Archive for 2026

An accident occurred in Dent County Saturday evening at 6:35 on County Road 5015 north of County Road 5070, which left a Dent County Juvenile with minor injuries. According to the Highway Patrol report a southbound 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, driven by a 16-year-old male, lost control of the vehicle. The driver then overcorrected and the Cobalt traveled off the right side of the roadway before overturning. The report stated that the Juvenile was wearing a safety restraint and he suffered minor injuries. He was transported by Salem Memorial Ambulance District to Salem Memorial Hospital. The Chevrolet sustained extensive damage and was removed for the scene by Whitaker’s Towing. The Highway Patrol was assisted by the Dent County Sheriff’s Office.

The Dent County Commission met for its regular meeting Monday morning at the courthouse. Under public comments, citizen Cindy Jones presented commissioners with an article printout discussing the implementation of AI monitoring with Flock technology, and its potential benefits. Assessor Alisa Brookshire reported that reassessment surveys are to begin next week with staff members to be out within the county conducting surveys. For road reports, District One Commissioner Keith Green shared that crew members will be installing a driveway pipe on County Road 4220 and ditch work will be completed on County Road 4280. District Two Commissioner Jimmy Williams reported that crew members will be attempting to grade County Road 6160 and completing a project on County Road 2613. The chip and seal crew are within the county and beginning work on County Road 6150. Both Williams and Green stated they were aware that county roads are in desperate need of grading, but that the current weather has been too dry to do so. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson shared that he attended several meetings Thursday night in St. James with the Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC.) One such meeting was with the Phelps County Housing Advisory Board (PHA), in which the board reviewed financials for the year. The Housing Choice Voucher program was also discussed which has a total of 630 recipients and 653 current applicants; meanwhile, 168 voucher recipients await placement, with Larson sharing that often voucher recipients may wait four to six months for placement. The MRPC meeting also discussed the upcoming annual dinner and Missouri legislature updates. Commissioners held a closed session at 10:00 in the morning to discuss legal actions. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be 9:00 in the morning Thursday at the courthouse and is open to the public. 

Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams has reported on the sales tax received for the month of August. For the General Revenue fund, the county has received $104,831.93, an increase of $22,835.17 or 2.7% year-to-date. The Road and Bridge fund has received $52,415.69, an increase of $18,182.47 or 4.3% year-to-date. The Jail funds have received $105,252.77, an increase of $35,589.30 or 4.2% year-to-date.

The Fall Community Wide Yardsale is coming up soon on the first Saturday of October, Oct. 3rd. Parking spaces will be available at the Administrative Office parking lot for $8. For questions on availability, contact the Administrative Office at 573-729-4811. The yard sale will be followed by the Fall Community Cleanup for City of Salem residents the week of Oct. 5th through Oct. 9th. Have all items for pickup sitting curbside the night before your regularly scheduled trash day. As a reminder, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) law does not allow collection for the following materials: yard waste, batteries, tires, motor oil, chemicals or solvents, paint, appliances or non-compactable items such as concrete, tree stumps, steel, construction debris, etc. All mattresses must be wrapped in plastic and loose items must be bagged to be picked up. For any questions, contact 1-800-926-3953 or 1-417-741-7714. 

The Dent County Clerk’s Office has given notice that a public test of the automatic absentee voting equipment is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 21st at 2:00 in the afternoon at the Dent County Courthouse. Then, another public test of the automatic voting equipment is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 7th at 10:00 in the morning. These tests are open for public viewing.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) is an international non-profit 501(C)(3) organization that builds, assembles and delivers beds to children who do not have a bed. If interested in lending a hand or learning more, the SHP Dent County chapter will be holding its regular monthly meeting on Monday, Sept. 28th, beginning at 5:30 in the evening. This meeting will take place at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory in the Walden Conference Room. There will be discussions on upcoming events, needs, and more. More updates from the chapter can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/shpdentco or visit shpbeds.org/chapter/mo-dent-co. 

The Dent County Health Center Board of Trustees will meet in a special called meeting tonight at 5:00 at the Health Center Annex at 1010 East Scenic Rivers Blvd. After the call to order, the board will consider the re-authorization of the current Conflict of Interest Policy followed by other business, if necessary. The board may vote to go into closed session for the discussion of personnel. Except for the possible closed session, the meeting will be open to the public.

The North Wood R-IV Board of Education met for its regular meeting Thursday, Sept. 10th. After approval of the agenda, the board approved the consent agenda with additions. After discussions of the strategic plan, business after hours dinner, and stakeholder involvement, Davy Gray provided the board with updates on kitchen renovations. A quote from Mertz Music was presented to update the intercom system in the gymnasium, which was approved. The board also approved a quote from Rommell for an upgrade to the fire alarm system. Policy updates were tabled for the October board meeting. MAP data was presented to the board for the 2025-26 school year, and Superintendent Jeff Dodson informed the board that enrollment was at 10 for Pre-Kindergarten and 169 for Kindergarten through 8th Grade. Attendance was at 98%. The board discussed the MARE conference in October and the MSBA conference. Board refresher training was also discussed. Mileage reimbursement was approved to be increased to $0.66 per mile. The board then went into closed session. After returning to open session, the board then adjourned. The next regular board meeting of North Wood R-IV Board of Education will be Thursday, Oct. 15th at 6:00 and is open to the public.

Dent County Clerk Angie Curley has been working for Dent County as the election authority since 1988. She was surprised recently at the annual fall conference of the Missouri Association of County Clerks and Election Authorities (MACCEA) with the Rosemary Plitt Award for Excellence in Election Administration. This prestigious award is given by the Missouri Secretary of State’s office to honor Rosemary Plitt, an election authority of St. Louis who excelled in her community and her election administration. Out of all the county clerks within Missouri, one is chosen to receive the award, nominated and voted on by their peers. Curley was surprised at the conference with not just the award, but her family was hidden at the conference to come out and celebrate the achievement when it was announced. Congratulations, Dent County Clerk Angie Curley, and thank you for your dedication to the community!

The Dent County Commission met for its regular meeting Thursday morning at the courthouse. Not in attendance was District Two Commissioner Jimmy Williams. Under road reports, District One Commissioner Keith Green reported on behalf of both districts: for district one, pipes are being installed by crew members on County Road 4215 and 4080, alongside ditch work and hauling rock on County Road 4080. A truck is down for maintenance. For district two, crew members are upgrading pipes on County Road 4283, and a grader is being serviced. Green notified the public that Blevin’s Asphalt will be in the county on Friday to begin chip and seal topcoating on various roads. In Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson’s report, he shared congratulations to County Clerk Angie Curley for receiving the Rosemary Plitt Award at the fall conference of the Missouri Association of County Clerks and Election Authorities (MACCEA.) Larson commented that the award was well-deserved. Larson also reported he will attend several meetings with the Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) Friday evening. Curley reported that bills are to be approved and that commissioners have reviewed and approved the August monthly reports. Under public comments, resident Tammy Hulsey requested clarification from commissioners on County Road 5280 and if there were records to reflect that it was decommissioned by the county. After discussion, Hulsey was instructed to speak with the Recorder of Deeds and the Assessor, and that Green would look into the issue further. The next regular meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Monday, Sept. 14th at 9:00 in the morning at the courthouse and is open to the public.

The Dent County Clerk’s Office has given notice that a public test of the automatic absentee voting equipment is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 21st at 2:00 in the afternoon at the Dent County Courthouse. This test is open for public viewing.

The Missouri Rural Health Conference was held on Sept. 10th. During this annual event, 2026 Rural Health Excellence Awards for the categories of Innovation, Advocacy, and Leadership are given. Zachary Moser of Dent County was awarded the 2026 Rural Health Excellence Award for Leadership. His wife, Mary Moser, was there to accept the award on his behalf.