Archive for 2023

An accident occurred Friday afternoon around 4:10 in Texas in County on the Big Piney River about 5.6 miles west of Licking. According to the water patrol report, a 1984 Lowe Utility Boat being operated by 44-year-old Jarrell Neal of Salem, was traveling northbound and going downstream when he lost control on a shoal and sharp bend in the river. The utility boat struck a bluff and sunk in the river. A passenger in the boat, 50-year-old Darren Neal of Houston, suffered moderate injuries and was taken to Texas County Memorial Hospital in Houston. He was not wear a flotation device at the time of the accident. The utility boat was a total loss and is at the bottom of the Big Piney River.

The Dent County Health Center (DCHC) Board of Trustees held their regular meeting Thursday, April 20th. In attendance were trustees Bob Gravely, Dennis Floyd and Bob Parsons, plus Administrator Zach Moser and Assistant Administrator Roma Jones. Board members Sandra Headrick and Kim Smith were not in attendance. Zach Moser, a notary public, administered the oath of office to trustee to Dennis Floyd and Bob Gravely. An Oath of Office to be used in future swearing-in ceremonies was officially adopted. A letter addressed to the Trustees from Board Member Sandra Headrick was read tendering her resignation after 16 years of service to the Dent County Health Center. Headrick’s resignation was reluctantly accepted. The Board expressed their sincere appreciation of Headrick’s many years of service, which included years of volunteering for the Show Me Healthy Women’s Program and work with the family planning program in prior years. Her medical and nursing expertise has been relied upon by the Board during her tenure. Officer elections were held with Parsons being re-elected Chairman, Kim Smith was elected Vice-Chair, and Dennis Floyd was re-elected Secretary-Treasurer. Administrator Moser presented the communicable disease report which included 34 new COVID-19 cases for March. He said there were 28 active lead cases in March. Eight sexually transmitted infection screenings were also conducted during the month. Moser noted that a total of two influenza cases were reported in March. In the diagnostics report, Moser said that 241 blood draw appointments were completed in March, plus 26 tests and 16 vaccines for COVID-19, and there were two Influenza vaccines along with 100 other vaccinations administered. There was a total of 495 appointments held during March plus WIC appointments that totaled 327. Moser noted that in March there were 143 urine drug screenings conducted on behalf of the Dent County Treatment Court. Assistant Administrator Jones gave the environmental report where she conducted 10 total inspections and fielded six environmental questions. In the Administrator’s report, Moser said that 328 children are currently enrolled with 22 providers in the Childcare Subsidy Program and the program is winding down and will be ending May 31st, 2023. He reported the new accounting procedures were working well and providing better insight for management of the Health Center’s finances, plus the onsite portion of the 2022 financial audit would take place May 4th. Moser said that the Title X (Ten) Family Planning Program started accepting patients April 3rd. The program will offer free and reduced cost birth control, IUDs, STD testing and treatment, basic infertility consultations, and more. It was pointed out that Title X does not pay for abortion or sterilization services and that the Dent County Health Center would not provide those services even if they were paid for. Moser reported that the first ever DCHC Health Fair, combined with an Open House, on April 13th was a success with over 140 people attending. There was discussion on the possibility of having a second health fair in October. The March financial reports featuring income and expenses were reviewed and approved. A number of budget overages and requests for modification were reviewed and approved by the Board. The next regular meeting of the Dent County Health Center Board of Trustees was set for Thursday, May 18th at 5:00.

On Friday at the Missouri State Capitol’s south lawn in front of her classmates, teachers and other children at the capital, Rolla Middle School fifth grader Harlee Tanner was recognized for writing this year’s winning Earth Day slogan, “Join the race to make the world a better place.” It was selected by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources from 260 other entries sent by fifth graders from 21 different Missouri schools. Harlee will receive a $50 gift card donated by Central Bank in Jefferson City and a Missouri rock and mineral set donated by Missouri Geological Survey. Making the attendance of Harlee and her classmates possible is the Missouri State Parks Bus Grant Program. Available to schools and nonprofit organizations, the program assists with the transportation expenses of field trips and outdoor learning opportunities at Missouri state parks and historic sites. Applications and more information on the Missouri State Parks Bus Grant Program is available online at the Missouri State Parks website.

The Dent County Commission met Thursday morning in the courthouse. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley appointed District Two Commission Gary Larson as the acting Presiding Commission for the meeting. In the road report, District One Commissioner Wes Mobray said he had two guys out so the rest of his crew was servicing dump trucks, pickups and other equipment. Commissioner Larson said that he had three guys out and the rest were doing maintenance work and patching chip and seal on Dent County Roads 2550 and 6680. He went on to report that one man with a backhoe was opening up pipes on county roads 2380, 3200, and 3180, while another with a backhoe was cleaning ditches on county road 3260. Larson also noted that his crew was performing other equipment maintenance. Clerk Curley reported that she balanced with the treasurer on all accounts for the month of March and that the commissioners had reviewed her reports and signed off on them. She also noted that there were a few bills to be approved for payment. It was noted that Commissioner Larson will be going to Jefferson City next Tuesday to meet with the Senate for confirmation of his appointment as Presiding Commissioner of Dent County. Corky Stack with Stack Engineering came in to talk about a cost proposal on a change order of the shingle portion of the courthouse for $66,636.00. The change would be from the original bid for metal shingles on all mansard roof areas only and not the whole roof. The change proposed was to take off the existing shingles, put on thermal and moisture protection, and put on metal seam roof. The commission felt they still had 5 to 6 years or more on the existing roof so they decided to wait on this until a roof is needed so the proposal was not approved. Stack presented Pay Estimate #3 from the contractor, Alexander Construction, in the amount of $183,346.35 and the commission approved it. Stack brought in an invoice for his services of $9,559.28. After a discussion, the commission approved Stack’s invoice. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Monday morning at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.

Governor Mike Parson announced that the Missouri Department of Public Safety has approved 428 grants totaling over $6.3 million to law enforcement, fire service, and EMS providers across the state for new equipment, supplies, personnel, and training. To date, a total of 224 fire service agencies have been approved to receive a total of over $3 million for equipment, including turnout gear, extrication equipment, and thermal imaging cameras. Fire districts in our area that received funding include the Dent County Fire Protection District who got $19,972.73; the Timber Fire District who received $20,000; the Jadwin Fire District who received $20,000, the St. James Fire District who got $5,924; the City of Rolla Fire and Rescue who received $20,000 and the Rolla Rural Fire Department who received $17,935.73. The maximum amount of grant funding allowed was $20,000.

A one vehicle accident happened Tuesday afternoon at 2:15 in Dent County on Highway 19 about seven miles north of Salem. According to the highway patrol report a 2009 Dodge Durango being driven south by 37-year-old Jonathon Smith of Salem, traveled off the right side of the road before striking a fence and overturning. Smith, who was wearing a seat restraint, was transported to the Salem Memorial Hospital for treatment of moderate injuries. The Durango was totaled and removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education met Thursday at noon at the district administrative office for a special meeting. Last week, the district and architect John Odom opened bids for the construction trades building. They received only one bid and that was from Cahill’s Construction out of Rolla. It was for the entire project and the board rejected that bid. City Administrator Sally Burbridge said the YOP expiration will be September 30th of this year unless an extension is granted while the CDBG grant will be ending on December 31st. The board did approved the rebidding of the addendum to the specs that calls for work on the building shell only which will be opened on May 19th. The board approved to move the consideration of bids on the baseball field to the May meeting. The board approved a contract with FFA Instructor Dalton Sanders to use a school bus he owns that was used at the Maries R-1 School District where they will pay six months of his insurance premium which comes to $2,500 and other consideration. The new bus the school ordered which was supposed to have already arrived, is now due to be delivered sometime in May. The board then accepted the resignation of teacher Karla Tiefenthaler who has accepted the principal’s job at Dent-Phelps R-3. The Special meeting of the Salem R-80 board was then adjourned.