Local News

This week, Missouri Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe will travel to Montauk State Park to serve flapjack breakfasts to campers, community members, and state park staff as part of his ongoing Flapjack Tours to promote Missouri State Parks and tourism. Kehoe will be at Montauk State Park, Campground Loop #2, this Thursday from 8:00 until 9:30. As a proud member of the Missouri Tourism Commission, Lieutenant Governor Kehoe works with the Commission and the Missouri Division of Tourism to actively promote Missouri’s tourism assets. For more information on Flapjack Tour stops, visit kehoetour.com.

It has been just over five months since the Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors made their administrative changes and hired the Rural Hospital Group to come in to assist the hospital in responding to the financial crisis sweeping the rural hospital industry which has partially been caused by the ongoing global pandemic and operational issues the hospital was facing. Don Babb, the interim Chief Executive Officer, is proud to report that due to the operational changes, the hospital has had a positive bottom line for the last two months and feels the hospitals dire financial struggles are a thing of the past. Babb reports the hospital as of May 31st had cash on hand that would cover 64days of operations coming off the April figure of 62 days suggesting the hospital been able to sustain and stabilize its operations. The RHG also made changes to the billing and collection processes since coming on board reducing what was 110 days in account receivable for the hospital to receive funds from insurance companies to a current figure of 65 days with an organizational goal of 55 days by late summer. There have refocused improvements on streamlining the collection efforts and improving interaction with patients. RHG has also concentrated on getting Salem residents to use the SMDH swing bed program for their rehab getting them back home quicker after their surgeries once they are out of acute care. The swing bed volumes are up almost 40% over last year. The lab has now also been recertified by CLIA and the hospital continues to improve staffing in all departments. With all that has happened over the lats five months, the board approved an optimistic 2023 Fiscal Year budget.

The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission approved the FY 2023-2027 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), which lists transportation projects planned by state and regional planning agencies July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2027. The STIP makes available $10 billion of federal and state revenues for all modes of transportation over the next five years, making it the state’s largest program. This includes $100 million from the Governor’s Rural Route program, which will address low volume roads in FY 2023. Of the remaining $9.9 billion, the STIP details $7.65 billion in road and bridge construction contractor awards, averaging approximately $1.5 billion each year over each of the next five years. The program details a focus on preventive maintenance improvements to Missouri’s nearly 34,000 miles of roads and 10,400 bridges. The draft STIP was released in May for public review, and MoDOT received 317 comments. how their transportation funding is invested. The Final STIP is available online at www.modot.org/statewide-transportation-improvement-program-stip.

The Salem Board of Aldermen held a meeting Tuesday evening at the City of Salem Council Chambers. At the meeting, the board approved Bill #3511 that created an ordinance establishing demand rates for electric services instead of getting an automatic 24% increase. The demand rates stayed the same as before. The board also approved Resolution 21-2022 showing the city’s intent to raise the wastewater sewer rates with the intention of applying for a Missouri Department of Natural Resources Wastewater Infrastructure grant. The board approved the appointment of Rich Parks to the Airport Board to replace Harold Tubbs who resigned. City Administrator Ray Walden introduced Terry Moore from ESP who updated the board on the building envelope and the HVAC systems. The building envelope is complete while the HVAC systems at the City Administration Building and old City Hall Auditorium are complete. The system is also complete at the police station but has a faulty control board which is being replaced. The Salem Community Center@The Armory is about 80% done. The door and window replacement at the old city hall is complete except for the council chambers door. The roofing at the Parks and Recreation and Water Department building is near completion and tuckpointing work is being done. They have not started the tuckpointing at the Armory or city hall building. The metal light poles at the Al Brown Fields have been assembled and they are waiting for securing materials for the holes. Walden said he would be updating short-term and long-term city priorities with the aldermen taking the place of what People Centric was doing. Mayor Greg Parker told the alderman the Missouri Municipal League conference will be September 11th through the 14th at Osage Beach. He thanked the first responders for putting out the brush fire on Rolla Road from electrical problem Monday and for the city utility department for getting the power back up after the outage Monday. He also thanked Fleetwood Pyrotechnics for the excellent Fireworks display on Independence Day evening. Public Works Director Mark Nash said the outage Monday was from a burnt line that came down on the 4th Street Hill followed by a bad jumper at Mercy Medical. He said water line breaks continue at a high rate and the tree trimming crew is getting caught up. Alderman Kyle Williams said the disc gold course is going in at the Salem City Park and the City Utility Committee will meet at the Salem Community Center@The Armory tonight at 6:15 after a special Board of Alderman meeting at 6:00 with both meetings open to the public. The board then went into closed session.

The Salem Police Department released an incident report for the evening of Tuesday, July 7th, when at approximately 5:17, officers with the Salem Police Department were dispatched to an accident that had occurred at the Salem High School. At the same time another caller reported the vehicle that was wrecked had also been stolen. Officers responded to the area, and they were informed the female that was driving the vehicle that had the accident had run up the hill, stole a truck and was last seen traveling towards Highway 72. The officer was also informed that the owner of the truck had jumped into the back of the truck as it was being stolen. Officers located the truck on Highway 72 and attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle. The truck did not yield and accelerated and began driving erratic while the male subject was still in the back of the vehicle. Due to the subject being in the truck, officers continued to pursue the vehicle at a safe distance into Rolla. Once in Rolla, the driver continued to flee and drive erratically, committing numerous traffic violations while evading officers. The pursuit moved through many streets in Rolla before traveling on Route BB headed towards St James. Once on Route BB, the victim that was in the back of the vehicle was able to crawl into an open window while the vehicle was traveling at about 30 MPH, and subsequently the vehicle crashed through a fence and came to rest after colliding with a tree. The owner of the vehicle pulled the subject out of the vehicle and assisted in apprehending the suspect before officers made it to the crash scene. The victim suffered minor injuries and no injuries were reported or were apparent to the suspect. As a result, 34-year-old Sara Cunningham of Salem was arrested and placed on a 24-hour hold pending the application of a warrant for kidnapping, two warrants for tampering with a motor vehicle, as well as warrants for leaving the scene of an accident, resisting arrest and for driving while being intoxicated. Charges were filed after a probable cause statement was submitted to Dent County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Curley. Cunningham is being held at the Dent County Jail on a 500,000 cash or surety bond.

An accident occurred Saturday morning around 12:30 in Dent County on Route H about 6 miles west of Salem. According to the highway patrol report, a 2007 Lincoln MK2 driven by 21-year-old Jacob Wood of Salem, was travelling eastbound when Wood fell asleep at the wheel. The Lincoln traveled off the left side of the road, returned to the road, then travelled off the right side of the road, before striking an embankment and coming to rest. Wood suffered moderate injuries and was transported by a private vehicle to the Salem Memorial District Hospital. The Lincoln was totaled and removed from the scene by American Tire and Muffler. The report states Wood was wearing his seat restraint at the time of the accident.

The Dent County 4-H and FFA Expo begins Wednesday at The Dent County Commons with the 4-H Exhibit judging that morning at 10:00. The Dessert Auction will be held Wednesday evening at 6:00 at the Youth Building at The Commons and all dessert entries must be submitted by 5:00. On Thursday morning, all livestock must be in place by 11:00 for the livestock registration which will be held from 9:30 until 11:30. The livestock weigh-ins will begin at 12:30. Then at 4:30, there will be a Pig Pals Show that is new this year. Friday will be a day full of shows starting with the Hog Show at 7:00 in the morning immediately followed by the Sheep and Goat Show. The Small Animal Show will start at 1:00 to be followed by the Beef and Dairy Show at 2:00. On Saturday, the 16th, the FFA/4H Market Sale will begin at 9:00 in the morning and will be broadcast live on KSMO Radio (AM 1340 and FM 95.7); and the event will be video streamed live on Twitch (www.ksmoradio.com button “Listen online”), the KSMO YouTube channel and on the Facebook KSMO Stream page. Buttons for those other channels are at www.ksmoradio.com. Admission is free for everyone and a variety of food from local vendors will be available.

The Creative Arts Center will be holding a one-day outdoor painting workshop with Marty Coulter of Steelville. The workshop will be Thursday, July 14th from 9:00 in the morning till 4:00. There will be an hour lunch break. In the morning, Coulter will give instruction then in the afternoon participants will paint with guidance. All supplies will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your favorite paints and brushes. The cost of the workshop is $100 per person and at least 6 people must attend. The Creative Arts Center has two easy ways to sign up for events! Call or text 573-247-0651, or go online at salemcommunitybetterment.com and look under programs for the Salem Creative Arts Center.

In conjunction with the Thomas Hart Benton mural currently on display at the Ozark Natural and Cultural Resource Center, the ONCRC will be hosting a special speaker who will provide background information about the paintings included on the mural and about Benton’s life and work. Dr. Sarah S. Jones, an art historian and historic site specialist at the Jefferson Landing State Historic Site and Missouri State Museum, will be speaking at the ONCRC this Thursday evening at 7:00. Her presentation is free and open to the public. The ONCRC is located at 202 South Main in Salem.

As reported last week, the Salem Memorial District Hospital’s lab regained their CLIA certification in the laboratory, plus the hospital has hired Jim Renfrow as the new Laboratory Manager to improve the overall experience and results of the lab as he comes to Salem with 39 years of experience. The hospital continues to improve their staffing at the SMDH Family Medicine with the recent addition of Michelle Bland, Family Nurse Practitioner, who has already started practicing at the clinic; and they have also added Jimmy Bell, Family Nurse Practitioner, who will be available for patients in the very near future. For more information about the lab, call 729-6626 and if you need to make an appointment at the SMDH Family Medicine Clinic, call 729-8000.

On June 28th, a letter was sent from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Administrator John Langston to the Salem Memorial District Hospital regarding their unannounced onsite CLIA revisit to the Salem Memorial District Hospital’s Lab that was made on June 15th of this year, stated that “all deficiencies noted on the survey conducted on October 21, 2021 are corrected. The facility is now in substantial compliance with the regulations for laboratories 42 CFR Part 493.” With this documented determination, the hospital lab is again fully operational.

The Dent County Commissioners met Thursday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. At the meeting, Salem and Dent County Economic Development Director Sally Burbridge gave her monthly report for June. She said the “Welcome Home” program first round of homes has had their pre-inspections completed and the second round of homes has signed all the paperwork. They still need more veterans to apply as they have had nine new pre-applications, but none of them are veterans. Burbridge said the Voluntary Residential Demolition Program will have bids let out in July for three residences and a foundation. She said the certified Site Application has been submitted and the technical review committee had five additional questions on the application before the final review. She also discussed her findings on the amount of people who live in Dent County and work in other counties and the breakdowns on those jobs, as well as the unemployment rate for Dent County that came in at 3.3% for May. She also said she expects to get an update on the broadband situation this week. John McIntire was in attendance to ask the commission about parking restrictions on county roads. He was told by the sheriff there are no county laws concerning parking on county roads and he would like for the county to investigate this and see if other counties or regions have restrictions. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said the county is limited by statute on what they can do but would ask the district attorney to look into it. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said materials would be added and graded, plus ditch work would be done on Dent County Road 5600. He said work crews would be patching the creek crossing on county road 6575 and grading would be done on county road 2480. He said workers would be adding material and rebuilding Dent County Road 5220 known as the Quarry Road to widen it so that trucks could pass safely on it. He went on to say brush would be cut on county roads 5080 and 6180. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said workers would be adding materials and replacing culvert pipes on Dent County Roads 3070 and 3340, adding materials and repairing the culvert on county road 3370, grading on Dent County Road 3350 and adding materials to county road 4050. Commissioner Skiles said the county had received a Quit Claim request from the Bahr Family in Crawford County for the railroad right-of-way. He also reiterated about applications for grants for recycling through the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District can now be submitted with a total amount available of near $150,000, but they must be submitted by noon on August 19th. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said her office and the treasurer balanced on all accounts for the month of June. With the August Primary fast approaching, Curley said absentee voting continues in her office, the last day to mail out an absentee ballot is July 20th, and voters will need to choose a specific party when they vote between the Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or the Constitution Party. The commission opened two bids for asphalt paving: one from Stewarts Asphalt Paving from Anderson, Missouri; and Boyd Schleicher from Carl Junction, Missouri. No decision was made at the time as the bids were being reviewed. Roma Jones from the Dent County Health Center visited with the commission before they adjourned. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting will be open to the public.

The results are in and with your help, Johnson’s Shut-Ins won #1 “Best State Park for RVing/Camping” in the nation! The wilderness qualities and geology of Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park and the surrounding St. Francois Mountains make this park a special place to visit. Its rugged character provides the perfect backdrop for camping, hiking, picnicking, splashing in the shut-ins, exploring nature or just relaxing. It’s no wonder it was nominated in May as the #1 “Best State Park for RVing/Camping” in the nation by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. For more information about Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park, visit mostateparks.com/park.

The Salem License Office in the Crossroads Shopping Center will close at noon TODAY.

With the excessive heat expected this week, the City of Salem and Intercounty Electric Cooperative Association is asking everyone to try to conserve your energy usage especially between 4:00 in the afternoon until about 9:00 in the evening. The City of Salem and MPUA are under a PEAK POWER ALERT through Thursday afternoon, July 7th from 2:00 through 6:00. A Peak Alert is issued when the City and City’s power provider are trying to manage the electric load on the system to prevent setting a new high (peak) power usage. This is not a notice of a power shortage, but a management tool to keep usage under previously set “peaks”. If the citizens of Salem are not able to conserve electric usage during a Peak Alert and that results in setting a new Peak Demand for Salem, or a new peak power high point, what happens is the cost of electricity the city buys from MPUA increases and your electric bill will increase in relation to that increase in cost. The easiest way is to increase the temperature on your thermostat for your air conditioner anywhere from one degree to four or five degrees, use ceiling fans or small fans to help circulate the air in your home, hold off doing any baking or using your stove top burners fully during those hours by preparing meals earlier in the day and using your microwave to reheat them, avoid doing laundry during these hours especially if you have an electric water heater and electric clothes dryer, and close your blinds or drapes to eliminate direct sunlight from beating into your home which can add as much as ten or more degrees to the temperature. These tips can help conserve energy and help you save on your electric bill. For more energy saving tips, please visit www.salemmo.com and type in the search box summer energy saving tips.

A drowning happened Monday, July 4th in the Meramec River in Meramec State Park just downstream from the state park boat ramp. According to the water patrol report, 25-year-old Uriel Ramirez of Collinsville, Illinois, jumped off a bluff and was unable to be rescued by bystanders. Ramirez was pronounced dead by Missouri Baptist Sullivan EMS at 5:30. He was transported by Superior Mortuary Service to the St. Louis County Morgue. The water patrol was assisted by park rangers and the Sullivan Fire Department.

Mayor Greg Parker called a Special Meeting of the Board of Aldermen of the City of Salem for Wednesday evening at 6:00 at the Salem Community Center @the Armory. To consider a bid from OPW Fuel Management System for the Salem Airport. Following the bid consideration, the meeting will be adjourned. The meeting is open to the public.

The City of Salem’s Utility Committee will hold a meeting tonight at 6:15 at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory located at 1200 W. Rolla Road to discuss of water and sewer rates. The meeting was called by Utilities Committee Chair Kyle Williams and is open to the public.

The Missouri State Highway patrol reports that there were six traffic fatalities, no boating fatalities, & one drowning over the July Fourth holiday counting period which ran from 6:00 Friday evening, July 1st, through 11:59 Monday, night, July 4th. Highway Patrol Troopers worked 285 traffic crashes, which included 107 injuries and six fatalities. Those troopers also made 141 DWI arrests and 82 drug arrests over the holiday weekend. Water Patrol Troopers worked 11 boating crashes, which included five injuries and zero fatalities. Those troopers made 13 boating while intoxicated arrests and 18 drug arrests. One person did drown over the holiday weekend. During the 2021 counting period, seven people were killed and 532 injured statewide in Missouri over the holiday in 1,139 traffic crashes. Highway Patrol Troopers arrested 80 people for driving while intoxicated last year. Over the 2021 July Fourth holiday, there were 12 boating crashes, which included eight injuries and one fatality. One person drowned during last year’s holiday. Water Patrol Troopers made nine boating while intoxicated arrests during the 2021 counting period.

Deer hunters can now apply online through the Missouri Department of Conservation’s website for a shot at more than 100 managed deer hunts throughout the state this fall and winter. MDC offers managed deer hunts for archery, muzzleloading, crossbow, and modern firearms from mid-September through mid-January at conservation areas, state and other parks, national wildlife refuges, and other public areas. Some managed deer hunts are held specifically for youth or for people with disabilities. The managed deer hunt application period is now through July 31st. Hunters are selected by a weighted random drawing. Draw results will be available August 15th through January 15th. Applicants who are drawn will receive area maps and other hunt information by email, or mail if an email address is not located on the customer’s account. To get more information on managed deer hunts, preview hunt details, and apply starting July 1st at mdc.mo.gov and search for managed hunts. Details about managed hunts can also be found in the MDC “2022 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information” booklet. It is now available at MDC offices and nature centers, from permit vendors around the state, and also online.

Kayaking is part of the Women’s Outdoors Program to be held at the upper lake at the Current River State Park on Thursday, July 14th. During the class women will learn a few basics, then put into practice with a nature interpretive tour around the lake. Bring a PFD if you have one. For more information or to register contact Connie at 573-751-1224 or email connie.weber@dnr.mo.gov.

The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce will hold their annual Independence Day Parade Monday, July 4th at 6:00. The parade’s theme this year is “Road Trip: Exploring America’s Road and Rivers!” with Marilyn Sweitzer as the Grand Marshall. The parade route will start at the SBU campus at Franklin and Grand and move east on Franklin to MacArthur. The parade will then travel north to 4th Street and then head east to the courthouse square. Following the parade, the City of Salem fireworks display will be held at The Commons starting around 9:30. The events are free and open for all to attend. If you will not be able to attend the parade, KSMO Media will stream the parade LIVE on their website at www.ksmoradio.com by clicking the “Listen On-Line” button on the KSMO homepage. You can also watch it on the KSMO YouTube Page or on Facebook KSMO Stream Page: https://www.facebook.com/KSMO-Stream.

The Salem Police Department has released several reports for the month of May. On Thursday morning, May 5th just before noon, an officer stopped a vehicle at West Scenic Rivers Blvd and Water Street for failing to use a turn signal. The driver, 48-year-old John Stiles of Salem, was found to have a warrant for his arrest from Texas County. Stiles was arrested and issued a summons for driving while having his license revoked, he was released to the Dent County Jail for incarceration on the warrant. At 2:53 during the early morning of Sunday, May 8th, an officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in the AutoZone parking lot for speeding and making lane violations. The driver, a 27-year-old man from Richton, MS, was found to be intoxicated. After a short investigation, the driver was arrested for DWI. He was taken to the Dent County Jail, where he was issued a summons, and released. Just before 9:45 that same evening, officers responded to a residence in the 1800 block of South Oak Street to serve an parole violation arrest warrant. Officers made contact with 31-year-old Eathan Head of Salem and took him into custody on the warrant. He was taken to the Dent County Jail and incarcerated. During the afternoon of Monday, the 9th at 4:00, officers traveled to a residence in the 1500 South MacArthur for a report of a noxious smell coming from the residence. Consent to search was granted and officers discovered three dogs locked in cages stacked on top of each other full of feces and no accessible food or water. A further search found more animals and none of the animals had food or water. The animals were later surrendered to the code officer and taken to the Dent County Animal Welfare Society. The owner was issued summons for cruelty to animals as well as failure to provide food, water, and adequate shelter. On Tuesday the 10th at 2:19 in the afternoon, officers were called to Phil-Mart for a reported theft. A 51-year-old Salem man was seen on camera stealing a bottle of whiskey and left without paying. He was located a short distance away from the store and arrested. He was issued and summons for stealing and released. On Thursday, May 12th just after 12:45, officers responded to a disturbance near the intersection of Rolla Road and MacArthur. Officers located a vehicle in the area and could smell the odor of marijuana coming from it. A search was conducted, and marijuana and drug paraphernalia were located inside the vehicle. A 19-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman, both of Salem, were arrested. They were both issued a summons for possession of marijuana and released. If you have any information regarding an investigation, please contact the Salem Police Department at 729-4242.

The City of Salem wants to remind everyone discharging of fireworks inside the city limits is allowed from today through July 6th from 8:00 in the morning until 10:00 in the evening except for Monday, Independence Day, when fireworks may be discharged until midnight. The city has approved the discharging of the Class 1.4G fireworks in unmodified form. The possession of fireworks by anyone under the age of eighteen years shall be unlawful unless under the direct supervision of a parent, guardian, or person over the age of eighteen years. Fireworks shall not be discharged on any public property or public roadway, nor from a motor vehicle. Celebrate the Independence Day weekend with music on Saturday night from 6:30 to 8:30 at the Alley Spring Mill and at 8:00 at Echo Bluff State Park. The renowned Baker Family from Birch Tree will perform on the banks of Alley Spring in front of the historic Alley Mill. Alley Mill will be open for visitation during the event and a special tour will be held at 7:30 that night. At Echo Bluff State Park Saturday night, Salem’s own Michael Conners will be performing at the outdoor amphitheater starting at 8:00. Visitors are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or lawn blanket. Bring a snack to enjoy while listening.

Dent County Prosecutor Andrew Curley released two reports on cases heard in front of Judge Michael Randazzo Tuesday in Dent County. In the first case heard, Dale Porrier of Salem pled guilty to the possession of a controlled substance for methamphetamine. Porrier was sentenced to five years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. He had two prior felony findings of guilt. In the second case heard, Caleb Halbrook of Salem pled guilty to two counts of the possession of a controlled substance and two more felony counts for the passing of bad checks. At the sentencing hearing, Prosecutor Curley sought a ten-year sentence under State Statute 559.115 due to the defendants three prior felony convictions. Halbrook sought probation. Over the objection of the state, the defendant was granted a ten-year suspended execution of his sentence with a probation period of five years that comes with all the standard terms of probation with an emphasis on getting substance abuse treatment.

The Salem Board of Aldermen met Tuesday evening in the City Hall Council Chambers. The board approved Bill #3508 to establish a monthly electric service availability charge of $15 for commercial customers and $10 for residential customers for one year with those funds going into the electric reserve fund, plus a 13.14 cent per kilowatt hour rate for everyone with a minimum commercial charge of $52.58 and a minimum residential charge of $26.28. This charge will become effective for the bills for the July 15th through August 15th electric consumption. The board approved Bill #3509 to amend the 2021-2022 fiscal year annual budget to increase total intergovernmental transfers from $1,050,769 to $1,487,074; then approved Bill #3510 approving the City of Salem annual budget for 2022-2023 fiscal year starting July 1st. The new budget has a reduction in workforce, another $290,000 cut from the General Revenue Fund, the removal of the $1,500 deductible reimbursement to employees along with no cost-of-living adjustments or merit increases. The new fiscal year will have anticipated revenues of $14,606,126 with expenses expected to be $14,256,371 with intergovernmental transfers of $2,142,542. The board approved Resolution #20-2022 to extend the contract with Godi Excavating, LLC for the certified work site at the industrial park through October 15th. Mayor Greg Parker recommended that Thomas Relford and Kevin James be added to the Finance Committee, and Wanda Henson to the Housing Authority Board of Commissioners and the board approved the recommended appointments. The board heard from Ewell Lawson, the Chief Financial Officer of Missouri Public Utility Alliance, who talked about utilities owned by local communities. He said utilities under local control fair better than those cities served by corporations or large companies driven by profits. He said MPUA provides training for linemen and advocacy services as well as emergency services through their sister cities. Chief Markets Officer Rebecca Atkins discussed how the alliance shops for the best available rates for their power pools as the alliance is a “pass through” system to the communities. She said the MPUA rates last year during the February cold snap were about 1/3rd less than other utility providers. Because the MPUA is a not-for-profit organization, they are able to look for the best value from all suppliers to keep costs as affordable as possible. City Administrator Ray Walden said the contract with People Centric has been suspended due to the budget cuts, but the board heard from Don Harkey on how the city should continue with their strategic planning steering committee, have a long-term vision, and forecast their needed revenues and expenses. Walden said the city offices will be closed on Monday, Independence Day; and everyone is invited to the parade Monday at 6:00 downtown and the fireworks at The Commons Monday night around 9:30. Walden said the city received a rebate check of $7,500 from Connell Insurance for the city’s Workman’s Comp insurance due to the lack of claims. The reduction of claims will also result in a reduction of premium of about $32,000. Mayor Greg Parker thanked the city staff and board for the hard work put in on the budget and understanding the tough decisions that had to be made. Public Works Director Mark Nash said he talked with the department heads about the staff reductions and how they will persevere. He said there were 95 disconnects Monday morning with 55 of them reconnected before the end of the day Tuesday. Salem and Dent County Economic Development Director Sally Burbridge showed the board the certified site application notebook and said signatures for the first two rounds of the ‘Welcome Home Program” have been secured. She said more applications from veterans are still needed, but the applicants must live in a house and not a mobile home and live within the city limits. Building Inspector Jarrod Brown said two of the three mobile home parks that have submitted their application for a license renewal, but he could only recommend the park at 701 South Pershing for approval. The other mobile home park who applied still needs come cleaning up before they can be approved. License renewal is due June 30th. The board approved a conditional use permit for an AT&T Cell Tower that was to be located at 1702 Doss Road, but Sherman Odom said AT&T has to meet with the Indian Council yet and they do not think the council will grant them permission to build the tower at that location. Odom said he may back applying for a new location depending on their decision. The board then went into closed session.

The July Fourth holiday weekend is a great opportunity to enjoy one of Missouri’s recreational opportunities or a backyard barbecue. Colonel Eric T. Olson, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, reminds Missouri’s travelers to make smart choices for a safe July Fourth holiday. Everyone should place safety at the top of their list when planning how to celebrate our nation’s freedoms. No matter how you decide to spend the long weekend, your smartest choice is to follow all Missouri traffic and boating laws. During the 2021 counting period, seven people were killed and 532 injured in Missouri over the holiday in 1,139 traffic crashes. Over the 2021 July Fourth holiday, troopers arrested 80 people for driving while intoxicated. The 2022 counting period for the July Fourth holiday will be from 6:00 Friday evening July 1through midnight on Monday July 4th. The Highway Patrol will be participating in Operation C.A.R.E. (Crash Awareness & Reduction Effort) over the July Fourth holiday weekend. All available troopers will be patrolling Missouri roadways to enforce traffic laws and offering assistance as needed. Anyone needing assistance or who witnesses criminal activity while traveling on Missouri’s roadways can contact the nearest Highway Patrol troop headquarters by calling the Patrol Emergency Report Line at 1-800-525-5555 or *55 on a cellular phone.

Dent County Collector Shannon VanKirk wants to remind anyone who has delinquent real estate taxes from 2019, you will need to pay them IN FULL by THURSDAY, June 30th at the collector’s office in the courthouse from 8:00 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon. If you don’t pay them by that date, on July 1st, your real estate taxes from the years 2019, 2020 and 2021 will be declared due by Friday, August 19th. If not paid by then, your real estate parcel will be sold at the delinquent tax sale that will be held on the courthouse square on Monday, August 22nd. From July 1st on, check payments will no longer be accepted so you would need to pay with cash, cashier’s check or money order. If you are not sure this applies to you or you do not understand how the system works, please call the Dent County Collector’s Office at 729-3911 with any questions you may have or stop by the Dent County Courthouse. Also as of July 1st, an additional $25 per parcel will be added to the tax bill to pay for the advertising costs in the Salem News. Again, only the 2019 taxes must be paid IN FULL by Thursday, June 30th to give you another whole year to pay the other outstanding years. If you have any questions, call the collector’s office at 729-3911.

The Dent County Sheriff’s office has released some reports. On Saturday June 18th, a deputy responded to Salem Memorial District Hospital for a reported dog bite injury. During the investigation, it was determined that a juvenile had been bitten by a dog on Dent County Road 2480. An investigation was conducted, and the dog was placed on a 10-day quarantine. Then on Monday, June 20th, a deputy investigated a report of a stolen vehicle from Highway 68. It was revealed that an unknown subject or subjects removed a 1999 Jeep from the location without permission of the owner. The investigation is ongoing. On Wednesday, June 22nd, a deputy responded to Dent County Road 4080 for a reported trespassing complaint. During the investigation, it was determined that unknown subjects entered into a resident through an unlocked window. No items were reported stolen or damaged. The investigation into the subjects’ identities is still ongoing. Later that evening, deputies responded to the 39000 block of Highway 72 for a reported wanted subject. A 42-year-old Salem man was arrested on an outstanding Douglas County warrant. He was transported to the Dent County Jail where he later posted bond and was released. Then on Friday, June 24th, deputies responded to the 300 block of South Jackson Street for a reported wanted subject. During the investigation, a 23-year-old Salem man was arrested on three outstanding warrants. He was transported to the Dent County Jail where he was incarcerated on the warrants. If you have any information regarding an ongoing investigation, call the Dent County Sheriff’s Department at 729-3241.

Dent County Prosecutor Andrew Curley released three reports on cases heard in front of Judge Michael Randazzo Friday in Dent County. In the first case, Cheri Sturdivant of Salem pled guilty to the distribution of meth and the possession of meth and oxycodone. Sturdivant’s probation was revoked, and she was sentenced to serve ten years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. Also on Friday, Judge Randazzo sentenced Danny Beyer of Salem to serve seven years in the department of corrections under State Statute 559.115 for a felony DWI. Randazzo also revoked the probation for the possession of a controlled substance for Michaela Hamilton of Salem. Hamilton was sentenced to serve seven years in the department of corrections under State Statute 559.115 with a 120-day institutional treatment program.

An accident happened Sunday evening just before 5:00 in Franklin County on westbound Interstate 44 at the 229.2 mile-marker. According to the report released by the highway west on the Interstate. Another vehicle began to make a lane change into the lane the Camry patrol a 2009 Toyota Camry being driven by 29-year-old Justin Strickland of Rolla was traveling was driving in. This caused Strickland to lose control and travel through the median and overturn in the eastbound lanes. A 2012 Dodge Ram 3500 being driven eastbound of 37-year-old Larry Bruns of Foristell swerved to avoid the Camry but was struck from debris from the Toyota. Strickland suffered moderate injuries. A passenger, 30-year-old Catlin Hughes of Rolla also received moderate injuries. Another passenger, a 6-year-old boy also of Rolla suffered minor injuries. All three were taken by ambulance to Missouri Baptist Hospital in Sullivan for treatment of their injuries. The report went on to state that all involved were wearing safety restraints at the time of the accident. The Toyota was totaled and removed from the scene by Patriot Towing. The Dodge was able to be driven from the scene.