Archive for 2025

The Dent County Chapter of “Sleep in Heavenly Peace” will be holding their next meeting this evening from 5:30 to 6:30 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory’s Rotary Room. All volunteers are welcome and there are many ways to get involved. If you are not familiar with what they do, they are an international non-profit 501(C)(3) organization that builds, assembles and delivers new beds to children in need who do not have a bed. Anyone can apply for a child on the SHPbeds.org website. TO help, monetary donations can be made to “Sleep in Heavenly Peace – MISSOURI-DENT Co.” Donations of bedding and tools are also accepted. All donations are tax deductible. For more information about “Sleep in Heavenly Peace,” contact Patti at 703-964-6495. You can also e-mail Patti at patti.mckeown@shpbeds.org.

A new study found Missouri is the No. 11 cheapest state to start a business, an important revelation for small business owners deciding where to set up shop amid growing economic uncertainty. The 10 cheapest states are in the West or Midwest as many levy no corporate taxes and have fewer regulations. The two most expensive states are California and New York due to higher taxes, wages, rents and regulations. Simplify LLC released a study on the Most and Least Expensive States to Start a Business in 2025 using the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve of St. Louis, Tax Foundation, and the Energy Information Administration. The rankings were determined by analyzing nine key factors in all 50 states and D.C. including taxes, labor costs, commercial rent and utilities, regulations, lending, and more. Key Findings making Missouri the No. 11 Cheapest State. Missouri offers a 4% corporate tax (#10 tied) and keeps commercial rent at $15.25 per square foot (#14), all the while navigating 94,260 regulations (#16). Electricity costs average $617.71 (#19), wages average $61,708 (#20) and labor force participation is 63.9% (#22). The state’s score is brought down slightly by more expensive LLC filing fees ($105, #29) and a lower SBA loan total of $7.98 million per 100,000 (#30). The study found that the 10 Cheapest States were Utah, South Dakota, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Nebraska, Kansas, Nevada, and North Dakota.

The Dent County Commission met Thursday morning at the courthouse. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Keith Green said crews would be out checking roads for washouts and other damages and do patching where needed in anticipation of more heavy rain Friday and Saturday. District 2 Commissioner Jimmy Williams said his crew would be out checking roads and repairing those that were damaged the most and putting orange cones out on roads that have some damage that are still passable that crews can’t get to knowing that more heavy rain is anticipated that could do further damage to those roads. He also said a crew had to remove a downed tree. Commissioner Gary Larson said he did not have to attend the Solid Waste Advisory Board meeting Wednesday in Jefferson City. He had nothing else to report. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said the unexcused and excused absentee voting for the Municipal Election continues at the courthouse. Her office will be open this Saturday morning from 8:00 until 12:00 noon to vote absentee or update your voter registration, and the last day to vote absentee will be Monday, April 7th from 8:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon. She also said the polling locations at Green Forest R-2 and Dent-Phelps R-3 will not be open due to no elections for those school boards or issues. The polls will be open Tuesday, April 8th from 6:00 in the morning until 7:00 that evening, and bring your ID when go to vote. Curley said her office balanced with the treasurer on all accounts for the month of March, and her office also balanced with the assessor and collector on all collections, abatements and add-ons for March. Dent County Collector Shannon VanKirk said she has passed out 47 applications for the “Senior Real Estate Property Tax Relief Program” so far with no online applications, and 11 of those applications have been returned and submitted for approval. Applications are available at her office along with a “Frequently Asked Question” sheet. She said people who want to apply will need to have an ID which could be a driver’s license, your voter registration or passport; a copy of your deed from the recorder’s office of which there is no charge if needed for this application, or you can have the recorder list the book and page number your deed is recorded in on the application; and you will need a copy of your paid tax receipt which the collector can also provide. All applications will NOT have to be signed by a notary, but they will need to be signed in front of and witnessed by a county official.  These applications will need to be submitted by June 30th to qualify for the property tax relief this year. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse, the meeting is open to the public.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is now accepting entries for its annual photo contest. Winning entries will be featured on the department’s website and social media platforms. The deadline to submit photos is September 1st. Entries can include images from anywhere in Missouri, featuring beautiful natural resources, unique state parks and historic sites, outdoor recreation, weather, wildlife and people enjoying the outdoors. Contestants can submit entries in the following categories: Natural Resources: Photographs of Missouri’s air, landscapes and waterways. Unique Places: Photographs taken within one of Missouri’s state parks and historic sites. People Enjoying Missouri’s Outdoors: Photographs of people enjoying and exploring Missouri’s great outdoors. Judges will choose first, second, third and honorable mention winners for each category. For more information or to submit photos, visit dnr.mo.gov/photo-contest. Please send questions about the photo contest to socialmedia@dnr.mo.gov.

The Dent County Sheriff’s Department has released some reports from March 22nd through the 27th. On March 22nd, deputies conducted a traffic stop in the 4500 block of South Highway 19. During the course of the stop, a 29-year-old Salem woman was arrested on an outstanding warrant. She was transported to the Dent County Jail where she posted bond. The next day, deputies conducted a traffic stop on Dent County Road 5085. During the course of the stop, a 38-year-old Salem man and a 46-year-old Steelville man were both arrested on multiple charges, including narcotics offenses. Both men were taken to the Dent County Jail where they were placed on a 24-hour hold. On Monday, March 24th, deputies responded to the 5200 block of Route O for a reported stealing complaint. The victim told deputies that money had been removed from the location without permission. That investigation is ongoing. That same day, deputies responded to the 700 block of Dent County Road 3210 to assist a Missouri Department of Revenue Investigator with the recovery of a stolen vehicle. Also on Monday, the 24th, deputies conducted a traffic stop on Dent County Road 6150. During the course of the stop, a 23-year-old Salem man and a 26-year-old Salem woman were arrested. They were both transported to the Dent County Jail. That investigation is ongoing. On Thursday, March 27th, deputies took a report of a Violation of Order of Protection. The victim, a 48-year-old Salem woman, advised deputies that she was being harassed by her estranged husband, a 48-year-old Rolla man. That investigation continues. If anyone has any information regarding an ongoing investigation, please contact the Dent County Sheriff’s Department at 573-729-3241.

An accident happened in Crawford County Tuesday morning at 10:25 on Route BB just north of Vance Lane. According to the highway patrol report, a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu driven southbound by an 18-year-old man from Steelville, traveled off the right side of the roadway, then overcorrected and went off the left side of the roadway where the Malibu struck a ditch. The man suffered serious injuries and was transported by the Steelville Ambulance to the Missouri Baptist Hospital in Sullivan. The man was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Chevy was totaled and removed from the scene by Miles and Sons Towing.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) invites people to celebrate the value of Missouri trees and forests during Arbor Days in April by planting native trees and practicing proper tree care. Missouri Arbor Day for 2025 is Friday, April 4th. Missouri has been observing the state’s official Arbor Day on the first Friday in April since 1886 when the General Assembly declared that day be set aside for the appreciation and planting of trees. National Arbor Day is recognized on the last Friday of April, which is April 25. Get information on backyard tree care, including types of trees for urban and other landscapes, selecting the right tree for the right place, planting tips, watering and pruning info, at mdc.mo.gov/trees-plants/tree-care. The MDC George O. White State Forest Nursery near Licking offers a variety of low-cost native tree and shrub seedlings for reforestation, windbreaks, erosion control, and wildlife food and cover. Orders are accepted to April 15th. For more information, visit mdc.mo.gov/seedlings. Missouri forests cover about one-third of the state and provide outdoor recreation, wildlife habitat, natural beauty, and watersheds for stream and rivers. Spending time in Missouri forests can provide a natural health benefit, too. Exposure to nature contributes to physical well-being, reducing blood pressure and heart rate, relieving stress, and boosting energy levels. Get more information at mdc.mo.gov/trees-plants/forest-care.