Local News

A one vehicle accident happened Tuesday night just before 10:30 in Dent County on Dent County Road 5650, about one half mile south of Bunker. According to the highway patrol report, a 2002 Suzuki 650 being operated by a 17-year-old male teen from Bunker, was traveling south when he struck a deer and was thrown from the bike. The teen suffered moderate injuries and was taken by the Salem EMS to Phelps Health in Rolla. The report stated the operator was wearing safety equipment. The Suzuki was secured at the scene.

An accident happened Tuesday night at 11:25 in Pulaski County on Route D near the county line. The report from the highway patrol states that a 2023 Chevrolet Equinox being driven westbound by 41-year-old Shannon Beam of Rolla, crossed the center of the roadway and traveled off the left side of the road, struck some mailboxes and overturned coming to rest on its top. Beam, who was wearing a seat restraint, suffered serious injuries but declined treatment by the EMS personnel and chose to seek his own treatment. The Equinox was totaled and removed from the scene by Onsite Towing.

On Friday, March 1st, the annual opening of the catch-and-keep trout fishing season begins in Missouri at the state’s four trout parks including Montauk State Park, Bennett Spring State Park near Lebanon, Roaring River State Park near Cassville, and Maramec Spring Park near St. James. The catch-and-keep season at the trout parks runs through October 31st. The daily limit is four trout, and the possession limit is eight for all four parks. The Missouri Department of Conservation operates trout hatcheries at all four parks and will stock about 20,000 trout among the four parks for opening day. The Missouri Department of Conservation will continue to stock the trout parks daily during the catch-and-keep season, totaling more than 800,000 trout annually at the four trout parks, and about 1.5 million trout annually statewide. Trout anglers will need a daily trout tag to fish in Missouri’s trout parks during the catch-and-keep season. The cost of a daily trout tag is $5 for adults and $3 for those 15 years of age and younger. Daily trout tags can only be purchased at each of the four trout parks. The Montauk park store will be opens this morning at 8:00 and will be open until 9:00 tonight, then reopen at 5:00 Friday morning. To keep the lines moving, the trout anglers are encouraged to have the correct amount of cash for daily tags if possible. Missouri residents who are ages 16 through 64, and non-residents ages 16 and older, also need a fishing permit in addition to the daily trout tag. The Missouri Department of Conservation encourages trout anglers to buy their fishing permits ahead of time from the numerous vendors around the state, online at mdc.mo.gov/buypermits, or through MDC’s free mobile apps, MO Hunting and MO Fishing, available for download through Google Play for Android devices or the App Store for Apple devices. Thousands of anglers from Missouri and beyond flock to Missouri’s four trout parks each year. While many leave with some trout, they all leave more than $100 million in spending along the way, which supports thousands of jobs and helps local economies.

The Dent County Sheriff’s Office released these reports for the 4th week of February. On Saturday, February 17th, Dent County deputies conducted a traffic stop on Highway 68. During the course of the stop, the operator of the vehicle, a 42-year-old Salem man, was found to have active warrants out of Crawford County. The suspect was arrested and transported to the Dent County Jail where he was incarcerated. On Thursday, February 22nd, deputies conducted a traffic stop on Route VV. During the stop, the operator and passenger were both found to have active warrants for their arrest. The operator of the vehicle, a 28-year-old Licking man, and the passenger, a 30-year-old Salem man, were both arrested and transported to the Dent County Jail where they were incarcerated. The next day on Friday, February 23rd, Dent County deputies conducted a traffic stop on East First Street. During the stop, the operator of the vehicle, a 51-year-old Salem woman, was found to have a suspended driving privilege. The suspect was arrested and transported to the Dent County Jail where she was processed per
departmental procedure. Later that day, a 37-year-old Salem man drove to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office. The suspect was known to have a suspended driving privilege and was discovered to also have an active warrant for his arrest. He was taken into custody and transported to the Dent County Jail. Please call the Dent County Sheriff’s Department at 729-3241 if you have any information regarding an investigation.

Two routes in the area will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform edge rut repairs today and Thursday from 7:00 in the morning until 2:00 in the afternoon. The first road is Highway 32 in Iron and Dent Counties. This section of roadway is located from Route KK in Iron County to Highway 72 in Dent County. The second road is Route KK in Reynolds and Iron Counties and this section of roadway is located from Highway 32 in Iron County to Route TT in Reynolds County. The work zones will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use extreme caution while traveling near the area. For additional information, contact MoDOT’s Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/southeast.

The Salem Board of Aldermen held their regular meeting Tuesday night at the Salem Community Center@The Armory. At the meeting, the board heard from Krista DeLuca about the city’s 2023 fiscal year audit which in her opinion, the financial statements were presently fairly. She noted in her presentation the positive increase in the net position of the city over the last fiscal year. A deficiency reported every year is that there is not enough staff to segregate the duties. Finance Director Stacey Houston gave her update on the current years revenues and expenditures saying revenues for February were down about 3.5%. She did say the city has collected $365,390 from the additional one cent sales tax passed by voters last year. The board approved Resolution #5-2024 allowing the mayor to sign an addendum to the contract for floodplain management with the MRPC to extend their services for the city as they were selected for an audit. They also approved Resolution #6-2024 allowing the mayor to renew an agreement between the City of Salem and Health and Senior Services for the purpose of the taking and monitoring of water samples for testing for sewer shed disease trends. The board passed Resolution 7-2024 allowing the mayor to enter into an agreement to provide sewer and water line insurance on private property using the city’s letterhead. The board also passed Resolution 8-2024 that allowed the mayor to enter into an agreement to apply for additional funding for the lead service line inventory identification. This resolution had to be in place quickly as the application is due Friday. The board tabled bids on chain link fencing for the industrial park water tower and well #4; and approved the bid from Rictor Plumbing LLC in the amount of $6,720.29 for the repair of the water damage at the old city hall auditorium. The board heard and approved the second reading of 11 bills dealing with vaping and smoking in city buildings and properties. The board heard the first and second readings of Bill #3600, then approved the bill for the engineering services with Archer-Elgin. Interim Public Works Director Joe Chase said he is working on itineraries with department heads to provide staff summaries. He said the water department identified problems with steel head water meters and they are working to replace three per week. Chase also said he is looking at eatery grease traps outflow and having them properly cleaned to insure they meet compliance. Alderman Kala Sisco invited people to attend the Community Involvement Meeting on Thursday, March 21st at 5:00 at the Armory, mainly discussing a fireworks show. The city has $10,000 budgeted for the display. The board then went into closed session.

The Missouri Department of Conservation reminds Missouri hunters and anglers that related annual permits expire at the end of February, including 2023 permits for small game, fishing, trout fishing, and combination hunting and fishing. You can buy Missouri hunting and fishing permits from one of many vendors around the state, online at mdc.mo.gov/buypermits, or through MDC’s free mobile apps, MO Hunting and MO Fishing, available for download through Google Play for Android devices or the App Store for Apple devices. Save time by buying hunting and fishing permits for multiple people in a single transaction. Select the “Additional Customer” option during the permit purchase. Avoid having to manually renew permits each year by using MDC’s Permit Auto-Renewal Service. It allows customers to enroll eligible permits in a service that will automatically renew their permits prior to the start of the next season or permit year. The process was designed to ensure customers never have expired permits when they need them most. Learn more about this service at mdc.mo.gov/permits/permit-auto-renewal. Commercial and lifetime permits can be purchased only through the MDC Permit Services Unit by calling 573-522-0107 for an application.

At the special Salem Memorial Hospital board meeting held Sunday, after new Board member Karen Brown was sworn in, the board discussed the “Dancing with the Salem Stars” event thanking all the staff, the foundation, dancers, sponsors and the volunteers that made it possible. Upon a motion by Board Member Zach Moser, the board initially discussed to declare the office of the chairman vacant and open for a replacement in open session. After much discussion in open session about the direction of the board and the financial situation of the hospital, the board went into closed session where Board Chairman Ray Bruno resigned his position. Back in open session, the board chose Mike Swyers to take over as chairman, Wanda Tatum as vice-chairman and Karen Brown as the secretary until the board meeting after the April election. The meeting was then adjourned.

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning for their regular meeting. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams brought in the CART funds received. She said this February, the county deposited $77,753.79 compared to $75,409.62 from February of 2023. That is an increase of $2,344.17 from last year’s total and year-to date, the CART funds are up $4,064.30 or about a 2.67% increase. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said rock would be added and grading done on Dent County Road 2480 while only grading will be done on county roads 4210 and 6600. Mobray said a load of pea gravel and sand was being taken to the Bunker City Hall. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk said rock would be added and grading done on Dent County Road 2200 while only grading would be done on county road 4410. Rock would also be added to county road 2370. Presiding Commission Gary Larson said there will be no commission meeting Thursday due to the commission’s CCAM training. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said TODAY is the first day for candidates for county offices to register at the courthouse for the August 6th Primary. The last day to sign-up will be March 26th at 5:00 at the courthouse. To find out what you need to bring with you when you file, call the Dent County Clerk’s office at 573-729-4144. Different offices have different requirements so call before you come to sign up. Curley said the last day to register to vote for the April 2nd election is March 6th. She will also be doing a voter registration drive at the Salem High School on March 5th. Absentee voting continues through April 1st in her office. State Representative Ron Copeland talked with the commissioners about the Highway 19 bridge at Standing Rock and MoDOT has in indicated to him that when the preliminary plans are complete they would let Copeland know. He was also updated by Commissioner Mobray about the National Park Service Superintendent Jason Lott wanting to add boulders to prevent people from riding through the creek at Tan Vat. There was discussion on Senate Bill 190, the use tax, a speed limit bill for county roads as well as some discussion on other new bills being introduced. Michael Clancy from Reno Dry was in to offer a free inspection of the courthouse to determine how much moisture is getting into the masonry from the ground. As moisture gets into the masonry, it hastens the deterioration through the salt in the moisture. Reno Dry has an electromagnetic system that forces the moisture out of the masonry and preserves older buildings. The commission approved allowing them to do a free inspection. They offer a three-year money back guarantee and a 25-year warranty. American Automotive was in to ask for truck crossings to be installed on his road and they would also like to get the speed reduced on the road. The commission told them they need to get a petition signed to create the speed limit. They will order the truck crossing signs. Corky Stack of AEA Design Group was in to discuss the work on the Christmas lights on the courthouse and some possible wiring problems in the controller and from the protective cover. New controllers have been ordered and once they are installed, TrimLights feel that will take care of the problem. Stack brought in a change order that shows a $17,000 contingency reduction from the contract with Alexander Construction for the electric work that now will not be done by Alexander Construction. The commissioners then went into closed session. At the last meeting, Brandi Richardson and Eric Meusch from the Dent County Extension came in with the 2023 Extension report, an update on the Junior Livestock Committee and other updates. The Commission voted to re-appoint Sherman Odom and Jeff Sellers to the IDA Board and they added Jenna Deason to the board. The next meeting of the commission will be Monday, March 4th at 9:00 at the courthouse.

The Salem Board of Aldermen will hold a special closed session meeting this afternoon at 4:00 to discuss personnel at the Salem Community Center@The Armory. This meeting is NOT open to the public. Then the Salem Board of Aldermen will hold their regular meeting at the Armory at 6:00. After public comments, the board will hear the 2023 fiscal year audit presented by Krista Deluca before Finance Director Stacey Houston gives her update on the current years revenues and expenditures. The board will discuss Resolution #5-2024 allowing the mayor to sign an addendum to the contract for floodplain management with the MRPC to extend their services due to the city being selected or an audit. They will also discuss Resolution #6-2024 allowing the mayor to renew an agreement with City of Salem and Health and Senior Services for the purpose of taking and monitoring of water samples for the testing of sewer shed disease trends. The board will also hear Resolution 7-2024 allowing the mayor to enter into an agreement to provide sewer and water line insurance on private property with the city’s blessing. The board will heard bids on chain link fencing for the industrial park water tower and well #4; and bids for plumbing work for the damage at the old city hall auditorium. The board will hear second readings of 11 bills dealing with vaping and smoking in city buildings and properties, and the reading of Bill #3600 for engineering services with Archer-Elgin. After the reports of city officials, the board will go into closed session. The regular meeting is open to the public.

Saturday night at the Salem High School Gym, the return of the SMH “Dancing with Salem Stars” was held in front of an enthusiastic crowd. This year’s winner was Rosalie Wright and Cameron Greener with the team of Brett Capps and Shelly Bland taking second. The judges Honorable Mention went to Tiera Lewis and Skitter Lewis, and the People’s Choice Award went to April Greener and Caleb Shepherd. Congratulations to all the winners and a huge “thank you” goes out to all the dancers who participated in the competition and the Salem Academy of Dance young dancers for their routines.

Courtwarming was held last Friday night at the Salem High School Gym in front of a large crowd between the Salem JV and varsity boys basketball games. The Courtwarming King was Wyatt Martin with Neely Leathers selected as the Courtwarming Queen. Congratulations to the these young people and the entire Courtwarming Court.

The Salem Varsity and JV Scholar Bowl teams participated in the SCA Tournament. The Varsity team took 3rd place in SCA play as Marshall White took 1st overall and Rory Dahms finished 7th in individual scoring. The Varsity team is comprised of Rory Dahms, Eli Brakensiek, Carter Foster, Marshall White, and Preston Duncan. The Salem JV Scholar Bowl captured 2nd place in SCA play as Noah Gerischer took 4th place in individual scoring. The JV team is made up of Noah Foster, Noah Gerischer, Haiden Shaw, Emmett Headrick, William Garner. Congratulations Tigers!!

The Salem Police department released these reports for the dates of February 3rd through February 16th there were a total of 196 calls for service. Officers with the Salem Police Department conducted 11 traffic stops for various traffic violations with 3 resulting in a summons or arrest. Officers conducted 2 traffic accident investigations along with 16 informational reports. Of the calls for service and traffic stops, these reports were generated. On Monday, February 5th at approximately 10:00 in the evening, officers located a female subject who had an active probation warrant for the delivery of a controlled substance. The subject was identified as 33-year-old Courtney Mendenhall of Salem who was arrested and incarcerated at the Dent County Jail with a bond of $2,000 cash or professional surety. The next day on Tuesday, February 6th about 10:00 in the evening, Salem Police officers located a male subject who had active Probation and Parole absconder warrants. The subject was identified as 40-year-old Scott Coomer of Salem, who was arrested and incarcerated at the Dent County Jail with no bond. On Wednesday, February 7th approximately at 2:30 in the afternoon, Salem Police officers located a male subject who had active warrants for his arrest through the Dent County Sheriff’s Office. The man was identified as 24-year-old James Wallace of Salem, who was arrested and incarcerated at the Dent County Jail with no bond. On Monday, February 12th at approximately 11:52 in the morning, Salem Police officers located a male subject who had active warrants for possession of a controlled substance. The subject was identified as 22-year-old Gavin Williams of Salem, who was arrested and incarcerated at the Dent County Jail with a no bond warrant. On Thursday, February 15th right around midnight, officers located a male subject who had an active warrant for failure to register as a sex offender. The person was identified as 55-year-old Jens Moller of Salem, who was arrested and incarcerated at the Dent County Jail with a bond of $5,000. Contact the Salem Police Department at (573) 729-4242 if you have information regarding any ongoing investigation.

Today is KSMO’s Annual FFA Day at the KSMO Studios where former FFA Advisor Bob Parsons will be interviewing current Salem FFA students from each hour live on KSMO Radio (AM 1340 and 95.7 FM) and those interviews will be streamed live on KSMO Media (ksmoradio.com, KSMO Stream Facebook Page and KSMO YouTube.) The students will be answering questions on their experience with FFA including their SAE Projects, awards, projects, record books, future plans, what got them interested in FFA and more. Interviews normally begin between 8:20 and 8:30 in the morning and will be held throughout the day coming to an end around 3:00. If you can’t listen or watch live, the interviews will be able to be played back later on Facebook and YouTube.

The Salem Memorial Hospital regular board meeting was held Tuesday evening in the hospital library. The board heard a draft audit report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023 from Jean Nyberg from FORVIS CPA and Advisors. Nyberg said an unmodified accountant’s opinion was given which indicates it was a clean audit. She noted a decrease in cash of $3 million over the year and with the accounts payable increase she was concerned the hospital won’t be able to sustain for 12 months should the hospital continue to sustain monthly operating losses and have negative operating cash flows. The bond that was issued for capital projects has received a second year of being out of compliance due to ongoing losses. The bank could call the debt if this continues and those capital projects are now being shown as a short-term debt obligation rather than long-term. The hospital had a decrease in net position of $2.3 million compared to $1.6 million in the previous audit. The opinion letter pointed out the hospital is evaluating ways to reduce expenses and increase volumes that they feel will provide sufficient cash to meet its requirements over the next year, but there are no assurances that the entity will be successful. Again, this is a draft of the eventual audit report. In the Administrator’s Report, Interim CEO Jason Edwards reported CLIA re-inspection completed in the lab which showed full compliance. Inspectors praised the lab team and processes and stated they have no issues with receiving lab services at SMH. Edwards reported the TORCH funds have been received and a Population Health Member will be hired to develop and implement a community-level population health strategy within the hospital and with local partners. The 340b Drug Optimization will begin this month. In the Delta Region grant, a work plan has been approved for the Revenue Integrity Assistance charge-master to pull data and make assessments. In the summary of operations for January, CFO Doug Hoban reported the hospital had a loss from operations of $299,617 with an excess of revenues over expenses of $19,591, but a positive cash flow of $125,000 with days cash on hand at 26. Hospital admissions in January were 79 which included ten Swingbed and 38 observation admissions with a total of 255 patient census days. In January, there were 1,367 Outpatient Registrations, 6,316 Lab Tests, 1,111 Radiology Procedures, 1,473 Cardiopulmonary Procedures, 667 Rehabilitation Treatments and 25 Surgical Procedures. There were 595 Emergency Room visits with 59 patients being admitted. A total of 230 ambulance runs were made with 174 patients being transported. The clinic showed a net loss of $26,116 for the month. The 340B plan showed expenses over revenues for the month of $6,236 due to $42,000 in obsolete inventory that hadn’t been audited for several years. CNO Ashley Owens said there is a need for five full time night time nurses. Edwards reported on the State and Match Funding and the hospital received approval for their first request of $428,214, and are they expected to request additional funds by the end of May. The plans for the Delta Region grant to assist with Strategic Planning has been put on hold. Board member Zach Moser stated the importance of a strategic plan and wanted to either conduct the planning session internally or find someone to help lead the department leaders, physicians, administration and board members as soon as possible. The board is expected to discuss the Medical Staff Bylaws at their next meeting. The board then went into closed session.

The Dent County Commission met Thursday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. Susan Jordan was in to share her feelings and concerns about the possible blocking of the river access at Tan Vat that has been proposed by the Park Service. District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said they are in conversation with the Park Service and in fact, he was to call William Terry Thursday morning, but was unable to due to the phone outages. Mobray said that the stream bed is actually privately owned by a private party and that Superintendent Lott has said he has been in contact with the owner and they have no objection to the installation of the boulders. Mobray said he is going to find out who the owner is and will contact them to discuss the situation. Lancer Blair was also in attendance and asked if MoDOT is still planning to use Route K as the detour when the Standing Rock Bridge is replaced. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson said that it won’t be used as a detour according to State Representative Ron Copeland. In the road report, Commissioner Mobray said that grading would be done on Dent County Roads 4210, 5515, 6215, 6480, and 6485, while rock would be added and grading would be done on county roads 4215 and 6215. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk reported that grading would be done on Dent County Roads 2340, 4283, 4285, and 4287. He went on to say that brush would be cut on county roads 3330 and 3340, plus rock would be added to county roads 2330 and 2340. Commissioner Larson reported that he had an e-mail from Jeff Vanderott with Three Rivers Engineering noting that the county failed to sign the last page of the paperwork sent to him so that still needs to be done. Larson also reported Wednesday he met with Alexander Construction on the Christmas Lights issue at the courthouse and that they may need to replace a controller, but it is under warranty so there will be no cost to the county. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reviewed all the deadlines prior to the April Municipal Election, plus reported that filings for the county offices for the August 6th election begin next Tuesday, February 27th. She also said Wednesday she attended a MAC Board meeting where they were updated on legislative issues, plus she had the opportunity to visit with a number of Missouri state representatives and senators. The next meeting of the commission will be Monday morning at 9:00 and the meeting will be open to the public.

The Dent County Health Center (DCHC) Board of Trustees held their regular meeting Thursday, February 15th. The minutes of the January 25th regular meeting were approved followed by the Service and Statistics report by Administrator Zach Moser. In the Communicable Disease Report, he stated that there were 25 COVID-19 cases reported, 42 lead cases, 20 screenings for sexually transmitted infections, 39 cases of Influenza and 7 animal bites. Assistant Administrator Roma Jones gave the environmental report where 5 total inspections were conducted, there were no recalls, no sewer complaints, and 15 environmental questions were fielded. The Maternal-Child Health (MCH) statistics showed one car seat was distributed, there was one CPR Course, one consultation for Childcare Health, two Presumptive Eligibility (Temporary Medicaid) and 324 WIC appointments. The Community-Specific Services Summary showed 519 total appointments other than WIC, 153 Nurse Practitioner appointments, 91 treatment court visits, 208 lab appointments and 79 immunization appointments. Nurse Practitioner Service Details showed one Show-Me Health Women appointment, 4 family plannings, 7 well-child visits, 11 online appointments, 4 other physicals, 21 SEMO physicals, 14 other visits, and 90 acute illness appointments. Laboratory details showed 183 individual patients, 24 appointments for Rapid Test for COVID, Flu, RSV or Strep, one pregnancy test and 8 lead tests. Immunizations for January totaled 40 for COVID-19, 12 for Influenza, and 76 other vaccines, including the new RSV vaccine and new formulations of pneumonia vaccine. In the Administrator’s report, Moser reported that DHSS is months behind on paying WIC, noting that the October invoice was just paid February 13th. He said that an Extension of Adult Immunization grant through DHSS and a NACCHO grant were applied for, but has received notification that the DCHC was not chosen for the NACCHO grant. Moser said that the DCHC is participating in a Public Health Gap Analysis with the University of Missouri and DHSS, and that it is based on the Foundational Public Health Services model. He reported on the progress on the actions cited in the strategic plan. People Centric recommended a shortened version of the Vision Statement, but the Board felt the original version more nearly reflected the Health Care vision of the DCHC. The Health Center financial reports for January, including the overall results from H & R Block, were reviewed. Discussion was held on the balance sheet, income statement and budget statements. After these questions were answered, the financial reports and the report from H & R Block were approved. In new business, a finalized strategic plan document was presented to the Board and adopted, and the health plan the employees chose was presented and it is in line with what was budgeted. Moser recommended a $150 per month health insurance stipend to all employees and it was approved. No closed session was held. The next regular meeting of the Board was set for Thursday, March 21st at 5:00.

Beginning this Saturday, all residents in the 573 area code will have to dial the area code as well as your local seven digit number to complete a call. This is because a new area code of 235 is being added in our area as an “overlay” of the existing 573 area code and not replacing it. The overlay does not require customers to change their existing area code, but it will require them to dial the area code to complete local calls. After Friday, February 23rd, all local calls made within the 573 area code must be placed using 10 digits (area code + the 7-digit telephone number). Calls placed using just seven digits will not be completed. If you have safety and security equipment such as medical alert devices, alarms or security systems, they must now all be programmed for ten digits. Contact your medical alert or security provider if your not sure how to reprogram your system. Also fax machines, call forwarding, voicemails services, mobile phone contact lists or other memorized lists will need to be updated to use the area code as well as the seven digit number. Starting on March 24th, new telephone services may be assigned numbers using the new 235 area code as well as the old 573 area code.

The Dent County Sheriff’s office has released several reports. On Sunday February 11th, deputies responded to the 2000 block of Dent County Road 4110 for a reported burglary. A 68-year-old Salem man told deputies that an unknown person or persons had tampered with items in and around his barn, and stolen the keys to his tractor. Information was taken for the report. That same day a deputy responded to the 1000 block of Dent County Road 6370 for the report of a stolen chainsaw. The victim, a 54-year-old Salem man, told officers that a known subject had removed a chainsaw from a shed on his property without permission. The chainsaw was recovered and the investigation is ongoing. The next day, Monday, February 12th, a deputy conducted a traffic stop on West Franklin Street. The driver of the vehicle, a 35-year-old Salem man, was arrested on an active warrant and for driving while his license was suspended and revoked. The man was transported to the Dent County Jail and incarcerated. The next day deputies conducted a traffic stop on Highway 68. During the course of that stop, the driver, a 37-year-old Salem woman, was found to be in possession of a controlled substance. She was taken into custody and charges will be filed. Finally, on Thursday, February 15th, deputies responded to Tater’s Sporting Goods on Highway 19 after observing a wanted subject at the location. A 24-year-old Salem man was then taken into custody and transported to the Dent County Jail where he was incarcerated on the warrant. Additional charges are pending against the suspect. Please call the Dent County Sheriffs Department at 729-3241 if you have any information regarding an investigation.

The Salem Planning and Zoning Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing tonight at 5:30 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory followed by a public meeting to discuss the request for plat approval at 402 S. Pershing on property owned by Betty Allen and Robert Stroburg. The hearing and meeting are both open to the public. The City of Salem Board of Aldermen will be holding a special closed session meeting tonight at 6:00 at the Salem Community Center @The Armory. That meeting is not open to the public.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education met last Thursday for their regular board meeting. In the Parents as Teachers report, Dr. Herman Blau reported with Mrs. Mary Beth Patrick that the program currently services 20 families and 22 children. There is currently a waiting list as the program tries to build capacity. In the Superintendent’s report, Dr. Lynne Reed said the Construction Trades building is done except for the setting of the transformer which cannot be done by the city until June. She also noted the batting cages have been installed in the new tin gym. She said all the necessary paperwork was submitted to the Dent County Clerk’s office for the ballot measures in time to be put on the April ballot. The “We Support Education” committee has been established, with co-chairs Dustin Howard & Abbie Woolf, and treasurer Sherman Odom. Reed stated the insurance loss ratio at Salem R-80 was the lowest it’s been in a few years at 80%. This means for every dollar paid in premiums, 80 cents is paid out in claims. The school has run as high as 142% in recent years. After the building principals gave their reports, the board approve the contract with HTK for the FEMA building, approved the 2024-2025 school calendar, and clarified board policy GCBA to indicate that graduate hours toward a degree or certificate beyond a teacher’s current education level will be compensated on the salary schedule. The school board set the March Board of Education meeting for March 14th at 5:30 at the district administrative offices, and set the William Lynch open house for March 12th from 4:00 until 6:00 in the afternoon. The board heard the first reading of an MSBA Board policy update before accepting the resignations of Jackson Mitchell, Dr. Amanda Irwin, Kim Dunn and custodians Steven McDonald and George Ward. The board went into closed session where the board approved hiring Mark Howard as assistant track coach and Sheri Green as volunteer assistant track coach. A motion was then made to offer all principals and directors a contract for the 2024-2025 school year which was approved by the board with Chris Heavin abstaining. A motion was then approved by the board to employ Clay Moody as an assistant high school principal for the 2024-2025 school year. After a personnel issue was discussed, the meeting was adjourned.

A meeting of the city of Salem Utility Committee has been called by Committee chair Kyle Williams for this evening at 6:15 at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory. After the roll call and approval of the minutes from the January 10th meeting, the board will hear reports and updates concerning financials, and utility billing and payments. That will be followed by an update on the electric rate study that will be done after the financial audit of the city that will be presented at the next alderman meeting. The committee will get an MMMPEP update from the January meeting and hear work reports from city employees. A question and comment period will be held before the meeting is adjourned. The meeting this evening is open to the public.

Route A in Reynolds, Dent and Shannon counties will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform edge rut repairs. This section of roadway is located from Highway 72 in Reynolds County to Highway 19 in Shannon County. Weather permitting, this work will take place from 8:00 this morning until 2:00 in the afternoon. The work zone will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use extreme caution while traveling near the area. For additional information, contact MoDOT’s Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/southeast.

An accident happened Tuesday morning at 7:25 in Phelps County on Highway 8 about a half mile east of St. James. According to the highway patrol report, a 2005 Chevrolet Suburban being driven west by 18-year old Kaien Martin of St. James, failed to negotiate a curve. Martin then overcorrected and traveled off the right side of the roadway and overturned, coming to rest on its side. Martin, who was not wearing a seat restraint, suffered minor injuries and was taken to Phelps Health by a family member. The Suburban was totaled and removed from the scene by Spurgeon’s Towing.

The Salem Acoustic Jam will be held this Saturday at the Creative Arts Center at 6:30. Come on out, bring your instrument and join in, or just come to listen to the music and tap your feet. All types of music are played, and whether you are a beginner or seasoned pro, everyone is welcome to participate and there is NO CHARGE to attend.

The Salem Memorial Hospital Foundation is sponsoring the return of the “Dancing with the Salem Stars” this Saturday at the Salem High School Gymnasium. Seven couples are scheduled to perform including Brett Capps and Shelly Bland, Melissa Ragsdale and Lane Hayes, Lancer Blair and Kim Moser, Rosalie Wright and Cameron Greener, Tiera Lewis and Skitter Lewis, Shannon Wright and Paige Doughtery, and April Greener and Caleb Shepherd. Sierra Connell will dance solo in the competition. The Salem Academy of Dance will also have five performances during the show featuring two tap routines and three jazz routines. Advance tickets for a floor seat are $20, or $25 at the door if any remain. Bleacher tickets will be available for $10 at the door. To get your tickets in advance, to sponsor a table or for more information, call Hannah Harris at 573-729-5917, extension 4005 or e-mail her at hharris@smdh.net. The doors will open at 6:30 and the dancing competition will begin at 7:00. Money raised from this event will go toward needed improvements and capital equipment.

The Salem Memorial Hospital Board of Directors will hold their regular meeting at 6:00 in the hospital library this evening. At the meeting, Interim Administrator Jason Edwards will give his report before the board hears the summary of operations for the month of January as well as statistics for the month. The board will hear about the 340B program, receive the Chief Nursing Officer report and be updated on Human Resources. The board will discuss the state and matching fund updates as well as strategic planning before they discuss the medical staff bylaw review. A new board member may also be appointed at the meeting to replace Judy Thompson who retired from the board. The board may then vote to go into closed session. The Salem Memorial Hospital Board of Directors meeting tonight is open to the public. To attend the meeting electronically, contact the hospital administration office at 729-6626, extension 4005.

The Salem Police department has released their report for the month of January. The department responded to 13 accidents during the month. Officers also responded to ten alarms sounding and addressed 29 animal calls. Officers investigated three assaults or fights, seven burglaries, performed 20 well being checks and eight area checks during the month. The department investigated seven domestic disputes, a verbal disturbances, conducted 61 follow-up investigations and provided 16 escorts. They investigated two nuisance incidents, five harassment reports, two fraud charges, took a missing persons report, and offered assistance to three motorists. The Salem Police wrote two property damage reports during January, plus made 11 stealing reports and four shoplifting reports. Officers investigated six suspicious circumstance calls, 15 suspicious person calls and six suspicious vehicle calls. Officers responded to two trespassing calls and attempted to serve ten warrants in January. Officers conducted 106 traffic stops during the month. They also prepared and submitted 17 Uniform Crime reports. The police responded to a total of 525 incidents in January with the average response time to calls being two minutes and 31 second. The average time spent on the scene was 17 minutes and 21 seconds.

The Missouri Department of Conservation says ordered through April 15th for shrub and tree seedlings from the George O. White State Forest Nursery near Licking. Native trees and shrubs can help improve wildlife habitat and soil and water conservation while also improving the appearance and value of private property. The George O. White State Forest Nursery offers a variety of low-cost native tree and shrub seedlings for sale for reforestation, windbreaks, erosion control, wildlife food and cover, and other purposes. The nursery provides mainly one-year-old, bare-root seedlings with sizes varying by species. Seedlings varieties include: pine, bald cypress, cottonwood, black walnut, hickory, oak, pecan, persimmon, river birch, maple, willow, sycamore, blackberry, buttonbush, hazelnut, redbud, ninebark, elderberry, sumac, wild plum, witch hazel, and others. Seedlings are available in bundles of 10 or increments of 25 per species. Prices range from 34 cents to $1 per seedling. Sales tax will be added to orders unless tax exempt. There is a shipping fee and a $9 handling charge for each order. Receive a 15% discount up to $20 off seedling orders with a Heritage Card, Permit Card, or Conservation ID Number. The nursery grows millions of seedlings each year, but some species are very popular and sell out quickly and some seedlings occasionally succumb to harsh weather or hungry wildlife, despite the nursery staff’s best efforts. Even if a species is listed as “sold out,” customers can still place an order for those seedlings because other orders may get canceled, freeing up inventory. Customers won’t be charged for seedlings unless they are available to ship. Again, orders are now being processed so order now! Orders will be shipped or can be picked up at the nursery near Licking now through May. The 2023-24 seedling order forms are available at MDC regional offices and nature centers, or you can contact the George O White State Forest Nursery at 573-674-3229. You can also request a form by e-mail StateForestNursery@mdc.mo.gov. You can also order your trees or shrub seedlings from the mdc.mo.gov website.

An accident happened Friday morning at 11:05 in Dent County on Highway 19 about eight miles south of Salem. According to the highway patrol report, a 2000 Chevy Cavalier driven southbound by 43-year-old Kevin Henson of Salem, traveled off the right side of the roadway and struck a tree. Henson suffered moderate injuries and was taken by the Salem Ambulance to the Salem Memorial Hospital. A passenger, 36-year-old Marlene Adenkan of Salem, suffered minor injuries and was taken by a private vehicle to the Salem Memorial Hospital. The vehicle sustained extensive damage and was removed from the scene by American Auto. Neither Henson or Adenkan were wearing seat restraints at the time of the accident.

Highway 72 in Reynolds County will be reduced down to one lane Tuesday from 9:00 in the morning until 2:00 in the afternoon, as the Missouri Department of Transportation crews will be performing pavement repairs. This section of roadway is located from Reynolds County Road 924 to Route A near Bunker. Also, Route KK in Reynolds & Iron Counties will be reduced to one lane on Wednesday from 8:00 until 2:00 in the afternoon as crews perform pavement repairs. Both of the projects will be weather permitting. Both work zones will be marked with signs.  Motorists are urged to use extreme caution while traveling near the area. For additional information, contact MoDOT’s Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/southeast.

Preparations are underway for Ozark National Scenic Riverways to accomplish several prescribed burns this spring, between mid-February and mid-April. The burns will be carefully planned and monitored by the park’s Fire Management staff. The scheduling of these prescribed burns is dependent on weather and vegetation meeting certain conditions. During prescribed burns, park operations will continue as usual, although temporary closure of trails or roads adjacent to the burn unit may be necessary for visitor safety. Several prescribed burns planned at Ozark Riverways in 2024 will be cooperative efforts between the National Park Service and other land management agencies. The Booming Shoals prescribed burn unit (1,095 acres) near Powder Mill and the Alley Spring burn unit (785 acres) west of Eminence will be conducted with Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). The Pulltite prescribed burn unit (580 acres) near Pulltite Campground will be conducted jointly by the NPS, MDC, and The Nature Conservancy. The Welch Lodge prescribed burn unit (694 acres) in northern Shannon County includes lands managed by the L-A-D Foundation and Pioneer Forest. The Big Tree/Kelley prescribed burn unit (386 acres) near the end of Z Highway south of Big Spring will be managed by NPS firefighters. In order to ensure the safety of firefighters and the public, foot and vehicle travel in or near the prescribed fire operations may be temporarily restricted. Firefighters plan to conduct prescribed burns during weather conditions that will allow for smoke to disperse without causing negative impacts. However, smoke may impair visibility in the vicinity of the prescribed burn and could linger low in the atmosphere over a broad geographic area. Individuals with respiratory ailments are encouraged to take extra precautions to avoid exposure to smoke. Anyone who is concerned about the potential impacts of smoke from a prescribed burn can request to be added to the park’s notification list in order to be contacted in advance. For more information about prescribed burns at Ozark Riverways or to be included on the park’s notification list, contact Josh Chilton at (573) 226-3945. If you would like to receive additional information about other prescribed burns in the local area, please contact Missouri Department of Conservation at (573) 226-3616 or the U.S. Forest Service at (573) 364-4621. You may also visit www.nps.gov/ozar for further updates.

The Dent County Commission met Thursday morning at the courthouse. At the meeting, Thom Haines asked the commission if they had been in touch with MoDOT about the Standing Rock Bridge at Gladden and if they had requested the bridge be wider than the proposed 26-feet. The current bridge is 20-feet wide, but other bridges that have been replaced on Highways 32 and 19 by MoDOT have been 30-feet wide. The commission said they would get in touch with MoDOT Engineer Preston Kramer on the subject and Haines indicated he would follow up on the subject as well. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said grading would be done on Dent County Roads 4080, 5520 and 6280 while rock will be added to county road 6245. He said a worker would be stock piling the chips at the county shed for the chip and seal repair later this year. Mobray said he was contacted by Jason Lott, the Superintendent of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, about them wanting to shut off vehicle river access to TanVat near the bridge with possibly some large boulders. Mobray said the county received a FLAP Project to asphalt the road in the area and those larger boulders could impede the flow of water when it gets high during heavy rains that could actually damage the new road. Mobray said he will meet with Lott and William Terry at the TanVat location to review what the best solution may be. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk reported materials would be added and grading done on on Dent County Roads 2590, 2610 and 4437, while only grading would be done on county roads 2580, 2593, 2600 and 2613. Polk said brush would be cut on county road 4070, while rock will be added to county roads 5320 and 5325. Presiding Commission Gary Larson said he attended the TAC Committee meeting and the MRPC meeting where state and federal issues were discussed. He said the commission will be signing the agreement for an engineering study to be done on the sidewalks around the courthouse that was budgeted for in the 2024 budget. The commissioners will also be signing the agreement for support to the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said the last day to register to vote in the Municipal Election will be March 6th. At the least meeting, Curley said she balanced with the Dent County treasurer on all accounts for the month of January. She also reported the county is in the middle of a financial audit. Interim Public Works Director Joe Chase and City of Salem Electric Department Supervisor Josh Kotschedoff came in to talk with the commissioners at the last meeting about running the new electric service to the courthouse from one or two poles where the city could do the work and save the county some money. No decision was made at that time. Engineer Corky Stack was in to talk with the commission about the lights on the courthouse the courthouse and there continues to be some problems. Stack was in contact with Trim Lights and they are trying to correct the problem remotely as they feel it is a software issue, but have had little success fixing the problem. Stack took pictures of the outdoor control boxes to show there was no vandalism and also allow Trim Lights to see if something was out of place. Stack said if they can’t fix the software remotely, they may have to replace the control boxes. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson had told Stack he didn’t want Trim Lights paid until the job was completed, but the contractor did pay them out of the funds they have received which removed any leverage the county had over the company to get the project completed properly. There were also some other items the commission listed to be addressed including landscaping, painting, a window grid and more. The commission did agree to get four screens for the first floor windows. Also at the last meeting, Collector Shannon VanKirk brought in her monthly turnover report showing that $443,340.82 was collected. She also outlawed the 2019 Personal Property Tax totaling about $8,000 that was going to be abated. The courthouse will be closed Monday for President’s Day and the next meeting of the commissioners will be Thursday, February 22nd.

The Salem Memorial Hospital board of directors will he holding a special meeting this morning at 8:00; and another special meeting this evening at 6:00. Both meetings will be held in the hospital library and may be conducted and attended by telephone or other electronic means and the public may observe and attend any portion of the meeting not closed to the public. In the morning meeting after the call to order and roll call, the board will review medical staff bylaws and then go into closed session for committee reviews before adjourning. In the evening meeting, the board will be interviewing potential board candidates before adjourning. Anyone that would like to attend by telephone or electronic means should contact the hospital administration office to obtain access information at 573-729-6626, extension 4005.