Archive for 2026

City of Salem Administrator Sally Burbridge reports the Electric Department will complete important maintenance work this Friday, with a planned power outage scheduled to take place from 7:30 to 9:30 in the morning. The outage is needed so crews can safely replace an electrical pole at the corner of Main Street and 8th Street. This pole cannot remain energized during the work. The outage is expected to last about two hours and will affect North Main Street, East 10th Street, East 11th Street and nearby connecting streets. Customers in these areas should plan ahead for the temporary loss of power. To prepare for this outage, those affected can turn off or unplug sensitive electronics such as computers and TVs, keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed, and be prepared for brief service interruption. The city appreciates your assistance and patience as the electric department completes this work to keep the city electric system safe and reliable.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education will be holding a reorganization meeting prior to the start of its regular board meeting tonight at 5:30 in the afternoon, located in the board room at the Administrative Office on J Highway. After the call to order and certification of election results, there will be a swearing in of newly elected members by the secretary of the board. Superintendent Nate Wills will act as temporary chairman for the election of the new board president and vice-president. The new board president will then preside over the election of the secretary and treasurer. The board will elect the MSBA delegate and alternate, followed by adjournment of the reorganization meeting. The regular board meeting will then be called to order followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and the approval of the agenda and consent agenda. The board will hear communications from Lisa Mast and Daniel Jennings. The Salem Upper Elementary will be recognized, followed by the superintendent’s report. CSIP goals will be addressed in all reports. Administration reports will be heard from William Lynch, Upper Elementary, Middle School, and High School administration. Athletics and Activities, Special Education, Technology, Maintenance, and Transportation reports will be received by the board in writing. Under new business, the board will be: approving insurance renewal, a vision specialist contract, a CTS contract for virtual SLP, SLP-A, and PT services, and a lawn mower purchase of $11,315 from Dent County Farm Supply. A hire of Sydney Dothage (ECSE P/T aide) is considered for consideration, along with the resignation of Sarah Montoya, Upper Elementary aide. The board will enter closed session to discuss personnel and student issues, followed by adjournment after returning to open session. The reorganization meeting and the regular meeting of the Salem R-80 Board of Education will be open to the public.

MoDOT has released a list of general highway maintenance and construction work planned in the mid–Missouri area from now through April 19th. Weather conditions may postpone scheduled work. Many projects will include lane closures, which could cause delays. Within all counties, in addition to the work listed, other moving operations such as pothole patching, brush cutting, striping, and pavement repairs continue in various locations. Motorists should travel with care and be alert for slow-moving equipment. In Dent County, pedestrian facility upgrades continue in the city limits of Salem on Route 19. Minimal traffic impacts are expected during the project, which is expected to be completed by September 2026. On Route B, the bridge over Dry Creek remains closed. Motorists may use Missouri Routes 19, 32 and 72 as detour routes around the closure. A project to replace the bridge is scheduled to be completed this year. In Phelps County, pedestrian facility upgrades continue in Rolla on Highway 72, with project completion expected in April 2026. The bridge rehabilitation project over I-44 continues with one eastbound lane to remain open on Business Loop 44/Route 72/Kingshighway. The bridge is closed to all westbound traffic, and a signed detour is in place. The project is expected to be completed in July 2026.

On Friday evening at the Creative Arts Center, you can create a “Think Spring” Front Porch Welcome Sign from 6:00 to 8:30 with Danielle Norris. Create a one of a kind front porch sign with your favorite idea and display it at home or work, or give it as a gift. The cost is $20 if you are painting the back of a sign you already have, or $30 for a new one. Stencils will be provided as well as all supplies. At least six people need to sign up to hold the class. To register, go online to the SACBA website, click on the “Programs” category and then go the Salem Creative Arts Council link. For questions, please e-mail salemartscenter@salemcommunitybetterment.com.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen met for its regular meeting Tuesday evening. After the Pledge of Allegiance, roll call and approval of the agenda and consent agenda, the board approved the resolution certifying the Municipal Election results, followed by an oath of office for newly elected officials Mayor Greg Parker, two-year term; East Ward Alderman Nathan Kinsey, two-year term; and West Ward Alderwoman Catherine Dent, two-year term. The board then elected Alderman Rick Letchworth as president. Mayor Parker’s reappointments to various municipal bodies, including the Planning and Zoning Board, Board of Adjustments, Utility Committee, Parks and Recreation, Enhanced Enterprise Zone, and Airport Board, were approved. Krista Deluca provided the audit presentation for the fiscal year ending June 30th, 2025. Due to spending more than $750,000 in federal funding, the city had received an additional audit, what is known as a single-audit. Within the independent auditor’s report on compliance with federal programs, there were no findings, of which Deluca commended the city. The city had received an unmodified opinion, which means the financial statements were fairly stated. The audit showed the city’s total assets are $40,729,000 and total liabilities are $10,852,000. The total net position for the city is $30,662,000. The electric fund showed an increase in net position of $1.6 million, while the water fund showed an increase of $915,000. Moving on, the board approved the request for street closure along 4th Street for the Art in the Parking Lot event Sept. 26th from 8:00 in the morning to 5:00 in the evening from Tana Kettner of the Salem Area Arts Council. The board also approved Brandon Snyder for the Salem Housing Authority. Parker read a proclamation recognizing the impact and contributions of the Salem Public Library, declaring Library Week from April 19th through April 25th. The board approved amending its previous motion from Midstate Pipeline for the Wastewater Treatment Plant and its FEMA mitigation project, along with a resolution approving a contract for the control panel improvements. The board approved an ordinance authorizing the mayor to accept and execute an access easement from HMH Properties, LLC. for permanent access and utility purposes, and the lease of the former water pre-treatment building between HMH Properties, LLC. and the city. The board then approved for staff to pursue the sale of surplus equipment on Purple Wave. Under bids, the board approved a bid from Rommel Lock and Alarm for $14,250 for a 360-degree camera system to be installed at the city park and monitored by the Salem Police Department Dispatch. The board approved a bid from Roberts-Judson at a cost of $5,421.27 to replace the front door, office windows, and kennel windows of the Salem Animal Shelter. Police Chief Joe Chase reported the Department of Agriculture has inspected the shelter and given it a perfect score. The board approved a bid from Resolve IT to continue its services to the city for another year, the cost of which has been budgeted at $7,500. Two change orders for the Wastewater Treatment Plant were also approved, one to extend the contract for the Phase 2A project to accommodate for the delay in delivery of pump equipment, and another to elevate a control panel at a cost of $9,428 for FEMA mitigation. Finance Director Stacey Houston reported the total sales tax revenues collected for Fiscal Year 2026 are $3,708,625, up from last year 2.7%. The ending total of all funds is approximately $17 million. Public Works Director Steve Paine reported 60 fire hydrants are being maintained and repainted across the east side of the city. A culvert near Phil-Mart’s drive through has caved in. The cost to replace the culvert will be quite high. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Aldermen will be April 28th and will be open to the public.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen will be having its regular meeting tonight at 6:00 within the City Hall Auditorium located at 202 North Washington Street. After the Pledge of Allegiance, roll call and approval of the agenda and consent agenda, the board will hear any scheduled public comments. A resolution declaring the results of the Municipal Election held April 7th will be approved, followed by an oath of office for newly elected officials, reorganization of the board, and committee appointments. An audit presentation will then be given. Several items will be considered, including a request for street closure from Tana Kettner, and the Salem Housing Authority board appointment of Brandon Snyder. A Library Week proclamation will be read. The board will be considering the amendment of its previous motion to approve a bid from Midstate Pipeline for the WWTP. The board will hear a second reading of an ordinance authorizing the mayor to accept and execute an access easement from HMH Properties, LLC. for permanent access and utility purposes, along with a resolution authorizing an access easement and lease of the former water pre-treatment building between HMH Properties, LLC. and the city. In addition, the board will be approving a contract for control panel improvements. Under bids, the board will consider the approval of the sale of surplus equipment on Purple Wave; a camera system for the city park; animal shelter improvements; and Resolve IT services. A first and second reading of an ordinance approving Change Order No. 3 for the Salem Wastewater Treatment Facility Phase 2A Improvements Project will also be considered. Finally, there will be reports from city officials, followed by adjournment into a closed session. The open session meeting of the City of Salem Board of Alderman is open to the public.

The Dent County Commission met Monday morning at the courthouse. Resident John Baker of County Road 3193 requested ditches be pulled on the road. District 2 Commissioner Jimmy Williams was informed by crew members ditches on the road were too wet to pull but as soon as they are dry enough, they will be pulled. In road reports, District 1 Commissioner Keith Green said crew members were removing a downed tree on County Road 4080. He also stated grading was going to be done on county roads 5130, 5150, 5390, 6380 and 6485. He indicated rock would be added where needed. Green went on to say that a crew member will also be working on the small dump truck. District 2 Commissioner Williams reported workers will be grading county roads 4040, 4330, 4400, 4403 and 5280. He also stated that rock will be added and grading done on county road 2550, which serves a Missouri Department of Conservation area. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson said he attended the MRPC meetings last week and reported to the commissioners MRPC fees are increasing 14%. The old price for membership was $6,018, and the commission would now have to pay $6,883.80 for 2026 services. The commission all agreed to accept the price increase. Larson said there was a discussion on project based vouchers for homes in the HUD program, and that the Phelps County Public Housing Agency (PHA) has reopened its wait list and began accepting applications for housing assistance. Larson also stated there was a discussion on the Route 66 Festival that will be going on this spring and summer. The commissioners and Dent County Clerk Angie Curley will be attending the MAC Legislative Days in Jefferson City today and Wednesday. Curley will also be attending a MAC Board meeting there, as well. Dent County Assessor Alisa Brookshire came in to present an agreement between the Dent County Assessor’s office and Brewer Unlimited Consulting, LLC. They will provide training and assistance in conducting lot splits at a rate of $25.00 per hour. The agreement says the county will be billed monthly and consultants will not exceed eight hours worked every two weeks. Sargent Len Pabin came in to let the commission know the Dent County Sheriff’s Department is needing diesel for their incinerator. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Thursday morning at the courthouse at 9:00, and the meeting is open to the public.