Archive for 2023

Congratulations to the Salem Chamber Choir and instructor Elaine Russell as they took 1st Place in their division and category at the Nationals in Orlando, Florida over the weekend! They also received the Adjudicator’s Award which is given to the judge’s “top pick” indicative of their high scores. Outstanding effort Tigers!!!

As reported in the Dent County Commissioner story yesterday, District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson was appointed by Governor Parson Monday to the become the new Dent County Presiding Commissioner to replace Darrell Skiles who resigned. Parson also appointed former City of Salem Alderman Kevin James to the Missouri Mining Commission. Mr. James currently serves as the Environmental Compliance Manager at Doe Run Resources Corporation. Prior to his current role, he served as Production Superintendent and receiving supervisor for Doe Run Resources Corporation. Mr. James holds a Master of Science in geological engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology. Congratulations to Mr. Larson and Mr. James on their appointments!

During the week of March 25th to March 31st, there was a total of 145 calls to the Salem Police Department for service. Officers conducted 16 traffic stops for various traffic violations with four resulting in a summons or arrest. Officers conducted a traffic accident investigation along with four informational reports. These service reports were generated. On Saturday morning around 2:00, the 25th of March, officers located and arrested 28-year-old Anthony Justice of Salem for an active capias warrant for burglary. Justice was incarcerated at the Dent County jail. The next morning around 1:00, an officer was dispatched to the 600 block of South Jackson Street for the report of a disturbance. Upon arrival by the officer, it was apparent that one male subject was highly intoxicated and was causing numerous issues. As a result, a 34-year-old Salem male was placed on a 12-hour safekeep at the Dent County Jail. Around 9:00 in the evening of Tuesday, March 8th, officers were dispatched to the area of Truman Street for a report of people driving down the road screaming out the window at people. Officers located the vehicle that also had a broken taillight. A traffic stop was then conducted and officers noticed the driver to be intoxicated. After a short investigation the driver, a 23-year-old Viburnum woman, was arrested for a DWI and was later released on summons. On March 29th near 12:45 in the afternoon, officers were sent to Wal-Mart for a report of shoplifting. It was reported that a male subject had shoplifted $8.48 worth of merchandise from the store. Officers placed a 56-year-old Salem male under arrest for shoplifting and later released him on a summons. Then on Thursday, March 30th around 11:30 in the morning, officers responded to Askins Street and Highway 32 for a report of a female subject who had active warrants for her arrest. As a result, the officers located and arrested 27-year-old Tamera Halbrook of Salem for active warrants out of the City of Salem with no bond. Halbrook was incarcerated at the Dent County Jail. On Friday evening, March 31st, around 9:30, officers were dispatched to Louise Street and Highway 32 for a report of a male subject making obscene gestures towards other citizens. Contact was made with the man and it was found he had an active warrant for his arrest out of Dent County. At that time, officers arrested 63-year old Roger Bussey of Salem and he was incarcerated at the Dent County Jail. Please contact the Salem Police Department at (573) 729-4242 if you have any information regarding an investigation.

A Freeze Branding Workshop hosted by the University of Missouri Extension at the Wurdack Extension & Research Farm near Cook Station, will be held this Friday from 11:00 in the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon. This workshop is designed to provide participants with “hands-on” training required to successfully administer freeze brands to their livestock. The cost of the workshop is $30 per person. Class size is limited, and you will need to make your reservations ny today. For more information or to reserve a space, please contact Rachel Hopkins, the Ag Business Specialist at the Washington County MU Extension Office, at 573-438-2671.

An accident happened Monday evening at 6:45 in Dent County on Dent County Road 3210 about a mile north of Highway 72. The report from the highway patrol states that a 1999 Harley Davidson Sporter 1200 being operated by 22- year-old Trenton Stewart of Salem, was traveling south when he lost control of the motorcyle and was thrown from the bike. Stewart, who was wearing safety equipment, was airlifted by an Air Evac helicopter to Mercy Hospital in St. Louis for treatment of serious injuries. The Harley sustained minor damage and was removed from the scene by the owner.

The Dent County Commission met Monday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. It was announced that District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson was contacted by Governor Parson’s office that he had been selected to replace former Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles as the new presiding commissioner. No further details were available at this time. Larson was appointed as the acting presiding commissioner by Dent County Clerk Angie Curley for the meeting. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray stated grading will continue on Dent County Road 5680 while materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 4150, 4155, 4157 and 6580. District 2 Commissioner Larson said materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Road 2020 while only grading would be done on county roads 2025, 2530, 2540, 2550, 3220, 6130 and 6140. He said a man would also be going to Springfield to get another load of oil for chip and seal repair. Clerk Angie Curley said she attended the Missouri Association of Counties board meeting Tuesday and attended the MAC Legislative Day on Wednesday. Mobray then signed the reimbursement request from MoDOT for the Cooley Bridge FLAP Project 0057 in the amount of $127,548.98. At the last meeting, the county received only one bid for the culvert polypropylene pipes from Viebrock Sales for $22,024.00. The commission approved that bid. The county did receive three bids for grader blades. The bids were from McCoy Construction and Forestry for $175 per blade for the Caterpillar graders and $145 each for the John Deere graders with a minimum of 50 blades to be bought; Viebrock Sales bid came in at $7,180.00 and the bid from Woolf Equipment of $5,331.80. The motion was made and the commission approved going with the bid from Woolf Equipment for grader blades. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors will conduct their April meeting tonight at 6:00 in the hospital library. Hospital Administrator Wayne Reid will give his report before old business is discussed including the kitchen drain proposal, architect work on the clinic, medical staff bylaw updates, and strategic planning updates. New business has the swearing in of District 4 director Willie Strader, a review of purchases, the accounts payable and legislative report. Reports will then be heard on the summary of operations and statistics for the month of March, the 340B program, hospital resources update, the hospital foundation report and a report from the Chief Nursing Officer Ashley Sullins to be followed by the marketing and community relations report. The board may then vote to go into closed session if needed. They meeting this evening will be at 6:00 and is open to the public.

The Dent County Sheriff’s office has released several reports for the first part of April. On Saturday the 8th, a deputy conducted a traffic stop in the 19000 block of East Highway 32. During the stop, a 50-year old St. Louis man was driving with a suspended driving privilege. He was arrested and transported to the Dent County jail where he was processed and released on a citation. On Tuesday, April 11th, a deputy was called to the 9000 block of South Highway 19 for a report of a suspicious tractor. During the investigation, the tractor was found to have been stolen from the 1800 block of South Main Street in Salem. The victim, a 56-year-old Rolla man, was contacted and advised of the recovery. The investigation is ongoing. Later that same day a deputy conducted a traffic stop on International Street. During the stop, the operator was found to be intoxicated. The driver, a 43-year-old Salem man, was arrested and transported to the Dent County jail. On Wednesday, April 12th, a deputy conducted a traffic stop on West Third Street. During the stop, a 39-year-old Salem man who was driving was found to have an active arrest warrant. He was taken into custody and transported to the Dent County jail where he was issued a traffic citation and incarcerated on the warrant. That same day, a deputy met with a 60-year-old St. Louis man, who reported that a tractor part valued at $389 was stolen from his property in the 1600 block of Dent County Road 2120. The investigation is ongoing pending any investigative leads. Contact the Dent County Sheriffs office at 729-3241 if you have information regarding an investigation.

An accident happened Sunday afternoon just before 5:00 in Crawford County on Highway 8 and Route TT. According to the highway patrol report, a 2009 Jeep Liberty being driven north by a 16-year-old male juvenile of Steelville, failed to yield and struck a 2001 Dodge Dakota being driven west by 59-year-old John Bullinger, also of Steelville. Bullinger suffered minor injuries but refused treatment at the scene. Both vehicles sustained extensive damage and were removed from the scene by Miles and Sons Towing. The report went on to state that both drivers were wearing seat restraints at the time of the accident.