Local News

Thursday night at the Salem R-80 High School Library, the Salem R-80 board of Education met for their regular December board meeting. Superintendent Dr. Lynne Reed explained the savings from the refunding of the bonds the board agreed to saved $123,047 and that is about $17,000 more than projected. After the budget update, Reed reported there have been some investments in the Youth Opportunity Program for the Salem R-80 Construction Trades Program, but there is still a ways to go. She said when people review their end of the year tax situation, they tend to look for these type of tax credits that are available with the CBDG grants that are 50% of the investment made over $500. The board then heard from Auditor Matt James from Willow Springs who said the audit went well. He said he offered a clean opinion on the financial statements as well on the federal awards. James said the Salem R-80 School District’s net cash position decreased by $148,472 from $4,883,675.91 for the 2018-19 school year to $4,735,203.37 for the 2019-20. He said the district was very consistent with their expenses, but he did note the district real estate appraised values were up about $2 million dollars which did generate additional tax revenues. Athletic Director Phillip Karr reported on the last Athletic Advisory Committee meeting in December and said the next meeting would be held on January 13th to establish the organization of youth sports in the Salem and Dent County area. The board selected Brecklyn Holt as the recipient of the MSBA Belcher Scholarship Recipient, approved the renewal of the MUSIC liability insurance which offers the same coverage with an increase in cost of $7,000, and they tentatively approved a request from Choir Director Elaine Russell to allow students to travel to a national choir competition in either Orlando or Nashville in April. This will be re-evaluated in February to see where the COVID-19 virus situation stands at that time. The board heard from Amber Pryor about students receiving fine arts credit for multimedia instruction in commercial art and business in a new class being developed as part of the two year business course implementation plan at the high school. The board also approved the mask mandate for the second semester for all schools which was explained in letters sent to parents. If you need more information about the mandate, the information is available on the Salem R-80 website.

The Salem Board of Aldermen will meet this evening at the City Hall Council Chambers at 202 North Washington Street at 7:00. After the consent agenda, the board will hear from City Administrator Ray Walden who will provide an update on a number of city projects. The board will then hear and discuss Resolution #22-2020 that approves the sale of surplus city inventory and personal property that is being deemed obsolete and unusable by the city. The board will then hear Mayor Brad Nash suggest adding Jon Mihalka to the airport board before they go into closed session to discuss personnel. The meeting of the Salem Board of Aldermen tonight is open to the public.

The Dent County Assessor’s office in the Dent County Courthouse has been placed on quarantine through December 29th. The 2021 Assessment forms were mailed on December 16th and can be returned to our office by mail to 400 N Main, Salem, MO 65560, or placed in the drop box in front of the court house, or in the box by our Assessor window. Please make sure you have signed your form and put your phone number in case we have any questions. If you need other assistance with assessments, you may leave a message at 573-729-6010 and we will do our best to return your call as soon as we are able. You can also send us an email at: dentcounty@embarqmail.com. They apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience and understanding.

Dent County Prosecutor Andrew Curley has released some reports from last week. In Crawford County on December 8th in front of Judge Kelly Parker, Joshua Benton of Bunker, who was on probation for domestic assault in the 3rd degree after completing the state 559 program, absconded from supervision and his probation was revoked. He was then sentenced to serve four years in the Department of Corrections. On Monday, December 14th in front of Judge Parker, Brice Mullins of Salem had his probation revoked. He was sentenced to six years in the Department of Corrections. He has additional charges for the distribution of a controlled substance from the recent drug roundup that are unresolved at this time. Then on Thursday in Dent County in front Judge Benjamin Thompson, Megan Fisk of Salem pled guilty to the possession of methamphetamine from a charge in 2017 and the distribution of meth in 2020. Fisk was sentenced to ten years in the Department of Corrections under the RSMO Section 559.115 program which calls for a 120 day shock incarceration as requested by the prosecutor.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors in closed session discussed and approved a contract for services with the Cerner Information Technology Company out of Kansas City to merge their electronic health records into a single system. This process will take between 12 and 15 months and is being done to allow all the departments at the hospital to be able to access a patient’s file without having to change systems. There is no cost for this to be done until they go live sometime in the year 2022.

The Salvation Army Dent County Service Unit is asking for your help in meeting their Christmas Kettle goal of $35,000 this year. With only three days left to ring the bell at the familiar red kettle, the local organization is falling short of their goal. Christmas season is the only time that funds are raised locally. The $35,000 goal was established by the local board and has been the same goal for nearly 5 years, but with the pandemic hitting our community, they are for the first time ever, facing the goal not being reached. The Dent County Service Unit assists over 250 families each year with financial assistance with things like, utility bills, rent/mortgage payments and prescription costs. Families that lose their homes to fire are also assisted by the organization. If you would like to help the local board reach their goal, send your tax-deductible check in the mail to P.O. Box 190, drop off a check at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory, or drop off your donation in the red kettles that are located at Wal-Mart, Country Mart and Dollar General today, tomorrow and Christmas Eve. Your donation will stay locally to assist families in their time of need.

At the Salem R-80 Board of Education meeting Thursday night following a long discussion between administrators, principals and board members, the board adopted implementing a plan for a district mask mandate for the second semester. There is flexibility in the plan as pre-kindergarten through 5th grade students will have to wear a mask on the bus, in the hallways and when working in small groups. They will NOT have to wear masks in their cohort classroom, PE class and recess. Students in 6th through 12th grade as well as staff will be required to wear masks when less than six feet from another person, in classrooms, hallways and common areas. Students in all grade levels will be required to masks at school events (ballgames) and adults are encouraged to do so as well, plus any visitors to the buildings during the day will be required to wear a mask. This is being done to keep students and staff safer and to reduce the number of staff and students from being quarantined. A letter will be sent out by the Superintendent’s Office to all parents with a full explanation of the plan on today. It will also be on the school’s website.

The Missouri Department of Conservation is extending the deadline to January 15th for landowner enrollment into the Missouri Outdoor Recreational Access Program. MRAP provides incentive payments of $15 to $25 per acre and habitat improvement financial assistance to participating landowners in return for allowing public access to their land for recreational activities such as hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing. Participating landowners can choose the recreational activities allowed on their property by selecting one of the following MRAP access types: all access hunting and fishing, small game and turkey hunting, youth only hunting and fishing, archery hunting, fishing only, or wildlife viewing. Offered lands must meet minimum eligibility requirements such as being 40 contiguous acres in size or 5 contiguous acres for wildlife viewing access types or 1 pond acre for fishing-only access types. MRAP properties must also consist of at least 20% quality wildlife habitat which includes native grass fields, crop field buffers, or managed woodlands to be eligible for the program. There are currently more than 50 properties enrolled in the program, totaling over 13,000 acres of lands available for public outdoor recreation. MRAP funding is provided through a U.S. Department of Agriculture federal grant. This funding allows for the additional enrollment of approximately 7,500 new MRAP acres. For more information on how to apply to the MRAP program, visit short.mdc.mo.gov/Zcs.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education will be meeting this evening at 6:00 in the High School Library. After the consent agenda and communications, the Board will hear the audit report by Matt James. Superintendent Dr. Lynne Reed will give her report including the update on refunding of bonds, COVID update, budget update and Leadership Team meeting update. The board will then hear administration reports from each building principal and the athletic director before hearing new business. In new business the board will discuss the selection of MSBA Belcher Scholarship recipient, MUSIC renewal, fine arts credit, and mask mandate implementation plan. Ms. Elaine Russell will address the Board about choir competition and trips. The board will then move into Executive Session to discuss personnel. The Salem R-80 Board of Education meeting is open to the public.

A one vehicle accident happened Tuesday night at 10:00 on Highway CC about 7 miles east of Salem. According to the report released by the highway patrol, a 2006 Jeep Liberty being driven by a 16-year old female of Salem was northbound when she traveled off the right side of the roadway, returned to the roadway and over-corrected causing the Jeep to overturn. The driver, who was wearing a safety restraint, was transported to the Salem Memorial District Hospital by Salem EMS for treatment of minor injuries. The Jeep was totaled and removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital regular board meeting was held Tuesday at noon in the Hospital Library. In the summary of operations for the month of November, the hospital had 116 inpatient admissions with 360 inpatient census days. Patients per day in Acute Care came in at 12 in November. The hospital showed a loss from operations of $504,809 and expenses over revenues after taxes of $503,259. Cash decreased for the month by $568,261. The days in net account receivables rose to 103 days, up from 100 in October. During the month, there were 596 emergency room visits to go with 184 ambulance runs with 130 patients being transported, 18 surgery cases, 1,749 outpatient registrations, 276 home health visits, 6,470 lab tests, 1,059 radiological procedures including 685 rehab treatments. Chief of Nursing Debbie Hines reported the state survey found no deficiencies and the Sleep Studies Accreditation was completed on December 3rd. Some minor recommendations were made on December 9th and the plan of corrections is due on January 9th. Director of Home Health Services Ashley Sullins gave a report on activity from October of 2019 through September of 2020. The hospital had an overall rating of care at 89%, the care of patients at 89%, and the likelihood of recommending the facility at 84%. The timeliness of admissions between October 2018 and September of 2019 in Home Health Care came in at 94.5%, 15.9% for re-hospitalizations, and emergency room visits where patients were not hospitalized was at 10.4%. The Salem Memorial District Hospital received a star rating of 3.5 with an overall patient satisfaction rating of 5 which is the best you can get. Sullins also reported on the quarterly infection rate and the goal is to keep it under 5% and currently infections were at 4% for the October through December 2019 period, the January through March 2020 period and the July through September period. The January through March 2020 period had no infections. The hospital foundation advisory board will meet January 6th and will discuss the golf tournament and Wings and Strings events. They will also discuss the distance grant learning and telemedicine program grant and how it will be implemented. Hospital Administrator Kasey Lucas reported that the Salem hospital has been approved to provide the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine when it arrives. The hospital will be working with the health center on the distribution of the vaccine. In the expansion update, the MRI is now fully functional and they are now scheduling patients. Lucas said the new outpatient area is now completed an the sewer project in the administration hallway is near completion. At the request of the bond issuers, the board approved using property tax dollars to help pay for the bond payments for the hospital construction improvements. Filing is now underway for the District #2 seat at the hospital and will continue until January 19th. That is the seat currently held by Mike Swyers and he has refiled. The board approved the budgeted purchases of a Fresenius hemodialysis machine for $15,637 to replace an old machine, and they approved the purchase of a new Dell Utility server for the IT department from Paragon for $75,301. The board also approved the non-budgeted purchase of 2 Nihon Kohden Sensors for the Emergency Department for $4,700. The board then went into closed session.

The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce congratulates the 2020 Christmas Parade 1st Place Winners. This year, the non-commercial float winner was the Scenic Rivers Industries while the commercial float winner was the Bank of Salem. The Horsemanship winner was presented to Matt Gregory. The chamber wanted to thank everyone who participated in this year’s Parade of Lights and also those who attended the parade.

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse for their regular meeting. District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell was not in attendance due to a previous commitment. Sherry Lea, the executive Director of Healthy Dent County, was in to discuss the renewal of the rural addressing services they have been performing since 2008. The contract is for $12,000 annually to be paid in two semi-annual payments. The commission would also be responsible for the $995 maintenance fee. The commissioners voted to approve renewing the contract for another year. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams presented the sales tax received by the county from the state in December and it was down from last December in all funds. In the General Revenue Fund and LEST Fund, they each received $84,644.84 this month and that is down $13,020.07 from last December, but year-to-date, the funds finished the 2020 year up $55,886.21 which is about a 5.7% increase. The Road and Bridge Fund received $39,771.38 and that was down from last year by $5,877.78, but year to date, the fund finished up $34,121.26 which is about 7.5%. The two jail funds, the Operating Fund and the Trust Fund, each received $79,550.59 and that is down $11,745.39 for December, but year to date, those funds are each up $67,796.97 which is about a 7.45% increase. Matt Presti was in to report on the Patriotic Rally held Saturday on the courthouse lawn and said 100 plus people attended with no altercations of any kind. He wanted to thank the commission for allowing them to use the lawn for the rally. In the road report, District 1 Road Supervisor Rodney Atkinson stated grading would be done on Dent County Roads 4210, 4215, 5610 and 5615, while materials would be added and grading done on county roads 6630 and 6633. He also said brush would be cut on county road 5620. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson reported grading would be done on Dent County Road 3350 while materials would be added and grading done on county road 3330. He went on to say brush would be cut on county roads 4030 and 4330 while grader #31 would receive its 500 hour service. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said he attended the Ozark Rivers Solid waste Management District Full Council meeting last week where they received updates on grants and approved extensions on some awards. He said he attended by Zoom a Transportation Advisory Committee meeting at the Salem Community Center @ The Armory on Thursday with Ray Walden and Gary Brown attending. This meeting sets the region’s priorities they would like MoDOT to address in the coming year. Skiles said the first priority was putting in a bridge at the low water crossing on Route TT at Sligo over Crooked Creek, and the third priority was the replacement of the Highway 19 South Bridge over Gladden Creek, better known as the Standing Rock Bridge. Skiles said at the MRPC meeting later that night, the commission heard from Jason Jeffries from the Missouri Department of Conservation about feral hogs and other items of interest to the department. Skiles said he would be attending a CCAM meeting Wednesday in Jefferson City to get the latest information about the upcoming commissioner training and the legislative priorities of the counties. Skiles also reported at the FCC auction last week to provide broadband services to rural Missouri, Aptitude Internet out of Farmington received a large portion of the 7.4 million dollars that went to Dent County. Rural Electric Consortium will receive funds as well as CenturyLink to provide broadband in Dent County. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said she is still working on the 2021 county budget, and Tuesday is the first day for candidates for the Municipal Election in April to file at the location of the entity they are running for except for those running for the Dent County Health Center Board of Directors and they need to file at the Dent County Clerks office. She also said she balanced with the collector and assessor on all collections, abatements and add-ons for the month of November. The commissioners approved a contract with the MRPC to continue to represent Dent County on the CARES Act distributions and the issuing of the upcoming tax form requirements as well as answering any auditing questions that may arise. Kurt Faigle of the 100 Wood Acre Rally was on a conference call with the commissioners and the rally will be held on March 19th and 20th, but there will be no Park Expose in downtown Salem that Saturday and no spectators will be allowed as of now at the normal spectator locations due to the pandemic. He still feels there will be a large contingent of vehicles that will register in 2021 as this has been one of the most popular races over the last two years with over 80 entries each year. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The University Extension of Missouri will be holding a Goat and Sheep Production Workshop this evening at 6:00 via Zoom. This is an online only workshop. Please call 1-816-324-3147 to receive a Zoom link.

The Dent County Service Unit of the Salvation Army wants to let everyone know that ALL the angels from this year’s “Angel Tree” at Wal-Mart have been selected. The local service unit wants to thank all those who helped out by taking care of one or more angels in this unusual year of 2020. Your support of the “Angel Tree” as well as the youth of Dent County is greatly appreciated.

A fatal accident occurred Friday afternoon at 4:41 in Crawford County on Highway 19 about four miles south of Cuba. According to the highway patrol report, a 2004 Nissan Quest driven by 42-year old Michael Rayoum of Rolla, was traveling northbound when he traveled off the right side of the roadway, overcorrected and came back on the roadway and struck head-on a 2018 Kia Optima driven by 31-year old Adam Crocker of Cuba who was traveling southbound. Crocker was transported to the Missouri Baptist Hospital in Sullivan by the North Crawford Ambulance. He was pronounced dead at 5:45 by Dr. Melissa Bradley at the hospital. Rayoum was arrested for a DWI resulting in the death of another person. He was also charged with the possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana, failure to drive on the right side of the roadway and for not wearing a seat belt. He was released for the treatment of moderate injuries suffered in the accident and was transported by the North Crawford Ambulance to Missouri Baptist in Sullivan. Crocker was not wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. Both vehicles were removed from the scene by Miles and Sons’ Towing. The highway patrol was assisted by the Cuba Police Department and the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office. This was the 1st fatality in Troop I for the month of December.

An accident occurred Saturday morning at 2:45 in Dent County on Route H at Route CC. According to the highway patrol report, a 1992 Dodge Power Ram driven by 23-year old Hank Martin of Beulah, was traveling westbound and failed to stop at a stop sign, traveled through the intersection and struck a tree. Martin suffered serious injuries and was flown by Air Evac to Springfield Mercy. The Dodge was totaled and removed from the scene by American Muffler. Martin was not wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors will conduct their December meeting Tuesday, December 15th, in the hospital library beginning at 12:00 noon. After the call to order, roll call, and approval of the minutes of the November 17th meeting, Hospital Administrator Kasey Lucas will report on the summary of the operations for the month of November, followed by the Chief of Nursing Report by Debbie Hines. A report on the hospital foundation, plus the marketing and community perception report will be given by Chief Operating Officer Jason Edwards. Lucas will then go over the COVID-19 update and an update on Hospital expansion and renovation, plus election filing. New business will include purchases since the last meeting. The board may vote to go into closed session. Due to COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, the December meeting of the Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors will be conducted by zoom. The meeting is open to anyone to join. For information on how to access the meeting via zoom, please email kbrown@smdh.net or call (573) 729-5917, extension 4005.

An accident happened Saturday evening at 8:58 in Shannon County on Route D about one half mile west of Flatwood. According to the highway patrol report, a 1996 Ford Ranger driven eastbound by 26-year old Michael Treadway of Salem, traveled off the right side of the roadway and struck a tree. Treadway suffered minor injuries and as transported by the Mercy Ambulance to the Salem Memorial District Hospital. Treadway was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Ford Ranger was totaled and removed from the scene by Sartin’s Towing.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol would like to remind the public that driver examination stations throughout the state will be closed on Thursday, December 24th in observance of Christmas Eve, and Friday, December 25th, in observance of Christmas Day. Normal operations will resume Monday, December 28, 2020. The driver examination stations will also be closed on Friday, January 1st for New Year’s Day. Normal operations will resume on Monday, January 4th.

The Salem Christmas Committee’s “Holidays at Home” continues this Saturday with the 29th Annual Cookie Walk from 10:00 in the morning until 1:00 in the afternoon at the Bonebrake Center. Please remember to wear a mask and practice social distancing. Then at 7:00 at the Salem Civic Theatre, better know as the City Hall Auditorium, it will “Christmas with Cash and the King” with Roger Robinson as Johnny Cash and Sean Michael as Elvis Presley. Tickets for the show will be $10 and only available at the door. For more information, call 806-598-2310. Don’t forget the “Light Up the Park” light display at the Salem City Park will continue through January 1st and that is absolutely free. In case you didn’t know, there are two parts to the “Light up the Park” as the first part is main entrance to the Salem City Park and that will exit out on to Park Street, but the display continues off of Park Place Drive to the west of the Salem Community Center @The Armory where you can drive down into the parking area for additional displays. Don’t forget to tune into 97.5 while at the park to enjoy Christmas music during your drive.

As part of the Environmental Assessment, the Missouri Department of Transportation is currently accepting public input on a proposed project to improve the Highway 19 Round Spring Bridges over the Current River and Spring Valley in Shannon County. The goal of the project is to improve the condition and functionality of these aging structures. Although funding is not yet secured for the project, MoDOT is exploring alternatives for replacing or rehabilitating each structure through the study. The Environmental Assessment will include a detailed overview of alternatives for each structure and will ultimately result in a recommendation for a preferred alternative at each bridge location. In addition, as part of the Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act review process, the public is encouraged to provide input regarding the historical significance of these bridges or the potential impacts of the proposed project. Interested persons may review the project in more detail and share their thoughts at www.modot.org/roundspringbridges. Comments may also be shared with MoDOT Project Manager Pete Berry at (417) 469-6242 or Consultant Project Manager David Kocour at (816) 256-8584.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol invites the public to visit their updated website at statepatrol.dps.mo.gov. The improved Missouri State Highway Patrol design works best with Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox browser. The home page has been advanced and modernized to make finding information easier and to improve the user’s experience. The Patrol’s new Show-Me Integrity Accountability Portal is featured prominently to provide an in-depth look into the Patrol’s organization, training, career opportunities, and key statistics. The Patrol added a “What’s Trending” window at the bottom of the homepage, showing the agency’s Twitter posts so those who do not use social media will still be able to follow the most recent agency news. They want their website to be a service to the public and feel it’s important that visitors can easily find the information they need. When you visit our homepage, statistics, driver examination locations, career opportunities, and troop headquarters’ locations are only a few clicks away.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol has released an arrest report from Thursday morning at 9:46 in Phelps County. According to the report, 31-year old Derick Place of Salem was charged displaying the plates of another person on his vehicle and not wearing a seat belt. Place was also charged with a Texas County Warrant for driving while having his license suspended, a Phelps County warrant for driving while having his license suspended, a second offense plus a charge for displaying excessive vision reducing material. Price is currently in the Texas County Jail and is bondable.

The Dent County Fire Protection Board of Directors met Tuesday evening at the fire station. After approval of the consent agenda, minutes from the November meeting were reviewed and approved as presented. The Board then heard the financial report with bills being presented and approved. The budget showed an ending balance of $112,628.43 as of November 30th. After the calendar was reviewed, it was announced there will be two openings on the Board of Directors for the April 6th election including a two-year and a six-year position. Filing will be held from December 15th to January 19th at the Dent County Fire Station with a filing fee of $100.00 in accordance with RSMO 321.130 and 115.357. The Board then heard the monthly reimbursement report. The department had a total of 27 calls for the month of November including 4 structure fires, 11 brush fires, 1 car fire, 1 landing zone, 3 first responder calls, 1 vehicle accident, 2 mutual aid calls, 2 haz-mat calls, 1 training call and 1 call listed as other. Total calls or the year to date stand at 228 with the average cost per call of $117.66. A total of $26,827.50 was paid out for reimbursements during 2020. Chief Nash reported that the building project is still not finished as there are problems with the guttering and other small problems. Because of the failure to complete, the project is now in mediation. In new business, it was reported that Engine 85 was struck by a deer while in route to a fire call. A claim has been filed with the insurance company and the District is waiting for adjusters and estimates. Chief Nash reported that the painters are finishing up the painting of the Fire Station with only touch-ups, trim and 1 office left to be completed. Nash also reported that the electrical drops are installed and in operation. The date for the next meeting was set for Tuesday, January 5th at 6:00 at the fire station at #2 South Main Street. That meeting will be open to the public.

The Bonebrake Center of Nature and History will host the 29th annual “Cookie Walk” this Saturday between 10:00 in the morning and 1:00 in the afternoon. Come walk around the house and fill your basket with a wide variety of luscious homemade cookies and pay by the pound. This is a popular activity, with more than 75 dozen homemade goodies donated by Salem’s best cookie bakers, so come early and pick out your favorites to take home to serve to your guests and family during this holiday season. Due to the COVID-19 situation, volunteers will safely package up your choices and take your money. They are asking that participants practice social distancing and wear masks to the event. The Bonebrake Center of Nature and History is located at the northwest corner of Hickory and Rolla Road in Salem.

The Delta Regional Authority named four Missouri leaders as fellows of the 2021 Delta Leadership Institute (DLI) Executive Academy. One of the those named was Salem and Dent County Economic Development Director Sally Burbridge. The Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy is an extensive, nine-month executive leadership program that brings together public, private, and nonprofit sector leaders from DRA’s eight-state region. The 2021 DLI class will consist of 30 fellows from all eight DRA states. The leadership program empowers fellows with the tools, experiences, and networks needed to address local and regional challenges. Sessions led by local, regional, and national experts cover policy areas such as infrastructure and transportation, small business and entrepreneurship, workforce development, public health, and other fields necessary to facilitate economic growth in the Delta. As a result, DLI fellows graduate with improved decision-making skills, policy development know-how, strengthened leadership capacity, and a mutual understanding of regional, state, and local cultures and issues. Since 2005, the DLI Executive Academy has provided leadership development to more than 500 community leaders from diverse backgrounds, sectors, and industries to strengthen skills development, information sharing, regional collaboration, and improve the economic competitiveness and social viability of the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions. After graduation, DLI fellows will become members of the Delta Leadership Network, which provides peer-to-peer engagement opportunities for continued leadership development, information sharing, and collaboration with other leaders dedicated to the future of the Delta region. The DLI is a program of Delta Regional Authority in partnership with three institutions of higher education in the Delta region: Arkansas State University, the University of Louisiana Monroe, and the University of Arkansas.

The Salvation Army’s “Angel Tree” at Wal-Mart still has a number of “angels” remaining with one week left to adopt an “angel.” The last day will be Wednesday, December 16th. It is the goal of the Dent County Salvation Army Service Unit to try to make sure that every Dent County child’s Christmas morning is bright and you can help by adopting an angel. It is easy to help out. Just follow these steps: Select a tag representing a specific child from the “Angel Tree” at Wal-Mart. Then shop for gifts based on the parent’s suggestions. You do not have to purchase everything on the list, just use it as a guideline. Once you are finished shopping, bring the unwrapped gifts to the Wal-Mart Service Desk along with the “angel tag” by next Wednesday. For questions about the “Angel Tree,” please contact the Dent County Service Unit of the Salvation Army at 729-8163.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen met Monday night in the city hall council chambers. The board accepted the bid for the purchase of scrap water and electric meters from Global Meter. The city has 2,187 scrap water meters and 2,597 scrap electric meters. The bids range from $3.20 for a 5/8 inch neptune brass bottom meter to $50 for a three inch water meter, and from $5.00 to $25.00 for the electric meters. The city received bids on a number of items for the Salem Civic Theatre. Everything Cinema, Inc. bid $8,850 to provide and install 2 by 2 black ceiling tile for the auditorium ceiling. EC Cinema Supply bid $9,227 for a sound system without speakers and wiring, $6,765 to provide and install ADA compliant Temp Safety lighting for the seating area, and bid $11,912 to provide and install a Tempo HLS Systems and dimmer for the lighting. This was a budgeted purchase and the board approved all bids for a total cost of $36,754 which came in under the $40,000 budgeted amount. The board approved the Conditional Use Permit recommended by the Salem Planning and Zoning Commission for 407 East 4th Street for the Ozark Viking Meadery. City Administrator Ray Walden wanted to thank all those who participated with displays in the “Light up the Park” and entries in the “Parade of Lights.” Walden said the utility office is open again at the city administration building but renovations continue including the widening of the drive-through lanes, and the drop-box has been moved. Completion will not be until next year due to a supplier slow down on materials. An open house will be held next year after the renovations are complete. Walden congratulated Salem Economic Development Director Sally Burbridge on being named by the Delta Regional Authority as a fellow of the 2021 Delta Leadership Institute (DLI) Executive Academy. Walden discussed the city looking at a TAP grant that would help in paying for the downtown Salem Streetscape and lighting. He also said the Salem Community Center @ The Armory had 2,723 participants in November and that he is working on new personnel policies. Public Works Director Mark Nash said the utility bills for September should go out this week. The board also heard from Verbal Blakely from BHMG and what she has found with the AMI system. She said most of the issues are being whittled away, but are now just one or two meter issues where the meters are not communicating. She said the city is catching up but these individual issues are slower to correct than multiple meter problems. The board approved Resolution 20-2020 to allow the renewal of the MOU with the Salem R-80 School District to use the city hall in the case of an emergency. The board then went into closed session.

Missouri State Parks enthusiasts can share their love for state parks and historic sites with the December gift card special. A Missouri State Parks gift card is a great holiday gift for someone who loves Missouri State Parks and the outdoors, and can be used for camping reservations or state park merchandise. During this month, when purchasing a gift card of $75 or more, the purchaser will receive a free $25 gift card. This offer can only be found online and is for Missouri State Parks gift cards only. To ensure delivery by Christmas, the gift cards must be ordered by Wednesday, Dec. 16. There can only one mailing address per order. Promotional gift cards are mailed separately from purchase. Gift cards can be purchased online at mostateparks.com and also get more information on state parks and historic sites. For more holiday gift ideas, click the online store link. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Dent County Prosecutor Andrew Curley reports on a number of cases heard in Dent County in Front of Judge Seay on Friday. The first case of the day involved Jo Morgan Freeman of Bourbon who pled guilty to possession of more than 35 grams of marijuana with the intent to distribute. He was sentenced to six years in the Department of Corrections as requested by the state. The next defendant was Timothy Dunn of Steelville who was previously on probation for the felony possession of a controlled substance for methamphetamine. His probation was revoked for failing to report to his parole officer. His previous suspended sentence was revoked and he was sentenced to serve seven years in the Department of Corrections Institutional Treatment Center under RSMO Section 559.115 as requested by the state. The defendant had requested five years under the same section but that request was rejected by Judge Seay. Next on the docket was Tristan Cross of Camdenton who pled guilty to two felony counts of burglary in the 2nd degree, plus a stealing charge and a felony property damage charge. Cross was sentenced to 12 years in the Department of Corrections under Section 559.115 as requested by the state. Cross had no previous criminal history prior to the conviction. In the 4th case of the day, Homer Stephens of Salem had his probation revoked. He was sentenced to serve ten years in the Department of Corrections for domestic assault in the 3rd degree and for the felony possession of a controlled substance. Stephens had previously completed a Section 559.115 program. The last case of the day featured Etheria Harris of Wentzville who was on felony DWI probation. The probation was revoked to four years in the Department of Corrections for the use of intoxicants.

The Dent County Commissioners met Tuesday morning at the courthouse for their regular meeting. At the meeting, Salem and Dent County Economic Development Director Sally Burbridge was in attendance to present her monthly report. She said a couple of new businesses have opened and the unemployment rate in October for Dent County is back to where it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, but there were about 240 less people looking for work than in September. She said the certified site application at the industrial park may be delayed as the US Fish and Wildlife Services recommended getting an Indiana Bat habitat survey done before proceeding further. This could delay this project by a year or more. She said there will be a Business@Breakfast meeting to be held from 7:00 to 7:45 on Thursday, January 14th to discuss the MRPC’s CARES Revolving Loan Fund. More information can be found by calling the Dent County Extension office at 729-3196. She also asked the commission to re-appoint two members of the Enhanced Enterprise Zone Board and they are Salem R-80 Superintendent Dr. Lynne Reed and Hospital Administrator Kasey Lucas. Also in attendance was Lori Plank who was inquiring about the CARES Act money and how much money remained. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said it looked like over $230,000 was left as of the last awarding of applications, but that did not include applications already submitted. Plank said she hadn’t heard from anyone at the MRPC and Skiles said that if they need more information, they would be in touch. He reminded Plank that the MRPC was doing this for numerous counties in the Meramec Region and to just be patient. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell stated grading would be done on Dent County Roads 4090, 4215 and 5615 while materials would be added to county roads 5130 and 5150 as well as on county road 5400 where a crossover pipe was installed and the rock settled. Purcell also said brush would be cut on county road 5610. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson reported grading would be done on Dent County Roads 2160, 2190 and 5330 while brush would be cut on county roads 4020 and 4030. Larson also said service would be done on county truck #12. Commissioner Skiles said he attended an Industrial Development Board meeting last Wednesday where they heard from a manager of the Steelville Telephone Exchange about the broadband Internet expansion in northern parts of Dent County and near Boss. He also said he would be attending by conference call a meeting of the Ozarks Rivers Solid Waste Management District Full Council meeting today. Then on Thursday, he will be attending by Zoom the Transportation Advisory Committee to present transportation priorities to MoDOT for the local area. He also said the county received a letter from the attorneys about the opiod lawsuit and they will be in touch with the commission in the near future. Skiles said three CARES Act applications were received and will be reviewed by the commission. Skiles also discussed with the commission setting the date of January 11th at 10:00 as the due date for the request for proposals for the assessment of needs at the courthouse and that was approved. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley continues to work on the 2021 county budget and the commission needed to sign off on the contract between the county and Pictometry International Corporation to provide video services for the Dent County Assessor’s Office. The next meeting will be next Monday at the courthouse and it will be open to the public.

An accident happened in Dent County Sunday around noon on Highway 19 just north of Route B. According to the highway patrol report, a 2009 Ford Escape driven north bound by 71-year old Shirley Donovan of Salem, was stopped to make a left turn when the Ford was struck from behind by a 2004 GMC Sierra driven north bound by 52-year old Harold Mendenhall of Salem. Mendenhall failed to see that the Ford had stopped in front of him. Donovan suffered moderate injuries and was transported to the Salem Memorial District Hospital. Everyone was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Ford sustained extensive damage while the GMC had moderate damage. Both vehicles were removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing of Salem.

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that deer hunters in Missouri harvested 15,425 deer during the antlerless portion of the firearms deer season, December 4th through the 6th. Top harvest counties were Callaway with 438 deer harvested, Morgan with 377, and Osage with 352. The 2019 antlerless-portion harvest total was 10,597. Dent County had 135 deer checked along with 94 in Phelps, 153 were checked in Texas County, 210 in Shannon County and only one was taken in Iron County. Archery deer season continues through January 15, 2021. The alternative methods portion runs December 26th through January 5th, 2021. You can find more information on deer hunting from MDC’s 2020 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet, available where hunting permits are sold and online at huntfish.mdc.mo.gov

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation shows that young hunters ages 6 through 15 harvested 3,899 deer during Missouri’s late youth portion of the 2020 deer hunting season, November 27th through the 29th. Of the 3,899 deer harvested, 1,433 were antlered bucks, 520 were button bucks, and 1,946 were does.