Your World Today

The Dent County Commission met Thursday for their regular meeting at the courthouse. Treasurer Denita Williams presented the sales tax money received from the state this month. In the General Revenue and Law Enforcement Sales Tax Fund, the county received $85,670.18 in each fund and those funds are each up $206,381.63 for the first three months of 2022. The Road and Bridge Fund received $39,486.61 and year-to-date that fund is up $94,385.67; while each of the jail funds received $78,921.16 and have increased for the first quarter of 2022 $188,590.29. Last year, the county received no sales taxes in the month of March due to the error by the Missouri Department of Revenue. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray stated materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Road 6280 while only grading would be done on county roads 5220 and 5610. He also indicated brush would be cut on county roads 2430 and 2440. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson reported materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 2150, 5240 and 5260; while only materials would be added to county road 2405 and 3165. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said he attended the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District Executive Board meeting Tuesday morning where they approved grant extensions and close outs. He said there would be a cleanup of an illegal dump site in the Mark Twain National Forest in Dent County. Skiles said the district would be installing hard to detect cameras throughout the forest to find those who are dumping illegally and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. Skiles also reported the City of Rolla is no longer offering curbside recycling collection. Rolla Recycling Manager Brady Wilson said citizens can still fill their recycling bins and bring them to Rolla Recycling to be emptied. The city said the costs were getting too high and there was a problem with getting enough help with the pickup. Skiles said he, the county treasurer and county clerk attended a Zoom meeting Wednesday to get an update on the distribution of the county ARPA funds. Skiles said the commissioners would be attending a South Central Missouri County Commission Association meeting in Houston today. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported absentee voting for the Municipal Election continues in her office, and the testing of the voting machines will be held on March 22nd at 9:00 in the morning. The next meeting of the commission will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

On March 1st a federal grand jury for the Eastern District of Missouri in Cape Girardeau returned an indictment against Marvin “Mark” Remster in connection with the arson of the Round Spring Visitor Contact Station in Ozark National Scenic Riverways last December. According to the four-count indictment, the 39-year-old Remster from Davisville, has been charged with the felony offenses of arson, burglary, theft of government property, and felon-in-possession of a firearm. The arson charge is punishable by imprisonment for up to twenty years. The investigation remains ongoing. These charges stemmed from a reported fire at the Round Spring Visitor Contact Station on the night of December 26th, 2021. The National Park Service law enforcement rangers responded to the scene and observed the building was engulfed in flames. Local firefighters from Timber and Eminence extinguished the blaze, but the building was a total loss. During fire suppression efforts it was determined that a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado pickup belonging to the Park Service had been stolen from the parking lot. Evidence at the scene indicated the fire was incendiary in nature and a joint criminal investigation was undertaken by NPS law enforcement rangers and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). Charges set forth are just accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The loss of the Round Spring Visitor Contact Station and the stolen government vehicle are substantial losses, however what cannot be measured is the loss of park historical items associated with the structure. Planning is underway for both temporary and long-term replacements for the visitor contact station to minimize the impact of the crime on park visitors.

State Fire Marshal Tim Bean recommends Missourians use the return of daylight savings time this weekend to change the batteries as well as test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. At 2:00 this Sunday morning, March 13th, clocks need to be moved forward one hour. Bean also urges families to practice their fire escape plans. Safety experts recommend families practice their home escape plans at least twice each year. The risk of dying in a fire is cut by one-half by having working smoke alarms in your home. About one-half of home fire deaths occur between 11:00 at night and 7:00 in the morning when most people are asleep. That’s why it’s important for all family members to be able to act react quickly and get out. Every family member, including children, should know two escape routes from every room in their residence. This should be shared with overnight guests, too. Bean also reminds Missourians that they should have carbon monoxide alarms for their homes. Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, tasteless, invisible gas that results from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, which can be deadly if undetected. Bean recommends families check their smoke and carbon monoxide alarms monthly by pushing the test button; replace smoke alarms every 10 years because they lose their effectiveness over time; and installing additional smoke alarms if you don’t have a minimum of one alarm on every level of the home, inside and outside all bedrooms.