Archive for 2026

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.

The Dent County Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace will have its next Community meeting today at 5:30 in the afternoon.  All are welcome to join at the Salem Community Center@The Armory in the Rotary Room. Bedding, as well as monetary donations may be dropped off at Riverways Federal Credit Union in Salem.

The Dent County Commission met Thursday morning at the courthouse. Jeff Chronister with Ollis/ Akers/Arney insurance came in to review the insurance policy limit and deductible changes with the commission as this year they are going with MO-Perm. Chronister described the changes by department such as the change in the deductible on physical damage to road vehicles went from $5,000 to $1,000; and the General Liability deductible went from $1,000 to $10,000. He also said the county properties that includes the annex, courthouse, extension building and more went from a 20-million-dollar blanket coverage with a $25,000 deductible, to 25-million-dollar individual coverage with a $10,000 deductible now. The commission reviewed all the vehicles and equipment that is to be covered to make sure it is accurate. The change in the insurance carriers this year saved around $40,000 in the annual premium. Grant  Wilson from Jason Smith’s Rolla office was in attendance and said Smith discussed the new Trump Accounts for newborn children where $1,000 is deposited in an account for the child to help them get started saving in their lifetime. This was accounted for in the Big Beautiful Bill  passed last year. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Keith Green said crews will be out checking and treating roads where needed. He stated a crew is doing maintenance work in the shop as they are working on a grader fuel issue and checking out the equipment. They also took a truck to Gahr Truck and Equipment in St. James for repairs. District 2 Commissioner Jimmy Williams said workers were putting sand treatment on roads where needed and working on truck #122’s spreader. Williams reported they are also cutting up wood for heat at the road and bridge shed. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson said he attended a meeting of the Dent County Opioid Settlement Committee at the judicial building Thursday night. He also said MoDOT would be holding an Open House for discussion on a new bridge on Highway 32 at Boss at the Quad County Fire Protection Firehouse on February 3rd from 4:30 until 6:00. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported on her MAC Board meeting held last week. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be this morning at the courthouse at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.

The Salem Memorial Hospital Board of Directors held its regular meeting Tuesday evening at 7:00 in the Doctor’s Library. The agenda was approved; however, approval of the meeting minutes was tabled pending revisions. During the review of departmental policies and procedures, approval of the infectious disease policies was tabled until the next board meeting, pending updates and clarification of the hospital’s employee vaccination policy. All policies and procedures were approved, with board member Zach Moser casting the sole dissenting vote. With no public comments or scheduled presentations, Hospital CEO Brooke Bollman presented her report. She highlighted the hospital’s participation in the Rural Health Partnership Institute hosted by Stroudwater, as well as informational meetings with the Missouri Independent Hospital Network. Bollman also provided updates on marketing and recruitment efforts and the Helping Hands Auxiliary program. Bollman reported that filing for the hospital’s board of directors election closed on December 31, 2025, with Karen Brown duly elected without opposition to represent District One. Brown is scheduled to be sworn in on April 28, 2026. Bollman also noted that beginning February 1, 2026, the hospital will revert to in-house billing. For the month of December, the hospital recorded 60 inpatient admissions, 952 outpatient registrations, 544 emergency room visits, and 187 ambulance runs, all of which were down from the previous month. Total operating revenue for December was approximately $2.2 million, while total operating expenses were about $2.6 million. Postage and freight expenses increased significantly, totaling $7,239.51 in December, up from $3,356.02 in November. Bollman attributed the increase to tariffs and indicated that these costs are expected to continue rising. Overall, the hospital reported a deficit of $356,914.66, marking the second consecutive month with a deficit. Bollman stated she is actively working with financial staff to identify solutions. The hospital currently has 20 days of cash on hand. Net 340B revenue for December totaled $44,625, representing a decrease of approximately $66,000 from the previous month. Following approval of the financial reports, Chief Nursing Officer Amber Hogan presented her report, which included updates on the EMT-B program, implementation of a new MedSurg acuity tool, nursing defensive documentation training, and medication drip protocols. Hogan reported that the Long-Term Care and Emergency Department are fully staffed, while vacancies remain in EMS and MedSurg. In December, the hospital recorded five new hires and four departures. During the Quality Improvement report, Kendra Mobray stated that the hospital’s focus for the first quarter of 2026 will be improving patient care and safety. Under new business, Bollman provided an update on the hospital’s five-year strategic plan. A vote on the plan was tabled until the next meeting pending the addition of a clearly defined mission statement. The board unanimously approved hiring a recruitment firm to fill the Lab Director position. No specific firm was named, and Bollman was authorized to negotiate with multiple firms and select the one deemed to be in the hospital’s best interest. After approving medical staff privilege reassignments, Bollman reported that she has been researching grant opportunities through the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) that could allow the hospital to provide childcare allowances through reimbursements. She also stated that legislators have requested the hospital develop a priority list for capital improvements and infrastructure needs. Bollman plans to hold future discussions with staff to identify priorities and determine the best use of potential funding. With no items to discuss in executive session, the meeting adjourned. The next regular meeting of the Salem Memorial Hospital Board of Directors is scheduled for February 17 at 7:00 in the Doctor’s Library and is open to the public.