Your World Today

An accident happened Monday morning at 6:05 in Texas County near Licking that took the life of a man from Licking. According to the highway patrol report, 56-year-old Allen Long of Licking, was walking on Highway 32 in the westbound lane about a half of a mile from Licking, when he was struck in the roadway by a 2021 Peterbilt driven westbound by 48-year-old Dallas Southards of Salem. Long was pronounced dead at the scene by the Texas County Coroner Marie Lasater at 6:26 Monday morning. Long’s body was taken to the Fox Funeral Home in Licking. There was no damage to the Peterbilt and it was driven from the scene.

The Salem R-80 School Board met Thursday evening, where after approval of the agenda, the board moved into executive closed session to discuss personnel. During the closed session, the board approved the contract of Dr. Lynne Reed and approved the hiring of Kevin Miles as a teacher. Miles will also serve as head football coach and assistant athletic director. The board then returned to open session before they adjourned.

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the Dent County Courthouse for their regular meeting. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles was not in attendance. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley appointed District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray as temporary Presiding Commissioner for the meeting. Mobray opended the meeting by stating there was a need to clarify some points that he and other elected officials felt were misrepresented by Skiles in his radio program on Friday. They said that as the preliminary budget was being readied for the general public with the 4% COLA increase across the board for all employees and elected officials on January 19th as approved at the salary commission meeting, Skiles did not object to the increase when asked before it was finalized. It wasn’t until the actual end of the budget hearing on Monday, January 30th, right before it was to be approved when Skiles said he was not in favor of the across the board percentage increase and suggested an alternative increase to employees and elected officials. When no one else supported his suggestion, Skiles voted against approving the budget. They also stated when Skiles refers to the salary commission meeting on November 17th that he could not attend due to a prior commitment, he could have asked for the meeting to be changed as another date was open, but he did not. Instead, he wrote a three page letter outlining finances of the county and the need to be frugal pending the outcome of the Department of Revenue’s sales tax debocle and the renovation work the county was committed doing to the courthouse. The elected officials in attendance did not like the fact in the letter their work was being compared to other counties elected officials or their work being compared to school instructors. Other elected officials attended the meeting including Collector Shannon VanKirk, Clerk Angie Curley, Treasurer Denita Williams, Assessor Jamie Homeyer and Commissioner Gary Larson as well as Mobray. They also said the issue over not closing the courthouse on Wednesday, January 25th, and how the employees were to be paid was a difference of opinion. In the road report, Mobray stated materials were going to be added and grading done on Dent County Road 5080 while only grading would be done on county roads 6255 and 6500. He also said brush would be cut on county road 5680. District 2 Commissioner Larson indicated materials would be added and grading done to Dent County Road 4280 while only grading was going to be done on county roads 4260, 6120, 6123, 6130 and 6160. Larson stated materials would be added to county road 4380 and brush was going to be cut on county roads 2165, 2593 and 2600. County Clerk Curley said absentee voting for the April Municipal Election will begin February 21st while voter registration for the election will begin March 8th. Curley said the courthouse would be closed on February 13th for Lincoln Day and also on Monday, February 20th for President’s Day. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Thursday morning at the courthouse at 9:00 and it is open to the public.

The Salem Area Arts Council will hold a “Couples and Singles Paint and Sip” event this Friday night at the Creative Arts Center in Salem. Paint a canvas of a young couple under a tree at sunrise, then on the other side of the tree, an older couple on a park bench representing the changing of the season. All supplies will be provided and all you need to bring is your bestie, snack and favorite beverage. There must be six people sign up to hold the class and the cost is $25 for singles and $40 for couples. To sign up, call or text 573-247-0651, or go online at salemcommunitybetterment.com and look under programs for the Salem Creative Arts Center.

An accident happened Thursday evening at 5:36 in Phelps County on Interstate 44 at the 188-mile marker that took the life of a teenager from St. James. According to the highway patrol report, 39-year-old David Newton of St. James, was driving a 2003 Ford F-350 westbound when the vehicle traveled off the right side of the roadway. Newton overcorrected causing the Ford to overturn several times, ejecting Newton and a 17-year-old male passenger from the pickup. Newton suffered serious injuries and was flown by Mercy Life to the University Hospital in Columbia. The 17-year-old male passenger was flown by Phelps Air to the University Hospital in Columbia where he was pronounced dead at 7:00 Thursday night at the University Hospital by Dr. Shea. The Ford F-350 was totaled and removed from the scene by D&D Towing. The highway report indicates Newton nor the 17-year old passenger were wearing seat restraints. Newton was charged with a DWI causing the death of another, failure to drive within the right lane causing a crash, and for not wearing a seat belt.

A one vehicle accident happened Saturday morning just after 10:20 in Shannon County on Shannon County Road 504 about three miles south of Eminence. According to the highway patrol report, a 2006 Ford F-150 was being driven east by 73-year-old Geraldine Rader of Birch Tree, when the Ford started skidding on the ice covered roadway. The Ford then ran off the left side of the road where the Ford struck a sign and a low water bridge before coming to rest in a creek. Rader was extricated through the roof of the vehicle by the Eminence Area Volunteer Fire Department who were assisted by Shannon County Sheriff’s Department deputies, and Shannon County First Responders. Rader suffered serious injuries and was flown by Air Evac to the Mercy Hospital in Springfield. The Ford was totaled and removed from the scene by Baker’s Towing of Birch Tree. The report went on to state Rader was not wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident.

An accident happened in Crawford County Wednesday evening at 6:57 at 304 West Highway 8. According to the highway patrol report, a 2014 Mazda van driven westbound by 22-year-old Aleczander Thunder-Mathews of Steelville, suffered a blown tire causing the van to travel off the right side of the roadway where it went through a fence and struck a tree. Thunder-Mathews suffered moderate injuries while a passenger in the van, a 17-year-old male from Rolla, suffered minor injuries. They were both take to Phelps Health in Rolla by a private vehicle. The van was totaled and was secured at the scene. Both Thunder-Mathews and the minor from Rolla were wearing seat restraints at the time of the accident.

The City of Salem is reminding citizens that the recycling not picked up last week due to the icy conditions will be picked up this week starting Wednesday on the north half of town and the north side of Center St. All recycling on the south half of town and the south side of Center Street. will be picked up on Thursday.

On February 1st, the Doe Run Company promoted Lou Magdits to vice president of sales and marketing. The move is a part of the company’s succession planning and the recent announcement by Doe Run executive Jose Hansen of his intention to retire at the end of 2023. In his new role, Magdits joins the company’s executive team in providing strategic direction to the company, bringing his expertise and oversight to the company’s scrap metal procurement, metal sales, transportation and customer service. Metal concentrate sales continue reporting to Matthew Wohl, president and CEO at Doe Run. Magdits is a veteran of the continue to be overseen by Jose Hansen, vice president – concentrates sales, who will metals and lead battery industries, with nearly 44 years’ experience, including supervising metal and raw material purchases; sales of lead, specialty alloys and other co-products; customer service; production planning; and metal contract negotiations with global manufacturers.

The Dent County Commissioners met Thursday morning at the courthouse for their regular meeting. Deloris Gray Wood from the Dent County Historical Society wanted to talk with the commission about the historical society’s idea of “Telling the Story of the Current River from the Roads.” Wood said at previous meetings of the society, it was discussed that interpretive panels about a local event or historical location could be installed on county road right-of-way or placed on private property along a state maintained road. She mentioned the Mount Olive Baptist Church, the Ashley (Saltpeter) Cave, Montauk, Tan Vat, Cedar Grove and other locations. Wood said she would be applying for a 100% grant for the panels, associated website, posts and more once the application period opens for 2023. She believes once the grant is awarded that there may be a 12-month period to complete the project. She is hoping the grant will provide enough funds for all the work to be done before approaching the Tourism Tax Committee for additional funds if the grant falls short. She was wanting to know if the county would install the posts and panels. The commission said they didn’t see a problem with it, but wanted her to get back with them once she knew more about what the grant did and did not cover. Wood also said there would be another Dent County Historical Society meeting Monday night at the James and Gahr Fellowship Hall at 5:00. She is asking the public if they know of burial sites or cemeteries within the Ozark Natural Scenic Riverways boundaries to let her know as they want to make sure these areas are identified and protected. In the road report, District One Commissioner Wes Mobray said crews would be patching chip and seal with the ultimate paving material. He said crews have salted the county roads past Route B as those roads are covered with ice, but it has had little effect on making travel better. Also if thawing does occur, the roads are then refreezing and becoming even more slick. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said crews are working on the shop loader and another loader at the maintenance shop needing repairs. He said a man went to Willow Springs to get parts for the Caterpillar loader. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said he was in Jefferson City Wednesday with the CCAM board to talk with senators and representatives about unfunded mandates, jail per deim and other county issues. Skiles said at the Industrial Development Authority meeting held Wednesday, Chris Holliday was elected President with Dean Jones re-elected Vice-President and Bob Parsons re-elected as Secretary-Treasurer. Skiles said City Administrator Sally Burbridge talked about the Sewer Bond Issue on the ballot in April, and Alderman Shawn Bolerjack discussed the one cent General Revenue Fund sales tax increase ballot proposal. The commissioners approved the $1,000 annual contract with the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce, and they approved the Quit Claim Deed for Crawford County resident Terry Reeve for the railroad right-of-way on his property. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said she applied for and received a 2023 Election Efficiency Grant from the Missouri Secretary of State’s office for $3,075.28. She has used the funds in the past to pay for election judge training, equipment maintenance and the polling place accessibility in Bunker. She said she saw in the paper the public notice to put out for bid the sewer work at the jail with her office the contact location for those who need more information. Commissioner Skiles contacted architect Corky Stack who compiled the specs, and is to provide Curley’s office with the information. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The Salem Police Department has submitted more reports for the week of January 14th through 20th. On Tuesday, January 17th, at approximately 9:00 in the evening, officers were dispatched to Dollar General for a report of trespassing. It was reported that a female subject had entered the store who had previously been asked not to return. Contact was made and as a result a 42-year-old Salem female was issued a summons for Trespassing. On Thursday, January 19th, at approximately 1:00 in the afternoon, an officer was dispatched near the intersection of Grand and Third Streets for a report of a sexual assault. It was reported that a male subject had sexually assaulted a female subject. During the investigation, details and evidence was collected and as a result of the findings, the male subject was later located and arrested. The 38-year-old Salem man was incarcerated at the Dent County Jail on charges of Sodomy. On Friday evening, January 20th at approximately 9:30, an officer conducted a traffic stop near the intersection of Highway 32 and Askins Street for an inoperable brake light. During the stop it was found the driver had an active arrest warrant out of Texas County. As a result 49-year-old Floyd Mayberry Jr. of Raymondville was arrested and incarcerated at the Dent County Jail awaiting extradition or bond. Please contact the Salem Police Department at 729-4242 if you have any information regarding any investigation.