Archive for 2022

The Dent County Commission met Monday morning for their regular meeting. Salem and Dent County Economic Director Sally Burbridge gave her monthly report that indicated the City of Salem received the FHLB $500,000 Affordable Housing Grant after originally being selected as an alternate. She also reported there are two potential structures and a foundation that would like to participate in the Voluntary Residential Demolition Program. Burbridge went on to report the site clearing of the certified site in the Masters Industrial Park is underway where the timber must be cleared by March 31st and the rest of project is expected to be done around the end of April. Burbridge also provided the county with employment and unemployment data for the commissioners as well as census figures that showed in 2020 Dent County lost over 1,200 residents while the City of Salem lost over 340 residents. She said the Census Bureau updated some of their data from July 1st 2020 to July 1, 2021 that showed Missouri had added 13,700 new residents, but there is no individual breakdown on county numbers. The census data accuracy is still being debated since COVID changed the way information was collected where in person visits were eliminated. Burbridge showed through a graph the labor force has remained fairly stable with maybe a slight increase over the last four years. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said crews are working on the trucks to clean them up and make repairs where needed. He said some roads continue to receive treatments to help breakup the ice and snow from shaded areas. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said a crew is out treating roads where needed, and another crew is changing grader blades out after the plowing. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said there will be no meeting Thursday due to the commissioners training. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said she received eight “I Voted” designs for new stickers for the 2022-2023 elections from students at the Salem High School. She stated the finalists will be determined and then the public is invited to vote on the finalists in the county clerk’s office during regular business hours beginning Wednesday and lasting through February 23rd. One vote per design per person. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said he had two roads that citizens have petitioned to be abandoned. The first road that is being petitioned is Dent County Road 3283 in the Spring Creek West Township that is about ¼ mile long which is surrounded by the property of Eddie Parsons. The other road is Dent County Road 2053 in the Watkins Township that is about 1/10th of a mile long that is surrounded by the property of Larry Daniels. The petition has to be posted in three locations within each township for 20 days and the public has a right to offer written objections on the abandonment or be at the hearing which will be on Thursday, March 3rd at 10:00 at the courthouse. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams brought in the sales tax monies received by the county this month. The General Revenue Fund and the LEST Fund each brought in $85,934.25 that showed an increase year-to-date of $120,812 as last year in February, none of the county funds received any funding due to the Department of Revenue error. In the Road and Bridge Fund, the county received $35,271.61 bring a year-to-date increase of $54,944; and the two jail funds each brought in $70,479.52. They each show an increase over last year of $109,764. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Monday, February 14th at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The Board of Trustees at Salem Memorial District Hospital (SMDH) in a closed session meeting Thursday have relieved Hospital Administrator Kasey Lucas of his duties as CEO effective last Thursday, February 3rd. The board also named Bill May as their Interim CEO, effective Friday, February 4th. Bill May will be onsite to begin his duties today. Mr. May has over 30 years of CEO experience in rural hospitals similar to SMDH and is affiliated with Rural Hospital Group (RHG). RHG and its partners have worked with over 800 hospitals in 42 states, a large percentage being rural providers. RHG was founded to help keep health care accessible to rural communities through professional management. RHG leaders have extensive experience developing and operating hospitals in rural settings. RHG was brought into SMDH by the Board of Directors for an initial period of 90 days to assist the hospital in responding to the financial crisis sweeping the rural hospital industry which has partially been caused by the ongoing global pandemic. Starting today, RHG will begin discussion with staff, providers and the community in an effort to stabilize and improve operations for SMDH.

Committee Chair Catherine Dent has called a meeting of the City of Salem’s Utility Committee for this evening at 6:00 in the City Hall Council Chambers at 202 N. Washington St. The committee will be meeting to consider Utility Disconnections before they adjourn. The meeting is open to the public.

An accident happened Thursday morning at 9:30 in Franklin County on eastbound Interstate 44 near the 227-mile marker. According to the report released by the highway patrol a 2014 International Harvester Lonestar being driven by 34-year-old Christopher Frisby of Rolla was stopped due to a previous accident ahead. At that time, a 2016 Freightliner Cascadia being driven by 46-year-old Mohamed Siad of Columbus, Ohio was inattentive and struck the rear of the International. Both drivers suffered moderate injuries, and both were transported to Missouri Baptist Hospital in Sullivan by Missouri Baptist EMS. The International was totaled and removed from the scene by Big Boys Towing. The Freightliner sustained extensive damage and was towed by Patriots Towing. The report went on to state that both drivers were wearing safety restraints at the time of the accident.

These reports were released from the Dent County Sheriff’s Office. On Tuesday, February 1st, a deputy was dispatched to the 5400 block of Highway 19 for a report of property damage. During the course of the investigation, a male juvenile admitted to the incident. A referral was made to the Juvenile Office concerning the incident. Then on Thursday, February 3rd, deputies were dispatched to the 2700 block of Highway 119 for a reported burglary. During the course of the investigation, a 39-year-old Salem man was arrested and transported to the Dent County Jail. He was placed on a 24-hour hold pending formal charges. If anyone has any information regarding these incidents, please call the sheriff’s office at 729-3241.

Come join Patty Burmeister and learn about Sherenschnitte and learn the “old world” craft of paper cutting to create some valentines, decorative wall hangings and more by using paper and special scissors. The two-hour session will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 this evening at the Creative Arts Center. The cost of the class is $25 for the patterns, scissors and supplies. This class is appropriate for all ages. For more information or to register, call 247-0651 or 247-5306 you can e-mail salemartscouncil@outlook.com.

Note: Friday, February 4th, we did not print this edition of Your World Today due to tremendous amount of closures and adverse traveling conditions. Printed versions will be available again starting Monday.

The Salem Police Department has released the following reports for the start of January. On Tuesday night, January 3rd, at approximately 9:30, officers were dispatched to Wal Mart for a report of a shoplifter who fled the store on foot. Contact was made with the female suspect who was in possession of Fentanyl and meth, plus the items stolen from Wal Mart. As a result, a 38-year-old Fenton female was arrested and later released on summons to appear in court. The next evening at approximately 6:00 officers were investigating an assault when contact with Jared King, 44 of Salem was made. It was found that he had active warrants out for his arrest in Texas County. As a result, Jared King was taken into custody and transported to the Dent County Jail. Then the afternoon of January 7th at approximately 1:00 an officer responded to the 1800 block of South Oak to attempt to locate a male subject with an active warrant for his arrest. Contact was made with a different male subject identified as Dwayne Tresvant 29, of Jacksonville, North Carolina. Tresvant had an active warrant for his arrest out of Crawford County with no bond. As a result, Tresvant was incarcerated at the Dent County Jail pending extradition. That night at approximately 9:30 officers were dispatched to the laundry mat for a report of a suspicious person sleeping there. Officers arrived and located a male subject who was found to be in possession of syringes, drug paraphernalia and a baggy that contained a crystal substance that field tested positive for Methamphetamine. As a result, a 25-year-old Salem male was arrested and placed on a 24-hour hold pending the application of warrants. Please contact the Salem Police Department at (573) 729-4242 if you have any information any ongoing investigation.

Come join Patty Burmeister and learn about Sherenschnitte and learn the “old world” craft of paper cutting to create some valentines, decorative wall hangings and more by using paper and special scissors. The two-hour session will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 Monday evening, February 7th at the Creative Arts Center. The cost of the class is $25 for the patterns, scissors and supplies. This class is appropriate for all ages. For more information or to register, call 247-0651 or 247-5306 you can e-mail salemartscouncil@outlook.com.

The powerful winter storm that blanketed parts of Missouri with up to a foot of snow continued to move through the state on Thursday adding more snow and ice to already covered roads. The Missouri Department of Transportation urges drivers to be patient as crews continue to work to get roads back to normal. Bitterly cold temperatures today will slow the efforts to get roads clear. MoDOT crews will still have a lot of work to do on today, clearing all the roads including the smaller routes as well as exit ramps and outer roads. Expect slow travel as conditions will not be clear in many areas for Friday morning’s commute, especially in St. Louis, Springfield and the southern portion of the state. Motorists should be cautious for refreeze on elevated surfaces and on hills and curves. Becky Allmeroth, MoDOT chief safety and operations officer, said that MODOT’s plows have driven nearly 800,000 miles already this storm. That’s three times the distance from the earth to the moon and by today, crews will be on their third 12-hour shift this week. Please be patient and give them room to work. This winter storm has created extremely hazardous driving conditions resulting in a large number of wrecks on the state’s interstate system. Gusting winds will cause drifting snow that will make some roads appear that they haven’t been cleared. To make matters worse, another round of snow and wintry precipitation is forecast for the lower third of the state overnight, primarily affecting areas south of Interstate 44 to the Arkansas state line. Though Friday is expected to be sunny, single-digit temperatures can decrease the effectiveness of chemicals used to clear roads down to the pavement. Allmeroth said that crews have already spread approximately 10,000 tons of salt this week and drivers will continue to see them working shifts through the weekend until roads are mostly clear. Check current Missouri road conditions on the Traveler Information Map at www.modot.org, or through MoDOT’s smartphone app, available for iPhone and Android phones. You can also find road conditions and warnings by following MoDOT on Facebook and Twitter or by calling 888-ASK-MODOT (888-275-6636) to speak with a customer service representative 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

A Private Pesticide Applicator Training will be held in Dent County on Thursday, February 24th from 6:00 until 8:30 in the evening at the Dent County Extension Office in the Judicial Building at 112 East 5th Street. The private pesticide applicator license issued by the Missouri Dept of Agriculture is required for producers who want to purchase and apply restricted use pesticides. Application by unlicensed workers under the supervision of licensed applicators will no longer be allowed. Agricultural producers needing to obtain or renew certification of this license must take this pesticide safety training every five years. You must be 18 years of age and directly involved in the production of agricultural commodities to obtain this license. Each person participating in the training is required to have a copy of the Private Pesticide Applicator Manual on their farm. There is a $25 to cover the cost of the manual and you may purchase it at the training with either cash or a check, no credit cards are accepted. In response to COVID-19, the extension in-person training sessions will have masks and sanitizer available for those who wish to use them. They plan to offer both virtual and in-person events this season to better meet your needs. You can register online or contact Dent County Extension Center at 573-729-3196. There is no charge to attend the training. If you have any questions about the training, please contact Gatlin Bunton, 573-775-2135.