Archive for 2024

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning in the Dent County Courthouse. Dent County resident Rick Emory was in and talked about the rain received and the fact that a culvert needs to be moved as water is backing up on his property. First District Commissioner Wes Mobray said he would talk to the road crew and will also check it out. Grant Wilson from Congressman Jason Smith’s office was in and updated the Commission on immigration laws and citizenship, more funding for the Secret Service, bills passed out of the House, penalties for those who leak taxpayer information, interference from foreign countries in electronics, and improving social security to reduce identity theft. In the road report Mobray said his crews were out checking roads today and working on Flap 77 to get environmental approval from DNR. District Two Commissioner Gary Polk said his crews were also checking roads for washouts. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson had nothing to report. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported that payroll was being approved and that Tuesday is the first day for absentee voting with an excuse, the last day to register to vote is October 9th, and no excuse absentee voting begins October 22nd. Larson did share that he had visited with Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams, and they confirmed that all Opioid Committee members are in place so they will start working on applications, but no funds will be distributed until 2025. The next regular meeting of the Commissioners will be Thursday morning at 9:00 and the meeting will be open to the public.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education held their regular meeting last Thursday afternoon at the district office at 5:30. After approving the agenda and the consent agenda, The board recognized Salem Middle School student: Westin Stites and his part in the upcoming Musical Elf Jr. in December. During the Superintendent’s report, Dr. Nathan Wills referenced CSIP Goals, updated about the upcoming Coffee Connections tomorrow morning, at 8:00. Dr. Wills also updated the board on the FEMA Storm Shelter progress, the New Tiger Training Survey data, the establishment of a District Leadership Committee, and the establishment of a Student Advisory Committee. He also spoke about the District Drink Contract, the status of roof repairs throughout the district and the Ag/FFA program inquiry of a potential grant funded Animal Science Lab. Following his report, the board heard reports from the District Administrators, before moving on to New Business. The Preliminary 2023-2023 Annual Secretary of the Board Report, as well as the three year Bid for Gas were unanimously approved. The Board also approved the MARCO three year contract for copier maintenance, and the Hold Harmless Agreement – keeping Christmas at Home from UE. The motion to approve Bus Routes, and a contract with Dalton Sanders for Bus use was unanimously approved. The board approved the Discovery School Contract and they approved Nathan Wills and Dan Copeland as authorized signatures for the Missouri Department of Economic Development. The District experienced two new hires, one transfer, one retirement and two resignations. The meeting then adjourned to closed session. The next Board of Education meeting is set for the evening of October 23.

A fatal accident occurred Friday morning around 10:15 in Crawford County on Hwy 19 about 2 miles south of Steelville. According to the highway patrol report a 2015 BMW F700GS Motorcycle driven by 78-year-old Donald Chilton of St. Louis was travelling south bound and travelled off the left side of the roadway. The motorcycle struck a sign and overturned. Chilton was pronounced deceased on the scene by Dr. McCarthy at 10:33 in the morning. He was transported by the Crawford County Coroner to the Crawford County Conor Office.  The report goes on to state that Chilton was not wearing safety equipment at the time of the accident.

An accident occurred Thursday afternoon at 2:25 in Crawford County on Highway H seven miles south of Leasburg. According to the Highway Patrol report an eastbound 2022 Nissan Altima, driven by 50-year-old Rolando Duron of Belle, Missouri, failed to negotiate a curve causing the Nissan to travel off the right side of the roadway striking a ditch. Two passengers in the vehicle, 25-year-old Megan Tomazi of Wildwood, Missouri and 38-year-old Krystle Cruz-Rocha of St. Louis, suffered minor injuries and were transported by North Crawford Ambulance to Missouri Baptist Hospital in Sullivan. The report stated that all three occupants were wearing safety restraints. The Nissan was totaled and removed from the scene by Chris and Sons Towing.

An accident occurred in Texas County Wednesday evening at 8:28 on Highway 63 two miles south of Houston. According to the Highway Patrol report an eastbound 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe, operated by a16-year-old male juvenile of Houston, Missouri, was turning north on Highway 63 from a private driveway and turned into the path of a southbound 2020 Ford Expedition driven by 24-year-old Meagan Hurst of Nevada, Missouri. The juvenile, Meagan Hurst, and a passenger in the Honda, 25-year-old Justin Hearst of Nevada, all suffered minor injuries. The juvenile was transported to Texas County Memorial Hospital by a private conveyance, while the Hursts were transported by Texas County Ambulance to TCMH. The report stated that all three occupants were wearing safety restraints. Both vehicles were totaled, and the Hyundai was removed from the scene by Jays Towing at the owner’s request, while the Ford was removed by Midway Towing at the owner’s request.

The Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) Annual Dinner will be held Thursday, October 24th at the Osage View in Linn, Missouri. Each year, the MRPC honors residents and organizations of the Meramec Region who volunteer their time, talents and who give support to their communities. This year there will be nine recipients. Some of the individuals being recognized by MRPC for 2024 contributions to their communities are: Bryce Mobray and Stan Podorski who were nominated by Dent County Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson; and Tracy Staples who was nominated by Crawford County Presiding Commissioner Steve Black. The public is invited to attend the event in Linn at the new Osage View. A tour of the facility will be offered at 4:45 with the reception following at 5:30 with the dinner, catered by Annie’s Station served buffet style at 6:30. The program and awards presentation will follow. The Eugene E. Northern award, the highest honor given by MRPC for volunteers and community service, will also be announced at the annual dinner for 2024. The Eugene E. Northern award recipient is not announced until it is presented at the dinner. Reservations are $40 per person and can be made by contacting Linda Carroll at 573-265-2993. The MRPC Annual Dinner is open to the public and the deadline for reservations is this Thursday, September 26th.

Recent potential threat reports to multiple school districts across the country on social media, plus verbal threats made by students reminds citizens of the importance of reporting these and other threats. Assaults or threats of assault should be reported to the authorities and Missouri has a valuable tool for anonymous reporting of these concerns. The Courage2ReportMo program, also referred to as C2R, provides a “sooner is safer” tool to report real time concerns 24 hours a day. There are several ways to report including through Apple or Google Play Courage2Report mobile apps, online to Missouri State Highway Patrol, by calling 866-748-7047, or texting C2R to 738477. C2R Missouri calls and tips are answered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by trained communications professionals. For more information about C2R Missouri call the C2R Missouri Administrative Office at 866-362-6422.

The Dent County Commission met Thursday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk was not in attendance due to a previous commitment. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said grading would be done on Dent County Roads 2490, 5090 and 5500; while brush would be cut on county roads 5170 and 6170. District 2 Road Supervisor Travis Turner filled in for Commissioner Polk and said rock would be added and grading done on Dent County Road 2330. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson reported there were seven requests made Monday night at the Tourism Tax Committee meeting. Four requests were approved, two were denied and one was tabled. Even though the requests were approved, they may not have been for the entire amount the organizations requested. Larson also wanted to remind those trying to get their reimbursement to only submit the paid invoices and checks for the amount that was approved by the Tourism Tax Committee, not what they originally requested if it wasn’t fully funded. Many organizations are submitting all of their checks and paid invoices instead of just those that had been approved which may cause them to lose some of their reimbursement if the committee cannot distinguish what they have submitted from the approved amount. Larson said he attended the Meramec Region Community Foundation Board meeting Tuesday in St. James, and they are still looking for a representative from Dent County. This is a volunteer position and would be perfect for someone who is a philanthropist. Contact Commissioner Larson if you would be interested by calling 573-729-3044. He also said the board talked about the Route 66 Centennial Celebration that will be held in 2026 and those interested can find out more information at celebratemo66.com. Larson went on to report that Wednesday he attended the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management Board meeting where they scored grant applications received for waste reduction or recycling this year. Grants will be awarded at a later date once the scores have been tabulated. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said “excused” absentee voting begins Tuesday at the courthouse, and the last day to register to vote is October 9th. Curley said she created a social media account on Facebook with the sample ballot and other information as well as office news. Curley also stated the testing of the voting equipment will be done at 9:00 on October 29th. The next meeting of the commission will be Monday morning at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.

Salem R-80 School District is introducing “Coffee Connections,” a new series of community engagement events. Superintendent Dr. Nate Wills announced the initiative as part of his ongoing efforts to enhance communication between the school district and community members. The first Coffee Connection is scheduled for September 25th from 8:00 to 9:00 AM at William Lynch Elementary. Dr. Wills will be present, with school board members occasionally joining. These events aim to share district updates and gather feedback from parents, community members, and friends of Salem R-80. Dr. Wills emphasizes the importance of open and transparent communication in fostering trust and connection among students, parents, teachers, and staff. He views these meetings as opportunities for collaborative problem-solving and developing innovative solutions for the district.Future Coffee Connections dates will be posted on the District’s Facebook page. For more information, contact the Salem R-80 School District office.

Dent County Prosecutor Andrew Curley released a report on the sentencing hearing of Michael Polette of Salem held August 28th in front of Judge Michael Randazzo in the 42nd Judicial Circuit Court. On February 6th, Polette pled guilty to seven counts of child pornography that included motion pictures and four other pictures. Polette had created the pictures through the use of an underage child. A sentencing assessment report was created and submitted by Probation and Parole. On August 28th, the sentencing hearing was conducted where Prosecutor Andrew Curley sought 18 years in the Department of Corrections. The counsel for Polette, Craig Devine, sought a lesser sentence and/or probation due to the defendant’s lack of criminal history and the time Polette spent in pre-trial detention as he remained incarcerated from the date of his arrest. At the sentencing hearing, the father of the child testified. At the conclusion of the hearing, Judge Randazzo sentenced Polette to serve 18 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections as recommended by the prosecutor. On Wednesday in front of Judge Michael Randazzo, Tyler Callahan of Salem pled guilty to the possession of a controlled substance, chronic driving under the influence and felony driving while having his license revoked. Randazzo sentenced Callahan to serve seven years in the Department of Corrections as recommended by Prosecutor Curley.

University of Missouri Extension offers an opportunity to learn about native warm-season grass seed production at a workshop at the MU Wurdack Extension and Education Center on October 25th. MU Extension agricultural business specialist Rachel Hopkins says forage producers can learn from field demonstrations on harvesting and seed cleaning at the one-day event. The workshop also will cover regulations, testing, harvesting methods and financial tracking. Hopkins says that over the past 50-60 years, agricultural operations have become focused on growing one or two commodities and are then exposed to market volatility. By having the option to sell native seed, farms can have better financial stability and flexibility. If for a couple years, seed income isn’t needed, the grass can be pastured instead. Growing native seed can also be a good option for landowners who need return off the land but are more wildlife focused. The workshop runs 9:00 in the morning until 3:30 in the afternoon at the MU Wurdack Extension and Education Center, 164 Bales Road, Cook Station. Register by October 21st at http://muext.us/NWSGS, or call 573-438-2671 for more information. Lunch is provided.

The Salem Middle School Football team will host a special “Cheer for a Cure” game on October 17th as part of a community-wide “pink out” event aimed at supporting breast cancer awareness. The school’s cheerleading squad will kick off fundraising efforts for the cause by selling 50/50 raffle tickets, with proceeds benefiting the Free Mammogram program at Salem Memorial Hospital (SMH). Raffle tickets will go on sale starting September 28th at the Middle School Girls’ basketball game concessions and will be sold throughout all home basketball games. Tickets will also be available at the home football game on September 24th, as well as during the first half of the 7th-grade football game on October 17th. Supporters can purchase tickets for $1 each or six for $5, with half of the proceeds going to the raffle winner and the other half supporting the mammogram program. Tickets will also be available for purchase from any Salem Middle School cheerleader or at the school office starting September 23rd. The raffle winner will be announced during halftime of the 8th-grade game on October 17th. For more information, community members are encouraged to reach out to the school. You can call the Salem Middle School at (573) 729-4261.