Local News

The Salem Board of Aldermen met Tuesday evening for a special meeting at the City Hall Council Chambers. The board heard from Public Works Director Mark Nash about three bids for cold mix for the Street Department. The first bid was for $78 per ton from Park Hills, Missouri; another bid was for $80 per ton from Lebanon Asphalt Co., and a third bid from NB West was for $140 per ton. The board approved the bid from Park Hills for $78 per ton and approved the purchase of $11,500 worth of asphalt to be used to patch holes and dig outs. The board approved Resolution #11-2023 authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement between the City of Salem and Huntington National Bank for the lease of a 2023 Terex C5048 digger derrick. The lease discrepancy referred to by Alderman Bolerjack at the last meeting had been superseded in 2021 when the board approved Resolution 10-2021 for the lease purchase of the digger derrick for $3,599 per month for 60-months that would not be ready for 12-15 months. The city needed the digger derrick for work at that time and the alderman approved Resolution #11-2021 to lease a digger derrick from Texas for $5,250 per month. The board approved Bills #3534, 3535 and 3536 that authorized the mayor to execute and the City Clerk to attest to Quit-Claim Deeds between the City of Salem and Noah Wills; Jessica Baldwin and Rickey Vanderpool; and Briceno Properties, LLC. The first bill was for the vacating of an alley, the second bill was for the vacating of the eastern half of South Oak Street vacated by the city in 1994, and the third bill was for the vacating of some property in the Douglass Park Addition that was used as a city park in the 1920s until Highway 32 was rerouted through the center of the park. Title searches have not found who the property was conveyed to, if to anyone at all. The city will relinquish any claim it has to the property with the Quit-Claim Deed even if they legally do not have a claim to it at all. The meeting was then adjourned.

During the week of February 25th to March 3rd, there was a total of 89 calls to the Salem Police Department for service. Officers conducted 11 traffic stops for various traffic violations with four resulting in a summons or arrest. Officers conducted four traffic accident investigations along with four informational reports. Of the calls for service and traffic stops, the following reports were generated. On early Saturday morning of February 25th at approximately 2:00, an officer was dispatched to the 1100 block of South Wines for the report of a vehicle crash. During the investigation it was found that a man had passed out after crashing and getting stuck in a persons yard. It was found that the driver was very intoxicated and uncooperative with officers. Due to the investigation, a 23-year-old Bunker man was arrested and issued a number of summons to appear in court. Then on Sunday, February 26th at approximately 6:00 in the evening, officers were dispatched to the intersection of Highway 32 and MacArthur for the report of a vehicle blocking the roadway. During the investigation it was found that the driver of the vehicle was very intoxicated. As a result, a 39-year-old Salem woman was arrested and issued a summons for a DWI. On Tuesday, February 28th approximately 11:00 in the morning, officers were dispatched to Roosevelt and MacArthur for the report of a man acting suspicious and hitting mailboxes with a bat. Contact was made with the subject and he was impaired and uncooperative. As a result of the investigation a 25-year-old Lake Ozark man was arrested and placed on a 12-hour safekeep at the Dent County Jail due to his level of impairment. He was also issued summons for Disorderly Conduct. Please contact the Salem Police Department at (573) 729-4242 if you have any information regarding any ongoing investigation.

A project to resurface and add shoulders to Route O in Phelps and Dent counties has begun. Contractors from N.B. West Contracting Company, working with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), plan on preparing and laying base for the new shoulders. Additional work to follow includes an overlay, placement of rumble strips and striping. The contractor expects all work on the project to be completed prior to the Independence Day holiday. All work is weather permitting and schedules are subject to change. MoDOT asks all motorists to work with us by buckling up, putting your phone down, obeying all traffic signs, and slowing down and moving over in work zones. For more information about MoDOT projects, got to modot.org or call the 24-hour Customer Service Center at 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636)

A one vehicle accident happened at around 3:10 Sunday afternoon in Phelps County on Highway BB about 4 miles south of St. James. The report from the highway patrol states that a 2014 Ford Focus was being driven west by 20-year-old Teaghan McBride when she crossed the center line and went off the left side of the roadway. The Ford then continued across a county road before striking an embankment and overturning. McBride, who was wearing a seat restraint, suffered minor injuries and was taken to Phelps Health hospital by St. James ambulance. The Ford was totaled and removed from the scene by D&D Towing.

The Dent County Commission met Monday morning at the Dent County Courthouse for the first time since March 9th due to Commissioner Wes Mobray’s illness. Commissioner Gary Larson was appointed by County Clerk Angie Curley to be acting Presiding Commissioner for the meeting. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams said the county will let out four-year bids for the county’s banking business that includes a two-year review. Williams said letters will go out to Progressive Ozark Bank, The Bank of Salem, Town and Country Bank, US Bank and Riverways Federal Credit Union. The banking period covered by this bid will be from August 2023 to July of 2027. The bids will be due on Thursday, March 30th by 10:00. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Mobray said three trucks would be delivering materials and two graders would be working side by side on Dent County Road 2470. Another grader would be checking the roads used in the 100-Acre in the Wood Road Rally Saturday and would repair any roads damaged by the rally cars, if needed. District 2 Commission Larson said materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 3180, 4060, 4330 and 4340, while brush would be cut on county road 2130. Larson said he and Commissioner Mobray attended the South Central Association of County Commissioners meeting in Houston on March 10th. Mobray said they discussed the impact to county’s budgets if the proposed elimination of the one-cent sales tax on food were to go through. Also at the meeting, Commissioner Larson was appointed as Vice-President of the association with the opening created by the resignation of Commissioner Skiles. Larson also said he attended the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District board meeting where Chairman Brady Wilson announced his resignation from the board as he is retiring. Larson stated that again due to the resignation of Commissioner Skiles, he was appointed to serve as vice-chair for the district board. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said today is the first day for “no-excuse” absentee voting in her office and that will last through April 3rd. Curley said Wednesday is the last day to mail-out an absentee ballot, and she will be attending the MAGIC Insurance Consortium meeting in Warrenton. She serves on the board of the consortium. Jeff Banderet from Great Rivers Engineering was in for the FLAP Project 077 bid openings and the county received only one bid. It was from West Contracting from Pacific, MO for $197,819. The county has a 20% match and part of the county’s match would be in labor and equipment. The total project cost came in at $228,341 and the maximum the FLAP would provide is $138,548 which is the amount approved in 2020. Banderet will look over the FLAP agreement and the bid, then get back to the commissioners with a recommendation before any decision is reached. At the last meeting, Dent County Collector Shannon VanKirk presented her annual settlement report to the commission that showed $9,295,594.72 was distributed. The commission also approved a letter of support for state funding for Four Rivers Community Health Center. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

Mayor Greg Parker has called for a special meeting of the Salem Board of Aldermen for this evening at 6:00 at the City Hall Council Chambers at 202 North Washington. The aldermen are set to discuss bids for the street department for cold mix. The aldermen will also discuss Resolution #11-2023 authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement between the city and Huntington National Bank for the lease of a 2023 Terex C5048 digger derrick. The board will also discuss Bill #3534 that would authorize the mayor to execute and the city clerk attest to a quit claim deed between the City of Salem and Noah Wills, Bill #3535 to authorize the mayor to execute and the city clerk attest to a quit claim deed between the city and Jessical Baldwin and Rickey Vanderpool; and Bill #3536 to authorize the mayor to exicute and the city clerk attest to a quit claim deed between the city and Briceno Properties, LLC before adjourning. The meeting tonight at 6:00 will be open to the public.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors will meet tonight at 6:00 at the hospital library. The board will hear old business first which will include the kitchen drain proposal, the clinic architect, the finance committee meeting dates, the medical staff bylaw update and the strategic planning update. In new business, the board will discuss purchases and hospital board member training before hearing the summary of operations and statistics for the month of February as well as the Chief Nursing Officer report, a report on the 340B drug program, hear a staffing update and discuss the hospital foundation. The board will also discuss marketing and community relations before hearing the Chief of Staff’s report. The board may vote to go into closed session. The meeting tonight is open to the public.

According to a couple of press releases from Crawford County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Major Adam Carnal, during the evening hours last Tuesday, March 14th, it was reported to the sheriff’s office that suspicious clothing items were located on private property on Mound Ridge Road in Cook Station. On the morning of Wednesday, March 15th, department investigators applied for and were granted a search warrant for the property to retrieve items and evidence regarding the clothing items. Upon beginning the search, deputies and investigators located human skeletal remains along with the clothing. The Crawford County Sheriff’s office asked for and received search assistance from the Crawford County Coroner’s Office, Steelville Fire Protection District and the Rolla Rural Fire District. Search operations were ended Friday, March 17th, in the 300 block of Mound Ridge Road. After three days of intense searching, several items were discovered along with the human skeletal remains that were consistent with the an open missing persons case from Crawford County involving Amanda Caudill who was reported missing on December 15th, 2014. Also recovered from the search were a .270 rifle, a camouflage coat, Muck boots, and Caudill’s cell phone. The items discovered were consistent with the items described in Caudill’s missing persons report. Additionally, a Missouri driver’s license belonging to Amanda Caudill was located within one of the pockets. The remains were turned over to the Crawford County Coroner’s Office for identifications purposes and it may be several months before there is any confirmation of the identity. The investigation is ongoing and when further information is developed it will be released. The Crawford County Sheriff’s office would like to thank the Crawford County Coroner’s Office, Steelville Fire Protection District, and the Rolla Rural Fire District for their assistance in this operation.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education met Thursday evening at the Administration offices board room. The board recognized some students for their achievements in different fields. The board recognized Christopher “Kip” Harris for capturing All-State for playing the euphonium as well as being honored by making the All-State Choir as well, the first student in the history of the Salem High School to achieve that honor in the same year. The board also recognized the outstanding efforts of Joseph McCarter taking 1st Place in the Skills USA test and Hunter Brown for taking 5th Place in the Skills USA Test. They also recognized Neely Leathers for taking 1st Place in the Early Childhood Exam through Skills USA. The board saw updated plans developed by architect John Odom for the Construction Trades Program building and he went over the timeline for bids. He said he would send a bid invite package to the MRPC and would advertise for bids two weeks prior to the final bid date of April 14th at 5:00 at the administrative office. He said all bids will have to have a 60-day price hold to give the board time to make a decision. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Nathan Wills said the APR results are available and Salem fell in the middle of the SCA Conference schools, not the worst, not the best. He said the biggest area of focus will be attendance which has not fully recovered since COVID. Superintendent Dr. Lynne Reed said the surveys of parents and staff were reviewed and those results will be part of the CSIP. Reed also said ESP was on schedule with the new Tin Gym work and locker room renovation. Principal Melanie Wisdom said Serendipity will be May 4th and Principal Dr. Herman Blau said kindergarten registration will be held this week on Tuesday and Thursday by appointment only at William Lynch Elementary school. He said another day to register children for kindergarten will be April 6th. The board approved the 2023-2024 school calendar, approved to let out bids for work to be done on the baseball field, approved the SIS Coordinator job description to include grant writing, and approved updating the Assistant Athletic Director’s job description. The board approved the updated Construction Trade Building plans submitted by John Odom, read the MSBA policy revisions, tabled the OPAA Contact Extension and the board set the reorganizational meeting for 5:45 on April 13th to be followed by regular board meeting. The board discussed setting deadlines for the certification policy for the school. This is for teachers who are teaching out of their current area of certification where they need to get certified in their new area of instruction. The board decided to give teachers already on the high school staff one-year to get certified while new employees while have two-years to get certified. The board heard resignations from Terry Nash and Tanya Reagan that take no board action; then heard and accepted the resignations of Mark Howard from coaching only, Katie Jackson and Emily Parker while Susan Sheeley submitted her letter of retirement. The board also received letters of resignation from High School Principal Tori Snitker and Middle School Principal Sarah Russell which were to be discussed as the board went into closed session.

On Thursday, March 16th, members of the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested four individuals in the area after a special investigation by criminal investigators within its Division of Drug and Crime Control. Arrested and turned over to the Washington County Sheriff’s office were 39-year-old Matthew A. Cozad of Bixby, 62-year-old Donald R. Gaston of Caledonia, 31-year-old Chase R. Bresnahan of Centerville, and 46-year-old Jeffrey L. Burkett of Des Arc. All four individuals were charged with a Class B felony of knowingly participating in criminal street gang activities among many other felony and misdemeanor charges. Cozad and Gaston were each charged with a total of four felonies and two misdemeanors and their bonds are set at $400,000 cash only. Bresnahan was charged with a total of four felonies and three misdemeanors and his bond is also set at $400,000 cash only; while Burkett was charged with a total of four felonies and four misdemeanors and his bond has been set at $500,000 cash only. The case is being prosecuted by Washington County Prosecuting Attorney John Jones and Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Caleb Aponte. Anyone with information concerning this investigation should contact the Missouri Highway Patrol Criminal Investigative Unit at 573-840-9500. The charges are only accusations and are not evidence of guilt. Evidence in support of these charges must be presented before court of competent jurisdiction whose duty it will be to determine guilt of innocence.

Join us on KSMO AM 1340 and 95.7 FM this morning around 8:30 for our radio interview with State Representative Ron Copeland. This interview will also be video streamed live on KSMO Media including ksmoradio.com, KSMO Stream facebok Page and KSMO YouTube page.

The Salem Police department has released their report for the month of February. The department responded to eight accidents during the month. Officers also responded to six commercial and one residential alarms sounding along with forty calls to the animal control officer. The department investigated four assaults or fights, two burglaries in progress and performed 12 well being checks during the month. The department also investigated 15 domestic disputes, conducted 30 follow-up investigations. provided 10 escorts, investigated three incidents of fraud, took two missing person reports, and offered assistance to six motorists. The Salem Police officers wrote five property damage reports, eight stealing reports and three shoplifting reports as well as many other individual reports. Officers also conducted 63 traffic stops during the month. The average response time to calls during February was two minutes and two seconds and the average time spent on the scene sixteen minutes and nine seconds.

The Missouri Conservation Commission held their regular meeting on March 14th at the Conservation Department Headquarters in Jefferson City. At that meeting, the commission accepted a donation of approximately 518 acres in Reynolds County as an addition to Logan Creek Conservation Area. They also approved the advertisement and sale of an estimated 1,280,161 board feet of timber located on 606 acres of Compartment 4 of the Sunklands Conservation Area in Shannon County, and approved the advertisement and sale of an estimated 3,503,811 board feet of timber located on 780 acres of Compartment 9 of the Logan Creek Conservation Area in Reynolds County.

The Salem Area Arts Council will offer a class on Wheat Straw Weaving this Saturday afternoon from 1:00 to 3:00 at the Creative Arts Center. Suzanne Douglass will guide students as they create a Market Place Cross which represents the cross woven by St. Brigid imprisoned by her faith. Come celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and learn about Irish legend and tradition. All materials are provided and the cost is $25 for adults. At least one person must sign up to hold the class which is limited to five people. To sign up, call or text 573-247-0651, or you can go online at salemcommunitybetterment.com and look under programs for the Salem Creative Arts Center. The class is designed for older teens and adults.

This year’s 100-Acre in the Woods Rally will start off this Friday in Washington County from Potosi and will continue on Saturday on Dent County roads only starting from downtown Salem. A total of 68 racing teams had entered as of Wednesday that will compete this year in one of the most popular venues on the road rally tour. The City of Potosi will kick off the event Friday at 11:30 with their Parc Expose followed by two spectator points at Location 3 at Grassy Hollow in Washington County around 2:35, and Location 7 at Pigeon Roost around 5:52. On Saturday, the Rally moves to Dent County where the Parc Expose on 4th Street in Salem will start at 8:30 giving fans another opportunity to see their favorite teams up close before the Rally begins at 10:00. Saturday also provides spectators four opportunities to see the rally cars on the course at full speed starting at Location 11 off of Dent County Road 5380 at 11:14 Saturday morning. Afternoon locations for spectator viewing will be at Location 13 near 2:13 at the same spot as Location 11 off county road 5380, then onto Locations 14 and 15 around 2:57 and 5:13 respectively, located off of Dent County Road 4330. Maps showing the locations of the spectator points are available at the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce in the Crossroads Shopping Center and they are free. The 100AW organizers would like to remind all rally participants and spectators that Missouri’s “No Trespassing” Laws and “Purple Paint” Statute are in effect during the rally and they are asking everyone to watch for those signs and purple paint on trees, etc. Please respect all property owners wishes by avoiding private property and if a landowner does not want you to spectate on their land, please move to a new location. Spectating outside of the established areas will cause the event to be halted and could cause the stage to be cancelled. For more information about the race entries or spectator maps, go online at www.100aw.org.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Conservation Federation of Missouri thank the thousands of Missouri deer hunters who donated 235,169 pounds of venison to the state’s Share the Harvest program this past deer season, including 4,936 whole deer. The Conservation Department and Conservation Federation of Missouri also thank the participating meat processors throughout the state who grind the donated deer meat into ready-to-use packages, and the many sponsors who financially support the program. The donated deer meat goes to local food banks and food pantries to help feed hungry Missourians all around the state. Meat-processing fees are covered entirely or in part by numerous local sponsors, along with statewide sponsors that include Shelter Insurance, Bass Pro Shops, Feeding Missouri, and MDC. Share the Harvest is coordinated by the MDC and CFM and has been helping feed hungry Missourians for more than 30 years. Since the program was started in 1992, it has provided nearly 5 million pounds of lean, healthy venison to help feed hungry Missourians. To get Share the Harvest venison, contact local food banks or food pantries.

The Salem Area Arts Council will offer an Introduction to Wheel Throwing class starting on Monday from 5:30 to 8:00 at the Creative Arts Center. This will be a three-week class and interested students need to sign up three days prior to the class. They must have four students to hold the class. Tana Kettner will be the instructor. The cost is $80 and materials are provided. For more information, contact Tana at tanakettner65@gmail.com. To sign up for the class, call or text 573-247-0651, or go online at salemcommunitybetterment.com and look under programs for the Salem Creative Arts Center. The class is geared toward older teens and adults.

An accident happened Tuesday afternoon just before 5:00 in Washington County on Route C west of Lovers Lane. According to the highway patrol report a 2016 Chevrolet Sonic being driven west by 26-year-old Rachel Lada of Bixby was attempting to make a left turn when she was struck by a 1992 GMC Sonoma being driven by 30-year-old Brandon Hutson of Farmington. Lada suffered moderate injuries and was taken by Washington County EMS to Washington County Memorial Hospital. A passenger in the GMC, 39-year-old Juanita Dunkin of Farmington, was taken by Washington County ambulance to Mercy South for treatment of serious injuries. Both vehicles were totaled. The Chevrolet was removed by Elliot’s Towing while the GMC was removed from the scene by a private conveyance. The report went on to state that no one involved in the accident were wearing seat restraints.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education will be meeting this evening at 6:00 for their regular meeting. At the meeting, there will be a student recognition before approval of the consent agenda. Communications will be heard and John Odom will update the board on the plans for the Construction Trades Building. The board will hear the Superintendent’s report, followed by the principals’ reports from the schools as well as a reports on athletics and activities, special education and by the instructional coaches. In new business, the board will discuss the 2023-2024 Calendar, let bids for the baseball field, approve SIS Coordinator job description, approve Construction Trades plans, set the deadline for certification per Policy GCD-1, review MSBA Policy Revisions, consider Opaa contract extension, set date for Board reorganization and consider resignations. The board will then go into executive session to approve closed session minutes, address student issue and discuss personnel issues. The meeting Thursday evening is open to the public.

This past Saturday at the Class 4, District 9 competition held at the East Central College, Salem band members and members of the Salem Choir competed with a number of them earning the right to go on to the state competition. Moving onto the state competition for the band will be Jarrod Brooks on the tenor saxophone, Xander During on the bass clarinet, Christopher Harris on the euphonium and Reagin Toten on the trumpet. In the small ensemble competition, the Clarinet Quartet comprised of Jarrod Brooks, Xander During, Alyson Leach and Kaison Wilmont will be competing at state. For the Salem Choir, seven different choir members’ solos qualified them to move on to state. Those choir members are Devon Blackwell, Hannah Greener, Christopher Harris, Neely Leathers, Caroline Pryor, Liberty Ross and Miles Skaggs. Ensembles that also qualified for state are the Chamber Girls Trio comprised of Neely Leathers, Leya Russell and Ayva Callicutt; and the Chamber Boys group made up of Eli Brakensiek, Christopher Harris, Corby Ball, Miles Skaggs and Bryce Stewart. Congratulations to all the students going to state and all those who participated at districts.

The Dent County Commissioners did not meet Monday due to a lack of a quorum as First District Commissioner Wes Mobray was ill. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Thursday morning at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.

The Missouri Office of Broadband Development and University of Missouri Extension are still conducting a brief online survey on household internet access and use. The anonymous survey is still active and can be found online at muext.us/MissouriInternetSurvey. The survey, which takes about six minutes to complete, asks households about existing internet use such as devices used, connections and applications as well as barriers to Internet use such as financial obstacles, training and assistance needs. Allen Spell, the assistant extension professor of community and regional economics at the University of Missouri, says broadband can boost a community’s economic growth and quality of life with benefits including gains in job growth, income and gross domestic product. Spell states realizing those benefits requires not just the physical availability of high-speed Internet connections but also the use of those connections for applications and expanded opportunities relating to education, employment and business. According to B.J. Tanksley, the director of the Office of Broadband Development, hearing from citizens in urban and especially rural areas is an incredibly valuable part of understanding our state’s needs. Tanksley encourages everyone who has Internet service to complete the survey, and hopes those who do NOT have Internet service can find a public access location to go online and complete the survey which will be used to obtain community feedback to support the development of data-driven tools reinforcing the Office of Broadband Development’s broadband efforts across the state.

The Creative Arts Center will host a Leprechaun Paint and Sip event Friday night from 6:00 to 8:00 with Danielle Norris. Grab your pints and your mates and head to The Creative Arts Center for a fun and relaxing night. The artist will take you step by step through a cute St. Patty’s Day 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. For more information or to sign up, call or text 573-247-0651, or you can go online at salemcommunitybetterment.com and look under programs for the Salem Creative Arts Center.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen will be meeting this evening starting at 6:00 at the City Hall Council Chambers. After the consent agenda, Mark Nash will talk with the board about selling two current water department trucks: a 2014 Ford F-450 dump truck and a 2008 Ford F-150 pickup. The sale of these vehicles would help offset the purchase of a 2018 Dodge Ram that would carry tools and equipment that service man would need. The cost of the van is $17,800. The board also asked for bids for the sale of the 1932 Firetruck and they will discuss the six bids received. The board will hear and discuss Resolutions #8 and 9-2023 that would first authorize the mayor to sign the documents approving the final completion for the scope of work between Energy Solutions Professionals, LLC and the city of Salem, and then authorize the mayor to reauthorize the remaining funds totaling $92,019 through Signature Bank that was originally designated to pay for work to be done by ESP. The board will discuss Resolution 10-2023 that would authorize the mayor to sign the Section 179D Energy Efficiency Commercial Building Deduction Allowance Form between the City of Salem & Energy Solutions Professionals, LLC. Resolution #11-2023 is a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement between the City of Salem and the Huntington National Bank for the lease of a 2023 Freightliner with a 2022 Terex C5048 Digger Derrick for $4,721.35 per month for five years. The board will then hear Bills #3534, 3535 and 3536 that authorize the mayor to execute and the City Clerk to attest to Quit-Claim Deeds between the City of Salem and the County of Dent. The first bill is for the vacating of an alley, the second bill is for the vacating of the eastern half of South Oak Street vacated by the city in 1994, and the third bill is for the vacating of some property in the Douglass Park Addition that was used as a city park in the 1920s until Highway 32 was rerouted through the center of the park. Title searches have not found who the property was conveyed to, if to anyone at all. The city will relinquish any claim it has to the property with the Quit-Claim Deed even if they legally do not have a claim to it at all. The board will then hear from City Administrator Sally Burbridge, Mayor Greg Parker, Public Works Director Mark Nash and each individual alderman before the meeting is adjourned. The meeting of the City of Salem Board of Aldermen is open to the public.

The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors met Tuesday evening at 6:00. After the roll call and approval of the consent agenda, the minutes from the February meeting were approved. The financial report was presented which showed an ending balance as of February 28th of 193,081.57. Bills, payments, and statements were then reviewed and approved. During the calendar review, this week on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, participants from the 100-Acre Wood Rally will register cars at the station. Chief Nash will be at Northwood R-4 on the 14th for an interview with JAG; and on March 22nd, the forest service will be hosting a tabletop exercise for the department and other first responder agencies. The district reimbursement report was presented which showed a total of 20 calls for the month of February, bringing the year to date total to 65. Truck 85 is still out of service and the department is waiting for parts that should be in on March 21st. In his report to the board, Chief Nash reminded the board that October 7th from 8:00 until 4:30 there would be a class for the board of directors that the district will be hosting and it is mandatory for all members to attend. Nash also presented the board with a projected estimate of the cost for the district for the upcoming election and it will be around $6,720.00. Before adjourning the date for the next meeting was set for Tuesday, April 11th, at 6:00 in the evening at the Dent County Fire Station.

An accident happened Friday morning just after 9:00 on Highway 63 just south of Locust Street in Freeburg. According to the highway patrol report, a 2005 Ford F-250 being driven south by 30-year-old Bobby Houston of Rolla, crossed the center line and struck a 2016 Dodge Ram being driven northbound by 56-year-old Matthew Duncan of Licking. The Ford then slid into a 2016 Toyota Scion being driven by 46-year-old Michael Jensen of Olatha, Kansas. Jensen was taken by ambulance to Capital Regional Medical Center in Jefferson City. Two passengers in the Ram, 54-year-old Janell Duncan and 82-year-old Sharon Stephens, both of Licking were taken by ambulance to Phelps Health Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. All three vehicles sustained moderate to extensive damage and were removed from the scene by Poettgen Towing. The report went on to state that everyone involved were wearing seat restraints at the time of the accident.

March is the annual observance of National Nutrition Month, a campaign to raise awareness of healthy eating and physical activity. Nutrition is especially important for older adults. Receiving proper nutrition is not only a vital part of healthy aging it can impact immunity, energy levels, heart health and much more. National Nutrition Month is the perfect time for older adults to educate themselves and consider the impact certain food choices have on their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. The Salem Senior Center can help with education on nutrition and how to live a healthy lifestyle. On Wednesday morning at 11:00, there will be a presentation on “What is in your soda?” This is a great way to learn more about health and nutrition while enjoying good food, visiting with friends, and having fun. For more information, contact Jody Schaefer, 573-729-2373, and see them on Facebook: Salem Senior Center.

Last week, there were two reports of people being sentenced to the Missouri Department of Corrections for drug related incidents. In one case, 43-year-old Bradley Delashmit of Salem pled guilty to felony counts of second-degree drug trafficking and will serve eleven years as recommended by Prosecutor Andrew Curley in front of Judge Megan Seay. Sentenced to serve 15-years under the State Statute 559.115 program with a 120 day shock incarceration was 53-year-old Tabitha Freeman of Salem who pled guilty of distribution of a controlled substance, the possession of a controlled substance in the Dent County jail and possession of methamphetamine. Judge Michael Randazzo presided over the plea and sentencing. He followed the recommendation of Dent County Prosecutor Andrew Curley.

Students have the opportunity to participate in multiple contest categories, including posters with hand-drawn and graphic arts, and re-purposing recyclables and trash into three-dimensional pieces of trash art. All art entries should echo the theme of the contest and an underlying solid waste management theme to reduce, reuse, and recycle. First and second place contest winners will be awarded prizes, made possible by sponsor donations. Honorable mention projects will also be recognized. All prizes will be earth-friendly, with the first prize valued at $30, second prize valued at $10 and honorable mention prizes valued at $5 approximately. Entries for all categories will be accepted through this Friday, March 17th. and may be dropped off at the county clerk offices at the nearest courthouse or at MRPC, located at #4 Industrial Drive in St. James. Posters must not exceed 28” x 22”, and trash art projects must not exceed 12”x 12” x 12”. Only one entry per category per student will be accepted, but students may submit entries for all three categories. All entries must be clearly marked with the student’s name, grade, school district, school name and teacher’s name. If any information is not labeled, the entry will be disqualified. If you or your business would like to be a sponsor or for more information about the contest, call 573-265-2993.

The Dent County Commissioners met Thursday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley appointed District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson as the Acting Presiding Commissioner for the meeting. Amanda Sapaugh from the SB 40 Board was in to ask the commissioners to re-appoint Shawn Bolerjack and Grant Hamlett to her board for three-year terms. She said she also had two vacancies on her board she would like to fill. She recommended the commission appoint Becky Steiner to a three-year term and Chelsie Hubbs to a two-year term. The commissioners approved the re-appointments and Sapaugh’s recommendations to fill the vacancies. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams brought in her report on the sales tax monies received in March from the Department of Revenue. She said the General Revenue Fund and the Dent County LEST Fund each received $94,424.82 this month which is $8,754.64 more than the 2022 figure of $85,670.18 for March. Year-to-date, those funds are each up $26,658.56 which is over a 10% increase. In the Road and Bridge Fund, the county received $43,644.24 while last March the county took in $39,486.61. That difference was $4,157.63 and year-to-date, the Road and Bridge Fund is up $14,816.63 over 2022 which is an increase of over 12.49%. In the two jail funds, the trust fund and operating fund, revenues received from the state this month came in at $87,288.52 and that is $8,367.36 more than March of 2022, and year-to-date each fund is up $29,809.68. That is about a 12.5% increase more than 2022. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said brush was being cut in the Bunker area on numerous roads, plus work was being done in the shop changing out tires and general maintenance. Mobray said crews were still checking some roads for damage from recent rains, and the ultimate paving material was being used for patching on various chip and seal roads. Commissioner Larson said rock would be added to Dent County Road 6140 and then spread out with a grader, while brush was going to be cut on county roads 4283, 4285 and 4287. He said a new battery was being installed in brush cutter #6 and a cotter pin had to be replaced on the back hoe. Once that was done, the back hoe was going to be cleaning out debris from under and around bridges. Dent County Clerk Curley said excused absentee voting continues in her office, the last day to mail out a ballot for the April 4th election will be March 22nd, and no-excuse absentee voting will begin March 21st and last through April 3rd. She said sample ballots are available at the courthouse for the Municipal Election and they are free. She also wanted to report that Green Forest R-2 and Dent-Phelps R-3 polling locations will NOT be open for this election as they do not have races for those schools. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the Dent County courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

An accident happened Wednesday afternoon at 4:45 in Phelps County on Highway 63 and Route M in Edgar Springs. According to the highway patrol report, 37-year-old Austin Baird of Edgar Springs was driving a 2005 GMC Pickup westbound, when he pulled into the path of a 2022 Buick Enclave driven by 75-year old Raymond Lewis of Licking. The Enclave struck the side of the GMC. Suffering moderate injuries were Baird who was taken by a patrol vehicle to Phelps Health in Rolla, and 72-year-old Belinda Lewis of Licking who was a passenger in the Enclave. She was taken by ambulance to Phelps Health. Both Raymond and Belinda Lewis were wearing their seat restraints while Baird was not. The GMC was totaled and removed from the scene by Lucas Towing while the Buick sustained extensive damage and was removed by D&D Towing. Baird was arrested for a DWI for drugs, failure to stop at a stop sign and for not wearing a seat belt. He was released from Phelps Health.

This week is Severe Weather Preparedness Week, and the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance, the State Emergency Management Agency, and the U.S. National Weather Service remind Missourians they should prepare in advance for severe weather. Spring brings thunderstorms, heavy winds, hail and tornadoes are all potential weather threats in Missouri and may result in significant damage or destruction to your home. Last year a total of 16 tornadoes occurred statewide; 35 tornadoes are typically the norm in Missouri annually. Severe weather throughout the year makes it critical for homeowners to understand a key component of their policies and that is their roof insurance. Some policies may not cover the replacement cost of your roof or the policy you have may only cover a depreciated cost, or the actual cash value, to repair or replace your property. The Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance recommends that consumers check their homeowners policy or contact their insurance company or agent to see whether their policy provides replacement cost coverage. DCI’s online roof coverage tool, insurance.mo.gov/roofing, is available to assist Missourians by providing a free analysis of the top twenty homeowners insurance companies in the state. If a company is not listed, this comparison shopping form helps consumers ask the right questions and record information as they research options for new coverage or seek to understand their existing coverage. For questions on roof insurance or any other insurance questions, Missouri consumers can call DCI’s Insurance Consumer Hotline at 800-726-7390 or visit insurance.mo.gov/consumers. You can learn more about Missouri’s annual Severe Weather Preparedness Week and find more weather-related resources at stormaware.mo.gov.