Archive for 2023

The Salem Board of Aldermen met Tuesday evening for a special meeting at the City Hall Council Chambers. The board heard from Public Works Director Mark Nash about three bids for cold mix for the Street Department. The first bid was for $78 per ton from Park Hills, Missouri; another bid was for $80 per ton from Lebanon Asphalt Co., and a third bid from NB West was for $140 per ton. The board approved the bid from Park Hills for $78 per ton and approved the purchase of $11,500 worth of asphalt to be used to patch holes and dig outs. The board approved Resolution #11-2023 authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement between the City of Salem and Huntington National Bank for the lease of a 2023 Terex C5048 digger derrick. The lease discrepancy referred to by Alderman Bolerjack at the last meeting had been superseded in 2021 when the board approved Resolution 10-2021 for the lease purchase of the digger derrick for $3,599 per month for 60-months that would not be ready for 12-15 months. The city needed the digger derrick for work at that time and the alderman approved Resolution #11-2021 to lease a digger derrick from Texas for $5,250 per month. The board approved Bills #3534, 3535 and 3536 that authorized the mayor to execute and the City Clerk to attest to Quit-Claim Deeds between the City of Salem and Noah Wills; Jessica Baldwin and Rickey Vanderpool; and Briceno Properties, LLC. The first bill was for the vacating of an alley, the second bill was for the vacating of the eastern half of South Oak Street vacated by the city in 1994, and the third bill was for the vacating of some property in the Douglass Park Addition that was used as a city park in the 1920s until Highway 32 was rerouted through the center of the park. Title searches have not found who the property was conveyed to, if to anyone at all. The city will relinquish any claim it has to the property with the Quit-Claim Deed even if they legally do not have a claim to it at all. The meeting was then adjourned.

During the week of February 25th to March 3rd, there was a total of 89 calls to the Salem Police Department for service. Officers conducted 11 traffic stops for various traffic violations with four resulting in a summons or arrest. Officers conducted four traffic accident investigations along with four informational reports. Of the calls for service and traffic stops, the following reports were generated. On early Saturday morning of February 25th at approximately 2:00, an officer was dispatched to the 1100 block of South Wines for the report of a vehicle crash. During the investigation it was found that a man had passed out after crashing and getting stuck in a persons yard. It was found that the driver was very intoxicated and uncooperative with officers. Due to the investigation, a 23-year-old Bunker man was arrested and issued a number of summons to appear in court. Then on Sunday, February 26th at approximately 6:00 in the evening, officers were dispatched to the intersection of Highway 32 and MacArthur for the report of a vehicle blocking the roadway. During the investigation it was found that the driver of the vehicle was very intoxicated. As a result, a 39-year-old Salem woman was arrested and issued a summons for a DWI. On Tuesday, February 28th approximately 11:00 in the morning, officers were dispatched to Roosevelt and MacArthur for the report of a man acting suspicious and hitting mailboxes with a bat. Contact was made with the subject and he was impaired and uncooperative. As a result of the investigation a 25-year-old Lake Ozark man was arrested and placed on a 12-hour safekeep at the Dent County Jail due to his level of impairment. He was also issued summons for Disorderly Conduct. Please contact the Salem Police Department at (573) 729-4242 if you have any information regarding any ongoing investigation.

A project to resurface and add shoulders to Route O in Phelps and Dent counties has begun. Contractors from N.B. West Contracting Company, working with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), plan on preparing and laying base for the new shoulders. Additional work to follow includes an overlay, placement of rumble strips and striping. The contractor expects all work on the project to be completed prior to the Independence Day holiday. All work is weather permitting and schedules are subject to change. MoDOT asks all motorists to work with us by buckling up, putting your phone down, obeying all traffic signs, and slowing down and moving over in work zones. For more information about MoDOT projects, got to modot.org or call the 24-hour Customer Service Center at 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636)

A one vehicle accident happened at around 3:10 Sunday afternoon in Phelps County on Highway BB about 4 miles south of St. James. The report from the highway patrol states that a 2014 Ford Focus was being driven west by 20-year-old Teaghan McBride when she crossed the center line and went off the left side of the roadway. The Ford then continued across a county road before striking an embankment and overturning. McBride, who was wearing a seat restraint, suffered minor injuries and was taken to Phelps Health hospital by St. James ambulance. The Ford was totaled and removed from the scene by D&D Towing.

The Dent County Commission met Monday morning at the Dent County Courthouse for the first time since March 9th due to Commissioner Wes Mobray’s illness. Commissioner Gary Larson was appointed by County Clerk Angie Curley to be acting Presiding Commissioner for the meeting. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams said the county will let out four-year bids for the county’s banking business that includes a two-year review. Williams said letters will go out to Progressive Ozark Bank, The Bank of Salem, Town and Country Bank, US Bank and Riverways Federal Credit Union. The banking period covered by this bid will be from August 2023 to July of 2027. The bids will be due on Thursday, March 30th by 10:00. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Mobray said three trucks would be delivering materials and two graders would be working side by side on Dent County Road 2470. Another grader would be checking the roads used in the 100-Acre in the Wood Road Rally Saturday and would repair any roads damaged by the rally cars, if needed. District 2 Commission Larson said materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 3180, 4060, 4330 and 4340, while brush would be cut on county road 2130. Larson said he and Commissioner Mobray attended the South Central Association of County Commissioners meeting in Houston on March 10th. Mobray said they discussed the impact to county’s budgets if the proposed elimination of the one-cent sales tax on food were to go through. Also at the meeting, Commissioner Larson was appointed as Vice-President of the association with the opening created by the resignation of Commissioner Skiles. Larson also said he attended the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District board meeting where Chairman Brady Wilson announced his resignation from the board as he is retiring. Larson stated that again due to the resignation of Commissioner Skiles, he was appointed to serve as vice-chair for the district board. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said today is the first day for “no-excuse” absentee voting in her office and that will last through April 3rd. Curley said Wednesday is the last day to mail-out an absentee ballot, and she will be attending the MAGIC Insurance Consortium meeting in Warrenton. She serves on the board of the consortium. Jeff Banderet from Great Rivers Engineering was in for the FLAP Project 077 bid openings and the county received only one bid. It was from West Contracting from Pacific, MO for $197,819. The county has a 20% match and part of the county’s match would be in labor and equipment. The total project cost came in at $228,341 and the maximum the FLAP would provide is $138,548 which is the amount approved in 2020. Banderet will look over the FLAP agreement and the bid, then get back to the commissioners with a recommendation before any decision is reached. At the last meeting, Dent County Collector Shannon VanKirk presented her annual settlement report to the commission that showed $9,295,594.72 was distributed. The commission also approved a letter of support for state funding for Four Rivers Community Health Center. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

Mayor Greg Parker has called for a special meeting of the Salem Board of Aldermen for this evening at 6:00 at the City Hall Council Chambers at 202 North Washington. The aldermen are set to discuss bids for the street department for cold mix. The aldermen will also discuss Resolution #11-2023 authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement between the city and Huntington National Bank for the lease of a 2023 Terex C5048 digger derrick. The board will also discuss Bill #3534 that would authorize the mayor to execute and the city clerk attest to a quit claim deed between the City of Salem and Noah Wills, Bill #3535 to authorize the mayor to execute and the city clerk attest to a quit claim deed between the city and Jessical Baldwin and Rickey Vanderpool; and Bill #3536 to authorize the mayor to exicute and the city clerk attest to a quit claim deed between the city and Briceno Properties, LLC before adjourning. The meeting tonight at 6:00 will be open to the public.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors will meet tonight at 6:00 at the hospital library. The board will hear old business first which will include the kitchen drain proposal, the clinic architect, the finance committee meeting dates, the medical staff bylaw update and the strategic planning update. In new business, the board will discuss purchases and hospital board member training before hearing the summary of operations and statistics for the month of February as well as the Chief Nursing Officer report, a report on the 340B drug program, hear a staffing update and discuss the hospital foundation. The board will also discuss marketing and community relations before hearing the Chief of Staff’s report. The board may vote to go into closed session. The meeting tonight is open to the public.