Archive for 2025
News – Tuesday, February 25th 2025
The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams presented the CART taxes received by the county in February. She said the county received $88,293.83 which is up $10,520.04 from last February, and year-to-date, CART taxes are up $17,477.88 which is an 11.2% increase. Grant Wilson from Representative Jason Smith’s office was in attendance and said congress would be voting on the budget resolution bill today that would continue the Trump tax cuts from his first term; plus eliminate taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security as well as promoting manufacturing. Dent County Collector Shannon VanKirk presented the bid from Clearbasin for software for $5,000 for the Senate Bill 190 application with the assessor the Homestead Tax Credit available to those who qualify. The software is subscription based with an annual cost for updates and changes. The commissions approved going with Clearbasin. Curt Faigle from the 100-Acre Wood Rally was in and said the Road Rally this year would be on March 14th and 15th with the Parc Expose being held from 8:30 to 11:00 around the courthouse the morning of March 15th. The first car should leave out around 10:30 and the county roads used have all be used before. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Keith Green said crews were removing a snowplow from a truck and working on a bad cylinder on another. He also said they were doing road maintenance as well as checking roads for any remaining slick spots. District 2 Commissioner Jimmy Williams said crews were removing the snowplow on County Truck #122 and removing the spreader box from another truck. He also said crews were using the Ultimate Paving Materials on select chip and seal roads. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson said the commissioners would be at their annual CCAM training February 26th through the 28th. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said excused absentee voting for the April Municipal Election will begin today, and not everyone will need to vote. Curley says elections will be held in April for the City of Salem, Dent County Fire Protection District, Rolla Rural Fire Department, Rolla Schools, Bunker R-3 School, and the Iron County R-4 School. If you vote in those taxing entities and want to vote, don’t forget to bring your photo ID with you. Curley says sample ballots are available in her office, or she can e-mail one to you. You can also keep up to date on election information on the Dent County Election/County Clerk Facebook page. Dave Cowell on Highway 119 would like to put in a family cemetery on his property. The first step is to let the commission know if it’s less than half of an acre as he has already built a road for public access. He will record it in the Recorder of Deeds of office. He also is doing a project called the Confederate Medal of Honor. The men who served in the units would pick someone for that medal and Dent County has one. His name was James Hulsey, and he survived the war. It’s a medal and certificate to be public displayed, they pay for it, no cost to the county. He feels it is one of our men from this county and is a part of history. The commission made no decision at this time. The commission updated the policy handbook for 2025. The handbook was from 2021 and with the two new commissioners, they both signed it. With no meeting Thursday, the next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Monday, March 3rd at 9:00 at the courthouse and it will be open to the public.
The Board of Directors of Salem Memorial District Hospital will conduct their regular monthly meeting this evening at 7:00. The meeting will take place in the Hospital Library and may be fully conducted and attended by telephone or other electronic means and the public may observe and attend any portion of the meeting not closed to the public pursuant to Chapter 610.021 RSMo. After the call to order, roll call, and approval of the agenda the board will hear public comments and presentations, speakers must sign-in and keep comments to 3 minutes. Then the board will hear the CEO report followed by the Hospital reports. They will discuss old and new business before going into executive session. Any person that would like to attend by telephone or electronic means should contact the SMH Administration office at 573-729-6626 ext. 4005, to obtain access information.
The City of Salem will be testing the storm sirens tomorrow at 10:00. If there is inclement weather the test will be on Wednesday, March 5th.
Sports – Monday, February 24th 2025
The Mountain Grove Panthers clinched a share of the SCA Conference Championship Saturday with Thayer as they beat the Salem Tigers, 63-49. Cale Gardner led Mountain Grove with 18 points as they had four players with double figures. Salem was led by Braiden Gapsch and Gavin Sapaugh with 14 points each followed by Lincoln Thomas with ten more. Salem falls to 11-14 and will be at St. Clair Tuesday night with the varsity game starting around 7:00.
The Mountain Grove Lady Panthers ended their regular season with a convincing 71-24 win over the Salem Tigers Saturday at the SHS Gym. Raylee Stenzel led Mountain Grove with 32 points as the Lady Panthers ended their season with a 21-4 record, but did not share the SCA Conference title as they had two SCA Conference losses. Salem lost for the 13th straight time and will host St. Clair tonight. The varsity game will begin around 7:00, following the JV game beginning at 5:30, and can be heard on KSMO Radio and video streamed on KSMO Media.
The Salem Boys JV Basketball Tigers fell to Mountain Grove Saturday, 50-37, and they finish their regular season at 5:30 Tuesday night at St. Clair. The Salem JV are 12-8 on the year.
The Salem Lady JV Basketball Tigers fell to Mountain Grove Saturday in a two-quarter contest, 22-8.
Robert Thomas scored two goals (his 100th and 101st in the NHL) and had an assist, but Winnipeg tied the game with :28 seconds left before winning the game in the shoot-out on a goal by Kyle Conner, 4-3. Last night, the Blues faced the Colorado Avalanche and after trailing early came back for a 3-1 win. The Blues will host the Seattle Kraken tomorrow night and you can listen to this game on delay following the Salem Tiger basketball game on KSMO Radio.
The Arkansas Razorbacks beat the 15th ranked Missouri Tigers Saturday in Fayetteville, 92-85 to keep their NCAA hopes alive. Missouri had five players with double figures led by Mark Mitchell with 17 points followed by Marquis Warrick with 16. The Tigers fall to 20-7 and 9-5 in the SEC Conference. They will play Tuesday night at 8:00 against South Carolina.
The Miami Marlins scored five runs in the 7th inning and two more in the 8th inning to beat the St. Louis Cardinals Saturday, 7-6. Then on Sunday, it was the Houston Astros with a breakout inning scoring seven runs in the top of the 6th, going on to defeat the Cardinals 11-6. The Cardinals play the New York Mets today.
The Kansas City Royals on Friday beat Texas, 5-2; then defeated the LA Dodgers Saturday, 11-10 on John Rave’s two-run triple in the top of the 9th inning. Yesterday, the Royals scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to defeat the White Sox, 4-3. The Royals will face the Sacramento Athletics today.
Obituaries – Monday, February 24th 2025
Funeral service for Agnes Irene Sanders of Steelville, age 96, will be held at 11:00 this morning at the Britton-Bennett Funeral Home in Steelville. Interment will be in Steelville Cemetery.
Funeral services for Sharon Kay Patton of Searcy, Arkansas, age 75 will be today at 12:00 at the Rolla Chapel of James & Gahr Mortuary. Visitation will start at 11:00. Interment will be in the Mt. Zion Cemetery.
Funeral services for Joseph “Joey” Andrew Wilson of Salem, age 46, will be held at 12:00 noon Thursday in the Wilson Mortuary Salem Chapel. Visitation will be held from 10:00 Thursday morning until service time in the chapel. Burial will be in the Pilgrims Rest Cemetery in Gladden. Envelopes are available and all arrangements are under the direction of the Wilson Mortuary of Salem, Missouri.
Funeral services for Kristina Lynn Bounds of House Springs, Missouri, age 49, will be held at 1:00 Friday afternoon at the Grace Community Church in Salem. Visitation will be held from Friday morning from 11:00 until service time at the church. Burial will be in the North Lawn Cemetery. All the arrangements are under the direction of the Wilson Mortuary of Salem
News – Monday, February 24th 2025
The Salem R-80 School Board meeting was called to order at 5:30 PM Thursday evening in the administration building. After approving the agenda and consent agenda, the board recognized student Maggie Hogan for winning the Missouri Forest Products Speech Contest, and received an update on the upcoming changes to the ACT college entrance exam. These changes include: 44 fewer test questions, shorter the remaining questions, more time allotted to complete each section, and an optional Science portion. During his report, Superintendent Dr. Wills provided several updates, including building survey results, the February 14th professional development day, plans to transition first grade to the Salem Upper Elementary, and ongoing progress on the Construction Trades building. He also discussed a proposal from the City of Salem Fireworks Committee to use the football practice field for their upcoming fireworks display. This issue was tabled until the next board meeting, pending additional information on insurance and legal liability from the Committee. In new business, the board approved several key items: the 2025-2026 school calendar, purchases of Hobart dishwashers, a transfer of $18,264.56 for the Construction trades project, budget revisions for updated salaries, and a contract with BalanceHQ. They also set Summer School dates for May 27 to June 13, 2025. The board acknowledged several staffing changes, including resignations from Calvin Malone (7th grade boys basketball), Jordan Haynes (custodian), and Rebecca Earls (UE paraprofessional), as well as the retirements of Angela Dingess and Sue Tucker. During the closed session, the board approved new coaching positions, appointing Alaina Santhuff as High School Assistant Volleyball coach and the team of Shelby Botkin and Ashton Mink as Middle School Volleyball coaches for the upcoming season. They also approved contracts for all recommended principals and directors for the 2025-2026 school year. The meeting adjourned at 7:09 PM.
The Dent County Sheriff’s Department has released some reports for the week of February 10th. On Tuesday, February 11th, Dent County deputies responded to the 5100 block of West Highway 32 for a reported burglary. It was reported that a person or persons had entered a local business and stole money from their location. Information on the suspects was developed and two subjects were arrested. That same day, deputies responded to Dent County Road 3260 for a reported wanted subject. A 43-year-old Salem woman was arrested and transported to the Dent County Jail where she was incarcerated. On Friday, February 14th, deputies conducted a traffic stop at the Salem City Park. A 26-year-old Salem man was arrested for driving while having his license revoked and was released pending formal charges. On Sunday, February 16th, deputies responded to the 10000 block of East Highway 32 for a well-being check. During the course of the investigation, an animal neglect case was developed and the investigation is ongoing. If anyone has any information regarding an ongoing investigation, please contact the Dent County Sheriff’s Department.
News – Friday, February 21st 2025
The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Thursday morning. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Keith Green and District 2 Commissioner Jimmy Williams stated that crews would be out grading, plowing and salting roads still covered with snow and ice. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson stated he had been in touch with an elevator company to discuss installing one at the courthouse and they needed more information from him. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley attended a Missouri Association of Counties Board meeting by Zoom and heard from Ray McCarty from Associated Industries of Missouri about a use tax, heard from Trent Watson who gave legislative updates, and heard from attorney Travis Elliott on the medical marijuana tax. Curley said she applied for and received an election grant from the Missouri Secretary of State’s office in the amount of $3,135.60. She said any political subdivision holding an election needs to get their estimated election costs submitted to the clerk’s office by the end of the month. Curley went on to say the first day to vote absentee with an excused absence is Tuesday, February 25th. Curley also reported that State Representative John Hewkin was in support of the new election bill that will protect election officials, poll workers and others. She also stated that Curt Faigle from the 100-Acre Wood Rally would be at the commissioner’s meeting on Monday. Commissioner Larson said the commission would not be meeting on February 27th due to their required training. Deputy Rick Letchworth came in with the recommendations made by the Opioid Fund Committee to the MRPC, who then reviewed the applications to make sure they met the required qualifications. Four applications were then presented by Letchworth to the commissioners for their review. The applications were from the Dent County Sheriff’s Department for 75,380.00; Dent County Health Center for $53,000.00; Council for Healthy Dent County for $55,108; and the Salem Memorial Hospital for $62,522. The total amount of funding came to $246,910.97. The commissioners approved the applications. The Commission signed a letter of support for the 100-Acre Wood Rally and also a letter of support for the Conexon Connects Bead Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program which will provide high speed internet, who is currently building within multiple counties in Missouri. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting will be open to the public.
The Salem Area Arts Council will be presenting “Art Across the Ages,” a Community Art Show starting March 3rd and lasting until March 31st at the Ozark Natural and Cultural Resource Center to celebrate the arts in our community. March is “Youth Art Month” and the Arts Council wants to recognize the amazing talent and creativity that exists in our schools and community! They are excited to invite individuals of all ages from around our area to submit recent artwork to the show for free! This is a family friendly art show and artwork may be left to the discretion of the committee to accept or reject pieces based on the number of submissions, the space available, tasteful content, etc. There is a wide variety of artists who give many perspectives, adding to the vision of an artist evolving from childhood to adult. Maturity adds to and sometimes detracts from vision and the ability to express ideas, which is why having art examples from both youth and adults is so much fun! To submit artwork for display (2-D or 3-D), please email salemartscenter@salemcommunitybetterment.com. You can then arrange a time to come and hang your work/set up your display. This year the Arts Council are adding a couple of new things. First, they hope to have live music at the reception; and second, they plan to give each artist an opportunity to sell their artwork if they want. No money will be handled at the show, but the artist is welcome to write their price on the name tag attached to the piece. The Arts Council will collect phone numbers with each entry, and if someone expresses an interest in purchasing a particular piece, they can share the phone number with that person with the artist’s permission. Come and enjoy this unique art exhibit highlighting the talent of area artists of all ages. The exhibit begins Monday, March 3rd at the ONCRC, with an open house and reception for all artists & families being held on Tuesday, March 4th, from 4:00 until 7:00. Live music and light snacks will be provided. The reception provides a great opportunity for families to meet the child’s art teacher and other artists, as well as take photos. Set-up will be in the ONCRC gallery room on Thursday and Friday, February 27th and 28th, from 9:00 in the morning until 4:00 in the afternoon; as well as on Saturday, March 1 from 10:00 in the morning until 12:00 noon. The exhibit will have visiting hours from 9:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon, Monday through Friday depending on the volunteers available.
Obituaries – Friday, February 21st 2025
A visitation will be held for Shirley Sue Stormes of Rolla, age 89, at the James and Gahr Mortuary Rolla Chapel Saturday morning from 10:00 until 12:00 noon.
Memorial services for Robert “Bob” Glen Baker of Salem, age 75, will be held at 1:00 Saturday afternoon in the Wilson Mortuary Salem Chapel. Visitation will be held from 11:00 Saturday morning service time in the chapel.
Funeral services for Michael Crowley of Rolla, age 72, will be held Sunday afternoon at 1:00 at the James and Gahr Mortuary Chapel in Rolla. Visitation will be Saturday afternoon from 4:00 until 6:00 at the chapel. Interment will be in the Rolla City Cemetery.
Funeral service for Agnes Irene Sanders of Steelville, age 96, will be held at 11:00 Monday morning at the Britton-Bennett Funeral Home in Steelville. Visitation will be from 5:00 to 8:00 Sunday evening at the funeral home. Interment will be in Steelville Cemetery.
Funeral services for Sharon Kay Patton of Searcy, Arkansas, age 75 will be Monday at 12:00 at the Rolla Chapel of James & Gahr Mortuary. Visitation will start at 11:00. Interment will be in the Mt. Zion Cemetery.
Funeral services for Joseph “Joey” Andrew Wilson of Salem, age 46, will be held at 12:00 noon Thursday in the Wilson Mortuary Salem Chapel. Visitation will be held from 10:00 Thursday morning until service time in the chapel. Burial will be in the Pilgrims Rest Cemetery in Gladden. Envelopes are available and all arrangements are under the direction of the Wilson Mortuary of Salem, Missouri.
Sports – Friday, February 21st 2025
The Salem Tiger and Lady Tiger basketball games against Mountain Grove that were originally scheduled during the school week have been rescheduled for tomorrow. The JV Lady Tigers will get the afternoon games started at 1:00. This game will be two quarters of play, then the JV boys will play a full game with the varsity girls and boys games will follow. Listen to the varsity games live on KSMO 1340 AM & 95.7 FM or watch them on KSMO Media’s streaming platforms.
The Blues are back and taking on the Winnipeg Jets in St. Louis tomorrow evening. This game will air on KSMO Radio, on a slight delay, following the Salem Tiger basketball games.
The Missouri Tigers will play the Arkansas Razorbacks at 7:00. This game will not be on KSMO radio due to the Blues Hockey game.
Sports – Thursday, February 20th 2025
The Salem Lady Basketball Tigers are scheduled to host the Mountain Grove Lady Panthers tonight at the SHS Gym starting with the JV game at 6:00 with the varsity game to follow. If played, the varsity game can be heard on KSMO Radio (AM 1340 and 95.7 FM) and video streamed on KSMO Media (ksmoradio.com, KSMO Stream Facebook and KSMO Twitch Page). The Salem varsity team enters the game with a 4-19 record.
The Salem Lady Tigers game with Couch Tuesday was postponed due to the weather and no makeup date has been announced.
The Missouri Basketball Tigers played the Alabama Crimson Tide last night and came out of the gate shooting. The Tigers racked up 12 points before the Crimson Tide could score their first basket. This set the tone for the night as Missouri, who never trailed, defeated fourth ranked Alabama, 110-98. Mark Mitchell was the leading scorer for the Tigers with 31 points. Missouri faces the Arkansas Razorbacks this Saturday evening. You can listen to this game live on KSMO Radio with pregame beginning at 6:30.
The St. Louis Blues announced the team has acquired forward Corey Andonovski from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for forward Mathias Laferriere. Andonovski will report to the Blues’ AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds.
The St. Louis Cardinals begin spring training play against the Miami Marlins starting 12:00 Saturday, then take on the Houston Astros Sunday at 11:55. Both games can be heard on KSMO Radio.
News – Thursday, February 20th 2025
Associated Electric Cooperative, the wholesale power generator for Intercounty Electric, is requesting members conserve energy due to extreme winter weather and maximum load on the electric grid. The City of Salem is also asking citizens to conserve energy as well. To help safeguard the grid, please help conserve energy Thursday morning from 6:00 to 10:00 by lowering your thermostat a degree or two and turning off any non-essential electric devices. By taking these small steps to save energy together, we all can make a big difference. Remember, if a new peak demand is reached, it causes everyone’s bill to be higher.
An accident happened in Maries County on Highway 63 north of the Highway 28 junction. According to the highway patrol report, a 2012 Chrysler driven southbound by a 59-year-old male of Rolla, was slowing as the driver’s view was obstructed by snow. As the Chrysler was slowing down, a 39-year-old male from Vichy driving a 2024 Volkswagen Atlas, failed to notice the reduction in speed and struck the Chrysler from behind. Suffering minor injuries in Chrysler was the driver and a 44-year-old female passenger from Columbia, Missouri. They were both taken by the Osage Ambulance to the Phelps Health Hospital with minor injuries. Everyone involved in the accident was wearing a seat restraint. Both vehicles sustained extensive damage. The Chrysler was removed from the scene by Plaza Towing while the Volkswagen was secured roadside.
The Salem R-80 Board of Education will be meeting today at 5:30 in the R-80 Board Room. After the Call to Order and the Pledge of Allegiance the Board will approve the agenda and the consent agenda. The Board will hear communications from the Parker Family, student recognition of Salem High School by Maggie Hogan and be updated on ACT by Robyn Taylor. In the Superintendent’s Report CSIP Goals will be addressed, surveys will be discussed, and the WL/UE 1st grade transition plan will be reviewed. Administration reports will be heard from William Lynch, Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School, Athletics and Activities, Special Education, Technology, and Maintenance. In new business the board will approve the 2025-2026 School Calendar, dishwasher purchases, moving $18,264.56 from YOP checking to general account, budget revisions updating salaries, FEMA change orders, BalanceHQ contract, and Summer School dates of May 27 to June 13. The Board will address resignations, hires and transfers before adjourning and moving into Executive Session to hear personnel issues. Due to the recent weather this meeting could be cancelled or postponed. Visit KSMOradio.com and click on “Current Closures” to stay up to date.
Compass Health Network is seeking participants in Dent County for a focus group in order to gain valuable insights into the criminal justice system. You can share personal insights or experiences from friends and family. Their goal is to develop community-based strategies to enhance our community’s response to behavioral health needs. This program is being funded by the Missouri Foundation for Health. Please contact Julie Riggs, the Community Coordinator for Compass Health, at 573-247-9921 to share your feedback, and to ask any questions you have.
Missouri’s Drought Assessment Committee will meet at 3:30 Wednesday afternoon, February 26th, to coordinate a comprehensive state and federal response to drought conditions affecting portions of the state. The meeting is open to the public and will be live streamed via Webex at stateofmo.webex.com. The Drought Assessment Committee is composed of representatives from state and federal partner agencies who provide information, recommendations and coordination to mitigate impacts of the drought. Executive Order 24-13 declared a drought alert October 29th, 2024, until March 31st, 2025, for Missouri counties that are in moderate, severe, extreme or exceptional drought. Nearly all of Missouri has experienced at least abnormally dry conditions over the past year. Missouri was previously under a Drought Alert from May 2023 to September 2024 as well as from July 2022 to March 2023. This will be the committee’s first meeting in 2025. Residents are encouraged to assist local, state and national decision makers better understand drought conditions in their area by submitting a survey form via the Condition Monitoring Observer Reports service. Updated drought information, including a link to the U.S. Drought Monitor map of Missouri, is available at dnr.mo.gov/drought.
Obituaries – Thursday, February 20th 2025
A Celebration of Life for Catherine Mary Young, age 75, will be held this afternoon at 2:00 in the James & Gahr Mortuary in Rolla. Visitation will be held at the James & Gahr Mortuary in Rolla at 1:00.
A visitation will be held for Shirley Sue Stormes of Rolla, age 89, at the James and Gahr Mortuary Rolla Chapel Saturday morning from 10:00 until 12:00 noon.
Memorial services for Robert “Bob” Glen Baker of Salem, age 75, will be held at 1:00 Saturday afternoon in the Wilson Mortuary Salem Chapel. Visitation will be held from 11:00 Saturday morning service time in the chapel.
Funeral services for Michael Crowley of Rolla, age 72, will be held Sunday at 1:00 at the James and Gahr Mortuary Rolla Chapel. Visitation will be from 4:00 Saturday afternoon until 6:00 at the chapel. Interment will be in the Rolla City Cemetery.
Funeral service for Agnes Irene Sanders of Steelville, age 96, will be held at 11:00 Monday morning at the Britton-Bennett Funeral Home in Steelville. Visitation will be from 5:00 to 8:00 Sunday evening at the funeral home. Interment will be in Steelville Cemetery.
Funeral services for Sharon Kay Patton of Searcy, Arkansas, age 75 will be Monday at 12:00 at the Rolla Chapel of James & Gahr Mortuary. Visitation will start at 11:00. Interment will be in the Mt. Zion Cemetery.