Local News

The City of Salem Utility Committee will be holding a meeting this evening at 6:15 at the Salem community Center@The Armory at 1200 West Rolla. At the meeting, the committee will hear about utility billing and payments as well as changes in the office. The committee will hear about the Servile Protection Program and be updated on the MMMPEP who will be holding their next meeting on May 9th. The committee will also hear work reports from city employees before there is a draft budget presentation and rate discussion. The Utility Committee meeting tonight is open to the public.

The Salem Memorial Hospital Board of Directors will be holding a special closed session meeting tonight at 5:00 at the hospital library.

Join Montauk State Park team members from 9:00 in the morning until 4:00 in the afternoon this Friday and Saturday for Old Mill Days 2024. The day will be spent celebrating early 20th century life in the Ozarks, when the old mill was in its prime. The mill will be open all day with free tours upon request. Guests are invited to see how people lived when the mill was in its prime. Both days will feature historical skills demonstrations, living history performances, live music, crafts, games and food. There will also be an arts and crafts fair with local vendors offering up some of the finest homemade goods and services available. All activities, except for the tours, will take place in the day-use area by the mill. Guests are encouraged to stop by, learn a new skill, immerse themselves in local history and support small businesses. Don’t miss this fun, educational and free event! Montauk State Park is located at 345 State Road 6670 in Salem. For more information about the event, call 573-548-2201. For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Dent County Recorder Cindy Ard wants people to be aware of 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 Recorders 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 Recorders Office at 573-729-2198. You can also e-mail her at dcrecorder07@gmail.com.

The United States Forest Service has recently published three blanket purchase agreements (BPAs) on SAM.gov for companies and service providers to bid on. These contracts intend to make it easier for the Forest Service to quickly get work accomplished by establishing agreements with vendors ahead of time. A BPA is a simplified method of filling anticipated, repetitive needs for open market supplies and services. Interested vendors will need to respond by May 17th. These BPAs include a variety of categories for services such as road repair, construction and maintenance, paving, trail construction and maintenance, signage installation, facility repairs, carpentry, painting, roofing, plumbing and electrical work. Companies that submit proposals can select where in the Forest Service Eastern Region, they would like to provide their services. Region 9 stretches from Missouri to Maryland, to Maine, to Minnesota, covering a large portion of the Eastern and Midwestern U.S. If a vendor only wanted to provide services to Missouri locations, that would be completely appropriate and considered in this process. Vendors and companies that bid on these BPAs will need to have a company profile on SAM.gov, which can take a little time, so do not wait until the last minute to decide to enter a bid. To get started with registering and receiving an unique entity ID through SAM.gov, start here: https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration. You can then look for the three bids currently available in the eastern Region for roads, facilities and trails.

The Salem Community Garden will host a work shop a presentation on “The Right Place for the Right Plant” on Thursday night, May 16th at the Salem Community Garden at 801 East Scenic Rivers Blvd behind the Salem Methodist Church. There is no cost to attend and you do not have to have a plot at the community garden to attend. For more information, call Charlie Grimm at 573-368-9902 or the Dent County Extension at 573-729-3196.

The Dent County Commission met Monday morning for their regular meeting. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said rock was being added and spread out on Dent County Road 5080 in preparation for chip and seal. He said a crew is adding a speed limit sign on county road 6040 to replace one that is missing. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk said if it is dry enough, rock was being added and grading done on county road 4060 while only rock was being added to county road 5310. He said brush was being cut on county roads 4030 and 4040. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson wanted to report that the Department of Natural Resources is offering non-playground Scrap Tire Material Grants for running tracks, walking trails, equine/livestock stalls/riding areas or similar types of surfacing projects or molded products. Approximately $400,000 is available for the cost, delivery and vendor installation of scrap tire surface material. Grant recipients may be eligible to receive up to $50,000. There are also Playground Scrap Tire Surface Material Grants available. There is approximately $600,000 available for the cost, delivery and vendor installation of scrap tire surface material for playgrounds only. Grant recipients that are requesting mats/tiles or pour-in-place surface material will be eligible to receive up to $40,000. To find out more or see if your organization is eligible to apply, go to dnr.mo.gov and type in “Tire Recycling Grant” in the search bar. The commission approved the purchase of a new “Road Groomer” made by Road Groomer for $23,106.00. This machine can be pulled behind a truck or tractor and will repair washboard and other rough roads. It is 11-feet wide and can grind up to 60 miles of road per day. Since the “Road Groomer” is only made by this one manufacturer, no bids were sought. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said her office balanced with the assessor and collector on all collections, add-ons and abatements for the month of April. She also said the courthouse would be closed Wednesday for Truman’s Birthday and also on Memorial Day. At the last meeting, the commission appointed Derrick Martin as the Dent County representative for the Meramec Regional Local Emergency Management District. The next meeting of the commission will be Thursday at 9:00 at the courthouse and it is open to the public.

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation shows turkey hunters checked 43,380 birds during Missouri’s 2024 regular spring turkey season, April 15th through May 5th. Top harvest counties for the regular season were Franklin with 940 birds harvested, Callaway with 822, and Texas with 780. Other top counties in our area include Phelps with 739 turkeys checked, Dent County hunters harvested 597 birds, Shannon County had 364 turkeys harvested, Reynolds had 221 turkeys checked and Iron finished with 190 turkeys checked. Young turkey hunters also harvested 3,739 turkeys over the youth weekend, April 6th and 7th, bringing the overall 2024 spring turkey harvest to 47,119. According to MDC, that is a 6-percent increase in total harvest from 2023 and a 20-percent increase in total harvest compared to the previous five-year average. The ability to hunt all day on private land may have had a role in this increase. Successively better hatches starting in 2021 meant there were also likely more turkeys on the landscape as well. Last year, young turkey hunters harvested 2,566 turkeys over the spring youth season and hunters harvested 41,977 during the regular spring season for a 2023 spring season total harvest of 44,543. For more information about turkey hunting in Missouri, visit MDC online at huntfish.mdc.mo.gov.

Join Danielle Norris Friday evening May 10th from 5:30-7:30 for Mommy & Me “This or That” kids paint party. Bring your little ones and come paint a picture just in time for Mothers Day!! You have a choice of two pics to choose from! When complete, your painting will line up with your kiddos and become one! (painting can also be done as a single ) This activity is also perfect for grandmothers and grand kids! You will be taken step by step through the whole process and all supplies are provided. What a special gift for any mom! Cost is $20 for adults and $5 for kiddos attending with an adult. For kiddos attending alone it’s $10.Children under 5 must have an adult present. There needs to be a Minimum of 6 and a Maximum of 20 attendees. Class registrations are on a first come, first serve basis with online registrations.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol would like to remind the public that driver examination stations throughout the state will be closed on Wednesday, May 8th, in observance of Harry S Truman’s birthday. Normal operations will resume on Thursday, May 9th. They will also be closed on Monday, May 27th, in observance of Memorial Day. Normal operations will then resume on Tuesday, May 28th.

The Salem Memorial Hospital Board of Directors announced the appointments of Brooke Bollman as Chief Executive Officer as well as Kayla Chamberlain as Chief Financial Officer. Bollman will join the Salem Memorial Hospital team on July 1st, 2024 with impressive healthcare leadership experience. Prior to joining Salem Memorial, Bollman served as CEO for Caldwell Regional Medical Center in Kansas. In this role, she successfully spearheaded initiatives to improve patient satisfaction, enhance operational efficiency, and drive financial growth. Kayla Chamberlain joined SMH on May 1st, 2024 with a solid background in senior leadership and hospital finance. Chamberlain served as the Chief Financial Officer for Iron County Medical Center in Pilot Knob. She holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Southeast Missouri State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Central Methodist University and also holds the Rural Hospital CFO Certification, certified by the National Rural Health Association. It was also announced that Chief Nursing Officer, Ashley Owen submitted her resignation that will be effective May 31st, 2024. The CNO position is open for applications online at www.SMDH.net or resumes can be submitted to Jennifer Hugenot, the HR Director.

Today at 5:30 in the Rotary Conference room at the Salem Community Center@the Armory, you can learn how to can get involved in a program known as “Sleep In Heavenly Peace.” This is an effort to help children in the community who do not have a bed to sleep on. “Sleep in Heavenly Peace” in an international non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization the 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 the Salem community and it is hoped that a chapter can be started in Dent County. For more information, you can email Patti McKeown at pmckeown1200@gmail.com

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has awarded a $62,500 Clean Water Engineering Report Grants to the city of Licking. The funding will be used to evaluate their public wastewater systems. The grant offers funding to help cover engineering costs for evaluating water and wastewater system improvements.
Licking will use the grant to identify wastewater system improvements needed to continue reliable service, meet permit requirements and reduce stormwater infiltration into sewer collection pipes. Licking’s facility plan should be complete in September 2025. The department is committed to assisting Missouri communities with water and wastewater infrastructure improvement projects. Through its Financial Assistance Center, the department provides funding opportunities for qualified communities with water quality, wastewater and drinking water infrastructure needs. This project will be funded wholly or in part with monies received from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors will be meeting at 6:00 Tuesday at the fire station located at #2 South Main Street. After the roll call, the board will approve the consent agenda which includes the financial reports, minutes and the budget review. The board will review the scheduled events on the calendar, discuss the monthly reimbursement report and talk about old business including the repair, sealing and restriping of the parking lot. In new business, the board will discuss reviewing the agenda format and the election of board officers. After Chief Floyd gives his report, the board will set the date for the next meeting. Before adjournment the board will go into closed session to discuss personnel. The meeting will then be adjourned. The meeting Tuesday of the Dent County Fire Protection District Board is open to the public.

A fatality accident occurred Thursday at 12:00 noon on westbound I-44 at the 170 mile marker that took the life of a Salem resident. According to the highway patrol report, a 2004 Kawasaki, operated by 54-year-old Thomas Zielinski of Salem, traveled off the left side of the roadway and overturned ejecting Zielinski. Zielinski was transported by the Phelps Health EMS to Phelps Health where he was pronounced dead at 12:52 by Doctor E. R. Cameron. The Kawasaki continued into the eastbound lane and was struck by a 2012 Kia Sedona, operated by 74-year-old Gail Petersen of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The report stated that Zielinski was wearing safety equipment at the time of the accident. The Kawasaki was totaled and removed from the scene by C & C Towing. The Kia sustained moderate damage and was driven from the scene.

The Dent County Commission met Thursday morning for their regular meeting at the courthouse. Democrat Jen Tracy running for the 120th District House of Representatives seat was in attendance to introduce herself to all the commissioners. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said crews are still working on road repairs from the storms over the weekend and Wednesday night. He said ditch line repairs are being made to Dent County Road 4110 where it is eroding the chip and seal. He said they will be reinforcing the ditch with rock. Mobray stated if there is time, oil will be changed on a grader and crews will be cleaning out culverts. District 2 commissioner Gary Polk said rock was being added and grading done on Dent County Road 4060 while only grading was being done on county roads 2110, 5300 and 5310. He said rock would also be added to county road 4110 and a crew is cleaning storm debris off a bridge in Boss. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson said he was able to reach John Smith and he is still interested in remaining on the MRPC board at the “at large for profit” board position. The board approved his re-appointment. At the last meeting after speaking with Sheriff Bob Wells and Deputy Roderman, the commission approved proceeding with the NG911 Data Services Project Assessment Agreement Grant for $58,555 as presented to them by Rural Address Coordinator Sherry Lea at the April 26th meeting. The next meeting of the commission will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and it is open to the public.

In Tuesday’s edition of Your World Today in the story concerning Sara Lynn Cunningham, the kidnapping charge in the 1st degree from the original probable cause statement was dismissed by the prosecutor. We apologize for the ommission.

It was recently announced by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, that the ‘Huzzah Creek Fish Passage Restoration Project’ received funding through Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, National Fish Passage Project funds. The project was awarded $1,459,850 to remove two Huzzah Creek fish passage barriers and replace them with climate resilient bridges located at John Coleman and Seller roads in Crawford County, Missouri. Removing these barriers builds on a recent Huzzah National Fish Passage Program aquatic organism passage project. This will continue to restore natural hydrological conditions and provide open passage to an additional 25 miles of stream habitat for the benefit of federally listed species. Native species that will benefit include endangered eastern hellbender, endangered mussel species, mussel hosts species and game species such as the smallmouth bass. Local communities will benefit from reduced maintenance costs, increased safety, and greater public and emergency vehicle access during high-flow events. Key partners for this project include Crawford County leadership, USFWS, The Nature Conservancy, and Missouri Department of Conservation. They all worked closely with the Forest Service to collaboratively bring the Huzzah bridge replacement project to a point where it could compete for this type of funding opportunity. This is the first Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, National Fish Passage project of its type to come to Missouri. All partners involved are looking forward to working together to accomplish this work in the coming years. To see updates about this and many other Forest projects, follow us at facebook.com/marktwainnationalforest. The National Fish Passage Program is a national leader connecting watersheds and people. The program has decades of experience implementing infrastructure projects with partners. Fish passage project proposals can be initiated by any individual, organization, government, or agency.

This Saturday will be the Community Wide Yard Sale in Salem as yard sales will be occurring all over town and out in the county. Maps for the location of local yard sales are available at the Salem Chamber of Commerce in the Crossroads. A central sale location will be held at the city administration building on Saturday. You can still reserve a space on the city parking lot at 4th and Iron Street for $8.00 per space by calling 729-4811. Those spaces are reserved on a first come, first serve basis. Don’t forget that the following two weeks in the City of Salem is the semi-annual GFL Residential Spring Clean-Up Weeks. This is for Salem residents only and is done on your normal trash day from May 6th through the 10th and again May 13th through the 17th Remember, tires, appliances, yard waste, car batteries, oil, chemicals, solvents and paint as well as non-compactable items like concrete, tree stumps, steel, etc. cannot be picked up. If anyone has questions about what can be or cannot be picked up, they are welcome to contact GFL at 1-800-926-3953 of 1-417-741-7714.

The Secure Rural Schools program is another way that the USDA Forest Service provides benefits to communities in and around the Forest. The program provides critical funding for schools, roads, and other municipal services to more than 700 counties across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Twenty-seven counties across Missouri received funding through the “Secure Rural Schools Act.” This comes from a portion of Forest Service funds generated through multi-use activities such as grazing, timber production, and special use permits being distributed back to the counties where these activities occur; and for Missouri, that translates to those that serve as the home of Mark Twain National Forest. This year’s programs payments, made up of funds from 2023, were distributed to states this April. The counties decide how they will utilize the payments, starting with what percentage they want for different categories, known as Title 1 for road and schools; Title 2 for projects on federal land; and Title 3 for county projects. Dent County got $150,403.00, Iron County gets $195,692.15, Reynolds County gets $190,129.19, Shannon County got $181,553.60, and $132,771.75 goes to Texas County. The 2023 program funds going to Missouri total over $2.6 million. Most of the funding by each county usually is selected to go to Title 1 funding, which does great work for the school systems and roadways in our forest communities. Although only a few Missouri counties have contributed to Title 2 funds over the past several years, a community-driven Resource Advisory Committee will meet later this year to discuss where to allocate those funds for projects on federal land. Some counties decide to utilize some of the money for Title 3 to increase their fire readiness; and the Forest Service is always excited to find ways to support and partner with counties and communities that are performing wildfire reduction activities. So, the next time you hear about a Title 1 school program or drive down a freshly paved road in a community near Mark Twain National Forest, you can think about how the Secure Rural Schools program benefits the communities that it serves.

A West Plains man was sentenced in federal court on Tuesday, April 29th, for illegally harvesting and stealing trees from Mark Twain National Forest. Justin Lee Massey was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to serve two years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court ordered the federal sentence to be served consecutively to the unrelated state criminal convictions for which Massey is currently incarcerated. The court also ordered Massey to pay $30,000 in restitution to the U.S. Forest Service, and to forfeit to the government $30,000, which represents the proceeds of his theft. On July 19th, 2023, Massey pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government property. Massey admitted that he illegally cut down trees in Mark Twain National Forest, in the area of Howell County Road 5120 between December 15th, 2020, and January 20th, 2021. According to his plea agreement, Massey cut down at least 10 trees. The trees were removed from the area and taken to a local sawmill, where they were sold. Based on the value of the trees illegally harvested and stolen from Mark Twain National Forest and those trees damaged due to the illegal harvesting, the total restitution is $30,000. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the U.S. Forest Service.

This Saturday at the Ozark Natural and Cultural Resource Center on Highway 19 will be the final day for the exhibit called “Crossroads: Change in Rural America.” If you haven’t yet attended this incredible display, time is running out. The “Crossroads” exhibit is part of the “Museum on Main Street,” a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and state humanities councils nationwide. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress.

Dent County Assessor Jamie Homeyer wants to remind everyone your annual assessment forms that list your personal and business property for 2023 are due TODAY. Those forms MUST be dropped off in the Dent County Assessor’s Office or postmarked today to avoid paying a penalty. You may drop off your assessment list at the assessor’s office at the courthouse and they are open from 8:00 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon. There is also a drop box on the front lawn of the courthouse for your convenience if you can’t make it by until after hours. You can also mail in your assessment list forms, but make sure you have the postal clerk postmark your envelope. If you have lost your assessment list form or never received one, or you are new to the area, blank forms are available at the Dent County Assessor’s Office in the Dent County Courthouse. The penalty for not getting in your assessment form on time is determined at $10 per every $1,000 of assessed valuation with a maximum penalty of $100 if you have assessed valuation of $10,000 or more. If you have any questions or need assistance, call Dent County Assessor Jamie Homeyer at the Dent County Courthouse at 729-6010 or stop by the courthouse during regular business hours at the corner of Highway 19 and 4th Street in downtown Salem.

Century farms and ranches have shaped our nation and state. The Missouri Century Farm Program celebrates the lasting contributions farmers and ranchers have made to our country’s and state’s heritage. In 1976, the Centennial Farm project was initiated in Missouri, awarding certificates to persons owning farms that had been in the same family for 100 years or more. Ten years later, the University of Missouri Extension and the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources created the annual Century Farm program and recognition. Since the program began in 1976, more than 8,000 Missouri farms have received the Century Farm designation. To have a farm be designated as a Missouri Century Farm, the same family must have owned the farm for 100 consecutive years or more as of December 31, 2024; the line of ownership from the original settler or buyer may be through children, grandchildren, siblings and nephews and nieces, including through marriage or adoption; and the present farm shall consist of no less than 40 acres of the original land and shall make a financial contribution to the overall farm income. The application period end TODAY and you can apply through an online application process. A fee of $140 is required to cover processing costs, a certificate, a booklet and one two-sided, 2-foot by 2-foot metal sign for each approved farm. No late applications will be accepted. You can still apply by going to extension.missouri.edu/programs/century-farms.

On April 23rd, a sentencing hearing was held Sara Lynn Cunningham of Salem in front of Judge Michael Randazzo. Cunningham was charged with two charges of tampering with a motor vehicle in the 1st degree, kidnapping in the 1st degree, leaving the scene of an accident, operating a motor vehicle in careless and imprudent manor, resisting arrest or detention or failing to stop as well as a DWI. This stems from an incident that started at the Salem High School on July 7th, 2022 and continued all the way to Rolla. Dent County Prosecutor Andrew Curley sought 10 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections based on the nature of the crime and the impact on the victims. Cunningham sought probation with placement in the Restoration Hope Program in Springfield, MO. Cunningham had been in the Dent County Jail the past seven months due to a previous bond violation. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Cunningham was sentenced to serve a ten-year suspended sentence. With the sentence suspended, Cunningham placed on probation for five years with the standard terms of probation, with a special term of probation to include the repayment of restitution and placement in the Restoration Hope Program.

The Salem High School Ag Department greenhouse plant sale will start this Saturday, May 4th from 7:00 in the morning until 12:00 noon. There will be vegetables, hanging baskets, annuals and succulents. The Ag department will accept cash or checks. There will NOT be any presales. If you are unable to come on Saturday, the Ag Department will be open the week of May 7th through May 10th from 8:00 in the morning until 4:00 in the afternoon. The proceeds raised will benefit the Greenhouse Operations and Management Crisis Budget. For more information about the sale, e-mail Salem Ag instructor Heather Johnson at heather.johnson@salemr80.org.

An accident occurred in Dent County Sunday evening at 7:00 on Route P approximately a half mile west of Dent County Road 5070. According to the highway patrol report, a westbound 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer, driven by 43-year-old Dean Ramey of Bunker, failed to negotiate a curve in the roadway causing the vehicle to travel off the left side of the roadway where it overturned, ejecting Ramey and a passenger, 46-year-old James Hobson of Salem. Both Ramey and Hobson suffered serious injuries. Ramey was transported by Salem Memorial Ambulance to Phelps Health in Rolla. Hobson was transported by Salem Ambulance to Salem Memorial Hospital. A second passenger in the vehicle, 47-year-old Tenille Hobson of Salem, suffered moderate injuries and was transported by Salem Ambulance to Salem Memorial Hospital. According to the report, Tenille Hobson was wearing a safety restraint, while James Hobson and Dean Ramey were not. The Chevrolet was totaled and removed from the scene by American Muffler and Automotive. Dean Ramey was arrested and then released for medical treatment for an alcohol DWI with serious physical injury, DWI with physical injury, operating a motor vehicle without a valid license, failure to drive on the right half of the roadway resulting in a crash, no insurance, failure to display valid plates and no seatbelt.

The Dent County Commission met Monday morning in the courthouse. In the road report, both District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray and District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk said their crews were out checking roads, fixing washouts, filling in bridge approches after the heavy rains of the last few days. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson said he has been unable to reach John Smith to see if Smith wants to continue as the “At Large Board Member for Profit” at MRPC. He said he will continue attempting to contact Smith. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said the commissioners were approving bills for payment. Mobray noted that he had been talked to a constituent that lives between Highway 68 and Route J expressing his concern about the number of heavy trucks crossing from Highway 68 to reach Route J on the way to and from the charcoal plant. The traffic involves Dent County roads 3280, 3290, and 3300. During a lengthy discussion, Larson noted that this has been a perennial problem dating clear back to when he was elected District 2 Commissioner. One of the problems cited was that, even though signs are posted to reduce truck traffic, some drivers have trouble interpreting the signs. Since these roads are in District 2, Gary Polk plans to contact MoDOT to see if they can get some signage that uses symbols rather that written directions. The next meeting of the commission will be Thursday morning in the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The Salem Memorial Hospital District board of Directors will be holding a special meeting this afternoon at 1:00 in the Physician’s Office Building Conference Room. On the tentative agenda after the call to order and roll call will be vote to go into closed session.

The Dent County Health Center will be holding their Spring 2024 Health Fair and Vaccine Clinic this Friday from 7:00 in the morning until 1:00 in the afternoon. No appointments are necessary. Dent County residents can get free basic screenings of Blood Pressure, Height and Weight determination, and BMI Calculation. Rapid Heart Health Screenings are available for Lipid (Cholesterol) and A1C for $34.50. Expanded services will be available for Blood Chemistry for $3.80, Vitamin D for $13.75, Basic Thyroid at $3.50 and Blood Counts for $3.00. Other services available include Rapid Blood Lead Screening for $10.00, plus free Narcan and free STD Testing. Information and scheduling for additional services will be available. No orders are needed for the screenings as the Dent County Health Center has a standing order for health screenings. In order to speed up the processes no insurance will be accepted. Some have asked if the DCHC is still located on MacArthur and the answer is No, we’re located at 1010 East Scenic Rivers Boulevard, across from Town and County Bank. To answer other questions about the Health Center Spring Health Fair and Vaccine Clinic feel free to call 573-729-3106.

The Salem Memorial Hospital, through its Board of Directors, announces that Jason Edwards, Interim CEO, and Doug Hoban, Chief Financial Officer have submitted their resignations to become effective May 22, 2024 siting personal reasons. The Board would like to thank Jason for his time, dedication, and service to Salem Memorial Hospital. In 20 years with us, Jason has served as our dietitian, Chief Operating Officer, and, most recently, as Interim CEO. The Board recognizes Jason for taking the reins and providing a steady hand during a time of transition for the Hospital and its staff. Likewise, the Board recognizes Doug Hoban, CFO, who has also provided a crucial service to the Hospital during a difficult financial audit and transition period after the departure of Rural Hospital Group. We wish them both the best in their future endeavors. Prior to these resignations, the Board had started the process of selecting a permanent CEO. The Board will continue this process as planned and hopes to have the CEO role filled with the best candidate as soon as possible. Contingency plans are in place to minimize any potential impact of the departure of these two important employees. The Board is committed to ensuring that Salem Memorial Hospital continues to thrive and serve as the nexus of healthcare in the Salem area. The Board continues to evaluate all options, including partnerships, affiliations, and management agreements to further the goal of providing quality healthcare to the residents of the District. The Board, again, thanks Jason and Doug for their services and looks forward to the many opportunities the Hospital has to improve; for every patient, every encounter, every time.

The Dent County sheriffs office has released several report. On Saturday, April 20th, deputies conducted a traffic stop in the 1300 block of East Scenic Rivers Boulevard . The operator was a 53-year-old Salem woman who was found to be driving on a suspended and revoked driving privilege. She was arrested and transported to the Dent County jail. On Tuesday the 23rd, deputies conducted a traffic stop in the unit block of County Road 5035. The driver was a 36-year-old St. James woman who was found to be driving on a revoked driving privilege. She was arrested and transported to the Dent County jail. Two days later on the 25th, deputies responded to the Truman Trailer Court in an attempt to serve an arrest warrant. The suspect, a 31-year-old Salem woman, was located and arrested. She was transported to the Dent County jail and incarcerated. The next day deputies responded to the 1000 block of County Road 6230 for the report of a burglary. The victim was a 42-year-old Salem woman who told deputies that a chainsaw was missing from her storage shed. The investigation is ongoing. That same day deputies conducted a traffic stop at Highway 19 and Highway 68. The driver was a 37-year-old Salem man, was found to be a felon in possession of a firearm. He was arrested and transported to the Dent County jail. If you have information regarding an investigation please call the Dent County sheriffs office at 729-3241.

Dent County Prosecutor Andrew Curley has released results from recent court cases in Dent County. On Wednesday, April 17th in front of Judge Nathan Kelsaw, Steven Stagner of Salem pleaded guilty to the possession of a controlled substance – methamphetamine; and for a felony charge of driving while having his license revoked. He was sentenced to six years in the Missouri Department of Corrections as requested by the prosecutor. Then on Tuesday, April 23rd in front of Judge Michael Randazzo, Amy Jo Jackson of Salem pleaded guilty to a felony charge of driving while having her license revoked and for a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated,a first offense. Jackson was sentenced to four years in the Missouri Department of Corrections as requested by the prosecutor. The next case of the day saw Lacy McIntire of Bland pleading guilty to the possession fentanyl. She was sentenced by Judge Randazzo to a seven year suspended execution of her sentenced with five years probation and parole as well as treatment court which is what the prosecutor requested. Judge Randazzo on April 23rd also revoked the probation of James Wallace of Salem as he was ordered to the Missouri Department of Corrections for 120 days under the Missouri Revised State Statute 559.115 program as requested by Prosecutor Curley. Wallace was on probation for two cases for the felony possession of a controlled substance.

The Salem Chamber Singers attended the 2024 MSHSAA State Festival for Solos and Small Ensembles this past Friday. In the Vocal Solo category Corby Ball, Hannah Greener, and Neely Leathers each received gold for their performance as well as Riley Darby and Leay Russell receiving silver. Then in the Vocal SSAA Quartet, Ayva Callicutt, Neely Leathers, Caroline Pryor, Leya Russell got top marks with gold.

Also at the MSHSAA State Festival, Salem Marching Blue soloists Mason Tomnitz and Thomas Harris each took gold playing their euphoniums. Xander During, playing his bass clarinet took silver.

The Salem High School Art Students attended the Rho Tau District Art Show at Liberty High School this past Friday and with seven other schools participating, Salem took first place with 283 points! Individually Salem students took home 17 first place ribbons, 25 second, 16 third, 10 fourth, 22 honorable mentions, and 16 students choice ribbons for a total of 95 ribbons and five Community Choice awards.

The City of Salem held a special meeting on Wednesday at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory to discuss Resolution #11-2024 for a donation by the City of Salem to the Salem Housing Authority of the City of Salem for development of affordable housing for the benefit of the community. City Administrator Sally Burbridge updated the board on the sewer improvements that are scheduled to begin soon near the proposed property. She has been in contact with Mike Godi, the Chairman of the Bonebrake Board, about requesting an easement to allow for the sewer lines to be aligned on the Bonebrake property. Jeff Meadows of Archer Elgin explained that a new sewer line will be built to improve sewer concerns in this neighborhood. The $200,000 cost for this improvement will be paid by the Certificate of Participation (COP) that was implemented in 2017 as part of the Phase 1 upgrades to the Sewer Treatment Plant. Burbridge explained that if the Salem Housing Authority is able to secure funding to build the 24 units, the plans will still need to be submitted and reviewed by the city staff and engineers for final approval. Motion was made by Alderman John Whelan and seconded by Alderwoman Kala Sisco to donate the “old middle school” property to the Salem Housing Authority. Alderman Bolerjack and Alderwoman Dent voted no and Mayor Parker had to break the tie and he voted yes to approve and pass this resolution. The meeting was then adjourned.

The Dent County Commission met Thursday morning at the courthouse. At the meeting, John McIntyre talked to the commission about chip and seal Dent County Road 6180 where he said there is a soft spot or a depression in the road. He asked them if at one time MoDOT did not request taking over the road in exchange for a different road. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson said that was true as they wanted to take over maintenance of county road 6180 and have the county take over maintenance on the Route EE spur, but there is a bridge on EE the county does not want to be responsible for so no trade was made. McIntyre said that he had heard through an “unnamed source” that MoDOT was going to request that again and asked the commission to at least consider looking into the possibility of a trade. The commission took no action on the request. Sherry Lea from Dent County Rural Addressing was in to tell the commission about a grant for the new NG 9-1-1 system that Dent County Rural Addressing received to pay to update the current county 9-1-1 system. She said she received four bids for the grant and after grading them out, she recommended going with SDR who currently is the vendor used by Dent County Rural Addressing to create new addresses in the county. She said the grant is for $58,555 and there will be no out-of-pocket expense to the county. She also said this is a different grant than the one Sheriff Bob Wells is getting for equipment and training, but is needed so that the address or location of the person calling will be recognized when a 911 call is received. Commissioner Larson said he wanted to do some research on this grant to make sure that there are no conflicts with the grant the county is writing through the sheriff’s department. Lea said there is no hurry for the commission to sign, but the work by SDR will have to be done by December of this year. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said grading was going to be done on Dent County Roads 6410 and 6575 while brush would be cut on county road 6460. He said he still had two dump trucks hauling conservation rock for the other district. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk said grading was going to be done on Dent County Roads 2530, 3333, 3334, 3350 and 4388. He said his crews are also hauling rock to Dent County Road 2530 which is a conservation road. Commissioner Larson said he was contacted by Tammy Snodgrass from the MRPC that the “at large for profit” board position held by John Smith is up for renewal. Larson said he will try to get in touch with Smith to see if he is still interested in holding that seat. Corky Stack from AEA Stack Design Group was in to review the punchlist developed by he and the county commission following their walk-through last week before he e-mails it to the contractor. He said some things on the list have already been taken care of but others including some paint work and landscaping still needs to be done. He also submitted a pay voucher which the commission approved paying. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will offer 400 permits for the taking of a maximum of 40 black bears during the 2024 Missouri black-bear hunting season this fall, October 21st through 30th. MDC will also offer five permits to hunt bull elk in Missouri this fall with at least one permit designated for qualifying landowners that own property in Carter, Reynolds, or Shannon counties and the remaining permits for qualifying Missouri residents. MDC has designated the elk archery portion to run October 19th through the 27th and the elk firearms portion to run December 14th through the 22nd. The five permits will be for bull elk with at least one antler being six inches or greater in length and will be valid for both archery and firearms portions. Only Missouri residents who will be at least 11 years of age by the first day of the hunt for which they are applying are eligible to apply for bear and elk permits during the application period of May 1st through 31st. All permits will be assigned through a random drawing. The Missouri Conservation Commission gave final approval to the bear and elk season recommendations from MDC during its April 5th open meeting in Rolla.

The 9th Annual Veteran Affairs Day will be held this Friday from 10:00 in the morning until 2:00 in the afternoon at the American Legion Post 99 located at 2522 Highway 32 West in Salem. Come out and learn about changes and requirements for benefits, enroll in the VA health care, and a light lunch will be provided around noon. Veteran Affairs Day is an annual outreach to Veterans of central rural Missouri to provide easier access to VA services. It includes American Legion District 16 and VFW District 2 which includes Camden, Cole, Crawford, Dent, Howell, Laclede, Maries, Miller, Phelps, Osage, Pulaski, Reynolds, Shannon, Texas and Wright counties. Representatives from the Department of Veteran Affairs will include enrollment, claims processing specialists, suicide prevention and a community employment coordinator from the Truman VA Medical Center, as well as benefit advisors from the Veteran Benefit Administration St Louis Regional Office. The Columbia Veteran Center will have a counselor and advisors on hand in their mobile unit. It doesn’t matter when you served, if you have any questions please attend. Don’t miss out on your hard earned benefits. Call the sponsors of the event: the American Legion Post 99/VFW Post 6280, at (573) 729-3710 for questions or to schedule a private time with a counselor.

The Salem Board of Aldermen held their regular meeting at the Salem Community Center@the Armory Tuesday evening. After hearing several local citizens’ comments, the board approved closing Fourth Street from Hickory to Pershing on Saturday, May 11th, from 4-8 PM for the Current River Car Show. The board approved three bids for property associated with the “Welcome Home” project including a bid from Steven Thurmond for $35,100 for the property located at 403 W. Hunt, a bid from Tri-Cat Restoration for $29,800 for the property located at 1500 S. Louise, and a bid from Tri-Cat Restoration for $30,600 for the property at 403 E. Hunt. Jeff Meadows with Archer-Elgin presented an update on several city projects including the downtown TAP Project that is being rebid with bids due the first week of May. They are conducting a Wastewater Collection System Evaluation using flow meters to monitor the water flow. The Wastewater Treatment Phase 2A will be bid this summer and this project is being paid with a $5 million ARPA grant. Phase 2B is being paid by grants and loans, and a $750,000 Community Development Block grant will be written as well. The elevated storage tank for Well #9, located on Highway 72, is being paid for with ARPA funds and will be bid out in early summer. Well #2 and #4 are nearing completion. The Lead Service Line
Inventory mapping and detailed surveys are being conducted. A financial update was provided by Stacey Houston showing the total tax revenues collected through April are $3,230,024 and includes $624,117 from the additional 1% sales tax collected. Through March, the electric sales revenue totaled $5,563,991, and the purchase of power was $3,526,111. The water sales revenue totaled $612,185 and the sewer sales revenue totaled $800,836. The Fund Balance Summary showed beginning balances on July 1st of $7,890,576 and current balance through March of $9,828,682. Public Works Director Steven Payne reported on several projects including the LED street lights replacement, an electric line down at the Industrial Park that started a fire and has left several street lights out, the remodeling of the Animal Shelter located at the Industrial Park has begun, and street sweeping and lawn maintenance at the cemetery is an ongoing project for the city’s 30-acre cemetery. Alderwoman Sisco reported that the next Finance Committee workshop will be held on Thursday, May 9th at 5:30 PM at the Salem Community Center@the Armory. After the reports of city officials, the board went into closed session to discuss contracts.

Tonight, the Salem Planning and Zoning Board of Commissioners will meet at 6:00 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory for a public hearing and public meeting to discuss two requests for a conditional use permit for short term vacation rentals at 906 South Water and #2 North McArthur. The public hearing and meeting are open to the public. Also the Salem Community Involvement Committee will be meeting at 5:00 at the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce to discuss fundraising for the July 4th Fireworks. This meeting is also open to the public.

A Gardener’s Dream Paint N’ Sip will be held on Friday with Danielle Norris from 6:00 to 8:30 at the Creative Arts Center. Paint a cute canvas scene with some of a gardener’s favorite things. Danielle will lead you step by step through the whole process! The cost is $25 and all supplies will be provided. At least six people are needed to hold the class and it’s limited to no more than 20 people. Class registrations are on a first come, first serve basis with online registrations. Interested persons can sign up under “Programs” at the Creative Arts Center at the salemcommunitybetterment.com website.

This Saturday at the Ozark Natural and Cultural Resource Center on Highway 19 at the exhibit called “Crossroads: Change in Rural America,” there will be a group discussion and reflection of “What have we learned from the Crossroads themes?” starting at 10:00. There will also be a performance from the Salem Community Choir after the discussion The exhibit is open through Thursday, May 2nd and there is no charge to visit the exhibit. The “Crossroads” exhibit is part of the “Museum on Main Street,” a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and state humanities councils nationwide. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress.