Archive for 2025

The Salem R-80 Board of Education held its regular meeting and public tax rate hearing Thursday evening at 5:30 in the administration building. Following the call to order and Pledge of Allegiance, the board approved the agenda. A motion was made to appoint a new board member due to the start of the school year, and Mr. Chris Heavin was selected to fill the vacancy. Heavin was sworn in by Assistant Superintendent and Recording Secretary Dan Copeland. The board then approved the consent agenda, and Superintendent Dr. Nathan Wills read a thank-you card from Mrs. Heavin. In his report, Dr. Wills provided updates on several district projects, including updates of the FEMA building, drainage improvements at the football field, and parking lot repairs. He noted that the Junior and Senior High School parking lots have been completed, while issues at the Upper Elementary lot may require additional investment to fully resurface, which will be considered in next year’s budget. Dr. Wills also reported that all roof projects have been completed and that track repairs will hopefully be finished as early as this fall. Administrators presented their reports as well, highlighting a strong start to the new school year. Under new business, the board approved Missouri School Boards’ Association (MSBA) policy updates, the preliminary 2024-2025 Annual Secretary of the Board Report, a transportation contract with First Student for Early Childhood Special Education, the Local Tax Effort and Public Placement Fund Addendum, and a memorandum of understanding with Head Start. Personnel changes included four new hires and one resignation. Board President Dru Howard then opened the tax rate hearing, during which Dr. Wills recommended maintaining the district’s current levy of $2.75 for operations and $0.45 for debt service, for a total tax rate of $3.20. The recommendation was unanimously approved. The board then moved into executive session to discuss personnel matters, where the following coaching assignments were approved: Sarah James as Assistant High School Girls Basketball Coach, Rocky Wade as Middle School Track Assistant Coach, and Lonnie Lee as Assistant High School Football Coach. The meeting concluded with the board setting its next regular session for September 17th at 5:30 in the evening at the administration building. The meeting will be open to the public.

The Salem Public Library Board of Trustees held its regular meeting and public tax levy hearing Thursday evening at 5:00 in the library’s conference room. Following the call to order, the board approved the minutes from the previous meeting. Library Director Kate McBride presented the Librarian’s Report, highlighting increases in book, eBook, periodical, and audiobook circulation, as well as growth in adult programs and internet usage. During old business, the board discussed ongoing repairs in the south basement and ground maintenance needs in the north parking lot. Under new business, members approved raising the interlibrary loan fee from $6.00 to $7.00 due to higher postage costs, and increasing the cool lamination fee from $1.00 to $2.00 per foot to offset rising supply expenses. McBride reported that the library is working to renew its volunteer reading program and is seeking up to 15 volunteers to read once a month at local elementary schools. Interested individuals are encouraged to contact the library for more information. She also noted that the Summer Reading Challenge had 103 participants, and a total of 222 participants across all special summer programs. The meeting then moved into the public tax levy hearing, where the board voted to maintain the current rate of $0.30. Before adjourning, members scheduled the next board meeting for September 18 at 5:00, which will be open to the public.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the National Deer Association (NDA) invite landowners, land managers, and others interested in managing deer on their properties to join them online for a free webinar on open-land management practices to enhance white-tailed deer habitat on their properties. This live Zoom webinar on “Wildflowers and Whitetails” will be held tomorrow evening at 6:00. It will begin with a presentation by the MDC private lands deer biologist followed by MDC and NDA staff answering participants’ questions. To join, visit short.mdc.mo.gov/4tY. This webinar is the third presentation within MDC’s and NDA’s free 2025 Missouri Deer Management Webinar Series via Zoom. The final upcoming webinar within the series will be Utilizing Prescribed Fire for Deer Management and will be held the evening of September 9th at 6:00. To learn more about deer management at mdc.mo.gov.

The Missouri Department of Transportation crews will be seal coating three roads in Iron County next week: Route AA, Route O and Route M. They will be making driving surface improvements on Route O from Highway 21 to Iron County Road 2228 starting Monday at 7:00; Route AA from Highway 21 to the end of state maintenance scheduled to begin Tuesday morning at 7:00; Route M from Highway 21 to the end of state maintenance starting Tuesday morning around 11:00. Seal coats are a pavement repair process that is used by MoDOT on roads with lower traffic volumes to maximize available resources and extend the life of the roadway. Hot emulsion oil is sprayed onto the surface of the road, followed by finely ground rocks which are then compacted to adhere to the roadway.  Excess material is swept off the surface, leaving an improved roadway that will hold up longer against the elements. The method costs about one third the amount of a traditional asphalt overlay. The treatment keeps water from penetrating the surface, extends the life of the roadway up to seven years, and provides improved traction. 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.

Due to the passage of Senate Bill 28, purchasing a motor vehicle in Missouri will look different down the road in late 2026 or early 2027. The law will take effect August 28th, but the change to paying vehicle sales tax will only be implemented once the second phase of the Department of Revenue’s new FUSION system is operational. Once the system is in place, motor vehicle buyers – when purchasing through a dealership, will be required to pay sales tax at Due to the passage of Senate Bill 28, purchasing a motor vehicle in Missouri will look different down the road in late 2026 or early 2027. The law will take effect August 28th, but the change to paying vehicle sales tax will only be implemented once the second phase of the Department of Revenue’s new FUSION system is operational. Once the system is in place, motor vehicle buyers – when purchasing through a dealership, will be required to pay sales tax at the point of sale. If purchasing from a private party, buyers will continue to take their bill of sale to any Missouri license office to pay sales tax. In both scenarios, buyers will get a paper copy of their new license plate. The permanent metal plate, with the same number configuration, will be mailed to the buyer. Receiving a temporary tag will no longer be an option. Missouri Director of Revenue Trish Vincent said that this change to the way sales tax is collected will eliminate temporary license tags which rob the state of millions of dollars each year because of drivers who never pay their sales tax. Even though the law goes into effect on August 28th, the sales tax changes cannot take effect until the Department of Revenue’s new FUSION system is up and running. FUSION is an acronym for Fifty Unique Systems In One Nexus. Its purpose is to combine older mainframe systems and software applications that can no longer communicate with each other into one core system that will significantly increase speed and efficiency in performing motor vehicle and driver licensing functions. The first phase, which centered on driver licensing, was implemented on November 12, 2024. Vincent also said that this new law affects both the seller and the buyer. The DOR is going to work with dealers to get everyone trained on the new system and prepared to collect sales tax. Buyers will need to be ready to pay the full sales tax amount at the time of purchase. Until FUSION is fully operational, the current sales tax collection process will remain in effect for both dealerships and private vehicle purchases.

An accident happened Sunday evening in Iron County on Iron County Road 74 about three miles south of Bixby. According to the highway patrol report, a 2024 Can Am UTV driven southbound by a 50-year-old male, struck a downed tree in the roadway, then ran off the roadway and overturned. The man suffered minor injuries and was taken by a private conveyance to the Iron County Medical Center in Ironton for treatment. The man was not wearing safety equipment at the time of the accident. The Can AM UTV sustained extensive damage and was driven from the scene.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen held a special meeting Tuesday evening at 6:00 in the Auditorium at 202 N. Washington Street to consider Resolution No. 24-2025, regarding the donation of city-owned property to the Salem Housing Authority for the development of 40 affordable housing units. Mayor Greg Parker was not in attendance. Following roll call and approval of the agenda, Alderman Michael Letchworth addressed the public, noting that the Board had received numerous emails opposing the resolution. The emails proposed opening the floor for public comment but he clarified that the meeting was not a Town Hall, and therefore public comments or questions would not be heard at that time. However, he encouraged residents to submit their input via email, assuring them that someone would follow up. Letchworth then asked attendees to indicate their position on the resolution by standing, with the count resulting in eight opposed and eight in favor. The Board proceeded with a brief presentation from the developer, who outlined the reasoning behind the project. After the first and second readings of Resolution No. 24-2025, Letchworth called for a vote, and the resolution passed, with Alderwoman Catherine Dent casting the sole dissenting vote.

A pit bull named Bronx was euthanized August 18th following a court-ordered destruction after the dog attacked Bryan Smith on County Road 5140 on June 8th. Smith required 14 stitches for his injuries. The dog escaped through an unsecured gate from a fenced enclosure owned by Jeannie Bates and attacked Smith on his own property. Dent County Sheriff’s deputies seized the animal and provided Bates with a Notice of Disposal on June 9th. Under Missouri Revised Statute 578.024, dogs that attack and cause serious injury must be seized immediately and destroyed after a 10-day impoundment period. The law also makes it a crime to keep a dangerous dog that has previously bitten someone and bites again. Penalties range from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class D felony depending on the severity of injuries and whether the dog has a history of attacks. Bates filed an appeal June 18th, which allows owners to contest the destruction in circuit court. The case was specially assigned to 25th Circuit Judge Brendon Fox after two local judges recused themselves. A trial was held July 14th with Prosecutor Andrew M. Curley representing the sheriff’s office. Judge Fox found the dog attacked without provocation and caused serious injury. He ordered the sheriff to humanely euthanize the animal as required by state law. Evidence presented at trial showed the dog had previously shown aggression toward others and had repeatedly escaped its enclosure. Since there was no evidence the dog had previously bitten another person, no criminal charges were filed under the statute. Prosecutor Curley emphasized the responsibility of owners to maintain control of their animals to prevent harm to others.

With the start of the new school year, the Salem Police Department is urging drivers to stay alert and use extra caution in and around school zones. Officers say motorists can expect to see increased foot traffic in the mornings and afternoons as students make their way to and from school. Police are reminding drivers to slow down in designated school zones, watch for children at bus stops, and obey all traffic laws when driving near school buses. The department also says officers will have a visible presence in school zones to help ensure drivers are following the rules and keeping kids safe. The Salem Police Department would like to wish the students, parents, and teachers a safe and successful school year. They encourage everyone to stay focused, work hard, and remember that determination will lead to success. For more updates from the Salem Police Department, follow them on Facebook or contact the department directly at 573-729-6550.