News – Friday, December 12th 2025

The winners of the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce and City of Salem Parade of Lights held last Friday have been announced by Salem Area Chamber of Commerce Director Catherine Wynn. The winner of the commercial float was Town and Country Bank while Scenic Rivers Industries was the non-commercial float winner. Wynn also announced the winners of the Shop Salem promotion. Winning the Missouri Basketball Tickets vs Texas from KSMO Media and the wash bucket of goodies and headphones from TownScreen were won by Annette Hill, the Christmas Basket from the local Edward Jones office with Joe Brand and Leah Nash was won by Sandy Bowers, the Simple Traditions gift certificate and cedar spices were won by Camryn Pryor, the Regine’s Common Kitchen gift certificate and book courtesy of the Salem Public Library were won by Marian Ledden, Sandra Wofford won the gift card from A Gypsy’s Dream along with Turquoise Earrings, Tiger Stickers and Tyler Car Air Freshner; winning the Hot Cocoa Sign, Bath Soak, Tyler Wax Melts, Campfire Smore Mix, a book, a vintage box and a gift certificate top Custard by C Sue (or Savory!) was Amanda Duncan; and winning the Missouri Basketball Tickets vs MSU from KSMO Media, the Terrill Auto Care hats and gift certificate and Maxell Wireless Earbuds from TownScreen was Celeste Nelson. Congratulations to all the winners and thanks for your participation.

First reported by a riverboat captain on the Mississippi River in 1833, the annual Geminid meteor shower has been captivating viewers for nearly two centuries, and it keeps getting better. Due to the gravitational influence of Jupiter, the meteor shower’s brilliant streaks are becoming visibly brighter with each passing year as Earth orbits through the dust trail left by orbiting asteroid 3200 Phaethon, making its December appearance high in the southern sky near the constellation Gemini a must-see event. You can view this incredible show this Saturday, at Elephant Rocks State Park located at 7406 Highway 21 in Belleview. From 5:00 in the evening to midnight, guests are invited to view the show. If you like stargazing and light shows, join the team at the park to create a lifelong memory. No telescopes or binoculars are needed, as the shower can be viewed with the naked eye. Please dress for the weather and remember the temperature on the rocks is often lower than the average local temperature. Portable chairs and blankets are recommended. For more astronomy-related events, please visit mostateparks.com/astronomy. 

Ozark National Scenic Riverways and the Ozark Riverways Foundation will host two holiday events in December. Carols at Alley Mill will be held Saturday from 6:00 to 8:00 in the evening. The historic mill will be decorated for the holidays and feature candlelight caroling, ornament-making and seasonal refreshments. Attendees are encouraged to dress warmly. Alley Spring is located five miles west of Eminence on State Highway 106. A Christmas Celebration at Mt. Zion Church will be held Sunday, December 14 at 2:00 in the afternoon. The event will include holiday stories from the Akers community, traditional caroling, special displays and a visit from Santa Claus. Complimentary holiday treats will be available. Participating organizations include Friends of Mt. Zion, Dent County Historical Society, Ozark Heritage Project and Shannon County Museum Association. Mt. Zion Church is located half a mile north of Akers on State Highway K. Both events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Ranger Josh Chilton at 573-226-3945 or Josh_Chilton@nps.gov. Details are available on the park Facebook page or at nps.gov/ozar.

The annual “Shop with a Cop” was held Saturday at Wal-Mart and it was a huge success. They were able to help bring a “Merry Christmas” to 40 children in our community! A special thank you to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office, Salem Police Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Missouri Department of Conservation, and the Missouri Division of Fire Safety-investigations for shopping with the kids. In addition to the 40 children helped Saturday morning, five children from the Dent County Salvation Army’s “Angel Tree” were also shopped for. A special thank you goes out to Wal-Mart for helping coordinate the event and helping to keep it running smooth. Finally, a big “thank you” goes out to this community who donated so those children could have a good Christmas.