Archive for 2026

The Dent County Commission met for its regular meeting Thursday morning at the courthouse. Under road reports, District One Commissioner Keith Green reported crew members are planning to patch chip and seal roads on county roads 4110, 4120, and 6180. Crew members will be hauling rock as needed with grading planned for county roads 4210, 5530, 6660, and 6633. Cutting brush is planned for County Road 5490 and 5500. District Two Commissioner Jimmy Williams reported that crew members are planning on hauling rock to county roads 3200 and 5240; grading in the Boss area around county roads 4350 and 4353; and replacing three culverts on County Road 3200. County Treasurer Denita Williams reported on the CART Tax received for the month of July. The amount received was up from last July a total of $3,850.91. This is up YTD a total of $33,859.27 or 5.8%. Under public comments, a printout of the two-year contract between the Dent County Sheriff’s Office and Flock Safety, Inc. was provided to commissioners for review by resident Katie Anne Gaither. Commissioners approved a request from Tanna Kettner of the Salem Area Arts Council for a cruise-in at the parking lot around the courthouse for the “Art Walk” event on Sept. 26th. Commissioners also approved Kevin James for a seat on the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) board. County Clerk Angie Curley reported that there will be a public testing of voting equipment Friday morning at 9:00. The public is invited to attend and learn more about the voting equipment utilized for our elections. Approximately 240 ballots have been cast so far, reported Curley. No excuse absentee voting will continue through Aug. 3rd. The County Clerk’s Office at the courthouse will be open Saturday, Aug. 1st, from 8:00 to noon for absentee voting. On Election Day, Aug. 4th, polls will open at 6:00 in the morning and close at 7:00 in the evening. As this is a primary election, voters have the choice between several ballots including Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, or non-partisan. Non-partisan ballots will only feature the four amendments. Sample ballots are available upon request within the County Clerk’s Office. If voters have any questions or need to update their information, visit the office or call at 573-729-4144. After casting your ballot, voters are encouraged to post a selfie outside the courthouse with the special “I Voted” sticker celebrating America’s 250th. Voters are reminded to not post a photo of their filled out ballots anywhere, as this is considered a class four election offense within Missouri. Curley also commended a Dent County poll worker of over 55 years, Joan Gray, and shared that this will be Gray’s last election in which she will be working. Later, commissioners were visited by Project Manager Krysta Swartz of Great Rivers Engineering (GRE) and Emergency Management Director Derrick Marfitt of Dent County for an update on ongoing FLAP, TAP, and FEMA projects. The repair projects planned for County Road 5150 and 3210 have been approved by FEMA. Commissioners signed documentation for the project. Swartz estimated a bid opening date sometime in mid-September with construction estimated to take place this winter. FEMA staff have requested additional documentation for the County Road 4210 bridge, so GRE will be in contact with the US Army Corps of Engineers after receiving a signature from the commissioners for approval. Moving on, Swartz updated the commissioners on the FLAP Project in Montauk on County Road 6670. Changes to that project have been approved by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT.) Contact will be made for right-of-way acquisitions with adjacent landowners. Commissioners were assured the project is still estimated to come under the originally budgeted $800,000. As for the TAP Sidewalk Project surrounding the courthouse, rebidding is planned for Aug. 24th. Several cost-saving changes to the project were suggested, with the commissioners approving stamped concrete walls, with no paint or stain, and an option for contractors to pursue pre-cast walls rather than onsite pouring. Work at the earliest may start in October. Swartz closed with a notice that MoDOT has funding for the Bridge Engineering Assistance Program (BEAP) available, as of July 1st. BEAP is fully funded by MoDOT  to complete bridge engineering studies for local public agencies. Williams shared that Danny Brown of The Nature Conservancy will be visiting several lowwater bridges on Tuesday to review possible grant eligibility. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Monday at 9:00 at the courthouse and is open to the public.

The Dent County Toy Drive will be holding its 6th annual Christmas in July fundraiser on Saturday at The Commons from 9:00 in the morning to 3:00 in the afternoon. This is a special year for the toy drive as it will be celebrating its 50th anniversary. There will be plenty to enjoy at the event, including pulled pork sandwiches, music throughout the day, and a free kids carnival. Attendees can also look forward to the car show, craft show, and poker run. The event will be held rain or shine. Attendees are asked to bring a toy to fill the truck, although not required to attend.

No excuse absentee voting is officially underway and will continue through Aug. 3. The courthouse will be open for absentee voting on Saturday, Aug. 1 from 8:00 in the morning to noon. To stay up to date on upcoming deadlines and voting information, be sure to follow the Dent County Elections Facebook page by searching Facebook for “Dent County Elections/County Clerk-Angie Curley.” For more information, visit the Missouri Secretary of State website at sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri.

Salem R-80 High School has given notice that online registration is now open for the 2026-26 school year. Find online registration directions on the district website under the “District” tab at salemr80.org/page/onlineregistration. New families do not have a Parent Portal account, so please use the link located under “Brand New Families to the District” to begin the registration process. Returning families (including those that did Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and Freshmen pre-registration), visit your Campus Parent Portal and click “Menu” and then “More” to find your online registration. If you do not have the Campus Parent app, you can find the link on the Salem R-80 website at salemr80.org under the “Parents” tab. If you have a new student to add, you can do so during your registration process. If you have forgotten your username or password, the Campus Parent Portal homepage has the option to send the information to your security email. If you need to change your Campus security email, you may contact kara.constance@salemr80.org.

Join Salem Public Library this evening from 6:00 to 8:00 for an engaging presentation from Mike Snyder of WildWise Botanicals on edible wild mushrooms of the region. Snyder has been hunting and studying Missouri’s fungi for 15 years and is the author of the forthcoming Foraging Mushrooms of the Ozarks. Presenting a slideshow of original photography, Snyder will walk attendees through some mushroom basics and cover how to find delicious mushrooms in our region, along with tips on their utilization in the kitchen. Several of the most common toxic species will be covered as well. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to learn about the fascinating fungi that grow right outside our doorsteps. There is no cost or library card required to attend, and the event will take place in the Shirley Seay Hospitality Room.

The Dent County Toy Drive will be holding its 6th annual Christmas in July fundraiser this Saturday at the Dent County Commons from 9:00 in the morning to 3:00 in the afternoon. This is a special year for the toy drive as it will be celebrating its 50th anniversary serving children in Dent County. There will be plenty to enjoy at the event, including pulled pork sandwiches, music throughout the day, and a free kids carnival. Attendees can also look forward to the car show, craft show, and poker run. Of course, there will also be Santa on the beach visiting from 10:00 to noon. The event will be held rain or shine. Attendees are asked to bring a toy to fill the truck, although not required to attend. For updates, visit the Dent County Toy Drive at its page at facebook.com/TheDentCountyToyDrive.

The Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) has released that it has received a 2026 Excellence in Transportation Planning award from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO.) The award recognized 22 projects nationwide. The award received by MRPC recognized the Active Transportation Plans completed for the City of Salem. Executive Director Bonnie Prigge and Planning Manager Anne Freand attended the 2026 National Regional Transportation Conference in Atlanta and participated in the awards reception Monday evening where the project was shared with fellow planners. Thanks was given by MRPC to Freand along with Orin Pogue, MRPC community development specialist, for their work on the project, and the City of Salem stakeholders and leadership. Thanks was also given to the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services for funding the project. To learn more about the project, visit the City of Salem website at salemmo.com and search “Active Transportation Plan.”

The Dragonfly Wings Foundation’s Flemings Variety on 4th will be holding a holiday event from Nov. 6th through the 8th. 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. Raffles for quilts and auction items will also be available. Every penny spent supports teachers and educational programs all throughout Dent County. 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 Dent County Health Center (DCHC) Board of Trustees will be holding its regular meeting Thursday evening at 5:00 located at 1014 E. Scenic Rivers Boulevard. This meeting will be open to the public. The board will consider the approval of the June meeting minutes. Under old business, the board will be presented with operations reports, the administrator’s reports, and will consider the approval of the financial reports. Under new business, the board will consider changes to employee benefits. A portion of the meeting will be closed to the public to discuss personnel. Then, the board will adjourn.

The Dent County Health Center Board of Trustees met for its regular meeting Thursday, June 18th. After the approval of the May minutes, the board reviewed the Operations Report. Under Communicable Disease, there were 13 reports of STI encounters, two reports of STI treatments, 11 reports of influenza, and eight animal bites. Under Maternal-Child Health, there were 343 total WIC visits, two car seats distributed, one crib distributed, three childcare health consultations, and 12 Title X appointments. There were eight total environmental inspections conducted. Under laboratory detail, there were 234 laboratory draws, two rapid tests, five pregnancy tests, four lead tests, four urine drug screens, and 122 phlebotomy appointments. Under immunizations, there were 22 vaccines administered other than COVID or influenza. There were a total of 139 lab appointments conducted, 109 provider appointments, 27 immunization appointments, and 510 appointments conducted other than WIC. There were also 261 CareCab Rides provided. Health Administrator Zach Moser discussed with the board a search for options regarding IT continuity, and he presented a draft of a generalized administrative continuity plan. Moser reported on a Missouri Foundation for Health Grant to improve and expand the Teen Maze and to integrate firearms safety education into the program for $50,000. Moser further reported on staffing shortages and facing difficulty in recruiting. The financial reports were reviewed with a report of current assets at the end of March to be $1.3 million. Revenue for the month was $135,185.84, After other revenue and expenses, net revenue was $12,769.33. A report for May from H&R block was received and reviewed. The board approved financial reports. In closed session, the board approved the continuity planning proposal from Momentum CPAs and Advisors. The next meeting of the Dent County Health Center Board of Trustees will be Thursday, July 23rd, at 5:00 in the afternoon, and will be open to the public.

The Dent-Phelps R-III Board of Education met for its regular meeting Thursday, July 16th. After approval of the agenda and consent agenda, including open session minutes of the June 23rd meeting, July financial reports, bills, and the substitute list additions, the board approved a time and date for the Tax Levy Hearing. The board also approved the following as presented: Revisions to the 2025-26 Budget; Art and Library Job Descriptions; and the Parent/Student Handbook for the 2026-27 school year. The board approved raising regular student and adult lunches and breakfasts 10 cents, with milk to remain the same. Extra Duty Assignment Stipends were approved, with amendments. The Driver/Staff training curriculum was tabled, and the board took a walkthrough of the facilities. After a closed session for the purposes of personnel, the board adjourned. The next meeting of the Dent-Phelps R-III Board of Education will be Aug. 20th at 6:00 in the evening to immediately follow the Tax Levy Hearing. 

The North Wood R-IV Board of Education met for its regular meeting Tuesday, July 14th. After approval of the agenda and consent agenda, the board discussed the strategic plan and set dates for meetings in August. The next stakeholders meeting will be Aug. 21st from 8:30 to 11:30 in the morning. Chad Heithold and Davy Gray were present during discussion of facilities and kitchen renovations. Superintendent Jeff Dodson provided an update on the budget, sharing he is working on tax rates for the tax rate hearing in August. An audit will be conducted on Aug. 11th. Dodson informed the board he will be attending the DESE conference and law seminars in the next few weeks. Under old business, Principal Kristina Jackson congratulated teacher Nikki McMullin for getting in the top 20 for the DESE Regional Teacher of the Year Award. For the 2025-26 school year, North Wood had also received the Mary Miller Richter PBIS award. Within closed session, the board accepted a letter of resignation from Aiden Brooks, with board member Aaron Brooks abstaining. The board then adjourned. The next meeting of the North Wood R-IV August board meeting and tax rate hearing will be on Aug. 18th at 6:00.

Lots of events are planned this weekend at Montauk State Park’s campground amphitheater. Beginning on Friday from 9:00 to midnight, visit and learn about owls. Then, Saturday afternoon at 2:00, return to meet Jake the Snake and learn all about snakes. Not only will you meet a snake up close, but you’ll also be able to learn practical information like what to do if you’re ever bitten by one. Build a cute, crafty snake you can take home. Later on Saturday evening at 9:00, return to the campground amphitheater to join Kyle Case from the Missouri Department of Conversation and learn about hatchery operations and how trout are raised, stocked, and maintained. This behind-the-scenes tour offers a look into what’s involved in bringing outstanding fishing to Montauk’s waters!