Local News

An accident happened in Dent County Tuesday afternoon at 3:20 on Highway 32 about 20 miles east of Salem. According to the highway patrol, a 2017 Chevy Equinox driven eastbound by 73-year old James W. Pryor of Boss, ran off the right side of the roadway and struck an embankment. The Equinox went airborne before striking a tree and coming to rest off of the roadway. Pryor suffered serious injuries and was flown by Air Evac to Mercy Hospital in Creve Coeur. The Chevy Equinox was totaled and removed from the scene by Abney’s Towing. The highway patrol could not determine if Pryor was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education held a special meeting Tuesday night at the R-80 District Administrative Offices. The board immediately went into closed session after opening the meeting where they employed Rich Parks as the new Middle School Principal for the 2019-2020 school year and also hire Jody Heavin as Special Education Director. The board adjourned closed session and then adjourned the regular meeting.

The Dent County Fire Protection Board of Directors regular meeting was not held Tuesday night due to a lack of a quorum of directors. The next meeting will be held May 7th at the Dent County Fire Protection District Firehouse.

The Salem Police Department has submitted reports for March 25th and 26th. On Monday night, the 25th, at about 8:01, a vehicle was stopped for a traffic violation. The investigation of the stop led to the arrest of a 21-year-old male of Salem on an active arrest warrant from Franklin County, Missouri. The suspect was taken into custody on the warrant and was later released with a new court date after posting bond. On Tuesday evening, the 26th, at approximately 5:14, an officer was dispatched to the Wal-Mart parking lot in reference to a male that was possibly in possession of methamphetamine. The investigation of the report revealed a 31-year-old male of Salem was parked in the parking lot and was in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. The suspect was taken into custody and incarcerated pending a warrant application. A little later that evening near 6:30, a vehicle was stopped for a traffic violation. The investigation of the stop led to the arrest of a 36-year-old female of Salem on an active arrest warrant from the City of Salem. The suspect was incarcerated pending a court appearance. Just a few minutes later at approximately 7:02, an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 300 block of East Franklin in reference to a domestic disturbance. During the investigation, a 31-year-old male of Salem charged at an officer hitting him in the chest. The suspect was taken into custody for assaulting an officer and was incarcerated pending the application for a warrant. Please contact the Salem Police Department at (573) 729-4242 if you have any information regarding an ongoing investigation.

The 2019 Business Expo will be held Saturday morning, April 13th from 9:00 until noon at Salem Community Center @ the Armory, located at 1200 West Rolla Road. The Business Expo is an excellent opportunity for businesses to advertise their products and services and many of them will be giving away promotional items or have their own drawing. There are four star giveaways this year and they are provided by A-1 Tech of Rolla, Town & Country Bank, Your Community Health Center, and Salem Bowling Center. There is no cost to attend the annual Expo, it’s FREE and open to the public. The Business Expo is organized by the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce. For chamber members, your first booth space is FREE which is about 10’ by 6’, and if you want a second space, that will cost you $40. Non-Chamber members can get a booth space for $140.00 for the event. The deadline to get a booth is this Friday, April 5th. For more information about the 2019 Business Expo, contact the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce by calling 729-6900, email chamber@salemmo.com, or visit www.salemmo.com.

Do you have your tickets for the Non-Newlywed Game scheduled for Friday night at 7:00 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory? Table sponsorships for $300 and individual tickets for $20.00 are still available. Call 729-8163 or stop by 1200 West Rolla Road for more information or to reserve you seats today!

The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Monday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. The City of Salem Economic Director Sally Burbridge presented her report for the month of March. She said she had two new business prospects during the month with one of them making a visit to Salem. She continues to work with existing businesses to help them grow and is still working on some ongoing prospects who are interested in Salem. She gave a report on the City of Salem Facebook page and also told the commission the next Economic Development Strategic Plan workshop will be held April 25th at 5:30 at a place to still be determined. She said that workshop will concentrate on signage and housing. She said the Enhanced Enterprise Zone information has been updated on the Missouri Department of Economic Development Website. She talked to the commissioners about STEP-UP program training for any business in Salem that exports their products internationally. She also said she and Chamber Director Tabitha Utley attended a Tourism Division Regional meeting to learn about funding and partnership activities available to Salem and Dent County through the Missouri Division of Tourism. She also reported the City of Salem, the Salem R-80 Schools and Healthy Dent County submitted the grant application for the Workforce Training Initiative Grant. Burbridge also said she is researching an AARP grant for downtown sidewalks and lighting upgrades. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell said Dent County received about 1.8 inches of rain over the weekend. He said crews will be out adding material to and grading Dent County Roads 5210, 2460, 5015 and 5080 while only grading will be done on county road 5085. District 2 Commissioner Larson said grading would be done on Dent County Roads 2070, 3190, 3260, 4270 and 4260. Larson also said materials would be added to county road 2240. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley wanted to remind voters the polls will open at 6:00 this morning and stay open until 7:00 this evening. She also wanted to remind the voters in Bunker that they will need to vote at the Bunker City Hall and not at the school. This is a permanent location change and voters will vote from now on at the Bunker City Hall. 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.

If you are curious about how the Missouri Department of Conservation’s George O. White State Forest Nursery operates? They are inviting the general public to an open house at the State Forest Nursery on Saturday, April 6th, with tours by appointment from 9:00 in the morning until 2:00. The nursery is located at 14027 Shafer Road, just north of Licking. If you want to see how nursery staff grow, store, and ship millions of tree seedlings each year, this will be your chance. The tours will take guests behind the scenes through the seedling beds, sorting room, cold storage room, and more. Guests can also learn about Missouri’s native trees and plants, enjoy fishing demonstrations at the nursery’s three-acre lake, meet Smokey Bear, watch a full-scale sawmill demonstration, and chat with Missouri’s conservation experts. Free hot dogs, chips, and cookies will be served throughout the day. To reserve a tour time, call the nursery at (573) 674-3229.

Businesses with seasonal or temporary employees are invited to send their employees to boost their skills in customer service and hospitality at two upcoming Customer Service Training workshops this April hosted by University of Missouri Extension. Tourism plays a significant role in our region’s economy. Improving employees’ customer service skills and knowledge of local attractions can help improve the visitor experience, and draw tourists back for future visits. Workshop participants will update their customer service skills, learn about regional tourism resources, and practice answering common visitor questions. There are two locations available for this training. the first will be on Wednesday, April 10th at the Meramec Regional Planning Commission located at #4 Industrial Drive in St. James. There are two time options available. The first training is from 9:00 – 11:00 in the morning and the second training is from 1:00 -3:00 in the afternoon. If you are part of the Naturally Meramec Consortium, your employees can attend for no charge, otherwise the cost is $6.00 per employee. Call Samantha at 573-265-2993, extension 111 to register or to find out more information about being a part of Naturally Meramec Consortium. The second training will be in Salem at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory located at 1200 West Rolla Rd in Salem on Friday, April 12th. Again, there be two time options available for the training: from 9:00 – 11:00 in the morning or from 1:00 – 3:00 in the afternoon. This training is free to employees of Dent County businesses or Naturally Meramec Consortium members, otherwise there is a $6.00 charge per employee. Call Dent County Extension at 573-729-3196 to register. These workshops will be led by University of Missouri Extension, with funding support from Naturally Meramec Consortium and Dent County Tourism Tax Commission. The University of Missouri Extension is an equal opportunity and ADA institution.

The Salem Board of Aldermen will hold their regular meeting tonight at 7:00 at the City Hall Council Chambers. Bids will be reviewed for the installation of water meters. After the consent agenda, the board will address unfinished business and that includes an update on dumping port-a-potties in the Waste Water Treatment facility. Harold Tubbs, the Airport Advisory Board Chair, will report on the Airport Board meetings that were held on March 14th and 21st. His report will include some new Airport Policies and Procedures. City Administrator Ray Walden will also give his report. The board will hear Resolution #8-2019, which is a resolution adopting the policies and procedures on hangar rental, hangar usage, fuel pricing, and miscellaneous policies for the Salem Municipal Airport. In new and miscellaneous business the Board will set the weeks of May 6th and May 13th as Spring Clean-Up Weeks that annually follow the City Wide Yard Sale which is scheduled for May 4th. The Animal Control and Nuisance Officer Jarred Brown is requesting approval from the Board to add additional Administrative Fees to Nuisance Violations. The Board will then go into closed session to discuss Real Estate. The meeting will then be adjourned. The Salem Board of Alderman meeting tonight is open to the public.

The Salem Police Department has submitted reports for March 21st through the 24th. On Thursday afternoon, the 21st, at approximately 12:40, a vehicle was stopped for a traffic violation. The investigation of the stop led to the arrest of an 18-year-old female of Salem on an active arrest warrant from the City of Salem. The suspect was taken into custody on the warrant and incarcerated pending a court appearance. That night at approximately 11:40, an officer was dispatched to the 800 block of East Fourth in reference to a male acting violent. That investigation led to the arrest of a 29-year-old male of Salem on an active arrest warrant from Dent County. The suspect was taken into custody on the warrant and was incarcerated pending a court appearance. Then on Friday morning, the 22nd, at about 9:00, an officer was dispatched to Southtown Furniture located at 1601 South Highway 19 in reference to property damage. The investigation of the report revealed a person or persons unknown broke a large front glass window valued at $706.37. The report is under investigation. On Sunday night, the 24th, near 8:10, an officer was informed of a male suspect trying to start a fight at McDonald’s Restaurant on Highway 19. The investigation of the report led to the arrest of a 22-year-old male of Salem for disorderly conduct. The suspect was issued a summons to appear in court and was released. Later that night at approximately 11:45, a vehicle was stopped for a theft investigation. The investigation of the stop led to the recovery of stolen merchandise and the arrest of a 24 year-old male of Bunker for possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and the unlawful use of a weapon. The suspect was released pending a criminal summons. Please contact the Salem Police Department at (573) 729-4242 if you have any information regarding an ongoing investigation.

The Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) and Phelps County Public Housing Agency (PHA) Family Self-Sufficiency program will host a free “Your Money, Your Goals” class on Thursday, April 4th from 10:00 in the morning until noon at the Phelps County PHA located at #4 Industrial Drive in St. James. Christy Saylor, the Missouri Ozarks Community Action county projects coordinator, will present the class that provides tools to make positive spending decisions, order and fix credit reports, avoid tricks and traps in choosing financial products, make decisions about repaying debts, keep track of income and bills and decide if a checking account is the right choice. The class is free and each participant who attends will receive a $25 Wal-Mart gift card, as long as they meet income qualifications. MRPC provides staffing to the Phelps County Public Housing Agency that provides rental assistance to over 750 low-income families in Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps (outside the city limits of Rolla) and Washington counties. For more information or to RSVP, contact Savannah Vandegriffe at 573-265-4200 ext. 132.

The Dent County Commissioners met Thursday for their regular meeting at the courthouse. In the road report, both Commissioner Dennis Purcell and Gary Larson said the dryer weather, wind and sun have allowed the county crews to make good progress on grading roads in the county. District 1 Commissioner Purcell said materials will be added and grading done Dent County Roads 2470, 6190, 6210 and 6220 while materials will be added to county road 5015. District 2 Commissioner Larson said materials would be added and grading would be done on Dent County Roads 3295 and 3305, while grading only will be done on county roads 2070, 2080, 3110 and 4280. Larson indicated materials would be added to county roads 3225, 3253 and 3255. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley wanted to remind everyone absentee voting will be held in her office at the courthouse Saturday from 8:00 in the morning until noon. She also said the Municipal Election will be held Tuesday and the polls will be open from 6:00 in the morning until 7:00 in the evening. If you need to update your address or voter registration, please come by her office by Monday, April 1st before the election. Also, if you are voting in the Bunker Township, you will be voting at the Bunker City Hall and NOT at the high school. Curley also said the next update on the Dent County Prison project with Septagone will be April 18th at 11:00. Kelly Whitsett, a hydrologist with the National Forest Service, and Jamie Statezny, the new district forest ranger in Salem, came in to discuss the Cooley Bridge Project near Bunker. She said the design of the new bridge is complete. She said the NEPA has been done and the letters of support have all been received. The project is shovel ready and now the financing of the project has to be secured. The county plans on trying to get the bridge built through the Federal Lands Access Program where the county will have to come up with 20% of the anticipated cost of the bridge. The Forest Service design cost for the bridge may be able to be used to help offset the county’s portion as part of the match. The design work was done at no cost to the county, but has value with the forest service. 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 April Municipal Election will be held on Tuesday, April 2nd from 6:00 in the morning until 7:00 at night. Elections to be held that day include voting for two members for three years terms on the Oak Hill R-1 School District Board from six candidates who are Natalie Stevens, Phillip Mercer, Shena Terrill, Matthew Sapaugh, Tela Commons and Michael Connors. Also at Oak Hill R-1, there is a board vacancy for a one-year term. Voters will vote from Phillip Thompson, Allison Thompson or Willie Strader to fill that slot. Green Forest R-2 voters will also being voting for two board members for three year terms from four candidates. They are Austin Konkel, Crystal Fleener, Jeremy Patton and Nicole Brooks. At the Iron County C-4 School, there are six candidates for two open board positions. Those running are Shawn Pratt, Teddy Pryor, Tim Brooks, Mark Barton, Dustin Decker and Cleatis Karl Payne. The Bunker R-3 School District will also be elected two directors for their school board for a three year term from these candidates: Gary Skaggs, Joel Steelman and Todd Sutton. Also a few voters will be voting for two directors to serve on the Rolla 31 School District Board for three years from James “Jim” Packard, Shannon Lusk and William “Bill” R E Parsons. The City of Salem will hold elections to fill a seat for East and West Ward Alderman. On the East side, Rachel Hinderliter will oppose Jerry (Jay) Gibbs, Jr.; while on the west side, Harley Elwood-Conaway will be opposed by Kevin James. And the City of Bunker will be holding an election for an alderman to serve a two-year term. Voters will choose from Betty Wisdom, Sabrina Watson and Patricia (Houston) Rowland. If there are questions about the Municipal Election, contact the clerk’s office at 729-4144 or stop by their office by Monday.

The Dent County Sheriff’s Department has released some reports. On Sunday, March 10th, deputies conducted a traffic stop on Dent County Road 4110. During the course of the traffic stop, a 51-year old Salem man was arrested for driving while having his license revoked, a second or subsequent offense; operate a motor vehicle owned by another knowing owner has not maintained financial responsibility and possession of marijuana/synthetic cannabinoid of 11-35 grams. The man was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office, fingerprinted, issued summons and released. On Wednesday, March 13th, deputies traveled to the 400 block of Dent County Road 4220 to conduct an investigation. During the course of the investigation, a 35-year old Salem female was arrested for active warrants through Dent County for a probation violation. The female was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office Jail and incarcerated. Then on Friday, March 15th, deputies traveled to a residence on Dent County Road 6400 for a warrant check. During the course of the investigation, a 21-year old Salem female was arrested for an active warrant through Dent County. The female was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office Jail and incarcerated. On Wednesday, March 20th, deputies were traveling westbound on Highway 32 near Highway 19. The deputies observed a 22-year old Salem man, which deputies knew to have an active warrant through Dent County. The man was arrested and transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office Jail and incarcerated. Also on March 20th, deputies traveled to the Salem Memorial District Hospital for a report of a vehicle being damaged. During the course of the investigation, a 30-year old Salem man was arrested for Property Damage in the 1st degree. The male was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office, fingerprinted, issued summons and released. If anyone has information regarding an ongoing investigation, call the sheriff’s department at 729-3241.

Ozark National Scenic Riverways is hosting a river cleanup effort on March 30 with the Ozark Heritage Project. Come join the clean up along the Current and Jacks Fork rivers. Staff from Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Ozark Heritage Project, park concessionaires, local chambers of commerce, area schools, youth groups, and volunteers will band together to tackle litter in the rivers and along the roads and accesses of the park. The river clean-up is scheduled for Saturday, March 30th. You can register from 8:00 to 11:00 in the morning at the following sites: Watercress Landing in Van Buren, Big Spring Boat Landing, Two Rivers Campground, Alley Spring Campground Landing and Round Spring Visitor Center. The staff at the registration sites will provide trash bags and river bags for your convenience. Additional dumpsters and recycling trailers will also be available at various locations throughout the park. Participants are encouraged to bring work gloves, and to wear appropriate clothing and footwear for the activity. The Ozark Heritage Project is sponsoring a Saturday evening meal and musical entertainment for all participants beginning at 5:00 at the Alley Spring Pavilion at Alley Spring. For more information, call Cathy Runge at 573-323-4806 Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM; visit the park’s Facebook page, or go to the website at www.nps.gov/ozar or contact Rick Mansfield of Ozark Heritage Project at 573-663-2269.

The Ozark Natural and Cultural Resource Center on Highway 19 South is hosting “Art Across the Ages” sponsored by the Salem Area Arts Council and the ONCRC. This show, for all ages of artists, is a celebration of Youth Art Month which is recognized during the month of March. Numerous individuals as well as the Salem R-80 art classes are participating in the local art show which reveals how much artistic talent is in the Ozarks! The show is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon through April 12th.

The 2019 Business Expo will be held Saturday morning April 13th from 9:00 until noon at Salem Community Center @ the Armory, located at 1200 West Rolla Road. The Business Expo is an excellent opportunity for businesses to advertise their products and services and many of them will be giving away promotional items or have their own drawing. There are four star giveaways this year and they are provided by A-1 Tech of Rolla, Town & Country Bank, Your Community Health Center, and Salem Bowling Center. There is no cost to attend the annual Expo, it’s FREE and open to the public. The Business Expo is organized by the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce. For more information about the 2019 Business Expo, contact the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce by calling 729-6900 or email chamber@salemmo.com.

The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Monday morning in the Courthouse. In the road report District One Commissioner Dennis Purcell said that his crew would be grading Dent County Roads 6240 and 4215, as well as grading and adding materials to county roads 5012, 5510, 4215, and 6020. He said that his crew was cleaning up a tree on county road 5520. Purcell noted that Monday, March 18th, he attended a Tourism Committee meeting where five proposals were submitted and approved. District Two Commissioner Gary Larson said that his crew was grading and adding materials to Dent County Roads 6130, 6140, and 6160, plus grading would be done and materials would be added to county roads 4293, 4285, and 4287. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles reported that the Commission signed the paperwork for the CDBG grant for the improvement of the Dent County Fire Department and will forward it on to MRPC to release the funds and that the Commission signed the Child Support Enforcement Agreement with Crawford County for the year. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported that absentee voting continues through April 1st and that her office would be open Saturday morning from 8:00 until noon for absentee voting. She noted that she attended the SHS Career Day last Friday and spoke about government, elections and had a voter registration drive. Bills were approved by the Commission for payment. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams reported the CART money received was $51,859.04, which leaves CART down year to date .522%. Major Len Pabin of the Sheriff’s Department and Dwight Ramsburg, Septagone, were in attendance and Nick Smith of Septagone joined by phone for an update on the new jail. Payments for the month totaled $204,482.92. The Food Service Bid from CARE Sales and Service for $190,037.25 was recommended by Shive-Hattery and Septagone and the bid was approved 3-0. The next meeting of the Commissioners will be Thursday morning and the meeting is open to the public.

Healthy Dent County would like to invite everyone out to a fun community fundraising event called the “Non Newlywed Game” Show on Friday, April 5th at the Salem Community Center@the Armory beginning at 7:00. It is couple vs. couple in this hilarious version of the classic game show where you will discover just how much our couples know (or don’t know!) about their spouse! It’s called the Non Newlywed Game, because it’s not just for newly married couples. Four local married couples have been selected to play the game. They are Scott and Susie Cahill; Wade and Jackie Sisco; Thom and Sally Haines; Russ and Tonette Anderson. These couples have graciously volunteered their time to play this fun game and entertain the audience. VIP sponsored tables can be reserved with a $300 donation. The VIP Tables includes reserved seating, free drink tickets and light refreshments. A cash bar will be open during the evening. A limited number of individual tickets will be sold for $20 per ticket. The individual tickets will not have reserved seating. Bead necklaces will be sold throughout the night to support your favorite couple. The Salem Community Center @ the Armory is located at 1200 W. Rolla Road in Salem. To reserve your VIP table please call 729-8163. The doors will open at 6:30 PM.

The City of Salem has two Pavilions that can be rented at the Salem City Park for an entire day. The cost of the Fireplace Pavilion on the circle drive is $45 per day and the large pavilion on the west side of the creek is $35 for the entire day. This includes electric and lights. Other pavilions at the park are free and cannot be reserved. For more information on reserving a pavilion for a family outing, picnic, meeting, team gathering or party, call Park and Recreation Director Tye Lydon at 729-6290. Reservations on the pavilions are made on a first come, first served basis.

An accident happened in Reynolds County Monday morning at 1:30 on Highway 72 about five miles west of Bunker that took the life of a man from Richland, Missouri. According to the highway patrol report, a 2002 Ford F-250 driven eastbound by 62-year old Dennis Bounds of Salem, struck 28-year old Seth Bryson of Richland in the roadway. Bryson was pronounced dead at the scene by Reynolds County Coroner Jeffrey McSpadden. Bryson’s body was taken to the McSpadden Funeral Home in Ellington. The 2002 Ford sustained minor damage and was driven from the scene. The highway patrol was assisted by the major Crash Team and the Reynolds County sheriff’s Department. The 2002 Ford sustained minor damage and was driven from the scene.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education met Thursday evening at the R-80 Administration Boardroom. At the meeting, State Fire Marshall J.T. Beam presented Salem Middle School student Charles Enloe a proclamation from the Governor Parsons. Charles recently saved his father from a fire at their house. Superintendent John McColloch discussed summer school for R-80 students. He said this year Summer school will begin on May 20th and run for 14 days and is available to students entering Kindergarten through 6th grade next year. He also said credit recovery is available for students grades 7-12 who qualify and drivers’ education will be available. Mccolloch then reported on the health insurance costs for the 2019-2020 school year. The schools insurance premiums are increasing by 12% from $406 a month per employee to $456.53 per month per employee. In the facilities update, McColloch reported that the bathroom project at the football field is complete, new lighting structures will be placed in the circle drive and some new doors are still being installed. McColloch wanted thanked Keith Inman for his donation of a washer/dryer for the Upper Elementary. He also said the Dent County Community Foundation received a $10,000 grant award from the Community Foundation of the Ozarks partnering with the Missouri Foundation for Health and the money will used to put in a shower and a washer/dryer at William Lynch. Also as part of the facilities update, board Member Larry Maxwell gave an update from the Athletic Advisory Committee meeting. After the building reports, the board organizational meeting date and the regular April Board meeting will be moved to Tuesday, April 16th at 6:00 at the district administrative offices. The MSBA Policy Service Agreement was approved and the board set the tuition rate for 2019-2020 for $7,570.91. The board approved the resignations of John Brewer, the William Lynch special education instructor; Amanda Walker the Middle School physical education instructor and head volleyball coach; Jennifer Headrick, a Middle School math instructor; Kim Cooper as the Middle School track and High School assistant volleyball coach; and Jared Patterson as the 9th grade boys’ basketball coach. The board went into executive session where they employed a number of probationary instructors from William Lynch Elementary, Upper Elementary, Middle and High Schools. They also employed coaches, coordinators and team sponsors for all schools before the meeting returning to open session and adjourning the meeting.

The Salem Police Department has released their report for the month of February. The Salem Police issued 4 equipment repair orders, 5 summons to appear in court, 5 warning tickets, and 9 traffic tickets, plus they also served 6 city warrants and 2 fugitive warrants. The Salem Police investigated 10 traffic accidents, one assault, one report of counterfeiting, one dog bite, and a lost or stolen license plate. They also wrote one report on domestic violence, two domestic assaults, one endangering the welfare of a child, one fraud report, a property damage report, three stealing reports, and 1 trespassing report. The department investigated one driving while intoxicated, one harassment, two sex offenses, plus had five reports of driving while having a license revoked and suspended, two possessions of a controlled substance reports, three possession of drug paraphernalia reports and had one vehicle towed. The department was also dispatched for 31 animal calls, 33 ambulance assist calls, 10 well being checks, 10 requests for information, and performed 39 traffic stops for the month. The department received 806 calls during the month of February and 87 walk- ins to the station. The department drove 6,581 miles during the month of February and spent 4 hours in court testifying and 10 hours as court Bailiff. There were 13 males and six females arrested in February.

The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety wants to remind teens how dangerous a car ride can be if they don’t take wearing their seat belt seriously. Law enforcement will be out in full force now through March 31st to help improve teen seat belt use and save lives. The national average for seat belt usage is 90 percent. Missouri is a bit below that average at 87 percent, but teens in Missouri come in even lower at 74 percent. Consider some of the reasons you should choose to wear your seat belt. Of the 88 teenagers killed in Missouri traffic crashes in 2017, 77 were vehicle occupants and 54 of them (70 percent) were not buckled up; when properly used, seat belts reduce the risk of fatal injuries to front-seat passenger vehicle occupants by 45 percent and reduce the risk of moderate-to-critical injuries by 50 percent. With no primary seat belt law or all-driver texting ban in Missouri, teens and all motorists are asked to personally take the challenge to Buckle Up Phone Down. Put your cell phone down while driving and always make sure you and your passengers are buckled up. For more information, visit saveMOlives.com.

An accident happened in Dent County Friday morning at 6:20 on Highway 19 about 16 miles north of Salem that took the life of a man from Steelville. According to the highway patrol report, a 1992 Ford LTL 9000 Dump Truck driven southbound by 56-year old James Whitman of Steelville, traveled off the right side of the roadway, returned to the roadway and began to slide. The Dump Truck then traveled off the left side of the roadway and struck an embankment that ejected Whitman from the vehicle. Whitman was pronounced dead at the scene by Dent County Coroner Gina White at 7:33. Whitman was not wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. His body was taken to the Dent County Coroner’s Office by the coroner. The Highway Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Dent County Fire Protection District, the Steelville Fire Department, the Dent County Sheriff’s Office, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office and the Salem EMS. The Ford Dump Truck was totaled and removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing of Salem.

A one-vehicle accident occurred in Phelps County at 2:12 Thursday afternoon on Highway 68 about three miles south of St. James. According to the highway patrol report, a 2014 BMW driven by 23-year old Jerid Land of Salem, traveled off the right side of the roadway, then returned to the roadway crossing the centerline. The driver then overcorrected and traveled back off the right side of the roadway, striking a fence before the BMW came to rest in a field. Land was transported by EMS to Phelps Health for treatment of moderate injuries. According to the report, the driver was wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident. The BMW sustained minor damage and was towed from the scene by Spurgeon’s Towing.

The Dent County Health Center Board of Trustees met Monday, March 18th. Administrator Kendra Mobray reported a new Helmer pharmaceutical refrigerator was scheduled to be delivered on March 19th. After it is inspected by a VFC representative, vaccines can be moved back to the Health Center. Outpatient lab services were provided to 46 clients the month of February. Mobray attended the SEMA quarterly meeting on March 14th as well as the Southwest Health Care Coalition meeting on March 20th. Salem High School students and prevention coalition members presented a tobacco prevention teach-in to R-80, R-1, and R-3 4th graders last week. In Dent County, there was one case of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever that was investigated in February. Influenza activity in Missouri is widespread. There have been 163 confirmed cases of influenza reported for Dent County and one influenza-related death. Mobray reported the Health Center is in the process of applying for a Show-Me Healthy Women contract with the Department of Health and Senior Services. If approved, the contract will allow the health center to provide well-woman exams and mammograms at no cost to qualifying individuals. Kelly Miller, the CEO of Your Community Health Center, presented an overview of the services provided at their Rolla facility and discussed how their Health Center is serving people from Dent County as well. The Board of Trustees set the next regular board meeting date for Monday, April 15, at 5:00 at the Health Center. The meeting was then adjourned.

A three vehicle accident occurred Saturday, March 16th, at 9:27 in the morning on Highway 19 near Seventh Street. According to the Salem Police report, a 2004 Chevrolet 1500 driven by Gregory Diehl of Salem; a 2007 Chevrolet Mailbu, driven by Julia Plank of Salem; and a 2004 Chevrolet Silverado driven by Richard Ferguson of Salem, were all traveling north on Highway 19. The Diehl vehicle failed to see the Mailbu stop in traffic behind the Silverado, causing a chain reaction accident. The Diehl and Ferguson vehicles sustained moderate damage while the Malibu driven by Plank received extensive damage and was towed from the scene. Plank sought her own medical treatment for a possible minor injury.

An accident occurred in Dent County Tuesday afternoon at 3:05 on Highway H four tenths of a mile west of the Salem City Limits. According to the Highway Patrol Report a westbound 2000 Ford Ranger, driven by 27 year-old Trenton Stacy of Salem, traveled off the right side of the roadway, returned to the pavement. Then the Ranger traveled off the left side of the roadway, struck an embankment and overturned. Stacy and the passenger 27 year-old Kayla Howard suffered moderate injuries and were transported by Air Evac to Mercy Creve Coeur. The report stated that neither Stacy or Howard were wearing safety restraints at the time of the accident. The Ford was totaled and removed from the scene by Whitakers Towing. The Highway Patrol was assisted by the Dent County Sheriff’s Department, Salem Police Department and the Dent County Fire Protection District.

The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Thursday morning in the Courthouse. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles had notified Dent County Clerk Angie Curley that he was sick and would not be in attendance. Curley appointed District One Commissioner Dennis Purcell to serve as Acting Presiding Commissioner. In the road report Purcell said that with less rainfall and drying winds grading would be catching up and the roads would look a lot different in a few weeks. He said that grading would be done on Dent County Road 6350 and materials would be added to county road 6640. Purcell went on to say that grading would be done and materials would be added to county roads 5530 and 6370. District Two Commissioner Gary Larson said that grading would be done on Dent County Roads 3120, 3180, 3170, 3130, 4300, and 4290, while materials only would be added to county roads 2150, 3120, and 3180. Larson added that materials would be added and grading done on county road 2155. Curley reported that phone bids were taken for 2,000 gallons of gasoline with County Fuels submitting the low bid of $2.139 per gallon. She said that bills were being approved by the Commissioners for payment. Curley reminded voters that absentee voting continues in her office through April 1st, and if anyone needs to update their information such as address changes they should come by her office. She also reminded everyone in the Bunker area that on April 2nd Sinkin Township/Bunker Precinct voting has been moved from Bunker High School to Bunker City Hall. Curley noted that polls will open at 6:00 am and close at 7:00 pm and voters need to remember to bring their identification. If anyone needs information about the upcoming election call her office at 729-4144. The next meeting of the Commission will be Monday morning in the Courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The Salem Police Department has released several reports. On Thursday morning, March 14th at approximately 9:00, an officer was contacted reference a sexual assault of a juvenile. Investigation of the report revealed a juvenile female had been sexually assaulted by a suspect from Rolla, Missouri. The report is under investigation. Later that same day at approximately 4:29 p.m. an officer located a 35-year-old female of Salem, Missouri near Fifth and Iron who had an active arrest warrant from the City of Salem. The suspect was taken into custody on the warrant and later released after posting and receiving a new date to appear in court. Then on Saturday, March 16th at approximately 1:13 a.m. an officer was dispatched to a one vehicle accident on Missouri 32 near the Ranch Motel. Investigation of the crash led to the arrest of a 51-year-old male of Salem, Missouri for driving while suspended. The suspect was issued a summons to appear in court and released. Later that day at 1:00 p.m. an officer was contacted at the Salem Police Department reference a theft. Investigation of the report revealed person(s) unknown took the license plate off of a maroon 2004 Ford Expedition. The report is under investigation. On Sunday, March 17th at approximately 11:42 a.m. an officer was dispatched to Mobil gas station in reference to a theft. Investigation of the report revealed a 47-year-old male of Salem, Missouri had stolen three lottery tickets valued $60.00 and returned to the store to cash one of the stolen tickets for $20.00. Further investigation led to the arrest of the suspect who was issued a summons to appear in court and released. On Monday, March 18th at approximately 3:45 p.m. an officer was contacted at the Salem Police Department reference damage to a vehicle. Investigation of the report revealed person(s) unknown damaged the touch screen valued $2582.00 on a blue 2018 Nissan Versa that was parked near the 500 block of South Warfel. The report is under investigation. On Tuesday the 19th at approximately 12:34 p.m. the School Resource Officer was contacted reference a weapons violation. Investigation of the report revealed a 12-year-old male juvenile student had brought a knife to school in his backpack. Further investigation led to the detention of the student who was released to a parent. The report will be forwarded to the Juvenile Office. Later that night at approximately 11:15 p.m. an officer was contacted at the Salem Police Department reference a stolen license plate. Investigation of the report revealed person(s) unknown took a license plate from a 2001 Ford Explorer. The report is under investigation. Please contact the Salem Police Department at (573) 729-4242 if you have any information regarding an investigation ongoing or previously mentioned.

The Salem Police Department did not test the storm siren yesterday as scheduled due to a malfunction in the system. That test will be rescheduled for a later date to be announced.