News – Friday, June 26th, 2026

An accident occurred in Dent County Wednesday evening at approximately 6:25 on Dent County Road 2500 west of county road 2540. According to the Highway Patrol report an eastbound 2001 Harley Davidson Heritage, which was driven by a 60-year-old male from Bay St. Louis, Mississippi who lost control causing the Harley to overturn ejecting the man. He suffered serious injuries and was flown by Air Evac 13 to University Hospital in Columbia. The report stated that the driver was not wearing any safety equipment. The Harley Davidson was removed from the scene by American Muffler.

The Dent County Commission met Thursday morning for its regularly scheduled meeting. After corrections, commissioners approved the previous meeting minutes. Under road reports, District One Commissioner Keith Green reported that crew members would be patching chipseal on county roads 4110, 4180, and 4120. District Two Commissioner Jimmy Williams reported crew members would be grading and hauling rock on county roads 4060, 3310, and 4437. Crew members will also be cutting brush on county roads 3235, 3280, 3233, and 3260. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson reported the commissioners will be conducting a closed session Monday afternoon with Travis Elliot, legal counsel with the Missouri Association of Counties. Commissioners will be meeting with Jeff Chronister, an insurance representative of Ollis, Akers, and Arney, who will be offering updates on insurance for the county and its claims. County Collector Denita Williams reported on Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funds received. PILT is federal funds provided to local governments from the Department of Interior to offset property tax losses due to nontaxable federal lands within the county. These funds are received annually in June and can be utilized for any governmental purposes, including emergency response, public schools, and roads, among others. The amount received this year is $227,766, which is an increase from last year of $41,634 or approximately 22%. County Clerk Angie Curley reported that July 8th is the deadline to register to vote in the Aug. 4th Primary Election. Excused absentee voting will continue until Aug. 3rd. No excuse absentee voting will begin on July 21st. The next regular meeting of the County Commission will be 9:00 in the morning on Monday at the Dent County Courthouse. These meetings are open to the public.

A competitive 3v3 basketball tournament, part of the “We’ve got your Back, Zack” fundraiser, will be held this Saturday at the Salem Community Center @ The Armory with the men’s bracket starting at 10:00 in the morning and the women’s tournament beginning at 2:00 in the afternoon. The cost is $60 per team. Registration forms are available at the Salem Community Center @ The Armory or call Henry at 573-247-1301 or 573-729-8163. You can also e-mail henry@salemcommunitycenter.org. All proceeds raised will help Zach Moser and his family with treatment expenses, travel and daily living costs. Your help with this community effort is greatly appreciated.