Archive for 2023

The Missouri State Highway Patrol wishes everyone a merry and safe Christmas. One way for it to be merry is for everyone to arrive at their holiday celebrations safely. Remember to wear your seat belt, obey all traffic laws, pay attention, and please, don’t drive impaired. Over the 2022 Christmas holiday, there were 1,017 traffic crashes statewide. In those crashes, four people were killed and another 318 were injured. This year’s traffic crash counting period begins at 6:00 Friday evening, December 22nd, and will ends at 11:59 Monday evening, December 25th. Travelers are reminded that holiday drivers will affect traffic patterns. If you’re planning a trip during the holiday, please keep this in mind. Drivers are encouraged to make sure they are well rested, no matter how short their driving distance. Check the weather forecast and plan accordingly. Downloading the MoDOT Traveler Information app to your smart phone allows you to check road conditions before you travel. Be proactive! Make sure your vehicle is in good operating condition and allow enough time to reach your destination safely. Winterize your vehicle before bad weather arrives, but realize that sometimes, it’s safest to stay home. If faced with a traffic emergency, motorists can contact the Missouri State Highway Patrol at 1-800-525-5555 or *55 on a cellular phone. This emergency number will ring into the nearest Highway Patrol headquarters. Motorists should use this number if they are in a traffic crash, witness a crash or crime, or pass a stranded motorist in need of assistance, etc. Troopers encourage motorists to protect themselves from all types of hazardous drivers by making sure everyone in the vehicle is properly restrained in a seat belt or child restraint. Please obey all traffic laws, and if alcohol is part of your holiday, designate a sober driver. Every driver can help make our roadways safer this holiday season.

The Dent County Sheriff’s Office released these reports. On Saturday, December 9th, a deputy conducted a traffic stop at Hunt and Hickory Streets in Salem. During the course of the stop, the passenger, a 34-year-old homeless man, was arrested for the possession of a controlled substance. The suspect was taken to the Dent County Jail where charges are pending. On Wednesday, December 13th, a deputy conducted a traffic stop at Iron and First Streets. During the stop, a 44-year-old Salem man was found to be operating a motor vehicle with a revoked driving privilege. The suspect was released to attend a scheduled court hearing and additional charges are pending. Later that same day, a 43-year-old woman and 37-year-old man, both of Salem, reported that known suspects had stolen multiple firearms from their address in the 1600 block of Highway 68. This incident remains under investigation. If anyone has any information regarding an on-going incident, please call the Dent County Sheriff’s Department at 729-3241.

The Missouri Department of Conservation announces changes to turkey hunting regulations for the spring season and has proposed regulation changes for the fall seasons. The Missouri Conservation Commission approved the changes for the spring season at its December open meeting in Jefferson City and also gave initial approval on proposed regulation changes to fall turkey hunting. Spring shooting hours for private land only will be extended from a half-hour before sunrise to sunset. Shooting hours on public land will remain a half-hour before sunrise to 1:00 in the afternoon. These changes will be effective for the Spring 2024 turkey season. Proposed changes to fall turkey hunting season would require both fall firearms turkey hunters and fall archery turkey hunters to purchase a fall turkey-hunting permit. Turkeys would no longer be included in the archery deer permit. The bag limit would be reduced from four to two birds. These proposed changes will be open for public comment from February 2nd through March 2, 2024. According to the MDC, the primary motivation for the regulation changes is to increase opportunities during the spring season for youth hunters and hunters who work during the day and to reduce the fall harvest while maintaining as much opportunity for hunters as possible. MDC noted that 93% of land in Missouri is privately owned and 88% of Missouri’s annual spring turkey harvest is done on private land. The Missouri Conservation Department added that keeping the shooting hours to end at 1:00 in the afternoon on conservation areas and other public lands would continue to support multiple afternoon activities by a variety of users on these areas. The 1:00 closure during the spring season was originally seen decades ago as a way to help Missouri’s turkey population rebound from a few thousand birds to the several hundred thousand wild turkeys we have today. The current fall turkey season allows hunters to harvest up to four birds of either sex without a beard requirement. The proposed changes will reduce the number to two birds of either sex. Learn more about turkey hunting in Missouri at mdc.mo.gov.

The Salem Board of Aldermen held a special meeting, called by Mayor Greg Parker, on Tuesday evening in the Council Chambers. The board approved Parker’s appointment of John Whelan to fill the West Ward seat that was formerly held by Amanda Duncan. Duncan resigned effective December 12th. Whelan will serve the unexpired term until 2025. The board approved Bill No. 3580, which is an ordinance authorizing the mayor to sign Task Order No. 18 pertaining to an agreement between the city and C.M. Archer Engineering Group for engineering services related to the Lead Service Line Inventory Project. This project is part of the $150,000 ARPA funds received with a local match of $30,000 for total project funding of $180,000. The Service Line Inventory project is to meet EPA’s mandate for an initial inventory of lead service lines in the city. The city is expected to perform the initial inventory and submit a database to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources by October 16th, 2024. The board approved canceling the December 26th City Council meeting. The next meeting will be held on January 9th. City Administrator Sally Burbridge requested a joint budget workshop be held between the Aldermen and the Finance Committee members January to begin the budget preparation process for next year. The board then went into closed session.

The Salem Memorial Hospital regular board meeting was held Tuesday evening in the hospital library. In the Administrators Report, Interim CEO Jason Edwards reported that they are working on getting a payment plan for the accounts payable totaling $365,292. An additional four tags were added to the deficiency list after the lab was inspected by CLIA. The plan of correction has been submitted and the lab will be reinspected by CLIA at a later date. Edwards reported that 340B policies have been updated and an optimization implementation plan will begin January 1st. The hospitals initial annual fiscal loss presented was $317,000 in fiscal year 2023. The pre-audit loss to date shows the actual loss of $2.5 million. The Dialysis and Home Health Departments have been closed in an effort to cut expenses. The final audit report is expected to be completed in February. CFO Doug Hoban reported hospital admissions in November were 83 which included six Swingbed admissions with a total of 250 patient census days. In November, there were 1,520 Outpatient Registrations, 1,474 Cardiopulmonary Procedures, 6,940 Lab Tests, 1,194 Radiology Procedures, 556 Rehabilitation Treatments, 34 Surgical Procedures, and 167 Home Health Visits. There were 637 Emergency Room visits with 56 patients being admitted. A total of 228 ambulance runs were made with 150 patients being transported. The hospital had expenses over revenues in November of $417,086 with a loss from operations of $421,925. The 340B plan showed revenues over expenses for the month of $49,068. Edwards reported that he is working with the state to get reimbursement for capital expenditures to match what the hospital has spent from July 1st to May 31st. With no new business, the meeting was then adjourned.

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows deer hunters harvested 18,904 deer during the late antlerless portion of firearms deer season, December 2nd-10th. Top harvest counties were Callaway with 565 deer harvested, Pike with 513, and Lincoln with 385. Harvest numbers for counties in our area included Crawford with 237 antlerless deer harvested, Dent harvest was 209, Maries County was 134, Phelps County had 128 harvested, Texas County total was 354, and Shannon County saw 200 antlerless deer harvested. Last year’s antlerless portion harvest total was 16,241. For current ongoing preliminary harvest totals by season, county, and type of deer, visit the MDC website at mdc.mo.gov. The archery deer and turkey season runs through January 15th, 2024. The alternative methods portion runs December 23rd through January 2nd, 2024. Find more information on deer hunting from MDC’s 2023 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet, available where permits are sold and online at mdc.mo.gov.

Now is the time to start planning what you’d like to plant in your 2024 garden and gathering up your seeds. Master Gardeners Charley Grimm, Pam Bierman, Katyann Sullivan, and Thom Haines are prepping the Community Garden for the 2024 gardening season. The Community Garden was started in 2009 and is located at the Salem United Methodist Church. If you are interested in having plot at the Community Garden in 2024, please contact Charley Grimm at 573-368-9902. Garden plots are open to anyone who wants to have one, and your first plot is free. Gardening tools and water are available for gardeners, and all you need to provide is your love of gardening and seeds. The Dent/Phelps Master Gardeners and Dent County Extension provide classes throughout the growing season on such topics as “When to Plant,” “Seed Saving,” “Canning,” and other topics you may have questions about. If there is a subject you would like to have addressed at one of the classes this upcoming summer, contact Charley Grimm or call Dent County Extension at 573-729-3196.

Do you love Missouri’s state parks and historic sites? Are you looking for a way to introduce the fun to someone else? Now is the perfect time to purchase a Missouri State Parks gift card for yourself and receive another you can use as a holiday gift. A Missouri State Parks gift card is a convenient way to make camping reservations or purchase state park merchandise. Through the month of December, purchase a gift card of $75 or more and receive a free $25 e-gift card free! This offer can only be found online at https://mostateparks.com and click on the gift card button. Purchased gift cards or e-gift cards will be mailed or emailed to the address on your customer account. Promotional e-gift cards are emailed to the email address listed on your customer account.

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson was not in attendance due to a family matter, but did call in his report. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley appointed 1st District Commissioner Wes Mobray as the acting Presiding Commissioner for the meeting. In the road report, Commissioner Mobray said rock would be added and grading done on Dent County Road 6460 while only grading would be done on county roads 6400 and 6220. He said brush would be cut on county road 2480 and a new grader blade was being installed on Dent County Grader #39. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk reported rock would be added and grading done on county road 4030 while only grading would be done on county roads 4020 and 4380. He said brush would be cut on county roads 3020 and 3030. Presiding Commissioner Larson said at the Transportation Advisory Committee meeting last Thursday, the Route TT Bridge over Crooked Creek near Sligo was voted the top priority in the Meramec Region capturing 83 votes. Scoping for this project was in the latest 5-year STIP, and this vote reinforces the need for the bridge improvement to occur. Larson said the Huzzah Creek Bridge on Highway 32 at Boss came in 1st in the medium priority category with 31 votes. County Clerk Angie Curley said she balanced with the treasurer on all monthly accounts for November. She also said vendors need to submit their invoices to the county by noon December 28th to be paid this year. No bills can be paid by the county in January, except for payroll, until the budget is approved. The next meeting of the commission will be Thursday at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education regular meeting was held last Thursday at the district administrative offices. The board recognized Alex Diehl for being All-SCA Conference in Cross Country and finishing 30th in the state competition which qualified him for the All-State status. Superintendent Lynne Reed said most of the Construction Trades building shell will be completed by Friday with the other minor improvements still to be made in January. Assistant Superintendent Nathan Wills said the Annual Progress Report was released to schools and shows Salem R-80 needs improvement in English Language Arts, Mathematics and attendance, but the full report will be discussed at a later date. Will said the water testing continues at the school for lead. Right now the school is in the middle of mitigation with the next testing to be done in mid January. After the reports from the building principals and Athletic Director Clay Moody, the board discussed the list of capital improvements the school needs and the list came to 27 items totaling 7.1 million dollars. Not all of the items on the list are critical, but a number of them will need to be addressed soon before further deterioration. The board discussed a bond to get there repairs made as well as the residual balance amount on the FEMA addition at the Upper Elementary. The board agreed a six million dollar bond issue would cover much of the needed work and passed a resolution calling for a bond election for the school district for the April election. If passed, the increase in the debt service levy would be an additional 34 cents on top of the current 45 cents for 79 cents total per $100 assessed valuation. It was also brought out in the discussion that the schools proposed purchase of the SBU building is contingent on the passing of the bond. The board also talked about how the district would be able to afford keeping the teachers salaries competitive at the $38,000 mark that this year is being subsidized by the state and that would only be by an operating tax levy increase. This also would help cover expenses at the school that continue to rise. The board discussed the amount of a permanent increase they thought would be needed and finally decided on asking the voters to pass an additional 90 cent operating tax levy. This would raise about an additional $700,000 for the schools General Revenue Fund. The board passed the resolution calling for the election in the April election of increasing the district’s operating tax levy from $2.75 per $100 assessed valuation by 90 cents to $3.65 per $100 assessed valuation. They also passed a resolution authorizing the appropriation of not more than $115,000 for the purpose of prepaying a portion of the districts outstanding general obligation bonds or other actions in connection with that payment. The board approved the job description of the Director of Operations position that would deal with mostly non-academic issues, approved the FFA out-of-state trip, and approved the revised FEMA building design at the Upper Elementary school. The board tabled the CEP for the high school and the January meeting date will be January 18th. The board accepted the resignation of Kristi Steelman as freshman and middle school volleyball coach before going into closed session where the board employed Rich Parks as the Director of Operations for the 2024-25 school year. The meeting was then adjourned.

An accident happened Thursday morning at 10:40 on Highway 68 about 12 miles south of St. James. According to the highway patrol report, a 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer driven northbound by 62-year-old Catharina Pot of Salem, crossed the center line and struck a 2021 Ram 4500 driven southbound by 49-year-old Raymond Hamlich of St. Clair. Pot suffered moderate injuries and was taken to Phelps Health by the Phelps Health Ambulance. Both drivers were wearing their seat restraints. The Chevy sustained extensive damage and was removed from the scene by Spurgeon’s Towing of St. James. The Ram sustained moderate damage and was driven from the scene.