Local News

Judging for the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2nd Annual Business Window Decorating Contest gets underway Friday and will continue over the weekend until Monday afternoon. The theme this year is “A Storybook Christmas” and 20 business have entered the contest. The windows may just be painted, illuminated with a display or be a combination of both. The public in invited to view the windows of the these fine businesses in Salem: the Dent County Vet Clinic, Salem Public Library, Tax Masters, Edward Jones, Ozark Natural and Cultural Resource Center, That Special Touch Florist, McDonalds, Steel Magnolias, City of Salem Administration Building, Allen’s Treasure Chest & Den, Country Chic Boutique, Duncan Family Chiropractic, Main Street Café, US Bank, Southeast Missouri Behavioral Health on 4th Street, VIP Properties, Magik Herbs, Trinity, The Bank of Salem and Beehive Florist & gifts. After the judging is complete, a winner will be announced at 4:00 Monday afternoon, December 13th. Enjoy the hard work put in by these businesses during the day and night! A suggested map of the locations will be available today on the Salem Chamber of Commerce, City of Salem and KSMO Facebook pages.

The Salem Police Department has released some reports from the mid to latter portion of November. Around 1:00 in the afternoon of Sunday, November 14th, an officer was dispatched to the 500 block of North Henderson Street for a report of a burglary. It had been reported that someone had broken into a residence and stolen nine guns and hunting knives along with an undisclosed amount of cash. This incident is currently under investigation. On Sunday morning, November 15th near 1:00 while on patrol, an officer contacted a woman that had warrants for her arrest. As a result, 22-year-old Deseray Fish of Salem was arrested on the warrants and incarcerated at the Dent County Jail. Near 6:00 in the evening of Saturday, November 20th, an officer was dispatched to an accident where one of the subjects involved had left the scene. After a short investigation the vehicle and subject involved were located. At that time, a 42-year-old Salem man was arrested and later released on summons to appear in court for leaving the scene of an accident. About three hours later, officers dealt with an intoxicated subject that was causing a disturbance and interfering with an unrelated investigation in the 1400 block of West Scenic Rivers Blvd. As a result, a 41-year-old man from Thompsonville, Michigan, was arrested and placed on a 12-hour safekeep at the Dent County Jail. He was later released on a summons. On Sunday, November 23rd, an officer was dispatched to Wal-Mart for a report of a shoplifter. It was reported that a male subject had stolen approximately $10 worth of merchandise. After an investigation, a 51-year-old Salem man was arrested and later released on summons to appear in court. Around 8:00 in the evening on Tuesday, November 23rd, an officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with inoperable headlights. During the traffic stop it was learned that 44-year-old Jared King of Salem, had warrants out of the Franklin County Sheriff’s office for assault. King was arrested and incarcerated at the Dent County jail awaiting extradition. And finally on Friday morning, November 26th near 5:30, an officer arrested 28-year-old Chris Gibbs of Salem in the 1100 block of West Scenic Rivers Boulevard. The subject was incarcerated on warrants for the possession of a controlled substance. Please contact the Salem Police Department at (573) 729-4242 if you have any information regarding an ongoing investigation.

Missouri Employers Mutual has announced its latest cycle of safety grant recipients, bringing the total amount of safety grants awarded to policyholders to $2.1 million since 2016. The 11th safety grant cycle awarded $259,000 to 38 policyholders. The program is designed to help policyholders pinpoint areas of their business where an injury could occur, or in many cases, purchase equipment related to injuries previously experienced. Five years into the program, safety grant recipients continue to see positive results. Since implementing the safety equipment purchased with their grants, the 280 businesses have experienced only 14 claims totaling $49,000. That’s a 96 percent reduction in claims and a 94 percent reduction in claims costs. One of those businesses who benefitted from a safety grant in 2018 was the Village Gallery in Salem. That grant allowed for the purchase of a saw stop table saw prevented a major injury to an employee at the custom cabinetry business. Owner Carl Williams said there was an incident where an operator let his guard down and wasn’t paying attention. His finger got to the blade and the saw stopped it from moving. So instead of potentially losing a finger, he received a very small nick instead. Williams said that prior to receiving the safety grant, his business experienced a claim related to use of a table saw. Although no Salem business is a recipient this year, St. James Transports in St. James received some powered landing gear kits. All of Missouri Employers Mutual policyholders are eligible for a safety grant, regardless of premium size or claims history. Successful applicants earn one-to-one matching grants up to $10,000 toward approved safety initiatives.

According to Dent County Assessor Jamie Homeyer, the 2022 Dent County Assessment Lists will be mailed the first week of January 2022. To avoid a late filing penalty, your completed assessment forms will be due in the assessor’s office by March 1st. Online filing will also be available from January 2nd through April 30th. In addition to being able to file online, there is a drop box in front of the courthouse, as well as a drop box inside the courthouse by the office door, or you may also mail your completed form back to the Dent County Assessor at 400 N Main St, Salem, MO 65560. The assessor’s office is open from 8:00 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon, Monday through Friday and you may call us at 573-729-6010. If there is no answer, please leave them a message and they will return your call as soon as possible.

The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors met Tuesday evening at 6:00. After approval of the consent agenda, the minutes from the November meeting were reviewed and approved as presented. Changes to the policies and procedures were then presented by Weber and Associates to the board for review. The changes will again be reviewed and discussed at the January meeting. Bills were reviewed and approved, showing an ending balance of 127,312.91 as of November 30th. A motion was made and carried to adopt the 2021 budget for the beginning of 2022 until the new budget can be completed and entered into the new software. Once that is done, it will then be reviewed and approved by the board. Treasurer Dave Wells asked the board to transfer funds to the building payment fund out of this year’s budget as per USDA guidelines, which was then approved by the board. The monthly reimbursement report was presented which showed a total of 29 call for the month including five structure fires, five brush fires, one car fire, six first responder calls, four vehicle accidents, one mutual aid, four hazmat calls, two training calls and one call listed as “other.” Total calls year-to-date for the department stands at 278 with an average cost per call of $98.20. Fire Chief Brad Nash reported to the board that Ladder Truck 81 was still being repaired. The date for the next meeting will be January 4th at 6:00 at the fire station at #2 South Main Street and the meeting will be open to the public.

You are invited to join a town hall meeting Monday, December 13th, from 11:45 in the morning and lasting until 1:00 at the Salem Community Center@the Armory, 1200 West Rolla Road. A panel of students will discuss substance use affecting teen in our community. You’ll also learn about the JAG program from local, participating students, and join a discussion about local substance use prevention programs. Lunch will be provided and registration is required. For more information or to register, please call 573-729-8163. The town hall meeting is being sponsored by Your Community Health Center, Prevention Consultants of Missouri, and Health Dent County.

Staff members at Current River State Park invite the public to create ready-to-gift Christmas cards and ornaments from 11:00 to 1:00 Saturday, December 11th. The program will start with a short history of Christmas cards and then participants will make Christmas cards and ornaments that can be given to friends or family or used to decorate their own trees. For more information, contact Connie Weber at 573-751-1224 or connie.weber@dnr.mo.gov. The public is strongly encouraged to follow social-distancing guidelines and be proactive in protecting themselves and others. 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.

Interpretive staff at Echo Bluff State Park invites the public to pick up a new Christmas craft each Saturday throughout the month of December. Visitors can pick up a different craft bag each week and learn about nature and Missouri animals while crafting with the family. A new craft bag will be available at the front desk of the lodge each Saturday of December while
supplies last. Bags can be picked up from 7:00 in the morning until 7:00 at night. The craft bags will include deer on December 11th, mouse on December 18th and the Christmas Bird Count on December 25th. Echo Bluff State Park is located at 35244 Echo Bluff Drive between Eminence and Salem off of Highway 19 South in southeast Missouri. For more information, please contact Echo Bluff State Park at 573-751-5211.

The North Wood R-IV School food drive will end tomorrow, December 10th. All the food products they raise will be going to local food pantries. They have partnered with local businesses this year to expand their mission beyond just the North Wood R-IV School patrons. Their local business partners are Bank of Salem, Country Mart, Dollar Tree, Phil-Mart, Town and Country Bank, American Legion Walker-Rooney Post, Beehive Florist, Casey’s, Main Street Cafe, and Salem News. Items can also be dropped off at the Northwood R-4 School during the day. Local businesses have boxes for your convenience to drop off your cans or non-perishables. They are very proud of their families, students, and staff for being able to sponsor this food drive for the last 18 years. Help them fight hunger in our community and share the gift of giving! For more information, please call Northwood R-4 School at 729-4607, and ask for Stacy Smith.

Filing started Tuesday for those interested in running for an elected city position such as mayor or alderman in the City of Salem or City of Bunker, or if you want to file as a director the Salem Memorial District Hospital board, numerous school boards as well as for the Dent County Fire Protection District Board. If you want to file for a position with the City of Salem, you must meet these requirements. To qualify for the East or West Ward Aldermen positions you must live in and have been a resident of that ward for at least one year and be 21-years-of-age. To qualify to serve as mayor, you must have been a citizen of the city for at least one year and be 25-years-of-age or older. There is a filing fee of $25 for any candidate filing for a city mayor or alderman position. The last day to file will be December 28th. Filing will be held at the city administration building and the hours will be from 8:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon. Filing will be done in the city clerk’s office. You must also have all your personal property and real estate taxes paid up to date. If you have any questions, please call 729-4811. To file for the hospital board, school boards of the fire district board, you will need to file for those positions at the entity you have an interest in. Any questions about eligibility should be directed to those entities.

The Dent County Sheriff’s Department has released some reports. On Wednesday, December 1st, a deputy conducted a traffic stop on Dent County Road 3253. During the course of the stop, a 27-year-old Salem woman was arrested on a warrant out of Dent County. She was transported to the Dent County Jail and incarcerated on the warrant. On Friday, December 3rd, a deputy conducted a traffic stop on Main Street in Salem. During the stop, a 21-year-old Salem woman was arrested for the Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. She was transported to the Dent County Jail where she was fingerprinted, issued a summons and released. If anyone has any information regarding an ongoing investigation, please contact the Dent County Sheriff’s department at 729-3241.

An accident occurred in Dent County Sunday evening at 5:13 on Dent County Road 6510 approximately 2 miles south of Jadwin. According to the highway patrol report, a 1996 Chevrolet pickup came out of gear and struck 53-year-old Jerry Myers of Jadwin who was working on the pickup. Myers suffered minor injuries and was transported by Salem EMS to Phelps Health in Rolla. There was no damage to the pickup, and it was removed from the scene by family.

An accident happened Monday morning just before 8:30 in Phelps County on eastbound Interstate 44 near the 189-mile marker. According to the report from the highway patrol a 2005 Cadillac CTS being driven by 47-year-old Tabitha Juarez of Rolla changed lanes and struck the rear of a 2018 Freightliner being driven by 52- year- old James Adams of Lesterville. Juarez was taken by EMS to Phelps Health Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. The Cadillac sustained moderate damage and was able to be driven from the scene. The report went on to state that both drivers were wearing seat restraints at the time of the accident.

An accident occurred in Dent County Tuesday morning at about 7:00 on Route U approximately six miles north of Salem. According to the highway patrol report, an eastbound 2014 Ford Escape, driven by 74-year-old Lynda Cheatham of Salem, was attempting to negotiate a curve when Cheatham lost control of the Ford. The Escape then traveled off the roadway and struck a utility pole. Cheatham suffered minor injuries and was transported by Salem Ambulance to Phelps Health in Rolla. The report stated that the driver was wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident. The Ford Escape suffered extensive damage and was removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing.

“Santa Paws” is coming to town! The Dent County Animal Welfare Society will be hosting a pet adoption event this Saturday at the Salem Community Center@The Armory from 11:00 in the morning until 2:00 in the afternoon. Bring the kids and get pictures with Santa as well as the Grinch and play with beautiful puppies looking for homes. There will be a bake sale if you need a snack! If you have any questions about adopting or about supporting the Dent County Animal Welfare Society, please call 729-3556 or stop by the Community Center@The Armory this Saturday for Santa Paws and speak with staff members.

The USDA Forest Service office in Salem on Highway 19 south will be closed on Thursday from 10:00 in the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon for a retirement celebration. The office will be open after 3:00 Thursday and will have normal hours on Friday. If you need more information, call the office at 729-6656.

The Spring Creek Artisans will hold their Christmas Fest Arts & Craft Show and Sale at the Creative Arts Center behind the Ozark Natural and Cultural Resource Center this Friday night from 5:00 until 8:00 and Saturday from 9:00 in the morning until 2:00 in the afternoon. Come out and do some Christmas shopping for one-of-a-kind hand-crafted gifts and visit with the local artists! Lots of holiday activities to enjoy! Free coffee, cider and cookies while you shop; a craft table for the children, a visit from Santa himself and demonstrations! Everyone is welcome to stop by and browse!

The Salvation Army has once again partnered with Wal-Mart for the annual Angel Tree program. Local residents have always enjoyed adopting a child, shopping for clothing, coats, hats, and toys. Some families use this time of year to teach their children the importance of giving during the holiday season. The Angel Tree at Wal-Mart is now available with the final date to adopt an angel being Friday, December 18th. If you need more information about the Angel Tree, call Sherry Lea at 729-8163 or e-mail sherry@salemcommunitycenter.org.

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse for their regular meeting. Healthy Dent County Director Sherry Lea was in attendance to discuss the rural addressing contract with the commission. They have been providing this service since 2008 and the cost has remained at $12,000 per year. They are in charge of providing rural addresses for any new structures in the county and are constantly updating their data bases. At a webinar attended by Lea and Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles Friday about NG911, it was found that Dent County’s addressing is 86% accurate which is better than most counties and is even better than the state of Missouri. Lea also said that if people have a home off the road where the house numbers can’t be seen, please get an address sign indicating your home is down that driveway or at that location. This is a necessity for emergency vehicles looking for your home. Those signs with posts can be purchased from the Dent County Scenic Rivers Industries (Sheltered Workshop) at a very reasonable cost and they are reflective signs that can be seen for some distance. The Sheltered Workshop is located at Franklin and Grand and their phone number is 729-6264. The commission approved renewing the contract. Salem and Dent County Economic Development Director Sally Burbridge provided the commissioners with her report for the month of November. She said she has one new active prospect for a business in Salem that does not already exist here. She continues to work with current businesses on expansions and retentions. Burbridge said she has added a new addition to the City of Salem part of the website called “How Do I?” which will let people know how to call for about a wild animal, start a business and more. She reported Salem is still in the running for the FHLB Affordable Housing Grant for $600,000 to rehab up to 25 occupied homes. That winner will be announced later this month. She also said the Salem Housing Authority’s 3rd house that was flipped is now under contract. The unemployment in Dent County rose slightly in October from 2.7% to 3.0%. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray indicated grading would be done on Dent County Roads 5400, 5420 and 6460 while brush would be cut on county roads 5150 and 5160. Mobray said ditch work would be done on county road 4170 at the Adams Subdivision and a crew will be cleaning up a trash dump on Dent County Road 5440. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 4437 and 5340 while only grading would be done on county roads 3220 and 6160. Larson stated brush would be cut on county roads 3330 and 4060 and maintenance was going to be performed on county truck #122. Larson did say the stop sign on county road 3210, better known as the Hospital Road, was going to be straightened up and a crew would be repairing a pothole on that road. Presiding Commissioner Skiles said he attended the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District Annual Awards Banquet last Tuesday where nine groups were saluted for their waste reduction efforts. One of those recipients was Lori Cody from Montauk State Park who was funded about three years ago to start a recycling program in the campsite that has now caught on and is used in a lot of the state park campgrounds in Missouri. Skiles reiterated he attended the NG911 meeting on Friday at the Salem Community Center@The Armory with Sheriff Wells and deputies Pabin and Roderman. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said she will continue to work on the county 2022 budget. At the last meeting, the commissioners set the 2022 budget hearing for January 27th at 10:00 at the courthouse and the tentative budget would be available to the public on January 18th in the Dent County Clerk’s office. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Monday, December 13th at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.

The City of Salem and the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce will be holding another Business Christmas Window Decorating Contest with the winner being announced on the afternoon of Monday, December 13th. This is your chance to put your window decorating skills on display to capture the grand prize of $250.00! The theme this year is “A Storybook Christmas.” To be a part of the contest you MUST call or e-mail the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce to be included on the judging form by the end of the day Wednesday, December 8th. You should also indicate if your window will just going be painted, will be lit and feature decorations, or will be a combination of both. All window decorations MUST be completed by the late afternoon of December 10th as the judging will take place from December 10th through the morning of December 13th with the winner awarded the $250 check at 4:00 in the afternoon on December 13th. The contest is open to all Salem businesses. For more information, call Tabitha at the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce at 729-6900 or e-mail her chamber@salemmo.com.

The City of Salem and the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce will be holding another Business Christmas Window Decorating Contest with the winner being announced on the afternoon of December 13th. This is your chance to unleash your holiday decorating spirit to capture the grand prize of $250.00! The theme this year is “A Storybook Christmas.” To be a part of the contest you MUST call or e-mail the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce to be included on the judging form before Monday, December 8th. You should also indicate if your window will just be painted, will be lit with decorations, or will be a combination of both. All window decorations MUST be completed by the afternoon of December 10th as the judging will take place from December 10th through December 13th with the winner awarded the $250 check at 4:00 December 13th. The contest is open to all Salem businesses. For more information, call Tabitha at the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce at 729-6900 or e-mail her chamber@salemmo.com.

The Dent County Sheriff’s office has released several reports. On Sunday, November 21st, a deputy conducted a traffic stop on County Road 4170. As a result of the stop a 29-year-old Salem woman was arrested for driving while being intoxicated, driving while having her license suspended and two counts of Violation of an Adult Order of Protection. She was transported to the Dent County Jail, where she was issued a summons and incarcerated. That same day a deputy conducted a traffic stop on 5th Street. During the stop a 37-year-old Salem man was arrested for having an active warrant from Phelps County. A 29-year-old Salem woman was also arrested for the possession of a controlled substance. Both were transported to the Dent County Jail where the man was incarcerated on the warrant and the woman was placed on a 24-hour hold pending the application of a warrant. Finally, on Sunday the 27th, a deputy conducted a traffic stop on Route P. During the stop, a 22-year-old man from Jadwin was arrested for driving while having his license suspended, a 2nd Offense. He was transported to the Dent County Jail where he was fingerprinted, issued a summons, and released. If you have any information regarding an ongoing investigation, please contact the Dent County Sheriff’s Office at 729-3241.

The Salem Police Department issued a report on an accident with injuries. On the afternoon of Tuesday, November 23rd at 3:57, a white 2009 Chevrolet Traverse driven by Raylynn Nicholson of Salem, was stopped at the intersection of Highway 72 & Highway 32. The Chevrolet made a left turn onto Highway 32 eastbound and failed to yield to a tan 2002 Dodge Caravan driven by Cynthia Cannon of Salem. The Dodge collided into the driver’s side door of the Chevrolet. The driver and a front seat passenger of the Dodge were transported to the hospital by ambulance. Nicholson was transported to the hospital by a personal vehicle. The Chevrolet sustained moderate damage and the Dodge sustained extensive damage. They were both removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing.

The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce’s Christmas Parade of Lights will be held this Saturday at 5:30 in the evening. The parade will start at Franklin and Grand streets, head east on Franklin to MacArthur before traveling north to 4th Street, then progressing east to the courthouse square. The theme of the parade is “A Storybook Christmas.” The 2021 Grand Marshall is Jann Craig, and Sinks Pharmacy is our parade winner’s sponsor. They will be providing the commercial and non-commercial first place awards as well as horsemanship prize money. Get your entry in TODAY by stopping by the chamber office in the Crossroads Shopping Center located at 1136 South Main Street, by calling 729-6900 or by e-mailing chamber@salemmo.com. If you can’t make it to the parade, KSMO Media will be streaming the parade “live” on ksmoradio.com, on the KSMO Stream Facebook page, or on the KSMO YouTube Channel.

At their regular meeting Monday, the Dent County Commission was introduced to Kevin Crider with the University of Missouri Extension. Crider’s position is part of a three-year program between the Extension and Missouri Department of Conservation and is considered an outreach educator to help landowners minimize feral hog damage to their lands. Crider worked with the Missouri Conservation Department on trapping feral hogs before taking this position with the extension. He will be working with private landowners in Shannon, Dent, Reynolds and Crawford counties and may also offer assistance outside those counties if needed. Originally from Birch Tree in Shannon County, Crider worked at the Rocky Mountain State Park and as an officer with the Colorado Highway Patrol before recently moving back to the Ozarks. He also said a new feral hog trapper started Monday for the Missouri Department of Conservation and his name is Liam Ring. To get in touch with Crider, please call the Dent County Extension Office at 729-3196. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray reported materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 5170 and 6400 while only grading would be done on county roads 5450 and 6090. Mobray said brush would also be cut on county road 5170. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson indicated materials would be added and grading done on county road 3330 while only grading would be done on county roads 3340, 3350, 4400, 4403, 4480 and 5260. He stated materials would also be added to county road 2640 as a new driveway pipe was being installed on that road for a landowner. Larson reported brush would be cut on Dent County Road 4030 and the road crews would be replacing two stop signs. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles stated that all the commissioners and the county clerk attended the Missouri Association of Counties annual meeting as well as the CCAM annual meeting last Monday. Skiles said he and Commissioner Larson would be attending the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District Annual meeting in St. James today. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said she would be attending a South Central County Clerk’s Regional Meeting today at West Plains. She reported she is working on the 2022 county budget and that she balanced with the treasurer on all monthly accounts for October. Curley also gave the CART Fund receipt report for the treasurer who was not in attendance. She presented the revenues received from the state in November were $60,352.27 which is $4,976.46 more than the $55,375.81 received in 2020. Year-to-date, the CART fund is up over $53,000 which is about an 8.7% increase. The commissioners decided the budget hearing for the 2021 budget would be Thursday, January 27th at 10:00 at the courthouse and the proposed budget will be available in the county clerk’s office by January 18th. Bonnie Prigge and Anne Freand from the MRPC along were in attendance while MoDOT Engineer Preston Kramer was on speakerphone to discuss with the commission the road priorities for Dent County for 2022. Removed from the previous list were the improvements made to the shoulders of Highway 68 and the replacement of the bridge on Route FF over Norman Creek. After discussing all the needy improvements, the commission made the need for the bridge on Route TT over Crooked Creek near Sligo their #1 priority followed by the Bridge on Highway 32 over Huzzah in Boss. The 3rd priority was the addition of shoulders on Route B as that road is used by city trucks and county trucks to get gravel from the quarry and it is extremely narrow. The 4th priority was the intersection of Roosevelt and Highway 19 where the site distance is limited. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Monday, December 6th 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 hunters ages six through fifteen harvested 3,477 deer during Missouri’s late youth portion of the 2021 deer hunting season, November 26th through the 28th. Of the 3,477 deer harvested, 1,470 were antlered bucks, 383 were button bucks, and 1,624 were does. Top counties for the late youth portion were Osage with 86 deer harvested, Franklin with 82, and Miller with 68. Top counties in our area were, Dent County with 61 deer harvested, Texas had 64 deer harvested, Phelps County youth checked 38 deer, Shannon County saw 22 taken, followed by Iron County with 11. Last year’s harvest total for the late youth portion was 3,967 with 1,467 being antlered bucks, 524 button bucks, and 1,976 does. Archery deer season continues through January 15th. The antlerless portion of firearms deer season runs December. 4th through the 12th, followed by the alternative methods portion December 25th through January 4th. Find more information on deer hunting from MDC’s 2021 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet, available where permits are sold, and online at mdc.mo.gov.

An accident happened Saturday evening around 6:00 on Dent County Road 5600 about three miles south of Route N. According to the highway patrol report, a 1987 Jeep Wrangler driven by 28-year-old John Watson II of Salem, failed to negotiate a curve causing the Jeep to travel off the right side of the roadway and overturn. Watson was ejected from the Wrangler and suffered moderate injuries. He was flown by Air Evac to the Mercy Hospital in Creve Coeur. He was not wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Jeep was towed from the scene by the family.

An accident happened Wednesday night just before 10:00 in Dent County on Route YY about four miles south of Highway E. According to the highway patrol report, a 2014 Ford Mustang being driven by 33-year-old Lenis Grauf of Salem, was traveling south when Grauf fell asleep. The Ford traveled off the right side of road and struck a ditch. Grauf, who was wearing a seat restraint at the time, was taken by ambulance to the Salem Memorial District Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. The Mustang sustained moderate damage and was removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing.

An accident happened late Wednesday afternoon at 5:30 in Phelps County on Highway 68 about seven miles south of St. James. The highway patrol report states that a 2007 Hyundai Sonata being driven north by 24-year-old April Crider of Rolla, struck a deer in the roadway. Crider was taken by ambulance to Phelps Health Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. The Sonata had moderate damage and was removed by a private party. The report went on to state that Crider was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Director’s meeting was held last Tuesday evening in the Hospital Library. In the summary of operations for the month of October, the hospital had 84 inpatient admissions with 244 inpatient census days. The hospital showed a loss from operations of $252,921 and had an excess of expenses over revenues of $251,482. During the month, there were 679 emergency room visits with 60 admissions, plus there were 205 ambulance runs where 145 patients were transported. In October, there were 31 surgery cases, 1,664 outpatient registrations, 8,119 lab tests, 1,281 radiological procedures, 531 rehab treatments and 168 home health visits with 14 home health admissions. The Long-Term Care Center currently has 16 residents with two vacancies. The days in account receivable during the month went down to 65 days from 75 in September, and way down from the 100 days last October. The days cash on hand went down to 53 days which is average for all Missouri Critical Access Hospitals. The hospital had a cash decrease during the month of $53,244. Chief of Nursing Ashley Sullins gave the Acute Care Staffing by Patient Acuity report that showed the average acuity was 20 per day with an average of almost eight patients per day. Hospital Administrator Kasey Lucas reported that as of November 11th, there were ten active COVID cases in Dent County with nine probable cases. It was also reported that a total of 66 people in Dent County have died from complications of the COVID Virus. Lucas said Dent County is currently showing 29.8% of the residents are completely vaccinated and 33.2% have initiated the series. At the hospital, 57% of the staff is completely vaccinated or have initiated the series with 12% more scheduled to receive their first or second dose. Chief Operating Officer Jason Edwards said the Hospital Foundation’s next board meeting will be January 5th. He said program scope changes for the USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program grant have been submitted as some of the schools scheduled to participate are having staffing issues or had previous telemedicine issues and are hesitant to commit. The hospital will not receive the grant if too many schools elect not to use the service. Hospital Administrator Kasey Lucas said the Cerner Conversion scheduled for November 15th had to be postponed due to mistakes made by Cerner in preparing patient files and has now been rescheduled for March 14th. The Cerner working timeline has Integrated Testing 3 scheduled for January 11th, 12th and 13th for the clinical portion, and January 18th, 19th and 20th for the financial portion. The hospital has submitted their plan of action for the CLIA Survey and have not yet heard back but expect to by next week, and the A & J Consultants will be on site Monday. The board approved the election filing dates for the board seat for District 3 from December 7th at 8:00 in the morning until 4:00 in the afternoon on December 28th. That seat is currently held by Dennis Fiebelman. Lucas explained the hospital’s policy on the vaccination mandate for health care workers. He said employees have until Monday to submit exemptions for either medical or religious reasons to not be vaccinated. An Infection Prevention Executive Committee has already begun a review of exemptions submitted. Vaccination clinics have been scheduled for employees on November 30th and December 3rd. Those employees who are non-compliant will be put on 30 days of unpaid leave. If they elect not to comply in that time, they will be terminated due to the federal mandate. The December Board meeting has been set for the 14th at 6:00 at the hospital library. The board then went into closed session.