News – Monday, January 13th 2025

The Board of Directors of Salem Memorial District Hospital will conduct a special meeting this evening at 7:00. The meeting will take place in the Hospital Library and may be fully conducted and attended by telephone or other electronic means and the public may observe and attend any portion of the meeting not closed to the public pursuant to Chapter 610.021 RSMo. After roll call and approval of the agenda The board will hear public comments and presentations, speakers must sign -in and keep comments to 3 minutes. Then they will discuss old and new business. Any person that would like to attend by telephone or electronic means should contact the SMH Administration office at 573-729-6626 ext. 4005, to obtain access information.

An accident occurred Friday evening January 10th around 6:55 on Hwy 63 and County Road 5320. According to the highway patrol report a 2002 Suzuki XL7 driven by a 65-year-old Edgar Springs female was traveling southbound when the vehicle began to slide in the snow. The Suzuki travelled off the right side of the roadway and struck an embankment. The driver suffered minor injuries and was transported to Phelps Heath by Phelps Health EMS. She was wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident. The Suzuki sustained moderate damage and was towed by D&D.

Meramec Regional Community Foundation (MRCF) began accepting applications for its 2025 community grant making fund on December 15th and it will close on January 24th, 2025. MRCF will be awarding two $750 community grants. One grant will be made to a project that focuses on community or economic development efforts with emphasis being given to projects involving the celebration and promotion of the 100th anniversary of Route 66 and the other will assist at-risk children and/or low-income families. Any nonprofit, 501(c)3 organizations, schools, faith-based organizations and governmental entities looking to address these needs are encouraged to apply. Organizations and governmental entities must be based in the Meramec Region – Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties – to qualify. 2012 marked the inaugural year for the grant program, and in the last 12 years $18,500 in grant funds have been awarded to 66 community projects throughout the region. A portion of the fund’s earnings are distributed each year through grants. Applications for the 2025 grant round will be accepted online only until 5:00 January 24th, 2025. Online applications may be found and submitted by searching Meramec Regional Community Foundation at www.grantinterface.com/Process/Apply?urlkey=cfozarksgrants. For more information on the grant opportunity, contact Bonnie Prigge at bprigge@meramecregion.org or 573-265-2993. MRCF is an outgrowth of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) and is an affiliate of Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO) in Springfield. The regional affiliate was formed in 2010 and has distributed over $1.6 million to support the region. Persons needing more information on MRCF and its philanthropy efforts can contact Bonnie Prigge. To learn more about MRCF, visit www.cfozarks.org/affiliates. To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.org or on Facebook at facebook.com/meramecregion/.