Archive for 2026

An accident happened at 3:53 Tuesday evening in Dent County at the Cedar Grove Conservation Area a mile north of Hwy. WW. According to the highway patrol report, a 1998 Dodge Ram driven northbound by a 33-year-old female from Salem travelled off the left side of the roadway, struck an embankment, overturned and ejected the driver. The driver suffered serious injuries and was transported by air evac to Mercy Hospital in St. Louis. The report states she was not wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident. The Dodge Ram was totaled and removed from the scene by a private party.

The City of Salem Administration and Utility Office will be closing at 2:00 in the afternoon this Friday for the budget year close out. For utility bill payments, remote payment options are available. Use automated phone pay 24/7 at the number 1-888-443-4087. If you have your account number, you can also find out how much you owe. For web payment options, you may use credit, debit, or e-check 24/7 at the salemmo.com/city website by scrolling down and clicking on “Online Utility Payments.”

Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams has reported on the County Aid Road Trust (CART) funds received by the county for the month of August 2026. The CART Tax funds received are utilized within the county for the construction, reconstruction, maintenance and repairs of roads, bridges and highways, as directed by the county commission. For the month of August, the county has received $94,532.44. This is up year to date $42,730.31 or a percentage increase of 6.3%.

The North Wood R-IV Board of Education held its regular meeting the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 18th. After approval of the agenda, the Tax Rate Hearing was held with much discussion from the board. Superintendent Jeff Dodson presented tax rate information with concerns expressed for the district. The board approved setting the tax rate at $3.4584 for the 2026-27 school year. Regular business resumed. An update on facilities was shared, and a discussion of the strategic plan was held. The board approved the following: the ASBR; the local compliance plan; emergency drill schedule; and the professional development plan for the 2026-27 school year. Dodson informed the board there was a small amendment to the stipend schedule for volleyball coaches. The board then went into closed session before adjourning. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the North Wood R-IV Board of Education will be Sept. 15th at 6:00 in the evening and is open to the public.

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) has released that projects within Phelps County to rehabilitate six bridges over Interstate 44 is in the home stretch with three bridges complete, two to begin rehabilitation now, and the final bridge on schedule. Crews continue working toward reopening Phelps County Hwy. J over I-44 (Exit 169). While crews previously hoped to open the bridge Friday, Aug.14th, contractors working with MoDOT are now targeting this Friday to open the bridge to all traffic. Hwy. 72 (Kingshighway) over I-44 in Rolla (Exit 184) remains under construction. Crews rehabilitating the bridge deck uncovered more extensive deterioration than expected, adding additional time to the first phase of work. Crews have now moved to the next and final phase. As with the previous phase, westbound Kingshighway will remain closed during the second half of the project, while the bridge remains open to eastbound traffic. If no further deterioration is found, the contractor plans to reopen the roadway to westbound traffic in mid-October, weather permitting. Work on the final bridge in this project is the Phelps County Hwy. E bridge in Rolla at Exit 185. Crews plan to begin removing the sidewalk adjacent to the northbound lanes the week of Aug. 24th. Nighttime single-lane closures on Route E can be expected through early October. Flaggers will direct traffic nightly through the work zone.

The Intercounty Electric Cooperative (IECA) has released that it has contracted with Apex Right of Way LLC. to control the brush growing within the cooperative right-of-ways. Beginning around the first of September, Apex will be selectively applying a low-volume herbicide to the leaves of woody stemmed vegetation. All products used are registered with the EPA, have no grazing restrictions for animals and will not be applied in maintained yard areas. If you have any questions, please contact Apex at 870-448-2183. If you like to learn more about the cooperative’s right-of-way maintenance program, visit its website at ieca.coop and search “right-of-way maintenance.” To see a map of the areas Apex will be working within, visit its Facebook page at facebook.com/IntercountyElectric.

The MU Extension will be offering a free four-week virtual program designed for adults with diabetes or pre-diabetes. This program will take place on Wednesdays from noon to 2:00 beginning Oct. 14th and continuing through Nov. 4th. The program will take place over Zoom. Participants will learn about meal planning, label reading, physical activity, self-monitoring, goal-setting, and more. The program will also include recipe demonstrations, resources, and opportunities to connect with other participants and the instructor. Funding for this course has been received through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services diabetes program. For questions or to register for the course, contact 573-266-2701.

According to the Highway Patrol’s Online Arrest Report, the following charges have been filed against 18-year-old Kaiden D. Birdsong of Salem: Felony DWI resulting in serious physical injury and failure to drive on the right half of the roadway, resulting in a crash. The report went on to state that Birdsong has been released. The charges are mere accusations and not evidence of guilt. Evidence in support of the charges must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

The Dent County Collector’s Office has released that the 2026 Delinquent Tax Sale will be on Monday, Aug. 24th at 10:00 in the morning. Registration has begun for bidding. To sign up, visit the collector’s office at the Dent County Courthouse from 8:00 in the morning through 4:30 in the afternoon. For any questions or more information, contact the collector’s office at 573-729-3911. 

The Salem R-80 Board of Education will be holding a Tax Rate Hearing this Thursday evening at 5:30 to be immediately followed by its regularly scheduled board meeting at the Salem R-80 Administration Office. After approval of the consent agenda, containing previous board minutes, bills, food service report, program evaluations, and sub list, the board will hear a report from Superintendent Nathan Wills on facilities and CSIP goals. Administration reports are to follow. Under new business, the board will consider approval of MSBA 2026 policy updates and the preliminary 2025-26 Annual Secretary of the Board Report (ASBR.) Non-certified staffing changes will then be approved before the board moves into executive session for the purposes of discussing personnel. Until closed, this meeting is open to the public.

The Salem Area Arts Council “The Creative Arts Center” will be holding its monthly meeting in the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 25th from 6:00 to 7:15. Everyone is invited to help plan classes and activities for the arts center. Instructors are expected to attend as much as possible. The arts council strives to celebrate the arts in the community and wants to involve the public, display and recognize local art and artists, and help bring art related activities to the community. The public is invited to attend this meeting!

The Dent County Sheriff’s Office has released that seal coating on Hwy. F will take place next week beginning on Monday. Blevins Asphalt will be completing the work over two days and will be out from 7:00 in the morning to 5:00 in the evening. Striping on the road will take place approximately seven days after the chip sealing is finished.

Montauk State Park invites the public to a townhall-style meeting for the park with representatives from Missouri State Parks on hand to provide information and answer questions. This will take place at the park’s campground amphitheater and will begin at 5:00 in the evening Wednesday, Sept. 16th. For more information, contact the park at 573-548-2201. The public is encouraged to attend and share comments or questions about the park and its operations. These public meetings, which are being held for all state parks and historic sites, help create two-way communication with the public. The meetings give representatives the opportunity to let people know the current statuses and future plans for the parks and sites, and they offer visitors the opportunity to comment.

Alley Spring Campground will be closed for paving from Tuesday, Sept. 8th through Monday, Sept. 21st. This closure will include the river access and the “Bluff Hole” swimming area. Floaters putting in or taking out at Alley Spring will need to use the Burr Oak river access on the other side of the river. All pre-existing reservations during the closure have been cancelled or altered and refunds issued. For questions during the process, call the Alley Spring Ranger Station at 573-226-3945 or the Big Spring Entrance Station at 573-323-4236. Repaving at the Alley Spring Campground is part of a park-wide project to repair and renew roadways throughout the Ozark National Scenic Riverways.

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) invites the central district to discuss the updated draft of the High-Priority Unfunded Needs list. Participants can view information about unfunded transportation needs in the region and provide feedback in-person at a meeting at MoDOT’s Central District Office, located at 1511 Missouri Boulevard in Jefferson City. Can’t attend the meeting in person? The draft HPUN document and comment forms will be available online through Thursday, Sept. 10th at modot.org/unfundedneeds. Dent County is on the unfunded multimodal needs list, with a project description of needing sidewalk added from Center Street to Hwy. 32 within Salem. Estimated funding needed for that project is $620,000.

Watch for bid opportunities from the City of Salem. For purchases over $12,000, the city formally advertises Requests for Bids (RFBs) in the local newspaper, as required by state statute, and it also posts them online. Visit the city’s website at salemmo.com and search “City of Salem Bids” for a list of opportunities. Want to know when a new bid is posted? You can sign up for city notifications right from the city’s website. Scroll to the bottom of the page to “#KeepCurrent – Sign Up for Notifications” and enter your email address. You may be asked to enter it a couple of times as you complete the setup, then you can choose email or text notifications for the pages you want to follow. Select the Bids/RFB page, and you’ll be notified whenever the city posts a new opportunity.

An 18-year-old Salem resident was involved in an accident late Sunday night at approximately 11:14 in Phelps County on County Road 3060 a quarter of a mile east of Rolla. According to the Highway Patrol a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado that was driven by the Salem man traveled off the right side of the roadway, struck a mailbox, and a tree. A 21-year-old Rolla male passenger suffered serious injuries and was transported by Mercy Lifeline to University Hospital in Columbia. A 20-year-old Rolla female passenger also suffered serious injuries and was transported by St. James Ambulance to Phelps Health Hospital. A 17-year-old female passenger from Newburg suffered serious injuries and was transported by Phelps Health Ambulance to Phelps Health. An 18-year-old Rolla male passenger suffered minor injuries and was transported by St. James Ambulance to Phelps Health. The driver suffered minor injuries and was transported to Phelps Health by Law Enforcement. The report stated that none of the five occupants of the vehicle were wearing safety restraints at the time of the accident. The Silverado was totaled and removed from the scene by D and D Towing.

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) has released that it is seeking community input for a 2027 Hwy. 19 bridge rehabilitation project in Dent County, just south of Salem over Spring Creek. The bridge is due for a deck overlay in 2027. Built in 1986, the bridge’s driving surface has deteriorated and is in need of repair. At this time, the project calls for one lane to remain open throughout construction. The comment period is open now through Aug. 31st. Share your thoughts with MoDOT through the MoDOT Central Missouri District email at CDCR@modot.mo.gov; mailing to address 1511 Missouri Boulevard, Jefferson City, MO 65109; or by visiting the MoDOT website at modot.org and searching “Missouri Route 19 Bridge Rehabilitation over Spring Creek in Dent County.” Click the page with that same title, and scroll to the bottom to find the feedback form.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds deer hunters, landowners, and others of changes to regulations of the Wildlife Code of Missouri for the upcoming deer-hunting season. The antlered buck limit has been reduced for nonresidents from two to one. Nonresidents who qualify for nonresident landowner permits will maintain an antlered buck harvest limit of two. The Early Youth Portion has been moved one week earlier this year to Oct. 24th and 25th to help avoid conflicts with Halloween activities at the end of October. The antler-point restriction (APR) for the 18 counties where it was most recently in place has been removed to help minimize the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD.) Further, the designations of the CWD Management Zone has been removed. A majority of Missouri counties either have had a case of CWD or are within 10 miles of a confirmed case of the disease, so a designated CWD Management Zone is no longer needed. MDC will also continue to prohibit the placement of feed and minerals for deer in counties within 10 miles of where CWD has been found. Placing feed and minerals for deer has been prohibited in counties close to where CWD has been detected since CWD was first found in Missouri as it artificially congregates them, resulting in an increased risk of disease transmission. The CWD Portion of firearms deer season has been removed. Meanwhile, mandatory CWD sampling during the opening weekend of the November Portion of the firearms deer season has been moved to a four-year county rotation. Mandatory sampling for this season will be conducted in 28 counties on Nov. 14th and 15th. MDC has increased the minimum acreage requirement for CWD Management Permits and simplified the application process. Landowners are now required to have at least 20 contiguous acres in a CWD Core Area to receive CWD Management Permits. Lastly, as a result of public engagement and continued evaluation, MDC will not conduct targeted deer removals after the season and currently has no plans to resume the activity.

This Thursday, Aug. 20th, will be filled with activities at Salem High School and Middle School. Open House will be going on from 4:00 until 6:00 providing students the chance to tour campus, meet teachers, and ask questions. Chromebook insurance, parking passes and t-shirts will be available for purchase. The supply lists for the school year are online at salemr80.org/page/supply-lists. The Student Council will be conducting a Dignity Day drive to collect new, unopened travel-size personal care and hygiene items to help support middle school and high school students. Every donation, large or small, can make a meaningful impact. Donation ideas include toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, deodorant, shampoo and conditioner, body wash, etc. Middle School students can take part in “Pick Your Locker Night” as they get their last-minute questions answered. High School students are invited to visit the High School Library from 4:30 to 5:00 to fill out an application for dual credit classes. A representative from Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-SP) will be on hand to help and answer questions. Students enrolled in dual credit classes are highly encouraged to attend. The MSU-WP rep will remain onsite afterwards for individual questions.

An accident happened at 5:57 Thursday evening in Crawford County at 136 Highway E that left two people with serious injuries and two others with injuries as well. According to the highway patrol report, a 2006 Honda Accord driven southbound by a 17-year-old female from Steelville, went off the right side of the roadway. The driver overcorrected and then re-entered the roadway when the vehicle crossed over the centerline. The Honda then traveled off the right side of the road again where it struck an embankment and overturned, ejecting all four occupants. Suffering serious injuries were the female driver and a 22-year-old male passenger from Sullivan. An 18-year-old male passenger from Steelville suffered moderate injuries while a 22-year-old male passenger from Sullivan suffered minor injuries. The driver was transported by EMS to the Mercy Hospital in St. Louis while the 22-year-old male who suffered serious injuries was taken by Air Evac to the Mercy Hospital in St. Louis. The other two male passengers were transported by EMS to the Missouri Baptist Hospital in Sullivan. None of the occupants were wearing seat belts at the time of the accident. The Honda was totaled and removed from the scene by Miles and Sons Towing.

The Dent County Sheriff’s Office has released that on Aug. 10th, after an investigation into the compliance of a convicted sex offender with the Sex Offender Registry requirements, a deputy arrested 64-year-old Dent County man, Jimmy Lee Channel. On Aug. 11th, Judge Nathan Kelsaw issued a warrant charging Channel with Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Channel is being held in Dent County Jail pending the posting of a $25,000.00 bond. Listed charges are merely accusations and do not constitute evidence of guilt. Evidence in support of the charges must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) has released the project to repair the driving surface of the Phelps County Hwy. BB (10th Street) over BNSF Railway, in Rolla, is scheduled to begin Monday, Aug. 17th. Built in 1974, the supporting structures of the bridge are in good condition, but the driving surface needs rehabilitation. The project will be completed half at a time with traffic shifted. One lane each direction will remain open, with no center turn lane through the work zone. While the bridge will remain open throughout construction, motorists should expect delays during peak traffic hours. For motorists’ safety while work is occurring overhead, intermittent closures of Oak Street and Olive Street beneath the bridge will be necessary when crews are working in the immediate area. Work is expected to continue through November 2026.

ServMO has announced the recipients of the America 250-Grants, which will support meaningful, community-driven service projects in honor of the 9/11 Day of Service and Missouri Good Neighbor Week from Sept. 28th through Oct. 4th. These mini-grants are funded in partnership with Missouri’s Show Me America 250 Commission. ServMO announced the $15,000 funding opportunity with the goal of supporting mini-grant projects ranging from $500 – $3,000. Recipients include the following organizations: Bismarck United Methodist Church, which will provide a free family style meal for the community; Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO), which will coordinate the Ozark Foothills Community Connection Day of Service; Community Partnership of SEMO (CPSEMO), which will implement a beautification landscaping project throughout the South Cape neighborhood of Cape Girardeau; Missouri State Public Defender (MSPD), which will participate in meal pack events hosted by the National 9/11 Day Organization; St. Joseph Youth Alliance Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC), which will design and host an “Answering the Call” project honoring firefighters; St. Lucas United Church of Christ, which will host a community meal; and West Central Missouri Community Action Agency, which will host “The Community Heroes in Action” event.

Flash flooding can happen fast, even if it’s not raining where you are. To keep your trips to Missouri’s State Parks safe and fun, be sure to check the weather forecast before you go and keep an eye on upstream conditions. Set up camp on higher ground. Avoid low-lying areas