News – Tuesday, September 1st, 2026

On Monday, the Dent County Sheriff’s Office released that a deputy sheriff had discovered that Shawn Keith Hougardy, a sex offender from Mountain Grove, Mo., was in Dent County and not in compliance with the Sex Offender Registry regulations. In addition, Hougardy had a warrant for his arrest for a probation violation from another county. Hougardy has been arrested and incarcerated in the Dent County Jail.

The Dent County Commission met for its weekly meeting Monday morning at the courthouse. Dent County Health Center Board of Trustees Chairman Bob Parsons notified commissioners that during the emergency meeting conducted Thursday night the board designated Joan Raulston as the County Health Officer, to be in charge of finances relating to Human Resources. Roma Jones, assistant administrator, will be retiring in less than six weeks from her role. Jessica Ricks is to serve as Deputy Administrator, in charge of finances relating to grants. Under road reports, District One Commissioner Keith Green shared that crew members will be attempting to grade and haul rock for continued work on County Road 6280. For the rest of the week, crew members will be installing pipes on county roads 2240, 2470, 2480, and 6083. Chip and seal is estimated to begin next week on county roads 4110 and 4210. District Two Commissioner Jimmy Williams reported that crew members will be finishing a culvert installation on County Road 2150, and then installing more culverts on county roads 2120, 2010, and 2070. Until there is rain, crew members are not able to grade the roads. Deputy County Clerk Crystal Pilkington reported bills are to be approved. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and is open to the public.

The Doe Run Company’s maroon mine rescue team won multiple awards at the 2026 Colorado Regional Mine Rescue Competition July 27th–30th in Loveland, Colorado. Maroon team members Buck Roderman, Andrew Hampton, Luke Davis, Melodie Wilcox, Dustine Keene, Jarred Tackett, Michael Snyder, Craig Turner, and Jacob Piatt placed first on the first day and second place on the second day of the field problem competition. The team also was named overall grand champion based on its combined results in the field, technical, bench, and first aid competitions. Piatt and Turner also competed together against coal and metal/non-metal mine rescue teams and took first place overall in the team technician competition. Co-hosted and sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Mine Rescue Council, the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining & Safety, and the Colorado Mining Association, with coordination from the MSHA Rocky Mountain District, the 2026 Colorado Regional Mine Rescue competition featured two days of mine rescue field problems designed to simulate underground emergency situations. On the third day, competitors tested their individual skills in first aid, technician, and bench competitions. To learn more, visit doerun.com.

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) has released a list of general highway maintenance and construction work planned in the mid-Missouri area through this Sunday. Most routine work zones will be removed for the Labor Day holiday this weekend, but some long-term work zones and closures will remain in place. Except for emergencies, work will stop at noon on Friday and resume the morning of next Tuesday, Sept. 8th. Bridge maintenance is scheduled to begin over Dry Fork Creek, just north of Montauk, on Hwy. 72 and is scheduled for completion in October. One lane will remain open, and crews will flag traffic through the work zones. On Hwy. 119, bridge maintenance will continue over Pigeon Creek, just north of Montauk, and is scheduled for completion in September. Resurfacing continues east of Salem as the project continues toward Iron County Hwy. KK with expected completion also in September. Pedestrian facility upgrades continue on both Hwy. 19 and 32 within the city limits of Salem with minimal traffic impact expected. That project is also scheduled to be completed in September. In Phelps County, Highways C, CC, and T have pavement repairs planned beginning today and ending Thursday. Bridge rehabilitation continues over Interstate 44 at the Business Loop 44/Hwy. 72/Kingshighway junction, with the bridge remaining closed to all westbound traffic and an expected completion of the project in October. On Hwy. 62, bridge rehabilitation continues over Little Piney Creek near Yancy Mills with temporary traffic signals being used to maintain traffic through the single-lane work zone. That project is also scheduled for completion in October. On Hwy. BB, or 10th Street, in Rolla, bridge rehabilitation continues over the BNSF Railway with one lane open in each direction and no center turn lane. Intermittent closures of Oak Street and Olive Street can be expected.