Archive for 2023

The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Monday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. At the meeting, there was general discussion on the MoDOT open house between the commissioners and guests in which the consensus was the detour plan suggested by MoDOT would not be safe and would probably end up costing them more to repair routes K and KK than to put in a temporary bridge. You can find the same exhibits that were at the open house on the project’s webpage at www.modot.org/missouri-route-19-bridge-replacement-over-standing-rock-creek-dent-county. A comment form is located at the bottom of that page. You can also e-mail comments to CDCR@modot.mo.gov or mail them to Dent County Route 19 Standing Rock Creek Project, c/o MoDOT, 1511 Missouri Boulevard, Jefferson City, MO, 65102. All comments must be received or postmarked by October 13th. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said grading would be done on Dent County Roads 4220, 5600 and 6470 while brush was going to be cut on county road 6420. He said if the parts come in, a radiator hose would be replaced on a county truck along with other repairs. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk said crews would be installing a four-foot culvert on Dent County Road 3140 and adding rock to that road. He also said grading would be done on county roads 3220 and 3230. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson said MRPC has released information for grants for small projects for museums from $5,000 to $25,000 that need no matching funds and large projects ranging from $25,001 to $75,000 with a 50/50 match. The deadline will be November 15th for those disciplines who qualify. For more information, contact MRPC at 573-265-2993. Larson also reported he nominated Chris Pollock from Technology Junkyard on Highway 72 North for a recycling award from the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Thursday at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting will be open to the public.

An accident happened in Dent County on Route O Sunday afternoon around 4:26. According to the highway patrol report, 25-year-old Dominic De Leon of Rolla driving a 2017 Volvo S80 driven northbound, lost control and the Volvo went off the left side of the roadway, struck an embankment and overturned, coming to rest facing westbound. De Leon suffered moderate injuries and was taken by the Salem Ambulance to Phelps Health. De Leon was not wearing a seat restraint. The Volvo sustained moderate damages and was removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing.

This Friday and Saturday, the Doe Run Company and the Viburnum community will commemorate the rich mining history of southeast Missouri at the 37th Annual Old Miners’ Days Festival. The event will include two fun-filled days of entertainment for all ages, including free tours of Doe Run’s Buick Mine Saturday from 9:00 in the morning until 4:00 in the afternoon. Festivities will conclude with a spectacular fireworks display at the Airport Strip. Scott Miettinen, mine operations manager, said that visiting underground mines is a rare opportunity for those outside the industry. He went on to say that even former miners may be intrigued to learn about the technological advancements that have transformed the tools and machinery used in modern-day mining operations. That is why Old Miners’ Days is such a unique event that provides the opportunity to witness firsthand the intricate workings of a mine and the multitude of jobs and roles involved. Visitors age 12 and older are invited to explore a fully functioning mine that extends over 1,250 feet below ground by signing up for the experience at the Doe Run table at the main event site. The underground mine boasts spacious roadways that can accommodate a range of heavy machinery, from haul trucks to loaders. Visitors can also observe the maintenance shop and rock pillars filled with valuable ore. Free bus transportation will be provided to transport guests to and from the Buick mine site, which is only a short drive from the Viburnum Shopping Center. Old Miners’ Days is a festivity that honors the globally recognized mining district of Viburnum. Individuals and families alike will enjoy a diverse range of entertainment such as a grand parade, a car show, musical performances, children’s games, and food booths. All events will take place at the Viburnum Shopping Center parking lot located next to Viburnum High School. Learn more about Old Miners’ Days, including a full schedule of events, at https://www.oldminersdays.com/.

A 4-Week Stained Glass Panel Class will be held four straight Thursdays in October beginning on October 5th. You can attend classes from 1-4 pm or from 4:30 – 7:30 pm with Jennifer Curry.Learn the art of Stained Glass and create a panel of your own using the foiling technique. In this workshop, you will learn the basic stained glass techniques of scoring, breaking, grinding, foiling and soldering, and be introduced to the vocabulary and materials used while creating a beautifully designed piece. Stained glass artist Jennifer Curry will provide the professional materials and equipment, as well as the knowledge and instruction for you to have a successful and enjoyable experience. Walk-ins welcome up until the end of the first session. The cost is $150 for the 4 week class. All supplies and safety equipment are included. Two people must sign up to hold the class with no more than five per session,  Interested persons can sign up under “Programs” at the salemcommunitybetterment.com website for activities at the Creative Arts Center.

Dent County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Curley reports on Wednesday, September 27th in the 42nd Judicial Court in front of Judge Nathan Kelsaw, Donny Boxx of Salem pleaded guilty to a new charge for the possession of a controlled substance. He had been on probation for the possession of a controlled substance which was revoked by Judge Kelsaw at the request of the prosecutor. Kelsaw sentenced Boxx to seven years in the Missouri Department of Corrections as requested by Curley and agreed to by Boxx.

The Healthy Dent County Prevention Coalition met Thursday at the Salem Community Center@The Armory for their monthly meeting. They discussed the new fiscal year vaping and THC prevention after Chief Joe Chase brought in a quart ziploc bag nearly half full of vaping devices taken from students by one instructor in one semester. One of the new programs will be trained students that will teach prevention in the area through a program called “Teens Teach Prevention.” Parents of students in the 4th through 6th grade will be receiving postcards to alert them of the danger of the vaping and THC ingestion. This will be the first of a series of four postcards that will be sent out describing the effects of THC, marijuana, alcohol and vaping. Also discussed were the many edible marijuana and THC edibles that are available which are disguised to resemble candy or snacks. Members of the coalition will hold a “Drug Takeback Day” in October and it will be at Wal-Mart and Country Mart for unused prescription drugs that people may have they want to dispose of. This is free and there are no questions asked. Healthy Dent County will continue their “Too Good for Drugs” program in the schools and they just received a new four-year grant called the “Stop Act” grant that will concentrate on underage drinking. The group received an update on the “Building Communities for Better Health” being run through the Dent County Health Department. The next meeting will be October 26th at the Salem Community Center@The Armory before the meeting was adjourned.

The Salem R-80 High School Homecoming was held Friday night before the football game between Salem and Willow Springs. The Homecoming Court was comprised of freshman attendant Kaylli Carr being escorted by freshman Maxton Schloemer, sophomore Jessie Fulton being escorted by sophomore Jayden Ard, and junior Jaydn Atkinson being escorted by junior Grant Case. The Homecoming Queen and King candidates were seniors Laney Phillips escorted by senior Nelson Brothers, senior Leya Russell being escorted by senior Jamal Metcalf, and senior Lindsey White was escorted by senior Landon Stobbs. For the first time, Salem R-80 crowned a Homecoming Queen and King. Last year’s queen Yadira Blanco crowned this year’s Homecoming Queen, Lindsey White and Nelson Brothers was named the Homecoming King. Congratulations to everyone involved in the Homecoming festivities.

A group of thirteen seventh grade students, led by high school seniors from St Louis’ John Burroughs School, were found safe after an extensive search that lasted until just before dawn on Wednesday. The children were first reported missing by school officials Tuesday evening when they didn’t return to camp as scheduled. The class was practicing “orienteering,” the use of map and compass, in a heavily wooded and rugged area near the Roger Pryor Pioneer Backcountry south of Echo Bluff State Park in Shannon County. The group was found using a thermal imaging drone that was operated by Deputy Matt Foster of the Howell County Sheriff’s Department. This device, mounted to a drone, detects heat sources from a distance. The students were located on a gravel bar on Big Creek near Dugan’s Bluff. Agencies from across southern Missouri were involved, including the Shannon County Sheriff’s Department, which managed the multi-agency search along with Pioneer Forest staff. Other agencies providing valuable assistance were Missouri State Park Rangers, the National Park Service, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Timber Community Volunteer Fire Department, Howell County Sheriff’s Department, Missouri Department of Conservation, Birch Tree Volunteer Fire and Rescue, and the AmeriCorps volunteer organization. Mercy EMS and the Shannon County First Responders provided medical support. The pilgrimage of students from John Burroughs School has been a tradition of the school since their former student, Leo Drey, donated part of the land of the Pioneer Forest to the school in 1973. Since then, more than 4,000 John Burroughs students have come to the ‘Drey Land” camp on the banks of Sinkin Creek in Shannon County. Over those years, the school has had great relationship with the LAD Foundation, with the rangers in the area and with Shannon County Sheriff’s office.

Eight Salem High School students were named to the All-District Choir for the Central Division. Named to the 2023 Honor Choir were Corby Ball, Devon Blackwell, Elijah Brakensiek and Neely Leathers who are all eligible to audition for the All-State Choir. Named to the 2023 Concert Choir were Maggie Hogan, Hannah Greener, Daniel Jennings and Seth Moore. Congratulations to these students on their achievement.