Local News

This weekend is the “Back to School” Sales Tax holiday in the state of Missouri. It begins at 12:01 this morning, and runs through Sunday night at 11:59. Certain back-to-school purchases, such as clothing, school supplies, computers, and other items as defined by the statute, are exempt from sales tax for this time period only. The 2024 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday exempts all state and local sales or use tax taxes during the exemption period on qualifying items with some limitations. Those limitations are on clothing which can be any article having a taxable value of $100 or less; school supplies which cannot exceed $50 per purchase; computer software where the taxable value is $350 or less; personal computers which cannot exceed $1,500; computer peripheral devices which cannot exceed $1,500; and graphing calculators which cannot exceed $150. During prior years only state and some local sales and use taxes were exempt. Senate Bill 153 changed this by exempting all local sales and use tax on qualifying items. For more information you can visit the Missouri Department of Revenue website at dor.mo.gov and click on the “Taxation” tab.

The Dent County Commission met Thursday morning at the courthouse where in the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said rock would be added and grading done on Dent County Road 4215 while only grading would be done on county roads 5680 and 6590. He also stated brush would be cut on county roads 4210 and 4120. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk said grading would be done on Dent County Roads 4340 and 4370, while rock would be added to county roads 4430 and 4290. He also stated brush would be cut on county roads 4430 and 5310. Polk went on to say a cylinder hose was being replaced on a dump truck. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson reported electrician Chad Heithold and the city electrical department were getting ready to repair some of the issues with wiring at the courthouse and also providing a new service connection to the courthouse which was part of the renovation. Larson said Heithold may stop by the courthouse to provide some options the commission may consider. Larson stated tourism tax collections for the month of July were $11,008.78 as reported by the collector. This fund is made up of fees from camping, Air BNB’s and lodging. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said no-excuse absentee voting continues through Monday, August 5th at 5:00 at the courthouse, and voters should make sure personal information on file in the clerk’s office is up to date such as their address or any name change. Voters can also contact her office to see where they will be voting in the Primary on Tuesday, August 6th. Her office phone number is 729-4144. Election Day will be Tuesday when the polls will be open from 6:00 in the morning until 7:00 in the evening. Curley said her office in the courthouse will be open this Saturday from 8:00 in the morning until noon for absentee voting. Sample ballots are available at her office, or she can e-mail one to you. This is a Primary election so all voters will have to declare a party for whom they will cast their vote from Republican, Democrat, Libertarian and Non-Partisan, which only allows the voter to vote for the Amendments. Don’t forget to bring a photo ID with you when you vote. Also don’t forget, there is no electioneering within 25 feet of any voting locations and that includes political shirts, caps, signs, etc. Curley also said she applied for and received $11,750 from the “Help America Vote Act” grant for the 2024-25 year as part of the state allocation. At the last meeting, resident Terry Baker agreed to pay the county $7,000 for 1/5th of a mile to be chip and sealed on Dent County Road 2220 for the first layer of chip and seal. A second installment of chip and seal shall be applied within five years and the second payment will be due at the time the work is to be done. As part of the agreement, an exhibit was attached and should Mr. Baker pass away, the agreement would be settled through his estate. The next meeting of the commission will be Monday morning at the courthouse at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.

The Dry Creek Bridge on Route HH, near Cherryville, has reopened to traffic as of July 31. MoDOT announced that rehabilitation work on the bridge has been completed. The bridge has been closed since June 3rd. The construction involved replacing the bridge deck, which had deteriorated over time. Officials noted that while the bridge’s supporting structures, dating back to 1961, remain in good condition, the driving surface required replacement. The reopening of this route should ease travel for local residents and commuters in the area. MoDOT encourages drivers to use caution when crossing newly reopened bridges and to obey all posted traffic signs.

Join Bob Phelan on Sunday afternoons this month from 2:00 till 4:00 for Photographing Missouri’s Beauty. Get to know your digital (or film) camera and what it can do for you. Learn what all those buttons do and how you use them to tell YOUR visual story! Your camera should have adjustable settings. The Missouri Conservationist Magazine will be used to show you how their great photographers make you feel that you are right there in the story, so you can use some of their techniques. If you have questions you can email Bob at: bphelan352@gmail.com. The cost is $20 per session, per person. To register, go the SACBA website and find the Programs tab. Find the Creative Arts Center and click to register for the class. Registrations online are on a first come, first serve basis.

The City of Salem is pleased to inform you that late Tuesday, they successfully brought the main well back online with a new pump. The new well pump coming online and the recent use of fire hydrants for a structure fire has temporarily increased turbidity in our water system, with the northeast part of town being the most impacted. The city will be flushing hydrants in the northeast part of town to help remove sediment and reduce turbidity. The water should begin to clear up over the next couple of days. The City of Salem appreciates your patience and understanding as we work to ensure the quality of our water.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital (SMDH) Board of Directors had their regular meeting on Tuesday, July 30th in the Doctor’s Library at the hospital. This was the first official board meeting attended by the hospital’s new CEO Brooke Bollman. During the Administrator’s Report, Ms. Bollman stated the hospital is getting a new vaccine refrigerator for their clinic, and one of the two freezers in the dietary department has been repaired. The hospital received three free on the hospital’s financial situation. The board moved on to the Summary of Operations for the month of June and CFO Kayla Chamberlain provided the updates that shows the overall Inpatient Admissions and Outpatient Registrations for June 2024 are lower than they were for June 2023. Emergency room visits and ambulance runs were also down compared to last year. For the month of June, the clinic experienced a net loss of $6,751.89. The hospital’s net operating revenue for June was near $1.6 million dollars while their total operating expenses were around $1.7 million dollars providing a loss from operations from June of $79,359.46. After taxes, the hospital had an excess of expenses over revenues of $79,202.61. SMDH’s ending cash balance for June as indicated by their cash flow statement was $214,289. The 340B program revenue totaled $24,577 for the month of June. The Chief Nursing Officer report was given by Kayla Chamberlain. She said the hospital plans to reimplement the Student Intern Program. The transmission on one of the ambulances went out and that is in the process of being repaired. There are multiple openings for employment within the hospital, to including many nursing positions, Long Term Care Director, and Chief Nursing officer. Board president Dr. Leigh Ann Price, asked for clarification on staffing shortages. It was explained that area hospitals continue raising the amount hospital employees are paid and SMDH remains the lowest paying employer in the area. Ms. Bollman stated they plan to prioritize that issue. In the month of June, the hospital hired six new people, and seven left employment, for various reasons. During the Chief of Staff Report, the board voted and unanimously approved new privileges for physicians: Dr. Natasha Nazari (Telepsychiatry), Dr. Henry Onyeaka (Telepsychiatry), and Dr. Brian Quigley (Telepsychiatry). The QAPI Report was unanimously approved by the board. When the board moved on to Old Business, the strategic planning update was tabled until the first of the year to allow Ms. Bollman time to acclimate herself to the area as well as the hospital’s administration. The tax levy increase discussion was also tabled to a further date. For new business, the hospital board voted and unanimously approved to change their meeting time to the last Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM. A “Conflict of Interest” resolution was unanimously approved without further discussion, and the Public Tax Hearing was set for August 27th at 6:45 PM. The board then moved into closed session.

The Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority (MASBDA) will launch a new program supporting beginning farmers today. The initiative offers tax deductions to farm owners who sell or lease land to qualifying beginning farmers. Farm owners selling land to beginning farmers after August 28, 2023, may qualify for capital gains deductions on their Missouri adjusted gross income. The deduction percentage varies based on the capital gain amount, ranging from 100% for gains up to $2 million to 20% for gains between $5-6 million. For those renting or leasing to beginning farmers, a deduction of up to $25,000 per tax year is available on income received from these arrangements. MASBDA Executive Director Jill Wood stated this program complements their existing Beginning Farmer Loan program. Agriculture Director Chris Chinn emphasized the initiative’s role in supporting farmland transition to the next generation. Farm owners must obtain certification from MASBDA to claim the deduction. For more information or to apply, visit masbda.com or contact MASBDA at 573-751-2129 or masbda@mda.mo.gov.

The Salem Parks & Recreation board held a workshop on Monday, July 29th to discuss ongoing updates on the city swimming pool, and discuss plans for the upcoming 3-5 years. The workshop was live streamed by Alderman Sean Bolderjack to the City of Salem, Missouri YouTube channel. Melissa Dubois provided the updates on the city’s public pool as follows: The pool is being repaired by a subcontractor working through WestPort Pools. (the company that installed the first liner/pool for the city.) As of this week, all the old, and damaged, material has been ripped out, and the company has started installing the new material around small fixtures in the pool. The material being installed will be a new and improved product. The workers are doing their best to “beat the heat”, working in the early hours of the morning and late into the night, so as to avoid working during the hottest part of the day. They do try to be as considerate as possible to the surrounding residential areas, and will cease working if they notice too many neighbors complaining about the noise. The estimated time of completion for the project from start to finish is about a month, as weather allows. The City of Salem Parks and Recs department announced on their FaceBook page that construction on the city pool began on July 15th. Melissa has not yet heard back in regards to whether or not this repair will be covered by insurance, and how much will be covered, if so. Once completed, the pool will need to be filled to capacity to ensure everything is in proper working order. The Parks and Rec board discussed whether or not it would be beneficial to have the pool open to the public, before having to winterize it. It was noted that many of the lifeguards are students that play sports, most of the managers are also teachers working for the district and it is likely that opening the pool to the public could cause a conflict in their schedules. There is also a cost associated with purchasing the necessary chemicals for safe swimming, and stocking the concession stand, that needs to also be considered. Before the board moved on to discussing their plans for the next 3-5 years, Melissa and Alderwoman Kayla Sisco stated there have been reports of people getting stung by wasps, yellow jackets, hornets etc. at the city park. She asked that if anyone notices these insects to please contact the City Administrator’s office and they will work on getting that taken care of. As far as the Parks and Rec’s wish list of executable projects for the next 3-5 years, they are all Capital Improvement plans. Some of the biggest tasks they wish to tackle include: Modifying Al Brown fields to eventually host qualifying tournaments, installing new tennis/pickleball courts, adding additional lights and cameras to combat vandalism at the park and Al Brown fields, planting more shade trees, and developing the Old Fairgrounds property. The board plans to release a survey to the public for input on what the citizens of Salem would like to see happen with the Old Fairgrounds. Board member Luke Heithold also suggested a survey go out to the youth sports coaches for input on what they liked/did not like in regards to that season, and if they would change anything moving forward. He also stated he would like to see more adult programs offered, such as volleyball or softball. Before the workshop adjourned, Board President, Carlos Lopez stated that going forward, Parks and Recs meetings will be held at the Civic theater. Meeting adjourned at 7:00 in the evening.

You are invited to attend the next Salem and Dent County meeting of “Sleep in Heavenly Peace” Monday afternoon, August 5th, at 5:30 in the evening at the Salem Community Center@The Armory! “Sleep in Heavenly Peace” is an international non-profit 501(C).(3) organization that builds, assembles and delivers new beds to children in need, who do not have a bed. The Rolla Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace is already helping to provide new beds to children in need in our Salem community, and efforts are underway to start a Dent County Chapter. They are looking for volunteers if you are interested! For more information, contact Patti at 703-964-6495. You can also e-mail Patti at patti.mckeown@shpbeds.org.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced last Tuesday $19 million in new grant and loan awards to 32 properties across the country under its Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP). These grants and loans will support significant energy efficiency and climate resilience renovations in more than 4,260 homes occupied by low-income individuals, families, and seniors. The awards include $1.5M for properties in Iowa and $1.5M for properties in Missouri. The total funding awarded under this program to more than $773 million, serving 20,752 homes. HUD’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing Programs Ethan Handelman announced this new funding last week Tuesday at a press conference at Plymouth Square Village in Detroit, Michigan.

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. The commission said the county would be participating in the “Back to School” sales tax holiday this weekend where people will not pay local, county and state sales taxes on items such as clothing, school supplies, computers, and other items as defined by the statute. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said grading would be done on Dent County Roads 4080, 5600 and 6020 while brush would be cut on county road 4110. Mobray said a man would also be going to Springfield to get oil for chip and seal repair. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk said rock would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 2185 and 3020 while only grading would be done on county roads 3040, 3165 and 5225. He also said rock would be added to county roads 3030 and 3160 while brush would be cut on county roads 3250, 3260, 3280 and 5340. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson said a petition has been received from Denver Ellis to allow voters the chance to vote on the issue for taxpayers who may be eligible for a property tax credit if they are eligible for Social Security retirement benefits and are the “owner of record of or have a legal or equitable interest in a homestead” and are liable for real property tax payments on the property. Larson said the county’s legal counsel will verify the petition. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said absentee voting continues through Monday, August 5th at 5:00, and that voters should make sure their personal information is on file in the clerk’s office is up to date. Voters can also contact her office to see where they will be voting in the Primary on Tuesday, August 6th where the polls will be open from 6:00 in the morning until 7:00 in the evening. Her office phone number is 729-4144. Curley said her office in the courthouse will be open Saturday, August 3rd from 8:00 in the morning until noon for absentee voting. Dent County Recorder Cindy Ard spoke to the commission about three instances recently on fraudulent deeds. Ard said property owners out of state who own their property outright with no Deed of Trust have been most vulnerable. She said these attempts were caught in time, but said she will be sending out three to four hundred letters to out-of-state property owners to let them know this occurred.  She is still recommending property owners use a new website where you can sign up to find out if someone is recording a document or changing a recorded document with your name on it. The website is www.deedwatch.com and once signed up, you would receive an e-mail letting you know if a document is recorded with your name on it. There is no charge for this service. Just go to the website, and in the drop-down box, select Dent County, Missouri. In the second box, enter your e-mail that you want the notification to come to. From that point, just follow the simple directions to finish signing up. You could include the name that should be on your deed, or any other form of your name the deed may have been recorded. This service is provided by the Dent County Recorder’s Office to prevent anyone from being scammed out of their property or having someone attached their name to your deed without your knowledge. If you have questions about this service, contact Cindy Ard at the Dent County Recorder’s Office at 573-729-2198. You can also e-mail her at dcrecorder07@gmail.com. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Thursday morning at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.

The Salem Memorial Hospital Board of Directors will hold their regular meeting at 6:00 in the hospital library this evening. After the call to order and roll call the minutes of the June 18th, 21st, 23rd, 25th, and July 10th will be reviewed and approved followed by the Administrator’s Report. The board will hear the summary of operations for the month of June as well as statistics for the month. The board will hear about the 340B program, receive the Chief Nursing Officer report, the QAPI report, and be updated on Human Resources, plus the Chief of Staff Report. In old business the Board will hear a Strategic Planning update and discuss a tax levy increase. In new business, the Board will discuss meeting date and time, Conflict of Interest Resolution, and set the August Public Tax meeting.  The Board may vote to go into closed session. The Salem Memorial Hospital Board of Directors meeting Tuesday night is open to the public. To attend the meeting electronically, contact the hospital administration office at (573) 729-6626, extension 4005.

The City of Salem’s Parks and Recreation Board will hold a workshop Monday at 5:30 at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory. After the call to order and roll call the Board will be updated on the City Pool and address 3-5-year plan goals. The meeting was called by Parks and Recreation Board President Carlos Lopez.

The Dent County Health Center will host a Town Hall Meeting on lead poisoning at the Salem Community Center at The Armory on Thursday at 5:30 pm. The event aims to educate residents about lead exposure risks and prevention, particularly for children. Health officials stress that any amount of lead is toxic in a child’s blood, with irreversible effects. They recommend annual testing for children ages 1-3, noting that Missouri has above-average blood lead levels nationally and is the country’s top lead-producing state. The meeting will cover lead exposure sources, health impacts, and ways to reduce risk. Topics include proper protective equipment use and hygiene practices for adults who may inadvertently bring lead home from work. The event is open to the public and limited to 50 participants due to space constraints. Light refreshments will be provided, and free lead testing will be available. For more information or to register, visit https://bit.ly/DCHClead/ or call 573-729-3106.

The Dent County Health Center (DCHC) Board of Trustees held their regular meeting Tuesday, July 16th. Administrator Zach Moser presented the Service and Statistics report. In the Communicable Disease Report, he stated that there were 5 COVID-19 cases reported and the new strain is circulating, 41 lead cases, 21 screenings for sexually transmitted infections, one case of Influenza and 4 animal bites. The environmental report showed there where 7 total inspections conducted, no recalls, no sewer complaints, and 12 environmental questions were fielded. The Maternal-Child Health (MCH) statistics showed there was no CPR Course, one consultation for Childcare Health, 3 Show-Me Healthy Women appointments, 23 Title X appointments, 2 Presumptive Eligibilities (Temporary Medicaid) and 326 WIC appointments. The Community-Specific Services Summary showed 402 total appointments other than WIC, 118 Nurse Practitioner appointments, 118 treatment court visits, 155 lab appointments and 20 immunization appointments. Nurse Practitioner Service Details showed 4 Show-Me Healthy Women appointments, 4 family plannings, 2 well-child visits, 12 online appointments, 2 other well-woman exams, 7 other physicals, 22 SEMO physicals, 11 other visits, and 54 acute illness appointments. Laboratory details showed 210 individual patients, 3 appointments for Rapid Test for COVID, Flu, RSV or Strep, 21 pregnancy tests and 9 lead tests. Immunizations for June totaled none for COVID-19 or for Influenza, and 44 for other vaccines, including the new RSV vaccine and new formulations of pneumonia vaccine. In the Administrator’s report, Moser reported that there will be a Lead Poisoning Townhall meeting that is open to the public on August 1st at 5:30 at the Community Center @ the Armory and Back to School Festival Teacher Immunization on August 3rd from 9:00-12:00. Activities of the DCHC included staff attendance at the National NACCHO IPC Summit and Administrators’ Training in Jefferson City. Progress on the DCHC Strategic Plan was discussed. The Health Center financial reports for June, including the overall results from H & R Block, were reviewed and were approved. In new business a table of CD rates was presented from all four local banks. The Board moved to purchase a $250,000 12-month CD from Progressive Ozark Bank at 4.75%. The Board also approved the creation of an Administrative Assistant/Marketing/Public Relations/Accreditation Coordinator position. The next regular meeting of the Board was set for Thursday, August 22nd at 5:00.

Dent County Prosecutor Andrew Curley has released information on a number of cases heard in front of Judge Michael Randazzo on Wednesday, July 24th. In the first case heard, Rocky Barton of Salem pled guilty to the felony possession of a controlled substance and sodomy in the 2nd degree. Barton was sentenced to twelve years in the Missouri Department of Corrections as requested by Prosecutor Curley. The case of Trent Corbett of Waynesville was heard where he pled guilty to felony driving while having his license revoked. Corbett was sentenced to four months in prison as requested by the prosecutor. In the last case heard, Joshua Black of Salem pled guilty to felony charges of driving with a revoked license and the possession of a controlled substance, fentanyl. Black was sentenced to seven years in the Missouri Department of Corrections under the Section 217.362 long term drug treatment program.

An accident occurred Thursday afternoon at 1:20 in Dent County on Highway 32 near County Road 5110. According to the Highway Patrol report an eastbound 2013 Harley Davidson, operated by 82-year-old James Shull of Salem, went off the left side of the roadway striking a tree and ejecting the driver. Shull suffered serious injuries and was flown by Air Evac to Mercy St. Louis. The report stated that Shull was wearing safety equipment at the time of the accident. The motorcycle was totaled and removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing.

The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors met Monday night, July 22nd, at the firehouse with Mary Martin from American Midwest Insurance and Mike Elliott from Town and Country Insurance in attendance to discuss the insurance policies for the fire department. The bid from Midwestern Insurance through VFIS was for $23,686.00 while the bid from Town and Country Insurance through Provident came in at $24,494. The board then heard from both Mary Martin from Midwestern Insurance and Mike Elliott from Town and Country Insurance before discussing both policies and the best coverage for the department as well as firefighters. After the discussion, the board elected to stay with the current policy through Town and Country Insurance by a 2-1 vote with one board member abstaining. The meeting was then adjourned.

An accident occurred in Phelps County Wednesday night at 10:35 on County Road 8260 one and six tenths of a mile east of Highway C. According to the Highway Patrol report a westbound 2008 Ford Focus RS, driven by a 16-year-old male juvenile from Rolla, traveled off the left side of the roadway, went down an embankment, and overturned. The driver and a passenger, another 16-year-old male juvenile, suffered minor injuries and were transported by Phelps Health EMS to Phelps Health. The report went on to state that both juveniles were wearing safety restraints at the time of the accident. The Ford was totaled and removed from the scene by D & D Towing.

Last Friday’s judging at the 4-H and FFA Expo began with the Poultry Show. Judge Brad Buttram from Hollister, Missouri selected Hank Phelps’ Market Meat Chicken Pen as Grand Champion and the Reserve Champion Pen was shown by Waylon Smith. Phelps also took home the Champion Cockerel and Champion Cock and Hen Pair. The Intermediate Showmanship Award went to Baylee Parks and Karlie Jex won the Junior Showmanship. Six pens of Market Meat Rabbits competed with Hank Phelps taken the Grand Champion for this species as well. Charlee Duncan’s pen took home the Reserve Champion Award. Rabbit Breeding stock classes were won by Jenna Murr, Hank Phelps, and Evelyn Bethel. Junior Rabbit Showmanship went to Jenna Murr and Charlee Duncan won the Intermediate Showmanship Award. The Beef Cattle Show began with the Breeding Division. Judge Ethan Drake chose Everliegh Dillon’s heifer as the Grand Champion Hereford and Levi Gilliam’s Cow/calf Pair as Reserve Champion Hereford. Grand Champion Ribbons and Banners went to Rhett Simpson’s Simmental Heifer, Kohen Garrison’s Charolais Heifer, Greta Vogel’s Cross Bred Heifer, and Brentlee Easter’s All Other Breeds Heifer. The Market Steer Show saw 40 steers compete for championship honors in 8 market classes and one light weight class for those that didn’t meet minimum average daily gain requirements. Market class winners were Brady Schafer, John Cunningham, Ray Cunningham, Brantley Thompson, Kohen Garrison, Kallen Garrison, Kennedy Chapman and Makena Faulkner. The Grand Champion Banner and Ribbon went to Kennedy Chapman. Her brother Kacy Chapman’s steer, which stood second in their class, was brought into the ring and walked away with the Reserve Champion honors. The Champion Average Daily Gain Award went to Brady Schafer’s steer, while the Reserve Champion ADG went to Kash Howard. Very competitive showmanship competition resulted in the Junior Beef Showmanship for ages 8-12 being won by Rhett Simpson, the 13-15-year-old Intermediate Beef Showmanship was won by John Cunningham, and the senior division for 16-19-year-old went to Ray Cunningham. 

The Missouri Department of Transportation’s Traveler Information Map is now accessible through internet browsers on mobile devices. The update allows the map to be displayed on mobile devices without having to download the Traveler Information Map App. The map provides the traveling public with traffic updates, road conditions, closures, and more. Customers can now access this information through their mobile device’s browser. The mobile app version will still be available for download and will provide the same up-to-date information.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen held their regular meeting at the Old City Hall Auditorium Tuesday night. Before the start of the regular meeting, Mayor Parker opened a public hearing to discuss the proposed increase in sewer rates for the city of Salem. He stated the main reason for the increase was the rising costs associated with operations and maintenance of our sewer system. Additionally, the development of an updated Capacity Management Operations and Maintenance (CMOM) plan is a significant factor. The plan outlines essential improvements and best practices for the maintenance and monitoring of the sewer collection system. As well, the plan calls for increasing the number of staff in the sewer department. The proposed increases are as follows: the base rate will increase from $6.00 to $12.00; the volume rate per thousand gallons will increase from $8.48 to $9.85; and for customers outside of city limits (both residential and commercial), the base rates will increase from $12.00 to $24.00, and the volume rate per thousand gallons will increase from $10.64 to $12.35. For the properties without a water meter, the monthly sewer rates will increase from $79.19 to $91.94, and each additional unit will increase from $52.84 to $61.35. Mayor Parker then opened the hearing to hear any public comments for the sewer rate increases. A citizen approached the podium and asked if the board would be answering questions on this topic, to which the board clarified that this was just a hearing to hear concerns and no questions would be answered at this time. With no other citizen comments, the public hearing was concluded, and the regular meeting was called to order. During public comments, a citizen stated having witnessed a city employee smoking a cigarette on a city property just that morning. The citizen cited Salem’s smoke free ordinance section 240.040 that prohibits smoking on all outdoor property owned, leased, or operated by the City of Salem. He went on to cite section 240.070 that states enforcement by the city administrator, code enforcement officer, or police department. He was concerned that if the city is enforcing this ordinance at the city park during baseball games and other activities held at the park, it should be enforced at all city properties. The board then moved on to bids for the Salem TAP 9901 Downtown Project which includes downtown sidewalk improvements. TAP funding was approved by the city on June 1st, 2021, in the amount of $346,780.37. On March 26th, 2024, the board approved additional funding from MoDOT in the amount of $129,837.63, for a total grant amount of $476,618.00. Sally Burbridge explained during this recent round of bids, the lowest bidder, UDT Construction for $508,944.00, was disqualified for not meeting all of the bid requirements. After conferring with MoDOT, it was recommended that the city move forward with the second lowest bid by Maggi Construction at $582,944.00. The Board then voted 3-0 to approve the bid from Maggi Construction. In New and Miscellaneous Business, Resolution #16-2024 which authorizes the mayor to execute an agreement between City of Salem and Meramec Regional Planning Commission for floodplain technical assistance at a cost of $4,000.00 (which is the same as last year’s contract), was passed in a 3-0 vote. Resolutions #17-2024 and #18-2024 were approved for construction and utility easements for a new water line feeding from the new city water well and tower northwest of town, as well as a utility easement after construction between the city and Mr. & Mrs. Moser and Kenneth Tyler Sherrell. The Board heard the first readings of Bill #3617, an ordinance establishing rates for electric services provided by the City of Salem; Bill #3618, an ordinance establishing new rates for sewer services provided by the City of Salem; Bill #3620, an ordinance amending the annual budget for the City of Salem beginning July 1st, 2023; and Bill #3622, an ordinance of the City of Salem and the MO Highway and Transportation commission for the city to provide funds to aid in the shoulder resurfacing at Route J and MacArthur street locations. The board read the first and second reading of Bill #3619 authorizing the mayor to sign an MPUA Mutual Aide Agreement, and Bill #3622, an ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute a contract with Donald Maggi Inc. for downtown sidewalk improvements for the TAP 9901 Downtown Project. During the reports of city officials, Sally Burbridge acknowledged that 6% of the 4,870 new meters are not reading accurately. The city is aware and has a man working to read these manually. Utility Director Steve Paine reported the city’s wastewater treatment plant is continuing to conduct smoke tests to look for problem areas within the main line. Testing is expected to be completed this week. The trunk line extends from Schwarz Auto to the Sewer plant. The results of the smoke tests will be compiled and presented at a later date. There will be interviews to fill two open positions at the sewer plant. The pump and wiring that was damaged by lightning will be repaired near the hospital. Stacy Houston gave an update on the end of fiscal year report. The city is below budget due to several ongoing projects that have yet to be completed or reimbursed. The board then went into closed session.

Judging kicked off a few minutes after 7:00 Friday morning at the 2024 4-H and FFA Expo where nearly 50 head of market hogs and 13 breeding hogs competed. The seven market hog class winners were Oliver Hutchings, Toby Hayes, Blake Manthey, Delilah Shelton, Wyatt Martin, Lola Clancy, and Justin Fleener. Judge Ethan Blake from Mountain Grove selected Blake Manthey’s 288-pound barrow as Grand Champion Market Hog and Wyatt Martin’s 330-pound hog as Reserve Champion. In the swine breeding stock competition class winners were Westyn Ragsdale, Daxton Hutchings, Oliver Hutchings, Delilah Shelton, James Garcia, Brentlee Easter, and Hayden Ragsdale. Daxton Hutchings’ gilt was selected as Grand Champion and Oliver Hutching’s gilt took Reserve Champion. As usual there was a lot of competition for the Showmanship Awards. Daxton Hutchings won the 8–12-year-old Junior Division, Bryce Martin won the Intermediate age group for 13–15-year-olds, and Wyatt Martin took the Seniors’ division for ages 16-19 years old. Those younger than 8 can show in a non-competitive Pee-Wee Clinic. Exhibitors in this division were Lynlee Easter, Cora Shelton, and Hadlee Tilley. The Sheep and Goat show followed the swine show with 19 head of sheep and 24 goats competing. Market Lamb class winners Tierra Warden, Audrey Barnett, Reagann Chambers, Henley Headrick, Preslie Strader, and Edlyn Cunningham. Strader’s 128-pound lamb was selected as Grand Champion and Joleigh Nash’s 115-pound lamb was Reserve Champion. In the breeding sheep division Preslie Strader’s ewe was chosen as the Grand Champion and Joleigh Nash’s was Reserve Champion. Showmanship winners were Joleigh Nash in the Junior Division, Stetson Mobray in the Intermediate and Preslie Strader won the Senior Division. There was only one Pee-Wee Sheep exhibitor and that was Trevor Brand. In the market goat show class winners were Harley Camden, Kynlee Garrison, Clara Ball, and Payton Parks. Garrison’s goat was selected as Grand Champion and Clara Ball exhibited the Reserve Champion Market Goat. In the breeding goat division class winners were Sawyer Camden and Kynlee Garrison. Garrison’s 7–12-month-old doeling was selected as Grand Champion and Porter Seay’s 7–12-month-old doeling was named Reserve Champion. Goat Showmanship Awards went to Junior Kynlee Garrison, Intermediate Clara Ball and Senior Porter Seay. Participating in the Pee-Wee Goat Clinic were Wyatt Shaw and Haddie Simpson.

To celebrate 35 years of river conservation, Stream Teams United and the Missouri Stream Team Program are hosting the 2024 Watershed Celebration at Meramec State Park on Saturday, July 27th. Missouri Stream Teams from around the state are invited to attend the festival, which also celebrates the 25th anniversary of Stream Teams United, a non-profit partner of the program. The Missouri Stream Team Program is a volunteer-led effort to conserve Missouri streams. Sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, and the Conservation Federation of Missouri, the program focuses on education, stewardship, and advocacy for Missouri stream resources. In 1988, a small group of anglers became fed up with unsightly trash disrupting their fishing in Roubidoux Creek in Pulaski County. These conservation-minded Missourians decided to clean this section of stream, thus forming the first Missouri Stream Team in 1989. The Roubidoux Fly Fishers Association, Stream Team #1, is still going strong 35 years later. The program has since grown to more than 6,000 Stream Teams around the state with more than 135,000 volunteers. MDC Engagement Specialist Cara Coates Coates says the ongoing work of more than 6,000 Stream Teams and their volunteers have made significant positive impacts on the health of Missouri’s streams over the last 35 years. That work includes volunteers giving more than 3.5 million hours of time, removing more than 14,127 tons of trash from Missouri waterways, planting 405,794 trees along streams, conducting 35,049 water quality monitoring trips, and stenciling 21,741 storm drains. As part of the Missouri Stream Team Program celebrations they invite all Teams to attend the 28th Annual Watershed Celebration at Meramec State Park on Saturday, July 27. The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and includes lunch provided by the Missouri Stream Team Program, kids games and crafts, tubing on the Meramec River with complimentary shuttle and other activities including free camping offered to Stream Teams Friday and Saturday evenings on a first-come, first-serve at Group Site A at Meramec State Park. Registration is required to estimate attendance. To learn more about Missouri Stream Teams and how you can participate, visit mostreamteam.org.

Tomorrow afternoon from 2:00 until 3:30 at the Bonebrake Center, children and their parents can attend the next Mudbugs program, Critter Condos. The children will look at some different animal homes, an maybe try their hand at making some insect-friendly houses. Plus the long-awaited annual Mudbugs FAIRY HOUSE building will be held by special request! The suggested donation is $2.00 per child and additional donations are always welcome. All funds raised go to the Bonebrake Center. The Mudbug Programs are geared for children from ages 6-12, but all ages are welcome! For more information, contact Managing Agent Janet Price at moonshadowmomentsllc@gmail.com.

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse without First District Commissioner Wes Mobray who had a prior commitment. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams presented the CART tax receipts for July and reported the county received $83,066.63 which is up $3,926.70 from the 2023 July amount,  and is up $22,316.44 year-to-date. Rick Emory was at the meeting from Dent County Road 5130 and wanted to make sure the new “no truck” signs are not going to affect local log trucks or other local truck traffic from using the county roads. The commission said the local truck traffic on the roads will be permitted. He also said he had a culvert problem he talked with Commissioner Mobray about where after rains, ponding occurs. He was checking on the progress and Road Supervisor Jason Akins, who was in attendance for Mobray, said they have not gotten to that yet. In the road report, Akins said grading would be done on Dent County Roads 4160, 5600 and 6460; while brush would be cut on county roads 5020, 5030 and 5105. Akins did say new cutting edges were being installed on Grader #39. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk said grading was being done on Dent County Road 2050 while rock was being added on county roads 2070 and 2120. Polk also stated workers would be checking out county roads 3180 where a truck supposedly got stuck to check for damage. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson said the commission is still working on Senate Bill 190 as it was modified by Senate Bill 756 and will not go into effect until August 28th. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said today is the first day of “no excuse” absentee voting and this will continue until August 5th. She said Wednesday is the last day to mail out an absentee ballot, and sample ballots are available for free in her office. Curley said that her office and the treasurer balanced on all accounts for the month of June. The road and bridge department took phone fuel bids with Phil-Mart the lowest bidder at $2.85 a gallon. Albert Schneider attended the meeting and asked for the weeds to cut on Dent County Road 4020 where they are extremely high and drivers cannot see oncoming traffic around a curve. Commissioner Polk said he would get that on the list of work to be done. Sheriff Bob Wells and Dent County Emergency Management Director Derrick Marfitt attended the meeting to discuss the FEMA requirements for the county. Marfitt said both the county and city need to have an Emergency Management Director and he doesn’t believe the city has had one since Allen Kimrey. Marfitt is currently going through the old emergency management plan which was from 2012 and needed to know how the county was going to coordinate the needed changes with the city. Commissioner Larson said he would talk with City Administrator Sally Burbridge and/or Mayor Greg Parker to see how they want to handle this situation. The commission then heard from Susan Cunningham from SDR, Inc. about the 911 mapping and improved services and the new requirements from the state. Field work is currently going on and is expected to be completed by the end of July. The new requirements from the state. Field work is currently going on and is expected to be completed by the end of July. The new requirements will be used for addressing as well as 9-1-1 calls and extensive training by the assessor will be needed. Cunningham stated though it is unknown how the state will provide the training, she asked the commission to contact Scott Cason, NG911 coordinator, to set up a meeting with the state GIS, and if Dent County would need monthly or quarterly reports. Cunningham also said the state has not yet figured out where they will get the financial support for this project. Dent County Assessor Jamie Homeyer turned over the real estate and personal property totals for 2024 tax books to the collector and county clerk. For this year 2024, there were no appeals with the Board of Equalization on the assessed values. It was also announced the next commissioner meeting will be Monday, the 29th, at the courthouse.

The Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District is accepting grant applications for the 2025 grant round, beginning July 1st. Grant nonprofit organizations, citizens and other interested parties to reduce the amount of waste being landfilled through waste reduction, reuse, recycling and composting. The district’s list of targeted materials is based on the state-targeted materials list. In addition, the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District has identified multiple priority project areas to address specific considered.  Potential projects can focus on district priorities for education, end-market development for recycled materials, waste reduction and reuse, hard to recycle items such as carpet and mattresses, food waste reduction or composting, construction and demolition waste, and special events/business/multi-family dwelling recycling. Some $125,000 is available for grants this round. A more detailed list of priorities and targeted materials is included in the grant application and available at www.ozarkrivers.org. Last year, Ozark Rivers awarded $160,244.26 to fund or partially fund nine projects throughout the seven-county district. A grant application workshop is scheduled from 10:00 in the morning to noon on July 24th at the Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) office at #4 Industrial Drive in St. James. This workshop will also be offered in-person and via Zoom, and those interested in participating must register with Jill Hollowell, MRPC environmental specialist by calling 573-265-2993. This workshop ensures that potential grantees know application requirements and understand the benefits and obligations, should they receive reimbursement funding for their projects. The grant dollars awarded by Ozark Rivers comes through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and represents a portion of the landfill tipping fees collected state-wide. The grant application is available online at www.ozarkrivers.org. For more information, contact Hollowell at 573-265-2993.

The Salem and Dent County 4-H and FFA Livestock Auction was held this past Saturday at The Commons that raised an unofficial total of $313,500.37 through animal bids and another $13,200 in ribbon bids for a total of $326,700.37. This figure also includes resales. Auctioneers Roger Schafer and Brady Hagler auctioned off three pens of market chickens for $1,246.50, eight pens of market rabbits for $1,721.02, eight cured meats brought in $2,848.65, 19 market goats sold for $15,396.20, 15 market lambs fetched $16,261.25, 56 market hog sales raised $105,020.50, the 37 market steers raised $171,006.25. The top ten buyers at the auction this year were the Bank of Salem, Curt’s Mobile Homes, County Fuels, Interstate Regional Stockyards, Phil-Mart, Town and Country Bank, Farm Bureau-Willie Strader, Agent; Rushing Construction, Roberts-Judson Lumber Company and  Steelman Abstract and Title Company. The Salem FFA Chapter and all the Dent County 4-H Clubs thank everyone who attended the auction this year for their generosity and support. If you missed this year’s auction you can go back and watch it on either the KSMO YouTube page or Facebook page.

The Salem R-80 School District held its regular board meeting on Thursday. Shortly after the meeting began, it was noted by Superintendent Dr. Nathan Wills that the district plans to begin live streaming their regular board meetings in August. The board then moved to the Superintendent’s report, headed by Dr. Wills, He stated he has started to receive scores from last school year’s Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) and End of Course Exam (EOC), and they “look promising”. The materials for the greenhouse have been delivered and construction is anticipated to proceed as scheduled, with the building to be completed by mid to late August. The building principals then gave several updates on how they are getting ready for the start of a new year. The “New Tiger Training” will be held on August 13th & 14th. The first day will be a walk through on what to expect on the first day of school, and the second day will be a rundown of how to use the various technologies provided by the school. The middle school is planning to implement policy changes regarding students’ personal devices. These policy changes will be announced via the Salem R-80 Facebook page in the coming weeks. The district has implemented online registration this year for returning students through Infinite Campus that began Monday, July 8th and ended Sunday, July 21st. Online registration for new students is now going on through the parent portal. Walk-in registration for new students will be held on Friday, August 2nd from 8:00 AM until 3:00 PM at the high school library. If you have questions about registration, contact kara.constance@salemr80.org or check out the Salem R-80 Facebook Page for more information. In new business, the bids for the roof repairs were compared by the board and in a 6-0 unanimous vote, the board chose the bid from SRI Constructors. The board unanimously approved the 2024-2025 meal prices and also approved the bid to provide fiber to the Tin Gym with Advanced Telephone LLC by a 6-0 vote. A motion was made to consider the Progressive Ozark Bank Season Pass debit card, which the board passed in a 6-0 vote. The board set the Tax Rate Hearing before the regular board meeting on August 15th at 5:15 to be followed by the regular board meeting. The board then went into closed session where they unanimously approved the salaries of Mary Hinkle and Brian Andrews, and extending the contract of Carmen Vaughn by five days. Also in closed session, the board made a motion to approve Tammy Herpich as a teacher pending a background check, hiring John Smith, approved Brandon Schloemer as a middle school football volunteer, and Lonnie Lee as the Assistant Track Coach. Dr. Wills also notified the board of internal moves of upper elementary school registered nurse Jody Parker, aide Christine Smith at William Lynch Elementary and bus driver Terry Nash. The board also discussed real estate issues before ending closed session and adjourning the meeting.

An accident happened in Dent County at 5:50 Friday evening on Highway 32 about a mile west of Route MM. According to the highway patrol report, a 2007 Chevy Silverado 1500 driven eastbound by 25-year-old Brandon Clark of Viburnum, was traveling too fast for a curve and went off the right side of the roadway and overturned. Clark suffered minor injuries and was evaluated at the scene by the Salem Ambulance crew. The Chevy Silverado was totaled and removed from the scene by Blackie’s Towing. Clark was not wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident.

All this week the City of Salem, in partnership with the Missouri Rural Water Association (MRWA), will conduct smoke testing on the main sewer trunk line. The testing will cover an arc from the southern part of town to the Wastewater Treatment Plant on the north along Salem’s eastern edge. This maintenance procedure involves introducing non-toxic smoke into the sewer system to identify leaks or improper connections, ensuring efficient system operation. While the testing primarily focuses on the main trunk line, residents may notice smoke emerging from sewer drains or related fixtures. Officials emphasize this is normal and does not indicate a fire or hazard. For more information, contact the City of Salem Public Works Department at 573-729-4811, ext 110.

The Dent County Fire Protection Board of Directors will hold a special meeting this evening at 6:00 at the Dent County Firehouse for the purpose of discussing insurance policies for the department. The meeting is open to the public.