Local News – Tuesday, April 25th, 2023

The Dent County Commission met Monday morning for their regular meeting at the Dent County Courthouse. At the meeting, Dent County Clerk Angie Curley again appointed Gary Larson as the acting presiding commissioner. In the road reports, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Road 6083 while only grading would be done on county roads 5110 and 5600. Mobray also stated that crews would be servicing a dump truck. District Two Commissioner Gary Larson indicated materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 2120 and 2130 while only grading would be done on county road 3180. He said a man would be going to Springfield to get more oil for chip and seal repair. Larson said he was contacted by the Dent-Phelps R-3 school that some limbs from a tree are affecting a bus route and Larson said those limbs would be taken care of. The commission received an e-mail from Dent County Health Center Administrator Zach Moser reporting that trustee Sandra Headrick resigned her board position. Her term was to expire April of 2024. The commission will have to appoint a replacement for that board that would serve until the next election in April. The commission was to open bids for a financial audit for the years 2022-23 at 10:00, but they did not receive any bids. The commission agreed to again seek financial bids for the 2022-2023 audit as required by the county’s bonding agent where the work would be done in 2024. The bids will be due at 10:00 on Monday, May 22nd at 10:00. Clerk Angie Curley said she contacted clerks in Phelps County and Howell County to get a list of possible auditors and she will let them know the county is asking for bids to see if they have interest. The next meeting will be on Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting will be open to the public.

The Dent County Sheriff’s office released these reports for the week. On Friday, April 14th, a deputy was on East Truman Street while attempting to locate a male subject who had an outstanding Dent County arrest warrant. Upon locating the man, the suspect was found also to be in possession of a controlled substance. The 24-year-old Salem man was arrested and transported to the Dent County Jail. He was incarcerated on his original arrest warrant and a 24-hour-hold for the possession of a controlled substance charge. The next day the Dent County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Salem Police Department for a call for a suspicious subject at Country Mart. During the course of the investigation, it was determined that a male suspect had attempted to enter the store office and steal money. The suspect, an 18-year-old Salem man, was arrested and transported to the Dent County Jail where he was incarcerated on a 24-hour-hold pending the issuance of an arrest warrant. On Tuesday, April 18th, a deputy responded to the 1900 block of Dent County Road 6220 for a report of a stolen air compressor. During the investigation, it was determined that the victim was an 81-year-old man from Jadwin. Suspect information was obtained and the investigation is ongoing. Later that same day, deputies responded to the 3100 block of Route HH for a reported stolen vehicle. The victim was a 65-year-old Salem woman. During the course of the investigation, suspect information was developed and the vehicle was later recovered in Phelps County. The suspect, a 33-year-old Salem man, was arrested and incarcerated at the Phelps County Jail. This investigation is ongoing. On Thursday, April 20th, a deputy took a report of an assault that occurred between three juvenile females off South Highway 19 in the Smith Subdivision. Suspect information was obtained and this investigation is ongoing. If anyone has any information regarding an ongoing investigation, please contact the Dent County Sheriff’s Department at 729-3241.

An accident occurred Friday evening around 8:49 in Phelps County on Highway 68 about two miles south of St. James. According to the highway patrol report, an unknown vehicle and driver traveled off the right side of the roadway and struck a parked 1996 Chevrolet Silverado driven by 49-year-old Keith Green of Cedar Hill. The Chevrolet then struck 44-year-old Mikell Bobbish of High Ridge who was outside the truck, Bobbish suffered serious injuries and was flown by Phelps Health Air Ambulance to Mercy Creve Coeur Hospital in St. Louis. The Silverado sustained moderate damage and was removed by Spurgeon’s Towing of St. James.