Archive for 2024

The Dent County Commission met Monday morning at the courthouse. At the meeting in the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said his crew are hoping to finish the work being done on the new salt spreader box hangers. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk reported rock would be added and grading done on Dent County Road 3180 while only grading would be done on county roads 3120 and 3135. He also indicated brush would be cut on county road 3310. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson had nothing to report and County Clerk Angie Curley said the first day to vote absentee would be February 20th for the Municipal Election in April at the courthouse. The next meeting of the Dent County commission will be Thursday at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The Salem Public Library reminds City of Salem residents and Dent County communities to participate in their 2024 Community Survey. The information they collect will be used to identify top priorities for the Library and used to develop strategic, long term plans for the future. The survey should take no longer than 5-7 minutes, and all responses will be kept anonymous. You can access the survey from a link that is pinned at the top of Salem Public Library’s Facebook page. Individuals who wish to complete a paper copy of the survey will be able to do so at the Library during normal business hours. The Library is located at 403 N. Jackson Street in Salem. The survey will close after this Friday, February 9th. For questions about the survey or the Salem Public Library, its services or current programming, please contact Kate McBride, Library Director at salemmopubliclibrary@gmail.com or by phone at (573) 729-4331.

The Dent County Sheriff’s Department has released some reports for the week of January 29th. On Monday, January 29th, a deputy took a report for a 9mm Ruger handgun that was stolen from the 300 block of Dent County Road 3360. The victim, a 37-year-old Salem man, provided suspect information and the investigation is ongoing. On Tuesday, January 30th, a deputy took a report for property damage to multiple vehicles located in the 3000 block of Route P. The victim, a 27-year-old St. James man, provided suspect information and that investigation is ongoing. on Wednesday, January 31st, deputies responded to a call to Dent County Road 4170 for a report of a suspicious subject. Upon locating the person, it was determined the 35-year-old Salem man had an active warrant through Missouri Parole & Probation. The man was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Dent County Jail where he was incarcerated. On Thursday, February 1st, a deputy conducted a traffic stop in the 200 block of South Main St. During the course of the stop, it was determined the operator of the vehicle had an active arrest warrant through Stoddard County. The suspect, a 49-year-old Salem man, was taken into custody and transported to the Dent County Jail to await transfer to Stoddard County. Please contact the Dent County Sheriff’s Department at (573) 729-3141 if you have any information regarding any ongoing investigation.

The Missouri Department of Transportation reports that Highway 72 in Reynolds County will be reduced to one lane for pavement repairs from Route TT to Route A near Bunker, starting this morning and lasting until Friday from 8:00 in the morning until 2:00 in the afternoon daily. The work zone will be marked with signs.  Motorists are urged to use extreme caution while traveling near the area. For additional information, contact MoDOT’s Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/southeast.

The Creative Arts Center will host a “Hearts and Love Knots Wheat Weaving” class tomorrow from 5:30 until 8:00 with Suzanne Douglass. In this class you will learn how to create both a traditional woven wheat love knot and a heart called a Modiford. Love knots and Mordifords have been made and given for hundreds of years as a token of love and affection. The class is open to students 15 years of age and older. At least one student is needed for the class with a maximum of six. The cost is $25 and that includes all the supplies. Class registrations are on a first come, first serve basis with online registrations. Interested persons can sign up at the salemcommunitybetterment.com website under “Programs” for activities at the Creative Arts Center.

In an arrest warrant served last Thursday, February 1st, 23-year-old Jacob Stotler of Salem, was charged with three felony counts of the possession of child pornography. The probable cause statement indicates the investigation by the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force began in 2021 from a cyber tip received about an online file storage account set up Stotler. He was interviewed that year and admitted it was his account and that he knew its content. The probable cause statement says there were initially five videos discovered before the accounts was deleted, with additional videos later identified from files that were submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. His bond was set at $50,000. The charges against Stotler are only accusations and are not evidence of guilt. Evidence in support of the charges must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty it will be to determine his guilt or innocence.

A man from Boss was arrested Monday, January 29th in St. James on Highway 68/8 on two felony charges: one for second degree drug trafficking and the other for the possession of a controlled substance. According to the probable cause statement, James E. Dixon of Boss, was riding in the backseat of a vehicle that was pulled over for a traffic stop after leaving the MPC parking lot in St. James. The driver gave consent for officers to search the vehicle where they found a large bag of a white crystalline substance next to where Dixon was seated. They also found a bag of capsules that had been kicked under the vehicle by Dixon according to other passengers in the vehicle. Further, officers found a syringe on Dixon with clear white liquid. Later, officers identified the white substance as 30 grams of meth and the capsules contained fentanyl. Dixon’s bond was set at $250,000 cash or surety. The charges against Dixon are only accusations and are not evidence of guilt. Evidence in support of the charges must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty it will be to determine his guilt or innocence.

The Dent County Sheriffs office has released some reports. On Tuesday, January 23rd, a deputy took a report for a stolen ATM card. The victim, a 22-year-old Rolla woman, wasadvised an unknown suspect had made unauthorized withdrawals from her bank account using her debit card. The investigation is ongoing. Later that same day, deputies responded to the 400 block of Dent County Road 3270 for a wanted subject. The suspect, a 50-year-old Salem man, was taken into custody without incident. He was transported to the Dent County Jail where he was incarcerated on the arrest warrant. Also on Tuesday January 23rd, a deputy took a report for the unauthorized use of a credit card. The victim, a 48-year-old Salem man, advised the deputies that a former employee had made unauthorized fuel purchases using a company credit card after his employment had been terminated. The investigation is ongoing. The next day Wednesday, January 24th, a deputy took a report of a stolen firearm. The victim, a 34-year-old Salem man, reported a .40 caliber Taurus pistol had been stolen from his vehicle by an unknown subject. The firearm was entered into a national database as stolen property. Then on Friday, January 26th, a deputy conducted a traffic stop in the 1400 block of W. Scenic Rivers Blvd. During the course of the stop, it was determined the vehicle operator had an active Shannon County arrest warrant. The suspect, a 57-year-old Salem man, was taken into custody and transported to Dent County Jail where he awaits transfer to Shannon County. If you have information regarding an investigation please contact the Dent County Sheriffs office at 729-3241.

The Missouri Department of Transportation plans to improve some bridges in Texas County. Three bridges on Highway 137 will be replaced. The bridges to be replaced include the Highway 137 bridge over Pine Creek, located north of Texas County Road 3780; the bridge over Big Creek between Boster Road and Big Creek Road; and the bridge over the South Prong Jacks Fork between Route U and Route AZ. Construction to replace the bridges could begin as early as spring 2025. The roadway will be closed in the vicinity of each bridge for approximately three months during this time. Maps, plans, and other information prepared by the Missouri Department of Transportation, or interested agency, will be available for public inspection and copying at the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Regional Office located at 3956 East Main St. in Willow Springs. Any person affected by these projects may request that a public meeting be held in regard to the proposed improvements. For more information. please contact MoDOT Project Manager Pete Berry at (417) 469-6242 or MoDOT Area Engineer Elquin Auala at (417) 469-6286. Comments and questions may also be submitted online at https://www.modot.org and in the search bar look for Texas County bridges. Please submit any comments by February 11th.