Local News

The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Thursday morning at the courthouse. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams presented the sales tax figures received in the month of March. She said the General Revenue Fund and Law Enforcement Sales Tax fund both showed receipts in March of over $82,679.53 which is down from the 2018 figure of $101,118.00. The year-to-date total through March is $17,703 less than for the first three months of 2018 which is about 7.00%. In the Road and Bridge Fund, Sales taxes received came to $37,417.92 and that amount is $7,107.23 less than the 2018 March figure. The Road and Bridge Fund year-to-date is down $3,759.13 which comes to about 3.39%. The amount for each jail fund came in just over $74,749.00 and that is $12,414.00 less than the 2018 amount for March. Each jail fund year-to-date is down about $3,339. The commissioners also signed the quarterly budgeted transfer of $21,250 to the Salem Nutrition Site and SMTS Bus service. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell said crews will be spreading gravel over muddy areas and working on some potholes. He went on to say Truck #123 was getting new tires and a new radiator hose, Truck #121 was getting new tires and the spreader box on Truck #119 was being removed. He went on to say that repairs were being made to Dent County Road 5013 and road signs that had been stolen on county road 6580 were being replaced. Purcell further indicated that culverts and areas under bridges will be cleaned out plus crews will be out looking for downed limbs. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson stated materials will be added and spot grading will be done on Dent County Roads 2340, 3370, 4290 and 4340. He said a culvert is going to be replaced on Dent County Road 3280 and he attended the Salem Economic Development Workshop Wednesday night at the fire station. The next meeting will be March 28th at 5:30 at the fire station. Dent County Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said he attended the Meramec Community Enhancement Corporation Board meeting where they were updated on a $100,000 grant from the Amerisource Bergen Foundation to help four counties battle the opiod crisis and provide education about the drug. This grant does not help Crawford, Phelps or Dent County. He also said they sponsored a grant for the Duke Rural Fire Department. The Commissioners and Dent County Clerk Angie Curley will attend the South Central County Commissioners meeting today in Houston. Curley said diesel bids were taken by phone for 7,000 gallons of fuel and Phil-Mart was awarded the bid at $2.16 per gallon. Sheriff Bob Wells and Richard LaBrash were in to talk about the Spring ATV “Ride for America” sponsored by Cowtown USA, the American Volunteers and the Dent County Sheriff’s Department. The ride will begin and end at Danny Black’s Farm and travel to the southeast of Salem with stops planned at the G&S Store in Bunker and Loggers Lake with a total of about 70 miles being covered. For more information, contact the American Volunteers at 729-1394 or Cowtown USA at (573) 885-6300. Riders can also register at Cowtown USA or on their website. Dent County Sheriff Bob Wells also wanted to introduce a Dent County Community Crime Watch where citizens will be on the lookout for things out of the ordinary and let law enforcement know. Wells will provide the first 30 signs for those who want to register up for the program. He also said the Community Crime Watch would have it’s own Facebook page. He looks to start the program around the end of the month. Look for more information in the near future. Curt Faigle with the “Rally in the 100 Acre Wood” was in to make sure there were no problems such as impassible low water crossing or other problems and was assured that everything was ready to go. 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.

Seven Salem R-80 students had their art work accepted into the Young Artist Showcase in St Louis. There were over 400 entries submitted and less than 200 were accepted! Those Salem artists whose work was accepted included Rachel Counts, Kullen Myers, Scilar Gibbs, Leigh Ann Pope, Isabelle Knaack and Madi Keith. This outstanding show will be open until the end of March at the St Louis Artist Guild for those who would like to see the art work.

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.

Two Salem Tiger Students who are currently in the Construction Trades program at the high school competed in the Skills USA district contest that took place on February 22nd. There were 12 contestants total from different schools who participated in the contest and five of those students were able to finish their project. Both of the Salem students who participated finished their project. At the awards ceremony held February 27th, the Skills USA personnel gave out awards for the top three places. Dell Hoffmeister who is a junior in the Construction 1 class this year placed 1st in the skills contest. There was also a district written contest that was held in January for Skills USA. There are 7 schools in our district and they send as many students as they want for each program to take the written contest. Jay Busbey from Salem, who is currently a senior in the Construction 1 program this year, placed 3rd in the written contest out of over 50 other students. Hoffmeister and Busbey will now get to go to the Skills USA state contest that will be held on April 4th, 5th, and 6th at State Technical College of Missouri in Linn, Missouri.

The City of Salem’s Airport Board will hold a meeting tonight at 7:00 at the Dent County Fire District at #2 S Main in Salem. At the meeting, the board will get an update on the tree clearing project, get an update on airport lights, receive an update on hangars then address any other business before the meeting is adjourned. This meeting is open to the public.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) invite Missouri public, private, and home-school students in grades K-8 to help fight litter in the Show-Me State — and to have creative and educational fun — by participating in the 2019 “Yes You CAN Make Missouri Litter-Free” trashcan-decorating contest. The annual contest is sponsored by MDC and MoDOT as part of the state’s “No MOre Trash!” statewide litter campaign. Schools may submit one entry in each competition category: K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. Entries are judged based on creativity, adherence to contest rules, and effective use of theme and logo. First-place winners from each competition category receive $200 awarded to the sponsoring schools. All first-place winners are then eligible for a grand prize of a trophy and $600 awarded to the sponsoring school. There is no entry fee for the contest. Participating school groups must submit a completed entry form online with up to three photos to nomoretrash.org by THIS FRIDAY!!. Contest rules, entry forms, logo, past contest entries and winners, and information can also be found at nomoretrash.org.

If your weekend plans include having a few drinks while watching some live basketball action or bending an elbow at your local Irish
bar, make sure it also includes a sober ride home. Law enforcement agencies across Missouri will be participating in additional patrols to prevent the often deadly consequences of impaired driving. Their message is clear: drive sober or get pulled over. Based on preliminary 2018 data, 184 people were killed and 531 more were seriously injured in Missouri traffic crashes that involved at least one substance-impaired driver. The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety reminds motorists to designating a sober driver to get everyone home safe. Remember, if you feel different, you drive different. Besides driving completely sober from alcohol and drugs, motorists are also advised to put their cell phones down while driving and always buckle up – everyone, every trip, every time.

Captain James W. Remillard, commanding officer of Troop I, announces that during the month of March, Troop I officers will conduct five seat belt enforcement operations. These operations will be conducted in the counties of Dent, Pulaski, Crawford, Phelps, and Laclede. Officers assigned to these five operations, will focus on violations of Missouri traffic laws with an emphasis on youth seat belt violations. The purpose of this Youth Seat Belt Enforcement project is to encourage Missouri’s youth to use seat belts. The only 100 percent survivable traffic crash is the one that never happens. Make sure everyone in the vehicle is properly restrained in a seat belt or child restraint. Every day as we travel on Missouri’s roadways, we trust that every driver on the road is going to obey the speed limit, pay attention, and drive sober. “Don’t Violate The Trust.”

The Salem Police Department has rescheduled the City of Salem storm siren testing that was postponed last Tuesday, March 5th to Wednesday morning, March 20th at 10:00.

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning for their regular meeting. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles was not able to attend due to a prior commitment so Dent County Clerk Angie Curley appointed District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson to serve as the acting Presiding Commissioner for the meeting. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell reported that crews removed two trees that blew down over roads this past the weekend. One tree partially covered Dent County Road 4110 and the other tree completed shut down Dent County Road 6080 for a time. Purcell said some roads were dry enough to grade and crews will be adding materials to and grading Dent County Roads 4080, 4210 and 6580 as well as other roads if time permits. Larson said District Two had numerous reports of downed trees over the weekend and crews responded to those locations to remove those trees. Larson stated materials would be added and grading done on county roads 4060 and 5260. He went on to report grading only would be done on Dent County Road 2403 and materials only would be added to county road 2150. County Clerk Curley wanted to remind voters absentee voting for the April 2nd Municipal Election is going on now. She said that Dent-Phelps R-3, Northwood R-4 and Salem R-80 School Districts do not have races, nor does the Dent County Fire Protection District or the Salem Memorial Hospital District. She said the last day to mail out an absentee ballot will be Wednesday, March 20th which is a week earlier than it used to be. If anyone needs to change their address or needs to update their voter registration, please call her office at 729-4144 or drop by her office in the Dent County Courthouse. Kevin Barker with Mapping Solutions came in to discuss plat books with the commission. He says his company would require less books for the initial order than other companies and the county could reorder as few as 20 books at a time if they needed them. He also said they have an app that can be purchased for your smart phone or tablet that will show you exactly where you are in the county along with the property information. He left information with the commissioners about his company. The county does not have any money in the budget in 2019 for new plat books. Curley said the county has a box left from their last order that was in 2015. 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.

Mark Twain National Forest is recruiting individuals to be members of a Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) that will be established as required by the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. Recruitment activities will end on or about March 31st, 2019. The RAC will be established to improve collaborative relationships and provide recommendations to the National Forest concerning project proposals being considered for implementation with funding provided by the Act. The RAC will include 15 members appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture following a review of some brief background information provided by the prospective member. RAC members must reside in the Dent, Douglas, Oregon or Ozark counties in Missouri. Membership will be balanced and diverse representation and include individuals who are recreation users, members of environmental organizations, elected officials, tribal representatives, school officials, timber industry, public at large, and other interested groups. Membership is voluntary and those selected will serve a 4-year term. For more information on Resource Advisory Committees, check the Forest Service web-site at www.fs.usda.gov/main/pts/specialprojects. If this opportunity is of interest contact Richard Hall at 573-368-9286, or Laura Watts at 573-341-7471.

The Salem Police Department has released some reports. On Saturday afternoon, March 2nd, at approximately 4:23, an officer was contacted at the Salem Police Department in reference to a theft. The investigation of the report revealed that a person or persons unknown had stolen a Sig Sauer P238 .380 caliber handgun from a residence in the 900 block of East Hawkins. The report is under investigation. Then on Sunday morning, March 3rd at about 1:30, a vehicle was stopped for a traffic violation. The investigation of the stop led to the arrest of a 22-year old female of De Soto, Illinois on an active arrest warrant from Vienna, Missouri. The suspect was later released with a new date to appear in court after posting a $250.00 bond. On Tuesday morning, March 5th, at approximately 9:08, an officer was dispatched to Casey’s General Store located on Highway 32 in reference to property damage. The investigation of the report revealed that a person or persons unknown apparently ran into the corner of the building causing damage valued at $500.00 to the brick and mortar. Please contact the Salem Police Department at 573-729-4242 if you have any information regarding an ongoing investigation.

Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway announced her office has completed an audit of the Crawford County Collector and Property Tax System. The audit recommended increased oversight of the county’s property tax system and questioned spending by the former collector from the Tax Maintenance Fund. The Tax Maintenance Fund includes a portion of penalties collected on late taxes. Under state law, the fund is used for the administration and operation costs of the county collector’s office, but the audit detailed several concerning expenditures. Between 2014 and 2017, the former Crawford County Collector hired and paid her sister from the fund to prepare and mail annual tax statements, which led to nepotism allegations. The former collector then used Tax Maintenance Funds to pay for $1,000 in personal legal fees she accrued during a Missouri Ethics Commission inquiry. The Crawford County Collector resigned due to the nepotism concerns in March 2018. The report also recommended better oversight of the property tax system to ensure accounts are accurate and complete. Shortcomings identified were that neither the Crawford County Clerk nor the Crawford County Commission adequately reviews the financial activities of the County Collector, the County Clerk does not prepare or verify the accuracy of the current or delinquent tax books, the Crawford County Clerk and the Crawford County Commission do not adequately review changes entered into the County Collector’s property tax system causing discrepancies with additions and abatements, the county has not adequately restricted access to the property tax system and the Crawford County Collector does not account for the numerical sequence of receipt slip numbers assigned by the property tax system. Several of the findings related to improving financial processes were previously identified in past audits of the county. Missouri law requires an audit be performed when a vacancy occurs in a county collector office. The complete audit received an overall rating of fair.

The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors meeting took place Tuesday night at 6:00 at the fire station. After approval of the consent agenda, the financial report was reviewed with bills being reviewed and approved and checks signed. The budget was reviewed and showed a fund balance of $227,634.69 as of February 28th. During the calendar review it was noted that the Road Rally will be held at the fire department on March 14th, 15th, and 16th. The monthly reimbursement report showed a total of 19 calls for the month of February, including four structure fires, a flue fire, one car fire, and six first responder calls. The department also worked three vehicle accidents, along with a mutual aid call, a HazMat call and two training calls. The total calls thus far in 2019 stands at 55 with the average cost per call being $115.59. In old business, Engine 83 will have to be returned for repair as the fuel gauge and the transmission are not working correctly. No new business was presented. Fire chief Brad Nash reported that the roof is leaking worse in some different areas than before. The roof is the first scheduled repair on the USDA grant but there still has been no word on when the work will be done. Chief Nash also talked to the board about ID cards for the department. He stated that different departments were requiring ID cards and that also the cards could be used instead of keys for the department entrance which would log personnel in. After some discussion on the issue, the board asked Chief Nash to get more information and pricing. The next meeting of the board was set for April 2nd at 6 p.m. at the firehouse located at #2 South Main. The meeting was then adjourned.

University of Missouri Extension will be offering a Private Pesticide Applicator Training in Dent County tomorrow night in Salem. The training session will start at 6:00 in the evening and last about two and a half hours. Participants are urged to bring their Private Pesticide Applicator Manual to the meeting which will be held at the Dent County Judicial Building located at 112 East 5th Street. For those not having a manual, they will be available for purchase at the meeting for $12.00. To register for the training or for more information, call 573-729-3196.

As winter winds down, you can enjoy an evening under the Moon and stars at the Sky Watch presented by the Bonebrake Center of Nature
and History on Wednesday night, March 13th, at 7:30. You can see close up views of craters and mountains on the Moon using the telescopes of the Dent County Astronomers. Young visitors will get a chance to use the Bonebrake’s “hand’s on” telescopes. All ages are welcome to come, and there will be some special memorabilia for youngsters. To enjoy the night sky, we need clear sky and safe footing. The weather will be monitored as the event approaches, so be sure to check for cancellation due to unusable or unsafe conditions on the Facebook page for the Bonebrake Center of Nature and History or the Dent County Astronomers or call 247-0279.

The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Thursday morning in the Courthouse. In the road report, District One Commissioner Dennis Purcell said that patch grading would be done and materials added to Dent County Roads 5380, 4080, and 4090. He also reported that he had a man shoveling open the culverts on those roads. Purcell went on to say that patch grading and culvert cleaning would also been done at various other locations. District Two Commissioner Gary Larson reported that patch grading would be done and materials would be added on Dent County Roads 3100, 5320, and 2380, plus materials would be added on county road 2150 if time permits. Larson went on to say that this winter had been the muddiest winter since he has been a Dent County Commissioner and he sincerely asks the County residents to be patient. The condition of the roads is not being ignored by the Commissioners. Larson said once we get sunshine and winds to thaw and dry the road beds, the public will see the road conditions start to improve but it will take time to get to all the roads. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported that bills were being approved by the Commissioners for payment and that she balanced with the County Treasurer on all accounts for the month of February. She went on to say that she also balanced with the County Collector and the County Assessor on all monthly collections, abatements and add-ons for the month of February. Curley noted that absentee voting continues for the April 2nd Municipal Election and that she will be conducting the public testing of the voting equipment Tuesday, March 19th, at 9:00 in her office. The next meeting of the Commissioners will be Monday morning at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.

In Crawford County on Tuesday, March 5th, Dent County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Curley attended a sentencing hearing with Judge Kelly Parker in the 42nd Judicial Circuit Court. He reported that Shelly Kelly of Salem entered a plea of guilty to a class B felony of Voluntary Manslaughter for the death of Glenn Haenisch in the 42nd Judicial Circuit Court. This Class B felony carried a range of punishment of not less than 5 years and not to exceed 15 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. The decedent’s daughter testified at the sentencing hearing. Kelly also testified at the hearing and indicated she was remorseful for her actions resulting in the death of Mr. Haenisch, who was her boyfriend at the time. At the conclusion of the sentencing hearing Judge Kelly Parker sentenced the defendant to 13 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections as recommended by the state. Approximately 20 depositions were conducted in Missouri and Arkansas over the course of two years and the evidence established the victim and defendant were involved in a verbal argument earlier in the evening. The verbal argument escalated throughout the evening and became physical. During the physical altercation the defendant brandished a kitchen knife and stabbed the victim in the leg. Two of the leg wounds were fatal as they cut major arteries, resulting in the death of the defendant.

Also on Tuesday, March 5th in Crawford County, Dent County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Curley reported that Bradley Heath of Salem was being sentenced for being in possession of a controlled substance and for receiving stolen property. The State sought seven years in the Department of Corrections due to defendant having five prior felony findings of guilt. The counsel for the defendant sought a 120 day treatment program under Section 559.115. Heath was sentenced to seven years under Section 217.362 which includes an intensive long-term treatment program for serious substance abuse addictions. Also being sentenced was Charles Martin of Salem who pled guilty to possession of a controlled substance and endangering the welfare of a child. The State sought ten years in the Department of Corrections under section 559.115 due to a child being present at the time of the offense and testing positive for THC and Meth. The defense counsel sought probation. Judge Parker deferred sentencing until April 16th to see if Martin qualifies for drug court.

The Salem Area Community Betterment Association will hold their Trivia Night tonight at 6:00 at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory and you still have time to get your team signed up! Teams may consist up to eight players and the fee is $100.00 per team. There will be ten questions in ten categories. Those participating are welcome to bring dinner for their team and drinks and popcorn will be available for purchase. There will be prizes for the top three teams, the team with the cleverest name, and first place will receive a cash prize of $200.00 and a trophy. For information call 729-8163 or email judy@salemcommunitycenter.org.

The Salem Public Library will be closed on Saturday, March 9th. The library catalog will be inaccessible from 8:30 tonight until 6:00 Monday morning, March 11th. The closure is due to Missouri Evergreen upgrades to a database.

The Salem Park and Recreation Board met Tuesday evening at the Salem Community Center@The Armory. Park and Recreation Director Tye Lydon reported on the soccer program and said 185 players signed up with Town and Country Bank sponsoring the shirts and the Salem Memorial District Hospital sponsoring the fields. There are nine 6 and under teams, five 8 and under teams, three 10 and under teams and two 14 and under teams. Lydon reported on the “Start Smart” Soccer program and 10 parent/child combos signed up for the initial class. The next “Start Smart” program will be for baseball and softball. Lydon said the regular registration for the Youth Baseball/Softball and T-Ball leagues would begin March 18th and last until April 12th for $25 per child. Late registration will be from April 13th through the 26th for $35 per child. The league is for boys and girls from 14 years of age and under. Lydon said he would like to do another Opening Day at the city park on May 23rd. The board discussed swim lessons this year and there will be three sessions: June 10th through the 21st; July 8th through the 19th; and July 29th through August 9th. The board approved leaving the cost of lessons at $45 per person, and the daily admission to the pool at $4.00 for children, $5.00 for adults, and $4.00 for seniors who are 62 years of age and above. Lydon said the pool would be open from noon until 7:00 Monday through Saturday and from 1:00 to 6:00 on Sunday. Pool parties will again be available this year for $150 for the first hour and $50 per half hour after that. He also said water aerobics would be held Monday through Friday from 11:00 until 12:00 noon at $4.00 per day or a monthly pass of $50. A Season Family Pass will now cost $160 for two adults and two children and $45 for each additional family member. Lydon asked the board about rental fees for the use of the pavilions. The board agreed the larger pavilion with the fireplace rental would be $45 for the day and the other pavilion would be $35 for the day. Pavilions and Pool Parties can now be booked for the 2019 season in the office of Tye Lydon at the Salem Community Center@The Armory. The board did approve opening the pool on May 25th and closing the pool on August 14th. Only pool parties will still be available through Labor Day at the pool on the weekends. Lydon said an LWCF Grant application was submitted for the soccer fields on Highway 19 south and he hopes to know on that by mid April. The board discussed the possibility of employing an Assistant Park and Recreation Director to assist Lydon. There also may be the possibility of getting a college intern for a stipend and lodging for the summer. The Park Board agreed that a job description needs to be compiled and approved before the search for an assistant or intern can be done. With that said, the board approved looking into hiring an Assistant Park and Recreation Director along with an intern for the first and possibly second year once the job description has been approved. Park Board President Stan Podorski reported the budget is pretty well on track for this time of year and budget preparations for the next fiscal year budget will begin soon. Tye Lydon opened the one bid received for a Kubota Mower for the Park and Recreation Department that would be used only on playing fields from Wayde’s Equipment in Cuba for $12,967.72. A fair/foul line forming attachment for the machine may be available for another $400. The bid was approved by the board to be recommended to the Alderman for their approval. This is a budgeted item. The meeting was then adjourned.

A one vehicle accident occurred Tuesday night at 10:00 on Highway 21, about five miles North of Ellington in Reynolds County. According to the highway patrol report, a 1999 Ford Ranger, driven by 21-year old Tiarra Light of Black, was southbound when she fell asleep at the wheel. The vehicle continued to travel south into the northbound lane. The driver overcorrected and overturned off the left side of the roadway, striking a tree. Light suffered minor injuries and was transported by Reynolds County EMS to Iron County Hospital. The driver was wearing a safety restraint at the time of accident. The Ford Ranger was totaled in the accident and removed from the scene by Aissie Towing of Ellington.

The Dent County Sheriff’s Office has released the following reports. On Tuesday, February 26th, deputies conducted a traffic stop at East Highway 32 and Dent County Road 4180. During the course of the traffic stop, a 33-year old Rolla male was arrested for active warrants through Rolla, Missouri. The male was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office where he later posted bond. On Thursday, February 28th, deputies conducted a traffic stop at the Casey’s General Store on East Highway 32. During the course of the traffic stop, a 42-year old Saint Louis male was arrested for active warrants through Jefferson County. The male was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s office where he later posted bond. Finally, on Friday, March 1st, deputies were contacted by an individual requesting a well being check on a female subject, who was possibly involved in a domestic disturbance. Deputies traveled to the 200 block of Dent County Road 4155. During the course of the investigation, a 30-year old Salem man was arrested for Domestic Assault in the 3rd Degree. The male was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Jail and incarcerated If anyone has any information regarding an ongoing investigation, please contact the Dent County Sheriff’s Office at 573-729-3241.