Your World Today

The Dent County Commission met Monday morning at the courthouse for their regular meeting. At the beginning of the meeting, Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles asked all in attendance for a moment of silence for the people of Ukraine and what they are enduring at this time. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray stated crews would be out checking roads and road signs, and treating roads where needed to make them passible. He said he is hoping for continued dry and warm weather to dry out the gravel roads as they are in need of attention after the snow and ice. He also said that the water reported being backed up on Dent County Road 4170 was caused by two basketballs being lodged in the culvert. Once removed, the water flowed smoothly. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said crews would be working on graders #32 and #37 installing shims and doing maintenance. He said another crew would be out replacing signs and spreading sand on slippery areas. Larson also indicated there was a washout on Dent County Road 3370 that crews would be addressing. He went on to say he would be attending the Tourism Tax Meeting on March 7th. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles reported that last March, the Dent County Commission and Dent County Sheriff’s Department signed the Dent County 2nd Amendment Preservation Act. In light of what is happening in Ukraine at this time, Skiles hopes more people across the country understand and appreciate how vitally important our 2nd Amendment right to bear arms is to guarantee all our other freedoms. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said the winner of the “I Voted” sticker design contest was the design submitted by Olivia Wisdom. She said the last day to register to vote for the Municipal Election will be March 9th and that absentee voting for the April 5th election is going on now at her office in the courthouse. Commissioner Skiles said the commissioners would be going into closed session at 11:00 Monday morning for the pending litigation between the county and the Missouri Department of Revenue concerning the misappropriated sales taxes by the state and how they are to be paid back. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

A beginners-stained glass class with Jennifer Curry will be every Thursday in March at the Creative Arts Center. The 4-week class will hold two evening sessions each Thursday at 3:30-5:30 or 5:30 to 7:30. Learn the art of Stained Glass and create a suncatcher choosing from 8 to 10 patterns that will be provided. All supplies and safety equipment will be provided and the fee for all 4 weeks is $150. For more info or to register, call 247-0651 or 247-5306 or you can e-mail salemartscouncil@outlook.com.

The Dent County Fire Protection District board of directors will be meeting this evening at 6:00 at the fire station located at #2 South Main Street. After the roll call and approval of the consent agenda the board will review the minutes of the January meeting before hearing the financial report, approving bills, and reviewing the budget. Next on the agenda will be the calendar review, followed by the monthly reimbursement report. Any old or new business will then be brought before the board followed by a report to the board by fire chief Brad Nash. The date will then be set for the April meeting before adjourning and going into closed session if necessary. The meeting of the Dent County Fire Protection board of directors is open to the public.

An accident happened Saturday morning at 10:20 on Old Highway 60 about two miles west of Winona that left two people from Eminence with injuries. According to the highway patrol report, a 2003 Ford Taurus driven westbound by 18-year-old Mary Ferguson of Eminence, ran off the right aside of the roadway and struck a tree. Suffering serious was a passenger, 57-year-old John Ferguson of Eminence, was transported by Mercy Ambulance to the Cox South Hospital in Springfield. Mary Ferguson suffered minor injuries and sought private medical treatment. Mary Ferguson was wearing a seat restraint while John Ferguson was not. The Taurus was totaled and removed from the scene by Bakers of Birch Tree.

The Dent County Sheriff’s Department has released reports from the department’s activities last week. On Sunday, February 20th, a deputy responded to Dent County Road 5240 for a report of a stolen vehicle. During the investigation, a 36-year-old Salem man was arrested and charged with tampering with a motor vehicle in the 1st degree. The man was transported to the Dent County Jail and placed on a 24-hour hold. Then on Tuesday, February 22nd, a deputy conducted a traffic stop on Hunt Street. During the stop, a 30-year-old Salem man was arrested for the possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, and an active Texas County warrant. The man was transported to the Dent County Jail where he was placed on a 24-hour hold and held on the active warrant. On Thursday, February 24th, a deputy conducted a traffic stop on Eighth Street During the stop, a 26-year-old Salem woman was arrested for driving without a valid driver’s license, a 2nd Offense. The woman was transported to the Dent County Jail where she was fingerprinted, issued a summons and released. The next day on Friday, February 25th, a deputy responded to the Mt. Zion Church to check the well-being of a subject. The subject was located and upon further investigation, a 60-year-old Salem man was arrested for the possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. The man was transported to the Dent County Jail where he was placed on a 24- hour hold. If you have any information on any ongoing investigation, contact the Dent County Sheriff’s Department at 729-3241.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds Missouri hunters and anglers that related annual permits expire TODAY, including 2021 permits for small game, fishing, trout fishing, and combination hunting and fishing. Missouri hunting and fishing permits can be bought from one of many vendors around the state, online at mdc.mo.gov/buypermits, or through MDC’s free mobile apps, MO Hunting and MO Fishing, available for download through Google Play for Android devices or the App Store for Apple devices. Save time by buying hunting and fishing permits for multiple people in a single transaction. Select the “Additional Customer” option during the permit purchase. Avoid having to renew permits each year by using MDC’s Permit Auto-Renewal Service. It allows customers to enroll eligible permits in a service that will automatically renew their permits prior to the start of the next season or permit year. The process was designed to ensure customers never have expired permits when they need them most. Learn more at huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/permits/permit-auto-renewal. Commercial and lifetime permits can be purchased only through the MDC Permit Services Unit by calling 573-522-0107 for an application.