Archive for 2024

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning in the Dent County Courthouse. In the road report, District One Commissioner Wes Mobray said that grading would be done and rock would be added to Dent County Roads 2430 and 2440, while grading only would be done on county road 5650. Mobray also stated that brush would be cut on county road 6580. District Two Commissioner Gary Polk reported grading would be done and rock would be added to Dent County Roads 2110 and 4290, plus brush would be cut on county road 4055. He said only grading would be done to county road 2115. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson reported that he and Dent County Clerk Angie Curley attended the South Central Missouri Commissioner’s meeting at Houston last Friday where they were updated on Senate Bill 190, plus they heard comments from various representatives of several federal and state legislators. The group heard a MoDOT update and the report from Kevin Crider on the Feral Hog Program. The commissioners decided they would be going to Jefferson City Wednesday to visit with legislators. Larson noted that he would attend the Tourism Tax Committee meeting Monday night. County Clerk Angie Curley said payroll was being paid and the Commissioners were approving bills for payment. She said that absentee voting continues in her office and no-excuse absentee voting would begin March 19th and continue through April 1st. Curley also noted her office will be open for absentee voting Saturday, March 30th, from 8:00 until noon. Dent County Collector Shannon VanKirk was in to report that her monthly surtax and interest totaled $563,558.17 and has been distributed to the various entities. She also reported that the Collectors Annual Settlement, Form 205, which totaled $9,429,286.03, has been completed, certified by County Clerk Curley, and sent to the state. VanKirk said that the Form 205 was available for review in her office, plus she noted that anyone needing a copy of their personal property and real estate taxes can obtain them online from the Dent County portal. Bids were opened at 10:00 Monday mroning for the contruction of the new Road Salt Shed at the County Maintenance Department. Thomas Excavating bid $71,900.00, Alexander Construction bid $88,690.80, and Cahill Construction bid $145,905.00, which was their base bid. The commissioners noted that they would be comparing bids before making a decision on the salt shed. At 10:30, bids were opened for culverts. Roberts-Judson Lumber Company bid $37,150.00, Welborn Sales, Inc. bid $30,704.00, and the bid from Viebrock Sales and Service, LLC was for $35,720.00. The Commissioners accepted the Welborn bid by a vote of 3-0. The last bids were opened at 11:00 were for grader blades. The Fabick bid was for $14,472.90, Viebrock Sales bid $15,934.50, Woolf Equipment bid $11,963.00, McCoy Construction and Forestry bid $13,860.00 and Pull Scrapper Parts Warehouse, LLC bid $14,328.00. The commission voted 3-0 to accept the Woolf Equipment bid. The commissioners voted 3-0 to advertise for bids to purchase a used 3/4 ton pickup truck 4 door with four wheel drive and mileage between 100,000 and 150,000 for the Road & Bridge Department. Bids are due by Monday, March 25th at 10:00 and will be opened at that time. Jason Jones came in to visit with the Commissioners. At last Thursday’s Commissioners meeting Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams reported on the sales tax receipts for this month. General Revenue and Law Enforcement each received $90,392.17, which is down year-to-date 5.4%, the Road and Bridge Fund received $38,648.23 and is down 7.6%, and each Jail Fund received $77,588.54 and they are down 7.1%. The next meeting of the Commissioners will be Thursday morning at 9:00 in the Courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen will be meeting tonight at 6:00 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory. After the consent agenda, the board will hear public comments, hear Mayor Greg Parker make an appointment, hear the new Assistant City Clerk take the oath of office, and hear two requests for road closures. The board will hear and discuss Resolution #8-2024 regarding the donation of property to the Salem Housing Authority to benefit the community, discuss Resolution #9-2024 that would renew the lease with Wave Technology for the use of wireless broadband on the water tower; and discuss Resolution #10-2024 that would authorize he mayor to execute a change order between the city and BCS Electric for work at the Al Brown Fields on the lighting system. The board will hear bids for replacement bulbs for streetlights and then address the table bid for the chain-link fence from last meeting. Also the board will hear the first reading of Bill #3601 regarding the selling of a piece of real estate donated to the City of Salem, and they will hear Bill #3602 regarding a memorandum of understanding to execute a lease with Healthy Dent County for the lease of the Salem Community Center@The Armory. After reports from city officials, the board will go into closed session to discuss personnel and contracts.

The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors will be meeting at 6:00 on Tuesday, March 12th at the fire station located at #2 South Main Street. After the roll call, the board will go into closed session to discuss personnel, policies and procedures before they approve the consent agenda which includes the financial reports, minutes and the budget review. The board will review the scheduled events on the calendar, discuss the monthly reimbursement report and talk about old business including SCBA bottle purchase, lawn care service, the tower lease program, repair of water damaged rooms, audit request for the department, new truck purchase, and other information. In new business the board will discuss policy and procedures, interview new firefighter candidates, and discuss personnel in closed session. After Chief Floyd give his reports, the board will set the date for the next meeting. The meeting will then be adjourned. the meeting of the Dent County Fire Protection District Board is open to the public.

Between February 17th to March 1st there were a total of 180 calls for service to the Salem Police Department. Officers conducted 20 traffic stops for various traffic violations with three resulting in a summons or arrest. Officers also conducted seven traffic accident investigations. On Monday evening February 19th at 6:00 officers on patrol noticed a male subject who had active warrants walk into Wal Mart. Officers searched for the man and were able to locate 32 year Terry Storm of Salem who was incarcerated on three capias warrants for a parole violation, possession of a controlled substance, and property damage. Early Thursday morning February 22nd at about 5:00 officers conducted a traffic stop near Franklin Street and Highway 72 on a vehicle having malfunctioning lights. During the stop, it was found that the driver of the vehicle had an active warrant out of Dent County. Robert Lewis, age 35 of Salem was arrested and incarcerated at the Dent County Jail on a capias warrant for possession of a controlled substance. During the evening of Monday February 26th at approximately 6:00 officers concluded a short-term investigation into the location of a female with capias warrants out of Texas County. As a result, Amy Jackson, age 40 of Salem was arrested and incarcerated at the Dent County Jail on two capias warrants for burglary and stealing. Finally, on the afternoon of Wednesday February 28th close to 2:00 officers located a male subject who had an active warrant for his arrest. 26 year old Jacob Bussey of Salem was arrested on his warrant for possession of a controlled substance. Bussey was later released on his an own recognizance. Please contact the Salem Police Department at (573) 729-4242 if you have any information regarding an investigation.

The Salem Public Library and Dent County Astronomers will host an “Eclipse Exploration” on Tuesday evening at 6:00 PM. This is a chance to learn about the upcoming total solar eclipse next month. The program is free and will be in the library’s north basement meeting room. A limited number of eclipse glasses will be available for those who attend. No library card is required to attend.” 

The Missouri Invasive Plant Council in partnership with Forest ReLeaf of Missouri, Forrest Keeling Nursery, and the Missouri Department of Conservation, will host a Callery pear, also known as Bradford pears, “buyback” program in locations around the state on April 23rd. On this date, citizens who complete event registration will receive a free native tree when they show a photo of a cut down Callery pear tree from their property. Registration for the Callery Pear Buyback event is open from March 15 through April 15. On the registration form, participants will choose their event location, select a native tree, and upload a photo of the cut-down Bradford pear tree. One free, non-invasive, native tree will be given to registered participants at the selected location on the day of the event from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. Participants will receive potted native trees, donated by Forest ReLeaf and Forrest Keeling Nursery, in 3-gallon containers that stand between 2- and 4-feet tall. To register or for more information about this event, including a full list of native tree species offered and how to identify Callery pear trees contact Missouri Invasive Plant Counci Coordinator Emily Render, (573) 569-8659, at info@moinvasives.org.

A Water media En Plein Air (pronounced “on’ plen air”) class with Lexie Mutch will be held March 18th from 9:00 in the morning until 12:00 noon starting at the Creative Arts Center at 204 South Main before caravaning over to the Shawnee Mac Lakes Conservation Area around 10:00 to the fishing dock. Once there, the group will settle into the nature-scrape, choose subjects for study and hone our drawing and painting skills through direct observation. Join us for an art adventure! Participants will learn an accessible method of painting outdoors with minimal supplies. We will discuss various methods of rendering subjects materially and technically. The class is for those 18 years of age and older. The cost of $30 covers all the supplies. Register online at the SACBA website. Under programs, find the Creative Arts Center, and registrations are on a first-come, first served basis.