Archive for 2022

Brandon Semenuk along with co-driver Keaton Williams overcame a 52.2 second deficit with two stages left with help from mother nature and claimed 1st place in the 100 Acre Wood Rally as the leader Ken Block hit a deer in the final stage that cost him over a minute of time. Block led the majority of the second round and looked to be in total command on his way to his eighth 100 Acre in the Woods win until the deer strike. Block and co-driver Alessandro Gelsomino finished with a close second, just 16 seconds behind Semenuk. Barry McKenna came in third and Travis Pastrana followed up in 4th.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education met Thursday evening at the R-80 District Administrative Office Boardroom. After the consent agenda was approved, Salem R-80 Construction Trade Program Instructor AJ Tinker introduced high school students Justin Arthur and Joseph McCarter who discussed the Construction Trades District Contest. Then teachers Amber Pryor and Bryson Barnes introduced high school students Denise Stoner, Administrative Office Boardroom. After the District Contest. Then teachers Amber Pryor and Bryson Barnes introduced high school students Denise Stoner, Sierra Rusco, Liberty Ross who discussed the FBLA District Contest. Superintendent Dr. Lynne Reed gave a building project update from ESP where they said the construction work should be done by August. She also said she was working on the budget and trying to find ways to transfer more monies to Fund 4 beyond the annual maximum transfer. She also said she is working on the tuition rate for the upcoming year. Reed said she would like the board to consider changing the method of billing from attendance to enrollment hours. She will bring the details to the April meeting. After the building principals gave their reports, the board approved to declare the 1990 Dodge Ram one-half ton truck and a 2010 International Max 4 bus as surplus. Neither are operational. The board approved setting the summer school dates from May 23rd through June 10th, and approved the revised SRCSP that basically removes the removal of masks for food service staff and elementary classes no longer having to cohort. The board awarded the new gym floor 10-year sponsorship to the Bank of Salem for $40,000 over other bids by Progressive Ozark Bank and Town and Country Bank. The board approved setting the reorganization date for April 19th at 5:45 with the regular board meeting to follow. The board approved going with OPAA Food Management Services for food service for the next school year starting on May 31st in summer school to get in some training for the next year. They will be using the current staff as well as OPAA management teams to bring Salem workers up their standards. OPAA projects they will be able to have a $202,000 surplus in the food service department of by using their buying power and waivers. The board then discussed three options for the secondary usage of the FEMA Safe Room for the grant application to be submitted this year. The options including a Performing Arts Center, Multipurpose area or a classroom design. After a detailed description of each option and a lengthy discussion, the board decided to go with the classroom option that will 11,000 square foot building that will cost $4,480,000 with the Salem R-80 portion of that being $1,120,000. The school will also have to pay for the internal construction as well as needed accessories like desks and more comes to $504,000 which come to a total of $1,624,000 that must come from Salem R-80’s Fund 4. The board approved the resignations of Lisa Jadwin as the ECSE teacher; Tina McKee as middle school English language arts teacher; Kristal Mihlfeld as the upper elementary special education; Jake Reardon as the high school credit recovery instructor as well as head girls’ basketball and assistant boys baseball coach; Nick Frillman as a high school social studies teacher and assistant girls’ basketball coach; Steven Taylor as a high school counselor; Brian McNamee as a high school track coach; Jerry Adkins as the middle schoolgirls’ basketball and 9th grade boys’ basketball coach; Bessie Sanders as a high school science instructor; and Darcy Reardon as a high school assistant track and assistant softball coach. The board then went into closed session.

Airport Board President Tyler Naramore has called a meeting of the Airport Board of the City of Salem for this evening at 6:30 in the City Hall Council Chambers on 202 North Washington Street. After approval of the minutes from the January meeting. The board will be updated on the fuel pump and tanks, construction of new hangers, the gate opener, and runway lights. The board will discuss the compliance of the hanger lease agreement related to airworthiness of aircraft stored in hangers and the hanger waiting list. They will also discuss adding new language about airplanes being stored in the hangars based out of the Salem Airport to the agreement to help with funding issues. The meeting tonight is open to the public.

The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Thursday morning in the courthouse. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles was not in attendance as he was in Springfield meeting with CCAM Attorney Travis Elliot and Missouri Department of Revenue representatives. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley appointed District One Commissioner Wes Mobray as acting Presiding Commissioner. John McIntyre was in representing Adams Subdivision residents and requested the county check in to professional engineering services to solve the drainage problem in the subdivision. Mobray said he would check with Great Rivers Engineering and let him know what he learns. In the road report Mobray stated that materials would be added, and grading done on Dent County Roads 2400, 4100, and 4090, while only grading would be done on county road 5630. District Two Commissioner Gary Larson said that grading would be done on Dent County Roads 2240, 2270, 2303, 2200, 2370, 2190, 4283, and 4350, while materials would be added to county roads 3330 and 4283. He went on to say that Truck #116 was having brake work done and that Tractor #9 was being moved and checked for damage from vandalism. Larson and Mobray agreed that the weather this week has made it possible for lots of grading and roadwork to be accomplished. Curley reported that absentee voting continues and that the last day to mail out an absentee ballot is Wednesday, March 23rd. She also said voting continues in her office through April 4th. Curley noted that the auditors would be in to meet with the commissioners as they start the regular four-year audit. The next meeting of the commission will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The Missouri Department of Conservation invites the public to an open house at the George O. White State Forest Nursery on Saturday, March 26th, with tours by appointment from 9:00 in the morning until 2:00 that afternoon. The nursery is located at 14027 Shafer Road, just north of Licking. The tours will take guests behind the scenes through the seedling beds, sorting room, cold storage room, and more. Guests can also learn about Missouri’s native trees and plants, enjoy fishing at the nursery lake, meet Smokey Bear, watch a full-scale sawmill demonstration, and chat with Missouri’s conservation experts. Free hot dogs, chips, and cookies will be served throughout the day. To reserve a tour time, call the nursery at (573) 674-3229. The Missouri Department of Conservation’s state forest nursery offers a variety of low-cost native tree and shrub seedlings for reforestation, windbreaks, erosion control, wildlife food and cover, and other purposes. The nursery provides mainly one-year-old bare-root seedlings with sizes varying by species. Orders are accepted through April 15, and supplies are limited. Find order information online at mdc.mo.gov/seedlings or pick up an order form at MDC regional offices and nature centers.

Fishing and Fish Fry is part of the Women’s Outdoors Program at the lower lake at the Current River State Park on Monday, April 4th. During the class women will learn to fish, clean your fish and cook it. The class is taught by women for women. You must be at least 16 years old to attend. Women outdoor classes will be held the second Thursday of every month April – September. For more information or to register, contact Connie Weber at 573-751-1224 or email her at connie.weber@dnr.mo.gov.

The Salem Area Arts Council is offering an epoxy resin class with Amanda Rose on Sunday afternoon from 1:00 until 3:00 at the Creative Arts Center. Come create a decorative floral vase filled with epoxy resin and a variety of colored stones, glass, rock and other items of your choosing during this two-hour class. All the supplies and safety equipment for the class is provided and the cost is $25. For more info or to register, call 247-0651 or 247-5306 you can e-mail salemartscouncil@outlook.com.

The Missouri Chapter of Girl Camper is hosting a 4-day event for camping newbies, covering the basic skills for tent camping including tent set up, fire building, camp cooking, costs, and much more from April 7th through April 10th at Meramec State Park in Sullivan. This is also an outstanding opportunity to meet other women in a safe, fun and encouraging environment. Teresa Willis a camping expert and Girl Camper Chapter Guide will be host the event. The cost of the program is $125 and includes a tent site, all meals, snacks, morning coffee and group activities. Tent rental is for available for $40. All attendees must go through a vetting process at www.GirlCamper.com/events to ensure the safety and privacy of the attendees. For more on this event or camping expertise for future features contact: Teresa Willis at teresaw@girlcamper.com or 314-319-1533.