News – Wednesday, September 9th, 2026

The Board of Directors of Salem Memorial Hospital will hold a special meeting Thursday evening, Sept. 10th, at 6:00 in the evening. After approval of the agenda, the board will enter executive session for the discussion of personnel.

The City of Salem Planning & Zoning Board of Commissioners will be meeting at 6:00 this evening at the Old City Hall Auditorium on 202 N. Washington Street. After the call to order, anyone that wishes to speak will be recognized for a public hearing. Conditional use for vacation properties will be considered, including on 809 W. Glendale; 400 and 402 S. MacArthur and 403 S. Henderson; 601 S. Carty; and 700 S. Askins. Another will be considered for conditional use for esthetician services located at 603 S. Carty St, while another will be considered for subdivision plat correction for the Westwood N. Subdivision located in the 1000-1200 block on the northside of W. Roosevelt. Finally, approval or recommendation of a planned community development with 40 units on the property located at 301 E. Tenth St., owned by the City of Salem, will be considered. The public hearing will then be closed and the meeting will begin, with the board to consider each property accordingly. The board will then adjourn. To watch meetings live, visit the City of Salem Youtube page at youtube.com/@CityofSalemMissouri.

Colonel Michael A. Turner, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, provides the following preliminary statistics related to the Labor Day holiday. Eight people died and 82 were injured in 213 traffic crashes during the 2026 Labor Day holiday counting period, which began at 6 pm. Friday, September 4, 2026, and continued through 11:59 pm. Monday, September 7, 2026. The Patrol also made 123 arrests for DWI. Additionally, there were 9 boating crashes resulting in 1 injury. There were no fatalities or drownings, and 5 people were arrested for BWI. During the 2025 Labor Day holiday counting period the Patrol investigated 252 traffic crashes involving four fatalities and 123 injuries. Statewide, six people died and 423 were injured in 931 vehicle crashes in 2025. Nine 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 could change if late deaths occur, or if other departments report fatal traffic crashes after this news release is sent to the media.

A press release received Sept. 4th from the Office of the United States Attorney of the Eastern District of Missouri, Thomas C. Albus, states that a caregiver of Dent County, Loretta Pyeatt, pleaded guilty in the US District Court in St. Louis to one count of fraud in connection with access devices. Pyeatt admitted that she worked for a victim from roughly July 2023 to September 2025. At the time she started, the victim had at least $232,026 and was receiving Social Security Administration retirement benefits and Veteran’s Affairs benefits monthly. He gave Pyeatt his debit cards so she could buy groceries for him. Pyeatt, however, used the card to make cash withdrawals and additional unauthorized purchases. Before Pyeatt started working for the victim, he had 20 to 30 debit transactions per month. That ballooned to as many as 330 transactions per month. By July 2025, the victim’s account balance had declined to less than $5,600. Pyeatt is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 9th. The charge carries a potential penalty of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both prison and a fine. The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General and the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolene Taaffe is prosecuting.