Local News

The Dent County Sheriff’s Department has released a number of reports. On Wednesday, February 20th, a female came into the Dent County Sheriff’s Office to report an incident which had occurred on Dent County Road 5180 and Highway B. After speaking to the female, deputies traveled to the 1000 block of Dent County Road 5180. During the course of the investigation, a 24-year old Salem man was arrested for Peace Disturbance, a 1st Offense, and Endangering the Welfare of a Child in the 2nd Degree. The man was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office, fingerprinted, issued summons and released. On Saturday, February 23rd, deputies traveled to the 600 block of Dent County Road 6300 in reference to an active domestic disturbance which was occurring. During the course of the investigation, a 40-year old Warrenton man was arrested for Burglary in the 1st degree and for 3rd Degree Assault. The man was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office and incarcerated. That same day, deputies conducted a traffic stop near the 100 block of 4th Street. During the course of the traffic stop, a 28-year old Salem man was arrested for driving while having his license revoked, a 2nd or Subsequent Offense. The man was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office, fingerprinted, issued summons and released. If anyone has information about an ongoing investigation, please call the Dent County Sheriff’s Office at 729-3241.

Dent County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Curley was in court for sentencing with Judge Kelly Parker on Tuesday. Curley reports that Gail Sherfy of St. James pled guilty to a DWI that resulted in an injury in a three car accident. She was sentenced to five years of supervised probation and parole. The State sought seven years in the Department of Corrections, but Judge Parker granted the defendant straight probation with seven year suspended execution of sentence over the states’ objection. In another case, Cody Amsden of Rolla pled guilty to the possession of methamphetamine. Amsden was sentenced to four years in the Department of Corrections. Curley reported on the case against Jamie Hatcher of Salem who pled guilty to 1st degree felony involuntary manslaughter for operating her vehicle carelessly as she drove into the lane of travel of Ron Caraway, resulting in his death. Hatcher had a previous felony conviction for distribution of marijuana and was on probation at the time of the new offense. Marijuana was found on her person at the time of the offense, plus THC and an opioid were found in her blood system in unspecified amounts. The defendant had a prescription for the opioid. Judge Parker followed the states recommendation and sentenced the defendant to 10 years in the Department of Corrections. Family members and friends of the decedent were present for the sentencing. Curley also reported that Dylan Burke of Steelville pled guilty to delivery of a controlled substance for fentanyl. Curley said the Burke was granted supervision of executed sentence probation over objection of the state. Finally, Curley reports Harvey Pewitt of Salem pled guilty to the charge of failing to register as a sex offender. Judge Parker granted Pewitt seven years supervision of executed sentence probation over the objection of the state.

New data from the Missouri Hospital Association reveals that in 2017, the state’s hospitals provided more than $1.4 billion in uncompensated care and exceeded $3.3 billion in total community benefit — record totals for both categories. In Dent County, the Salem Memorial District Hospital in 2017 provided 1.9 million dollars of uncompensated care and over 2 million dollars that benifited the community. As far as other community benefits provided in 2017, the Salem Memorial Distrcit Hospital employed 221 people and provided a total payroll in the community of $10,367,650 while showing a net income of $859,000.

The Salem Police Department has released their report for the month of January. The Salem Police issued 9 equipment repair orders, 12 summons to appear in court, 15 warning tickets, and 13 traffic tickets, plus they also served 1 city warrant and six fugitive warrants. The Salem Police investigated 15 traffic accidents, 2 assaults, one burglary, made one death investigation, a leaving the scene of an accident and a lost or stolen license plate. They also wrote two reports on domestic violence reports, one fraud report, a missing person report, a property damage report, seven stealing reports and 1 trespassing report. The department investigated one rape and one sex offense, plus had four reports of driving while having a license revoked and suspended, three possession of a controlled substance reports, five possession of drug paraphernalia reports and had one vehicle towed. The department was also dispatched for 41 animal calls, 34 ambulance assist calls, 26 well being checks, 16 requests for information, and performed 77 traffic stops for the month. The department received 987 calls during the month of January and 87 walk ins to the station. The department drove 7,364 miles during the month of January and spent 10 hours in court testifying and 12 hours as court bailiff. There were 17 males and six females arrested in January.

The Meramec Regional Planning Commission will be presenting a “Meramec Morning” titled “Grants 101: Strategies For Success,” this morning at 10:00 at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory. Local elected officials, community leaders, non-profits, and all interested citizens of Dent County are invited to attend and share information on projects, hear about grant opportunities to assist with those projects, and learn how to better position your community or organization for grants. Donuts and coffee will be served during the meeting.

The Salem Cosmopolitan Club will hold their 68th Variety Show and Miss Salem Competition this Saturday at the Salem City Hall Auditorium stating at 7:00. This year’s theme is “Denim and Diamonds.” There will be 12 girls vying for the title of Miss Salem at the show and they are Katarina Morris sponsored by Hubbs Tire, Ceceilia Reed sponsored by Annie’s Grill, Jainey Pettus sponsored by Vandivort Drug, Emma Southards sponsored by Wells Land and Cattle, Hailee Stringer sponsored by Martin Trucking Service, Lauren Grogan sponsored by VIP Properties, Vanessa White sponsored by Hair By Whitney, Trinity Lewis sponsored by Indian Trail Archery Bow and Gun, Paige Harris sponsored by the Salem Church of Christ, Claudia Chilton sponsored by Ozark Healthcare, LLC, MacKenzie Thompson sponsored by Lake Road Steel and Emma Brakefield who is sponsored by Country Mart Pharmacy. David Massengale will be the emcee for the event that will also feature the talents of three groups of dancers from Linda Maledy’s Academy of Dance, plus performances by Christabel, the Salem Upper Elementary 5th grade teachers, ATA Taekwondo, and Rachel Privett and Friends. Judges from Springfield and South Central Missouri will determine this year’s Miss Salem as well as the first and second runner-ups. The girls will vote on the Miss Personality title. The 2018 Miss Salem, Katelyn Schwartz, will crown the new Miss Salem at the event. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for kids.

The Dent County Sheriff’s Department has released a number of reports. On Thursday, February 13th, deputies traveled to the 100 block of Dent County Road 3220 for a report of an assault. During the course of that investigation, a 39-year old Salem man was arrested for assault in the 4th degree. That same day, deputies conducted a traffic stop on McArthur Street. During the course of the traffic stop, a 35-year old Salem man was arrested for driving while being intoxicated for alcohol content. Both men were transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office where they were fingerprinted, issued summons and released. On Friday, February 15th, deputies traveled to the 7000 block of West Highway 32 for a wellbeing check. During the course of the investigation, a 41-year old Salem man was arrested for Harassment in the 1st degree and domestic assault in the 4th degree. The man was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office and incarcerated. If anyone has information about an ongoing investigation, call the Dent County Sheriff’s Office at 729-3241.

A meeting on how opiods are affecting the small towns and communities was held at the Salem Community Center@The Armory Monday night. Around 20 people were in attendance to learn that the opiod death rate from 1999 to 2015 has quadrupled for young people ages 18-25. The data suggests that over 130 people die everyday from opiod overdose and addiction which comes to over 28,000 every year. The seminar was presented by Your Community Cares rural Health Coalition, which is funded by a grant through Your Community Health Care in Rolla. Felisha Richards was the monitor for the meeting. The group discussed evidence based strategies on how to treat opiod addiction and the obstacles of getting treatment for a number of reasons: either it is not readily available locally, the person doesn’t believe they have a problem, or they don’t want to admit they have a problem due to social pressures. They also discussed faith based assistance and support to those who have been afflicted. This can be accomplished either through substance abuse centers, the 12 step program or long term residential services and strategies. All are viable options as no one treatment works for everyone. The group also discussed the availability of Narcan and that local law enforcement in Dent County carry it with them. People can also get Narcan without a prescription. This is especially important to know if they have someone in their own home who may have an opiod problem. Further seminars are expected to be held on these types of problems that are now in small towns and communities in the Ozarks. For more information, you can check out this link: https://www.yourcommunitycares.net/

The new state record brown trout caught this past Saturday on Lake Taneycomo by Paul Crews of Neosho has a Salem tie. Crews used a rod and reel to catch the record brown trout that weighed in at 34-pounds, 10-ounces. The new record beats the previous state-record by 6 pounds and 2 ounces. Crews was fishing with 4-pound test line with a sculpin colored marabou jig. Crews and his partner Jim Rayfield Sr. from Salem were out fishing in the Vince Elfrink Memorial Trout Tournament when he caught the state-record brown trout. Crews said that after about 20 minutes of fighting the trout, he and Rayfield were able to get it netted and brought onto the boat. Missouri Department of Conservation staff verified Crews’ record-weight fish using a certified scale at Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery. Crews took pictures and got dimensions of the fish to make a replica, then released the trout back into Lake Taneycomo.

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse for their regular meeting. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams reported on the CART monies the county received last week. Williams said the county received $57,583.79 and that is more than last year’s figure of $55,925.21 in February. So far this year, the CART receipts are up $111.55. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell stated materials would be added and patch grading would be done on Dent County Roads 5390, 5450 and 6290 as well as on some other roads. Materials only will be added to county road 6240. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said materials would be added and patch grading would be done on Dent County Roads 3140 and 5280 while patch grading only would be done on county road 5300. Larson said materials would also be added to county roads 3180 and 6130 and brush will be cut on county road 4030. Larson went on to say the end bits on grader #31 would be changed. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said on Thursday he attended the Transportation Advisory Committee meeting in St. James where the group was updated on the bridge initiative of Governor Parson that would repair the worst 250 bridges in the state. This would be paid for through bonding. Of the 250 bridges, one of those is in Dent County and it is the one on Route FF off of Highway 68 over Norman Creek. They also discussed the flooding study on Interstate 44 near Jerome. The study showed for each day the interstate is closed, it costs the state 2.4 million dollars of economic impact. The solution discussed would be to raise both the eastbound and westbound lanes of the interstate eight feet just past the Little Piney River bridge. That would be one foot higher than where the highest flood rivers have reached. The cost of the project would be 12 million dollars. There was no discussion as to when this project would be done. Skiles also said the MRPC received a clean audit report. He went on to remind people the parking lot east of Iron Street will be closed after Wednesday due to the delivery of steel for the jail project, so those who normally use that lot will need to park elsewhere. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said the last day to register to vote in the April 2nd Municipal election would be March 6th. She said she attended the South Central Missouri County Clerks Regional meeting in West Plains on Friday where Chrissy Peters from the Missouri Secretary of State’s office spoke. She discussed the new election laws, canvass maintenance and the new Missouri Centralized Voting System used by the county clerks. At the last meeting, Nick Smith and Dwight Ransburg from Septagone Construction, Sheriff Bob Wells and Travis Sprenger from Shive-Hattery were in attendance. An update on the jail project was given and the budget was reviewed. Payments made this month were $571,438.53 and the revised budget is $12,893,956 with still over 10.5 million dollars to pay on the project. Also, CenturyLink made a proposal of $29,985.40 to relocate 500 feet of 1,000 pair copper cable due to the new jail construction. They wanted to be paid in advance before they started. The county commission approved their bid, but they will not pay for the work until the project is completed. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Thursday morning at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.

The Salem Police Department has released a number of reports. On Friday, February 15th at approximately 1:46 in the afternoon, an officer was dispatched to Riverways Credit Union in reference to a counterfeit bill. The investigation of the report revealed a counterfeit one hundred-dollar bill had been taken in with deposits. The bill was collected and the report will be forwarded to the United States Secret Service. That evening at about 10:38 in the evening, an officer transported a 32-year-old female of Cuba, Missouri from Crawford County Jail to Dent County Jail. The female suspect was incarcerated on an active arrest warrant from the City of Salem pending a court appearance. On Monday, February 18th at 3:31 in the afternoon, an officer located a 35-year-old female of Salem in the 100 block of Fourth Street who had an active arrest warrant from the City of Salem. The suspect was taken into custody on the warrant and incarcerated pending a court appearance. On Wednesday, February 20thth at about 4:34 in the afternoon, an officer was contacted in reference to damage to a vehicle. That investigation revealed that a person or persons unknown broke a window valued at $200.00 on a 1989 Ford truck that was parked near Center and Pershing. The report is under investigation. Please contact the Salem Police Department at 729-4242 if you have any information regarding an ongoing investigation.

Dent County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Curley has released results from court proceedings held on Wednesday, February 20th. The court revoked the probation of Josh Benton and he was sentenced to four years in the Department of Corrections under state statute 559.115. Also on Wednesday, February 20th, Dekota Brege was sentenced to four years of suspended execution of his sentence with five years of probation and parole on a charge of failure to register as a sex offender. The state had sought a term of four years in the Department of Corrections requiring the defendant to complete 120 days in custody of the Missouri Department of Corrections. Brege’s counsel sought a jail sentence. Also on Wednesday, February 20th, Cletus Conklin pled guilty to failing to register as a sex offender. Over the objection of the state, Conklin was sentenced to four years of suspended execution of his sentence with five years of probation and parole. The state had sought a term of four years in the department of corrections under State Statute 559.115. Conklin’s counsel sought a jail sentence.

The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Thursday morning in the Courthouse. Dent County Collector Dennis Medlock was in to request that the media continue informing the public of the Forte’ Credit Card website shutdown from February 22nd through March 1st for the transitioning of the Collector’s office from Medlock to Collector Elect Shannon VanKirk, plus restrictions on payments by check from February 25th through the 28th. In the road report, District One Commissioner Dennis Purcell said that patch grading would be done and materials added to Dent County Roads 5450, 5460, 5400, 4160, 6250, and various other roads as the County continues the battle with weather related bad road conditions. He also noted that chip and seal repair would be done on county road 6180 and various other chip and seal roadways. Purcell reported that on Monday he attended the Tourism Committee meeting where one proposal was submitted and approved and one request for reimbursement was submitted and approved. He also reported on the South Central Community Action Agency meeting he attended Tuesday where he learned that there are still funds available for those meeting income guidelines to receive assistance with weatherization, utility payments, heating costs, and home repairs. Purcell said more information and details can be obtained by calling 573-729-3500 and talking to Sarah. He also noted that the Agency had joined the Salem Chamber of Commerce. District Two Commissioner Gary Larson reported that patch grading would be done and materials would be added to Dent County Roads 5300, 5280, 2200, and 2150, while patch grading only would be done on county road 3220. He said that a man had gone to the Sligo area to cut brush on county road 4030. Larson also noted that he attended the meeting of Healthy Dent County where he had a chance to review plans for their expansion and learned that they are nearing their fund raising goal. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles noted that all three commissioners attended the Industrial Development Authority Annual Meeting Wednesday evening where Donald Dodd, Dean Jones and Camron Erway agreed to continue serving on the IDA depending on re-appointment by the Commissioners. The Commissioners voted 3-0 to appoint the three. Skiles said that at the IDA meeting, a representative from Intercounty Electric presented information about Intercounty’s work and plans for future expansion of broadband service. The group learned that the chances to be included in the expansion could be improved by contacting Intercounty at 417-674-2211. Callers need to ask for Sarah and request “Interconnect Service,” Intercounty’s name for their Broadband service, when it becomes available. Skiles said the Commissioners had received notice from the construction manager that steel for the jail will be arriving starting February 28th so the last day to park in the lot on the east side of Iron Street will be Wednesday February 27th. He added that the lot will be closed for 90 days or more. Skiles reminded everyone of parking availability on the east side of the Judicial Building Annex on 4th Street. He added that Thursday afternoon he would be attending the Transportation Advisory Committee and MRPC meetings in St. James. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported that bills were being approved for payment and that the last day to register for the April 2nd election is March 6th. She also noted that sample ballots are available in her office and that today she would be attending the South Central County Clerks regional meeting in West Plains. Three bids were received for food service for the new jail and Sheriff Bob Wells will be reviewing them and bring a recommendation back to the Commissioners. The next regular meeting of the Commissioners will be Monday morning in the Courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

A one vehicle accident happened Tuesday night at 10:10 in Dent County on Highway 68 about three miles north of Salem. According to the highway patrol report, a 2014 BMW 328, driven westbound by 23-year old Jerid Land of Salem traveled off the right side of the roadway striking an embankment with the undercarriage. Land suffered minor injuries in the accident and refused treatment at the scene. Land was wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident. The BMW sustained minor damage and was towed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital regular board meeting was held Tuesday evening in the Hospital Library. Hospital Administrator Kasey Lucas introduced Tabitha Stanfast who is the Director of Quality Improvement and Risk Management. She explained about the Flex Program and how it is designed to improve the quality of care and the profitability of small rural hospitals. She said SMDH was the featured hospital in Festus at a meeting on Quality Improvement in October because of how well they worked together. She said SMDH was a four out of five star hospital with the HCAPS comparable data. She said she reviews the patient satisfaction surveys through Press Ganey and Feed Trail to get instant feedback so that actions can be taken. In the summary of operations for the month of January, the hospital had 107 inpatient admissions with 404 inpatient census days. Patients per day in Acute Care came in at 13 in January. The hospital showed a gain from operations of $168,146 and revenues over expenses after taxes of $537,810. Cash increased for the month by $714,196 mostly from a $700,000 settlement from Medicare as there were three payrolls covered in the month. The days in net account receivables rose to 73 from 68 days last month. During the month, there were 769 emergency room visits to go with 225 ambulance runs with 162 patients being transported, 25 surgery cases, 1,765 outpatient registrations, 395 home health visits, 9,128 lab tests, 1,364 radiological procedures and 711 rehab treatments. Debbie Hines gave the Chief of Nursing report that concentrated on the HCAPS where the Salem Hospital holds their own with the state averages and national averages even though they have a much smaller sample size than many of the hospitals they are being compared with. Hines gave an update on the flu season and Salem has had a much lower concentration this January versus last year with only 20 reported cases compared to 236 last January. So far in February, there have been 19 cases reported. Hospital Administrator Kasey Lucas reported there were 345 people who attended the Health Screenings this year at the Salem Community Center@The Armory. The next Health Screenings will be in May. The Hospital Auxiliary met on February 10th with ten members and set their fundraisers. “Scrubs and Beyond” will be held on April 17th and Shoe Roads Productions will be on September 10th with both fundraisers being held at the hospital library. COO Chris Strickland said the Hospital Foundation “Dancing with the Salem Stars” raised $10,800 and the next fundraiser will be their Golf Tournament in June. He said the bands are booked for the “Foundation Benefit Concert and Wing Off” that will be held August 3rd at the Commons. Strickland said the hospital will be represented at Montauk State Park on “Opening Day of Trout Season” and will be at Healthy Dent County’s “Girls Night Out” on March 14th. Lucas reported there were seven issues discovered during the CMS Survey visit. The hospital responded to those issues but there were still some questions by CMS that the hospital addressed and they are waiting on their final report. He also said the Fiscal Year 2020 committee would be meeting in March to focus on a seven-year capital budget. The board approved three budgeted purchases. The first was an Isolator Hood for the Pharmacy to make them fully compliant with regulations from Aseptic Enclosures for $14,101, the second was a Bariatric Bed Scale from McKesson for $5,375, and the third was the purchase of a Tosoh GB Analyzer for A1c testing for the lab for $33,895. The board approved two non-budgeted purchases. The first was for a new stress test machine for Cardio-Pulmonary from GE Healthcare for $27,605 and the other purchase was for a Hematology Analyzer for the lab from Sysmex for $54,961. The board then went into closed session.

Dent County Collector Dennis Medlock is reminding everyone the Forte Credit Card website for those wanting to pay their real estate and personal property taxes online will be shutdown for Dent County from this Friday until March 1st. This is due to the transitioning of the Collector’s office from Medlock to the new Dent County Collector, Shannon Van Kirk. NO credit cards or debit cards will be accepted on the website or at the Collector’s Office in the Dent County Courthouse during that time. Medlock also reported that checks will NOT be accepted from Monday through Thursday next week at the Collector’s office. Any checks mailed during that period will be processed on March 1st, and there will be no additional interest or penalties if they envelopes were postmarked in February. Any payments made at the Collector’s office Monday through Thursday next week MUST be made in cash, by cashier’s check or by a money order. If anyone would like to know the exact amount of taxes they owe before they come in and pay, they can contact the collector’s office at 729-3911. The Dent County Collector’s office wishes to apologize for any inconvenience to the public during this changeover. If you have a question, stop by the collector’s office in person at the courthouse or by phone at 729-3911.

The Salem FFA Alumni will be holding their 9th Annual Salem FFA Alumni Scholarship Fund Labor and Dessert Auction tonight at 6:30 at the Salem Upper Elementary School Cafeteria on Roosevelt at Doss Road. Those attending can bid on students from the Salem FFA Chapter who will be providing labor for four, six or eight hours that will include a variety of services. Attendees can also bid on homemade pies, cakes and other desserts that will be available. Everyone is welcome to attend. The proceeds will go to the Salem FFA Alumni Scholarship Fund. A meal will be served for those who will be bidding starting at 5:00. For more information, call 739-2016 or 729-7990, ext 2.

The Salem Board of Aldermen met Tuesday evening at the Dent County Fire Station for a regular February meeting. Daniel Black of Black’s A-1 Septic was not able to make it to the meeting due to the weather and postponed addressing the board until the March 4th meeting. City Administrator Ray Walden presented a request from Wes Hester for some of the city hours that are allowed by the MRPC for use for grants or to assist organizations. This is to allow his public not-for-profit cybersecurity organization as recognized by the state of Missouri receive a 501 C 3 tax exempt status through the IRS. He has been working through the Dent County Community Foundation. The board agreed to allow three hours for his use. The board approved the bid from Central Tank Coatings from Elgin, Iowa of $246,500 to perform miscellaneous repairs to the water tower on Wines Street before stripping, blasting, cleaning and repainting the entire exterior and interior of the 150,000 gallon Horton Water Sphere water tank. This is a budgeted expense as the city set aside $266,450 for the project of which over $264,000 remained. After the consent agenda was approved, City of Salem Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman Gary Brown reported the commission approved the consent agenda that included minutes of the Planning and Zoning meetings of July 16th and January 22nd, and the Planning and Zoning Hearing of January 22nd. Brown said the commission then rescinded the previous motion from the last meeting as it was not correct. The commission discussed the subdivision of the tracts at 5400 West Scenic Rivers Blvd and there was concern about the property without having a copy of the Shirley R. Gollhofer Trust at the meeting. It was determined that the necessary paperwork needed to be at the next commission meeting before proceeding. The Planning and Zoning Commission meeting was then adjourned. Administrator Walden reported the MRPC would be having a “Meramec Morning” at the Salem Community Center@The Armory on Wednesday, February 27th at 10:00 for people to congregate and find out the services available in their community and in the Meramec Region. This event is open to the public. Walden also said there would be a meeting held at the old Middle School Gym on Monday morning at 10:00 for a tour of the facility to determine the future of the site. The board postponed Bill 3408 that dealt with the subdivision of the property at 5400 West Scenic Rivers Blvd until the next meeting. They approved Resolution 4-2019 that allows Mayor Brad Nash to execute an agreement between the City of Salem and Donald Maggi, Inc. for the installation of water lines on Park Street and along Highway 32 and Highway 72. The board also approved Resolution 5-2019 that allows Mayor Nash to sign an agreement between the City of Salem and Central Tank Coatings to do the work on the water tower on Wines Street. The board then went into closed session to discuss contracts and real estate.

The Dent County Sheriff’s Department has released some reports. On Wednesday, February 6th deputies traveled to the 900 block of Dent County Road 5070 to search for a female with active warrants through Dent County. During the investigation a 49-year Salem female was arrested and transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office Jail and incarcerated. On Saturday, February 9th, deputies traveled to the 2900 block of Highway 19 North for a report of a domestic incident. During the course of the investigation, deputies spoke to a 39-year old Salem male and a 31-year old Salem female. As a result of the investigation a Missouri 12 hour rule was issued and the female was transported away from the residence. If anyone has any information regarding an ongoing investigation, please contact the Dent County Sheriff’s Office at 573-729-3241.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education will hold their regular meeting at 6:00 Thursday evening at the Salem District Administrative Offices Boardroom. At the meeting, the board will hear from Superintendent John McColloch with a report on free and reduced lunch count, the January membership, the Agriculture Education Advisory Committee, an athletic update and annual performance report. The Board will review and approve all previous minutes and bills, approve the attendance report, approve the Food Service report, approve the substitute list, and approve Program Evaluations for Differentiated Instruction and the At Risk /Alternative Program. After the Principals’ Building Reports the Board will address new business including; approval of 2018-2019 School Calendar, consider MSBA 2018 D Policy Updates and consider Promethean Projector purchase. The Board will hear resignations and then adjourn and move into an executive session. The February regular monthly meeting of the Salem R-80 Board of Education is open to the public.

The Salem Rotary Club will be holding their annual Pancake Day this Saturday from 7:00 until 11:00 in the morning at the Salem Middle School Cafeteria. This fundraising event is all-you-can-eat with the money raised going toward scholarships and community projects. Tickets are available from Rotary Club members or you can buy them at the door. The cost for adults is $6.00 and children are $3.00 each.