Local News

A pedestrian was struck by a car in the Wal-Mart parking lot on Saturday morning at 11:26. The report from the Salem Police department states that a 2008 Chevrolet HHR owned and operated by Marion Ledden of Salem, was turning left from the main drive of the Wal-Mart parking lot toward the east side of the store. The pedestrian was struck with the driver’s side front tire and quarter panel. The pedestrian suffered an apparent broken foot and possible other injuries and was transported by EMS to the Salem Memorial District Hospital for evaluation and treatment of injuries. Surveillance video from the store showed that the driver failed to stop at the posted stop sign at the end of the main drive before making the left turn.

The Dent County Sheriffs office has released reports on activities by the department from September 22nd through the 29th. On Sunday the 22nd, deputies traveled to a residence in the 3000 block of Route JJ to attempt to serve an arrest warrant. During the course of the incident, a 35-year-old Salem woman was arrested for an active arrest warrant through the Dent County Sheriff’s Office. The woman was transported to the Dent County jail and incarcerated. Then on the 24th, deputies traveled to a residence in the 7500 block of South Highway 19 in an attempt to serve an arrest warrant for a probation violation. During the course of the incident, a 42-year-old Salem man was arrested for the active warrant and transported to the Dent County jail and was incarcerated. The next day deputies traveled to the Missouri Private Probation Services Office on West 4th Street to attempt to serve an arrest warrant. During the course of the incident, a 56-year-old Salem female was arrested for active warrants through Dent County. The female was transported to the Dent County jail and was incarcerated. Later that same day deputies conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of Highways 68 and 19. During the course of the traffic stop, a 38-year-old Salem man was arrested for driving while driving while having his license revoked or suspended, a 2nd offense. The man was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office where he was fingerprinted, issued a summons and released. Then on September 26th, deputies conducted a traffic stop in the 8000 block of Highway 19 North. During the course of the traffic stop, a 28-year-old Salem woman was arrested for an active arrest warrant through the Dent County Sheriff’s Office. The female was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office where she later posted bond. Later that same day deputies traveled to a residence in the 700 block of South Washington Street in an attempt to serve an arrest warrant. During the course of the incident, a 24-year-old Salem man was arrested for an active warrant through the Dent County Sheriff’s Office. The man was transported to the Dent jail and incarcerated. Finally on the 29th, deputies conducted a traffic stop at the Route B and Dent County Road 5150 intersection. During the course of the traffic stop, a 59-year-old Salem man was arrested for a felony for driving while having his license revoked or suspended. The man was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office where he was fingerprinted, issued summons and released. If you have any information regarding an investigation, contact the Dent County Sheriffs’ office at 729-3241.

An accident happened in Dent County Tuesday at 1:15 on Highway 19 about 11 miles south of Salem. According to the highway patrol report, a 1999 Ford Ranger driven eastbound by 58-year old Joellen Taylor of Winona, failed to yield while making a left hand turn out of a private drive into the path of a 2008 Kawasaki Motorcycle driven southbound by 48-year old Anthony O’Hara of Quasqueton, Iowa. O’Hara suffered serious injuries and was flown by Air Evac to Mercy Hospital in St. Louis. The Ford was secured at the scene while motorcycle was totaled and removed by Whitaker’s Towing. Everyone involved was wearing their safety restraints.

The Salem Police Department reports that an accident occurred Tuesday, September 24th, shortly after 11:00 in the morning. Jayden Brown of Salem, was traveling east on Franklin Street on a pedacycle when the vehicle crossed into the westbound lane as he was distracted by speaking with someone who was walking along Franklin. The pedacycle struck the right passenger side bumper of a 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis being driven west by Harold Holloway of Salem. Brown was taken by Salem EMS to Salem Memorial District Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

The City of Salem’s Park & Recreation Board will meet this evening at 6:00 at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory. The agenda includes the roll call, the Park Director’s Report, and closed session to discuss personnel. The Director’s Report portion of the meeting is open to the public. The meeting was called by Stan Podorski, President of the City of Salem Park & Recreation Board.

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse for their regular meeting. Melissa Weed from US Bank brought in the documents for the lease-purchase agreements for the two new Cat graders that were financed for $330,000 for the commission to sign. Since the new graders have not yet arrived, the acceptance agreements could not be signed and won’t be until they arrive. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell stated that the entire crew would be doing the final concrete pour Monday morning on Dent County Road 6580. Purcell said he hopes the road can be reopened Friday, but it may be Monday before the concrete cures. He said after the pour, workers would be grading on Dent County Roads 5150 and 5600 while brush would be cut on county roads 2400 and 6210. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 2530 and 4020 while only grading would be done on county roads 2520 and 2540. He went on to say brush would be cut on county roads 3270, 3273 and 3275. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles wanted to remind those interested in filling the assessor’s position when Tina Whitaker retires at the end of the year need to come and let the commission know they are interested. When it is time, the commissioners will appoint a person to temporarily replace Whitaker until the governor makes his decision on who will fill that position. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said the Facebook National Voter Registration period ended September 28th where a person could register online and a total of 18,106 people took advantage of the chance to do so in Missouri. MoDOT District Engineer Preston Kramer, MRPC Executive Director Bonnie Prigge and Anne Friend from MRPC were in attendance to review the annual Dent County Transportation Needs priorities for the upcoming year. Two projects have already been added to the MoDOT STIP and they are the Highway 68 project that will add two foot shoulders to the road from Highway 19 to the Phelps County Line, and also the bridge replacement on Route FF over Norman Creek which has been scheduled for 2021. After reviewing the needs that have already been identified, the commissioners agreed to set the replacement of the Highway 19 bridge over Gladden Creek as their first priority, the intersection of Highway 19 and Roosevelt Street as their 2nd priority, and the Highway 32 bridge over the Huzzah Creek in Boss as their 3rd priority. The low water crossing on Route TT is still a priority but Kramer said the MoDOT work crews have installed three new 36” metal culverts under the road in addition to the box culverts already there to help with the water flow. The commission kept it on the list as the 4th priority. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Thursday at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.

The 2019 Football Homecoming Court has been announced for this Friday night’s game. This year’s court includes freshman, Ashton Bowers;
sophomore, Sierra Rusco; and junior, Grace Kunkel. The Senior Homecoming Queen candidates include Emma Brakefield, Leighann Pope and Nicole Brookshire. This year’s Homecoming game will be Friday night, October 11th against Mountain Grove starting at 7:00 and the festivities will be held prior to the start of the game.

The 56th annual trout derby this past weekend at Montauk State Park was a huge success. 735 tags were sold on Saturday and another 139 on Sunday for the event. Fourteen lunkers were caught, including the largest lunker, an 8 pound 4 oz fish caught by Dan Hatch of Licking. Thirty two kids also brought in stringers and 62 tagged fish were caught during the event. Linda Jones of Bismark brought in a 2 pound 5 ounce rainbow for the heaviest fish in the women’s category while a youngster from Rolla, Wyatt Martin, landed a 7 pound 12 ounce fish. In all, $14,370.50 was during the event with proceeds going to the American Heart Association.

The Salem Police Department reports that an accident occurred Tuesday, September 24th, shortly after 11:00 in the morning. Jayden Brown of Salem, was traveling east on Franklin Street on a pedacycle when the vehicle crossed into the westbound lane as he was distracted by speaking with someone who was walking along Franklin. The pedacycle struck the right passenger side bumper of a 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis being driven west by Harold Holloway of Salem. Brown was taken by Salem EMS to Salem Memorial District Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

Jason Stotler, Forester with the Missouri Department of Conservation and Max Butler are excited about telling tales about Indian Trails Conservation Area where Jason lives on Tuesday, October 8th, at 6:00, at the Dent County Historical Society Speaker Series at the new James & Gahr Fellowship Hall, after dinner at the Pizza Inn Meeting Room. Indian Trails has an interesting history, including the CCC camp, deer restoration, game preserve, camp ground, shooting range, and many other tidbits. If you have relics or stories of Indian Trails, there will also be a sharing time to participate. Come hear Jason & Max, at the James & Gahr Fellowship Hall, at 6 p.m., and maybe join others who enjoy the senior special at Pizza Inn at 5 p.m. For more information about the program call Deloris Gray Wood, president, at 573 729-2545.

An accident happened Friday morning at 11:35 in Dent County on Highway 32 about two miles west of Salem. The highway patrol report states that a 2000 Mazda pickup driven by 19-year old Ryan Brueschke of Salem was traveling westbound and turned into the path of a 2012 Buick Enclave being driven by 84-year old Charles Morton of Salem. A passenger in the Morton vehicle, 82-year old Shirley Morton was seriously injured in the accident and was transported by Air Evac to Mercy Hospital in St. Louis. Morton passed away this weekend from her injuries. Both vehicles were totaled and removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing. The report went on to state that all involved in the accident were wearing safety restraints.

An accident happened Sunday afternoon at 5:15 in Dent County on Dent County Road 3210 about two miles north of Salem. According to the highway patrol report, 17-year old Slayton Parker of Salem was driving a 2014 Mazda 6 eastbound when the vehicle traveled off the right side of the roadway. Parker overcorrected and the Mazda went off the left side of the road and struck a utility pole. Parker suffered serious injuries and was flown by Air Evac to the Mercy Hospital in Creve Coeur. Parker was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Mazda was totaled and removed from the scene by Whitakers Towing.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen will be meeting tonight at the City Hall Council Chambers at 7:00 Monday night. After the consent agenda, the board will hear from City Administrator Ray Walden about events affecting the city including the naming of the streets in the Cemetery. The board will then hear and discuss Bill #3431 that will amend the annual budget for the City of Salem from July 1st of 2018 and ending on June 30th, 2019. The budget needs to be amended due to the end of the fiscal year appropriation of monies to a number of funds. The board will go into closed session to discus litigation, real estate and contracts. The board of aldermen meeting Monday night at 7:00 is open to the public.

The Salem Police Department has released a number of reports. On Saturday afternoon, the 21st at about 3:50, an officer located a 25-year-old male of Salem who had an active arrest warrant from the City of Cuba. The suspect, who was located near Grand and Rolla Road, was taken into custody on the warrant and found to be in possession of methamphetamine. The suspect was incarcerated pending extradition and an application for a warrant. That same evening at approximately 7:16, an officer located a 41-year-old male of Salem in the 200 block of Highway 19 south who had an active arrest warrant from Crawford County. The suspect was taken into custody on the warrant and incarcerated pending extradition. On Monday afternoon, September 23rd, at approximately 4:17, an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 1000 block of South Hickory in reference to a domestic disturbance. The investigation of the report led to the arrest of a 28-year-old male of Salem on an active arrest warrant from Phelps County. The suspect was incarcerated pending extradition. On Tuesday the 24th at about 2:00 in the morning, an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 100 block of Westwood Drive in reference to a theft. That investigation revealed a person or persons unknown took a guitar and laptop computer valued at $500.00 from the residence. The report is under investigation. Wednesday night, the 25th near 9:24, an officer was dispatched to the area of the 1100 block of South Wines in reference to a suspicious man looking in vehicles. The investigation of the report led to the arrest of a 28-year-old male of Salem for possession of heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia and on an active arrest warrant from Dent County. The suspect was incarcerated pending the application for warrants. Please contact the Salem Police Department at 729-4242 if you have any information regarding any ongoing investigation.

The Salem Marching Blue traveled to Washington, Missouri on Saturday to compete in the annual Washington Marching Band Festival. Students competed in preliminary competition against five other schools and received 2nd Place Overall as well as winning the Outstanding Color Guard caption for the 2nd time this year. With a score of 74.15, the Salem Marching Blue qualified for another finals performance and placed 9th overall against 22 other schools. The Salem Marching Blue will travel to Reeds Spring, Missouri this Saturday to perform in the Ozark Mountain Marching Festival at 11:45 in the morning.

The 56th annual Rose Holland Trout Derby will be held tonight, tomorrow and Sunday at Montauk State Park. Derby fishing hours on both Saturday and Sunday will begin at 7:30 in the morning. Fishing will end at 6:30 Saturday evening and at 11:30 Sunday morning. At noon on Sunday, prizes will be awarded in front of the lodge ranging from attendance prizes as well as prizes for men, women, and kids heaviest stringer, the heaviest brown trout, and tagged fish caught and registered. Several activities will take place in conjunction with the derby including a cruise in car show on Friday from 4:00 until 9:00 at the parking lot across from the lodge and trout bingo with park naturalist Steve Bost at 6:00 in the campground amphitheater. On Saturday the Salem Memorial District Hospital will offer free blood pressure screenings, BMI, and Blood Sugar tests from 9:00 until noon outside of the lodge. There will also be a country store and bake shop available on Saturday as well as activities for kids from 11:00 until 3:00 presented by Volunteers from the Montauk Fire Department. Guided hikes will also be taking place on Saturday and live entertainment from noon until 4 in front of the lodge with “The Usual Suspects” and “Current River Bluegrass” performing followed by an auction at 5:00. The event is sponsored by the anglers and friends of Montauk State Park and coordinated with the Department of Natural Resources. All proceeds will benefit the American Heart Association.

The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Thursday morning in the Dent County Courthouse. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell reported the concrete work continues on the bridge on Dent County Road 6580 and the south end remains closed. He went on to say that grading would be done on county road 5590 and brush would be cut on county road 6210. Purcell noted that a flat tire was being repaired on Grader #24 and fuel filters were being replaced on Tractor #7. After the work was completed on the tractor it would be going to mow on county road 6210. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said that Dent County Road 2020 would be receiving materials and would be graded. He noted that county road 2025 would be graded and county road 4020 would have materials added. Larson pointed out that brush cutting would be finished up on county road 3333 and then move to county road 3270. He also said he had two men out. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles reported that on Tuesday the Ozark Region Solid Waste Management District Executive Board met and awarded 13 waste reduction and re- cycling grants totaling $192,322.00. He said grants ranged from $4,400.00 to $36,000.00. Skiles noted that Montauk State Park received a $7,697.80 grant for a trailer to be used for trash re-cycling. He said Brady Wilson of Rolla Re-cycling Center had reported that finding markets for recyclables is very difficult. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported that she had certified the 2019 tax levy to the Dent County Collector and they balanced on all tax totals for 2019 and delinquent taxes. Sally Burbridge, the City of Salem Economic Development Director, was in to review the Economic Development Strategic Plan with the Commissioners and present her report for the month of September. The next regular meeting of the Commission will be Monday morning at 9:00 in the Courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The Old Miners’ Days 33rd Annual Celebration will be held in Viburnum tonight, tomorrow and Sunday. Numerous events will held with most of them occurring at the Viburnum Shopping Center with numerous vendor booths and free entertainment. One of the main hi-lighs of the events is the free mine tours offered by Doe Run from 9:00 until 4:00. For more information and a full list of events for each day, go to their website: oldminersdays.com.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital regular board meeting was held Tuesday evening in the Hospital Library. Hospital Administrator Kasey Lucas introduced Steve Lake who gave the board an update on the process that the Utilization Review department uses when a patient is admitted. Monica Stogsdil gave the summary of operations for the month of August where the hospital had 116 inpatient admissions with 434 inpatient census days. There were 1,912 outpatient registrations, 2,719 cardiopulmonary procedures, 9,044 lab tests, 1,427 radiology procedures, 781 rehabilitation treatments, 26 surgeries, 393 home health visits and 826 emergency room visits. The hospital showed a gain from operations of $158,946 and revenues over expenses after taxes of $162,254. The Hospital Auxiliary held a Breast Cancer Awareness Walk Tuesday with over 100 walkers in attendance. The auxiliary’s next meeting will be held on November 5th at noon at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory. Lucas introduced the new Chief Operating Officer at the hospital, Jason Edwards who was the former SMDH Registered Dietician. Lucas reported the Hospital Foundation will be holding their “Dancing with the Salem Stars” on January 25th as well as a Golf Tournament on June 5th and a “Wings and Strings” on September 12th. The hospital will participate in the Rose Holland Trout Derby at Montauk on October 5 and continues to do CPR training and first responder training in town. A Stroke Support group is now going to start meeting quarterly and a Diabetes Support group will meet the 4th Tuesday of each month at 1:00 pm at the hospital library. In the Chief of Staff report, the medical staff recommended and the board approved appointing Anthony Kaczmarek, MD at the Surgery Department Physician Director, replacing Dr. Yvonne Prince, and also gave courtesy staff privileges to James Lamousin, MD for telepsych. Lucas explained some changes have been made in the facility expansion. A new room will now be built to house the new MRI machine, life safety code exits will be created and the generator, water heater and water softener will be replaced. The main sewer line plumbing improvements will be made as well. The total Phase 1 expansion and renovations will cost about $1,830,100. The board then approved a resolution to approve the expansion financing option approved by the board to issue revenue bonds to provide funds that will be needed to pay for the completion of the project. The board approved the annual bylaw review and approved one change to the lock box authorizations. The board also approved the budgeted purchase to replace the old IT Network Storage at a cost of $15,932 from Dell and a the budgeted purchase of a bathtub lift for Long Term Care for $19,324 from Apollo Corp. They also approved the EHR software for Home Health at a cost of $18,000 from Bright Tree. The board then went into closed session where no decisions were made. The meeting was then adjourned.

Applications are available for the next Salem “Project Rise” which focuses on helping families reach personal and financial goals. “Project Rise” will help families to reduce debt, improve their credit scores, increase income, strengthen confidence and gain hope. To participate in the program, families must be willing to attend weekly meetings and make a change in their lifestyle. Financial incentives are offered through the program. “Project Rise” is a coalition formed by Healthy Dent County in partnership with area service organizations and businesses. To participate in “Project Rise,” applications must be picked up and turned in to the Salem Community Center@The Armory at 1200 West Rolla Road once they are filled out. For more information or questions, please contact Sherry Lea or Kelsey Schatz at 729-8163 or e-mail Kelsey@salemcommuntycenter.org. All applications MUST be submitted by Friday afternoon at 4:30 to be considered.

Waste Corporation of America (WCA) will be providing the annual residential Fall cleanup for Salem residents the week of October 7th through the 11th. Residents are asked to have all trash curbside the night before their normally scheduled trash day. Environmental Protection Agency law will not allow collection of yard waste, batteries, tires, motor oil, chemicals or solvents, paints, appliances or non-compactable items such as concrete, tree stumps, steel, construction debris, etc. For more information or for questions call 1-800-926-3953.

The Dent County Health Center Board of Trustees met September 19th at the Health Center. Administrator Kendra Mobray reported that outpatient lab services were provided for 81 clients in August. She said that the application for Show-Me Healthy Women was approved by the CDC and that the WISEWOMAN application is till pending. Mobray said that Ashley Peyton will be coordinating both projects and hopes to have services available before the end of the year, plus Roma Jones and Chrysta Hinderlinter would be attending breastfeeding peer counselor training in early October. She also stated that the prep visit with SEMA scheduled for September was re-scheduled for December 13th due to the building repairs. Mobray said that Flu shots are now available at the Health Center on a walk-in basis with Flulaval, for ages 6 months and up, Flublock, for those with egg allergies, and High Dose Fluzone for ages 65 and up. The Health Center is able to bill private insurance and child Medicaid. Mobray went on to say that Flu shots are $37.00 for adults who are uninsured, plus if places of business or job sites are interested in holding Flu shot clinics they should contact the Dent County Health Center at 573-729-3106. The Health Center reported two cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, one case of Erlichia Chaffeensis, two cases of Campylobacteriosis, and one case in August of Crytosporidiosis, plus the Health Center investigated two animal bites. The DCHC expenses for August were approved and the next regular board meeting was set for October 17th at 5:00. The meeting was then adjourned.

The City of Salem “City Wide Yard Sale” will be this Saturday. You can pick up maps at the convenience stores in Salem, City of Salem Administrative Offices, Salem Area Chamber of Commerce Office and the map was also published in Tuesday’s Salem News. If you would like to sell your products and you need a place to do so, there are spaces available at the City Administrative Offices parking lot. The cost per space is $8.00 each and there are only a few spaces left. If you are interested in reserving a space, contact the Administrative Office at 729-4811 or stop by the administrative offices at 400 North Iron Street.

The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors meeting took place at 6:00 Monday evening, September 30th. After the call to order, a motion was made and carried to approve the consent agenda and minutes from the previous meeting as presented. Bills were reviewed and approved with an ending balance of $165,382.49 as of the end of July. There was no reimbursement report due to the fact that the month was not yet over at the time of the meeting. The budget was reviewed and approved. The calendar review made note that October is fire prevention month and, due to construction, events were being re-arranged as needed with school tours and events originally scheduled at the department. In old business it was reported that construction and renovation at the fire station is progressing on schedule. Nick Cahill from Cahill Construction did a walk around with the board explaining and answering questions. He then addressed the board with a proposal to repair the water damage in the upstairs area that would include repairing water damaged studs and joists and painting and repairing the ceiling in the bay area. The estimated cost presented was $205,000.00. The board asked for a breakdown of costs before making a decision. Chief Brad Nash reported the construction of the roof is scheduled to start on Wednesday and the parking lot is scheduled for this week as well and the front doors in about 3 weeks. The date for the next meeting was set for November 5th at 6 p.m. at the fire station. The meeting was then adjourned.

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning for their regular meeting at the Dent County Courthouse. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell reported that his crew would be pouring concrete on the low water crossing on Dent County Road 6580 over Pigeon Creek. The work will be done in two phases with the walls and abutments being poured first. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson stated grading would be done on Dent County Roads 2400, 2115 and 6160, while materials would be added and grading done on county road 2110. He went on to report the correct starter for Loader #3 has arrived and that will be installed, plus brush would be cut on Dent County Road 3330. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said he would be attending the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District Executive Board meeting to finish scoring the waste reduction and recycling grant applications and then awarding those grants. Skiles said the requests totaled $295,275.07 and the District has approximately $193,000 to award. At 10:00, the commission opened bids for the oil changes to be done for for the Dent County Sheriff’s Department vehicles. There were two bids received: one from Whitakers Auto for $47.50 per vehicle and the other from American Muffler for $40.80 per vehicle. The commission approved going with the low bid from American Muffler and that contract would begin October 1st. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

An accident occurred at about 5:45 Monday morning on Highway 32 about five miles west of Salem. According to the highway patrol report, a 2006 Mack Trash Truck, operated by 52-year old Gary Mink of Graff, Missouri, traveled off the right side of the road striking some landscape items and a 1999 Ford Crown Victoria. Mink suffered moderate injuries and was transported by EMS to Salem Memorial District Hospital. The report stated that he was wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident. The Ford was totaled and the Mack sustained extensive damage. Both vehicles were removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing.

An accident occurred Saturday afternoon about 12:10 in Shannon on Highway 19 about one mile south of Winona. According to the highway patrol report, a 1997 Ford Pickup, driven by 52- year old James Fears of Doe Run, Missouri, traveled off the right side of the roadway, where Fears overcorrected causing the Ford to travel off the left side of the roadway where it overturned. Both Fears and a passenger, 61- year old Dale Weber of Winona, were ejected from the vehicle. Both were pronounced deceased by Dr. Fraizier at St. Francis Mercy Emergency Room. At that time, both bodies were transported to Yarber Mortuary in Mountain View. The Ford was totaled and removed from the scene by Baker’s Towing.

The monthly meeting of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission will be held Wednesday, October 2nd at Echo Bluff State Park located at 34489 Echo Bluff Drive south of Salem and north of Eminence. The meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m. and is open to the public and media. The Commission is a six-member bipartisan board that guides the Missouri Department of Transportation. Commission members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Missouri Senate. Public presentations will include a presentation from the South Central Ozark Council of Governments-Cody Dalton, Assistant Director. A MoDOT presentation regarding the history of Highway 19 and the Sinking Creek Bridge in Shannon County will be shared by MoDOT Resident Engineer Audie Pulliam. For more information, please contact MoDOT’s Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636).

An accident happened Sunday morning at 11:30 in Shannon County on Highway 19 about 20 miles north of Eminence that took the life of a Salem man. According to the highway patrol report, 76-year old Billy Bland of Salem was riding a 2002 Sportsman 500 ATV northbound when he lost control and the ATV overturned, ejecting him from the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene by the Shannon County Sheriff Darrin Brawley. His body was taken to the Wilson Mortuary in Salem. He was not wearing any safety equipment at the time of the accident and the ATV sustained moderate damages. It was removed from the scene by a family member.

The City of Salem’s Park and Recreation Board will hold a meeting tonight at 6:00 at the Salem Community Center at the Armory. After the roll call, the board will go into closed session pursuant to section 610.021(3) of the revised statutes of the State of Missouri pertaining to the hiring, firing, disciplining or promoting of particular employees by a public governmental body when personal information about the employee is discussed or recorded. After closed session, the board will come back into open session and the meeting will be adjourned.

The Salem Police Department has released the following reports for September 19th and 20th. On Thursday morning the 19th at approximately 10:14, an officer located a 22-year-old male of Rolla in the 1100 block of South Louise who had an active arrest warrant from the City of Rolla. The suspect was taken into custody on the warrant and incarcerated pending extradition. That afternoon at approximately 3:31, an officer was contacted in reference to a theft. The investigation of the report revealed a person or persons unknown entered the garage of a residence in the 100 block of North Pershing and took tools as well as a 22-caliber rifle valued at $800.00. The report is under investigation. Still later that evening at approximately 6:00, an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 500 block of South Jackson in reference to a theft. That investigation revealed a person or persons unknown took a Kel Tec 9mm pistol valued at $325.00 from the residence. The report is under investigation. On Friday night, September 20th, at approximately 7:52, an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 800 block of East Third Street in reference to a burglary not in progress. The investigation of the report revealed a person or persons unknown entered a residence and took currency and items valued at $224.00 and caused property damage valued at $100.00. The report is under investigation. Please contact the Salem Police Department at 729-4242 if you have any information regarding any of the thefts or ongoing investigations.

The Dent County Commissioners met Thursday morning for their regular meeting. Liz Gruendel was in to discuss the placement of picnic tables on the courthouse lawn for people to meet friends for lunch. This idea was brought to the commissioners back in April where three tables would to be built by the Sheltered Workshop and placed under trees in the shade for folks to enjoy the weather. The commissioners said the tables could be placed on the lawn on a trial basis. This would be a location where people could order a takeout breakfast or lunch from a local eating establishment, bring it downtown to the courthouse and then sit down and enjoy being outside with friends and talk. The tables were originally going to be painted turquoise, but for now they will have a turquoise table cloth that will be attached to the tables. Once there, take a selfie at the table and post it to the “I Heart Salem” Facebook page and show your friends! The idea behind the tables is that they will become a place to swap ideas, share stories, and encourage one another to love our neighbors. This is a project of the University of Missouri Extension. Gruendel said that tables would be left out the entire month of October. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell said grading would be done on Dent County Roads 4122, 4124, 5600, 6660 and 6670 while materials will be added and grading done on county road 5380. Purcell also stated brush would be cut on county roads 6280 and 6283. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said grading would be done on Dent County Roads 3120, 3130 and 3180. He went on to say materials would be added and grading done on county road 2570. Larson also said brush would be cut on county road 3330. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said he attended the CCAM board committee meeting this week where they interviewed four firms to become the new County Commissioners lobbyist in Jefferson City. Skiles said a conference call would be held next Wednesday with the entire board to a make a final decision. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported on the website committee meeting and that a new website will be constructed in the near future. She said that a request for proposals to create a new website for the city, county and Salem Chamber of Commerce will be advertised October 1st in the Salem News and those interested need to submit their proposal to City Administrator ray Walden by October 25th. Matt Lloyd, Dan Ostrander and Steve Thomas with Fabick and Company came in to discuss the two new Cat Graders. A 2019 Model 140 AWD is $251,583.00 with trade in of $218.000.00, leaving a balance owed of $33,583.00. Motion passed 3-0 to accept the offer of two new 2019 Cat replacement machines. One is to be delivered in two weeks and it could be five months before the second is delivered. Fabick is to pick up the Cat 120’s, bring the new Cat 140’s and take the John Deere trade-ins when they deliver the second CAT. At the last meeting, Attorney John Garvey came in to discuss the Opiod Litigation the county elected to be a part of. He discussed the labeler market share of opiod drugs in Dent County, the opiod shipments to pharmacies in the county, the Purdue settlement and the formula on attorney fees. People can find out more information by going to www.opiodsnegotiationclass.com. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Monday morning at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The Salem Marching Blue traveled to Sullivan on September 21st to compete in the annual Sullivan Marching Band Festival. Students competed in preliminary competition against three other schools and received the awards for Outstanding Drum Majors, Outstanding Color Guard, and 1st Place overall in class competition. The Salem Marching Blue gave another memorable performance in finals earning the awards for Outstanding Drum Majors and 8th place overall. This is an outstanding achievement due to the fact that the band was up against much larger schools and bands proving that excellence in performance supersedes the size of the group. The Salem Marching Blue will continue their competitive season on October 5th as they travel to Washington, MO to compete in the Washington Marching Festival at 1:00 PM.

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt is issuing a consumer alert to warn Missouri citizens about a potential scam targeting elderly and vulnerable citizens. Recently, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri has reported hundreds of calls from citizens across Missouri and the country who claim to have received calls from the court’s number asking for money, indicating that the number has been spoofed by scammers. Scammers have made the number look like it is coming from “US Government” or even “US District Court” lending credibility to the callers claims. The caller sounds like a child, pretending to be their grandchild and is currently being held in jail and has gotten in trouble. The scammer goes on to say in order to get out of jail, they need money. This is known as a grandparent scam and it primarily targets the elderly. The Missouri Attorney General’s Office offers these tips to avoid falling victim to this scam and others. If you get a call or email from someone claiming to know you and asking for help, check to confirm that it’s legitimate before you send any money. Ask some questions that would be hard for a scammer to answer correctly – the name of the person’s pet, their mother’s birthday, etc. Contact the person who they claim to be directly. If you can’t reach the person, contact someone else – a friend or relative of the person. Don’t send money unless you are absolutely sure it’s the real person you know. According to Attorney General Schmitt, “There are scammers who consistently think of new ways to take Missourians’ money – this scam is just another example. I urge Missourians and citizens across the country to follow the tips listed by my Consumer Protection Section to avoid falling victim to these scams and to report these scams to our office – we will take action wherever possible.” The Missouri Attorney General’s Office urges citizens to report these scams to the Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-392-8222 or online at https://ago.mo.gov/app/consumercomplaint.

An accident involving a vehicle and a deer happened in Shannon County on Highway 106 about eight miles east of Summersville early Wednesday morning at near 12:40. The highway patrol reports that a 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan being driven by 22-year old Hunter Warren of Eminence was westbound on Highway 106 when he struck the deer in the roadway. Warren suffered minor injuries and was transported by Summerville EMS to Ozarks Medical Center in West Plains. The Dodge sustained moderate damage and was removed from the scene by Sartans Towing of Winona.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital board of directors will hold their rescheduled September monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 1st at 6:00 in the hospital library. The board will hear a department director presentation before getting the summary of operations for the month of August from Monica Stogsdill. Debbie Hines will present the CNO report followed by a report on the Hospital Foundation. Hospital Administrator Kasey Lucas will present a marketing and community perception report along with a Chief of Staff Report. In old business, the board will get updated on the hospital expansion and renovation projects, plus conduct the annual bylaw review before new business. In new business the board will hear about purchases for the hospital. The rescheduled meeting of the Salem Memorial District Hospital will be held October 1st at 6:00 at the hospital library and the meeting is open to the public.

A three vehicle accident occurred Tuesday morning at 6:45 in Maries County on Highway 63 south of Highway 28. According to the Highway Patrol Report a northbound 2005 Chevrolet Malibu, driven by 26 year-old Megan Strain of Rolla, struck a northbound 2003 Chevrolet Impala that was stopped in traffic and driven by 30 year-old Damien Montgomery of St. James. The Impala was in turn pushed into the opposing lane and struck by the towed unit of a southbound 2019 Volvo, driven by 34 year-old Daniel McCoy of Tonganoxie, Kansas. Strain suffered minor injuries, while Montgomery suffered moderate injuries. Both Strain and Montgomery were transported to Phelps Health by Maries-Osage Ambulance. The report state that Strain and McCoy were wearing safety restraints at the time of the accident, while Montgomery was not. There was extensive damage to the Impala, while the Malibu sustained moderate damage. Both were removed from the scene by Plaza Towing. There was no damage to the Volvo and it was driven from the scene. The Highway Patrol was assisted by the Vienna Police Department and the Vienna Fire Department.