News – Thursday, March 20th 2025

The Salem R-80 Board of Education will be meeting today at 5:30 in the R-80 Board Room. After the Call to Order and the Pledge of Allegiance the Board will approve the agenda and the consent agenda. The Board will hear thank you from the Sue Tucker Family and DESE regarding emergency relocation of the Ozark Hills State School, followed by recognition of William Lynch Elementary students.  In the Superintendent’s Report CSIP Goals will be addressed, there will be an update on the FEMA building, teacher dress code will be addressed, and Senior Citizens passes are to be considered. Also, the Licking VFW will be thanked for their $1,000 donation to the Salem HS robotics team, the Construction Trades Block Development Grant is to be closed out, and Dr. Blau is to represent Salem R80 to Dent County 8th graders and their families for orientation. Administration reports will be heard from William Lynch, Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School, Athletics and Activities, Special Education, Technology, and Maintenance. In new business the board will approve the Opaa contract, approve an out of state trip for 2 Construction Trades students to Skills USA, approve gate prices for non-conference 2025-2026 activities, approve Mickes/DeBeer Litigation Group as attorneys, and discuss Fireworks display location. The Board will address hires and transfers before adjourning and moving into Executive Session to hear personnel issues.

Missouri Department of Conservation staff, partner federal agencies, and partnering fire departments fought more than 224 wildfires covering more than 15,500 Missouri acres between March 10th through the 16th. Dry conditions and high winds sparked hundreds of wildfires around Missouri last week, primarily on March 13th and 14th before severe thunderstorms and tornados swept into the state and quenched many of the blazes. While more than 20 homes and numerous vehicles and outbuildings were lost to the flames, there were no reported injuries or deaths. More than 90 specially trained Department of Conservation staff responded to 83 of the wildfires around the state, covering nearly 9,000 acres. According to the department, the Camdenton area in central Missouri had 42 fires with a total of 6,086 acres burned, including 761 acres on Granny’s Acres Conservation Area in Benton County. More than 30 MDC staff responded. Department of Conservation staff fought 19 fires in the Ozark region of the state covering nearly 1,500 acres, including nearly 300 acres of conservation lands. They reported that extreme weather conditions had one of its teams fighting a fire one minute and then taking shelter in a Dent County homeowner’s basement for a tornado warning the next. Department staff in the St. Louis region assisted with six separate fires covering nearly 300 acres, including in Davisville, on Highway 47 near Potosi, on 178 acres at River ‘Round Conservation Area in Franklin County, and on nearly 80 acres on the Glassberg Family Conservation Area in Jefferson County. Staff also assisted local fire departments in containing a 12-acre fire on private land in Reynolds County north of Current River Conservation Area. While these fires have been contained and extinguished, the National Weather Service still has Red Flag Warnings for parts of Missouri. A red flag warning is issued to inform the public, firefighters, and land management agencies that conditions are ideal for wildfire ignition and rapid spread. Some wildfires are set by vandals. Help stop arson by calling Operation Forest Arson at 800-392-1111. Callers will remain anonymous and rewards are possible. 

Campground and access point repairs are continuing at Ozark National Scenic Riverways following a record-setting flood in November 2024. Tentative plans for summer operations have been set. Some areas may look different than in the past, with altered landscapes and amenities. Areas that were heavily damaged may remain closed in 2025. Starting with developed campgrounds and group sites, major repairs are still needed at Akers, Round Spring and Pulltite. Akers and Round Spring are expected to reopen their group sites by Memorial Day, while Pulltite is expected to partially reopen around the same time. Updates on reservations for these locations will be posted on Recreation.gov, Facebook and the park website. During the flood, Pulltite sustained the most damage of any park location. The front half of the campground was scoured by floodwaters, and multiple amenities were destroyed or made inoperable. However, the two restroom buildings farther back are in good condition. As a result, a partial reopening is planned by Memorial Day weekend. As expected, the number of sites at Pulltite will be temporarily reduced. All three group sites are expected to reopen, but only about 35 family sites will reopen. Approximately 20 sites will likely remain closed pending major repairs to the landscape, roadways and restroom/shower house. Restrooms will be available at Group Site 1, Group Site 3 and the amphitheater. Showers will be available at the Group Site 1 restroom building. Reservations for all available campsites should be made on Recreation.gov. Pulltite landing is a high priority for the maintenance division as they work to ensure smooth operation for the summer season. Pavement and parking repairs are key challenges. Visitors should be mindful of construction zones and closures during the work. Backcountry campgrounds are expected to open in time for the summer season unless unforeseen delays or additional flooding occur. Sinking Creek, Cedar Grove, Jerktail and Broadfoot all require further work. The park will post updates as these campgrounds open. The exception is the Dee Murray Campground and it will remain closed due to heavy flood damage, but the day-use area is expected to open alongside other backcountry sites. The reopening of some campgrounds may occur earlier or later than Memorial Day. We appreciate your patience as crews complete repairs. For questions and updates, call (573) 323-4236. To reserve developed campsites, go to Recreation.gov or call (877) 444-6777. For more information on developed, backcountry or primitive camping options, visit the park’s camping page at go.nps.gov/OZARcamping.