Local News

The Salem R-80 Board of Education met Thursday evening at the High School Library. At the meeting, Superintendent Dr. Lynne Reed said three candidates have filed for the two open positions on the R-80 School Board: Sandy Parker, Phillip Mercer and Calvin Malone. Incumbents Dustin Howard and Bernie Sirois elected not to run again. Reed said all the school districts discussed the 2022-2023 school calendar and came up with three different options, but no decisions were reached. Reed stated she would report on this at the next meeting. Reed said she met with food service staff in anticipation of the board discussing possibly letting out an RFP for food service to discuss what options would be available for current staff. All the principals gave reports on their school. Dr. Tori Snitker told the board the high school is revamping the alternative school program that affects about five kids, opening up their afternoons to let them pursue more career-oriented paths. The board did not set any dates for the CSIP program and will await a guidance letter from DESE before setting any definitive dates. The board approved the bid on replacing the gymnasium floor from Missouri Floor Company in Maryland Heights for $162,900. The bid includes a completion date by August 5th. The price increased over the last few weeks due to the increased costs of the subfloor and Assistant Athletic Director Clay Moody said the school would put out bids for a flooring sponsor for 10 years and possible for new mats to help offset the increased costs. The board heard from Tonya Voss from Opaa Food Management about putting out a request for proposals to do the food service work for R-80. Superintendent Reed said current food service workers could stay with the district or work for the food service company, whichever would be best for them. Reed said if the board would elect to contract out food services, she said the contract would begin May 31st to allow the company a soft opening with summer school before the next full school year. The board asked if the food service management companies would work with US Foods and Voss said that could be arranged. Reed said the soonest the board could vote on any RFP would be at the March board meeting. The board approved to put out the request for proposals for the food service. The board discussed at length the Safe Return In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan and finally decided to go with any student or staff testing positive for COVID-19 would have to be isolated. Those students who came in close contact with someone who tested positive would have their parents notified, and it would be the parent’s choice if the asymptomatic child returned to school or stayed home, and if they did go back, if would be up to the parent if the child should wear a mask. The board accepted the resignations of High School Junior Class Sponsor Robyn Taylor and Linda Gibbs in food service. The board heard from Pamela Haldiman from FEMA about a grant to create a public area/multipurpose building at the Upper Elementary School that would cost 2.7 million dollars. She said the board would need to apply for procurement documents and contract management to fill out, and then submit an application to FEMA for the grant which is a 75-25 match. It normally takes over a year for FEMA to review the grant application, and if approved, the board would have six months to prepare the documents to finish Phase 1 of the funding. Once that was approved, the school would have 30 months to bid and build the project in Phase 2. The government would pick up $2,025,000 of the building cost while the school would have to come up with $675,000. The board approved moving forward with the FEMA project. The board then went into closed session.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Director’s meeting was held Tuesday evening in the Hospital Library. In the summary of operations for the month of December, the hospital had 60 inpatient admissions with 205 inpatient census days. The hospital showed a loss from operations of $933,206 and had an excess of expenses over revenues of $838,563. During the month, there were 628 emergency room visits, there were 211 ambulance runs where 147 patients were transported. In December, there were 25 surgery cases, 1,390 outpatient registrations, 4,853 lab tests, 1,071 radiological procedures, 618 rehab treatments and 200 home health visits with 19 home health admissions. The Long-Term Care Center has 16 residents with two vacancies. The days cash on hand went down to 30 days while 53 is average for Missouri Critical Access Hospitals. The hospital had a cash decrease during the month of $1,803,815. The hospital is expected to receive just over one million dollars from the American Relief Fund. Chief of Nursing Ashley Sullins gave the Acute Care Staffing by Patient Acuity report that showed the average acuity was 16 per day with an average of seven patients per day. Hospital Administrator Kasey Lucas reported that as of January 14, there were 213 active COVID cases in Dent County with a positivity rate of 30%. He said Dent County is currently showing 31.4% of the residents are completely vaccinated and 35.2% have initiated the series. At the hospital, six employees are out with COVID, 45% of the staff is completely vaccinated while 61 employees are unvaccinated with 49 having approved exemptions. With the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Vaccination Mandate, health care employees have until February 13 to get their first dose and until March 15 to have their second dose of the vaccine. Lucas gave the Chief of Staff’s Report that recommended reappointing all medical staff privileges. The board approved the recommendation and also approved Dr. Tiffany Bland’s appointment to the Active Staff. Chief Operating Officer Jason Edwards gave an update on the laboratory. The lab has completed all the Individual Quality Control Plans for the current analyzers in use. The Medtox analyzer for urine drug screens has been validated and has received final approval from CLIA to begin patient testing. The final validations are expected to be complete by the first of February. The lab is currently operating without a Lab Director and is short on lab techs and phlebotomists. There have not been any applicants for these positions. The hospital has run out of PCR Covid tests and have not been able to reorder. District 3 election filing ended on December 28th with Wanda Tatom being the only candidate to file for the seat currently held by Dennis Fiebelman. There will be no election since Fiebelman will not seek re-election and there is only one candidate. Lucas reported that the hospital has been approved to participate in the Delta Regional Community Health System Development Program. They are one of only nine hospitals in the Delta Region that was chosen to participate. This program is a collaboration between the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the US Department of Health and Human Services to enhance health care delivery through intensive technical assistance to providers in rural communities. The program will target improving financial operations, implementing quality improvement activities to promote better health outcomes, increase telehealth, enhance coordination of care, strengthen the local health care system, provide social services to address broader socio-economic challenges, ensure access to emergency medical services, and identify workforce recruitment and retention. The board approved the purchase of a rooftop air conditioning unit for a cost of $16,200 from Victor Heating and Cooling and an ice and water dispenser for $4,648 from Scotsman. The board then went into closed session.

The Salem R-80 Boad of Education will be meeting tonight in the high school library. Superintendent Dr. Lynn Reed will report on board candidate filings, give a current Covid update along with a review of the 2022-2023 school calendar and an ESP project update, food service report, and an update on the FEMA grant. The board will the hear reports from the all the building principals along with reports on athletics, activities and facilities. In new business, the board is expected to set CSIP meeting dates, consider bids to replace the gym floor, consider the short-term leave policy and SRCSP program, and approve the RPF for food service. The board will then adjourn and move into executive closed session. The regular meeting is open to the public.

The Salem Area Arts Council will be holding a jewelry class where participants will learn how to make copper leaf necklaces with Margie Moll tonight from 5:30 until 7:30 at the Creative Arts Center. You can try your hand at creating jewelry out of copper using a ball-ping hammer and torch. All the supplies and safety equipment will be included, and the cost is $25. For more information or to register, call 247-0651 or 247-5306 or e-mail salemartscouncil@outlook.com.

The Dent County Commissioners held a meeting Tuesday morning at the Dent County Courthouse since the courthouse was closed Monday for the MLK holiday. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said crews will be working on the trucks after the snow removal Saturday and trimming some low hanging limbs. Work crews will be checking roads and fixing signs where needed. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said most of his crew is out with COVID, but those who remain will be out checking roads and signs. Larson did say the road and bridge department is seeking applications for full time employees. Those who want to apply must have a CDL or acquire a CDL. Employment applications must be picked up at the county clerk’s office. Applications must be submitted by Friday, February 4th at the clerk’s office. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said he attended the MRPC External Relations meeting and regular board meeting by phone. He said several congressional reps were on hand and said millions of dollars will be available in the state for broadband expansion. Skiles said the MRPC received an ARPA update as they have relaxed the rules on how the funds for any government can be used. The MRPC will hold a meeting in February with Attorney Travis Elliott with the latest ARPA guidance. Skiles said he attended the trial Friday in the Cole County Circuit Court for the Herman Kelly and CCAM vs State of Missouri case. The CCAM attorneys challenged parts of Senate Bill 53 that dealt with the salaries of sheriffs. Judge Dan Greene indicated he would give his ruling by the end of the month. The Northwood R-4 School District asked the commissioners to sign a letter of support for them to apply for funds from SEMA for a Tornado Safe Room. All three of the commissioners approved the request and signed the letter. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said she balanced with the treasurer on all accounts for the month of December, plus she said her office balanced with the collector and assessor on all collections, add-ons and abatements for December. She said the tentative budget is available in her office if the public would like a copy. She said she would be attending the Missouri Association of Counties board meeting this week. She also said as part of the Missouri Association of Counties Clerks and Election Authorities Board, she will attend their Legislative Day at the capital. Curley wanted to remind the public the commissioners will hold the budget public hearing at 10:00 on Thursday, January 27th in the commissioner’s office. Dent County Collector Shannon VanKirk brought in the monthly report for December and said collections this December were about $300,000 more than December of 2020; and collections for November were up about $400,000 more than November of 2020. The total amount of taxes collected in December came to $5,838,218.26. She also said currently the collector has over 75 parcels of property on their monthly prepay program. VanKirk said people can sign up for the program anytime, but the later in the year, the more they will have to play catchup. For more information, stop by the Dent County Courthouse at the Collector’s Office or call 729-3911. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Monday morning at the courthouse at 9:00 and the meeting will be open to the public.

Missouri’s deer and turkey archery seasons closed January 15th. Deer hunting preliminary data from MDC showed that hunters checked 60,834 deer during the 2021-2022 archery deer season making it the third highest archery deer harvest on record. Top counties for the archery deer season were Jefferson with 1,563 deer harvested, St. Louis with 1,368, and Franklin with 1,274. Hunters checked 67,487 deer during the 2020-2021 archery deer season. This year’s archery deer harvest total was 10% below last year’s record harvest and 8% higher than the previous five-year average. Preliminary data from MDC showed 2,523 turkeys harvested. Top counties for the fall archery turkey season were Franklin with 69 turkeys harvested, Jefferson with 67, and Callaway with 61. Hunters harvested 2,350 turkeys during the 2020-2021 fall archery turkey season. For deer and turkey harvest totals by county and other information, visit the MDC website at extra.mdc.mo.gov.

Bryce Mobray, a Green Forest 4-H member, placed first the Percentage Simmental Heifers Born in April of 2021 class at the Cattlemen’s Congress in Oklahoma City. The Cattlemen’s Congress is a stock show for cattlemen and women managed by cattlemen and women. The Cattlemen’s Congress is an opportunity for breeders across North America to showcase their top genetics and connect with fellow beef producers in a central location, in the heart of cattle country. In 2020, the Cattlemen’s Congress was created by a group of visionaries led by Mr. Bob Funk. It’s goal was to provide a world class event specifically designed for cattlemen and women to gather, showcase and market their elite cattle genetics.

The National Park Service (NPS) is soliciting public input by March 7th on the proposed amendments to the special regulations for motorized vessels within Ozark National Scenic Riverways. These proposed changes were included in the park’s General Management Plan as part of the Preferred Alternative. The General Management Plan was finalized in 2015 after a long public planning process. The NPS proposes to create seasonal non-motorized zones along the upper stretches of the Current and Jacks Fork rivers where low water levels during the peak season typically restrict access for motorboats. These zones would provide areas without conflict between motorized and non-motorized users during peak visitor season, when it can be challenging for non-motorized vessels and motorboats to navigate narrow river channels at the same time. Peak visitor season usually begins the day after the last day of trapping season and end the day before gigging season, which would currently be April 1st through September 14th. The NPS is also looking for comments to legalize the use of 60/40 horsepower (HP) motors with jet propulsion. These motors are the most popular with motorboat users today. Under existing regulations for motorized vessels within Ozark National Scenic Riverways, the 60/40 HP motors are not legal because they exceed 40 HP at the powerhead. They are also looking for public comments on the and establish a 150 HP limit for jet propulsion and 105 HP limit for motors with a propellor on the Current River between Big Spring and the southern boundary of the park. These limits were proposed to address visitor concerns about safety, degradation of experience and increasing boat sizes resulting from no limits on boat motor size. Members of the public may submit comments on the proposed rule, identified with the Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) 1024-AE62, through March 7th, by going online to www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, enter 1024-AE62. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. You can also submit written hard copies by U.S. Mail or hand deliver to: Superintendent, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, 404 Watercress Drive, P.O. Box 490, Van Buren, MO. 63965. Only comments submitted online through the Regulations.gov site or by hardcopy will be accepted. For more information, call 573-323-4236.

Come join Artist Suzanne Douglas and learn the technique and skills to create a lovely traditional 10” Melon Basket out of wooden hoops and reeds. The 2 two-hour sessions will be held on Wednesdays, January 19th & 26th from 6:00 to 8:00 at the Creative Arts Center. The cost is $45 for both sessions and supplies. For more information or to register, call 247-0651 or 247-5306 you e-mail salemartscouncil@outlook.com.

A Dent County Festival Committee meeting will be held Wednesday, January 26th from 5:30-6.30 at The Salem Community Center@The Armory Rotary meeting room. A brainstorming session will be held to plan for upcoming events. The committee has discussed the possibility of a Spring/Summer vendor event, a Fall Festival, a Christmas Festival and maybe a tie-in event with the “Naturally Meramec” group for a “taste of Dent County” effort. The meeting is open to anyone. If you know of dates of events already scheduled in the area or surrounding towns, please bring those dates with you. The committee would like to set dates at this meeting so they can start planning for the first event. If you need more information or have an idea for an event, e-mail Tonya Sanders at Utilities3@salemmo.com.

An accident happened Thursday afternoon just after 12:30 that left a Salem resident with serious injuries. According to the report from the highway patrol a 1995 Ford F-150 being driven by 59-year-old Harvey Carter of Salem was traveling west on Highway 32 about 4 miles from Salem when he ran off the right side of the road, striking a fence and a tree. Carter was taken by Air Evac to Cox Hospital South in Springfield for treatment. The report went on to state that Carter was not wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The highway patrol was assisted at the scene by the Dent County Sheriff’s Department and the Dent County Fire Protection District.

An accident occurred Saturday morning at 9:10 in Dent County on Highway 32 about three miles west of Salem. According to the highway patrol report, a 2019 Dodge Caravan driven by 30-year-old Emily Inman of Salem was travelling eastbound when she lost control on a snow covered roadway. The Dodge crossed the centerline, travelled off the left side of the roadway, struck a culvert and overturned. Inman and a 10-year-old juvenile female of Salem, suffered moderate injuries and were taken to Salem Memorial Hospital by Ambulance. Inman was not wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident. The juvenile was wearing a safety restraint. The Dodge was totaled and removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing.

An accident occurred Saturday morning at 11:20 in Phelps County on I 44 westbound near mile marker 199.6. According to the highway patrol report a 2015 Dodge Grand Caravan driven by 23-year-old Caleb Davis of Rolla was travelling in the left lane while passing a tractor trailer. The Dodge travelled back into the right lane, lost control, and travelled off the right side of the roadway, down an embankment, where its undercarriage struck the ground. Davis and 24-year-old April Krieter of Rolla, an occupant in the vehicle, both suffered minor injuries. She was transported to Phelps Health in Rolla by St. James Ambulance while Davis was not transported to the hospital. All parties in the car were wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident. The Dodge sustained minor damage and was driven from the scene.

The Salem Airport Board Chairman Tyler Naramore has called for a meeting on Tuesday night at 6:00 at the City Hall Council Chambers located at 202 N. Washington. After the introduction of the committee members, aldermen and staff, the Board will approve the minutes of the last meeting and receive an airport lighting update, get an update on the fuel card reader, gate opener and new hangar construction; hear hangar lease suggestions and discuss hangar rates. The board will also talk about the termite damage to hangars/FBO, hear updates on FBO, get updated on the status of a rotary mower purchase and discuss other business. The meeting of the Airport Board is open to the public.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors will conduct their January meeting Tuesday night at 6:00 in the hospital library. Hospital Administrator Kasey Lucas will report on the summary of the operations and statistics for the month of December as well as the auxiliary report, followed by the Chief of Nursing Report with Ashley Sullins. Chief Operating Officer Jason Edwards will give the hospital foundation report as well as the marketing and community perception report. In old business, Lucas will update the board on how COVID-19 is affecting the hospital, give a report on the Cerner conversion, discuss the CLIA survey and talk about the election filing for the District 3 board seat that will becoming available in the upcoming April election. In new business, the board will discuss any purchases. The board may vote to go into closed session. The SMDH Board meeting Tuesday night at the hospital library is open to the public.

An accident happened Wednesday night in Dent County at 10:10 on Highway 32 about a mile west of Boss. According to the highway patrol report, a 2003 Chrysler Town and Country driven by 64-year-old Karen Salsman of Viburnum, swerved to miss a deer in the road and traveled off the left side of the roadway where the vehicle struck the ground and a fence. Salsman suffered serious injuries and was flown by Air Evac to the Mercy Hospital in St. Louis. The Chrysler sustained moderate damages and was removed from the scene by Abney’s Towing of Viburnum. Salsman was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Dent County Sheriff’s Department assisted the highway patrol at the scene.

The Dent County Assessor Jamie Homeyer wants to remind the public with COVID cases again on the rise, the Dent County Assessor’s office is open, but would like to keep in person visits to a minimum. If you haven’t used the online filing system for your 2022 assessment form, they would encourage you to give it a try. If you have your assessment form, log into the link provided on the 2022 assessment form you received in the mail. You will need your account number and pin number from that form to enter your information online. You can always mail your signed form back in the return envelope provided, or you can drop it in the collector’s payment box out in front of the courthouse on the southwest corner of the courthouse lawn. If you have questions, call the office at 729-6010.

The Salem Police Department has released additional reports for the month of December. During the afternoon of Friday, December 10th around 1:00 an officer arrested 50-year-old Richard L. Labrash of Salem on an active capias for his arrest. Labrash was incarcerated at the Dent County Jail with no bond. Then on Sunday the 12th of December close to midnight, an officer conducted a traffic stop near the intersection of Hunt and Warfel Streets. It was apparent that the driver of the vehicle was under the influence of either drugs or alcohol. An investigation was conducted and the police found the subject to be operating the vehicle under the influence of narcotics. As a result, a 58-year-old Salem woman was arrested and issued a summons for driving while being intoxicated. On Wednesday afternoon, December 15th near 1:30, an officer arrested 28-year-old Ashlie Sapaugh of Salem for an active arrest warrant. Sapaugh was incarcerated at the Dent County Jail. During the afternoon of Saturday, December 18th around 4:30, an officer conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of Highway 19 and 32. The driver was found to be in possession of marijuana and paraphernalia. Due to the items located, a 33-year-old Salem man was arrested and later released on summons. The last report occurred on Tuesday, December 31st, an officer arrested Stephanie Tahssain for an outstanding arrest warrant out of the Uvalde Police Department in Texas. The bond amount was $5,000 in cash or surety. Tahssain was incarcerated at the Dent County Jail pending extradition or bond. Please contact the Salem Police at 729-4242 if you have information regarding any investigation.

The University of Missouri Extension is offering a webinar series on how to save money on your timber taxes. Many forest landowners pay more taxes on their timber than they should. Accountants can help calculate the taxes, but forest landowners need to understand how timber expenses should be reported and how they are taxed. When planning forest management activities, knowing the timber tax rules will help keep your records in line and save you money. The webinar series is part of the Woodland Stewards regional extension program for landowners. The webinar was created by a team of forestry extension professional from 10 programs, the United States Forest Service and more. The webinars are one-hour sessions that will be held on Tuesdays starting at noon beginning January 18th and lasting every Tuesday through February 15th. If you are interested in one or more of the webinars, please click place the following address in your browser: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ForestryTaxWebinars. For additional assistance, call the Dent County Extension at 729-3196.

A one vehicle accident occurred in Dent County Tuesday morning at 10:20 that left a Salem area resident with moderate injuries. According to the Highway Patrol report a 2000 Chevrolet S-10, driven by 33-year-old Debra Stidham, travelled off the right side of Route A and struck two trees about a half mile west of Bunker. The report stated that Stidham suffered moderate injuries and was transported by a private vehicle to Salem Memorial District Hospital. The S-10 was totaled and removed from the scene by Rowdy’s Towing. According to the report it is unknown whether the driver was wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident.

The Salem Police Department has released several reports for the month of December. On Monday, December 6th at around midnight, an officer was dispatched to the 700 block of South Jackson for a report of a disturbance. After an investigation, a male subject was contacted and found to be in possession of a scale containing methamphetamine. Due to the possession of drug paraphernalia the man was arrested and placed on a 12-hour hold due to his level of intoxication. That same evening close to 8:00, an officer was dispatched to the 700 block of East Jack Street for the report of shots being fired. During the investigation, it was learned that a 23-year-old Salem man was intoxicated and acting belligerent, had discharged a number of rounds from a 9-millimeter handgun. As a result, the man was arrested and placed on a 24-hour hold pending the application of warrants. During the morning of Wednesday, December 8th near 8:30, officers were dispatched to the 400 block of North Henderson for a report of a burglary and theft. It was reported that a building had been broken into and approximately $2,000 worth of property had been taken. An investigation was conducted by Detective Burns and subsequently a search warrant was obtained and served in the 300 block of West Fifth Street where items stolen from the building were located along with the suspect. As a result, a 50-year-old Salem man was arrested and is facing charges of Burglary and Stealing. Please contact the Salem Police Department at (573) 729-4242 if you have any information regarding an ongoing investigation.

The Doe Run Company is proud to announce that longtime employee, Todd Mead, has been awarded Driller of the Year by the Heartland and Mississippi Valley chapters of the International Society of Explosive Engineers (ISEE). Mead, a resident of Bunker, has been responsible for drilling and blasting work as an underground miner at Doe Run for more than 12 years. He currently works as part of a two-person crew developing ore at Fletcher Mine. Mead and his mining partner had great success this past year: together, they broke more than 87,000 tons of rock to make significant progress towards expanding Fletcher Mine.

Through this Friday, Dent County residents can vote to elect members to the University of Missouri Extension Council of Dent County. The council has two positions that need to be filled in the Northern district, five in the Central district and two in the Southern district. Ballots may be mailed to the Dent County Extension Center at 112 East 5th Street in Salem, or you can vote or drop off ballots on the second floor of the Judicial Building between the hours of 8:00 in the morning and 4:30 p.m. Candidates include Kelly Chapman and Terry Phelps in the Northern District; Darlene Dahms, Thomas Haines, Charlee Sue Jadwin, Betty Kunkel and Kolson Seay in the Central District; and Kyle Case and Jason Jones in the Southern District. Ballots were printed in the January 4th edition of the Salem News and were in this Monday’s edition of Your World Today as in insert. If you have any questions, please call the Dent County Extension Office at 729-3196.

The Board of Directors of the Salem Memorial District Hospital will conduct a special meeting tonight at 6:00 in the hospital library. This meeting may be conducted and attended by telephone or other electronic means and the public may observe and attend any portion of the meeting not closed to the public. Any person that would like to attend by telephone or electronic means should contact Tonya Akers at 573-729-6626 to obtain access information.

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning for their regular meeting. In the road report, District 1 Road Supervisor Jason Akins gave the report for Commissioner Wes Mobray who was not in attendance due to other commitments. Akins said crews would be replacing a crossover pipe on Dent County Road 2400 and adding material to an undermined area around a culvert pipe on county road 2410. Akins went on to say workers would be removing left over debris from tree trimming on Dent County Roads 5440 and 5450. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said a crew would be working on the spreader box on Truck #72 as the chain has been giving them problems. He said two men would be taking truck #116 with a snowplow to Knapheide in Jefferson City as the snowplow mechanism will only move one way. Larson said a crew this week would be picking up old culverts on Dent County Road 2090. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said he would be attending a Public Housing Authority meeting and MRPC meeting on Thursday, and would be in Jefferson City Friday for a CCAM Executive Board meeting. He said Friday is also the day the trial will be held on the legality of how Senate Bill 53 was passed in the Cole County Court. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said work continues on the 2022 County Budget. She also wanted to remind all political entities that they must submit their final certifications for the April election in the county clerk’s office by 5:00 PM, Tuesday, January 25th whether an election is occurring or no election is needed. State Representative Ron Copeland was in attendance. He said the biggest issue being discussed was redistricting at this time as the committee has agreed on 112 of 163 districts, but 51 others are still being disputed. This may end up going to court where the judge allows the 112 to stay and will only rule on the 51 other districts or throw the whole thing out and start over. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams presented the sales tax monies received by the county this month. In the General Revenue Fund and Law Enforcement Sales Tax Fund, the county received $91,064.52 and that is $34,878.01 more than the 2021 figure of $56,176.51. She said the Road and Bridge Fund received $43,938.97 and that is $19,673.71 more than the 2021 figure of 24,265.26. In the Jail Operating and Trust Funds, Williams indicated both funds received $87,816.54 which is $39,285.13 more than the figure for January of 2021. Skiles said the courthouse would be closed on Monday, Martin Luther King Day, so the commissioners will be meeting on Tuesday, January 18th at 9:00 for their regular meeting. At the meeting last Monday, January 3rd, Corky Stack with Stack Engineering came in to update the commission on the cost of the work on the outside of the courthouse. Stack estimated the total project cost to be between $570,000 and $730,000. It was also decided at the last meeting that beginning February 1st, the commission will go back to meeting twice a week on Monday and Thursdays at 9:00. The meetings were reduced to one per week in the height of the COVID Pandemic in 2020. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Tuesday, January 18th at 9:00 at the courthouse and that meeting will be open to the public.

The Creative Arts Center will be holding a four-week stained glass class beginning tonight and lasting through February 1st with Jennifer Curry. There will be two sessions to choose from: either 3:30 to 5:30 in the afternoon or from 5:30 to 7:30 at night. Learn the art of Stained Glass and create a panel of your own. All the supplies and safety equipment are included. The cost is $150 for all four weeks. For more information or to register, call 247-0651 or 247-5306, or sign up on the Salem Arts Council Facebook page.

An accident occurred Friday morning at 10:34 in Jefferson County on Highway 21 north of Grassy Lane. According to the highway patrol report, a 2002 Ford F150 driven by 60-year-old Steven McCarter of Salem, was traveling southbound and travelled off the east side of the roadway. The Ford overturned and ejected the driver and a passenger, 42-year-old Cheri Sturdivant of Salem. Sturdivant suffered serious injuries and was transported to Mercy Hospital South by Valle Ambulance. McCarter also suffered serious injuries and was transported to Mercy Hospital St. Louis by Survival Flight Air Ambulance. The Ford was totaled and removed from the scene by Shank’s Towing. Safety devices were not in use at the time of the accident.

The Salem R-80 School Board of Education met Thursday via Zoom at noon to discuss changes in the Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan (SRCSP) at the high school. Those changes followed the suggestions of the Dent County Health Center and the CDC. The changes include the length of isolation and quarantine after exposure will be five days out of school and five days masked upon return. The board also corrected some verbiage on the test-to-stay option which is available for anyone who has been exposed to COVID-19; and under the mitigation measures, the text was changed to all staff should wear a mask within six feet of other adults which is only a suggestion, not a mandate. The meeting was then adjourned.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen will be meeting Tuesday evening at 6:00 at City Hall Council Chambers at 202 North Washington Street. After the roll call and approval of the consent agenda, the board will hear the introduction and reading of bill including Resolution #1-2022 authorizing the mayor to execute and agreement between the city and Godi’s Excavating for the timber clearing for the Certified Site in the Master’s Industrial Park, and Resolution #2-2022 which is a resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute a one year memorandum of understanding between the City of Salem and the Board of Governors of Missouri State University at West Plains for the Adult Education and Literacy program. The MOU allows the city hall to be used for purposes of conducting activities associated with the educational programs delivered by the university for the AEL program. The board will hear and discuss Bill #3497 which would create an ordinance authorizing the mayor to act as a representative for the city in executing a tower lease agreement between the city of Salem and Wave Internet Technologies LLC. This agreement will allow for the installation of a wireless broadband access point for related equipment on a designated portion of the city of Salem’s water tower located at Tower and Condray Street effective the 1st day of February 2022 for a period of one year. Resolution #3-2022, which is a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement between the City of Salem and Signature Public Funding Corp., a New York Corporation, to provide for the funding of the HVAC and Maintenance Project of just over 1.5 million dollars. Reports will then be heard from City Administrator Ray Walden, Mayor Kim Steelman, Public Works Director Mark Nash, Parks and Recreation Director Melissa Dubois and various alderman reports. The board may then vote to go into closed session. The Salem Board of Aldermen meeting is open to the public.

Effective TODAY, Phelps Health facilities will no longer allow cloth, reusable, or privately purchased face masks inside their facilities. Instead, staff will provide employees, patients, and visitors with disposable surgical masks at the door. This announcement comes just days after Mercy Hospital in Springfield made similar changes to their masking policy.