Archive for 2025

The Dent County Commissioners met Thursday morning at the courthouse. In the road report, both District 1 Commissioner Keith Green and District 2 Commissioner Jimmy Williams said crews were out checking roads for slick spots and possible downed limbs. Commissioner Gary Larson said he attended the Transportation Advisory Committee meeting at the Community Center at the Nelson Hart Park Thursday before returning to the MRPC building for the External Relations Committee meeting and the regular MRPC meeting. He also said he has been in touch with the elevator companies to do an evaluation of what it would cost to put an elevator on the old courthouse as well as the cost to put it in a new building. He said he wants to get back with Judge Seay on the progress of this issue to make sure the county is moving in the right direction. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said excused absentee voting for the April Municipal Election will begin on February 25th, and she will be attending a Missouri Association of Counties meeting on February 19th. She also said the courthouse would be closed Monday for Presidents’ Day. At 10:00, the commissioners, Clerk Angie Curley, Collector Shannon VanKirk and Assessor Jamie Homeyer heard a presentation from Michael Witt with Clearbasin software for the Senate Bill 190 application process and determining the Homestead Tax Credit available to those who qualify. He said the initial challenges will be the amount of applications the first year, then whether the person is qualified or not qualified, and the consistency in determining those qualifications. Also important will be the security of the information received by each applicant and the coordination of each office holder’s role. Witt said their plan is to create a taxpayer portal where people could fill out online or download the application. If done online, the program will review the information for verification to see if the taxpayer is qualified, then calculate the Homestead Tax Credit that would be sent to the collector to be put on the tax bill. If hand delivered on paper, the application would have to be reviewed to determine eligibility and the tax credit. Witt said each office holder will have their own portal for their portion of the calculation of the tax credit which will be customized for Dent County. Witt said their software is subscription based with an annual cost for updates and changes. Witt did not quote a price for the software at the meeting but would e-mail his quote to the assessor for her review in a day or two. At the last meeting, Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams reported on the sales tax received this month. The General Revenue Fund and Law Enforcement Sales Tax Fund each received $91,159.71 in February and the county is up .39% over last year. The Road and Bridge Fund received $41,830.90 in February and that is up .79% over last year. The Dent County Jail Operating and Trust funds each received $84,083.13 this February and that is up .59% from last year. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Thursday, February 20th at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting will be open to the public.

An accident happened in Dent County Wednesday morning at 9:24 on Highway 72 about a mile south of Highway 32. According to the highway patrol report, a 2007 International Tractor-Trailer driven westbound by a 67-year-old man from St. James, traveled off the right side of the roadway and struck a tree. The man was taken by a private conveyance to Phelps Health after suffering minor injuries. He was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The International Tractor-Trailer was secured roadside.

The Healthy Dent County Fitness Center is bringing back its popular adult co-ed volleyball league for a third year. The league features two divisions: a silver (recreational) division and a gold (competitive) division. Teams must maintain a gender balance on the court, with no more men than women playing at a time, and no two men playing side by side. League games will take place on Tuesday evenings throughout March and April at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory Gymnasium, with a championship tournament set for Saturday, April 26. There will be no games during the last week of March. Each team can have a maximum of eight players, and no additional players can be added after the roster is submitted. The deadline to register is February 27, and registration forms are available at the Healthy Dent County Fitness Center. For more information, contact Susie Cahill at 573-739-1127 or susie@salemcommunitycenter.org.

The City of Salem Utility Committee was unable to meet last night for their regularly scheduled meeting, citing poor weather conditions.

The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors held their meeting Tuesday evening, February 11th, the consent agenda and minutes from the previous meeting were reviewed and approved. The financial report was reviewed with an ending balance of $401,763.43. All bills, payments, and statements were reviewed and approved. The monthly reimbursement report was presented with a total of 21 calls for the month and a total of 40 for the year. Of the 21 calls for the month, 15 were fire related with seven of those being building fires and two mobile home fires; three calls were classified as Hazmat related, one call was a motor vehicle accident with injuries, and two calls were classified as other. In old business, board member Leigh Ann Price stated that several events had been planned to make sure that all the facts were given so that voters could make a valid decision on the Fire District bond at the next election. The board then heard from Bret Bailey to annex his property into the Dent County Fire Protection District. Bailey lives approximately eight miles east of Salem and would like to become a part of the district. After answering questions and some discussion, the board gave Mr. Bailey the state statutes and paperwork for review. The board discussed the lease of the ice maker currently with B&B distributors out of St Louis. After the discussion, board approved to not renew the contract with B&B. The board also discussed the current Cintas Service they receive and elected not to discontinue that service. In  the Chief’s report, Chief Dennis Floyd reported Ladder Truck 8012 was back in service after being repaired in St. Louis at a cost of $12,679.00. He also stated four people attend the Winter fire training school at the Columbia MU Fire and Rescue Training Institute. Floyd went on to report that he and Jeff Stokes would be meeting with the IDA Board on Wednesday, February 19th in the library basement. Floyd also reported that on Saturday, April 12th the department will hold training on propane tank fires. It is a state sponsored class and other departments will be invited to participate. Before adjourning, the next meeting was set for Tuesday, March 11th at 6:00 in the evening.

An accident happened in Maries County at the Highway 63 and 28 Junction at 9:52 Wednesday morning. According to the highway patrol report, a 2001 Buick LeSabre driven southbound by a 23-year-old woman from Licking, lost control on the snow-covered road and crossed over the center line where the Buick was struck by a 2023 Peterbilt driven northbound by a 69-year-old man from Rosebud, Missouri. The woman suffered serious injuries and was transported by an EMS to Phelps Health. The Buick was totaled and removed from the scene by Plaza Towing, while the Peterbilt sustained extensive damage and was taken from the scene by Patriot Towing. The woman from Licking was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The highway patrol was assisted at the scene by the Maries County Sheriff’s Department and Vienna Fire Department.

An accident happened in Texas County at 3:40 Wednesday morning on Highway 32 about four miles east of Licking. According to the highway patrol report, a GMC Sierra driven eastbound by a 36-year-old man from Licking, traveled off the roadway and struck a tree. The man suffered moderate injuries and was transported to the Texas County Memorial Hospital by the Texas County Ambulance. The GMC was totaled and removed from the scene Jay’s Towing at the request of the officer. The man was wearing his seat restraint at the time of the accident. 

The Dent County Chapter of “Sleep in Heavenly Peace” has received a $4,000 grant from Intercounty Electric’s Charitable and Education Foundation. Chapter President Patti McKeown said the chapter applied for the Intercounty Round-Up grant and then interviewed with Intercounty on Thursday, February 6th, before receiving the news they had been awarded the grant Tuesday, February 11th. Congratulations to Patti and the Dent County Chapter of “Sleep in Heavenly Peace.” 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. 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.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen were unable to meet last night for their regular monthly meeting, citing poor weather conditions.

The Salem Police Department has recently released their report for the month of January. The department responded to 11 accidents during the month. Officers responded to four alarms sounding and addressed 37 animal calls, investigated three assaults or fights, two burglaries, performed nine well-being checks and five area checks in January. Police investigated five domestic disputes, four verbal disturbances and one physical disturbance, conducted 17 follow-up investigations and provided 27 escorts. They investigated four harassment reports, a fraud report, two parking complaint calls, an intoxicated pedestrian and one intoxicated driver report, and six property damage reports. The Salem Police wrote six stealing reports, responded to seven traffic complaints and assisted nine motorists. Officers responded to three reports of suicidal persons, eight suspicious circumstance calls, eight suspicious person calls, and two suspicious vehicle calls. The Salem Police in January investigated an overdose call, a sex offense call, and checked out two abandoned vehicles. Officers attempted to serve five warrants and conducted 75 traffic stops during the month. The police responded to a total of 417 incidents in January with the average response time to calls being two minutes and 48 seconds. The average time spent on the scene was 29 minutes and two seconds. If you have any information regarding an ongoing investigation, contact the Salem Police Department by calling their non-emergency phone number at (573) 729-6550 or speak with them in person at 500 N. Jackson Street in Salem. 

Raccoon season is here! Our ancestors utilized animal fur for making clothing, blankets, hats, and more. The Missouri Department of Conservation will be holding a clinic on historic and primitive skills on raccoon hides at the MDC Salem Maintenance Center on Highway 32 West from 9:00 in the morning until 2:30 in the afternoon on Saturday, February 22nd. Your instructor will be Dwight Warnke. For this clinic, you are encouraged to bring two raccoon hides to class to scrape and salt. They will have demonstration hides in various stages for you to learn from as well. By the end of the clinic, you’ll have enough knowledge and fur to finish tanning your hides and to make a hat or other small item. In this hands-on clinic, you will bring along one or two raccoon skins (preferably partially frozen) to scrape and salt. At the clinic, they will review how to skin a raccoon, then you will flesh your raccoon hide(s) and salt them to take home and process further. They will provide fleshing beams and knives to use during the class, but feel free to bring along your own. After your raccoons are scraped and salted, you will see and assist with the remaining steps of hide preparation and learn how to lay out a simple hat pattern to make from your hides once you finish processing them over the next few days (or whenever you have time, since hides are paused once they are well salted.) Wear old clothes, rubber or muck boots, and bring a rubber apron (if you have one); a heavy trash bag can be used in place of an apron. If you have a fleshing knife, bring it along. We will have fleshing knives and beams available for use during the program. You will take home plans to build a simple fleshing beam and frame. Please bring a sack lunch, drinks, and snacks. Dress in layers to adjust between indoor and outdoor portions. Participants 16 years of age and under must be registered and accompanied by an adult that is also registered. You can register for the clinic on the MDC.mo.gov/events, or by calling 1-888-283-0364, Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Months after a devastating flood, Montauk State Park will reopen to day-use guests February 24th, and overnight guests will be welcomed back starting February 25th. The monumental flood on November 4th, 2024, left the entire park with substantial damage, including loss of electrical service in Campground Loop 4. Therefore, campsites in the 400 loop will reopen only as basic campsites. The Division of State Parks will notify customers with reservations in February for loop 4 with reservation options. The park is working to fully resolve the problem and will restore electric service as soon as possible. If further reservations are affected, the division will notify customers. This change involves only Campground Loop 4. Campers should note that generators are only allowed to be used outside of designated quiet hours. While the park will reopen in time for opening day of catch-and-keep trout season, guests should note that the park will look somewhat different than before the flood. Layers of sand remain throughout the park, covering the grass and area woodlands. Team members will be reseeding areas of the campground and other day-use areas in an effort to re-establish the grass. Justin Adams, Ozarks regional director said that Missouri State Parks team members and volunteers have been working hard to get the park opened and cleaned up, but there is still work to do. More than 70 volunteers converged on Montauk State Park on Saturday, February 1st, to help Missouri State Park team members with cleanup efforts following a historic flood. Volunteers from as far as St. Louis came for the day to lend a hand in getting the park ready for opening day of trout season March 1st. Missouri State Parks Director Laura Hendrickson said that well over half of the volunteers drove more than two hours to help and it turned out to be a great day. For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning in the courthouse. In the road report, District One Commissioner Keith Green said crews were getting the equipment ready for this week’s expected storm and they were also screening sand. He also said brush was being cut in the area of Dent County Road 6400. District Two Commissioner Jimmy Williams reported grading was being done on Dent County Roads 4050, 4055 and 4290. He said crews were getting the equipment ready for the impending bad weather by adding a spreader box and blade on County Truck #122. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson said an Industrial Development Authority Board meeting would be held at 6:00 on Wednesday, February 19th in the basement of the Salem Public Library. Larson said that long time IDA board member Donald Dodd will not be seeking re-appointment when his term expires in April. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said her office balanced with the Dent County Treasurer on all accounts for the month of January. Curley also said the commissioners were approving bills for payment. Dent County Coroner Ben Pursifull was in attendance and brought in reporter Hannah Schuh from the Missourian who is doing a story on county commissioners and their relationships with their coroners. Pursifull updated the commission on some impending legislation that may require more education to qualify to be a coroner, and other legislation that may increase the pay of the coroner to $45,000 per year which is $26,000 more than Pursifull now receives. Again, that legislation is all still pending. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting will be open to the public.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen will meet this evening at 6:00 at 202 N. Washington in the Old City Hall Auditorium for their regular meeting. After the Call to Order will be the approval of the agenda and the consent agenda. Public Comments will then be heard followed by a request for road closures for the Parc Expose for the 100-Acre Road Rally from Rob Benowitz. In new and miscellaneous business, Public Works Director Steve Paine will request the city surplus a transformer with the intent of selling it. The board will then hear and discuss Resolution #4-2025 that would be a change order for the “Welcome Home Project” Property at 403 East Hunt Street for a contract reduction of $3,600; and they will discuss an amendment to the City of Salem Hazard Mitigation plan to reduce the risks of service interruption due to flooding events. In the first and second reading of bills, the board will hear Bill #3642 that would establish an ordinance to authorize the mayor to execute contract change order #1 between the City of Salem and Archer-Elgin; and hear Bill #3643 to authorize the execution of Task Order 20 for the Bonebrake Sewer Realignment Project between the city and Archer-Elgin. In the second reading of bills, the board will consider Bill No. 3640, which would create an ordinance to amend the 2024-2025 annual budget for the city of Salem increasing revenues from $23,163,056.00 to $23,894,316.60 and increase expenditures from $21,043,249.00 to $21,403,251.29.  Reports from City Officials will then be heard before the board goes into closed session to discuss litigation. The meeting tonight of the City of Salem Board of Aldermen is open to the public.

Each February, the state of Missouri observes Earthquake Awareness Month to emphasize the chance of a major earthquake occurring in the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) and the importance of being prepared. Located in Southeast Missouri, the NMSZ generated some of the most powerful earthquakes to ever jolt the nation. A series of major quakes occurred in 1811-1812, destroying buildings, ringing church bells hundreds of miles away and briefly causing the Mississippi River to run backward. The area is still active today with an average of more than 200 earthquakes each year, though most are too small to be felt. No one can predict exactly when an earthquake will occur, but scientists agree that large earthquakes in this zone still pose a risk. Experts estimate there is a 25 to 40 percent chance of a large earthquake occurring in the next 50 years. State Emergency Management Agency Director Jim Remillard said Missouri faces a variety of severe weather threats and hazards each year, but a large earthquake could potentially be the worst natural disaster the state has ever experienced. There is no warning for earthquakes, which is why it’s so important to learn about the risks and how to protect yourself before one occurs. When shaking starts, the best way to stay safe and protect yourself from falling debris is the “Drop, Cover and Hold On” technique. Drop to your knees, cover your head, get under a desk or table if possible and hold on until the shaking stops. Experts say that in developed countries with modern structures, falling debris is the most common source of injury. Several resources for families, schools and businesses are available on SEMA’s Earthquake Preparedness website.