Archive for 2025

Dent County Prosecutor Andrew Curley has provided the following press release. From January 1, 2025 through April 24, 2025 the Dent County Prosecutor’s Office, working alongside the Dent County Sheriff’s Office and Salem Police Department, have apprehended and detained 2 alleged illegal immigrants. Both individuals are the subject of Homeland Security immigration detainers. These detainers are issued by Homeland Security in connection with immigration removal proceedings. Defendants John Sanchez Merino and Josuel Morales-Valencia were each apprehended on separate criminal charges involving stealing and subsequently held in the Dent County Jail. Both were quickly transferred to Federal Custody for conclusion of their immigration proceedings. Prosecutor Curley went on to state that Homeland Security is taking the most aggressive action he has seen in his career, which is a direct result of the Laken Riley Act and President Trump’s Administration. The recently enacted legislation requires Homeland Security to detain an individual who (1) is unlawfully present in the United States or did not possess the necessary documents when applying for admission; and (2) has been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or admits to having committed acts that constitute the essential elements of burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. In addition, the Dent County Jail has been approved to act as an Enforcement and Removal hub for immigration detainees for Dent County and the surrounding area. On behalf of local law enforcement, Prosecutor Curley indicated, “We have zero tolerance for immigrants that have entered the country unlawfully, especially those committing crimes and/or creating victims in our community. We will continue to assist Homeland Security in their effort to stop illegal immigration. Illegal Immigration is a slap in the face to all immigrants that have entered this country legally.”

Ozark National Scenic Riverways will host its annual Junior Ranger Day at Alley Spring on Thursday, May 1, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Area students and youth organizations are invited to participate in a day of environmental education, featuring interactive learning opportunities and live presentations. The event’s highlight will be a raptor program presented by the World Bird Sanctuary. Additional sessions will cover topics such as bats, snakes, large mammals, fish, wildfires, river safety, hellbenders, and owls. Activities are geared toward fourth- and fifth-grade students but are open to all ages. Schools and education groups planning to attend should RSVP by contacting Josh Chilton at 573-226-3945 or email josh_chilton@nps.gov. Participants should bring a picnic lunch and dress appropriately for outdoor activities. During the lunch break, attendees will be sworn in as official Junior Rangers. Alley Spring is located five miles west of Eminence on State Route 106. For more information, call 573-226-3945, or visit the park’s website; nps.gov/ozar/.

Warmer weather usually means an increase in outside projects that may require digging or excavation work. If you are building a deck, planting a tree, or completing a large project, Missouri law requires anyone digging underground to notify Missouri-811 by calling 8-1-1 or placing a locate request online at www.missouri-811.org before any excavation begins. The call will be taken by the Missouri 811 Call Center, which then notifies all relevant utilities in the project area. Once Missouri 811 is notified, utility companies will mark the approximate location of their underground lines, request additional information or advise you that they do not have facilities at the excavation site. Hitting an underground line can cause serious injury, it could disrupt service to you and other customers, and it could potentially result in heavy fines and repair costs. Don’t forget it is very important to contact Missouri-811 by dialing 8-1-1; or go online at www.missouri-811.org to place a locate request before starting to dig so underground utility lines can be marked. By doing so, citizens will help protect yourself, your family and property. Call before you dig. It’s free and it’s the law. For more information, visit the website missouri-811.org.

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse.  In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Keith Green said crews are working on repairing the Durapatcher for chip and seal repair. They will do patching work on a number of roads once the Durapatcher has been repaired. Green said crews will be replacing some culverts today and looking for others that need to be replaced. District 2 Commissioner Jimmy Williams said crews would be pulling ditches, adding materials and grading on Dent County Roads 3270 and 3273, while only grading will be occurring on county road 3275. Williams said the backhoe will be taken to the Boss area to remove debris from pipes. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson said he attended the Tourism Tax Committee meeting, and they approved one request by the Dent County Commons for funding for their Summerfest, and they also approved one reimbursement. Dent County Deputy Clerk Melissa Piatt said bills were to be paid and the office is beginning their voter canvassing. Dent County Collector Shannon VanKirk said she attended the Collector’s Conference in Columbia last week. She said 291 Homestead Tax Credit applications have been sent out and about 150 have been submitted. VanKirk wanted to remind the public that only those who are 62-years of age and older as of January 1st can apply for the Homestead Tax Credit and they must be submitted by June 30th. The applications are free and if you have any questions, please contact Collector VanKirk at 573-729-3911. At the last meeting, the commissioners took phone bids for 7,000 gallons of diesel fuel and MFA oil was the low bidder at $2.38 per gallon. The commission also agreed to seek bids on finishing the salt shed at the road and bridge department. This is a 40-foot by 36-foot shed to sit on existing concrete. Bids will be due in the county clerk’s office by 10:00 in the morning on May 19th. Bid specs are available at the county clerk’s office or by contacting Commissioners Williams or Green. The commissioners next meeting will be Thursday at the courthouse at 9:00 in the morning and the meeting is open to the public.

Despite the poor weather conditions the Salem Scrambler Rally was held on Saturday, April 19th. The unique event combined elements of off-road navigation with environmental cleanup. A group of 20 volunteers in 9 vehicles competed to collect as much trash as possible and return to a weigh-in within four hours. According to a press release from organizer Kyle Williams the teams were able to remove 7,940 pounds of trash in a little over three hours from illegal dump sites across 10 locations within the Mark Twain National Forest. Some of the items removed included, televisions, couches, vinyl siding, mattresses and over 125 tires. The event was supported by Dent County Ag who provided the use of their scales and space for weigh-ins, JeT Tires & Auto assisted with tire support, while Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District supplied gloves, bags, grabbers, and dumpsters. The top three teams included Erik and Clarissa Votipka of Kansas City who removed 1,100 pounds, placing third. Chris Martise & Michael Callahan of Sullivan who removed 1,200 pounds, placing second. Taking first place with 1,800 pounds of trash removed from two large sites was Doug Leibman of Mansfield. The organizers of Salem Scrambler, Kyle Williams, Ryan Fairless, Donny White, John Schweer, and Dustin Privett are apart of the broader Missourah Endurah community of rally enthusiasts who combine adventure with public land stewardship. More cleanups are being planned for summer 2025, along with volunteer participation in the Missourah Endurah fall event. For more information about this and future events you can contact Kyle directly at KyleRally789@gmail.com, or by phone at 573-247-2474.

The City of Salem’s Water and Wastewater Department has achieved statewide recognition. Superintendent Chris McGuirt and Wastewater Leadman Josh Hunt represented the City of Salem in the final round of Missouri’s Drinking Water Taste Testing, held in Jefferson City.  Salem proudly earned 3rd place in the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Statewide Drinking Water Taste Testing—an achievement that reflects the hard work and dedication of the city’s utility staff to providing high-quality drinking water to our community.

On Friday, April 25th Your World Today reported that the Planning and Zoning Commission would hold their meeting that evening at in the Old City Hall Auditorium. This was published in error. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Instead, the City of Salem Planning and Zoning Commission will be holding a public workshop at 6:00 this evening in the Salem Community Center @ the Armory. The workshop discussion will be focus on an introduction to planning and zoning, the ordinances and definitions, and the zoning map before the workshop is adjourned. This workshop was called by Keith Inman and is open to the public.

The Board of Aldermen held their regular meeting on Tuesday evening at 6:00 in the Auditorium at 202 N. Washington Street. The meeting agenda was approved following the removal of the closed session, and the consent agenda was also approved. During the meeting, the Board viewed a presentation from Show Me Smoke Free, appointed former Alderman Shawn Bolerjack to represent the City with the Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC), and approved bids  for fencing repairs and replacements at the City Park and Al Brown Sports Complex. The bids, totaling $3,500 and $14,500 respectively, will be funded through the prior year’s fund balance. The City is actively collaborating with FEMA to secure a 75% reimbursement for the total project cost. The Board also approved a letter to be presented to state legislators at the Capitol, aimed at raising awareness of infrastructure challenges currently facing the City of Salem. In addition, a request from Salem R-80 for $1,000 to support Project Graduation was approved. This annual event provides Salem High School graduates with a safe, substance-free celebration following commencement. The expenditure will be drawn from the Non-Departmental Community Support line item. There is currently $2,000 left in that budget line. During the City officials’ reports, City Administrator Sally Burbridge presented mock-ups of four potential color schemes for the new water tower, with a final decision to be made at a later date. Finance Director Stacy Houston delivered the financial report, noting that sales tax revenue has increased by approximately 9% compared to the same period last year. The total ending balance across all funds stood at approximately $13.9 million as of March 31. Mayor Greg Parker reminded residents of the upcoming city-wide yard sale scheduled for May 3, followed by the city-wide clean-up over the subsequent two weeks. Public Works Director Steve Paine reported ongoing efforts to obtain FEMA reimbursement and announced scheduled power outages in June. Official notifications will be issued detailing the dates and areas affected. He also noted that Forester will begin the second phase of their contract, focusing on trimming the City’s main feeder lines. With no further reports from the Aldermen, the meeting was adjourned.

The City of Salem Utility Committee held a meeting Wednesday evening at 6:15 in the Auditorium located at 202 N. Washington Street. After approving the agenda, the committee discussed a five year plan for the Capital Improvement Fund, as well as a water rate increase. The Committee voted to present the Board of Aldermen with the recommendation of raising the base rate from $6.00 to $8.00 and increasing the volume rate to $7.50. Before the meeting adjourned, Mayor Greg Parker presented Committee member John Hambacker with a recognition of appreciation.

The 10th Annual Veteran Affairs Day will be held today from 10:00 in the morning until 2:00 in the afternoon at the American Legion Post 99 located at 2522 Highway 32 West in Salem. Come out and learn about changes and requirements for benefits, and enroll in the VA health care. Veteran Affairs Day is an annual outreach to Veterans of central rural Missouri to provide easier access to VA services. It includes American Legion District 16 and VFW District 2 which includes Camden, Cole, Crawford, Dent, Howell, Laclede, Maries, Miller, Phelps, Osage, Pulaski, Reynolds, Shannon, Texas and Wright counties. Representatives from the Department of Veteran Affairs will include enrollment, claims processing specialists, suicide prevention and a community employment coordinator from the Truman VA Medical Center, as well as benefit advisors from the Veteran Benefit Administration St Louis Regional Office. The Columbia Veteran Center will have a counselor and advisors on hand in their mobile unit. Don’t miss out on your hard-earned benefits.

The Dent County Health Center (DCHC) Board of Trustees met on April 17th, where Administrator Zach Moser presented statistics for March. Highlights included no COVID-19 cases, 47 active lead cases, 16 Influenza A cases, and 24 STI tests. Environmental reports noted six inspections without issues. Maternal-child health data indicated low activity except for 334 WIC appointments. Community-specific services totaled 456 appointments outside of WIC. Nurse Practitioner services accounted for 101 visits, while Physician services totaled 94 visits. Laboratory appointments numbered 182, including 203 lab draws and 17 lead tests. Immunizations included 82 doses administered during 44 appointments. Moser announced a Health Fair scheduled for May 2nd and encouraged community participation in the ongoing Community Health Assessment survey. The Board approved a $5,000 budget for new HR management software to improve efficiency. March financials were reviewed and approved. The next meeting is scheduled for May 15.

This Saturday at the Creative Arts Center on Highway 19 behind the Ozark Natural and Cultural Resource Center, the Spring Fest Art show and Sale starting at 9:00 in the morning and lasting until 3:00 in the afternoon with the Ozark Heritage Artisans. You are invited to stop by and shop for unique handcrafted gifts and home accessories created by local artists at the annual Spring Fest Art Show and Sale! There will be demonstrations, free snacks and a free kid’s craft table, an elementary art show, and more!  Thanks for supporting the Arts and shopping local in our community!

Don’t know what to do with unused or expired medications? They can be properly disposed of safely in Salem at drop off boxes the Salem Police Department and Dent County Sheriff’s Department everyday. This reminder is being brought to you by the Healthy Dent County Prevention Coalition as some communities are holding their drug “Take Back Day” Saturday. Salem and Dent County are fortunate to have drop boxes available to the public on a daily basis. Please make sure that you have your medications in pill bottles or a plastic bag, and no syringes will be accepted.