Archive for 2026

An accident involving a Salem R-80 school bus occurred Thursday afternoon at approximately 4:13 at 5649 Hwy. 32, east of Salem. According to the Highway Patrol report, an eastbound 2018 Thomas School Bus, operated by a 63-year-old Salem woman, was stopped to allow children to exit the vehicle. The report went on to state that a 16-year-old juvenile female driver of an eastbound 2015 Dodge Ram was inattentive and using a cellular device, and the Dodge struck the rear of the school bus. The 16-year-old suffered serious injuries and was flown by Air Evac to Mercy Creve Coeur. The report stated that the drivers of the Dodge and the school bus were wearing safety restraints at the time of the accident. The Dodge sustained extensive damage and was towed from the scene by American Automotive. The school bus sustained minor damage and was towed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing. There was no report of any injuries to any students on the bus or to the driver.

The Dent County Commission met Thursday morning at the courthouse for their regular meeting. Commissioner Keith Green was appointed as Acting Presiding Commissioner for the meeting. Grant Wilson, representative for Congressman Jason Smith, updated the commissioners on Smith’s recent congressional district tour: Smith was able to get to 25 of his 28 counties. Wilson reported Congress will be back in session today. Under road reports, District One Commissioner Green stated rock is being added and parts of Dent County Road 6280 are being rebuilt. Crew members will pull ditches on county roads 5150 and 5650, as it is too dry to grade. District Two Commissioner Jimmy Williams stated ditches will be pulled and culverts replaced on county roads 2270 and 2613 – the back slope of County Road 2613 will also be worked on. Culverts are being replaced and rock added to county roads 2010, 2150 and 2350. At Gahr Equipment in St. James, a county truck is being delivered for repair, and another truck is being picked up. Chip and seal work for both districts will begin the second week of September. Jeff Benderet of Great Rivers Engineering (GRE) phoned in to update commissioners on the FLAP Project in Montauk on County Road 6670. All studies have been completed with no issues reported. Changes to that project have been approved by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), with MoDOT providing an additional $20,000 for engineering costs. Right-of-way acquisitions with two adjacent landowners needs to be completed before work can begin. Acquisitions can take three to six months to complete, estimated Banderet. Commissioners approved allowing  GRE to negotiate acquisitions on behalf of the county at a cost of $5,000. Bids for the courthouse sidewalk Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant project will be opened at 10:00 in the morning Sept. 19th. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission is at 9:00 in the morning at the courthouse today, and the meeting is open to the public.

This is the last day to provide input on the Dent County bridge rehabilitation project south of Salem over Spring Creek. Provide comments to MoDOT through the MoDOT Central Missouri District email at CDCR@modot.mo.gov; mailing to address 1511 Missouri Boulevard, Jefferson City, MO 65109; or visit the MoDOT website at modot.org and search “Missouri Route 19 Bridge Rehabilitation over Spring Creek in Dent County.”

Salem R-80 District Superintendent Nate Wills has released that a traffic accident occurred Thursday afternoon involving a school bus, which was struck behind by another vehicle. Both the students and the bus driver are safe with no medical treatment required. Students were transported home. Law enforcement are investigating the scene, and the district is cooperating fully with the investigation. Because the matter is under investigation and involves student privacy considerations, further details are not able to be shared at this time. Additional information as it becomes available and is able to be shared will be disseminated in the future. For any questions, please contact the district office at 573-729-6642.

The Salem Memorial Hospital Board of Directors held its public tax hearing on Tuesday evening at 6:30 in the Doctor’s Library. After much discussion, the board voted to approve the proposed tax rate of $0.24 per $100 of assessed valuation. Following the conclusion of the public tax hearing, the board called its regular meeting to order. There were no public comments and no unfinished business. Under New Business, a representative from the Hospital’s Helping Hands Auxiliary spoke about the group’s upcoming quilt raffle and provided a financial update. Since April, the auxiliary has raised $2,887.74 through fundraising, donations, and Gift Box sales, and has spent $2,377.66 on various expenses, including scholarships, and fundraising project supplies. The board then  voted to approve the Resolution of Potential Conflicts of Interest. During Operational Reports, interim CEO/CNO Amber Hogan presented her reports. Hogan noted that the hospital has been awarded a grant of approximately $1.8 million from the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), which must be spent by September 2027. Disbursement of funds is pending CMS-approved revisions to the application. The hospital applied for a match waiver but was denied, and will therefore need to cover a 10% match of the grant amount; the hospital’s foundation has agreed to cover 50% of that required match. The grant will fund several projects, including a new roof for the entire hospital, new exterior-facing windows, replacement of the call light system in Long Term Care and Med Surg, and installation of Packaged Terminal Air Conditioner (PTAC) units in several patient rooms. After much discussion, the board agreed to consult with legal counsel on whether grant-funded projects must be formally bid out. Other updates included TruBridge financial optimization, chargemaster updates, and ambulance upgrade progress. In July, the hospital recorded 65 inpatient admissions, 12 swing-bed admissions, 1,092 outpatient registrations, 650 emergency room visits, and 218 ambulance runs. Net patient revenue for July totaled approximately $1.8 million, against total operating expenses of about $2.3 million, resulting in an overall deficit of approximately $436,000. After approving the financial report, the board reviewed Accounts Receivable (AR) aging. AR currently totals $13.5 million, with approximately $4.6 million more than 120 days old. The hospital currently has 26 days of cash on hand. The board also reviewed two CDs and discussed renewal options, including the possibility of participating in a money market account specifically for political subdivisions. The board voted to approve new CEO Brent Peirick to negotiate CD rates with local banks and to sign a new rate as approved by the board via email vote. Following Kendra Mobray’s Quality Improvement report, the meeting adjourned to closed session to discuss personnel matters. The next regular meeting of the Salem Memorial Hospital Board of Directors is scheduled for September 29 at 7:00 in the Doctor’s Library and is open to the public.

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) has released that seal coating operations are scheduled to begin to help preserve the pavement and extend the life of the roadways in Dent County. Work will begin on Sept. 15th and continue through Sept. 16th on Hwy. F, from Hwy. 32 to Hwy. E.

There was an accident in Dent County Tuesday evening at approximately 5:35 that took the life of two Salem residents. According to the highway patrol report, a 2020 Ford Escape driven eastbound by a 45-year-old male of Salem, was stopped waiting in traffic to make a left hand turn from Highway 32 near Route P, when 2006 Dodge Ram 2500, driven by a 17-year-old boy from Bunker, failed to yield to the Ford and struck the back side of the Escape before crossing over the center of the roadway and striking a 1973 Dune Buggy head-on that was traveling westbound driven by a 60-year-old Salem man. Pronounced dead at the scene by Dent County Coroner Ben Pursifull were the 60-year-old male driver and a 59-year-old female passenger of the Dune Buggy. Their bodies were taken to the Dent County Morgue by Coroner Pursifull. The highway patrol was assisted at the scene by the Salem Police Department, Dent County Fire Protection District and Missouri Department of Transportation. The report stated that both individuals in the Dune Buggy were not wearing seat restraints at the time of the accident while the drivers of the other vehicles were wearing their safety devices. The Dune Buggy was totaled and Dodge Ram had moderate damages. Those vehicles were towed by American Towing while the Ford, which sustained moderate damage, was removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing.

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) invites the central district to discuss the updated draft of the High-Priority Unfunded Needs list. Participants can view information about unfunded transportation needs in the region and provide feedback in-person at a meeting at MoDOT’s Central District Office, located at 1511 Missouri Boulevard in Jefferson City. Can’t attend the meeting in person? The draft HPUN document and comment forms will be available online through Thursday, Sept. 10th at modot.org/unfundedneeds. Dent County is on the unfunded multimodal needs list, with a project description of needing sidewalk added from Center Street to Hwy. 32 within Salem. Estimated funding needed for that project is $620,000.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is buying bulk native fruit and seeds from the public for a variety of tree and shrub species around central Missouri. MDC’s Sedalia Office at 2000 S. Limit Ave. will be buying select native fruit and seeds priced by the pound by appointment through November. Contact MDC Forester Assistant Mary Lass at 660-530-5500 ext. 4818 or Mary.Lass@mdc.mo.gov to set an appointment or for more information on seed collection and to ensure MDC is still collecting specific seed species. Currently, MDC is buying Serviceberry at $7 per pound, Black Cherry at $6 per pound, and Wild Plum at $1.95 per pound of fruit. Collected seeds are taken to MDC’s George O. White State Forest Nursery near Licking. Nursery staff grow the collected seed into bare root seedlings used for conservation work and available for purchase by the public. Each year the State Forest Nursery processes more than 10,000 orders and ships about 2 million seedlings. To grow all these species, the nursery collects or buys tens of thousands of pounds of seeds each summer and fall.

Girls’ Night Out will be celebrating its 15th anniversary on Sept. 10th. This annual event will be held from 4:30 to 7:30 in the evening at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory. Participating vendors will have a variety of products and services tailored to women’s interests, and admission is limited to all women and girls 12 years of age and older. Plan to bring your girlfriends for an evening of pampering, shopping, and eating! This event is now accepting vendors. For more information, contact Jackie@salemcommunitycenter.org or call 573-729-8163.

The Salem Area Arts Council will be holding its annual “Art in the Parking Lot” event within downtown Salem on Sept. 26th from 10:00 in the morning to 3:00 in the afternoon. This event, now to be called “Art Walk Downtown,” will be set up from the Local on 4th all the way to the Flying W store, with local music and performances expected. Attendees can expect plenty of vendors offering locally made arts and crafts, alongside free kids activities and lots of demonstrations. For more information, visit the Facebook page at Facebook.com/artsinSalemMO.

There was an accident in Phelps County Tuesday morning at approximately 7:25 that left a 34-year-old man with serious injuries. The accident occurred on County Road 3060 east of Highway V. According to the Highway Patrol report an eastbound 2000 Harley Davidson, operated by the Newburg man, crossed the center of the roadway and struck a westbound 2022 Ford Escape, driven by a 23-year-old Rolla woman. The man suffered serious injuries and was transported by Phelps Air to University Hospital in Columbia. The woman suffered minor injuries and was transported by private conveyance to Phelps Health. The report stated that both individuals were wearing safety devices at the time of the accident. Both vehicles were totaled and removed from the scene by C & C Towing.

The Dent County Health Center Board of Trustees will be holding a special board meeting 5:00 in the afternoon Thursday at the Dent County Health Center Annex Building at 1014 East Scenic Rivers Boulevard in the conference room. The board will vote to go into closed session for the purposes of discussing personnel before adjourning. The next regular meeting will be Thursday, Sept. 17th.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen met for its regular meeting and Tax Rate Hearing Tuesday evening. The hearing was held with no comments provided, and the board approved an ordinance levying a tax of $0.6795 cents for general revenue. The board approved the closure of streets around the Dent County Courthouse square on Sept. 19th from 7:00 in the morning to 4:00 in the afternoon for the Current River Cruiser’s fundraiser for local cancer support group, Project Win. Under new and miscellaneous business, the board approved the annual membership at $4,489.70 with Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) through June 30th, 2027. MRPC provides grant research, project development, grant writing, and other technical assistance to the city. Additionally, the board approved a Salem Memorial Airport grounds lease with pilot Richard Bell, who approached the city offering to pay for the demolition of previously condemned t-hangers at the city airport, along with the construction of a new hanger, under the condition of 15 years of no lease fees. Amendments were approved to the 2026 Employee Manual in order to allow for flexible scheduling, including four, 10-hour day workweeks. A section detailing how benefits and leave are treated when an employee is out on worker’s compensation was added. Under bids, one bid was received and approved from Dunlap Masonry Construction in the amount of $65,300 for tuck pointing Craig Plaza and the Administration Building. The board also approved a bulk price bid for concrete, utilized for sidewalk and approach repair throughout the city, from Kienstra 44, LLC. Lastly for bids, the board approved GFL Environmental, Inc. for residential curbside trash collection and wastewater treatment plant biosolids disposal, alongside an ordinance for a five-year contract beginning Sept. 1st and ending Aug. 31st, 2031. A first and second reading was provided for several ordinances. A task order was approved with Archer-Elgin related to the lead service line inventory project that changed the scope of service, allowing the contractor to go door-to-door in order to notify neighborhoods of work being completed. The administrative fee for residential solid waste collection services was approved in the amount of $0.50 cents. Lastly, a change order was approved with BuildTec Construction LLC. for the installation of five fire hydrants, in order to utilize remaining grant funding, alongside a one-time cost of $3,000 to change the chlorine analyzer to the same type used on existing wells. The board then moved into closed session for the purposes of real estate and personnel. The next regular meeting of the City of Salem Board of Aldermen will be Tuesday, Sept. 8th at 6:00 in the evening at the Old City Hall Auditorium and will be open to the public. Meetings are also livestreamed and archived on the City of Salem Youtube page at youtube.com/@CityofSalemMissouri.

The Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) will be holding its annual dinner and awards program on Thursday, Oct. 29th in Rolla at the Bear River Ranch with Phelps County to serve as hosts. Each year, MRPC requests proposals from cities and counties in the Meramec Region to host the annual dinner event, where volunteers from across the region are honored for their contributions to their communities and the region. The MRPC board evaluates proposals and selects the location based on various criteria. Residents in Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties may purchase tickets at a cost of $40 to attend the dinner and awards ceremony. Bear River Ranch will be catering, and dinner will include smoked ribs and barbeque grilled chicken as the entrees. A reception starting at 5:30 in the evening will include a silent auction. Dinner will begin at 6:30 with the awards presentation to follow. Award recipients will be announced soon, and MRPC will begin taking reservations for the event in September. To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at meramecregion.org or on Facebook at facebook.com/meramecregion.