News – Thursday, June 19th 2025
Yesterday’s edition of Your World Today reported grants through the Transformation of Rural Community Health (ToRCH) Project would have a maximum funding of $240,000 per grant for approved projects. We received a correction that clarified the $240,000 was the maximum funding available across all grants, not per grant as previously reported. There will be question and answer sessions held Friday, June 27th at 9:00 in the morning and 2:00 in the afternoon at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory. Organizations seeking information or applications should contact Tabitha Stanfast, ToRCH Program Manager, at tstanfast@smdh.net.
An accident occurred Monday afternoon around 3:50 in Crawford County on 3402 Highway O. According to the highway patrol report a 2003 Can-AM Rotax driven by an 8-year-old male juvenile from Houston travelled off the left side of a private road and struck a tree. The juvenile was ejected and suffered serious injuries. He was flown to Children’s Hospital in St. Louis by Phelps Air. The report goes on to state he was not wearing safety equipment.
As Missourians continue to recover from multiple severe weather events this spring, the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance (DCI) reminds consumers to take steps to protect their finances and avoid post-disaster scams and fraud. Unfortunately, disasters often attract scam artists, so staying vigilant and watching for signs of potential fraud is also key to protecting your financial security. Be cautious of loan offers that require upfront fees to obtain loan proceeds or companies offering loans or payment assistance that pressure you to act immediately. Ensure that any lender or financial service provider is authorized to conduct business in Missouri. Certain scams are more prevalent following natural disasters and could have a significant impact on your finances. Be on the lookout for these types of fraud: Contractor Fraud where unethical contractors misrepresent themselves as being affiliated with government entities and scam victims out of funds, resulting in shoddy repairs or no repairs at all; Price Gouging which is the practice of increasing prices of high-demand goods and services during a disaster; Forgery where scammers use a disaster as an opportunity to get access to victims’ personal information and documents to commit identity theft; and Charity Fraud where scammers pose as representatives from notable charities, including the Red Cross, to solicit funds from donors who want to help those affected. DCI’s Division of Finance and Division of Credit Unions encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim of fraud to act fast to secure all accounts and document details to share with their bank or lender. To report disaster related fraud, victims can call the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or visit www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud for more information.
During the summer the hot weather months may present challenges for many consumers who struggle to cool their homes. Here are some more suggestions from the Missouri Public Service Commission. To improve cooling of living areas caulk and weather strip doors and windows that leak air. Residents can add insulation and seal air leaks to help keep the cool air inside. Be sure to close drapes, shades and blinds during the day to keep the sunlight from heating up your home. Turn off lights when they are not needed can add to efforts to cool a home. Turn off computers, monitors, printers and televisions during periods of non-use. These devices use energy even when in standby mode.
The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Salem present “Vintage Americana” as the parade theme for this year’s 4th of July parade. Sign up is going on now to reserve your spot in the parade. The parade slots will be fall into line, first come first serve. Designated spots will be reserved for the Chamber parade leaders. Parade entry forms are due by June 27th, you can stop by the chamber and pick one up or email: chamber@salemmo.com. For any questions call the Chamber at 573-729-6900.