News – Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026

An accident happened Sunday evening at 6:40 in Dent County on Route VV about one half mile west of County Road 6620 that took the life of a teenager from Licking. According to the highway patrol report, a 16-year-old male juvenile from Licking was driving a 1999 Chevy Silverado on Route VV eastbound, when he lost control of the Silverado on the wet pavement. The young man overcorrected and the pickup traveled off the left side of roadway and overturned. A passenger in the Silverado, a 15-year-old female juvenile who was not wearing a seat restraint, was partially ejected from the pickup and was pronounced dead at the scene. Her body was taken to the Fox Funeral Home in Licking. The driver, who was wearing a seat restraint, was not injured in the accident. The vehicle sustained moderate damages and was removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing. The highway patrol was assisted at the scene by the Dent County Sheriff’s Department.

The Salem Memorial Hospital Board of Directors held its regular meeting last Tuesday evening in the hospital’s Doctors’ Library. In his report to the board, CEO Brent Peirick gave updates on several specialty services, including rheumatology, cardiology and general surgery. On the revenue cycle, Peirick said Equalize has collected about $4.7 million so far, and the hospital has paid the company about $280,000. Equalize representatives will be on-site Nov. 24th to update the board in person. The board has also asked for a summary of the accounts that have been written off. Peirick met with Doe Run management about continuing to provide pre-employment and other employee physicals for the company. He also met with program director Dr. Stringfield about a new Family Medicine Residency Program that will start at Phelps Health in 2028, together they brainstormed ideas on how SMH could collaborate with the new program. In September, the hospital recorded 60 inpatient admissions, 1,326 outpatient registrations, 635 emergency room visits, 1,322 cardiopulmonary procedures and 207 ambulance runs. All of those numbers were up from August except ambulance runs, which declined slightly. September operating revenue totaled about $2.7 million, while operating expenses came in at about $2.5 million, leaving the hospital with a profit of roughly $311,000. The hospital reported about $13.1 million in aging accounts receivable yet to be collected, down about $445,000 from the previous month. The 340B program brought in net revenue of $29,763 in September, and the hospital currently has 22 days of cash on hand. The nursing report highlighted the upcoming Mission Possible Education and Competency Fair in December, an update on SMH vaccinations, and the Salem High School Career Fair. The human resources report covered new hires, including a full-time paramedic, a registration clerk and a centralized scheduling position, along with positions the hospital is actively recruiting for. The hospital also recently received a $50,000 donation from the Bank of Salem in support of its Horizon 1 Rural Health Transformation Program project. The board then went into executive session to discuss legal and personnel matters. Its next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 17th at 7:00 and is open to the public.  

Last Thursday night at the Meramec Regional Planning Commission’s Annual Awards Banquet in Phelps County, Dent County’s own Ed Carmack was presented the Eugene E. Northern Award. It is the highest award presented by the MRPC for volunteerism. Carmack has dedicated much of his adult life as an ambassador of community service for Salem and Dent County. For more than 30 years, Carmack served as chairman of the Salem Crisis Center Board and was also on the SOLVE Board. He contributed to the Riverways Pregnancy Resource Center, Salem R-80 School Board and Salem Area Chamber of Commerce. For years, Carmack donated a vehicle from his car business in support of the Salem High School Project Graduation. Faith was also a major part of Carmack’s life as he served as an ordained Deacon and Elder at the Salem Christian Church for more than 40 years, which included 20 years of driving the church van for seniors and youth activities. He also served on the board of the Cookson Hills Christian Children’s Home in Kansas and Oklahoma. Carmack was dedicated to numerous conservation efforts including serving on a committee for the restoration of wild elk in Missouri, and served 31-years as a committee member and co-chair of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s Elk Prairie Chapter. In 2017, Carmack received the Foundations’ Chairman Award in recognition of his service. He was also a member of Habitat Partners for 20 years. A longtime Mason, Carmack was a Past Master and has been a 55-year member of the Salem Masonic Lodge as well as a 50-year member of the Scottish Rite. Carmack’s life has been a testament to his community support through service, leadership, faith and generosity, continually giving his support, time and efforts to numerous local causes leaving a lasting legacy in the Salem community. Congratulations, Ed Carmack!

The Meramec Regional Planning Commission’s (MRPC) Coalition for Roadway Safety will be hosting a free class at the Rolla High School at 900 Bulldog Run this Wednesday from 6:00 to 7:30 in the evening. The class is for teenage drivers and their guardians, who are invited to participate in the “Keeping Your Teen Driver Safe” presentation by First Impact. The informative 60-90-minute session is designed to assist parents in mentoring and supporting their novice drivers through the pre-permit and license process while also gaining insights into the Graduated Driver’s License (GDL) law. For questions or assistance in signing up, contact Carol Hoormann at 314-496-0110.