Archive for 2026

The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors will meet this evening at 6:00 at 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, Fidelity (CTI) Tower Lease, and the Chief spending limit.  In New Business the Board will consider the Red Knights Club and meet with Ben Pursifull. Chief Thomas will give his report, which will include the Monthly Reimbursement Report, followed by the setting of the date for the next meeting and closed session, if necessary, before adjournment. The regular meeting of the DCFPD Board of Directors is open to the public.

The Dent County Commission met Monday morning at the courthouse. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams gave the sales tax receipts report for February. She stated the General Revenue and Law Enforcement Sales Tax Funds each received $98,718.40, and year-to-date those funds are $13,851.22 over the total collected through February 2025. That is about a 7.6% increase. The Road and Bridge Fund received $49,359.19 in February, and that fund is up year-to-date $13,368.41 from the same time last year which is about a 15.7% increase. Williams reported both Jail Funds received $99,139.52, and year-to-date those funds are each up $26,677.14 over what was received through February of 2025. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Keith Green said grading work will try to be done on Dent County Roads 4210 and 6090 with some rock being added to county road 6090 as needed. He also stated that a crew will be out patching potholes in chip and seal roads with the ultimate paving material where needed. District 2 Commissioner Jimmy Williams reported some of his crew will also be checking chip and seal roads for potholes and filling them with UPM. Williams went on to say some of his workers will be washing the trucks and road equipment to remove the salt. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson said he will be attending the Transportation Advisory Committee meeting Wednesday at 4:30 as well as the MRPC regular meeting around 7:30. Those meetings were moved up from Thursday due to Lincoln’s Birthday. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said excused absentee voting will begin on February 24th at the courthouse. There will be no commissioner meeting on Thursday due to Lincoln’s Birthday, and no meeting on Monday due to President’s Day. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Thursday morning, February 19th, at the courthouse at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public. 

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ State Historic Preservation Office announced the opening of the 2026 application cycle for Historic Preservation Fund grants. The program expects to bring more than $400,000 to Missouri’s historic communities. Pre-applications are due February 27. The grants support projects relating to the identification, evaluation or protection of historic properties. Eligible uses include construction projects for protecting, rehabilitating or restoring properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places that have maintained historic integrity. Only one construction project will be awarded in this grant round. Other eligible uses include training for historic preservation commission members or city staff, workshops and conferences, walking tours of National Register sites, preservation plans, design guidelines, historic contexts, internships, inventorying archival files, architectural and archeological surveys, nominations to the National Register, and maintenance and construction documents for publicly owned National Register-listed buildings. Certified Local Governments, county governmental entities, municipalities and nonprofit organizations with a historic preservation mission are eligible to apply. The department will first consider applications from Certified Local Governments in accordance with federal regulations. For more information or to apply, visit the Missouri State Parks website. For questions contact the Missouri State Historic Preservation Office grants manager at 573-751-7958 or moshpo@dnr.mo.gov.

On Saturday, Patrolmen from the Salem Police Department conducted a short-term investigation regarding the whereabouts of a wanted fugitive. Officers responded to the 1800 block of South Oak Street, where contact was made with a resident who granted consent to search the residence for the subject. The wanted individual, Robert Lewis, was subsequently located concealed in a bedroom and taken into custody without incident. Lewis was transported to the Dent County Jail, where he is currently being held on a capias bond warrant for the following charges; Possession of a Controlled Substance and Resisting/Interfering with Arrest. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

The Missouri Department of Transportation will conduct highway maintenance and construction work in Dent County this week. Weather conditions may postpone scheduled work, and lane closures could cause delays. Route N will have culvert replacement work. One lane will remain open, and crews will flag traffic through the work zone. Route TT will have bridge maintenance over Crooked Creek. One lane will remain open, and crews will flag traffic through the work zone. MoDOT asks motorists to buckle up, put phones down, obey traffic signs and slowdown in work zones. For traffic updates, visit MoDOT’s Traveler Information Map or call 1-888-ASK-MoDOT. Work zone updates can be sent directly to email by signing up at modot.org.

Missouri Lieutenant Governor David Wasinger recently announced the “Lieutenant Governor’s Award for American Patriotism” as the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026. The contest invites Missouri students in grades K-12 to submit letters explaining why they are proud to be an American. Students may choose one of two prompts: “I am proud to be an American because…” or “I love America because…” Word count requirements are 50 words for grades K-3, 100 words for grades 4-6, and 200 words for grades 7-12. All letters must be postmarked no later than March 1, 2026, and mailed to the Office of Lieutenant Governor David Wasinger, Missouri State Capitol, 201 Capitol Avenue, Room 224, Jefferson City, Missouri 65101. Wasinger said the contest is a call to young people to celebrate the blessings of liberty, the sacrifices of founders, and the enduring values that have made the United States exceptional. He noted it is important to instill in children a deep love for America when many voices seek to divide and diminish shared heritage. State Representative Darrin Chappell recalled the tremendous celebrations of the Bicentennial of 1976 and said his pride in the country has continued to grow. He noted that educating children in the unique qualities of liberty enshrined in the nation’s 250-year history is imperative for them to mature into well-rounded citizens. Renee Pace, Chairwoman of America 250 Missouri Commission, said the writing project falls under the Educate Initiative focusing on school-aged youth K-12. Award winners will be invited to a recognition ceremony and lunch at the Missouri State Capitol on June 26, 2026, where they will read their letters. For more information, contact Chris Walker at Chris.Walker@ltgov.mo.gov or 573-751-4727.

Bunker High School held it’s “Enchanted Red” Homecoming Court Ceremonies Friday night following their Basketball games versus St. Pius X of Festus. The flower girl for the ceremony was Henley Ritter, joined by crown bearer, Gus Young. The Homecoming Queen Candidates this year were, Kinsey Barton, Jesslynn Damouth, Regan Bowen, Kiera McClanahan, Kiera Martin, Bella Sanders, Hadley Martin, and Keira Turnbough. Hadley Martin was awarded as the second runner up, Jesslynn Damouth was the first runner up, the 2026 Homecoming Queen is Kinsey Barton, the daughter of Larry and Cassidy Barton of Bunker. She was escorted by Senior Brayden Radford, son of Kenneth Radford of Bunker and Samantha Radford of Salem.

An accident occurred in Dent County Wednesday night at 8:05 involving a Rolla juvenile. According to the Highway Patrol report a 2001 Subaru Legacy, driven by a 16-year-old male, was westbound on Highway H five miles west of Salem. The report stated that the Subaru traveled off right side of the roadway. The juvenile overcorrected and the vehicle overturned. The driver suffered minor injuries and was transported by ambulance to Salem Memorial Hospital. The report stated that he was wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident. The Subaru was totaled and removed from the scene by American Towing.

The Dent County Commission met Thursday morning at the courthouse. The commission approved the reappointment of Grant Hamlet, Shawn Bolerjack and Becky Steiner to the SB 40 Board as submitted to the commission by Amanda Sapaugh. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Keith Green said maintenance work will be done at the road and bridge department shop, plus the crews will be stockpiling rock. Green went on to say that a tree was nearly down on Dent County Road 6180, and it will be removed. District 2 Commissioner Jimmy Williams stated that rip rap will be taken to a low-water crossing on Dent County Road 3165 and work will be done on that road, while another crew would be working on a low-water crossing on county road 4050. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson said the bid has been let out on the sidewalk ADA improvements that need to be made on Highway 32 and 19 as part of the MoDOT STIP program to Garrett Power Construction. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said her office balanced with the collector and assessor for the month of January on all collections, abatements, and add-ons. Her office also balanced with the treasurer for the collections for the month of January. She did say that absentee voting will begin on February 24th for the April 7th Municipal Election. Curley went on to report the courthouse would be closed on February 12th for Lincoln’s Birthday and February 16th for President’s Day. It was also announced the road and bridge department will have surplus equipment to sell by sealed bid. They have available four Husqvarna chainsaws, a hydraulic engine hoist, a 1998 Wheel dump pup trailer and a different dump pup trailer that does not have a title. Bids will need to be submitted to the county clerk’s office by March 5th at 10:00 in the morning. On the outside of the envelope of your sealed bid, please indicate which piece of equipment you are submitting a bid on. A person can submit bids on all the equipment or just one of the pieces of equipment. Persons interested in seeing the equipment before they bid are welcome to come to the road and bridge department shed on Highway 32-72 West. You may want to call 573-729-7770 to make sure someone is there before stopping by. 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. 

The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors met Wednesday evening at 6:00 at the Fire Station. After roll call a motion was made, seconded and carried to approve the Consent Agenda, which included review and approval of the minutes from the previous meeting. Bills and statements were also reviewed and approved. In old business the Junior FF Program was discussed. All aspects of the program and the contact with the insurance company were taken into consideration. During discussion changes were suggested and will be made and sent to the board for review. The final decision and vote will be taken at the next board meeting. With no further business a motion was made, seconded and passes to adjourn at 7:15. 

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.