News – Thursday, April 9th, 2026

An accident happened Monday afternoon just after 3:00 in Washington County on Route P near the Pigeon Roost Road that left a woman from Viburnum with moderate injuries. According to the highway patrol report, a 2013 Kia Sorento, driven southbound by a 62-year-old Viburnum woman, traveled off the right side of the roadway. The woman was transported by the Washington County Ambulance District to Mercy Hospital South. The woman was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Kia was totaled and removed from the scene by Elliott’s Towing.

Dent County Health Center is currently investigating a confirmed case of Legionnaires’ Disease that could be associated with Seville Care Center. Dent County Health Center has been working closely with Seville Care Center and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to ensure appropriate public health measures are in place. Legionnaires’ Disease is a serious type of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria. The bacteria are typically spread through inhalation of contaminated mist or water vapor. Legionnaires’ Disease is not normally spread person to person. The investigation is ongoing. Public health officials and facility leadership are collaborating to review potential sources of exposure, evaluate environmental conditions, and determine whether any additional actions are needed to protect residents, staff, and visitors. Additional updates will be provided as more information becomes available. To view more information on Legionnaires’ Disease, visit cdc.gov/legionella. 

The Salem Community Garden will host a presentation on Pest Control tonight at 6:00 behind the Salem United Methodist at 801 East Scenic Rivers Blvd. Everyone is welcome to attend the presentation, and you do not have to have a plot to participate. Plots are still available and your first plot is free. Accessible garden beds are also available. For more information, contact the Dent County Extension at 573-729-3196 or Thom Haines at 573-247-7952.

The City of Salem Parks & Recreation registration for ball season, including baseball, t-ball, and softball, is open today for $35. Late registration begins tomorrow through April 16th at $45. Practice is to start at the beginning of May with coaches to contact with more information. For more information on how to sign up, contact Parks Director Melissa DuBois by calling 573-729-6290 or emailing salemparks@salemmo.com.

Salem Upper Elementary will be presenting The Lion King Jr. today, Friday, and Saturday at the Salem Civic Theater located at 200 North Washington Street. Tickets may be purchased at the door. Today and Friday, shows will take place in the evening at 6:30. On Saturday, there will be one showing in the early afternoon at 2:00 and another in the evening at 6:30. Come out and support the show!

Warmer weather usually means an increase in outside projects that may require digging or excavation work. Remember that if you are building a deck, planting a tree, or completing a large project, Missouri law requires anyone digging underground to notify Missouri 811. Always remember to place your locate requests at least three working days before you dig. Call 811 or place a locate request online at missouri-811.org before any excavation begins. Requests can be made at no cost, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The call will be taken by the Missouri 811 Call Center, which then notifies all relevant utilities in the project area. Once Missouri 811 is notified, utility companies will mark the approximate location of their underground lines, request additional information or advise you that they do not have facilities at the excavation site. Wait three days until a professional locator comes out to mark natural gas, electric, water, sewer, telephone and cable lines. The approximate location of buried utilities will be marked with paint or flags so you can avoid them. Each utility type corresponds to a specific color of paint or flag, and all must be marked before you can dig. Once the site has been clearly marked, proceed with caution. Avoid digging within 18 to 24 inches of each utility mark, if possible. Hitting an underground line can cause serious injury and could disrupt service to you and other customers. It could potentially result in fines and repair costs. According to Ameren, an increase in damage to its underground natural gas and electric facilities has been experienced. A significant driver of these incidents are customers hammering stakes into the ground without having their utility lines located. Even after the facilities are marked, always dig by hand within the tolerance zone of the marked facilities, 24 inches on either side of the line. Contact Missouri 811 at 811 or go online at missouri-811.org to place a locate request.