Archive for 2023

The Salvation Army Dent County Service Unit volunteer bell ringers will begin raising funds for those in need at Country Mart and Wal-Mart around the familiar red kettle this Wednesday, then every Friday and Saturday through December 23rd. Counter kettles will also be located at various locations throughout the community. The kettles are the primary way funds are raised locally to continue to meet the needs of the less fortunate in our community. For those who do not want to handle cash, you can donate digitally with Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and Venmo at any Red Kettle across the country. Every donation helps hope march on for those in need, and all gifts stay within the community in which they are given. If you would like to volunteer to ring the famous Salvation Army bell, please call Susie at 729-6771 or 247-7099. You can also call the Salvation Army Dent County Service Unit office at 729-8163. Don’t forget the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree and Dent County Toy Drive signup on Monday, November 27th from 3:30 to 5:30 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory at 1200 West Rolla Road.

Colonel Eric T. Olson, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, reminds everyone there will be an increase in traffic over the Thanksgiving holiday and drivers should remain alert to changes along their normal route. Regardless of traffic patterns, safety should remain a priority. The counting period for the 2023 Thanksgiving holiday weekend is from 6:00 this Wednesday evening through 11:59 Sunday night, November 26. Troopers will be participating in Operation C.A.R.E., enforcing all traffic laws, and available to assist the public. Over the 2022 Thanksgiving holiday counting period, nine people were killed and 482 injured in 1,355 traffic crashes. Drivers should make sure their vehicles are in good condition and that they are well rested before they start driving. Remember: There is never a reason to speed, drive aggressively, or drive impaired. If boating or fishing are part of your Thanksgiving holiday weekend plans, remember there is less daylight, which makes your vessel’s navigation lights essential. Check your lights and have extra bulbs on board before you head out. This time of year, the water is becoming colder and hypothermia is a concern. The body loses heat 25 times faster in water than in the air of the same temperature. If you take an unexpected plunge in cold water, it’s important to get out of the water and into dry clothes as soon as possible. Most boaters wear more clothing this time of year, so the proper wearing of life jackets and using caution to avoid falling overboard is even more important. The public is encouraged to call the Patrol’s Emergency Report Line at 1-800-525-5555 or *55 on your cellular phone if they witness criminal activity or experience an emergency. These phone numbers are operational for both highway and water emergencies. If your celebration includes alcohol, designate someone else to drive whether you are in your boat or your car. Please don’t become a statistic.

Staying warm in the winter should be everyone’s priority when the weather changes, but often too little attention is paid to the danger posed by prolonged exposure to the cold. According to the Department of Health and Senior Services, 52 people died in Missouri as a result of low body temperatures due to prolonged exposure to cold weather in 2022. Protect against frostbite and hypothermia by wearing warm, loose-fitting clothing in several layers. Avoid alcohol, limit time spent outdoors in frigid temperatures and stay indoors if possible. Once inside, make sure your heating sources are operating properly and for those burning fuels, proper ventilation is essential. Make sure alternate heat and power sources such as fireplaces, woodstoves, kerosene heaters and generators function properly. These sources can be dangerous and must be regularly maintained and operated. Keep the correct fuel for each source on hand in a safe location.. Properly install carbon monoxide detectors throughout your home and only operate generators outdoors. Remember that space heaters are potentially deadly when misused. Space heaters account for approximately one-third of home heating fires and 80 percent of home heating fire deaths. Supplemental heating sources like these should be turned off when leaving a room or going to bed. Keep anything that can burn at least three feet from heating equipment. For more information or safety tips, go online to CPSC.gov.

An accident Saturday night at 10:40 in Dent County on Route HH about two miles south of Salem took the life of a Salem teenager. According to the highway patrol report, 18-year-old Kenneth Laughlin of Salem was operating a 2020 Honda CBR650 Motorcycle and traveling southbound when he went off the right side of the roadway. The motorcycle went airborne over a culvert and struck a tree. Laughlin was ejected from the Honda and was pronounced dead at the scene by the Dent County Deputy Coroner Gina White. The body was taken to the Wilson Mortuary. Laughlin was wearing safety equipment at the time of the accident. The motorcycle was totaled and removed from scene by a private party.

The Salvation Army Dent County Service Unit volunteer bell ringers will begin raising funds for those in need at Country Mart and Wal-Mart around the familiar red kettle on Wednesday November 22nd, and then every Friday and Saturday through December 23rd. Counter kettles will also be located at various locations throughout the community. The kettles are the primary way funds are raised locally to continue to meet the needs of the less fortunate in our community. For those who do not want to handle cash, you can donate digitally with Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and Venmo at any Red Kettle across the country. Every donation helps hope march on for those in need, and all gifts stay within the community in which they are given. If you would like to volunteer to ring the famous Salvation Army bell, please call Susie at 729-6771 or 247-7099. You can also call the Salvation Army Dent County Service Unit office at 729-8163. Don’t forget the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree and Dent County Toy Drive signups TODAY and next Monday, the 27th from 3:30 to 5:30 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory at 1200 West Rolla Road.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education met Thursday evening at the district administrative offices. After approving the consent agenda, the board heard from auditor Ken Schulz who said the school district received a clean opinion on their financial position. He said the school uses a cash basis and he indicated the school has an excess of revenues over expenses in the 2022-23 year over the previous year of $130,363 as revenues did increase $2,871,000, put expenses increased as well with the construction projects. Schulz said revenues increased from local, county and state sources while federal monies received went down $319,000 from the previous year. He also said tuition from the rural schools was down about $50,000. Schulz stated at the current debt service rate, the district would be debt free by 2038 and the pension balance fund is currently at $9,242,000. The board approved the audit report. Also at the meeting, eight students from the Salem FFA Chapter presented their “Ag Ed on the Move” to the board including “cow” bingo. They presented this program to all 3rd graders at Salem R-80 and plan to get to all the rural schools as well. Gilmore Bell from Stifle Nicholas was on hand to talk about financing of the new general obligation bonds as the school currently has a $2.75 property tax rate with a 45 cent debt service for a total of $3.20. Superintendent Dr. Lynne Reed and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Nathan Wills discussed ways to raise revenues including increasing the property tax rate levy to help cover expected future costs with increased teacher salaries and more, plus the additional bond indebtedness and how the school would be able to repay it. No decisions were made at this meeting. The construction trades building work continues on schedule. After hearing building principals and Athletic Director Clay Moody, the board set the filing dates from December 5th at 8:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon on December 26th. Steve Patterson and Chris Heavin’s terms will be expiring in April. The board heard a discussion on the creation of a “small” school Four Rivers Conference and “large” school Four Rivers Conference. Salem would be in the “small” conference if this idea moves forward. The board was presented a comparison of the activities offered by all the schools in the conference. No decision was made by the board. The Board approved the bid from Rommel’s Lock and Key for the new Ag Building doors for $8,600, and approved the wellness plan and assessment. At the request of Superintendent Reed, the board approved moving the December board meeting to 5:30 on December 14th. The board accepted the resignations of personal aid Shelby Hay, paraprofessional Sarah Sullins from the Upper Elementary School and Makaila Chapman. The board then went into closed session.