Your World Today

The Dent County Commissioners met for the regular Thursday morning meeting at the courthouse. During public comments, John McIntyre was in to discuss road conditions in the Adams Subdivision on county road 4170. He said the people living on the road are being flooded and talked about the previous problems with the flooding on a number of properties on the road. He noted the ditches being deeper than the culverts and a culvert that was improperly installed. Commissioner Mobray said he would check out the road after the meeting. In the road report, both commissioners said crews would be out checking roads for washouts and clogged culverts as well as any limbs or trees downed by the winds the past couple of days. Commissioner Gary Larson said District 2 crews received a report of a tree down on Wednesday and have taken care of the problem. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles reported on a broadband meeting held at the City Hall Council Chambers on Tuesday with the Economic Development Director Sally Burbridge, City Administrator Ray Walden, all three commissioners and Zack Robinson with Wave Internet Technologies. They said the meeting was informative. Skiles also said the county invites the public to a Dent County Mitigation Plan meeting to be held Tuesday at 1:00 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory. This being done to update the plan which is required every five years. All three commissioners are expected to be there as are representatives from the schools, the city and fire departments. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said she and the Dent County Treasurer balanced on all accounts for January and that public voting for the artwork for the new county “I Voted” sticker is still going on in her office. You can vote for your favorite through Wednesday, February 23rd. Only one vote per person. She stated absentee voting for the April 5th election will begin on Tuesday and that will also be the day people can file for county or state offices in the county clerk’s office starting at 8:00 that morning. Filing will be done on a first come, first served basis. Curley said the courthouse will be closed Monday for President’s Day and there will be no commission meeting. She went on to report she will be attending a Missouri Association of County meeting Wednesday afternoon in Jefferson City. Curley also said she is looking for poll workers for the upcoming elections. If you would be interested, please contact her office at 729-4144. 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 Private Pesticide Applicator Training will be held in Dent County on Thursday, February 24th from 6:00 until 8:30 in the evening at the Dent County Extension Office in the Judicial Building at 112 East 5th Street. The private pesticide applicator license issued by the Missouri Dept of Agriculture is required for producers who want to purchase and apply restricted use pesticides. Application by unlicensed workers under the supervision of licensed applicators will no longer be allowed. Agricultural producers needing to obtain or renew certification of this license must take this pesticide safety training every five years. You must be 18 years of age and directly involved in the production of agricultural commodities to obtain this license. Each person participating in the training is required to have a copy of the Private Pesticide Applicator Manual on their farm. There is a $25 to cover the cost of the manual and you may purchase it at the training with either cash or a check, no credit cards are accepted. In response to COVID-19, the extension in-person training sessions will have masks and sanitizer available for those who wish to use them. They plan to offer both virtual and in-person events this season to better meet your needs. You can register online or contact Dent County Extension Center at 573-729-3196. There is no charge to attend the training. If you have any questions about the training, please contact Gatlin Bunton, 573-775-2135.

An accident happened Thursday morning at 11:00 in Texas County on Highway 32 about three miles east of Licking that left a Salem man with injuries. According to the highway patrol report, a 2003 Pontiac Vide being driven by 64-year- old Stanley Ray of Salem, traveled off the right side of the roadway and overturned. Ray suffered moderate injuries and was transported to the Texas County Memorial Hospital. He was not wearing a seat restraint according to the report. The Pontiac was totaled in the accident and removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing of Salem.

City of Salem Utility Committee and Capital Improvements Committees held a joint meeting on Tuesday evening at the Wilson Family Center. In attendance were the Mayor, all four aldermen, the city department supervisors and committee members. East Ward Alderman and Capital Improvements Committee Chairman, Shawn Bolerjack called the meeting to order and City Administrator Ray Walden updated the committee on the city’s budget process, fund balances, revenue and expense reports to date and a summary of the current fiscal year’s capital projects. The city’s General Revenue Fund of a 1% sales tax totaled $831,116 thru January 31st with a budgeted amount of $1,150,000. The Park and Recreation 3/8 cent sales tax revenue was $311,681 with $425,000 being budgeted. Capital Improvements 1/2 cent sales tax brought in $416,668 with $575,000 budgeted. The Electric Sales Revenue brought in $3,125,636 with $5,750,0000 budgeted. Water sales totaled $559,036 and Sewer Sales totaled $528,536 with both having budgeted amounts of $950,000. The capital projects spent to date totaled $1,174,483 with $3,964,087 being budgeted and projected to be spent by year end of $3,792,653. The city has received ½ of the allocated American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds of $990,000 with the other half being due in May. City staff is currently working on the best way to spend these funds with a deadline of 2024 to have the funds spent.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education will be holding their regular meeting this evening at 6:00 in the high school library. After approval of the consent agenda, a parent, Nicky Stringer, has asked to address the board concerning the SRCSP policy before the board hears from Chris Salzman and Doug Adams with an ESP building project update. Superintendent Dr. Lynne Reed with then give her report to the board followed by principals’ reports from William Lynch, the upper elementary, middle school, senior high and the activities and athletics report. In new business, the board will discuss changing insurance payments to be paid the “month of” instead of the month ahead. The board will then approve the 2022-2023 calendar and approve the revised technology support staff job description. They will also select a grant management firm and an architectural firm to apply for the FEMA grant for a safe room at the upper elementary, and approve the bid process for the gym floor sponsorship. The board will hear any resignations before voting to go into executive session. The meeting of the Salem R-80 Board of Education this evening is open to the public.

Dent County Prosecutor Andrew Curley released reports from Circuit Court held in Crawford County Tuesday in front of Judge Michael Randazzo. In the first case, Dennis Loughridge of Leasburg pled guilty to the distribution of meth. He was sentenced to serve ten years in the Missouri Department of Corrections at the request of the prosecutor. In the second case, Judge Randazzo sentenced Jacob Richardson to serve seven years in the Missouri Department of Corrections after he revoked Richardson’s probation for tampering with a motor vehicle.

Employees at The Doe Run Company’s Sweetwater Mill celebrated an impressive safety accomplishment, reaching 25 consecutive years worked with no lost-time incidents. The employees at Sweetwater Mill attribute this achievement to a company culture that’s focused on safety, and the team’s efforts to share their experiences and knowledge with one another. Doe Run integrates a safety mindset into everything it does. Employees complete nearly 16,000 hours of safety training every year, and every shift or meeting at the company begins with sharing a safety tip to keep safety at the top of their mind. This commitment has enabled Doe Run’s other three mills to achieve noteworthy safety milestones with no lost-time incidents that include Brushy Creek Mill at 16 years, Buick Mill at 11 years, and Fletcher Mill at 8 years. In addition, the Sweetwater Mine surface team has reached 18 years with no lost time.

The Healthy Dent County Fitness Center will offer their final Line Dancing class on Tuesday at 6:30 at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory. The cost to attend is $5.00 at the door and the class instructor is Rosalie Wright. E-mail Susie at susie@salemcommunitycenter.org for more information or call 739-1127.

Dent County Prosecutor Andrew Curley released reports from Circuit Court held in Dent County Monday in front of Judge Megan Seay. In the first case, Jennifer Smith of Salem pled guilty to two counts of felony stealing charges. She was sentenced to serve seven years under the Section 559.115 program as requested by the prosecutor. Justin Parker of Salem then pled guilty to domestic assault in the 2nd degree as a prior and persistent felony offender. Parker was sentenced to serve ten years under Section 217.362 which is a long-term treatment program. According to Curley, both dispositions occurred with the advice and consent of the victims in each case. Also on Monday in the Dent County Circuit Court, Judge Megan Seay sentenced Mark Graham of Salem to serve seven years in the Department of Corrections for a charge of assault in the third degree on a law enforcement officer.

The Salem Park and Recreation Board will be meeting tonight at the Salem Community Center@The Armory at 5:30 in the Rotary Room. The agenda includes a presentation from People Centric about “getting the most out of the board.” Kyle Williams will also discuss the Frisbe Golf Course before any other business isaddressed. The meeting will then be adjourned. The Salem Park and Recreation Board meeting is open to the public.

Six Missouri Veterans Commission (MVC) Missouri Veterans Homes have received “Best in Class” Customer Experience Awards from the Pinnacle Quality Insight for 2022. The Missouri Veterans Homes in Cameron, Cape Girardeau, Mexico, Mt. Vernon, Warrensburg and St. James have won this award for three consecutive years. In all seven Veterans Homes, these six and Missouri Veterans Home in St. Louis, they ranked highest with cleanliness, dignity, respect, and safety and security. The organization also received a 100% resident satisfaction rating. The Pinnacle national average is 76.1% in this category. Pinnacle is a customer satisfaction measurement firm with 26 years of experience in post-acute healthcare; they conduct over 150,000 phone surveys each year and work with more than 2,500 care providers. During the telephone survey, veterans and their family members are asked open-ended questions and to rank facilities in specific categories. The Missouri Veterans Commission operates seven state Veterans Homes, five State Veterans Cemeteries, and the Veterans Services Program. The Commission is committed to providing high-quality, compassionate care for Veterans, seamlessly integrated with the Veteran community, emphasizing a culture of transparency and excellence. For more information about the Missouri Veterans Commission programs, call 573-751-3779 or visit http://www.mvc.dps.mo.gov/>.

The team at Current River State Park invites the public to participate in the joy of bird-watching at the park’s annual event from 9:00 to 10:00 in the morning on Friday, February 18th. Those interested in attending should meet at the Ninebark Trailhead at 9:00 for a short walk through a forested river bottom to look for nuthatches, woodpeckers and many more birds. Participants should bring binoculars and favorite field guides if available, and if not, there will be a limited supply of binoculars and some field a limited supply of binoculars and some field guides available for use. Dress for the occasion and wear shoes for hiking. This walk will be on natural material and can be uneven with the possibility of downed trees. For more information, feel free to contact Connie Weber at connie.weber@dnr.mo.gov or 573-751-1224. Current River State Park is located on Highway 19, approximately 23 miles south of Salem and approximately 15 miles north of Eminence.