Local News

The Salem Memorial Hospital regular board meeting was held Tuesday evening in the hospital library. The hospital held a public hearing prior to the meeting to determine their tax rate for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023. New CFO Doug Hoban showed the aggregate assessed valuation for Dent, Crawford, Shannon and Iron counties that make up the district coming in at just over $285,500,000. The hospital has taken the maximum rate allowed by the state and that again was 24 cents per $100 assessed valuation. The income with this rate for the hospital would be about $685,524. The rate was approved by the board through a resolution. In the regular meeting, Interim CEO Jason Edwards, who has been with the hospital nearly 20 years, said he was vested in the hospital through family tradition and wants that family atmosphere to continue to grow. Throughout the meeting, Edwards referred to family in his description of future events to strengthen the hospital. Edwards said FORVIS will be assisting the hospital with data collection and training for the Delta Regional Community Health Systems Development Program on Revenue Cycle and Physician Practice Assessments. He said FORVIS will start their audit of the hospital on September 25th and the hospital has already started working on the Healthcare Services Corp re-certification which is due in December. Edwards said the hospital anniversary week will be September 11th through the 15th and the security badge reader software upgrade has been installed. Edwards also said an RHG Billing Service Agreement was signed and was effective August 23rd to help with a smooth transition. Before discussing the summary of operations for the month, the hospital board took time to recognize long time hospital employee Dennis Skiles who had passed away earlier Tuesday. For the month of July, CFO Doug Hoban reported hospital admissions were 97 which included 5 Swingbed admissions with a total of 296 patient census days. In July, there were 1,309 Outpatient Registrations, 1,054 Cardiopulmonary Procedures, 7,229 Lab Tests, 1,145 Radiology Procedures, 537 Rehabilitation Treatments, 24 Surgical Procedures, and 211 Home Health Visits. There were 635 Emergency Room visits with 58 patients being admitted. A total of 241 ambulance runs were made with 172 patients being transported and 69 dry runs. The hospital had an excess of expenses over revenues for July of $207,984 with a loss from operations of $225,365. Days cash on hand increased to 37 from 34 the previous month. The 340B plan showed revenues over expenses for July of $50,471. CNO Ashley Sullins said the hospital is looking for full-time directors in Home Health and Dialysis, and still has five other full time nursing openings. She reported the Long-Term Care facility was inspected on a Sunday and came away with a very good report with a couple of minor deficiencies. They will be getting their official letter in ten days. In the hospital foundation report, their board set the “Dancing with the Salem Stars” date for February 24th at the high school gym, accepted the resignation of Dru Howard and elected Conrad Prugh as treasurer. They voted to remove Wayne Reid, Joe Ann Hammond and Dru Howard from the foundation checking account and add Conrad Prugh and Jason Edwards. They also approved transferring $10,000 to the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. The board talked about the continued search for matching funds for the State Grant to do kitchen drain repair, roof repair, and parking lot repair as well as renovations to the clinic. Edwards said he has met with all the directors and is working on the Capital Budget and will have it at the next meeting. The board discussed retiring the hospital COVID policy, but the motion died as members of the board would like to have the policy stay active until 2024. However, the board thought it needed some revision and a “revised” policy will be brought up at the next meeting. Board President Ray Bruno asked for two board members to volunteer for the finance committee. New members Zach Moser and Leigh Ann Price both volunteered to fill the open positions. The board then approved removing A.J. Seay, Judy Thompson and Wayne Reid from the bank signature cards and adding Ray Bruno, Wanda Tatum, Jason and Doug. The board then went into closed session.

Missouri State Parks representatives will be on hand to provide information and to answer questions the public may have during an open houses and town hall-style meetings at Montauk State Park near Salem at 6:00 tonight at the amphitheater. Input from the public is important to Missouri State Parks. The meeting will inform the public on the current status and future plans for the park or historic site and offer visitors the opportunity to comment on the facilities. For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com.

A Native Grass Pasture Walk will be held Friday from 2:00 until 5:00 in the afternoon in Davisville presented by the University Extension. This pasture walk will look at Native grass stands that have been grazed during a drought. Participants will look at different year’s stands and see how producers can incorporate native warm season grass and introduced cool season grass together. Plenty of opportunity to ask questions on grazing and establishment. Interested persons can register online at extension.missouri.edu or by calling the Crawford County Extension office at 573-775-2135. They will give you driving directions to reach the pasture walk. The program is FREE.

The SHS School Spirit Parade will be held Friday night at 6:30 starting from near the City of Salem Administrative Building. The parade will move down 4th Street, then onto 3rd street and continue on to Bill Schuchardt Stadium on the Salem High School campus. All teams, clubs and businesses are welcome to join. The lineup will begin at 6:15 on the East Salem hill.

TODAY is the first day of school in Salem. It’s important that drivers be prepared for the change in traffic patterns as students begin another year of instruction. Motorists need to be patient with school busses, parents dropping off their children, and teenagers driving to school for the first time. Whatever route you drive, expect this additional traffic and prepare by allowing extra time to reach your destination. Watch your speed especially near school zones, playgrounds and crosswalks when schools are in session as many school zones have a special speed during school hours that is enforced. Expect pedestrian and bicycle traffic to increase near schools on days where the weather is good. Remember the rules for school busses. Missouri law states that on a two-lane road, if a school bus is stopped and displaying warning signals while loading or unloading children, drivers must stop when meeting and following the bus. However, it is only necessary to stop on a four-lane highway when following the bus. Drivers, when you see a stopped school bus, stay alert and follow the law. Children may not be aware of traffic and dart unexpectedly into the roadway. Students walking to school should stay alert! Cross the street at intersections or marked crosswalks and never between parked cars. Use sidewalks when they are available. For those teenagers who are driving to school, parents need to remind them driving is a full-time job. Using a cell phone or texting is now illegal for everyone so remind them to put the phone down while driving, but friends or adjusting the radio can also be the distraction that leads to a traffic crash.

The Dent County Commissioners held their 2023 tax rate hearing Monday morning at 10:00 at the courthouse. Amanda Sapaugh was present at the public hearing. The General Revenue tax rate for 2022 was $0.00 per $100 assessed valuation. The commissioners approved the new rate for 2023 of $0.0003 per $100 assessed valuation. There was some confusion on the Senate Bill 40 Fund maximum allowed rate. Amanda Sapaugh representing the SB 40 Board said their board wanted to increase their rate to 17.6 cents per $100 assessed valuation as shown on their documentation, but the form Dent County Clerk Angie Curley received showed the maximum rate calculated by the state was 13.41 cents per $100 assessed valuation. That rate was later verified by the state and the SB 40 board then asked the commission to accept the maximum allowed at $.1341. The Commission accept her request. The Road and Bridge Fund last year was 25.50 cents and the commission approved leaving it the same at 25.50 cents per $100 assessed valuation for 2023. The Senior Citizen Service Fund tax rate for 2022 came in at 4.80 cents per $100 assessed valuation and their board requested to leave the rate of 4.80 cents per $100 assessed valuation. The request was unanimously approved by the commission. The hearing was then adjourned.

The Salem Board of Aldermen met Tuesday night at Council Chambers. Officer Chris Robbins asked the board for the closing of 4th Street from 5:00 until 8:00 Halloween night for a community ”Trunk or Treat” which was approved as was the request by Dottie Steelman for the closing of streets the “Tiger Parade” Friday night before the first game. After the financials were presented by Stacey Houston, the board appointed Dean Jones to serve a five-year term on the Enhanced Enterprise Zone Board. The Board approved the three-year sanitation bid from WCA that will no longer include recycling, and the board approved the Preventive Maintenance Agreement with Vandivanter Engineering for lift stations and pumps as presented by Public Works Director Mark Nash. After the public hearing on the tax rate, the board read Bill #3555 for the first time that would set the tax rate for the 2023 year at 67.50 cents per $100 assessed valuation. The board also read for the first time Bill #3557 authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with WCA for waste collection for the next three years. A total of twelve more bills were read for the first time include bills to amend the fees charged by the city for sewer hook-ups, water hook-ups, and electric hook-ups. Approved by the alderman were bill #3556 which is a conflict of interest disclosure policy, the subdivision of 501 North Washington and 1506 South MacArthur, and allowing the rezoning of 903 West Scenic Rivers Blvd be changed from Residential R-1 to Commercial C-1. City Administrator Sally Burbridge spoke on the electronic and tire recycling event on September 9th at 3rd and Grand Streets. Mayor Greg Parker said the Salem Rodeo will be Labor Day Weekend at the Commons and Healthy Dent County’s “Girls Night Out” will be September 14th. Public Works Director Mark Nash said crews are working to keep up with mowing properties and clearing overgrowth. He said new school crossing signs will be installed when they arrive. Alderman Kyle Williams reminded people to use local cooling centers to stay out of the heat. The board then went into closed session.

Missouri State Parks is excited to announce that Campground Loop 4 at Montauk State Park will reopen for two weeks, now through September 4th. The loop was taken out of service earlier this summer for a construction project to upgrade the electric service from 30 amp to 50 amp; the project will begin September 5th. All but six of the loop’s 27 campsites are now available to be reserved. Montauk State Park is located at 345 State Road 6670 in Salem, and offers a great place to fish for trout. 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.

Excessive heat this week could mean the City of Salem electric utility might set a new peak from today through Friday, August 25th. There is no specific action required at this time, but things could change quickly. The city is asking that all electric utility customers conserve or reduce your electrical usage as much as reasonably possible. The Missouri Public Utility Alliance, the City of Salem’s electrical supplier, is not seeing huge price increases or reliability concerns at this time. A peak warning means there is a chance that a new peak could be set for City of Salem electric customers. Although there are no electric market supply and demand issues right now, setting a new peak does have consequences. Setting a new peak demand would have cost impacts on the cost to the city to purchase power and that would be reflected on your utility bill moving forward. For tips and ideas on how to conserve electricity and reduce your monthly utility bill check out the “Summer Home Efficiency Tips from MPUA” available on the City’s website at www.salemmo.com. The City appreciates everyone’s understanding and assistance in keeping electric usage as low as possible during this time of excessive heat. For questions about your bill or usage call the Utility Office at 729-4117.

The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting at the Dent County Courthouse Monday morning. Salem City Administrator Sally Burbridge talked with the county commission about the Enhanced Enterprise Zone Board Meeting Wednesday at 5:30 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory. She was asking if the commission would consider re-appointing Dean Jones to the board for another five-year term and the commission approved her request. Burbridge said the board is still missing a person representing a tax entity. The meeting Wednesday is open to the public. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said rock would be added and grading finished on Dent County Road 5170. He said rock would also be added and grading done on county road 5070 while only grading would be done on county roads 2450 and 5530. He stated brush would be cut on Dent County Roads 6370 and 6400, while rock will be added to county road 5460. Mobray went on to report some low hanging limbs on Dent County Roads 2460 and 5040 will be trimmed. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk indicated that rock would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 2120 and 2130. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson attended the Tourism Tax Commission meeting Monday night and plans to attend the Enhanced Enterprise Zone Board meeting on Wednesday. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported on the Missouri Association of Counties Board of Directors meeting she attended last week where she was updated on legislative issues and more. Corky Stack from AES attended the meeting and said Trim Lights accepted the $45,000 county offer and will move forward with ordering the material for the Christmas Lights to be installed. Stack brought with him the samples of color of the metal tracking as well as paint samples to match the brick. He said the man from St. James who can powder coat the metal strips has reduced his price to no more than $1,200 but would probably be under $1,000. Since none of the track samples provided by Stack were close to the color of the brick, the commission agreed to have the metal strips powder coated for the additional cost. He will have the change order ready by Thursday for the lights and powder coating. The next meeting of the commission will be Thursday morning at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.

The Salem Memorial Hospital will hold their tax rate hearing at 5:45 this evening at the hospital library. The assessed valuation from real estate and personal property in the hospital district is $288,866,898, down from $291,942,497 in 2022. The current tax rate for the district is 24 cents per $100 assessed valuation and that is what the hospital will be asking for again this year. If approved, taxes would account for approximately $683,854. Following the hearing, the board will hold their regular meeting at 6:00 in the hospital library. Interim Administrator Jason Edwards will give his report before the board hears the summary of operations for the month of July as well as statistics. They will also hear about the 340B program, hear the Chief Nursing Officer report, hear a Human Resources update and hear about the hospital foundation. The board will discuss marketing and community relations before talking about the state and matching fund update for a capital improvement, a strategic planning update, the capital budget review and revisit the COVID Vaccination policy. In new business, the board will have to make new appointments to the finance committee and also change the bank account signatures. The board may then vote to go into closed session. The Salem Memorial Hospital Tax Rate Hearing and Board of Directors meeting are open to the public.

The Salem Board of Aldermen will have a tax rate hearing as part of their regular meeting to be held tonight at the City Hall Council Chambers beginning at 6:00. The tax rate for the current year is 67.46 cents per $100 assessed valuation and the city is expected to raise that to the maximum allowed by the state of 67.50 cents per $100 assessed valuation. The board will hear requests from officer Chris Robbins from another ‘trunk or Treat” in downtown Salem on Halloween, and from Dottie Steelman to close off streets for the Opening Night Tiger Parade this Friday night. The board will discuss new requests for services outside the city limits and City Treasurer Stacey Houston will give the financial reports. The board will re-appoint Dean Jones to the Enhanced Enterprise Zone Board before reviewing the sanitation service bid from WCA and discuss a Preventive Maintenance Agreement with Vandivanter Engineering for lift stations and pumps. A number of bills will be read for the first time before four bills will be read for the second time to create ordinances on a conflict of interest disclosure, allowing the subdivision of 1506 South MacArthur, allowing the subdivision of 501 North Washington, and allowing the rezoning of 903 West Scenic Rivers Blvd be changed from Residential R-1 to Commercial C-1. After report from the city officials, the board will go into closed session for contracts and possible litigation. The hearing and meeting are open to the public.

An accident happened on Highway 137 about four miles south of Licking Saturday night at 10:34 that left five people with injuries. According to the highway patrol report, a 2012 Mazda MZ2 driven southbound by 61-year-old Deanna Moon of Raymondville, traveled off the right side of the roadway. Moon overcorrected and the Mazda crossed over the center line and struck a 2009 Honda Motorcycle head-on being operated by 41-year-old Larry Krewson of Licking. Krewson suffered serious injuries and was taken by Air-Evac to the University Hospital in Columbia. Moon and three juvenile children from Raymondville including two females age 10 and 12, and a male age 11, all suffered minor injuries and were taken to the Texas County Memorial Hospital by the Texas County Ambulamce. Everyone in the Mazda was wearing a safety device at the time of the accident. The Honda was totaled while the Mazda sustained extensive damages. Both were removed from the scene by Jay’s Automotive.

An accident happened Friday afternoon at 12:40 in Shannon County on Highway 106 about five miles east of Eminence. According to the highway patrol report, a 2003 Harley Davidson Motorcycle driven eastbound by 48-year old Westley Blackwell of Ellington, ran off the right side of the roadway and went about 30 feet down the embankment before coming to rest in some thick brush. Blackwell was ejected and came to rest nearby with serious injuries. Shannon County First Responders and the Eminence Area Volunteer Fire Department personnel treated Blackwell at the scene. A “Stokes litter”, which is a backboard inside a metal mesh basket, was used to lift him up to the roadside, which took a lot of hard work by volunteers from several agencies. A Mercy Life Line helicopter landed on the roadway and Blackwell was was transported by air to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. The highway patrol was assisted on the scene by Mercy EMS, the Shannon County First Responders, the Eminence Area Volunteer Fire Department, the Shannon County Sheriff’s Department and the Missouri Department of Conservation. Blackwell was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. The motorcycle was removed from the scene by Baker’s Towing of Birch Tree.

An accident happened Saturday afternoon just after 1:12 in Phelps County on Highway 72 about four miles south of Rolla. According to the highway patrol report, the accident occurred as a 2007 Ford F-250 being driven southbound by 46-year-old Linda Ketzler of Salem, and a 2021 Ford F-150 driven southbound by 71-year-old Barbara Hamilton of Rolla, were both stopped in traffic. At that time, a 2008 Chevy Tahoe being driven by 18-year-old Levi Stoner of Salem, struck the backside of the Ketzler 2007 Ford F-250 causing it to strike the 2021 Ford F-150 driven by Hamilton. Linda Ketzler suffered minor injuries and was taken to Phelps Health for treatment; while a passenger in the Ford F-250, 26-year-old Codie Ketzler of Salem, also suffered minor injuries but chose to seek her own treatment. The Tahoe and the F-250 were totaled in the accident. The Tahoe was removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing while the Ford F-250 was removed by American Muffler and Towing. The F-150 sustained moderate damage but was driven from the scene. Seat restraints were worn by everyone in the accident.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education met Thursday evening at the R-80 board room. After holding the tax rate hearing where the board approved the same rate as last year: $2.75 tax rate and $0.45 for debt service, Dr. Lynne Reed discussed the survey results from the community engagement survey where they received 100 responses. She said the school is going through the punch list on the ‘Tin Gym” project and it is all but complete. Assistant Superintendent Nathan Wills discussed “Tiger Training” for the new teachers which was over two days to acclimate new instructors to the district. The building principals all gave their reports. Dr. Herman Blau said Kindergarten enrollment was at 114 students and three para-professional positions have now been filled. Upper Elementary Principal Brenden Piatt said enrollment was at 334 students with 30 new students to the district, while Middle School Principal Rachel Green said there 246 students enrolled that included 44 new students. High School Principal Jody Heavin said 650 students are enrolled which is up from the 580 students from last year. Athletic Director Clay Moody said work on the baseball field will begin this week and the school may have to cancel home track meets this year due to issues with the inside lane. IT Director Brian Andrews discussed RFP’s for a new camera security that will be paid for by a $120,000 grant. Instead of having the company reps present the proposals, Andrews was asked to summarize the proposals for the board. He discussed the Digital Watchdog RFP as was well two RFP’s on the Motorola Vigilant system. The board agreed to go with the Vigilant system Thursday night, but there was some concern Friday that the board did not get enough information on the systems with just a summary. After a special board meeting Friday, the board rescinded that motion for approval and will hear more information about all the systems at the September meeting. The board approved the preliminary 2022-23 Annual Secretary of the Board Report, approved the Conflict of Interest ordinance, approved the formal Letter of Engagement with Gilmore Bell for bond financial guidance, and approved the Construction Trades contract with some amendments. The declaration of surplus property was postponed until September and the board had the first reading of the MSBA Policy update. Missouri passed a new law where schools must test their drinking water at fountains and cooking stations for lead, so the board approved a service contract with “Get the Lead Out, LLC.” This must be done by December to see what, if any, action needs to be done. The board made no decision on the “Gift of Life” organ donation program, and postponed a decision on the CACFP contract until the next meeting. The board did approved the Discovery School contract for two students to go to Rolla. In closed session, the board approved a three-year contract with Dr. Nathan Wills for him to become the new superintendent starting with the 2024-25 year. They also approved to amend the food service manager salary schedule and they approved authorizing an offer on real estate property. The district approved four volunteers to help coach football. They include Jimmy Decker for high school football, Phillip Mercer for freshman football, and Nick Gover and Jerry Creek for middle school football. The meeting was then adjourned.

The Dent County Commissioners met Thursday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 5170 and 5520 while only grading would be done on county road 2460. He said brush would be cut on county road 6400 and rock would be added to county road 6250. Mobray also reported the county has received a grant through the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District that will allow for the pickup of old used tires from county trucks, as well as tires that have been collected from roadside ditches that were not properly disposed of by citizens. Mobray said the county has about 200 old tires at the Road and Bridge Department that will be removed. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk said grading would be done on Dent County Roads 2313, 2320, 2390 and 2403. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson discussed along with the electronic pickup for anything with a cord or battery that will be held on September 9th at 3rd and Grand here in Salem, the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District will also be collecting tires for a small charge from 9:00 in the morning until noon. They will accept your old wore out passenger tires for $2.00 each, truck tires for $7.50 and tractor tires for $35 each. If you have any questions, please contact the MRPC at 265-2993 and ask for Jill Hollowell. Corky Stack from AES Engineering was in to speak with the commission about a change in the price for the Christmas Lights for the courthouse. Stack said he told the commission Monday the cost for the lighting system, tracking and installation would be $42,000 which the commission approved after a presentation. Stack said that figure was derived from a phone conversation held last Friday with Trim Lights where Stack provided some information and received a “ballpark” price. The owner had not yet discussed the project with Jared Barnard who was in town Monday for the presentation to the commission and to assess the project. After reviewing the building and assessing what the commission wanted, Stack said the price was increased to $49,800 because of additional wiring, tracking and transformers that would be needed, but he was able to negotiate that price down $3,000 because the crews would be able to use the scaffolding provided by the general contractor. He said the new cost would be $46,800, which is an increase of $4,800, and if the county wanted the edge tracking to match the brick color on the building, they would need to be powder coated at a cost of about $2,400 bring the cost to $49,200. The commission wanted to think about the change in price. Stack said he checked out another company who does this type of light replacement, but the reviews on their product are not very good. Stack also said he checked into the lightning protection for the courthouse that was requested by the commission and said the cost would be around $7,620. The commission approved the lightning protection be added to the project by a 3-0 vote. Stack also stated he still did not have the actual bid from the electrical contractor yet but expected it an any time. After Stack left to visit with the contractor, the commission discussed the change in the price on the lights. The current lighting system is no longer a viable option as the wires have deteriorated and the lights are harder to replace. The county has been spending anywhere from $3,000 to $6,000 per year over the last few years making repairs to the lights that will not last, and felt the increase in price with the lifetime warranty on the lights and savings from not having to make repairs need to weigh in on the decision. The commission discussed the project further and approved by a 3-0 vote to offer Trim Lights $45,000 for the project, and they would look at the different colors of tracking offered by the company to see if the powder coating was actually necessary. Stack was called back into the meeting and was informed of the offer by the commission. He felt he could get Trim Lights to do the work for $45,000. The next meeting of the commission will be Monday at 9:00 at the courthouse and it is open to the public.

The Salem Police has released reports for the week of August 5th to August 11th where there were a total of 107 calls for service. Officers with the Salem Police Department conducted 12 traffic stops for various traffic violations with three resulting in a summons or arrest. Officers conducted two traffic accident investigations along with three informational reports. On Sunday, August 6th at approximately 3:00 in the morning, officers were dispatched to the 1300 block of Iron Mountain Road for a report of a domestic disturbance. It was reported that a male subject was intoxicated causing issues in the residence. After investigating the incident, the 38-year-old Salem man was placed on a 12-hour safe-keep. Later that same morning around 6:00, officers were dispatched to the 600 block of North Pershing for a report of a subject that appeared to be under the influence of narcotics. Officers investigated the situation and located the man. During a search of his person, the Salem Police located methamphetamine as well as methamphetamine paraphernalia. As a result of the search, a 44-year-old Salem man was arrested and incarcerated at the Dent County Jail. Later that Sunday afternoon at around 4:00, officers on patrol located a female subject who had an active capias warrant out of the Dent County Sheriff’s Office. As a result, 23-year old Destiny Woods of Salem, was arrested and incarcerated at the Dent County Jail. At around 10:30 on the morning of Tuesday, August 8th, officers located a male subject who had a $500 cash only warrant for his arrest out of the Dent County Sheriff’s Office. As a result 40-year-old Herbert Bartlett of Salem, was arrested and incarcerated at the Dent County Jail. On Wednesday, August 9th near 11:30 in the morning, officers took a report of a shoplifting at Walmart. It was reported that approximately $40 of merchandise was stolen. That report is still under investigation. Please contact the Salem Police Department at (573) 729-4242 if you have any information regarding an ongoing investigation.

Tuesday night at a special board meeting in the hospital library, the Salem Memorial Hospital’s board of directors appointed two new members to fill the vacancies of A.J. Seay from District 6 and Willie Strader from District 4. Seay and Strader had resigned their positions earlier this month. Those selected to fill those vacancies were Dr. Leigh Ann Price in District 6 and Zach Moser in District 4. Chris Holliday in District 6 and David Kerr in District 4 were also interviewed by the board before the final appointments were made.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education will hold their tax rate hearing tonight at the Salem R-80 Board Room. The assessed valuation went from a total of $78,528,420 real estate and personal property in 2022-2023 to $79,232,570 in 2023-2024. Also noted that new construction and improvements in 2022-2023 were $510,420 and that went up to $1,006,140 in 2023-2024. The real estate assessed values increased during that time while the personal property assessed values actually decreased from 2022-23 to 2023-24 by about $660,000. With this information, the Salem R-80 School District for the 2023-24 school year will receive $2,178,896 from the proposed school tax rate levy of $2.75 per $100 assessed valuation and another $356,547 from the proposed debt service amount of $0.45 per $100 assessed valuation. This is just about $22,500 more than for the 2022-23 school year. These proposed tax rate rates are the same as they were for the 2022-2023 school year. The regular meeting will then follow. After the reports from Superintendent Dr. Lynne Reed and Dr. Nathan Wills, the board will hear from the principals of each building as well as other special reports. In new business, the board will give preliminary approval of the 2022-23 annual secretary of the board report, plus approve the conflict of interest ordinance, approve the letter of engagement with Gilmore Bell and approve the construction trades contract. The board will also declare surplus property to include the old phone system as well as a freezer, plus consider responses to the RFP for a security camera system. The board will hear the first reading of the MSBA policy update and approve a service agreement with “Get The Lead Out LLC”, and consider the Gift of Life program. The board may then vote to go into closed session to discuss personnel and real estate. The tax rate hearing at 5:30 and the meeting to follow this evening are both open to the public.

An accident occurred in Phelps County Tuesday afternoon at 4:30 at 17120 Phelps County Road 7360. According to the highway patrol report, a 17-year-old female juvenile from Newburg, was driving a westbound 1999 Mazda Protege when she lost control and overcorrected causing the Mazda to strike an embankment and overturn. The juvenile suffered minor injuries and was taken to Phelps Health by a private vehicle. According to the report, the driver was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Mazda was totaled and taken to the owner’s address by D & D Towing.

The Creative Arts Center will be hosting a Hummingbird Paint and Sip event this Friday night from 6:00 to 8:00 with Danielle Norris. Grab your favorite beverages and head to the Creative Arts Center for a fun and relaxing night of painting beautiful birds. The artist will take you step by step through this painting. A minimum of six must sign up with a limit of 25 people for the event. The cost of the class is $25. An additional $5 charge will be added for those who pay at the door. Interested persons can sign up online under “Programs” at the salemcommunitybetterment.com website. You can also check out the other activities at the Creative Arts Center.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is still accepting entries for the 2023 Photo Contest, but time is running out! The deadline to submit photos is September 1st. Entries can include images from anywhere in Missouri, featuring beautiful natural resources, unique state parks and historic sites, natural phenomena, outdoor recreation, scenic landscapes, weather, wildlife and people enjoying the outdoors. Contestants can submit entries in the following categories: “Natural Resources” that includes photographs of Missouri’s air, landscapes and waterways; “Unique Places” such as photographs taken within one of Missouri’s state parks and historic sites which can be found by visiting the website mostateparks.com; or “People Enjoying Missouri’s Outdoors” includes photographs of people enjoying and exploring Missouri’s great outdoors. Judges will choose first, second, third and honorable mention winners for each category. Winning entries will be featured on the department’s social media platforms. For more information or to submit photos, visit dnr.mo.gov/photo-contest.

Ozark National Scenic Riverways will host a one-day workshop about the basics of fly fishing for youth between the ages of 12 and 16 this Sunday at the Akers Visitor Center. These free workshops are limited to 10 youth participants and at least one parent or guardian for each youth. Reservations are required. Park Ranger Mark Van Patten will lead the workshops and demonstrate various fly rod casting techniques, proper catch and release techniques, and strategies for fly presentation. Instruction will also include lessons on aquatic entomology, recommended equipment, reading the water, and understanding flies. Fly rods and reels will be available for those who do not have their own. The book Fly Fishing A-Z will be provided. The clinics are expected to last the full day. Participants should bring the following: Valid Missouri fishing permit and trout stamp if 16 years or older. A Trout Stamp is required for all ages, if under 16 the cost is $5.00. Waders or something to wear while wading but no open-toed shoes. A hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, bug spray, lunch and water. This workshop is made possible through the support of the Ozark Riverways Foundation and a grant from the National Park Foundation. For more information or to make reservation, please contact the Pulltite Ranger Station at (573) 858-3397.

Dent County Fire Protection District Fire Chief Brad Nash released the following information concerning the fire at Dewayne’s Tire Services (800 S MacArthur Ave in Salem) Friday evening. The Dent County Fire Protection District responded to a commercial structure fire on MacArthur Ave Friday evening. When we arrived on scene we found heavy smoke coming from the building. Due to the heavy fire load in the building a decision was made to call Lenox Fire, Rolla City Fire and Cuba Fire for mutual aid. Also on the scene was the Missouri Fire Marshal’s office, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Salem Memorial District Hospital Ambulance, Salem Police Department, Salem Electric Department, Salem Water Department, Dent County Sheriff’s office, Whitaker Towing, American Automotive & Towing and Chilton Oil Company. I apologize if there was anyone that I missed! There was a total of 50 personnel on scene to assist in different areas of the fire. Emergency personnel were on scene for approximately 10 hours. The Dent County Fire Protection District would like to thank the agencies that came to assist in the fire. We would also like to say thank you to all the citizens that brought water and food to the scene. You have no idea how much that means to us! Also, if you dropped off coolers at the fire scene please contact us at 573-729-3250, describe your cooler and we will make sure it gets returned to you. Thank you for all the prayers for the safety of the emergency service workers and please continue to pray for the family that lost their business.

The free back-to-school bash will be today, Thursday and Friday from 5:00 to 9:00 each evening at The Commons. There will be back to school supplies, games, food, prizes, and much more. Come and enjoy the presentation by Todd Keane and The Power Team 2.0. The event is sponsored by community churches and fellowships. For more information or a ride to the event call Pastor Lyndell Decker at (573) 739-9235, Sister Ashely Decker at (573) 466-9156, or Walking Faith Ministries at (573) 729-7500.

The Creative Arts Center will host a Hummingbird Paint and Sip event Friday night, August 18th from 6:00 to 8:00 with Danielle Norris. Grab your drink and head to The Creative Arts Center for a fun and relaxing night of painting beautiful birds. The artist will take you step by step through this painting. A minimum of six must sign up with a limit of 25 people for the event. The cost of the class is $25. An additional $5 charge will be added for those who pay at the door. Interested persons can sign up under “Programs” at the salemcommunitybetterment.com website for activities at the Creative Arts Center.

An accident occurred Monday afternoon at 2:10 in Iron County on County Road 79 two miles south of Bixby. According to the Highway Patrol report a northbound 2021 Kawasaki KX450, driven by 38-year-old Edward Dixon of Bixby, ran off the right side of the roadway and struck the ditch, ejecting Dixon. The driver suffered moderate injuries and was transported by Air Evac to Mercy St. Louis. The report went on to state that Dixon was wearing a safety device at the time of the accident. The Kawasaki sustained minor damage and was driven from the scene.

The Missouri Department of Conservation reports that concrete work and final grading are now in process at the new site for Jerome Access on the Gasconade River, located in Phelps County about 15 miles west of Rolla. Blasting operations to remove a bluff are complete and rough grading is complete throughout the site. The main components of the new Jerome Access site will be a half-acre gravel parking lot with ADA accessible parking spaces and approximately 20 truck/trailer stalls, and a concrete boat ramp that will provide entry to the Gasconade. The two-acre site will also feature opportunities for bank fishing. The contract on the project was awarded to Twehous Excavating Company, Inc. Construction is expected to be completed this August.

A Native Grass Pasture Walk will be held Friday, August 25th from 2:00 until 5:00 in the afternoon in Davisville presented by the University Extension. This pasture walk will look at Native grass stands that have been grazed during a drought. Participants will look at different year’s stands and see how producers can incorporate native warm season grass and introduced cool season grass together. Plenty of opportunity to ask questions on grazing and establishment. There will plenty of opportunity to ask questions on grazing and establishment. Interested persons can register online at extension.missouri.edu or by calling the Crawford County Extension office at 573-775-2135. They will give you driving directions to reach the pasture walk. The program is FREE, there is no charge.

The Dent County Commission will hold a tax levy hearing on Monday, August 21st at 10:00 in the morning at the Dent County Commission office. The tax rates to be determined will be for the General Revenue Fund, the Road and Bridge Fund, the Senior Citizens Service Fund and the Sheltered Workshop, also known as the Senate Bill 40 Fund. Taxes will be calculated based on $100 assessed valuation on real estate and personal property taxes. The 2022 rate for the County General Revenue Fund was $0.00 while the County Road and Bridge Fund was $0.2550. The Senior Citizens Service Fund in 2022 was $0.0480 and the SB 40 Fund rate was $0.1341. The assessed valuation in 2022 for Dent County was $194,819,992. The proposed tax rate levies for each fund are $0.0003 for the County General Revenue Fund, $0.2550 for the County Road and Bridge Fund, $0.0480 for the Senior Citizen Services Fund and $0.1341 for the Senate Bill 40 Fund. The assessed valuation for Dent County in 2023 was $199,533,134. The hearing is open to the public.

The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Monday morning in the courthouse. During public comments Raleigh Pence was in voicing his concern with the extreme wash-boarding of Dent County Road 5070, which goes from Highway P to Dent County Road 5015. He also asked about the difference in costs to chip and seal county roads when compared to grading four times a year. The commissioners explained that the financial costs is more for chip and seal installation coupled with the future maintenance costs. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson expressed his heartfelt concerns and thoughts for the Dewayne Arthur family at the loss of their tire shop in Friday night’s fire. His comments were echoed by Commissioners Mobray and Polk. In the road report District One Commissioner Wes Mobray said that his crew was checking roads after Sunday nights storm. He also reported that his crew would be repairing a washout and cleaning out a culvert on Dent County Road 5520. District Two Commissioner Gary Polk said that his crew was also checking roads for washouts and cutting brush on Dent County Road 2240. Larson reported that he attended the Transportation Advisory Committee, the External Relations Committee and the MRPC Board meetings last Thursday in St. James. He noted that the MRPC Annual Awards Banquet would be in Hermann on October 26th and that he had nominated Easton May and Deloris Gray Wood for awards. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported that bills and payroll were being approved by the commissioners for payment. She also noted that Thursday she and Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams would be attending the MAC Board of Directors meeting. Bids were opened for the Road and Bridge Department surplus property. The highest bid for each piece of property was as follows: 2003 Chevy Truck, Rodney Atkinson for $1,601.02, Wire Welder, Jarod Givens for $307.81, Hydraulic Cylinder, Billy Shepher for $52.00, Lonnie Lundy, Grates for $40.00, Snowplow for $100.00, and Tailgate Spreader for $65.00, Power Washer, Jim Privett for $65.95. Corky Stack, AEA Engineering, was in to visit with the Commission about the courthouse repairs and a change order. Jared Barnard with MidMo Trim Lights in Columbia was with Corky to discuss and demonstrate the Courthouse Christmas lights. The lights have a 5-year labor warranty, and a lifetime warranty will be on the lights themselves at a cost of $42,000. The Commissioners voted 3-0 to approve the purchase of the lights. The next meeting of the Commissioners will be Thursday morning at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.

The Sheriff’s department released these reports for the first part of August. On Thursday August third, deputies responded to the 3200 block of Highway P in an attempt to locate a wanted subject. During the course of the call, a 25-year-old Salem man attempted to flee law enforcement but was apprehended and arrested on multiple warrants. The subject was transported to the Dent County Jail where he was incarcerated on the warrants and additional charges. Then on Saturday August 5th, deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle being operated by a 61-year-old Salem man. The man had multiple active arrest warrants and fled from deputies. After a brief pursuit, the man was apprehended in the 2200 block of Highway 68 and transported to the Dent County Jail where he was incarcerated on the warrants and additional charges. The next day Sunday August 6th, deputies responded to the 100 block of County Road 3275 for a reported harassment. During the investigation, it was determined that a 55-year-old Salem was in possession of a firearm while threatening a neighbor. The subject was arrested and transported to the Dent County Jail where he was placed on a 24 Hour Hold pending issuance of formal charges. Then on Tuesday August 8th, deputies responded to the 15000 block of E. Highway 32 for a reported assault. During the investigation, it was determined that a 50-year-old Salem man was assaulted by a 44-year-old Salem man. The investigation is ongoing. Finally on Thursday August 10th, deputies responded to the 2500 block of County Road 6280 to execute an arrest warrant. The suspect, a 52-year-old Jadwin man was arrested without incident and transported to the Dent County Jail where he was incarcerated on the warrant. If you have any information regarding any ongoing investigation, please contact the Dent County Sheriff’s office at 729-3241.

The Salem Memorial Hospital Board of Directors will be meeting this evening at 6:00 in the hospital library. After the roll call the board will hold interviews of potential board appointees before adjourning. The board may then vote to go into closed session. The meeting will be open to the public. Any person that would like to attend by telephone or electronic means should contact the SMDH Administrative office at 729-6626 ext. 4005 to obtain access information.

An accident occurred Friday morning around 8:40 in Dent County on Highway 72 at County Road 2620. According to the highway patrol report a 2003 Ford F150 driven by 49-year-old Todd Perkins of Salem was traveling eastbound and stopped in traffic, a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze driven by 67-year-old Barbara Trump of Rolla also traveling eastbound struck the rear of the Ford. Causing the Ford to travel off the right side of the roadway. Both Todd and Trump suffered minor injuries and were transported by Salem Memorial District Ambulance. Todd was transported to Salem Memorial District Hospital and Trump was transported to Phelps Health in Rolla. Both injured parties were wearing safety restraints at the time of the accident. Both vehicles were totaled and removed from the scene by American Automotive and Muffler.

An accident happened Thursday morning just after 7:00 in Texas County on Highway B one mile east of Houston. According to the highway patrol report a 1997 Ford Explorer being driven east by 36 year old Melissa Gentry of Raymondville traveled off the right side of the road. Gentry then over corrected and went off the left side of the road, impacting an embankment and overturning. Gentry suffered minor injuries and was taken by a private vehicle to the Texas County Memorial hospital. The Explorer was totaled and removed from the scene by Jays Towing.

An accident occurred Thursday afternoon at 1:15 in Texas County on Highway 63 three miles north of Cabool that took the life of a Cabool woman. According to the Highway Patrol Report a 2011 Chevrolet Avalanche, driven by 48-year-old Christie Smith of Cabool, hydroplaned and crossed the center line where it was struck by a 2023 Chevrolet Suburban driven by 60-year-old Timothy Nash of Wright City, Missouri. Smith was pronounced deceased at Texas County Memorial Hospital by Dr. E. P. Schafer at 2:30. Suffering serious injuries in the accident was 23-year-old Megan Smith of Cabool. She was taken by ambulance to Texas County Memorial Hospital and was Life Flight-ed to Springfield. Nash suffered moderate injuries and was taken by ambulance to Cox South in Springfield. The report stated that Christie Smith and Timothy Nash were wearing seat restraints at the time of the accident, while Megan Smith was not. Both vehicles were totaled and removed from the scene by Jay’s Automotive. The Highway Patrol was assisted by the Cabool Fire Department.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education will be hold a tax rate hearing at 5:30 in the Salem R-80 board room on Thursday to be followed by the regular board meeting. After approval of the agenda the tax rate will be presented dollowed by the adoption of the tax rate. After the approval of the consent agenda for the regular meeting the board is expected to approve the minutes of the July meeting and approve bills, the substitute list and the MOU with Compass Health. After hearing the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendents reports with be the Administrators reports from William Lynch Elementary, Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School, along with reports from Clay Moody on the facilities and athletics, along withreports from Instructional coaches and special education report. In new business before the board will be preliminary approval of the 2022-23 annual secretary of the board report, approval of the conflict of interest ordinance, approve the letter of engagement with Gilmore Bell, approval of the construction trades program, and a declaration of surplus property to include the old phone system and freezer, and consider responses to RFP for a security camera system. The board will also hear the first reading of the MSBA policy update and approve a service agreement with Get The Lead Out LLC, and consider the Gift of Life program. The board may then vote to go into closed session to discuss personnel and real estate. The meeting Thursday evening will be open to the public.

The Sheriff’s department released these reports for the first part of August. On Thursday August 3rd, deputies responded to the 3200 block of Highway P in an attempt to locate a wanted subject. During the course of the call, a 25-year-old Salem man attempted to flee law enforcement but was apprehended and arrested on multiple warrants. The subject was transported to the Dent County Jail where he was incarcerated on the warrants and additional charges. Then on Saturday August 5th deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle being operated by a 61-year-old Salem man. The man had multiple active arrest warrants and fled from deputies. After a brief pursuit, the man was apprehended in the 2200 block of Highway 68 and transported to the Dent County Jail where he was incarcerated on the warrants and additional charges. The next day, Sunday August 6th, deputies responded to the 100 block of County Road 3275 for a reported harassment. During the investigation, it was determined that a 55-year-old Salem man was in possession of a firearm while threatening a neighbor. The subject was arrested and transported to the Dent County Jail where he was placed on a 24 Hour Hold pending issuance of formal charges. Then on Tuesday August 8th, deputies responded to the 15000 block of East Highway 32 for a reported assault. During the investigation, it was determined that a 50-year-old Salem man was assaulted by a 44-year-old Salem man. The investigation is ongoing. Finally on Thursday August 10th, deputies responded to the 2500 block of County Road 6280 to execute an arrest warrant. The suspect, a 52-year-old Jadwin man, was arrested without incident and transported to the Dent County Jail where he was incarcerated on the warrant. If you have any information regarding any ongoing investigation, please contact the Dent County Sheriff’s office at 729-3241.

A free back to school bash will be August 16th, 17th, and 18th from 5:00 until 9:00 at The Commons. There will be back to school supplies, games, food, prizes and much more. Come and enjoy the presentation by Todd Keane and The Power Team 2.0. The event is hosted by community churches and fellowships. If you need more information or a ride to the event call Pastor Lyndell Decker at (573) 739-9235, Sister Ashley Decker at (573) 466-9156, or Walking Faith Ministries at (573) 729-7500.

The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors met Tuesday evening at the fire station at #2 South Main Street. The board heard the financial report which showed an ending balance of $151,544.22 as of July 31st. Bills, payments and statements as well as the budget were all reviewed. On the calendar, the board noted the Salem Memorial Hospital will be using the building for training on August 29th. The monthly reimbursement report showed a total of 21 calls for the month of July bringing the total calls year to date to 182. Some of those calls included one building fire, an off-road vehicle fire, three natural vegetation fires, a gas leak and a fire in mobile property. The Board declared in old business certain items as surplus which included two 3-phase air compressors, a Cat Truck engine (government) that is brand new and still in the crate, and one 100K Exterior Generator. The board then held their public tax hearing beginning at 6:15 which remained open until 6:50. Due to the Hancock Amendment, the tax rate for the fire district cannot be raised and the board approved the current rate of 23.77 cents per $100 assessed valuation to be the same for the year 2024. Fire Chief Brad Nash made his report to the board and said the department is still waiting on parts for Engine 85. The chief said the ladder truck has two touch screens that went down making it unusable. The screens were taken to the Technology Junkyard on Highway 72 for repair and they are now ready to be re-installed. The board discussed the lease for the antennae on the old Fidelity, now Cable One tower at the west end of Roosevelt Street. The current rental rate is $3,600 a year and Chief Nash is asking the board to renegotiate the lease terms as the way the lease currently reads, the rental rate will go up 5% every year from now on. The board asked the chief to get more information and possibly see if a lawyer would need to get involved. Chief Nash asked the board how they wanted to handle the surplus property declared earlier in the meeting. The board elected to list it on Purple Wave. The chief will contact Purple Wave to see when they can come and look at the items. The chief also reported that training is working toward creating a fire 1 and 2 training program that would start at the beginning of next year. Before adjourning, the date for the September meeting was set for 6:00, Tuesday evening, September 13th at the Dent County Fire Station.

The Dent County Commission met for their regular meeting at the courthouse Thursday morning. District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray was not at the meeting due to a prior commitment. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk gave the report for District 1 and said materials were being added to Dent County Roads 5015 and 5017, and brush was going to be cut on county road 6150. He then gave the District 2 report and said brush was being cut on county roads 2240 and 2245 while maintenance work was being done at the shed including the rotating of tires on a grader. Larson was to attend the Healthy Dent County Executive Board Meeting Thursday before attending the Transportation Advisory Committee meeting, the External Relations meeting and regular MRPC Board meeting Thursday night. He did say he met with City Administrator Sally Burbridge and Mayor Greg Parker about the possibility of a city/county glass recycling location and Larson said they were receptive to the idea. A location for the recycling bin would still have to be identified and other logistics would also have to be figured out, but the city and county are looking into it. The commission is still requesting bids for a surplus equipment sale at the Dent County Road and Bridge Department. The bid specs are still available and may be picked up at the Dent County Clerk’s office at 400 North Main today during regular business hours, but no one will be at the county shed for inspection of the equipment today. Bids on surplus equipment will be due at the Dent County Clerk’s office before 10:00 Monday morning, August 14th. Please mark on the envelope that your bid is for the Road and Bridge surplus equipment. The Dent County Commission has the right to accept or reject any and all bids. The next meeting of the commission will be Monday morning at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors has a vacancy for directors for District six and District four. The SMDH bylaws and Section 206.090.1 RSMO. provide that a vacancy on the board shall be filled by appointment by the remaining Board of Directors. The appointee will hold office until the election to be held on April 2nd, 2024. Candidates for director of a hospital district shall be citizens of the United States, voters of the district of which they are a candidate, and who have resided within the state for one year preceding the election and who are at least thirty years of age. Persons interested in being considered by the Board of Directors shall complete and file a request for appointment form in the administrative office through 4:00, August 15th, 2023. The request for appointment form may be obtained in person by going by the administrative offices of Salem Memorial Hospital located at 35629 Highway 72 in Salem. The administration office is open from 8:00 in the morning and 4:00 in the afternoon today, Monday and Tuesday. Interested applicants are expected to appear at the special board of directors meeting on Tuesday, August 15th at 6:00 in the evening for a brief interview. District boundary information may also be obtained at the administrative office of Salem Memorial District Hospital. For more information, call 729-6626, extension 4005.