Archive for 2025

An accident occurred Saturday morning around 10:50 in Crawford County on Old Route 66 East of Grotemac Road. According to the highway patrol report a 2009 Yamaha XV1900 driven by a 47-year-old male from Rolla was travelling eastbound and was struck by a deer. The driver lost control, ejecting the driver and passenger a 15-year-old male juvenile from Rolla. The juvenile suffered serious injuries and was transported by North Crawford Ambulance to Children’s Hospital St. Louis. The adult male also suffered serious injuries and was transported to Missouri Baptist Hospital Sullivan by Missouri Baptist Ambulance. He was later transferred to Mercy Hospital Washington. Both were wearing safety equipment at the time of the accident. The Yamaha sustained moderate damage and was secured roadside for private tow.

You’re invited to attend the next Salem and Dent County meeting of “Sleep in Heavenly Peace” this afternoon, June 2nd, starting at 5:30 in the evening at the Salem Community Center@The Armory in the Rotary Room! The Dent County Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a 501c3 non-profit that provides a new, free bed to children in need in our community who do not have a bed between the ages of 3 and 17. Mark your calendars and please join them, and new volunteers are welcome!! If you are not able to help physically, donations of new bedding are always welcome to help provide a good night’s sleep to the area children. Monetary donations are also accepted. Please make checks payable to Sleep in Heavenly Peace and designate the MO-DENT County Chapter. If you have questions, please contact Patti McKeown at 703-964-6495 or e-mail her at patti.mckeown@shpbeds.org.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen held a public hearing for public comments regarding sewer rates and changes. The meeting was held Tuesday evening at 6:00, at the Old City Hall Auditorium located at 202 N. Washington St. Several citizens approached the podium referencing an email that was sent to members of the Board, prior to the meeting with questions from members of the community. The Board of Aldermen clarified that the public hearing was to listen to comments or concerns from citizens, and that they will not be answering any questions. Though, Alderman Letchworth did state that someone will take the time to reply to the email that was sent, at a later time. With no other comments from the public, the meeting adjourned to executive session before reconvening for their regular meeting.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen convened their regular meeting Tuesday evening following a public hearing and executive session. After approving the consent agenda, the Board approved a bid from Pierce Asphalt LLC in the amount of $113,664.00 for hot mix asphalt to be used to pave and repair East Coffman, West 1st Street, and South Oak Street, including a 2-inch overlay. This project will be paid for out of the Special Street Fund. The Board also approved a bid from Key Equipment in St. Louis for $9,433.77 to repair the City’s 11-year-old street sweeper, which has been non-operational for several weeks. During new business, the Board voted to approve Ordinance No. 3654 amending the water rates; Alderwoman Cathy Dent dissented. The base rate for customers within city limits will increase from $6.00 to $8.00, with the rate per 1,000 gallons rising from $5.39 to $7.50. Customers outside of city limits will see the base rate increase from $12.00 to $16.00, with the volume rate per 1,000 gallons rising from $6.78 to $9.49. Commercial manufacturers averaging over 350,000 gallons will have a base rate of $8.00 and a volume rate of $4.86 per 1,000 gallons.The request for utilities by Terry Perkins was tabled until a meeting can be had with the City’s attorney, James Weber. The Firework Committee’s request to close the City park to drive-through traffic on the Fourth of July, allowing access only to pedestrians and vendors, was approved unanimously.The Board approved Bills 3654 – 3657 all regarding amending sections of the utility policy to remain in line with the current policy, and correct clerical errors and typos. Before the reports by city official’s the Board heard the first readings of Bills 3662 – 3671 regarding Sewer Rate Codes 710.290-710.430 , and the repeal of section 700.230. During the reports of city officials, Public Works Director Steve Paine stated that the Wastewater Treatment Plant continues to prepare for construction. The department is also working on replacing street lights, completing submitted work orders, and conducting street painting projects as weather permits. City Administrator Sally Burbridge encouraged citizens to sign up for the City’s text blast services but noted that message delivery is based on the phone number’s originating area code. As a result, phone numbers originating in different time zones will receive messages at different times than those originating in Central Standard Time. The next regular meeting of the City of Salem Board of Aldermen will be held on June 10th and is open to the public.

The Dent County Commission met Thursday morning at the courthouse. Deloris Gray Wood was in attendance to talk with the commission about a celebration centered on the 155th anniversary of the Dent County Courthouse. She said the 150th anniversary celebration could not be held due to COVID. She said the celebration could start around 10:00 around the courthouse with gospel music, local musicians performing and she suggested the high school band could play military songs as well as other selections. She also said this celebration could be held to also honor Dent County’s part in World War II as she said there was an Army Air Corps B-17 Flying Fortress that was on a training mission when it crashed in the Meramec Township on September 4th, 1943, which killed pilot William Dean from Dyersburg, Tennessee and other crew members. She said the celebration could be held in late August or early September, depending upon when the sidewalk renovation work begins at the courthouse. She also said she would like to have a 2-foot by 3-foot wayside created telling the story of the plane crash that could be permanently placed on the courthouse lawn. The commissioners said they will try to get a more definitive time frame as to when the sidewalk work would begin so a date could be selected for the celebration and get back with her, but Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson said the commission receives a lot of requests to have a monument or items placed on the courthouse lawn and they would have to talk about that before making a decision. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Keith Green said he has two men out and the remaining crews will be cleaning out pipes on Dent County Road 6400. He said right now crews are filling a lot of potholes with rock on roads that are to be graded soon, but he is asking the public to be patient as they are working on the worst roads now and will get back to other roads as soon as they can. Green also reported men from District 1 are working with a crew from District 2 on Dent County Road 5400 where rock is being hauled and grading continues. District 2 Commissioner Jimmy Williams echoed Commissioner Green’s report on county road 5400, plus added that rock is being added to county road 5330. Williams went on to report that work is also being done in the Boss area, mostly on county road 5323. Presiding Commissioner Larson said he attended the Tourism Tax Committee meeting on May 19th and said an application by the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce was approved after there were some reductions in the amount requested, and two requests for reimbursement were approved. He also reported the roof on the Judicial Building needs to be replaced and it may still be under warranty which could reduce that cost. He also said the roof on the county annex building will be looked at Monday where repairs need to be made for leaks. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley wanted to remind any Dent County Business who has a liquor license needs to have their application for renewal into her office before June 30th. She also said she received the financial audit report from Deidiker, Alvarado and Associates, LLC. They said audit was good and Mr. Deidiker confirmed that the county maintains strong fiscal management, operates with a responsible budget, and prioritizes transparency. The county achieved a balanced budget and conservative cost saving measures to ensure financial stability. Sean McGonigle with Missouri Association of Counties Workers Compensation Trust came in to update the county on their Workman’s Comp and he said they have had only one claim filed so far this year. He also updated the commission that the legislature is discussing that $1.75 of the prisoner per diem received by the county will go to the Sheriff’s Retirement Fund. This is due to voters defeating Amendment 6 in the November election. McGonigle said a human resource seminar is going to be held at Farm Bureau in Jefferson City next week on personnel and all members of the Workman’s Comp Board including Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams are invited to attend. Brian Williams with McCoy Construction came in to talk about John Deere graders. The commissioners held a closed session with no decisions made before adjourning the meeting. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Monday at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The Salem Board of Aldermen will hold a special meeting this evening at 6:00 at the Old City Hall Auditorium at 202 N. Washington Street. After the agenda is approved, the board will go into closed session to discuss actions of litigation. Following the closed session, the board will hear a request for utility from Terry Perkins before they discuss Bill #3662 that repeals Chapter 700, Division III, Section 700.230 due to updates to Section 710. After that, the board will discuss nine bills from Bill #3663 to Bill #3671 that establish a user charge system for the City of Salem’s wastewater system to provide funds needed to pay for all expenses associated with the wastewater system. The meeting will then be adjourned. The special meeting of the Salem Board of Aldermen tonight is open to the public.

The Salem Memorial Hospital Board of Directors held their regular meeting Tuesday evening at 7:00 in the Doctor’s Library. After approving the agenda and previous meeting’s minutes, pending minor changes, Jean Nyberg of Forvis-Mazars presented the audit report for fiscal year 2024, highlighting that the audit remains in draft form due to an incomplete inventory count. She reviewed key financials, noting a decrease in total assets from $15 million in 2023 to $13.8 million in 2024, primarily due to ongoing operating losses and reduced cash flow. Receivables from self-pay patients increased, reflecting industry trends associated with high-deductible insurance plans. Nyberg reported an overall net loss of $965,000 in 2024, a significant improvement from the previous year’s $2.3 million loss. She also identified notable deficiencies in the segregation of duties, attributed to limited staffing. After the Board approved the interim audit report, Hospital CEO Brooke Bollman delivered the administrative report and operational summary. She noted that inpatient admissions and outpatient registrations have remained relatively steady, while emergency room visits and ambulance runs declined slightly from the previous month. Total operating revenue for April was approximately $2.132 million, with total operating expenditures at a similar level, resulting in a net profit of $7,103.62. 340B program revenue for April totaled $62,368, while expenses reached $76,368, resulting in a deficit of $14,536, largely due to missing contract payments, at the time of reporting. The Hospital currently has 31 days of cash on hand. During the Chief Nursing Officer’s report, Amber Hogan noted that several positions remain open and that an EMT-B training program is expected to begin in August. Kendra Mobray presented the quality report, citing 21 risk management incidents related to medication documentation errors. All were promptly addressed, and meetings with department heads have been scheduled to determine corrective actions. Board elections were also held, with Dr. Leigh Ann Price elected as Chair, Zach Moser as Vice Chair, and Frank Barnitz as Secretary. Before adjourning, the Board approved a memorial to be painted in honor of Monty Kitchen. The next Hospital Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for June 24th at 7:00 in the Doctor’s Library and is open to the public.

Three people died in traffic crashes over the 2025 Memorial Day weekend counting period which began at 6:00 Friday evening, May 23rd, and continued through 11:59 Monday night, May 26th. Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers investigated 182 traffic crashes involving 83 injuries and three fatalities over holiday weekend. The patrol also made 78 DWI over the holiday weekend. There were three boating crashes resulting in no injuries during the same period. The patrol made no boating while intoxicated arrests during the counting period. During last year’s 2024 counting period, the patrol investigated 275 traffic crashes, which included 161 injuries and seven fatalities. Also, over the 2024 Memorial Day holiday, Marine operations troopers investigated seven boating crashes, which included no fatalities and seven injuries. Troopers made 128 driving while intoxicated arrests and six boating while intoxicated arrests. No one drowned over the 2024 Memorial Day holiday. Last year statewide, there were 10 people who died and 486 that were injured in 1,046 vehicle crashes on all roads.

On Thursday, June 5th at the Old City Hall Basement Meeting Room located at 200 North Washington Street, the Dent County Extension will be holding a hands-on Dry Cured Bacon Workshop from 5:30-6:30 in the evening. The focus of the workshop is to learn how to make dry-cured bacon, including the curing and aging process, and how to smoke and prepare it for a meal. The cost of the workshop is $35, and all supplies are included. Participants will leave with a 4 to 6-pound slab of bacon. You MUST register by today to participate. Call the Dent County Extension Office at 573-729-3196 or register online at extension.missouri.edu/events and type in dry-cured-bacon-workshop-3 in the search bar.

The draft FY 2026-2030 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) was presented to the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission the beginning of May, kicking off a public review and comment period. The draft STIP makes available $13.2 billion of federal and state revenues for all modes of transportation over the next five years. Of the $13.2 billion, the draft STIP details $9.5 billion in road and bridge construction contractor awards, averaging approximately $1.9 billion per year. It also contains programming details for the remaining $1.7 billion of General Revenue for the Improve I-70 program, which in full includes $2.8 billion for the costs to plan, design, construct, reconstruct, rehabilitate and repair three lanes in each direction on nearly 200 miles of the corridor. This year’s STIP also makes available $577.5 million for I-44 as part of the Forward 44 effort to study and bring improvements to the corridor. Other General Assembly funded projects account for another $118 million programmed into this year’s STIP. In the past 10 years, MoDOT and its construction partners have completed 4,099 projects worth $10.1 billion, and delivered them $385 million below budget and 93% on time. The draft FY 2026-2030 STIP lists transportation projects planned by state and regional planning agencies for fiscal years 2026-2030 (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2030) and reflects the transportation needs of communities across the state. The proposed program is available for public review. Those interested in seeing the program or offering comments can contact MoDOT by email at STIPcomments@modot.mo.gov, by calling customer service at 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636), or by mail to Transportation Planning, Program Comments, P.O. Box 270, Jefferson City, MO 65102. The program is also available on MoDOT’s website: modot.org/DRAFTSTIP. The formal comment period ends June 6, 2025. A summary of the comments will be presented to the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission following the public review period. After reviewing the summary and the final transportation program, it will be considered for approval at the July 9 MHTC meeting.

The Missouri House passed an Invasive Plant Bill May 15th, just one day before the session adjourned. Senate Bill 105 now awaits the Governor’s signature and that will end the sale of six plants in Missouri, helping to reduce the negative impacts of invasive plants in the state. The Missouri Invasive Plant Council (MoIP) thanks Representative Sassmann and Senator Bernskoetter for their leadership; the many citizens who contacted their Missouri representatives and senators in support of the bills; the numerous groups, including the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association; Missouri Municipal League; Missouri Stream Teams United; and the Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM), who advocated for the legislation alongside MoIP and the Missouri Prairie Foundation; Missouri legislators who supported the bill; and Kyna Iman, CFM lobbyist, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to build support for the bills in the Missouri Capitol. Missouri Governor Kehoe has until July 14, 2025 to sign the bill into law. The law will halt the sale in Missouri of six invasive plants: sericea lespedeza, burning bush (cultivar ‘Compactus’), Callery pear, Japanese honeysuckle, perilla mint, and wintercreeper (variety Coloratus). The implementation date for the legislation is August 28, 2025.

Agingbest wants to see every person live the best life possible. To help our community do this they are asking for volunteers. There are many volunteer opportunities here are a few: meal delivery to homebound clients, lawn care, technology education assistance, pet care assistance, and many more. Call 800-369-5211 to volunteer in one of the 19 counties in Central Missouri.