News – Tuesday, April 29th 2025

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse.  In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Keith Green said crews are working on repairing the Durapatcher for chip and seal repair. They will do patching work on a number of roads once the Durapatcher has been repaired. Green said crews will be replacing some culverts today and looking for others that need to be replaced. District 2 Commissioner Jimmy Williams said crews would be pulling ditches, adding materials and grading on Dent County Roads 3270 and 3273, while only grading will be occurring on county road 3275. Williams said the backhoe will be taken to the Boss area to remove debris from pipes. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson said he attended the Tourism Tax Committee meeting, and they approved one request by the Dent County Commons for funding for their Summerfest, and they also approved one reimbursement. Dent County Deputy Clerk Melissa Piatt said bills were to be paid and the office is beginning their voter canvassing. Dent County Collector Shannon VanKirk said she attended the Collector’s Conference in Columbia last week. She said 291 Homestead Tax Credit applications have been sent out and about 150 have been submitted. VanKirk wanted to remind the public that only those who are 62-years of age and older as of January 1st can apply for the Homestead Tax Credit and they must be submitted by June 30th. The applications are free and if you have any questions, please contact Collector VanKirk at 573-729-3911. At the last meeting, the commissioners took phone bids for 7,000 gallons of diesel fuel and MFA oil was the low bidder at $2.38 per gallon. The commission also agreed to seek bids on finishing the salt shed at the road and bridge department. This is a 40-foot by 36-foot shed to sit on existing concrete. Bids will be due in the county clerk’s office by 10:00 in the morning on May 19th. Bid specs are available at the county clerk’s office or by contacting Commissioners Williams or Green. The commissioners next meeting will be Thursday at the courthouse at 9:00 in the morning and the meeting is open to the public.

Despite the poor weather conditions the Salem Scrambler Rally was held on Saturday, April 19th. The unique event combined elements of off-road navigation with environmental cleanup. A group of 20 volunteers in 9 vehicles competed to collect as much trash as possible and return to a weigh-in within four hours. According to a press release from organizer Kyle Williams the teams were able to remove 7,940 pounds of trash in a little over three hours from illegal dump sites across 10 locations within the Mark Twain National Forest. Some of the items removed included, televisions, couches, vinyl siding, mattresses and over 125 tires. The event was supported by Dent County Ag who provided the use of their scales and space for weigh-ins, JeT Tires & Auto assisted with tire support, while Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District supplied gloves, bags, grabbers, and dumpsters. The top three teams included Erik and Clarissa Votipka of Kansas City who removed 1,100 pounds, placing third. Chris Martise & Michael Callahan of Sullivan who removed 1,200 pounds, placing second. Taking first place with 1,800 pounds of trash removed from two large sites was Doug Leibman of Mansfield. The organizers of Salem Scrambler, Kyle Williams, Ryan Fairless, Donny White, John Schweer, and Dustin Privett are apart of the broader Missourah Endurah community of rally enthusiasts who combine adventure with public land stewardship. More cleanups are being planned for summer 2025, along with volunteer participation in the Missourah Endurah fall event. For more information about this and future events you can contact Kyle directly at KyleRally789@gmail.com, or by phone at 573-247-2474.

The City of Salem’s Water and Wastewater Department has achieved statewide recognition. Superintendent Chris McGuirt and Wastewater Leadman Josh Hunt represented the City of Salem in the final round of Missouri’s Drinking Water Taste Testing, held in Jefferson City.  Salem proudly earned 3rd place in the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Statewide Drinking Water Taste Testing—an achievement that reflects the hard work and dedication of the city’s utility staff to providing high-quality drinking water to our community.