Local News

Happy Thanksgiving from the staff of KSMO Media and Your World Today! Because of the holiday, there will not be a Thursday of Friday edition of Your World Today this week. Our next publication will be Monday morning. Have a great holiday weekend!

Colonel Eric T. Olson, the superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, reminds everyone there may be an increase in traffic over the Thanksgiving holiday. If so, drivers should remain alert to changes along their normal route. Regardless of traffic patterns, safety should remain a priority. The counting period for the 2021 Thanksgiving holiday weekend will be from 6:00 this Wednesday, through 11:59 Sunday night, November 28th. Troopers will be participating in Operation C.A.R.E., enforcing all traffic laws, and will be available to assist the public. Drivers should make sure their vehicles are in good condition and that they are well rested before they start driving. Remember: There is never a reason to speed, drive aggressively, or drive impaired. The public is encouraged to call the Patrol’s Emergency Report Line (800) 525-5555 or *55 on your cellular phone if you witness criminal activity or experience an emergency.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen met for the regular meeting Tuesday evening at the City Hall Council Chambers. The board approved Resolution #34-2021 authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement between the City of Salem and Energy Solutions Professionals for the HVAC/Maintenance project at city owned buildings. Alderman James notes that this project was the best opportunity for guaranteed energy savings while completing some much needed repairs and upgrades to the city admin building, the old city hall, the police station, the Community Center@The Armory, the Park and Rec Building at 3rd Street and North Grand, and the Water and Electric Building on Wines Street. The board approved Resolution #35-2021 authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement between the city and the Department of Social Services for the low-income household water assistance program. Alderman Bolerjack explained that this program can assist families with up to $750 for sewer and water disconnection, arrearages, and reconnection fees. Mayor Steelman noted that this program has the potential to help a lot of citizens. Additional information will be sent out in future utility bill mailings. The board approved Bill No 3495, an ordinance authorizing the mayor to sign task order number 12 between the city and C.M. Archer Group for engineering design services for Water Well #9 and an elevated water storage tank. City Administrator Ray Walden reported that he will attend a Transportation Advisory Committee meeting at MRPC next week to discuss the county’s transportation needs. The city offices will be closed this week on Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday. Mayor Steelman, as well as every alderman took the time to publicly thank all city employees for their dedication to the city and their hard work as evident with projects being completed and citizens taking the time to compliment many employees on their work. City of Salem Economic Development Director Sally Burbridge reported that progress is being made on the Certified Site at the Industrial Park and a general housing meeting will be held on December 1st at 3:30 pm at the Housing Authority offices. A housing study will be published in next week’s local newspaper. Public Works Director Mark Nash said the water and sewer department has been flushing hydrants, fixing water leaks and have replaced a couple of water lines. Nash reported an estimate to replace the bridge on 2nd Street came in between $125,000 and $175,000. The board directed Nash to get prices on replacing the bridge with a precast concrete culvert box instead. They also asked for a better way to block off the bridge to motorists. Alderman Kayla Sisco announced that she would be seeking the East Ward Aldermanic seat in April. The board approved the budgeted lease of a Caterpillar Skidsteer from Fabick Tractor Co. for 60 monthly payments of $1,230.11. The board approved closing 4th Street on Saturday morning, December 4th from 8:30 to 10:00 for Healthy Dent County’s Santa Dash. Chief Joe Chase said the Police Department has been approved to receive a $5,721.50 grant to purchase Officer Safety and Equipment Technology. The board then went into closed session.

The Salvation Army Dent County Service Unit volunteer bell ringers will begin raising funds for those in need at Country Mart, Dollar General and Wal-Mart around the familiar red kettle tomorrow, and then every Friday and Saturday through Christmas Eve. Counter kettles will also be located at various locations throughout the community. The kettles are the primary way funds are raised locally to continue to meet the needs of the less fortunate in our community. For those who do not want to handle cash, you can donate digitally with Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and Venmo at any Red Kettle across the country. You can also give any amount by texting “KETTLES” to 51555. Every donation helps hope march on for those in need, and all gifts stay within the community in which they are given. The Salvation Army continues doing the “most good” around the country. In 2021, The Salvation Army was ranked No. 2 on the list of “America’s Favorite Charities” by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. If you would like to volunteer to ring the famous Salvation Army bell, please call Susie at 729-6771 or 247-7099. You can also call the Salvation Army Dent County Service Unit office at 729-8163. Don’t forget the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree and Dent County Toy Drive signups will be Tuesday, November 30th and Thursday, December 2nd from 3:30 to 5:30 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory at 1200 West Rolla Road.

Businesses or organizations still have to sign up to be a part of the “Light up the Park 2021” at the Salem City Park starting the night of December 4th and lasting until December 31st. Contact Melissa DuBois at 729-6290 or e-mail her at salemparks@salemmo.com to reserve your spot. The lights and displays will go on nightly at dusk and remain on until late in the night. Those who want to participate must have their display set up by Friday, December 3rd.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors will conduct their November 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 October, followed by the Chief of Nursing Report with Ashley Sullins and a COVID-19 update. 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 give a report on the Cerner conversion. In new business, the election filing dates for the hospital board will be set, a CMS COVID-19 vaccination update will be provided, the December meeting date and time will be set, and there will be a review of any purchases made or that need to be made since the last meeting. The board may vote to go into closed session. The SMDH Board meeting Tuesday night is open to the public.

The Salem Board of Aldermen will be meeting tonight at 6:00 in City Hall Council Chambers. After the roll call, the minutes of the special Board of Aldermen meeting from November 12th will be reviewed. The introduction and reading of bills will include Resolution #34-2021 authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement between the City of Salem and Energy Solutions Professionals, LLC for the HVAC Maintenance projects; and Resolution #35-2021 authorizing the mayor to execute and agreement between the city and the Department of Social Services for the low-income household water assistance program. The board will discuss Bill #3495 that would create an ordinance authorizing the mayor to sign and execute task order #12 pertaining to an agreement between the city and C.M. Archer Group, P.C. dated February 3rd, 2020, for engineering design services related to water well #9 and elevated storage tank. City Administrator Ray Waldon, Mayor Kim Steelman, Economic Development Director Sally Burbridge, Public Works Director Mark Nash, and Parks and Recreation Director Melissa Dubois will address the board before any alderman reports. Bids will also be discussed about a new skid steer for the city and in new and miscellaneous business, the aldermen will address a street closure for the 2021 Santa Dash. The Board may then vote to go into closed session before adjourning. The meeting of the City of Salem Board of Aldermen tonight at 6:00 is open to the public.

More Missourians are expected to travel and gather together this year for much larger Thanksgiving and holiday celebrations after a quieter holiday season in 2020 because of COVID-19. State Fire Marshal Tim Bean is advising folks to reduce the risk of fires as Thanksgiving begins a five-week period of elevated fire hazards, with the three tops days of the year for cooking fires all occurring between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas and Christmas Eve. Also with the holidays comes another fire risk: candles. From 2015-19, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 7,400 fires started by candles. These fires caused an annual average of 90 civilian deaths. The peak days for candle fires are Christmas, New Year’s Day and New Year’s Eve. Fire Marshal Bean reminds everyone to check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors along with fire extinguishers in advance of the holidays and entertaining to make sure they are working properly. Installing smoke alarms reduces the chance of dying in a fire by more than one-half.

At the SCA Choral Festival held Saturday at the Mountain Grove High School, The Salem Chamber Singers took 1st place in the SCA Conference under the direction of Elaine Russell. The Mountain Grove Women’s Choir and the Willow Springs Concert Choir. Way to go Tigers!

An accident happened in Texas County Friday morning at 11:30 on Route K about five miles south of Summerville that took the life of a 16-year-old female. According to the highway patrol report, a 1998 Jeep Cherokee driven southbound by a 16-year-old female juvenile from Summersville, went off the right side of the roadway and overturned, ejecting the girl from the vehicle. She was pronounced dead by Texas County Coroner Marie Lasater at 1:00 that afternoon. Her body was taken to the Bradford Funeral Home in Summersville. The 16-year-old was not wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Jeep Cherokee sustained extensive damage and was removed from the scene by Gentleman Jim’s.

An accident occurred Friday evening at 7:30 in Dent County on Route H about four miles west of the Salem City limits. According to the highway patrol report, a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu driven by 22-year-old Matthew Lowrance of Salem, was traveling westbound and fell asleep. The Chevrolet ran off the roadway, struck an embankment and overturned. Lowrance suffered moderate injuries and was transported to the Salem Memorial District Hospital by the Salem Memorial Ambulance. He was wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident. The Chevrolet was totaled and removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education met Thursday night at the Salem High School Library. At the meeting, Superintendent Dr. Lynne Reed discussed the recent tin gym meeting in which the next planning stages were discussed. She also discussed the current COVID numbers affecting the district. Enrollment for each school in November was given indicating there were 239 students at William Lynch, 323 at the Upper Elementary School, 256 at the Salem Middle School and 597 at the Salem High School. It was also reported there were 12 students attending virtually at the middle school and 38 at the high school. There was a discussion on the vaping and vandalism problem at the high school in the bathrooms and how the school is going about correcting the issue. In new business, the board approved to let bids for a new high school gym floor and to revise the school calendar setting the seniors last day as May 13th and to set graduation for May 20th at 7:00 PM. The motion to set the board election filing dates for December 7th through the 28th was approved by the board as well as the Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan, also known as the SRCSP, with no revisions. In closed session, the board approved the hiring of Dr. Nathan Wills as the next assistant superintendent and to give him a two-year contract beginning in the 2022-2023 school year. He will be replacing John Smith who will be retiring. Dr. Reed also discussed a personnel issue in closed session before the meeting was adjourned.

The Salem Area Arts Council is offering a Barn Quilt class on Monday and Tuesday, November 29th and 30th from 9:00 in the morning until noon at the Creative Arts Center. Tana Kettner and Terrie Welch will be the instructors and the cost is $55 per person which includes all the supplies to take home a 2-foot by 2-foot plywood painted barn quilt. What a unique Christmas gift to give! This class is most appropriate for older children to adults and no experience is necessary. You can register for the class at the Salem ONCRC lobby from 9:00 until 4:00 daily, on the Salem Arts Council Facebook page or by e-mailing the arts council at salemartscouncil@outlook.com. People can also get a $25 gift certificate for any Creative Arts Center events that would make a great gift! For more information, call 247-0651 or 247-5306.

The “Honoring Our Heroes Marathon” Pasta Dinner special speakers are being livestreamed this evening by KSMO Media on the Facebook Live@heroesmarathon at 5:30 from the Salem Community Center@the Armory. The first quest speaker for the evening is Mark Howard, a football coach and teacher at Salem High School. Howard completed an Ironman last month and a year ago finished his first marathon at Heroes Marathon. Next is David Dawsey who is an ambassador for Mission 22. Dawsey has served over 15 years in the United States Army and a deployment in Afghanistan. He is currently a staff sergeant with the 14th Military Police Brigade. Dawsey has completed the Heroes Marathon three times while carrying the American Flag. The last speaker will be Representative Bill Hardwick of Missouri for part of Pulaski County and Fort Leonard Wood. Hardwick has an extensive military background and currently serves in the Missouri Army National Guard as a Lieutenant Colonel. This is the 6th annual Honoring Our Heroes Marathon. The marathon takes place Saturday morning at the Dent County Commons starting at 7:00 and finishes at the Rolla Lions Club Park.

The Dent County Toy Drive & Salvation Army Angel Tree Sign Ups are happening on Tuesday November 30th and Thursday December 2nd at the Salem Community Center at the Armory located at 1200 west Rolla Road in Salem. Sign up time is from 3:30 to 5:30. Parents or Guardians of Dent County children must bring proof of child’s age, proof of residency – utility bill, birth certificate, and report card. The child must live with the adult that signs up. Masks are required at time of registration and no children are allowed at the time of the signups.

The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce’s Christmas Parade of Lights will be held December 4th at 5:30 PM using the normal parade route which is Franklin and Grand, to MacArthur heading north to 4th Street, then downtown to the courthouse square. The theme of the parade is “A Storybook Christmas.” Grand Marshall this year 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. To get an entry for, stop by the chamber office in the Crossroads Shopping Center 1136 South Main Street, call 729-6900 or e-mail chamber@salemmo.com. Your lineup position will be assigned after your entry form has been submitted.

An accident occurred Thursday afternoon at 2:00 in Crawford County on Highway 8 about two miles east of Steelville. According to the highway patrol report, a 1984 Chevrolet C10 driven by 30-year-old Robert Wilkins of Steelville, was travelling eastbound and failed to negotiate a curve, attempting to avoid a vehicle that was entering traffic. The Chevrolet traveled off the roadway and struck an embankment. Wilkins suffered minor injuries and is seeking treatment on his own. He was wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident. The Chevrolet sustained extensive damage and was removed from the scene by Miles and Sons Towing.

Open enrollment for Medicare Part D continues and will last through December 7th. This is the time to review your current medication plan to make sure you are on the most cost-efficient plan. Prescription plans can change, and co-pays can increase. The Community Options & Services team at Aging Best is well versed in Medicare. Aging Best is unbiased and does not work for or represent any insurance company. Their goal is to find the best possible plan for you. Aging Best’s specialists are available to answer any questions you may have. In addition to assistance with Medicare Part D, they can assess eligibility for other money saving programs. Call 1-800-369-5211 to schedule an appointment with a specialist.

The City of Salem is excited to announce it has launched a new text blast service. This service will be used to keep citizens informed on important announcements and updates. Signing up is easy. All you need to do is decide what information you want updates on and then text the appropriate keyword to 855-435-4811. To receive ALL alerts and announcements, text the word CITY to 855-435-4811. To receive only alerts and announcements regarding utilities, text the word UTILITY to 855-435-4811. To receive only alerts and announcements regarding Parks and Recreation, text the word PARKS to 855 435 4811

The Salem Public Library has partnered with Ozark Rivers Solid Wast Management District to collect certain common household batteries for recycling. These types of alkaline batteries may be dropped in the GoRecycle box located the circulation desk. Batteries that will be accepted include D, C, AAA, AA, and 9-volt. The batteries will be recycled into a soil amendment after zinc is extracted from them. The zinc will then be purified and sold to a cosmetic company for use in sunscreen. The Salem Public Library’s involvement in the battery recycling program is strictly as a community service. The library does not receive and financial gain for participation. The library cannot accept Lithium-ion batteries so as those used in cellphones, tablets, or laptops.

The Salem Board of Education will be meeting tonight at 5:00 in closed executive session to discuss personnel before moving into open session at 6:00 in the Salem High School Library. On the consent agenda will be the approval of all previous minutes, approval of bills, and the food service report, followed by the approval of the attendance report, substitution list, and program evaluations. Superintendent Dr. Reed will then give her report to the board followed by principals reports from the Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, middle school, high school, and the athletic report. New business will include the letting of bids for the gym floor and a consideration of a date for the levy initiative. The board will also consider financing for building projects, set the date for graduation, set the board election filing dates of December 7th through December 28th, and approve SRCSP with no revisions. The open session of the school board meeting tonight is open to the public.

The Dent County Sheriff’s office has released a couple of reports. On Thursday, November 11th, a deputy conducted a traffic stop at Highway 32 East and Route P. As a result of the stop, a 28-year-old Salem woman was arrested for the possession of a controlled substance except for 35 grams of marijuana or synthetic cannabinoid, and the unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. The woman was transported to the Dent County Jail where she was issued a summons, fingerprinted and released. Then on Saturday the 13th, deputies conducted a traffic stop at Dirt Cheap. During the course of the stop, a 37-year-old Salem man was arrested for the unlawful possession of a firearm. The man 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 527-3241.

An accident happened early Monday morning just after midnight in Phelps County on Route F about two miles east of Highway 72. The report from the highway patrol states that a 2008 Pontiac G6 being driven by 19-year-old Nicholas Taylor of Rolla, was traveling eastbound when he swerved to avoid a deer in the roadway. The Pontiac travelled off the side of the road and struck a tree. Taylor was taken to Phelps Health Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. The Pontiac was totaled and removed from the scene by Ron Dishman’s Towing.

An accident happened Tuesday morning around 7:30 in Phelps County on Route J north of Route K. According to the report from the highway patrol, a 2002 Chevy Trailblazer being driven by 26-year-old Miranda Singleton of Beulah, traveled off the left side of the roadway, struck an embankment, and overturned. Singleton, who was not wearing a safety restraint, was flown by Phelps Air to University of Missouri Hospital in Columbia for treatment of Moderate injuries. The Trailblazer was totaled and removed from the scene by a private party.

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has provided harvest numbers for the local area from the opening weekend. In our area, Dent County had 1855 deer checked, Texas harvested 1,814 deer, Crawford County saw 1595 deer taken, 1327 deer were taken in Reynolds County, Texas County had 2382 deer checked and Phelps County saw 1161 deer tagged. The November portion of firearms deer season continues through November 23rd. Missouri’s archery deer and turkey season resumes November 24th through January 15th, 2022. The late youth portion of firearms season runs November 26th through the 28th. The antlerless portion of firearms deer season runs December 4th through the 12th followed by the alternative methods portion December 25th through January 4th. Get more information about deer season and hunting regulations from MDC’s 2021 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet, available where hunting permits are sold and online at mdc.mo.gov.

On September 21st, 2021, the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control announced $13.25M in grants to prevent and reduce substance use in youth 18-years of age or younger. The Healthy Dent County Prevention Coalition was awarded $125,000 per year for five years to strengthen the infrastructure among local partners to create and sustain a reduction in local youth substance use. After five years, community coalitions may re-compete for another five-year cycle. The Healthy Dent County Prevention Coalition also received a $100,000 grant from the Department of Mental Health to reduce youth substance use. With these grants, two Prevention Coordinators have been hired to teach the evidence-based “Too Good for Drugs” curriculum in all Salem and Dent County schools. Melissa Gould will teach students in grades 6 through 8 and Jason Eddie will teach students in grades 9 through 12. The “Too Good for Drugs” curriculum is a comprehensive family of substance use and prevention curricula designed to mitigate the risk factors associated with risky behavior and build protection within the child. The program builds the basis for a safe, supportive, and respectful learning environment. Recognizing that local problems need local solutions, these grant funded coalitions engage multiple sectors of the community and employ a variety of environmental strategies to address local substance use problems. Both grants involve local communities in finding solutions and also helps youth at risk for substance use recognize the majority of our Nation’s youth choose not to use substances. As demonstrated by independent evaluations, the Drug Free Communities Support Program significantly reduces substance use amongst youth, the target population. The Healthy Dent County Prevention Coalition was formed in 2017 to develop effective, evidence-based strategies to prevent youth substance use. The mission of the HDC Prevention Coalition is to facilitate community participation in the prevention of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use among our young people and community. For additional information about the HDC Prevention Coalition please contact Healthy Dent County’s Executive Director, Sherry Lea, at 573-729-8163 or sherry@salemcommunitycenter.org.

Many people don’t realize that minerals are a part of every manufactured product we use daily. That’s one reason why The Doe Run Company (Doe Run) is providing local teachers with a fun and educational curriculum along with the materials that teach children about the ways minerals are used in our everyday lives. Doe Run packaged kits containing instructions for two minerals-themed activities and a gift card to purchase the materials needed to complete them. They have been distributed to classrooms at Iron County C-4 Elementary in Viburnum and Salem Upper Elementary. Doe Run is working to bring the kits to other local school districts too. One of the activities is “Cookie Mining,” which utilizes chocolate chip cookies, toothpicks, paper clips and graph paper to teach children about mining. Children take on the role of a miner by first selecting the ‘mine’ – a cookie – that they want to purchase. Next, they choose the type of mining equipment they wish to use, either a toothpick or paper clip. After mining their cookie for its chocolate chips, children must ‘reclaim’ the leftover cookie. Finally, they tally up the “value” of their mined chips and subtract the costs they incurred. A second hands-on activity is called “Toothpaste with a Twist,” in which children can make and flavor their own toothpaste. This exercise shows students how minerals are essential ingredients in maintaining good oral hygiene.

The Salem Board of Aldermen met Friday night at the Salem Community Center @The Armory for a special meeting called by Mayor Kim Steelman. At the meeting, the board reviewed and discussed Bill #3494 which created an ordinance amending the City of Salem Code of Ordinances, Chapter 110 in regards to the mayor and board of alderman. This bill addressed Article 1 Board of Aldermen, Section 110.120 concerning vacancies and how they are filled. The Bill proposed changing the original wording by adding “The Board of Aldermen may adopt procedures to fill vacancies consistent with this Section. The successor shall serve until the next regular municipal election, at which time a successor shall be duly elected to fill the remainder of any unexpired term for the office.” The other parts of the original ordinance remained unchanged. This bill was approved by the aldermen. The board then approved Resolution #33-2021 that repealed Resolution #32-2021 and provided for a Municipal Election on April 5, 2022 for one West Ward Alderman to serve a term of one year expiring in April of 2023, for one West Ward Alderman to serve a term of two years expiring in April of 2024, one East Ward Alderman to serve a two-year term expiring in April of 2024, and a mayor to serve a two-year term that would expire in April of 2024. The signup dates remain the same starting at 8:00 in the morning on December 7th and ending at 5:00 PM on December 28th at the City Administration building in the office of the City Clerk as in the previous resolution. The meeting was then adjourned.

The local Salvation Army Dent County Service Unit raises funds locally with the familiar red kettle at Christmas time. The famous red kettle will be located at Country Mart, Dollar General and Wal-Mart starting the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and lasting until Christmas Eve every Friday and Saturday. Counter kettles will be located at various locations throughout the community. The kettles are the primary way that funds are raised to continue meeting the needs of the less fortunate in our community. Volunteer bell ringers are needed each year to help raise funds. To volunteer to ring the bell at the red kettle, please visit the online registration webpage at www.registertoring.com or call Susie at 729-6771 or 247-7099. For additional information regarding The Salvation Army please stop by the Salem Community Center @ the Armory, 1200 W. Rolla Road or call at 729-8163.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen will hold a special meeting this evening at 5:45 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory to read Bill #3494 that will amend the City of Salem Ordinance on how board vacancies are filled. They will then read Resolution #33-2021 that will repeal Resolution #32-2021 that provided for the Municipal election on April 5th, 2022. The new resolution allows for the election of a West Ward Alderman for one year to finish out the term of the late Kenny Nash who was replaced by Kevin James, and the election of a West Ward alderman for the normal two-year term currently held by Greg Parker. The election of an East Ward alderman for a two-year term will also be held and that is currently being held by Kala Sisco who was appointed after East Ward Alderwoman Kim Steelman was appointed mayor. The election of the mayor will also be on the ballot who will also serve a two-year term. The meeting will then be adjourned. The special meeting was called by Mayor Kim Steelman and it is open to the public.

For those interested in filing for an elected city position, 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. Ther is a filing fee of $25 for any candidate filing for city office. The first day to file for office will be December 7th with the last day to file being December 28th. The city administration office hours will be from 8:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon to file for office. You must also have all your property and real estate taxes paid up to date. If you have any questions, please call 729-4811.

At 8:45 Wednesday evening in Dent County, 40-year-old James D. Hansel of Salem was arrested by the highway patrol and charged with felony trafficking of drugs in the 1st degree, felony possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor for the unlawful use of a weapon, and for possession of drug paraphernalia. Hansel was being held in the Dent County jail on a 24-hour hold.

Dent County University of Missouri Extension Council invites residents to join the 2021-2022 group of volunteers that make Dent County a better place to live through extension programs. Representatives will be elected in a non-partisan election January 10th through January 14th, 2022. Candidates must be at least 18 years old and reside in Dent County. Applications are due be November 19th to the Dent County Extension at 112 East 5th Street and are available by email at dentco@missouri.edu, by calling 573-729-3196, or online at www.extension.missouri.edu/dent. The Dent County Extension Council is the local link between county residents and the University of Missouri four-campus system. Responsibilities include attending monthly meetings on the 4th Monday of each month, identify concerns of the community to connect citizens with Extension resources, administer the county budget and assist in planning, promoting, and carrying out Extension efforts. Individuals interested in serving on the council may contact Sarah Hultine Massengale, County Extension Specialist at 573-729-3196. Information about the Dent County Extension office can be found on the web at extension.missouri.ed/dent.

The beginning of the firearm deer season will be tomorrow morning starting one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Only one antlered deer may be taken during the entire firearms season (all portions combined). You may take only two antlered deer during the archery and firearms deer hunting seasons combined. Don’t forget that the antler-point restriction applies in some counties. If you harvest a deer from certain counties in the CWD Management Zone during the opening weekend, November 13-14, you must take your deer to a designated CWD sampling station. The firearm deer season will end on November 23rd. Don’t forget to telecheck your deer once it has been harvested. Also, don’t forget to “Share the Harvest” to help those hungry in the state get nutritious meat. This program is administered by the Conservation Federation of Missouri and the Missouri Department of Conservation. Donating is easy. Simply take your deer to an approved meat processor and let the processor know how much venison you wish to donate. Find a processor on the mdc.mo.gov website.

It’s past the fall color peak, but the colors continue to look nice throughout much the Ozark Region. Although the colors are subdued and trees are dropping their leaves, there is enough variability across the landscape for another week of good viewing opportunities. The forested hillsides are showing a range of glowing reddish browns to yellow browns. An occasional bright yellow or red crown can still be seen across the slopes. Shortleaf pine and eastern red cedar are becoming more prominent and stand out against the backdrop of oak and hickory. A few black gums are hanging on to their red leaves, but they are starting to drop. Dogwoods seem reluctant to turn let go of their dark purple leaves and are still looking pretty. Their bright red fruits stand out along the branches, if one is close enough to see them. You can still find occasional red or sugar maple landscape or forest trees that are striking with intense crimson and red. Scarlet oak, named because of its brilliant scarlet fall color, is starting to look reddish brown, but it hasn’t reached peak color. These trees will be the season’s grand finale when they change. The recent cold nights have brightened the color in areas where trees still had a lot of leaves. However, expect trees to start dropping their leaves in earnest this coming week.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen met for the regular meeting Tuesday evening at the City Hall Council Chambers. The board approved Resolution #32-2021 that called for a local Municipal election to be held on April 5th, 2022 to determine two West Ward Aldermen, an East Ward Aldermen as well as a mayor. A question was asked about two candidates running for the West Ward positions in the same election for two years, but it was noted that one of the positions should only be for one year as Alderman Kevin James was appointed after the death of Alderman Nash. This will be discussed again at the next meeting. Salem and Dent County Economic Development Director Sally Burbridge said she has updated the Incentives and Resources Page on the City of Salem Economic Development Webpage along with Labor and Wages, Large Employers and more. She did say the Dent County unemployment rate for September was 2.7%. City Administrator Ray Walden reported the Salem Community Center@The Armory had 4,157 participants in October, that the city offices would be closed on today for Veteran’s Day, and then he introduced Stacy Houston as the new city finance director. Archer-Elgin Manager Jeff Meadows updated the board on a number of projects including the sewer extension on Highway 72 to the hospital which is waiting on materials, two lift stations are complete even though one needs a new high water sensor, and the city has water, sewer and electric mapping going on now. Mayor Kim Steelman said that she will not be seeking re-election as she wants to focus more time on her family, and Alderman Kevin James said he would be resigning after the December 14th meeting due to the change in his work schedule. Public Works Director Mark Nash said the water and sewer department has been flushing hydrants, fixed a water leak at Grand and Thomas Streets and have replaced a couple of water lines. Nash said that last year through October of 2020, the city had used 31,013,000 gallons of water while this year’s total is 20,846,000 gallons, a savings of over 10 million gallons. Nash said there 81 disconnects from October with 65 of them back on as of Tuesday afternoon. Park and Recreation Director Melissa DuBois said the Youth Basketball Signups are going on now through the 20th for $25 per boy or girl in the 1st through 6th grade, and $35 for a cheerleader in same age bracket. There will be an additional ten dollar late charge per child for those who register their children after the 20th and before November 30th. She also said “Light up the Park” will be held December 4th through the 31st at the Salem City Park and businesses who want to have a display at the event need to contact DuBois at 729-6290. Alderman Shawn Bolerjack said the Missouri Public Utility Alliance sent the city a letter stating that natural gas prices are expected to be higher for the upcoming winter season. Alderman Greg Parker did report that he would be running again in April. Auditor Kristen Deluca gave the report on the city audit from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020. She said the city received an unmodified opinion which the best a municipality can get. She said the books were fairly stated and the city ended with a net position of $10,429,940 from government and business services. Deluca told the board that the statements break down each department and service the city offers. She did say the city does not have enough people to separate duties, but that is common with small towns, and that a bank account was not reconciled for almost six months. But overall, Deluca said the audit was very good. The board then went into closed session to discuss contracts.

A one vehicle accident happened Tuesday evening at 6:40 on Dent County Road 2410 about six miles west of Salem. The highway patrol report states that a 1996 Ford Ranger being by 18-year-old Jasper Weber of Salem was traveling west when he attempted a 90 degree turn at speeds too fast for conditions. The Ford traveled off the left side the roadway and overturned. A passenger, a 16-year-old female from Salem, was taken by a private vehicle to Salem Memorial District Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. The Ford sustained extensive damage and was removed from the scene by Whitakers Towing. The report went on to state that Weber was wearing a seat restraint while the occupant was not.

With the most popular weekend for most Missouri deer hunters coming up this weekend, the Missouri Department of Conservation says deer numbers look good. According to MDC, this season’s harvest should be higher than average due to increasing deer numbers across most of the state coupled with increased firearms antlerless permit availability in a number of counties and an extension of the antlerless portion. Hunters typically harvest between a quarter to a third of the state’s total annual deer harvest during those two days. Hunters harvested a total of 297,214 deer during the 2020-2021 deer season. Of that total, 80,744 were taken during opening weekend of the November portion, about 27 percent of the total harvest. Missouri’s archery deer and turkey season continues through November 12th and resumes November 24th through January 15th, 2022. The November portion of firearms deer season runs November 13th through November 23rd followed by the late youth portion November 26th through the 28th. The antlerless portion of firearms deer season runs December 4th through December 12th followed by the alternative methods portion December 25th through January 4th, 2022. Learn more about deer hunting in Missouri online at mdc.mo.gov and get more information on deer hunting and CWD from MDC’s 2021 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet, available where hunting permits are sold and online.

The Creative Arts Center is giving you the chance to Paint Like Monet! This will be a Palette knife Paint-N-Sip tonight from 6:00 until 8:30 for persons age 13 through adult at the Creative Arts Center. Tana Kettner and Wanda Nickles, both professional artists /retired art teachers will lead the class. The cost is $25 per person with all supplies provided. For more information call 247-0651 or 247-5306, or email salemartscouncil@outlook.com.

The Salem Public Library is holding its annual food drive at 4th and Jackson Streets through November 20th during regular business hours. The food that is collected will be donated to Grace Harbor. Please leave at the library only in date and non-perishable foods and please do not drop off dented or rusty cans. For more information, call the library at 729-4331.