News – Wednesday, July, 2nd 2025

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson was not in attendance due to a previous commitment, so District 2 Commissioner Jimmy Williams was selected the acting presiding commissioner. Cindy Jones from “We the People” handed out an article from the Missouri Independent that reported that some voter-approved bonds in April have violated the Missouri Public Notice Law meaning the Missouri Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick cannot certify. None of these bonds were from Dent County. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Keith Green said his crews would be checking for washouts in his district and repair the roads needing attention, but he said many of his crew members would probably be helping District 2 which had much more damage from the rain this weekend. District 2 Commissioner Williams said crews would be assessing damage to roads in the Sligo and Boss areas, as well checking for downed trees, prioritizing which roads will get repairs first. They will make sure that everyone will be able to get out as workers will be working late. Dent County Collector Shannon VanKirk said time has run out to apply the SB190 Homestead Real Estate Tax credits for 2025. VanKirk said she has received over 390 applications which she presented to the commissioners for their signature. Anyone not applying this year for the tax credit will have to wait until next year starting April 1st for the SB190 Homestead Real Estate Tax credits for senior citizens. VanKirk also said if you had delinquent taxes from 2022 and didn’t get them paid Monday, starting today you must pay all delinquent taxes from 2022, 2023 and 2024 to keep from having your property being advertised for a tax sale on the courthouse steps. Checks will not be accepted for those taxes in the collector’s office and payments will need to be made in cash or by a cashier’s check. As of Monday morning, VanKirk said there were still 22 properties that have outstanding taxes from 2022. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said the deadline for businesses in Dent County that sell liquor to get their county license was Monday. This is in addition to the state license that is required. Businesses that didn’t comply cannot legally serve alcohol until they get a county license. Those with questions need to call the county clerk’s office at 573-729-4144.  The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Thursday morning at the courthouse at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.

As more Americans plan July 4th celebrations, the Division of Fire Safety is reminding Missourians to put firework safety first this Independence Day. Public fireworks displays not only offer the best sights, they are the safest, but if folks choose to use consumer fireworks, please handle them with extreme caution and do not allow children to use fireworks. Remember, within the city limits of Salem, the discharge of fireworks is legal for individuals 18 years of age or older, or those under the supervision of a parent, guardian or person 18 years old or older between the period of July 1st and July 6th. By ordinance, those discharging fireworks may only do so between the hours of 8:00 in the morning until 10:00 at night except on July 4th when the hours shall be 8:00 in the morning until midnight. Only Class 1.4G fireworks in unmodified form shall be discharged. Fireworks sales at seasonal retailers are legal in Missouri starting June 20th and lasting until July 10th. Please keep in mind that July 4th is not only the busiest day of the year for fireworks, it is the busiest day of the year for fires, especially when conditions are exceptionally dry. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in 2023, eight people across the United States died as the result of fireworks while another 9,700 people were treated for injuries in hospital emergency rooms nationally with children under 15 years of age accounting for 31% of the 2023 injuries. The Product Safety Council also said that about 43% of selected and tested fireworks were found to contain illegal components that could cause severe injuries. In Missouri, about 328 people sought hospital care related to fireworks with 291 of them were treated and discharged from the emergency room. According to the report, 267 of those firework-related injuries were in the three weeks leading up to the 4th of July. Missourians who choose to use consumer fireworks should only use fireworks in a large open space that has been cleared of flammable materials, make sure to have a garden hose or a bucket of water nearby in case of a fire, only light fireworks one at a time; never try to re-light fireworks that have malfunctioned, and dispose of fireworks by soaking them in water and leaving them in a trash can. For questions or concerns about firework safety, firework rules, or firework dealers, contact the Division of Fire Safety at (573) 751-2930.

The 4th of July Celebrations in Salem kicks off with the Salem Community Choir at the Salem Civic Center. The first performance is at 2:00 in the afternoon, then again at 4:00. Just in time to head down to the parade route and pick a spot. The parade starts at 6:00 in the evening. At the conclusion of the parade head over to the Salem City Park and check out the vendors and food trucks, while we wait for the fireworks show at dark.