election in 2023.

‘Tis the season to be giving. This holiday season, give a gift back to the environment by being mindful about how you celebrate. Americans typically generate the largest amount of waste between Thanksgiving and New Year’s
Day. As you plan your holiday events and gatherings, add a bit of “green” to your party theme. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources shares these tips to maximize your holiday cheer while also being environmentally friendly: As you choose gifts for friends and family, consider making them yourself. Create homemade snow globes with old glass jars or fill them with cookie and cake mixes for a sweet treat. Repurpose meaningful t-shirts to make a cozy quilt. It’s estimated that more food enters landfills than any other single material in our trash. Adjust your recipes to fit the number of guests. This will leave less left-overs and reduce waste. If you do have food waste, compost as much as possible. If you’re pining for a cut tree, shop at a local tree farm. Buying locally means traveling fewer miles, which creates fewer emissions for a healthier environment. Also, consider a Missouri-native potted tree that can be replanted outside after the holidays. When stringing decorative lights, opt for LED, which have a longer life and use less energy than regular lights. Use a timer that automatically turns lights off and on. Finally, when the parties are all over and it’s time to tidy up, save wrapping paper and bags for use on next year’s gifts. If you bought a cut tree, it can be chipped and used for mulch, or it can be turned into habitat for fish or other wildlife. With a little creativity and planning, you can help alleviate unnecessary waste in our landfills, save money and have a tree-mendous holiday! For more information on recycling, reuse and composting, contact the department’s Waste Management Program at 800-361-4827 or 573-751-5401, or visit dnr.mo.gov.

The Creative Arts Center will be offering a Wheat Weaving Christmas Angel Ornament class with Suzanne Douglass this Thursday from 6:00 in the evening until 8:00. Come join us in celebrating the Christmas season by creating a beautiful old fashion traditional Christmas Angel decoration. The cost is $25 and all supplies are included. They will also offer a Rope Broom making class with Wayne Douglass Thursday from 6:00 in the evening until 8:00. In the days of wooden ships and sails, sailors made things with what they had. By using a bit of rope, they made a nice brush for cleaning up small mess. Join Wayne Thursday evening as he walks you through the steps of creating your own rope broom. The cost is $20 and all supplies are included. The Creative Arts Center has two easy ways to sign up for events! Go online at salemcommunitybetterment.com and look under programs for the Salem Creative Arts Center to register or call or text 573-247-0651.

Memories of cookies and cider, sleigh rides, homemade gifts and ornaments, and warm gatherings of friends and family are all part of the spirit of Christmas in the Ozarks. An “Ozark Christmas Celebration” will take place at Alley Spring this Saturday from 6:00 to 8:00 in the evening. Bring the family to see the Old Red Mill decked for the holidays. If you arrive before dusk, the holiday decorations near the mill and stunning backdrop of Alley Spring in the winter provide the perfect setting for a holiday photo you can cherish for years. After dark, lanterns will light the pathways to the mill where you can visit with old friends and new, sing Christmas carols by candlelight, and munch cookies with hot drinks. You can even make a simple holiday ornament to take home. Warm up your singing voice and dress warm for the festivities. Alley Spring is located six miles west of Eminence on Highway 106. For more information, please contact Ranger Josh Chilton at 573-226-3945. This holiday event is conducted in partnership with the Ozark Riverways Foundation, Shannon County Museum Association, Dent County Historical Society, and the Ozark Heritage Project.

The 2nd Annual “Santa Paws” is coming to The Commons! The Dent County Animal Welfare Society will be hosting a pet adoption event this Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 in the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon Saturday and from 1:00 until 3:00 on Sunday. Bring the kids and get pictures with Santa as well as the Grinch and play with beautiful puppies looking for homes. There will be a bake sale if you need a snack! If you have any questions about adopting or about supporting the Dent County Animal Welfare Society, call 729-3556.

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. Salem and Dent County Economic Development Director as well as Temporary City Administrator Sally Burbridge was in attendance for her monthly update. She said November was fairly slow for activities as the two state leads that were available required services or space that Salem does not have access to or that is available. She did report the electric outage on Saturday was from a squirrel that shorted out a main breaker at the Salem sub-station that back fed through other lines causing not only the City of Salem to be without power but also parts of Intercounty Electric. She stated Sho-Me Power Electric Co-Op was in Salem until Saturday evening repairing the problem. Burbridge reported the “Welcome Home” program has 15 of the 25 homes in process with three of the first four contracts approved. The 4th house is to be presented at the next aldermen meeting. She also mentioned there was a slight uptick in the Dent County Unemployment Rate in October from September going from 2.2% to 2.9% which came as a result of the workforce shrinking by 100 people while those unemployed or looking for work rose to 179 from 136. This percentage is slightly higher than the state average of 2.6% and below the national average of 3.7%. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray reported grading will be done on Dent County Roads 5220, 5390 and 6460 while brush will be cut on county roads 6250 and 6255. Mobray said more materials will be added to Dent County Road 5600 as part of the Title II project work and that should be finishing up the project. He did say he would be a meeting with the engineer from Great Rivers Engineering and representatives from H. R. Quadri from Van Buren this morning at the courthouse concerning the Cooley Bridge FLAP project. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 3170, 3250, 3260 and 3270 while only grading was going to be done on county roads 2083, 2075, 2220, 3173, 3273 and 3275. Larson said brush would be cut on county road 2550. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles wanted to thank the City of Salem for allowing the electric department bucket truck to put the Christmas lights on the big Blue Spruce in the front of the courthouse. One strand did go out and they may have to ask for the use of the truck again to repair them. He also wanted to thank the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce and City of Salem for another successful “Parade of Lights” Saturday from the SBU campus to the courthouse. Skiles also wanted to thank the Alexander Construction Company for getting the lights to work on the courthouse for the parade Saturday. Skiles then discussed the unapproved minutes from the Dent County Salary Commission meeting that he was unable to attend for some clarification in what was written. The minutes said the discussion by the committee was for an “Annual Continuing Cost of Living Increase” for office holders and employees, and Skiles said the State Statute Section 50.333 RSMO does not include any wording that would allow for the commission to approve such a long-term commitment. He was confused by that phrase and another later in the minutes that said the COLA approved at this meeting and “motion for any future COLAs to be given across the board.” Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams and Dent County Assessor Jamie Homeyer were invited to attend the discussion along with Dent County Clerk Angie Curley and the commissioners. After some discussion with the group, they said it was not their intention when they passed the recommendation to adopt a 4% COLA that would go past the 2023 year. The salary commission recommendation will be reviewed by the commissioners when they determine the 2023 budget to see if the COLA is affordable once all the commitments for the year have been identified and accounted for. Homeyer asked the commission if they would be applying for the Cyber Security Grant and they have not made any decision on that yet. Commissioner Skiles asked Assessor Homeyer if the county had new plat books yet and she said she is working on that and will bring down the draft before it is printed. The commission agreed to send a letter to St. Charles County in regards to updating a new invoice #190065. The next meeting of the commission will be Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and it is open to the public.

The Creative Arts Center will be holding a Holiday Ceramic Paint Party with Isabella Knaack this Wednesday from 5:00 until 7:00 in the evening. Come get in the holiday mood with a relaxing few hours of painting fun. There will be holiday ceramic figurines, plates, bowls, cups, etc. This is a pay per piece workshop costs start a $3. There will be an additional 40% added if you would like your piece glazed and fired. To sign up for events from the Creative Arts Center, call or text 573-247-0651, or go online at salemcommunitybetterment.com and look under programs for the Salem Creative Arts Center.

The Ozark Natural and Cultural Resource Center has the 2023 Natural Events Calendar published by the Missouri Department of Conservation available just in town for the holidays. The incredible photography with amazing images of native animals, plants, and places, along with phases of the moon, holidays and days of recognition, daily notes about natural events, and more. The 2023 Natural Events Calendar makes an excellent Christmas gift and is priced at only $9.00 at the ONCRC at located at 202 South Main Street and is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM.