Archive for 2026

On Monday, the Dent County Sheriff’s Office released that a deputy sheriff had discovered that Shawn Keith Hougardy, a sex offender from Mountain Grove, Mo., was in Dent County and not in compliance with the Sex Offender Registry regulations. In addition, Hougardy had a warrant for his arrest for a probation violation from another county. Hougardy has been arrested and incarcerated in the Dent County Jail.

The Dent County Commission met for its weekly meeting Monday morning at the courthouse. Dent County Health Center Board of Trustees Chairman Bob Parsons notified commissioners that during the emergency meeting conducted Thursday night the board designated Joan Raulston as the County Health Officer, to be in charge of finances relating to Human Resources. Roma Jones, assistant administrator, will be retiring in less than six weeks from her role. Jessica Ricks is to serve as Deputy Administrator, in charge of finances relating to grants. Under road reports, District One Commissioner Keith Green shared that crew members will be attempting to grade and haul rock for continued work on County Road 6280. For the rest of the week, crew members will be installing pipes on county roads 2240, 2470, 2480, and 6083. Chip and seal is estimated to begin next week on county roads 4110 and 4210. District Two Commissioner Jimmy Williams reported that crew members will be finishing a culvert installation on County Road 2150, and then installing more culverts on county roads 2120, 2010, and 2070. Until there is rain, crew members are not able to grade the roads. Deputy County Clerk Crystal Pilkington reported bills are to be approved. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and is open to the public.

The Doe Run Company’s maroon mine rescue team won multiple awards at the 2026 Colorado Regional Mine Rescue Competition July 27th–30th in Loveland, Colorado. Maroon team members Buck Roderman, Andrew Hampton, Luke Davis, Melodie Wilcox, Dustine Keene, Jarred Tackett, Michael Snyder, Craig Turner, and Jacob Piatt placed first on the first day and second place on the second day of the field problem competition. The team also was named overall grand champion based on its combined results in the field, technical, bench, and first aid competitions. Piatt and Turner also competed together against coal and metal/non-metal mine rescue teams and took first place overall in the team technician competition. Co-hosted and sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Mine Rescue Council, the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining & Safety, and the Colorado Mining Association, with coordination from the MSHA Rocky Mountain District, the 2026 Colorado Regional Mine Rescue competition featured two days of mine rescue field problems designed to simulate underground emergency situations. On the third day, competitors tested their individual skills in first aid, technician, and bench competitions. To learn more, visit doerun.com.

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) has released a list of general highway maintenance and construction work planned in the mid-Missouri area through this Sunday. Most routine work zones will be removed for the Labor Day holiday this weekend, but some long-term work zones and closures will remain in place. Except for emergencies, work will stop at noon on Friday and resume the morning of next Tuesday, Sept. 8th. Bridge maintenance is scheduled to begin over Dry Fork Creek, just north of Montauk, on Hwy. 72 and is scheduled for completion in October. One lane will remain open, and crews will flag traffic through the work zones. On Hwy. 119, bridge maintenance will continue over Pigeon Creek, just north of Montauk, and is scheduled for completion in September. Resurfacing continues east of Salem as the project continues toward Iron County Hwy. KK with expected completion also in September. Pedestrian facility upgrades continue on both Hwy. 19 and 32 within the city limits of Salem with minimal traffic impact expected. That project is also scheduled to be completed in September. In Phelps County, Highways C, CC, and T have pavement repairs planned beginning today and ending Thursday. Bridge rehabilitation continues over Interstate 44 at the Business Loop 44/Hwy. 72/Kingshighway junction, with the bridge remaining closed to all westbound traffic and an expected completion of the project in October. On Hwy. 62, bridge rehabilitation continues over Little Piney Creek near Yancy Mills with temporary traffic signals being used to maintain traffic through the single-lane work zone. That project is also scheduled for completion in October. On Hwy. BB, or 10th Street, in Rolla, bridge rehabilitation continues over the BNSF Railway with one lane open in each direction and no center turn lane. Intermittent closures of Oak Street and Olive Street can be expected.

An accident involving a Salem R-80 school bus occurred Thursday afternoon at approximately 4:13 at 5649 Hwy. 32, east of Salem. According to the Highway Patrol report, an eastbound 2018 Thomas School Bus, operated by a 63-year-old Salem woman, was stopped to allow children to exit the vehicle. The report went on to state that a 16-year-old juvenile female driver of an eastbound 2015 Dodge Ram was inattentive and using a cellular device, and the Dodge struck the rear of the school bus. The 16-year-old suffered serious injuries and was flown by Air Evac to Mercy Creve Coeur. The report stated that the drivers of the Dodge and the school bus were wearing safety restraints at the time of the accident. The Dodge sustained extensive damage and was towed from the scene by American Automotive. The school bus sustained minor damage and was towed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing. There was no report of any injuries to any students on the bus or to the driver.

The Dent County Commission met Thursday morning at the courthouse for their regular meeting. Commissioner Keith Green was appointed as Acting Presiding Commissioner for the meeting. Grant Wilson, representative for Congressman Jason Smith, updated the commissioners on Smith’s recent congressional district tour: Smith was able to get to 25 of his 28 counties. Wilson reported Congress will be back in session today. Under road reports, District One Commissioner Green stated rock is being added and parts of Dent County Road 6280 are being rebuilt. Crew members will pull ditches on county roads 5150 and 5650, as it is too dry to grade. District Two Commissioner Jimmy Williams stated ditches will be pulled and culverts replaced on county roads 2270 and 2613 – the back slope of County Road 2613 will also be worked on. Culverts are being replaced and rock added to county roads 2010, 2150 and 2350. At Gahr Equipment in St. James, a county truck is being delivered for repair, and another truck is being picked up. Chip and seal work for both districts will begin the second week of September. Jeff Benderet of Great Rivers Engineering (GRE) phoned in to update commissioners on the FLAP Project in Montauk on County Road 6670. All studies have been completed with no issues reported. Changes to that project have been approved by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), with MoDOT providing an additional $20,000 for engineering costs. Right-of-way acquisitions with two adjacent landowners needs to be completed before work can begin. Acquisitions can take three to six months to complete, estimated Banderet. Commissioners approved allowing  GRE to negotiate acquisitions on behalf of the county at a cost of $5,000. Bids for the courthouse sidewalk Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant project will be opened at 10:00 in the morning Sept. 19th. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission is at 9:00 in the morning at the courthouse today, and the meeting is open to the public.

This is the last day to provide input on the Dent County bridge rehabilitation project south of Salem over Spring Creek. Provide comments to MoDOT through the MoDOT Central Missouri District email at CDCR@modot.mo.gov; mailing to address 1511 Missouri Boulevard, Jefferson City, MO 65109; or visit the MoDOT website at modot.org and search “Missouri Route 19 Bridge Rehabilitation over Spring Creek in Dent County.”

Salem R-80 District Superintendent Nate Wills has released that a traffic accident occurred Thursday afternoon involving a school bus, which was struck behind by another vehicle. Both the students and the bus driver are safe with no medical treatment required. Students were transported home. Law enforcement are investigating the scene, and the district is cooperating fully with the investigation. Because the matter is under investigation and involves student privacy considerations, further details are not able to be shared at this time. Additional information as it becomes available and is able to be shared will be disseminated in the future. For any questions, please contact the district office at 573-729-6642.

The Salem Memorial Hospital Board of Directors held its public tax hearing on Tuesday evening at 6:30 in the Doctor’s Library. After much discussion, the board voted to approve the proposed tax rate of $0.24 per $100 of assessed valuation. Following the conclusion of the public tax hearing, the board called its regular meeting to order. There were no public comments and no unfinished business. Under New Business, a representative from the Hospital’s Helping Hands Auxiliary spoke about the group’s upcoming quilt raffle and provided a financial update. Since April, the auxiliary has raised $2,887.74 through fundraising, donations, and Gift Box sales, and has spent $2,377.66 on various expenses, including scholarships, and fundraising project supplies. The board then  voted to approve the Resolution of Potential Conflicts of Interest. During Operational Reports, interim CEO/CNO Amber Hogan presented her reports. Hogan noted that the hospital has been awarded a grant of approximately $1.8 million from the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), which must be spent by September 2027. Disbursement of funds is pending CMS-approved revisions to the application. The hospital applied for a match waiver but was denied, and will therefore need to cover a 10% match of the grant amount; the hospital’s foundation has agreed to cover 50% of that required match. The grant will fund several projects, including a new roof for the entire hospital, new exterior-facing windows, replacement of the call light system in Long Term Care and Med Surg, and installation of Packaged Terminal Air Conditioner (PTAC) units in several patient rooms. After much discussion, the board agreed to consult with legal counsel on whether grant-funded projects must be formally bid out. Other updates included TruBridge financial optimization, chargemaster updates, and ambulance upgrade progress. In July, the hospital recorded 65 inpatient admissions, 12 swing-bed admissions, 1,092 outpatient registrations, 650 emergency room visits, and 218 ambulance runs. Net patient revenue for July totaled approximately $1.8 million, against total operating expenses of about $2.3 million, resulting in an overall deficit of approximately $436,000. After approving the financial report, the board reviewed Accounts Receivable (AR) aging. AR currently totals $13.5 million, with approximately $4.6 million more than 120 days old. The hospital currently has 26 days of cash on hand. The board also reviewed two CDs and discussed renewal options, including the possibility of participating in a money market account specifically for political subdivisions. The board voted to approve new CEO Brent Peirick to negotiate CD rates with local banks and to sign a new rate as approved by the board via email vote. Following Kendra Mobray’s Quality Improvement report, the meeting adjourned to closed session to discuss personnel matters. The next regular meeting of the Salem Memorial Hospital Board of Directors is scheduled for September 29 at 7:00 in the Doctor’s Library and is open to the public.

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) has released that seal coating operations are scheduled to begin to help preserve the pavement and extend the life of the roadways in Dent County. Work will begin on Sept. 15th and continue through Sept. 16th on Hwy. F, from Hwy. 32 to Hwy. E.

There was an accident in Dent County Tuesday evening at approximately 5:35 that took the life of two Salem residents. According to the highway patrol report, a 2020 Ford Escape driven eastbound by a 45-year-old male of Salem, was stopped waiting in traffic to make a left hand turn from Highway 32 near Route P, when 2006 Dodge Ram 2500, driven by a 17-year-old boy from Bunker, failed to yield to the Ford and struck the back side of the Escape before crossing over the center of the roadway and striking a 1973 Dune Buggy head-on that was traveling westbound driven by a 60-year-old Salem man. Pronounced dead at the scene by Dent County Coroner Ben Pursifull were the 60-year-old male driver and a 59-year-old female passenger of the Dune Buggy. Their bodies were taken to the Dent County Morgue by Coroner Pursifull. The highway patrol was assisted at the scene by the Salem Police Department, Dent County Fire Protection District and Missouri Department of Transportation. The report stated that both individuals in the Dune Buggy were not wearing seat restraints at the time of the accident while the drivers of the other vehicles were wearing their safety devices. The Dune Buggy was totaled and Dodge Ram had moderate damages. Those vehicles were towed by American Towing while the Ford, which sustained moderate damage, was removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing.

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.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is buying bulk native fruit and seeds from the public for a variety of tree and shrub species around central Missouri. MDC’s Sedalia Office at 2000 S. Limit Ave. will be buying select native fruit and seeds priced by the pound by appointment through November. Contact MDC Forester Assistant Mary Lass at 660-530-5500 ext. 4818 or Mary.Lass@mdc.mo.gov to set an appointment or for more information on seed collection and to ensure MDC is still collecting specific seed species. Currently, MDC is buying Serviceberry at $7 per pound, Black Cherry at $6 per pound, and Wild Plum at $1.95 per pound of fruit. Collected seeds are taken to MDC’s George O. White State Forest Nursery near Licking. Nursery staff grow the collected seed into bare root seedlings used for conservation work and available for purchase by the public. Each year the State Forest Nursery processes more than 10,000 orders and ships about 2 million seedlings. To grow all these species, the nursery collects or buys tens of thousands of pounds of seeds each summer and fall.

Girls’ Night Out will be celebrating its 15th anniversary on Sept. 10th. This annual event will be held from 4:30 to 7:30 in the evening at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory. Participating vendors will have a variety of products and services tailored to women’s interests, and admission is limited to all women and girls 12 years of age and older. Plan to bring your girlfriends for an evening of pampering, shopping, and eating! This event is now accepting vendors. For more information, contact Jackie@salemcommunitycenter.org or call 573-729-8163.

The Salem Area Arts Council will be holding its annual “Art in the Parking Lot” event within downtown Salem on Sept. 26th from 10:00 in the morning to 3:00 in the afternoon. This event, now to be called “Art Walk Downtown,” will be set up from the Local on 4th all the way to the Flying W store, with local music and performances expected. Attendees can expect plenty of vendors offering locally made arts and crafts, alongside free kids activities and lots of demonstrations. For more information, visit the Facebook page at Facebook.com/artsinSalemMO.