Posts by Stan Podorski

According to preliminary data, 954 fatalities occurred on Missouri roadways in 2024. This is a decrease of 4% when compared to 2023, and a decrease of 10% compared to 2022. This is the second consecutive year that Missouri has seen a decrease in roadway fatalities. Despite the continued progress, this still amounts to nearly three lives lost on Missouri roadways every day, leaving plenty of room for improvement in 2025. The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety stresses how the four simple actions of Buckle Up, Phone Down, Slow Down and Drive Sober could put a big dent in the fatality numbers. While overall roadway fatalities were down, a record number of pedestrian fatalities occurred in 2024, with 148 pedestrians being struck and killed. This is a 16% increase from 2023 and continues a concerning trend of rising pedestrian deaths. That’s the highest number ever reported in Missouri. Additionally, a notable percentage of the pedestrian fatalities were individuals who exited their vehicle due to a prior crash or breakdown on the side of the road. State Highway Safety and Traffic Engineer Jon Nelson said that we still have a lot of work to do in Missouri, and we are especially concerned by the rising number of pedestrian fatalities in our state. We all have a responsibility to use the transportation system in a safe manner, and both drivers and pedestrians can make safe choices to help make this happen. He went on to say let’s keep our heads up, watch out for each other, slow down, and put all distractions aside, whether we’re behind the wheel or taking a walk. In contrast, preliminary numbers indicate motorcyclist fatalities in Missouri were down 23%, with 133 motorcyclists killed on Missouri roadways in 2024. This is the lowest number of motorcyclist deaths since Missouri repealed the all-rider helmet law in 2020. But, prior to the repeal, motorcycle deaths were typically around 120 per year. Cell phones have proven to be one of the most persistent and consequential distractions. Distracted driving contributed to more than 100 deaths in both 2023 and 2024, and statistically, more than half of the victims are someone other than the distracted driver. Missouri’s new Siddens-Bening Law now prohibits the use of handheld electronic devices, including cell phones, by all drivers. The law has already had a positive impact and is expected to continue doing so with citations now in effect for violating the law. Missouri’s strategic highway safety plan, Show-Me Zero, takes a comprehensive approach in creating a safe system to reduce and eliminate traffic fatalities. For more information on the Show-Me Zero plan and to learn how all Missourians can help make the roadways safer, visit www.savemolives.com.

A new online resource from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources offers information to landowners on best practices and methods for stream management. Developed in coordination with the Missouri Farm Bureau, “A Landowner’s Guide to Stream Management” details strategies for preventing eroding banks, property loss, excessive gravel and other challenges. Noah Cadwell of the department’s Waters Resources Center said that this guide is designed to empower landowners and give them a greater sense of independence when addressing their streams. He went on to say that the guide includes necessary regulatory information and the most effective stream management strategies. It will assist landowners in overcoming some common challenges that come from living by a stream while maintaining the stream’s ecosystem. Cadwell said the department developed the guide in response to concerns from farmers and landowners who face growing property loss stemming from past riparian corridor damages and historical land use changes. More than a year in the making, the guide includes information provided by experts from the department and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as from other agencies and organizations.  According to Cadwell this guide is designed to clarify the fundamentals of stream regulation for landowners and to explain what options may be available for different situations, plus he noted that our hope is by making this information more accessible and transparent, landowners will feel more comfortable considering projects benefiting their streambanks. This guide also provides information for obtaining technical assistance and financial support for landowners who are considering taking on larger projects. “A Landowner’s Guide to Stream Management” provides information on permitting needs and processes but is not intended to be a resource for regulatory guidance. Landowners need to read the applicable permits and consider consulting the proper regulatory agency before beginning stream work. The new guide is available at dnr.mo.gov.

Starting this Wednesday at the Salem Community Center@The Armory, Luke and Hannah Heithold will hold the nine-week course from the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University on the fastest way to beat debt and build wealth presented by the Bank of Salem and Healthy Dent County, and sponsored by Joe Brand. The course will be held nine consecutive Wednesday evenings from 5:30 until 7:00 in the Rotary Room and will feature discussions on budgeting, understanding insurance, buying and selling your home, building wealth, outrageous generosity and more. Seating is limited and the cost is $60 per person for the entire course. Imagine a life with no debt, credit card payments and no car payments where every dollar you earn was building your future instead of paying off your past. Discover how financial freedom can be yours! The deadline to register for this class is Tuesday, February 18th! You can register by calling Carlos at 573-729-8163 or e-mailing him at Carlos@salemcommunitycenter.org.

The Salem Area Arts Council will be presenting “Art Across the Ages,” a Community Art Show starting March 3rd and lasting until March 31st at the Ozark Natural and Cultural Resource Center to celebrate the arts in our community. March is “Youth Art Month” and the Arts Council wants to recognize the amazing talent and creativity that exists in our schools and community! They are excited to invite individuals of all ages from around our area to submit recent artwork to the show for free! This is a family friendly art show and artwork may be left to the discretion of the committee to accept or reject pieces based on the number of submissions, the space available, tasteful content, etc. There is a wide variety of artists who give many perspectives, adding to the vision of an artist evolving from childhood to adult. Maturity adds to and sometimes detracts from vision and the ability to express ideas, which is why having art examples from both youth and adults is so much fun! To submit artwork for display (2-D or 3-D), please email salemartscenter@salemcommunitybetterment.com. You can then arrange a time to come and hang your work/set up your display. This year the Arts Council are adding a couple of new things.  First, they hope to have live music at the reception; and second, they plan to give each artist an opportunity to sell their artwork if they want. No money will be handled at the show, but the artist is welcome to write their price on the name tag attached to the piece. The Arts Council will collect phone numbers with each entry, and if someone expresses an interest in purchasing a particular piece, they can share the phone number with that person with the artist’s permission. Come and enjoy this unique art exhibit highlighting the talent of area artists of all ages. The exhibit begins Monday, March 3rd at the ONCRC, with an open house and reception for all artists & families being held on Tuesday, March 4th, from 4:00 until 7:00.  Live music and light snacks will be provided.  The reception provides a great opportunity for families to meet the child’s art teacher and other artists, as well as take photos. Set-up will be in the ONCRC gallery room on Thursday and Friday, February 27th and 28th, from 9:00 in the morning until 4:00 in the afternoon; as well as on Saturday, March 1 from 10:00 in the morning until 12:00 noon. The exhibit will have visiting hours from 9:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon, Monday through Friday depending on the volunteers available. 

The Dent County Commissioners met Thursday morning at the courthouse. In the road report, both District 1 Commissioner Keith Green and District 2 Commissioner Jimmy Williams said crews were out checking roads for slick spots and possible downed limbs. Commissioner Gary Larson said he attended the Transportation Advisory Committee meeting at the Community Center at the Nelson Hart Park Thursday before returning to the MRPC building for the External Relations Committee meeting and the regular MRPC meeting. He also said he has been in touch with the elevator companies to do an evaluation of what it would cost to put an elevator on the old courthouse as well as the cost to put it in a new building. He said he wants to get back with Judge Seay on the progress of this issue to make sure the county is moving in the right direction. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said excused absentee voting for the April Municipal Election will begin on February 25th, and she will be attending a Missouri Association of Counties meeting on February 19th. She also said the courthouse would be closed Monday for Presidents’ Day. At 10:00, the commissioners, Clerk Angie Curley, Collector Shannon VanKirk and Assessor Jamie Homeyer heard a presentation from Michael Witt with Clearbasin software for the Senate Bill 190 application process and determining the Homestead Tax Credit available to those who qualify. He said the initial challenges will be the amount of applications the first year, then whether the person is qualified or not qualified, and the consistency in determining those qualifications. Also important will be the security of the information received by each applicant and the coordination of each office holder’s role. Witt said their plan is to create a taxpayer portal where people could fill out online or download the application. If done online, the program will review the information for verification to see if the taxpayer is qualified, then calculate the Homestead Tax Credit that would be sent to the collector to be put on the tax bill. If hand delivered on paper, the application would have to be reviewed to determine eligibility and the tax credit. Witt said each office holder will have their own portal for their portion of the calculation of the tax credit which will be customized for Dent County. Witt said their software is subscription based with an annual cost for updates and changes. Witt did not quote a price for the software at the meeting but would e-mail his quote to the assessor for her review in a day or two. At the last meeting, Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams reported on the sales tax received this month. The General Revenue Fund and Law Enforcement Sales Tax Fund each received $91,159.71 in February and the county is up .39% over last year. The Road and Bridge Fund received $41,830.90 in February and that is up .79% over last year. The Dent County Jail Operating and Trust funds each received $84,083.13 this February and that is up .59% from last year. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Thursday, February 20th at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting will be open to the public.

An accident happened in Dent County Wednesday morning at 9:24 on Highway 72 about a mile south of Highway 32. According to the highway patrol report, a 2007 International Tractor-Trailer driven westbound by a 67-year-old man from St. James, traveled off the right side of the roadway and struck a tree. The man was taken by a private conveyance to Phelps Health after suffering minor injuries. He was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The International Tractor-Trailer was secured roadside.

The Healthy Dent County Fitness Center is bringing back its popular adult co-ed volleyball league for a third year. The league features two divisions: a silver (recreational) division and a gold (competitive) division. Teams must maintain a gender balance on the court, with no more men than women playing at a time, and no two men playing side by side. League games will take place on Tuesday evenings throughout March and April at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory Gymnasium, with a championship tournament set for Saturday, April 26. There will be no games during the last week of March. Each team can have a maximum of eight players, and no additional players can be added after the roster is submitted. The deadline to register is February 27, and registration forms are available at the Healthy Dent County Fitness Center. For more information, contact Susie Cahill at 573-739-1127 or susie@salemcommunitycenter.org.

The City of Salem Utility Committee was unable to meet last night for their regularly scheduled meeting, citing poor weather conditions.

The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors held their meeting Tuesday evening, February 11th, the consent agenda and minutes from the previous meeting were reviewed and approved. The financial report was reviewed with an ending balance of $401,763.43. All bills, payments, and statements were reviewed and approved. The monthly reimbursement report was presented with a total of 21 calls for the month and a total of 40 for the year. Of the 21 calls for the month, 15 were fire related with seven of those being building fires and two mobile home fires; three calls were classified as Hazmat related, one call was a motor vehicle accident with injuries, and two calls were classified as other. In old business, board member Leigh Ann Price stated that several events had been planned to make sure that all the facts were given so that voters could make a valid decision on the Fire District bond at the next election. The board then heard from Bret Bailey to annex his property into the Dent County Fire Protection District. Bailey lives approximately eight miles east of Salem and would like to become a part of the district. After answering questions and some discussion, the board gave Mr. Bailey the state statutes and paperwork for review. The board discussed the lease of the ice maker currently with B&B distributors out of St Louis. After the discussion, board approved to not renew the contract with B&B. The board also discussed the current Cintas Service they receive and elected not to discontinue that service. In  the Chief’s report, Chief Dennis Floyd reported Ladder Truck 8012 was back in service after being repaired in St. Louis at a cost of $12,679.00. He also stated four people attend the Winter fire training school at the Columbia MU Fire and Rescue Training Institute. Floyd went on to report that he and Jeff Stokes would be meeting with the IDA Board on Wednesday, February 19th in the library basement. Floyd also reported that on Saturday, April 12th the department will hold training on propane tank fires. It is a state sponsored class and other departments will be invited to participate. Before adjourning, the next meeting was set for Tuesday, March 11th at 6:00 in the evening.

An accident happened in Maries County at the Highway 63 and 28 Junction at 9:52 Wednesday morning. According to the highway patrol report, a 2001 Buick LeSabre driven southbound by a 23-year-old woman from Licking, lost control on the snow-covered road and crossed over the center line where the Buick was struck by a 2023 Peterbilt driven northbound by a 69-year-old man from Rosebud, Missouri. The woman suffered serious injuries and was transported by an EMS to Phelps Health. The Buick was totaled and removed from the scene by Plaza Towing, while the Peterbilt sustained extensive damage and was taken from the scene by Patriot Towing. The woman from Licking was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The highway patrol was assisted at the scene by the Maries County Sheriff’s Department and Vienna Fire Department.

An accident happened in Texas County at 3:40 Wednesday morning on Highway 32 about four miles east of Licking. According to the highway patrol report, a GMC Sierra driven eastbound by a 36-year-old man from Licking, traveled off the roadway and struck a tree. The man suffered moderate injuries and was transported to the Texas County Memorial Hospital by the Texas County Ambulance. The GMC was totaled and removed from the scene Jay’s Towing at the request of the officer. The man was wearing his seat restraint at the time of the accident. 

The Dent County Chapter of “Sleep in Heavenly Peace” has received a $4,000 grant from Intercounty Electric’s Charitable and Education Foundation. Chapter President Patti McKeown said the chapter applied for the Intercounty Round-Up grant and then interviewed with Intercounty on Thursday, February 6th, before receiving the news they had been awarded the grant Tuesday, February 11th. Congratulations to Patti and the Dent County Chapter of “Sleep in Heavenly Peace.” If you are not familiar with what they do, they are an international non-profit 501(C)(3) organization that builds, assembles and delivers new beds to children in need who do not have a bed. Anyone can apply for a child on the SHPbeds.org website. For more information about “Sleep in Heavenly Peace,” contact Patti at 703-964-6495. You can also e-mail Patti at patti.mckeown@shpbeds.org.