Archive for 2023

The Salem Board of Aldermen held their regular meeting Tuesday evening at the City Hall Council Chambers. The board approved Resolution #14-2023 which is a contract renewal with the Department of Health and Senior Services for sewer shed disease monitoring. The city performs weekly tests of wastewater samples to identify the geographic distribution of SARS-CoV-2 and variants for indicators of community outbreaks. The City is reimbursed at $100 per weekly sample. City Finance Director Stacey Houston reported on the sales tax revenues and said the electric, water and sewer revenues are tracking more than budgeted but the expenses are as well. Total for this fiscal year that ends June 30th, the General Revenue Sales Tax Fund is $1,276,912 with $1,252,600 budgeted, the Park and Rec Sales Tax revenue is at $478,828 with $425,000 budgeted and the Capital Improvement Sales Tax revenue is at $638,457 with $650,000 budgeted. The total revenues for the city are $11.2 million with expenses of $9.2 million. There is a total of 7.1 million in the fund balances through March. The board approved the bid from Archer Elgin for a Lead Service Line Project that would inventory all lead water lines and include GIS mapping of lines. This project is part of the $150,000 ARPA funds received with a local match of $30,000 that will be included in the 2024 budget. The board approved Resolution #15-2023, a bid from R. Conway Construction for $23,000 for rehabilitation work at property located at 602 S. Warfel Street. They also approved Resolution #16-2023, a bid from 5 J’s Handyman Services for $21,050 for work at property located at 1103 S. Oak Street; as well as Resolution #17-2023, a bid from Mid Missouri Renovations for $23,450 for work at property located at 711 E. 4th Street. The board went on to approve Resolution #18-2023, a bid from R. Conway Construction for $32,200 for work at 1004 E. 1st Street. All of these projects are part of the “Welcome Home” Project with the homeowners being responsible for paying any bid over the grant approved amount of $23,000 per home. The board approved Resolution #19-2023 which is an agreement with Ameren Missouri for the use of city electric poles for an AMI system that will be used for natural gas services. This is a 20-year contract for 14 poles with the initial 10-year term paying $20 per attachment, then the next five years paying $25, and the second five-year term paying $30 per attachment. The board approved a bid for $3,000 from Lonnie Lundy, Gary Hawrysko and Jon Mihalka for the 1932 General Firetruck. The group agreed to keep the firetruck under cover, keep it in Dent County and if possible get it operable for parades. The Alderman are thankful to the three men that came together to keep the firetruck local. Mayor Parker reminded citizens of the City Wide Yard Sale on Saturday, May 6th. This will be followed by a city-wide cleanup The weeks of May 8th and 15th. Alderwoman Kala Sisco said a joint Finance and Capital Improvements Committee meeting at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory will be held at 6:00 on May 1st. She thanked Healthy Dent County for a holding the recent fun community event called the ‘Non Newlywed” Game. She also thanked them for sponsoring the recent youth volleyball league that was directed by Dottie Steelman. Several youth participated from outlying communities. Alderman Kyle Williams reported that the Cosmopolitan Club is collecting donations for a Fourth of July fireworks show. Donations can be dropped off at Gypsy’s Dream, Current River Kitchen or mailed to P.O. Box 11. The board then went into closed session.

The Dent County Commission met Monday morning for their regular meeting at the Dent County Courthouse. At the meeting, Dent County Clerk Angie Curley again appointed Gary Larson as the acting presiding commissioner. In the road reports, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Road 6083 while only grading would be done on county roads 5110 and 5600. Mobray also stated that crews would be servicing a dump truck. District Two Commissioner Gary Larson indicated materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 2120 and 2130 while only grading would be done on county road 3180. He said a man would be going to Springfield to get more oil for chip and seal repair. Larson said he was contacted by the Dent-Phelps R-3 school that some limbs from a tree are affecting a bus route and Larson said those limbs would be taken care of. The commission received an e-mail from Dent County Health Center Administrator Zach Moser reporting that trustee Sandra Headrick resigned her board position. Her term was to expire April of 2024. The commission will have to appoint a replacement for that board that would serve until the next election in April. The commission was to open bids for a financial audit for the years 2022-23 at 10:00, but they did not receive any bids. The commission agreed to again seek financial bids for the 2022-2023 audit as required by the county’s bonding agent where the work would be done in 2024. The bids will be due at 10:00 on Monday, May 22nd at 10:00. Clerk Angie Curley said she contacted clerks in Phelps County and Howell County to get a list of possible auditors and she will let them know the county is asking for bids to see if they have interest. The next meeting will be on Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting will be open to the public.

The Dent County Sheriff’s office released these reports for the week. On Friday, April 14th, a deputy was on East Truman Street while attempting to locate a male subject who had an outstanding Dent County arrest warrant. Upon locating the man, the suspect was found also to be in possession of a controlled substance. The 24-year-old Salem man was arrested and transported to the Dent County Jail. He was incarcerated on his original arrest warrant and a 24-hour-hold for the possession of a controlled substance charge. The next day the Dent County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Salem Police Department for a call for a suspicious subject at Country Mart. During the course of the investigation, it was determined that a male suspect had attempted to enter the store office and steal money. The suspect, an 18-year-old Salem man, was arrested and transported to the Dent County Jail where he was incarcerated on a 24-hour-hold pending the issuance of an arrest warrant. On Tuesday, April 18th, a deputy responded to the 1900 block of Dent County Road 6220 for a report of a stolen air compressor. During the investigation, it was determined that the victim was an 81-year-old man from Jadwin. Suspect information was obtained and the investigation is ongoing. Later that same day, deputies responded to the 3100 block of Route HH for a reported stolen vehicle. The victim was a 65-year-old Salem woman. During the course of the investigation, suspect information was developed and the vehicle was later recovered in Phelps County. The suspect, a 33-year-old Salem man, was arrested and incarcerated at the Phelps County Jail. This investigation is ongoing. On Thursday, April 20th, a deputy took a report of an assault that occurred between three juvenile females off South Highway 19 in the Smith Subdivision. Suspect information was obtained and this investigation is ongoing. If anyone has any information regarding an ongoing investigation, please contact the Dent County Sheriff’s Department at 729-3241.

An accident occurred Friday evening around 8:49 in Phelps County on Highway 68 about two miles south of St. James. According to the highway patrol report, an unknown vehicle and driver traveled off the right side of the roadway and struck a parked 1996 Chevrolet Silverado driven by 49-year-old Keith Green of Cedar Hill. The Chevrolet then struck 44-year-old Mikell Bobbish of High Ridge who was outside the truck, Bobbish suffered serious injuries and was flown by Phelps Health Air Ambulance to Mercy Creve Coeur Hospital in St. Louis. The Silverado sustained moderate damage and was removed by Spurgeon’s Towing of St. James.