Archive for 2026

The City of Salem Electric Department will complete a planned power outage beginning at 10:00 in the evening this coming Sunday, Oct. 25th. Crews will be replacing a utility pole behind Country Mart. Country Mart and customers in the Bay Court area will be without power for up to two hours. Power should be restored by midnight if work proceeds as expected. Customers along Main Street (Hwy. 19) and east Scenic Rivers Blvd. (Hwy. 32) who are served by Feeder 1 may notice two brief power interruptions (blinks in power). The first will occur when crews disconnect the affected lines. A second brief interruption will occur when crews reconnect the lines after the pole replacement is complete. Residents may wish to charge electronic devices, save computer work and make other preparations before 10:00. Anyone who depends on electrically powered medical equipment should make appropriate backup arrangements. If your power remains off after the planned work is complete, report the outage by calling or texting 833-703-4811.

The Salem Police Department currently has eight recovered bicycles of various sizes and models. If your bicycle is missing, please contact the SPD with a description, so staff can determine if it is among those recovered. Parents are encouraged to remain aware of their children’s activities, as recent investigations have linked an increase in bicycle thefts to a group of juveniles. The public is reminded that they can register their bicycle with the SPD to help make identification and recovery easier in the future with the bicycle registration program, CycleSafe. To register, bring your bicycle to the SPD located on 500 North Jackson Street. An officer will record your bicycle’s identifying information in the registration log and issue a registration number to be placed on your bike. The registration form will require the owner’s name, phone number, and address so the police department can make contact if your bicycle is recovered. Registration does not exempt your bicycle from applicable traffic laws or equipment requirements. For questions or to receive a registration form ahead of time, email Detective Stephenson at tstephenson@salemmo.com or contact 573-729-4242.

The Salem Mo. Spectacular Balloon Glow, an event put on in partnership between Parsons Chiropractic, City of Salem Parks and Recreation, and the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce, is returning to brighten the dark autumn skies of Salem for the third year in a row. This annual event will take place this coming Saturday, Oct. 24th at the Al Brown Complex, beginning at 11:00 in the morning with crafts, food trucks, petting zoo, and pony rides. Hot air balloons will begin lighting up when night falls. Everyone is encouraged to come early to find a good spot to sit to enjoy the festivities leading up to the Balloon Glow. Not only will the balloons be lighting up the grounds, but there will also be one providing rides, as safe weather conditions allow. Stay tuned on what’s coming up by following the official Facebook page: Find it by searching Facebook for “Salem, MO Spectacular Balloon Glow Event.” The craft fair and food trucks will take place rain or shine. As the hot air balloons are weather sensitive, organizers will provide notice in advance if weather conditions should prevent the glow.

The Salem High School will be holding a Veteran’s Day Assembly on Nov. 11th beginning at 8:30 in the morning. Veterans are invited to come and have breakfast at SHS beginning at 7:45 and stay for the assembly. Please RSVP by contacting 573-729-6642 ext. 5151.

The Dragonfly Wings Foundation’s Flemings Variety on 4th will be holding a holiday event from Nov. 6th through the 8th from 10:00 in the morning to 6:00 in the evening each day. Every penny spent supports teachers and educational programs all throughout Dent County. There will be pies, cheeseballs, cookies, and candy homemade, frozen, and ready to take home for holiday treats, alongside handmade and retail items to peruse and purchase as holiday gifts. Raffles for quilts and auction items will also be available. To learn more about the Dragonfly Wings Foundation, visit their website at dflyw.org. To stay up to date on their upcoming events, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/dragonflywingsfoundation.

The Salem R-80 School District reported Monday morning that the Salem Police Department, Dent County Sheriff’s Office, and Dent County Fire Protection District were on site at Upper Elementary for a water heater fire in the kitchen. Kitchen staff pulled the fire alarm and both students and staff were immediately evacuated. All students were accounted for and safe, the district reported. Students were returned to the building once the DCFPD gave the district affirmative. The district thanked the Dent County Fire Department, Salem Police Department, and Dent County Sheriff’s Department for the response. Shortly after, Superintendent Nathan Wills reported water issues were observed at the Upper Elementary with students unable to drink the water. More information will be released to the public when available.

The Dent County Commission met for its regular meeting Monday morning at the courthouse. Under road reports, District One Commissioner Keith Green reported on behalf of both district one and district two, as District Two Commissioner Jimmy Williams was absent. Green reported that district one crew members would be grading on county roads 5615, 2400, and 5110 and cutting brush on County Road 6280. Crew members will also be stockpiling rock. For district two, crew members will be grading on county roads 2210, 2380, 4300, 4310, and 6160. Cutting brush is planned for county roads 4283, 5200, and 5225. Hauling rock is to be done to County Road 4300. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson shared that he would be attending a Tourism Commission meeting. That meeting will be Monday at 5:00 in the evening at the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce office and is open to the public. Members meet to determine disbursement of tourism funds for community marketing purposes. County Clerk Angie Curley reported that bills are to be approved alongside payroll, and that no-excuse absentee voting is to begin Tuesday for the Nov. 3rd General Election and continue through Monday, Nov. 2nd. The Dent County Courthouse will be open for no-excuse absentee voting on Saturday, Oct. 31st. Find more on the election at sos.mo.gov/elections. If anyone would like to request a sample ballot and/or fair ballot language, contact the county clerk’s office at 573-729-4144 or email dent@sos.mo.gov. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Thursday morning from 9:00 to noon at the courthouse. The meeting is open to the public.

The Dent County Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) would like to thank Heather Johnson, Dalton Sanders, High School Principal Jodi Heavin and the students of the Agricultural Construction class at Salem High School for building 20 beds last week. This is the 5th SHP bed build with SHS, and the students have now built 111 beds, for kids in need in our community who do not have a bed. A thank you was also expressed to Progressive Ozark Bank who sponsored the lumber for the build. To find more information on the Dent County chapter, visit shpbeds.org/chapter/mo-dent-co or facebook.com/SHPDentCo.

An accident that took the lives of three people occurred in Maries County on Highway 63 Wednesday morning at approximately 6:05. A northbound 2023 Buick Encore GX, driven by a 30-year-old woman from Dixon, was passing a tractor trailer when it hydroplaned. The Buick struck a southbound 2016 Ford F-150, driven by a 37-year-old man from Fulton. The driver of the Buick, a 30-year-old male passenger in the Buick, and a 29-year-old male passenger in the Ford, were pronounced deceased at the scene. All three were transported to the Crawford County Mortuary. The driver of the Ford suffered serious injuries, while a 21-year-old man and two 29-year-old men suffered moderate injuries. All occupants of the Ford were from Fulton. The survivors of the crash were transported by either the Osage County Ambulance or the Maries County Ambulance to either Capital Regional Hospital in Jefferson City or University Hospital in Columbia. According to the report all occupants of the two vehicles were wearing safety restraints. The Ford was removed from the scene by Plaza Towing, and the Buick was removed by Fast Lane Towing.

The Dent County Health Center Board of Trustees has announced the following staff appointments and responsibility assignments. Joan Raulston has been named the Dent County Health Officer. Joan also has been appointed Deputy Administrator in charge of HR and general finances. Jessica Ricks has been appointed Deputy Administrator in charge of Grants and related finances. For more information, please contact either Joan or Jessica at (573) 729-3106.

The Dent County Commission met for its regular meeting Thursday morning at the courthouse. Under road reports, District One Commissioner Keith Green reported that crew members will be stockpiling rock and hauling rock to County Road 5070. Maintenance is to be done on a grader’s tires. District Two Commissioner Jimmy Williams reported that crew members will be grading on county roads 3200, 2550, 2210, and 4300. Hauling rock will also be done to County Road 4300. Under public comments, Dent County Historical Society President Deloris Gray Wood thanked Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson for nominating the organization for an award at the Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) Annual Banquet. MRPC’s Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) Vice-Chairman AJ Seay reported that at the Sept. 23rd meeting there was a presentation given from Rob Pulliam of 501(c)(3) non-profit organization The Nature Conservancy (TNC) on grant funds available for low-water crossings. TNC can assist with funding for low-water crossings and some culvert bridges which pose significant barriers to the movement of fish and other wildlife. Seay also reported that a presentation was given from the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) which stated that statewide fatalities saw a year-to-date decrease in 2026; however, the fatality rates for Dent County have doubled. Seay also stated he would be attending training for new commissioners in Jefferson City on Dec. 12th. In Larson’s report, he attended an Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District (ORSWMD) meeting in which members reviewed district grant applications. The organization was short $18,821 on giving applicants requested funds, so all applicants received a 6% decrease. The next meeting of the ORSWMD will be on Dec. 15th. County Clerk Angie Curley reported that the county has received notice from the State Auditor’s Office that the budget for 2027 is now available; Curley will begin the budget preparation process. Curley also reported that data distributed by the Missouri Association of Counties (MAC) indicates an increase in revenue for County Aid Road Trust (CART) funds beginning in 2027. Meanwhile, for the Nov. 3rd General Election, Curley reminds the public that no excuse absentee voting is set to begin on Tuesday, Oct. 20th and continue through Monday, Nov. 2nd. The Dent County Courthouse will be open for no-excuse absentee voting on Saturday, Oct. 31st. Find more on the election at sos.mo.gov/elections. If anyone would like to request a sample ballot and/or fair ballot language, contact the county clerk’s office at 573-729-4144 or email dent@sos.mo.gov. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be this morning from 9:00 to noon at the courthouse. This meeting is open to the public.

The Bunker R-III School District will be holding a blood drive within the old gymnasium of the high school on Monday, Nov. 2nd from 1:30 to 5:30 inthe afternoon. By donating blood, you give a chance at life to those in need and help Bunker High School seniors earn scholarships. To make an appointment, put the Bunker, Mo. zip code of 63629 into the search box of the American Red Cross website at redcrossblood.org.

After communication with local Fire Chiefs, the Dent County Commission has lifted the burn ban. The burn ban, originally scheduled to expire on Oct. 17th, has been reversed and outdoor burning can resume effective immediately. 

The Salem R-80 School District Board of Education held its regularly scheduled meeting Wednesday night. Communications were read from Kim and Dee Moser thanking the board for sympathies expressed for their loss. Students who take part in Tiger Trackers at Upper Elementary were recognized by the board for helping newly enrolled students get acquainted with school life. Superintendent Nathan Wills reported that he is working on a letter to inform the public of the shortfall in state funding for the Foundation Formula, after discussions with superintendents throughout the south central region and other Dent County school districts indicated support. Opaa!, the food management service utilized by Salem R-80, has reported that numbers are up across the board for meals served in September compared to meals served at the same time last year: Breakfast meals served was reported at 9,714 compared to 9,194 last year; Lunch was reported at 18,114 compared to 16,263; And the afterschool meals program reported 4,626 compared to 832. Wills commented that the data indicates the free meals program instituted at the high school is likely to remain cost-effective for the district. The board then received updates and reports from district administrators. High School Principal Jodi Heavin reported that the building is working with Scenic Rivers Industries (SRI) for a workmanship program with the high school. A Veteran’s Day breakfast and assembly is planned at 8:00 in the morning Wednesday, Nov. 11th hosted by FFA students. Under new business, the board approved policy updates as presented, alongside the local compliance plan consistent with the 2025 Missouri state plan for special education. A sole bid from Wofford Construction for the new agricultural barn was approved, with the board thanking the business for its significant donation of both labor and materials. A bid from BuildTech Construction for the Upper Elementary parking lot improvements was also approved. The board approved giving Wills authority to make electronic payments. Declaring several items of district property as surplus was also approved. Through the Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO), the board approved the opening of the Salem FBLA Student Opportunity Fund. Finally, the board approved the purchase of a bus as replacement for the one totalled recently in an accident. Non-certified staffing changes were then presented with one hire of Tim Bell as middle school para and resignations or retirements of Tarah Lapointe, William Lynch aide; Heather Franklin, middle school para; and Jessika Gray, high school nurse. The board then approved moving into executive session for the purposes of discussing personnel and student issues. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Salem R-80 Board of Education will be Thursday, Nov. 19th at 5:30 in the evening at the Salem R-80 Administrative Office. These meetings are open to the public until closed. 

Salem FFA members delivered an outstanding performance at the Area Fall Speaking Competition held this past Tuesday in West Plains, earning five first-place finishes and seven spots in the upcoming district competition. Dalli Johnson took 1st place in Missouri Forest Products, Abbi Terrill earned 1st place in Missouri Teach Ag, Adam Heithold placed 1st place in Soil and Water, John Cunningham secured 1st in Missouri Farm Bureau and Jacob Pipp earned 1st Place in Missouri Cattleman’s. James Combs placed 2nd place in Missouri Sheep Producers. Konner Headrick took 3rd place in Young Farmers/Young Farm Wives and Riley Combs finished 4th place in Midwest Dairy. Each student with a third place finish or better will compete at the district level in November at RTI.

No excuse absentee voting is set to begin this Tuesday and continue through Monday, Nov. 2nd. The Dent County Courthouse will be open for no-excuse absentee voting on Saturday, Oct. 31st. If anyone would like to request a sample ballot and/or fair ballot language, contact the county clerk’s office at 573-729-4144.