Archive for 2026

The public meeting for the Missouri Route 32 bridge replacement over Huzzah Creek in Dent County has changed venues and dates. Built in 1931, the bridge is in poor condition and has reached the end of its useful life. The roadway is anticipated to remain open during construction with a one-lane temporary bypass and temporary traffic signals directing motorists through the work zone. The new dates for the open-house style meeting is Tuesday, February 10 at Boss Assembly of God Church, 22518 State Highway 32 in Boss. Visitors may stop by anytime between 4:30 and 6:00 in the evening to speak with project team members, view exhibits outlining planned work and proposed detours, ask questions and leave comments. There will be no formal presentation. Meeting materials will also be available online. A three-week open comment period is ongoing now through February 17. Input may be submitted online through a form on the project webpage, emailed to CDCR@modot.mo.gov, or mailed to 1511 Missouri Boulevard, Jefferson City, Missouri 65102. All comments must be received or postmarked no later than February 17th. More details are available on the project’s webpage on MoDOT’s website, where interested parties may sign up for project-specific updates. MoDOT asks motorists to buckle up, put phones down, obey traffic signs and slowdown in work zones. For traffic updates, call 1-888-ASK-MoDOT or visit MoDOT’s Traveler Information Map.

After a successful first offering, Healthy Dent County will again offer Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University beginning Sunday, February 8 at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory. The seven-week workshop will meet weekly on Sundays from 2:00 to 3:30 in the afternoon at 1200 W. Rolla Road in Salem. Financial Peace University is a nationally recognized program that teaches step-by-step strategies for budgeting, wise spending, understanding insurance, buying and selling a home, building wealth and practicing generosity. Luke Heithold will lead the class and guide participants through lessons and group discussion in a supportive environment. Organizers said the workshop gives people realistic tools they can use in everyday life after seeing the impact from the first class offering. The cost to attend is $60, and seating is limited. Advance registration is encouraged. For more information or to register, call 573-729-8163. Questions may be emailed to Carlos@salemcommunitycenter.org.

Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick announced his office will conduct a thorough review of governmental operations in Reynolds County. The regularly scheduled performance audit of the county located in southeast Missouri officially commenced with a meeting with county officials on Monday, February 2nd. Auditor Fitzpatrick said that it’s good to regularly shine the light of transparency on county governments as it gives citizens a better understanding of how their government is operating and how it can improve. It also gives county officials a roadmap for how they can make changes that will lead to a system of government that is more accountable and less vulnerable to waste, fraud, or abuse. Fitzpatrick went on to say that we encourage anyone who may have information that is useful to our office while we conduct this audit to contact our Whistleblower Hotline. We appreciate the information we receive, and we keep every submission confidential. The Missouri State Auditor’s Office last conducted a performance audit of Reynolds County in 2018. The audit provided the county with a rating of “good” while making recommendations to improve procedures in the Sheriff’s office, including ensuring appropriate oversight of financial transactions. The State Auditor’s Office also released a closeout audit of the Reynolds County Collector in 2022. The report found the county collector did not properly review fees withheld on utility and delinquent taxes calculated by the property tax system for accuracy and, as a result, the county collector over withheld some fees. Individuals may provide information confidentially for consideration during the audit of Reynolds County to the State Auditor’s Whistleblower Hotline at 800-347-8597, by email at moaudit@auditor.mo.gov, or by visiting www.auditor.mo.gov/hotline.

The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors will meet at 6:00 this evening in the Fire Station at #2 South Main. After the Call to Order and Roll Call will be the approval of the Consent Agenda, which includes review of previous meeting minutes, the financial report and approval of bills, plus the budget review. In Old Business the Board will address the Junior FF Program before adjournment. The regular meeting of the DCFPD Board of Directors is open to the public.

Saturday night in front of a large crowd at the SHS Gym, seven dance couples entertained the audience at the Salem Memorial Hospital Foundation’s “Dancing with the Salem Stars” event. Taking first place was Luke and Hannah Heithold with Shannon Wright and Bella Mutz capturing second place. The People’s Choice Award went Bub Partin and Lisa Godi for their entertaining dance. Other dance routines as part of the show were performed by the students at the Salem Academy of Dance taught by Ashlyn Patterson. The hospital foundation board thanks all those attending the event and especially the dancers who made it fun for all those who attended. 

Missouri leaders announced data showing that traffic fatalities declined in 2025 for the third year in a row, marking a significant milestone in the state’s ongoing effort to improve roadway safety. Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe joined the Missouri Department of Transportation, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and other safety partners in making the announcement, which also served as a call for continued action to save lives on Missouri roadways. Preliminary figures show there were 911 fatalities on Missouri roadways in 2025, down from 955 the previous year – a 5% decrease. Compared to three years ago, Missouri has achieved a 14% reduction in roadway deaths. This marks the first time the state has seen a three-year decline since 2019.

Time is running out for Missouri agriculture students to apply for a 2026 Missouri Corn Scholarship. The Missouri Corn Foundation is continuing the longstanding tradition of awarding seven deserving students $1,000 scholarships in 2026. Applications for the Missouri Corn Scholarship Program are available online for high school seniors and college juniors pursuing a degree in agriculture. Missouri Corn Scholarship Chair Brian Willott of Mexico, Missouri noted that investing in the future of our industry goes beyond building markets. It’s also investing in the people, the families, and the future leaders in agriculture. Whether it’s corn production, marketing, agronomy, or policy work, our industry is ever changing, and we want to invest in the students who are ready to take on the challenges to help move agriculture forward. Applications for the 2026 Missouri Corn Scholarships are available at mocorn.org under the Education tab and must be submitted online. To be eligible, students must submit an application, official high school or college transcript, and at least one letter of recommendation by February 13th, 2026. High school senior applicants must be Missouri residents from a Missouri farm or rural area. They must plan to attend a two- or four-year college or university and major in an agriculture-related field. The scholarship funds will apply toward the freshman year of college expenses for high school winners. College applicants must also be Missouri residents from a Missouri farm or rural area and currently a junior enrolled in a four-year college or university majoring in an agriculture-related field. The scholarship funds will apply toward the senior year of expenses for college winners. The Missouri Corn Scholarship Committee will review the applications, and recipients will be notified by mail on or before April 15th, 2026. To learn more about Missouri Corn programs, visit mocorn.org.

Calling Parents of 8th Graders! If your student is NOT currently enrolled in Salem R-80 school district but plans to attend Salem High School for the 2026–2027 school year, please be sure to attend the Pre-Enrollment Day! Pre-enrollment is an important first step because it allows the school to officially enter your student into their system. This helps the high school build accurate class schedules, create student profiles, plan courses, staffing, and support services. Getting your student pre-enrolled early ensures a smoother transition to high school and helps the school best prepare for your child’s success. Pre-Enrollment Day Wednesday Feb. 11th from 8:30 in the morning until 6:30 in the evening in the Salem High School Library.

The Dent County Commission met Monday morning at the courthouse. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Keith Green crews would be performing maintenance on all the vehicles and equipment. District 2 Commissioner Jimmy Williams reported workers would be removing fallen trees on county road 2240. They will also be working on county dump truck #122 as well as cutting more firewood for the county shed. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson stated he did not attend the Opioid Committee meeting last Thursday as something came up, but the committee did receive four requests for funding but have not yet forwarded any recommendations to the commission. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley stated she has sent a letter out to the taxing entities per Missouri State Statues that provides an estimate for cost of the April Municipal Election. Curley said Green-Forest R-2 School District, Reynolds County Ambulance and Timber Fire District will not have elections this April. Curley also said absentee voting will begin February 24th and if voters have moved since the last election to please update your voter registration in her office. Also, the offices of the Assessor and Collector in the courthouse closed Monday due to a plumbing issue in the restroom. A plumber is scheduled to be at the courthouse for repairs today. 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. 

Thursday a helicopter carrying three Missouri state parks team members and a private pilot crashed into the Meramec River. The state park team members were conducting an aerial ecological survey of Meramec State Park when the aircraft may have struck a power line. All those aboard the helicopter were rescued from the river and are under medical care at Missouri Baptist Sullivan Hospital.  Kurt Schaefer, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, said that while we continue to investigate, we want to thank the first responders for their quick actions, and we are very thankful that everyone appears to be OK. The Department of Natural Resources continues to collect information. Missouri state parks rangers and other emergency personnel are on site assisting. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The Missouri Department of Transportation is seeking community input on a project which will replace the Highway 32 bridge over Huzzah Creek in Dent County, southwest of Viburnum. Built in 1931, the Huzzah Creek bridge is in poor condition, showing signs it has reached the end of its useful life, and is in need of replacement. Currently, Highway 32 is expected to remain open during construction, with a one-lane temporary bypass in place and temporary traffic signals directing motorists through the work zone. The public is invited to attend an open-house style public meeting today, at the Quad County Fire Department located at 80 Highway 49 in Viburnum. Visitors may stop by at any time between 4:30 and 6:00 this evening to speak with project team members, view exhibits outlining the planned work, ask questions and leave comments. There will be no formal presentation. Meeting materials will also be available online. In addition to the public meeting, there is a comment period running through February 17th. Input may be submitted online through a form on the project webpage, emailed to CDCR@modot.mo.gov, or mailed to 1511 Missouri Boulevard, Jefferson City, MO, 65102. All comments must be received or postmarked by February 17th.  

Signups for the City of Salem Park and Recreation Department’s Youth Soccer program are going on now for $35 per person until February 6th. Planned age divisions range between four and under, up to 14 and under. To sign up, go to the Salem Park and Recreation Facebook page and use the link to Teamsnap to register your child. For help email, salemparks@salemmo.com.