News – Tuesday, July 7th, 2026

Tomorrow, Wednesday, July 8th is the deadline to register to vote for the August 4th Primary Election. If you would like to check your registration, visit the website provided by the Missouri Secretary of State Danny Hoskins at voteroutreach.sos.mo.gov. If you have any questions, please call the Dent County Clerk’s office at 573-729-4144.

The Dent County Commission met Monday morning for its regular meeting at the Dent County Courthouse. Deloris Gray Wood thanked commissioners for the use of the courthouse steps on Saturday for the reading of the 88 names of the men from South Central Missouri who registered here for the Missouri Militia during the Civil War. She suggested commissioners should pursue the designation of a location on the courthouse square to indicate the signing occurred here. Under road reports, District One Commissioner Keith Green shared his crews were out checking roads for downed trees which hadn’t been reported over the weekend. Crew members would be finishing the removal of trees on County Road 6580. Grading is planned for county roads 6245, 6220, and 6570. Brush would be cut on County Road 2400. Green also reported that one of the tractors requires a shifter cable to be replaced in order for crew members to resume brush-hogging. District Two Commissioner Jimmy Williams reported that crew members would be checking for downed trees that were not reported, in addition to the two locations that were called in. Grading is planned for county roads 3150, 3140, 5300, and 5305, plus rock would be added to county roads 3150 and 3140. Williams went on to report that brush would be cut on county roads 6690, 2103, 2100, and 2320. He noted that one of the John Deere graders was having a cylinder replaced as well as some other work, and that the ancient fuel tank pump was being worked on. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson reported that the commission needed to review the agreement he received from the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) concerning the moving of utilities as part of the Boss Bridge project. Larson indicated this was a formality relative to the bridge replacement and bypass to be constructed, and it will require commissioner signatures. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reminded voters of deadlines for voting including this Wednesday’s deadline to register to vote. She also noted that bills were being approved by the commissioners for payment. The next meeting of the commission will be Thursday morning at the Dent County Courthouse, and the meeting will be open to the public.

Colonel Michael A. Turner, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, provided the following preliminary statistics related to the July 4th holiday counting period, which began at 6:00 in the evening Thursday, July 2nd and continued through 11:59 in the evening Sunday, July 5th. The 2026 July 4th holiday traffic statistics showed there were 235 Traffic Crashes, resulting in 9 fatalities and 113 injuries. There were 125 DWI arrests. The Boating Statistics indicated there were 3 Crashes, 3 Injuries, and no fatalities. However, there were 3 Drownings and 9 BWI’s. During the 2025 July 4th holiday counting period, the patrol investigated 273 traffic crashes involving nine fatalities and 138 injuries. Statewide, 13 people died and 414 were injured in 993 vehicle crashes in 2025. Eleven boating crashes were investigated throughout Missouri in 2025. Further details related to the traffic crashes and arrests can be found on the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s website. The fatality statistics in this news release could change if later deaths occur, or if other departments report fatal traffic crashes.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) is an international non-profit 501(C)(3) organization that builds, assembles and delivers beds to children who do not have a bed. The monthly meeting of the SHP Dent County chapter previously reported to take place on Tuesday, July 7th, will be rescheduled for another date in August, to be announced at a later time. More updates from the chapter can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/shpdentco.

The Dent County Toy Drive will be holding its 6th annual Christmas in July fundraiser on Saturday, July 25th at the Dent County Commons. This is a special year for the toy drive as it will be celebrating its 50th anniversary serving children in Dent County.  There will be plenty to enjoy at the event, including pulled pork sandwiches, music throughout the day, and a free kids carnival. Attendees can also look forward to the car show, craft show, and poker run. The event will be held rain or shine. Attendees are asked to bring a toy to fill the truck, although not required to attend. For updates, visit the Dent County ToyDrive Facebook page at facebook.com/TheDentCountyToyDrive. 

A free hands-on Compass Orienteering course will be held for those 10 and older at Rolla’s Ber Juan Park, hosted by the City of Rolla Parks and Recreation and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC.) The event will be Wednesday, July 22nd from 6:30 to 8:00 in the evening located at the Ber Juan Park Pavillion at 1200 East 14th Street. An MDC conservation educator will guide attendees through a brief classroom portion to learn how to read maps and use a compass, and then those new skills will be put to the test outdoors. Pre-registration is required as space is limited to 30 participants. Please dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes with good ankle support for the outdoor practice portion. To register, visit the MDC website at mdc.mo.gov, click “Events” at the top of the page, then search “compass orienteering.”

Staff at Ozark National Scenic Riverways (ONSR) have notified that the lower river landing at Round Spring is closed as of Tuesday, July 6th for repaving. The closure is expected to last approximately one week. All visitors getting on or off the river at Round Spring should plan to use the upper landing behind Carr’s Store until the lower landing is reopened. Work began on June 15th to replace the low water crossing leading to the Round Spring pavilion, playground area, and main parking lot for Round Spring itself. The closure is tentatively expected to last for the remainder of the summer season.