Local News

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.

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.