News – Tuesday, September 15th, 2026

An accident occurred in Dent County Saturday evening at 6:35 on County Road 5015 north of County Road 5070, which left a Dent County Juvenile with minor injuries. According to the Highway Patrol report a southbound 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, driven by a 16-year-old male, lost control of the vehicle. The driver then overcorrected and the Cobalt traveled off the right side of the roadway before overturning. The report stated that the Juvenile was wearing a safety restraint and he suffered minor injuries. He was transported by Salem Memorial Ambulance District to Salem Memorial Hospital. The Chevrolet sustained extensive damage and was removed for the scene by Whitaker’s Towing. The Highway Patrol was assisted by the Dent County Sheriff’s Office.

The Dent County Commission met for its regular meeting Monday morning at the courthouse. Under public comments, citizen Cindy Jones presented commissioners with an article printout discussing the implementation of AI monitoring with Flock technology, and its potential benefits. Assessor Alisa Brookshire reported that reassessment surveys are to begin next week with staff members to be out within the county conducting surveys. For road reports, District One Commissioner Keith Green shared that crew members will be installing a driveway pipe on County Road 4220 and ditch work will be completed on County Road 4280. District Two Commissioner Jimmy Williams reported that crew members will be attempting to grade County Road 6160 and completing a project on County Road 2613. The chip and seal crew are within the county and beginning work on County Road 6150. Both Williams and Green stated they were aware that county roads are in desperate need of grading, but that the current weather has been too dry to do so. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson shared that he attended several meetings Thursday night in St. James with the Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC.) One such meeting was with the Phelps County Housing Advisory Board (PHA), in which the board reviewed financials for the year. The Housing Choice Voucher program was also discussed which has a total of 630 recipients and 653 current applicants; meanwhile, 168 voucher recipients await placement, with Larson sharing that often voucher recipients may wait four to six months for placement. The MRPC meeting also discussed the upcoming annual dinner and Missouri legislature updates. Commissioners held a closed session at 10:00 in the morning to discuss legal actions. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be 9:00 in the morning Thursday at the courthouse and is open to the public. 

Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams has reported on the sales tax received for the month of August. For the General Revenue fund, the county has received $104,831.93, an increase of $22,835.17 or 2.7% year-to-date. The Road and Bridge fund has received $52,415.69, an increase of $18,182.47 or 4.3% year-to-date. The Jail funds have received $105,252.77, an increase of $35,589.30 or 4.2% year-to-date.

The Fall Community Wide Yardsale is coming up soon on the first Saturday of October, Oct. 3rd. Parking spaces will be available at the Administrative Office parking lot for $8. For questions on availability, contact the Administrative Office at 573-729-4811. The yard sale will be followed by the Fall Community Cleanup for City of Salem residents the week of Oct. 5th through Oct. 9th. Have all items for pickup sitting curbside the night before your regularly scheduled trash day. As a reminder, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) law does not allow collection for the following materials: yard waste, batteries, tires, motor oil, chemicals or solvents, paint, appliances or non-compactable items such as concrete, tree stumps, steel, construction debris, etc. All mattresses must be wrapped in plastic and loose items must be bagged to be picked up. For any questions, contact 1-800-926-3953 or 1-417-741-7714. 

The Dent County Clerk’s Office has given notice that a public test of the automatic absentee voting equipment is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 21st at 2:00 in the afternoon at the Dent County Courthouse. Then, another public test of the automatic voting equipment is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 7th at 10:00 in the morning. These tests are open for public viewing.

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. If interested in lending a hand or learning more, the SHP Dent County chapter will be holding its regular monthly meeting on Monday, Sept. 28th, beginning at 5:30 in the evening. This meeting will take place at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory in the Walden Conference Room. There will be discussions on upcoming events, needs, and more. More updates from the chapter can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/shpdentco or visit shpbeds.org/chapter/mo-dent-co.