Local News

The City of Salem Board of Alderman met Tuesday night at City Hall Council Chambers. At the meeting, City Administrator Ray Walden went over a number of budget adjustments made in the last nine months in Bill #3503 including the adjustment made for the purchase of a dump truck after insurance proceeds were received from a totaled dump truck, finance director expenses, roof repairs, adjustments to the LWCF Grant for the next fiscal year and others. The anticipated revenues went from $14,066,768 to $15,355,702 while the anticipated expenses went from $13,945,698 to $15,209,632. The bill also shows that Intergovernmental transfers went from $2,038,278 to $1,050,769. The bill was approved by the aldermen. Park and Recreation Director Melissa Dubois described to the board the need for a new truck for the department and that the Park Board approved the purchase of new truck this fiscal year. Dubois submitted three state bids and an alternative bid from Twin City Toyota for a 2022 Toyota Tacoma SR for $32,367. The vehicles in the state bid were not available. The board tabled the purchase until the next meeting to review the financial condition for the Park and Recreation Department and further discussion. City Administrator Walden thanked Mayor Kim Steelman and Alderwoman Catherine Dent for their service on the board and their work at the office. Mayor Steelman said she was proud to have served the city for six years, and also wanted to thank former Mayor Brad Nash for all the work he did for the city. Public Works Director Mark Nash told the board there would be five city vehicles available for the surplus sale this spring. He said the electric department has been revamping and upgrading services. Nash reported the utilities departments are evaluating meter services and replacing water and sewer systems as well as reducing leaks. Nash said some restaurants in the city do not have grease traps for their sewer lines and he will get with Compliance Officer Jared Brown to discuss this need to protect the sewer system. Nash went on to report the city street crews have been cleaning ditches, patching potholes and replacing culverts. Salem and Dent County Economic Development Director Sally Burbridge said the cleanup work at the certified site in the Master’s Industrial Park has been slowed by the weather and the contract may have to be extended. She also said bids for soil boring were being let out to take at least three 25-foot-deep samples. Burbridge said the pre-application forms have been sent out to banks for the “Welcome Home Rehab” Program. She also said she contacted a number of local contractors about a pre-bid meeting on the Welcome Home Program that would be held at the Salem Community Center@The Armory Tuesday. Park and Recreation Director Dubois said late signups for the summer softball, baseball and T-Ball will be accepted until April 18th for $35 per player. She said she hopes the new lighting system will be installed at the Al Brown Fields by summer. The alderman canvassed the Certification of Election results for the Municipal Election held April 5th. Resolution #10-2022 accepted the certification that showed the public elected Greg Parker as Mayor, Kyle Williams for a two-year term as a West Ward Alderman, Tod Kinerk for a one-year term Alderman term as a West Ward Alderman and Kala Sisco for a two-year term as East Ward Alderman. City Clerk Tammy Koller swore-in the newly elected officials as they replaced Mayor Kim Steelman and Alderwoman Catherine Dent on the board. Alderman Shawn Bolerjack was elected President of the Board before the board went into closed session.

Warmer weather usually means an increase in outside projects that may require digging or excavation work. If you are planting a tree, building a deck or completing a large project, Missouri law requires anyone digging underground to notify the Missouri One Call System by calling 811 or 1-800-DIG-RITE, or placing a locate request online at www.mo1call.com at least three working days before excavation begins. The call will be taken by the Missouri One Call Center, which then notifies all relevant utilities in the project area except for propane companies. During this three-day period, utility companies will mark the approximate location of their underground lines, request additional information or advise you that they do not have facilities at the excavation site. Hitting an underground line can cause serious injury, it could disrupt service to you and other customers and it could potentially result in fines and repair costs. Call before you dig. It’s free and it’s the law.

Bring your own artwork from home and enjoy the company of others who enjoy the same hobbies as you to the Creative Art Center. Some art supplies and ceramic pieces will be available for purchase. The open studio date is Saturday, April 23rd. For more information or to register, call 247-0651, message on Facebook or you can e-mail salemartscouncil@outlook.com.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital is asking the public to go online to the hospital website and complete the Community Health Needs Assessment at SMDH.net or by picking up a paper copy in health organizations including pharmacies and clinics, as well as financial institutions, completing it and leaving it at those health organizations or dropping it by the hospital. The community health assessment gives the Salem Memorial District Hospital comprehensive information about the community’s current health status, needs, and issues. This information can help develop a community health improvement plan by justifying how and where resources should be allocated to best meet community needs. It is required every three years so the assessment will be up to date in addressing local community needs. There are 22 questions to be answered and the survey should take no more than five to ten minutes. The surveys MUST be submitted by this Friday, April 15th. The Salem Memorial District Hospital thanks everyone for their help.

The Salem Police Department has released their report for the month of March. They issued 28 summonses to appear in court, 99 warning tickets, and 10 traffic tickets, plus they also served three fugitive warrants. The Salem Police investigated 16 traffic accidents, one death,wrote six property damage reports and five stealing reports. The department investigated two driving while having their license revoked or suspended charges, six reports for possession of a controlled substance reports, eight possession of drug paraphernalia charges, one report of distribution or delivery of a controlled substance, a domestic violence report and two reports of endangering the welfare of a child. The department was also dispatched for 56 animal calls, 23 ambulance assist calls, and performed 134 traffic stops for the month. The Salem Police Department received 835 calls for service during the month and had 18 walk-ins to the station. The department drove 10,690 miles during the month of March. There were 11 males and 11 females arrested in March.

Healthy Dent County has partnered with the University of Missouri Extension to create a monthly ECHO/webinar that will be beneficial to many different organizations and individuals that work to build healthy communities. These sessions will be held the second Wednesday of each month beginning today from 10:00 to 11:00 in the morning. A team of experts in social determinants of health, health equity, community outreach, health policy and community development will offer the online sessions. If you would like to join, visit showmeecho.org.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is urging drivers to keep a cautious eye on the road this spring and give turtles a brake! Many species of Missouri’s turtles become more active during the spring as they emerge from their burrows and cross the roads in search of food and a mate. Common species crossing the roads include the three-toed box turtle, ornate box turtle, and even snapping turtles. These reptiles are often hit by cars during the warmer months but are at special risk in the spring as they emerge from burrows during warm and wet conditions, which can lead them to cross roadways. Unfortunately, thousands of box turtles are killed every year by vehicles. Young males make up most of the travelers, sometimes wandering as many as six miles searching for territories and mates. Females are also crossing the roads in search of nesting areas. Turtles are cold-blooded and depend on external sources of heat to determine their body temperature. This explains why many see them on warm asphalt during cool, spring days. Vehicles are one of the leading factors in box turtle declines, and MDC urges motorists to be cautious and slow down when they see a turtle in the road. If stopping to help a turtle make it safely across, check for traffic and move the turtle in the direction it is traveling. MDC also encourages the public to leave turtles in the wild. Keeping a wild animal as a pet can lead to a slow death, no matter how good the intentions. Leave turtles in the wild, follow the speed limit, and keep your eyes on the road.

Team members at Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park invite the public to hop on over for an Easter Extravaganza from noon to 3:00in the afternoon on this Saturday. Kids of all ages are invited to join us for a fun-filled day of crafts, games and more. All activities will be located at the North Day-Use Area. Be sure to bring a basket or bag to participate in the Easter Egg hunt. The hunt is divided into age categories and are scheduled for three years of age and under at 1:00, four years to six years of age at 1:30 and seven years of age and older at 2:00 in the afternoon. Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park is located at 148 Taum Sauk Trail in Middle Brook. For more information, contact the park naturalist at 573-546-2450, ext. 1003.

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning for their regular meeting at the courthouse. Dent Collector Shannon VanKirk gave the March turnover report that showed collections during the month of $161,610.08. She said collections for January through March in 2022 are down about 1% from the collections in 2021 for the first three months. VanKirk and the commission discussed a need to upgrade the security camera system from standard definition to HD. The commissioners approved to put the changeover out to bid in the Salem News next week with all bids due to the county clerk by 10:00 the morning of Thursday, May 12th. The improvements will be partially paid out of the collector’s tax maintenance fund. In the road report, 1st District Commissioner Wes Mobray said workers were removing a tree that was across Dent County Road 5530 from the winds of Sunday and early Monday morning. He said crews would be out checking other roads for downed limbs or trees as well as any clogged culverts. Gary Larson, the 2nd District Commissioner, stated his crews would also be out checking roads for downed trees or limbs as well as doing shop maintenance. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said he would be attending a CCAM meeting this morning before attending the MAC Legislative Day in Jefferson City where they will speak with legislators about their concerns during the afternoon. Skiles said the other commissioners will also be attending the MAC Legislative Day as well as Dent County Clerk Angie Curley. Curley did say that she balanced with the collector and assessor on all collections, abatements and add-ons for the month of March. At the last meeting, Devan Johnson from the Missouri State Auditor’s Office came in and visited with the commission about the scope of their work. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting will be open to the public.

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation shows that young turkey hunters in Missouri harvested 2,881 birds over the past youth weekend, April 9th and 10th. The top harvest counties were Miller with 87 birds harvested, Osage with 71, and Franklin with 71. In the immediate area, Texas County had 61 turkeys harvested while Phelps County had 57 turkeys taken. Dent County recorded 39 birds taken followed by Crawford County had 30 turkey harvested, Shannon County with 17 birds checked, Reynolds County with 13 turkeys harvested and Iron County with 11 birds taken. Young hunters checked 2,795 turkeys during the 2021 spring youth weekend. The regular spring turkey season runs April 18th through May 8th. For more on spring turkey hunting in Missouri, visit mdc.mo.com.

Salem Area Community Betterment Association (SACBA) of Salem is proud to present an evening of recognizing local volunteer achievements of fellow community members. On Saturday evening, May 7th at 5:30, the evening will commence with a progressive finger food meal around the SACBA property featuring each aspect of our not-for-profit organization. The evening will conclude with an awards presentation honoring local volunteer individuals and groups. Tickets are $30.00 per person and includes delicious eats and treats from our featured event caterers: County Road Coffee, Hometown Sweets, Arandas Mexican Restaurant and JB Malone’s. Tickets are available at the Salem Public Library (cash only), Salem Area Chamber of Commerce (cash and credit cards) and the Community Center @ the Armory (cash only). Credit card purchases are subject to applicable fees. Tickets must be presented at the event. Event location is at the Ozark Natural & Cultural Resource Center (ONCRC) located at 202 S. Main. We are pleased to announce our 2022 nominees as follows: Education & Youth: Marty Anderson & A.J. Tinker, Warm My Heart Foundation, Janet Price, Friends of the Salem Public Library and Kala Sisco. Community Enhancement and Preservation: MO Gamblers 500, Sarah Arnett, Jake Stotlerand and the AARP Tax Aide Volunteers. Arts & Culture: Jamin Bray and Michael Helms (posthumously). Humanitarian: Sarah Arnett, Lyndell Decker, Michelle Smith, Ahleesha Elwood, Nancy Eudy, Grace Harbor and Dianne Godi. Outstanding Youth Volunteer: Sierra Rusco, Denise Stoner and Northwood R-4 JAG Class. Congratulations to all the nominees! In addition, the board will present the “Community Trailblazer” award to the late Libby Sanders for her many hours of volunteerism to our community. For more information find us on Facebook, email us at sacba@salemmo.com or call 573-729-6983.

The City of Salem Public Water Supply Annual Water Quality Report has been released and there were no violations that occurred for the calendar year 2021. All levels of contaminants found were lower than required by government regulations. If you would like to see the City of Salem Annual Water Quality Report, a copy can be found at the City of Salem Administration Building at 4th and Iron Streets, the dent County Courthouse, the Salem Public Library, at the Salem Water Department Office or at the KSMO Radio studios.

An accident occurred Saturday evening in Crawford County on Highway C & Route CC about 8 miles north of Cuba. According to the highway patrol report, a 2005 Chevrolet Impala driven by 26-year-old Tara Maness of Cuba, was traveling eastbound and failed to stop at a stop sign and began to enter the intersection. At that time, a 2012 Toyota Camry driven by 39-year-old Amanda Caravelli of Cuba, was travelling westbound and attempted to swerve to avoid the Chevrolet but was struck. Maness suffered moderate injuries and Caravelli suffered minor injuries. Both parties refused medical treatment at the scene. They both were wearing safety restraints at the time of the accident. The Chevrolet was totaled, and the Toyota sustained extensive damage. Both vehicles were removed from the scene by Chris & Sons Towing.

The Missouri Department of Transportation crews will begin the annual process of striping roadways across mid-Missouri, beginning Monday, April 11th. Crews will start on minor routes where paint has faded, or no shoulder lines are in place. The process will then move to major routes, such as interstates and four-lane roadways, later this spring. Motorists will encounter slow-moving lines of trucks with flashing lights, boards with flashing arrows and signs that say, “Wet Paint.” Drivers are reminded to stay behind the last truck in the striping train, which is placed well behind the striping truck. This will give the new paint time to dry and keep drivers from tracking fresh paint across the lanes and damaging the new stripes. It also will prevent paint from getting onto vehicles. If you do drive through the wet paint, which is water-based, clean your car as quickly as possible with a high-powered water hose such as those used in car washes. On two-lane highways where crews will begin working next week, striping vehicles will pull over where it is safe to let traffic congestion clear. For more information, please call 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/central.

Intercounty Electric Cooperative Association rate adjustment went into effect on April 1st. The rate adjustment decreases the kWh charge and increases the service availability rate from $1.24 to $1.29 per day for residential and single-phase members. The adjustment was done to establish a rate schedule in which the co-op can better stabilize financial uncertainties caused by weather fluctuations. If you have any questions, you can contact member accounts at 866-621-3679.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen will meet Tuesday evening at 6:00 at the City Hall Council Chambers. The board will discuss old business of Bill No. 3503 that would create an ordinance amending the annual budget for the City of Salem and the appropriation of funds. Then the board will go over bids for a new truck for Salem Department of Parks and Recreation. The board will hear reports from City Administrator Ray Walden, Mayor Kim Steelman, Public Works Director Mark Nash, Economic Development Director Sally Burbridge, Park and Recreation Director Melissa DuBois and any alderman reports. After the reports, the board will certify the April 5th election results. The City Clerk will then administer the Oath of Office to newly elected officials. The board may then go into closed session to discuss contracts before they adjourn. The meeting is open to the public.

The Salem Arts Council will be holding clogging practice and instruction on Monday evenings in April from 5:30 till 7:30 at the Creative Arts Center. Enjoy the cultural art of clogging and try it out for yourself, or just come by and watch. For more information or to register, call 247-0651, message on Facebook or you can e-mail salemartscouncil@outlook.com.

The Dent County Commission met for their regular meeting Thursday morning in the courthouse. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams was in with the sales tax receipt for April. She reported that the General Revenue and LEST both received $100,589.11 compared to $17,855.87 each in April of 2021 during the DOR sales tax issue. Year-to-date they are each up $289,114.87. Williams and the Commissioners thanked the voters for their support of the Road and Bridge Sales Tax which generated $45,723.80 and is up year-to-date $140,107.47. She said the Jail Operations Fund and Jail Trust Fund each received $90,891.50 and are up year-to-date $279,481.79. It is important to note that the Road and Bridge Fund and the Jail Funds received no sales tax in April of 2021, again due to the DOR sales tax issue. In the road report District One Commissioner Wes Mobray said grading would be done on Dent County Road 5610 and grading would be done on county road 2440, plus two trucks were hauling materials to that road. He also reported that his district’s brush cutter tractor is to be back next week. District Two Commissioner Gary Larson reported that grading was to be done on Dent County Roads 3030, 3080, 3090, 4430 & 2380, while materials were to be added to county roads 4430 and 3060. Larson said that brush would be cut on county road 4380. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles reported on the Hazardous Mitigation Planning Meeting held Tuesday at the Community Center at the Armory. He said that he was disappointed that only two of the county schools were represented at the meeting. Skiles said the ARPA Distribution Agreement was received from MRPC for the Salem Memorial District Hospital to complete their application for funds for the new generator. The commission signed the distribution agreement. Brad Nash, Dent County Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director, was in to discuss extrication since SMDH is out of the extrication business. Currently the tools the fire department have won’t cut the new vehicles and most of the rural fire departments’ tools are in bad shape. Nash had two proposals. The first was with Alex Air Apparatus, which consisted of four sets of tools with each consisting of a cutter, spreader, ram and two batteries with chargers for each set. Included would be four years of training and service of the tools for a cost of $126,310. The second was from Sentinel Emergency Solutions for four sets of tools with cutter, spreader, ram and batteries for $115,905. No training would be included. Nash said Emergency Management would pay the $50/year insurance on each set, plus a memorandum of understanding would be signed if the county purchased the tools. The proposals were discussed, but no decision was made, and plans are to re-visit the issue with Nash. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said that the commissioners were approving bills for payment. She also noted that 1,125 citizens, which was 11.92% of Dent County registered voters, voted in Tuesday’s election. The next regular meeting of the commission will be Monday morning at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.

The Salem Community Carden will be offering a variety of Growing Green Educational Workshops. The first workshop will be on Saturday morning at 9:00. This will be the opening of the garden and a 101 Garden Workshop. The garden is located behind the Salem Methodist Church at 801 East Scenic Rivers Bld. For more information contact Charlie Grimm at 573-368-9902.

Team members at Current River State Park invite the public to learn to make wildflower jelly from 9:00 in the morning until 2:00 in the afternoon this Saturday and Sunday. If you have ever wondered how to make wildflower jelly that you see everyone posting about on social media, this class is for you. Participants should bring their lunch, a water bottle, and small jars to the workshop. Space is limited, so registration is required. For more information and to register, contact Connie Weber at 573-751-1224 or email connie.weber@dnr.mo.gov. Current River State Park is located on Highway 19, approximately 23 miles south of Salem and approximately 15 miles north of Eminence. 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.

The Dent County Fire Protection District board of directors met Tuesday evening. After the roll call and approval of the consent agenda, the board reviewed the minutes from the March meeting and the financial report was presented that showed an ending balance at the end of March of $276,383.60. Bills, payments, and statements were reviewed along with the new budget being accepted as presented to the finance committee. After the calendar review, the monthly reimbursement report was presented showing a total of 32 calls for the month of March bringing the total calls for the year to date to 96. The department responded to one building fire, one mobile home fire, two natural vegetation fires, two forest fires, 13 brush or grass fires, one medical assist call, one gas leak, one vehicle accident, one smoke or order removal, one smoke detector activation, five calls that were dispatched then cancelled while in enroute, and two special incidents. In old business, after being reviewed and discussed, the policy and procedures manual was accepted as presented. The board decided it will be reviewed on an annual basis. In new business, the board heard a bid proposal from Williams American Construction for the 2nd floor restoration phase 1 and site safety. A motion was made and carried to go ahead with the work at a budgeted cost of $7,500.00. Before adjourning, the date for the May meeting was set for Tuesday, May 3rd at 6:00 at the fire station located at #2 South Main Street. The meeting will be open to the public.

A one vehicle accident happened early Wednesday morning just before 2:00 in Pulaski County on Route T about a half mile north of Waynesville. The report from the highway patrol stated that a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt being driven south by 20-year-old Isaac Haden of Licking, traveled off the right side of the roadway and struck a tree. Haden was transported by ambulance to Phelps Health in Rolla for treatment of serious injuries. The Cobalt sustained extensive damage and was removed from the scene by TC Towing. The report went on to state that Haden was wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident.

The Missouri Department of Conservation has set the Spring Youth Portion of Spring Turkey Season this Saturday and Sunday. Hunting will be held from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset and the youth portion is open to youth hunters who are age six through 15 on opening day may hunt. Youth may also hunt during the regular Spring Turkey season. Youth can take one male turkey or turkey with visible beard. Youths who take a turkey during the youth season may not harvest a second bird until April 25th. This is because the bird taken during the youth season counts as the first bird for the first week of the regular season. Hunters can use shotguns with shot not larger than No. 4. They can also use longbows, recurve bows, or compound bows, crossbows and atlatls. Also allowed are hand-held string releasing devices, illuminated sights, scopes, and quick point sights. For more information, go to mdc.mo.gov.

The Salem Community Garden will be offering a variety of Growing Green Educational Workshops from April to October. The garden is a place for residents to grow and harvest healthy food for their families, friends, or to donate to those in need. Watch the garden bulletin board and the Salem Community Garden Facebook page for additional special events throughout the season. The first Workshop will be this Saturday morning at 9:00. Plots are available at the Salem Community Garden and the first plot is FREE! If you would like to register for a plot, volunteer at the garden, or have any questions, contact Charlie Grimm at 573-368-9902 or Sarah Massengale at 729-3196. Workdays at the garden as well as your chance to ask Master Gardeners questions will be held the third Saturday of every month from 10:00 until 11;00 in the morning. The Salem Community Garden is located behind the Salem Methodist Church at 801 East Scenic Rivers Blvd.

A municipal election was held Tuesday in Dent County and a total of 1,125 voters cast ballots for only 11.92% of the 9,441 registered voters. The unofficial results of challenged races for Dent County only are as follows:
*indicates winners

CITY OF SALEM MAYOR:

Greg Parker* 425 votes
Stephanie Skyles 70 votes
William Parsons 50 votes
Skip Dahms 46 votes

CITY OF SALEM WEST WARD ALDERMAN:

Kyle Williams* 161 votes
Catherine Dent 158 votes

SALEM R-80 SCHOOL BOARD: (two elected)

Sammi Parker* 456 votes
Phillip Mercer* 370 votes
Calvin Malone 315 votes

OAK HILL R-1 SCHOOL BOARD: (two elected)

Amanda Sapaugh* 59 votes
James Resse* 49 votes
Rabecka Geistlinger 15 votes

NORTHWOOD R-4 SCHOOL BOARD: (2 elected)
(votes not available from Crawford County)

Nathaniel Woods (Nathan) 55 votes
Lawrence Rictor, Jr. 37 votes
Christina Hemmann 34 votes

BUNKER R-3 SCHOOL BOARD: (two elected)
(votes not available from Shannon and
Reynolds County)

Nancy Amaral 23 votes
Gary Conway, Jr. 20 votes
Todd Sutton 10 votes

DENT COUNTY ROAD AND BRIDGE SALES TAX

Yes* 808 votes
No 303 votes

The Missouri State Highway Patrol issued an Endangered Silver Advisory Alert from the Dent County Sheriff’s Department Tuesday for 76-year-old Diane Sharon O’Neel who walked away from her home on Route B in Dent County around 10:00 in the morning saying she was going to see her family, but actually has none in Missouri. O’Neel suffers from Alzheimer’s and was found Tuesday afternoon near Route N safe.

Missouri producers who have an active 2018 Conservation Stewardship Program Classic, CSP- Renewal or CSP Regional Conservation Partnership Program contract that will be expiring at the end of 2022, have until April 15, 2022, to apply for potential renewal of their contract for an additional five years. According to Susan Mammen, the CSP Coordinator for NRCS in Missouri, a total of 703 CSP-Classic, CSP Renewal and CSP-RCPP contracts are set to expire at the end of the year which help treat natural resource concerns on about 265,000 Missouri acres. Through CSP, agricultural producers and forest landowners earn payments for actively managing, maintaining, and expanding conservation activities like cover crops, pollinator and beneficial insect habitat, and soil health building activities- all while maintaining active agricultural production on their land. Producers interested in contract renewals or applying for CSP for the first time should contact their local NRCS office in Houston at (417) 967-2028 or in Rolla at (573) 364-2088.

Hospital serviceman Lucas Green, a native of Licking, Missouri, serves the U.S. Navy at the U.S. Navy Medical Readiness and Training Command operating out of Sigonella, Italy. Green joined the Navy one and a half years ago. Growing up in Licking, Green attended Licking High School and graduated in 2021.

A fatal accident occurred Friday afternoon around 4:51 in Crawford County on Highway 19 south of Route HH. According to the highway patrol report, a 2005 Ford Focus driven by 62-year-old Susan Eaton of Cherryville, was travelling northbound and travelled off the right side of the roadway. She overcorrected toward the left side of the road and the Ford returned to the roadway and overturned, travelling off the left side of the roadway and striking a tree. Eaton was pronounced dead by Crawford County Assistant Coroner Nikki Bussell. Her body was transported to Hutson Funeral Home by the Assistant Coroner. Eaton was not wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident. The Ford was totaled and was removed from the scene by Miles and Sons Towing.

An accident occurred Friday evening around 5:30 in Dent County on Route B about three miles east of Doss. According to the highway patrol report, a 2003 Honda Shadow driven by 46-year-old James Dorris of Bunker, was traveling eastbound and lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a curve. The Honda travelled off the left side of the roadway and overturned. Dorris suffered serious injuries and was flown by Air Evac to Mercy Hospital South in St. Louis. He was wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident. The Honda sustained extensive damage and was removed from the scene by the owner.

The Missouri Hospital Association’s Community Investment Report finds that in 2020, the state’s hospitals provided more than $3.5 billion in total community benefit, an increase of nearly $100 million from 2019, and a 16% increase throughout the last decade. Providing a safety net for care is an essential part of a hospitals’ value to the community they serve. In 2020, hospitals provided $1.8 billion in total uncompensated care, an increase of more than $93 million over 2019. Hospital specific data is available on the association’s consumer data site, FocusOnHospitals.com. Salem Memorial District Hospital provided $121,078 in charity care, $3,244,055 in bad debt, $261,225 in unpaid costs for treatment of Medicare patients for a total of $3,726,358 of uncompensated cost. The hospital spent $14,351,236 on payroll and benefits for their 247 employees. The Salem hospital paid $806,669 in taxes and had $25,343,251 in total operating expenses. Salem Memorial District Hospital’s net revenue was $23,545,340. In 2020, the cost of providing care to low-income Missourians, and the uninsured and underinsured individuals who are eligible under hospitals’ charity care policies e increased by more than $65 million to $1.09 billion statewide. With the COVID-19 pandemic heavily impacting hospitals, provider relief funds from the federal government helped offset what might have been devastating financial losses at many hospitals. Despite financial uncertainty, hospitals continued to provide a safety net for care. And, for every $1 in net income, operating revenue, minus expenses hospitals provided $2.13 in uncompensated care in 2020, an increase from $1.54 in 2019. These community investments help strengthen the health care system. They also ripple throughout the economy, creating household income, opportunities to support and build businesses, and increasing revenue for state and local governments.

Fishing and Fish Fry is part of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Women’s Outdoors Program. The class will be held at the lower lake at the Current River State Park tonight from 6:00 until 8:00. During the class women will learn to fish, clean your fish and cook it. For more information or to register call Connie at 573-751-1224 or email connie.weber@dnr.mo.gov.

The City of Salem Planning and Zoning Commission Board of Adjustment met Wednesday evening at 202 North Washington to discuss a variance for a proposed 85-foot sign for the Mobil-Dirt Cheap business located at 1103 South Main Street. The City of Salem Code of Ordinances limit structure height to 60-feet. The board of adjustment voted against the variance as neither the owner of the property, Greg Portell, or the sign company, Ziglin Signs owned by Matt Meyer, were in attendance to present their case.

The Dent County Commissioners met Thursday morning for their regular meeting at the courthouse. At the meeting, it was determined Salem and Dent County received between two to about three inches of rain on Wednesday. Because of that, both Commissioner Wes Mobray and Gary Larson said they had crews out checking for washouts and fixing road problems. Mobray also said crews were working on a road pipe that washed out in the middle. Larson said truck #124 has now been repaired and is back from St. James. Larson also said crews would be fixing some road issues on Dent County Roads 3350 and 4060 as well as cleaning out debris below a number of bridges in District 2. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles reported he attended a CCAM Executive Board meeting Wednesday and then went to Jefferson City to address legislative issues. He said they talked about financial relief for the counties from unfunded mandates by the state where the state keeps having counties pick up increasing costs passed by the state without a funding mechanism to pay for the increase. There was some discussion about the state picking up the Prosecuting Attorney’s salary while the counties would continue to pay for their retirement and staff. This suggestion was received well by the legislature and has also been mentioned by the prosecutor’s association in their discussions with counties. Skiles received a phone call from a group that will be coming to Dent County through efforts by the MRPC to clean-up trash on some forest and county roads around the Bunker area Saturday morning. Skiles said he received a request from the Salem Memorial District Hospital to use ARPA Funds for assistance in purchasing a new transformer for the hospital to replace the old one which is over 40-years old. The cost of the new transformer will be around $175,000. After some discussion with Hospital Board Member A.J. Seay, the commission approved up to $200,000 of ARPA funds for the hospital to get the transformer. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said she was doing poll-worker training Thursday. She said anyone who has moved since the last election needs to come to the courthouse and get an address change before Tuesday if they intend to vote. Absentee voting continues in the county clerk’s office and will through 5:00 Monday afternoon. The county clerk’s office will be open this Saturday from 8:00 in the morning until noon for absentee voting as well as any address changes people need to make. The next meeting of the commission will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and it is open to the public.

The Dent County “Love Thy Neighbor” program is now taking applications for their community home repair service provided by the local church body. The purpose of this program is to improve improvements to houses in Dent for people who have no other means in which to make the improvements or repairs like the elderly, veterans, disabled or financially challenged. All work projects are done outside such as decks, roofing, painting, and yard work, all at no charge to the homeowner. The “Love Thy Neighbor” projects will take place the week of June 5th through 9th. Volunteers will work on homes Monday through Thursday. Who is Eligible for the “Love Thy Neighbor” Program? Residents who are unable to do the work themselves due to physical and/or financial situations, those who have no other means of getting the work completed and those who can provide an environment that will be socially and physically safe for all volunteers. If you are interested in participating in the program, you must fill out an application that can be downloaded from the ltndent.com website. Then drop off the application in the First Baptist Church office on Third Street during regular business hours from 8:00 until 4:00, Monday through Thursday; the Edward Jones Office at 907 S. Pershing between 8:00 and 5:00, Monday through Friday; the New Harmony Church at 5841 Highway 32 West from 9:00 to 4:00, Monday through Thursday; or mail your application to “Love Thy Neighbor,” P.O. Box 732, Salem, MO 65560. Applications are due before April 24th. Applications will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis. Those homeowners meeting the qualifications will receive a phone call from someone on the “Love Thy Neighbor” committee before anyone comes to inspect your home. Homeowners will be notified by mid-May if their home has been chosen by the Love Thy Neighbor committee.