Archive for 2026

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen held its regular meeting Tuesday evening in the auditorium at 202 North Washington Street. After approving the agenda and consent agenda, the board approved a request from Rob Benowitz for a street closure in connection with the 100 Acre Wood Rally on March 14th. Benowitz requested that Iron Street and 5th Street around the courthouse be closed for the pre-race meet and greet. The Local on 4th and Skip Dahms both submitted a request to close Fourth Street between Washington Street and Highway 19 to allow businesses to set up tables during the rally’s meet and greet. That request was approved as well. In new and miscellaneous business, the board voted to begin contract negotiations with Toth & Associates for on-call engineering services. During reports from city officials, Mayor Greg Parker said he has received several complaints from residents about delays in receiving utility bills and encouraged customers to sign up for email billing. Alderman Michael Letchworth reported that he attended the Good Dads orientation in Springfield and is looking forward to implementing what he learned. Alderwoman Catherine Dent provided updates on the beautification project along Highway 32 and Highway 19 and announced she will host a West Ward block party on Thursday, March 12, at 7:00 as a thank you to her constituents. With no further reports, the board entered executive session to discuss personnel matters. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Aldermen will be held March 10 and will be open to the public.

The Salem Police Department recently released their report for the month of January. The department responded to six accidents during the month as well as eight alarms sounding, addressed 47 animal calls, investigated an assault or fight, a report of a burglary, performed 23 well-being checks and 14 area checks in January. Police investigated 13 domestic disputes, six verbal disturbances, conducted 43 follow-up investigations and provided 24 escorts. They investigated three harassment reports, two parking complaint calls, one intoxicated pedestrian call, a fraud charge, two trespassing calls and a property damage report. The Salem Police wrote five stealing reports, responded to nine traffic complaints and assisted ten motorists. Officers responded to a report of a suicidal person, 11 suspicious circumstance calls, three suspicious person calls and four suspicious vehicle calls. The Salem Police in January investigated a report of shots fired, two reports of shoplifting, two reports of a prowler, two peace disturbances and 22 nuisance violations. Officers attempted to serve ten warrants and they conducted 113 traffic stops during the month. The police responded to a total of 508 incidents in January with the average response time being one minutes and 51 seconds. The average time spent on the scene was 14 minutes and 38 seconds. If you have any information regarding an ongoing investigation, contact the Salem Police Department by calling their non-emergency phone number at (573) 729-6550 or speak with them in person at 500 N. Jackson Street in Salem.

The Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District is seeking area sponsors within its seven-county region for the 35th Annual Earth Day Poster, Trash Art and Graphic Art Contest. Sponsorships provide prizes for students placing first and second along with honorable mentions in the contest. Some 91 students received prizes in 2025. The trash art and poster contests are open to all students in grades pre-kindergarten to college, including home-schooled students, within Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties. Students have the opportunity to participate in multiple contest categories, including posters that are hand drawn and feature graphic arts, and also to repurpose recyclables and trash into three-dimensional pieces of art. This year’s theme is “Be a Food Waste Warrior” with a focus on reducing food waste by not taking too much food, sharing your leftovers, feeding food waste to farm animals and composting. All sponsors receive their logo on the contest flyer and special recognition on the ORSWMD website and Facebook page. For more information, contact Jill Hollowell, via email jhollowell@meramecregion.org or via phone at 573-265-2993 ext. 109.

A Salem man suffered serious injuries in an accident that occurred Tuesday morning at approximately 6:15 on Highway 68 one-half mile north of the Salem City Limits. According to the Highway Patrol report the 2008 Hyundai Sonata, operated by the 38-year-old driver, ran off the right side of the roadway, overcorrected, went off the left side of the roadway striking a culvert, then struck a building. The man was transported by Air Evac to University Hospital in Columbia. The report stated that he was not wearing a safety restraint. The Hyundai was totaled and removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing.

Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant in Bunker on February 20th leading to the arrest of a wanted fugitive. According to the Reynolds County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Wilkinson applied for and obtained the warrant after investigators developed information that the subject was likely located at a residence in Bunker. Sheriff McCoy, Deputy Wilkinson, Deputy Brumble, Bunker Police Chief Martin, and a member of the ORP Task Force carried out the warrant. During the search, officers located Amanda McGruder, who was wanted on a felony no-bond warrant out of Crawford County. The warrant charges listed include three counts of possession of controlled substances, a class D felony, and once charge for unlawful use of a weapon, a class E felony. McGruder was taken into custody without incident. McGruder was transported and booked on the outstanding warrant. The Reynolds County Sheriff’s Office expressed appreciation to the Bunker Police Department and the ORP Task Force for their assistance in the operation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education held their regular meeting Thursday at 5:30 in the administration building located at 1409 West Rolla Road.  After the call to order and Pledge of Allegiance, the board approved the agenda and consent agenda. Superintendent Dr. Nathan Wills shared correspondence from Wes and Dana Connell. Twenty-one students, from the Senior High School, in the Career and Technical Education Apprenticeship and two students in the Family and Consumer Sciences programs were recognized at the meeting. During his report, Dr. Wills updated board members regarding legislative fiscal notes, ongoing and future repairs to the high school gymnasium floor, and wall repainting plans, the next school year’s calendar, and the staff survey results. After the Administration Board Reports the board approved the contract for policy services from the Missouri School Boards’ Association (MSBA), as well as the MSBA Policy Updates. The motion to approve the updated principal’s contract, the 2026-2027 School Calendar, and the Wagner Photo contract was also approved. The meeting then moved into Executive session to discuss personnel matters before adjourning. The next meeting of the Salem R-80 School Board of Education is scheduled for March 12, in the Administration Building and will be open to the public. 

In recognition and celebration of Drinking Water Week, May 3rd through the 9th, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Missouri Section American Water Works Association are holding a poster contest for students in the fifth grade. The department is now accepting entries, which must be postmarked by end of the month this Saturday. This year’s poster theme is “Save It, Don’t Waste It!” Posters should show ways to save and conserve our drinking water. Entries should be no larger than 11 x 17 inches, and artists may draw with any color or physical media, such as crayon, marker or pencil to create their posters. Digital media submissions will not be accepted. Entries will be judged on three criteria: How original the entry is, how well the concept is executed and how well the poster relates to public water supplies. Judges will choose a first, second and third place winner. Prizes include $300 for first place, $200 for second place and $100 for third place. The American Water Works Association provides the prize money. The department will feature winning entries on its social media platforms and website. Posters will not be returned after the contest. All posters should be submitted to Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Public Drinking Water Branch, Attention: Tena Hale, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176. For more information or for questions about the contest, contact Tena Hale of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources at 573-526-2180.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen will meet this evening at 5:30 at 202 N. Washington in the Old City Hall Auditorium. After the Pledge of Allegiance, roll call and approval of the agenda and consent agenda, the board will hear any scheduled public comments and consider multiple street closure requests, including one from Rob Benowitz for the 100 Acre Wood Rally, a request related to The Local on March 14, 2026, and a request from Skip Dahms. New and miscellaneous business will include discussion of an engineering firm recommendation, followed by reports from city officials. The meeting will conclude with a closed session, to discuss personnel matters, before adjourning. The regular portion of tonight’s meeting is open to the public. 

The Dent County Commission met Monday morning at the courthouse. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams gave the CART Tax receipts for the month of February. Dent County received $92,158.32 which is $3,884.49 more than last February. Year-to-date, the CART funds are up $6,557.00 which is about a 3.8% increase. Dent County Emergency Management Director Derrick Marfitt reported the FEMA reimbursement for Dent County Road 4210 is waiting on the report from Great Rivers Engineering. The county is still waiting on funding approval from FEMA for all the obligated projects the road department has already completed. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Keith Green said brush will be cut on Dent County Road 5620 and possibly on county road 5630. Workers will be servicing one truck, and another crew will be replacing missing road signs on county roads. District 2 Commissioner Jimmy Williams stated brush will be cut on county road 2370. Williams indicated both tractors are being worked on and signs will be replaced on county road 3140. Williams did say that grading may begin on county road 2210. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson reported he attended a meeting in St. James Friday at the MRPC building on the elimination of solid waste management districts. Larson said there were numerous reps in person and on zoom discussing their opposition to the idea that is being pushed by the governor to reassign funding to the Department of Natural Resources. Larson will keep the county posted on any further information he receives on future developments. Larson said the commissioners would not be meeting Thursday, February 26th, due to their annual training. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said excused absentee voting for the Municipal Election starts today at the courthouse. Today will also be the first day for those who want to file for county or state offices for the Primary election in August. Interested candidates for the county offices can begin filing at the courthouse at 8:00 this morning at the county clerk’s office and that is on a first come, first serve basis. Those wanting to run for state office will need to file at the James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center located at 600 West Main Street in Jefferson City, starting at 8:00 this morning. Curley also stated that 27 counties in Missouri will benefit from the federal reimbursement for timber impacted counties and Dent County is one of them. She said Dent County will receive $150,403.00 for fiscal year 2025 and 2026. Dent County is a member of NACO who was the advocate in winning this major victory to pass the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act. The commission accepted the bid from Blevins Asphalt from Mount Vernon for 10 miles of chip and seal work for $205,920. The Commissioners agreed to seek bids for a used light duty dump truck between the years 2019 and 2024. For bids specs on the truck, call Keith at 573-247-6658. Bids will be due on March 5th at 10:30 in the morning. The commission will have the right to accept or reject all bids. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Monday morning at the courthouse at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.