Your World Today

An accident occurred Friday morning at 10:34 in Jefferson County on Highway 21 north of Grassy Lane. According to the highway patrol report, a 2002 Ford F150 driven by 60-year-old Steven McCarter of Salem, was traveling southbound and travelled off the east side of the roadway. The Ford overturned and ejected the driver and a passenger, 42-year-old Cheri Sturdivant of Salem. Sturdivant suffered serious injuries and was transported to Mercy Hospital South by Valle Ambulance. McCarter also suffered serious injuries and was transported to Mercy Hospital St. Louis by Survival Flight Air Ambulance. The Ford was totaled and removed from the scene by Shank’s Towing. Safety devices were not in use at the time of the accident.

The Salem R-80 School Board of Education met Thursday via Zoom at noon to discuss changes in the Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan (SRCSP) at the high school. Those changes followed the suggestions of the Dent County Health Center and the CDC. The changes include the length of isolation and quarantine after exposure will be five days out of school and five days masked upon return. The board also corrected some verbiage on the test-to-stay option which is available for anyone who has been exposed to COVID-19; and under the mitigation measures, the text was changed to all staff should wear a mask within six feet of other adults which is only a suggestion, not a mandate. The meeting was then adjourned.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen will be meeting Tuesday evening at 6:00 at City Hall Council Chambers at 202 North Washington Street. After the roll call and approval of the consent agenda, the board will hear the introduction and reading of bill including Resolution #1-2022 authorizing the mayor to execute and agreement between the city and Godi’s Excavating for the timber clearing for the Certified Site in the Master’s Industrial Park, and Resolution #2-2022 which is a resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute a one year memorandum of understanding between the City of Salem and the Board of Governors of Missouri State University at West Plains for the Adult Education and Literacy program. The MOU allows the city hall to be used for purposes of conducting activities associated with the educational programs delivered by the university for the AEL program. The board will hear and discuss Bill #3497 which would create an ordinance authorizing the mayor to act as a representative for the city in executing a tower lease agreement between the city of Salem and Wave Internet Technologies LLC. This agreement will allow for the installation of a wireless broadband access point for related equipment on a designated portion of the city of Salem’s water tower located at Tower and Condray Street effective the 1st day of February 2022 for a period of one year. Resolution #3-2022, which is a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement between the City of Salem and Signature Public Funding Corp., a New York Corporation, to provide for the funding of the HVAC and Maintenance Project of just over 1.5 million dollars. Reports will then be heard from City Administrator Ray Walden, Mayor Kim Steelman, Public Works Director Mark Nash, Parks and Recreation Director Melissa Dubois and various alderman reports. The board may then vote to go into closed session. The Salem Board of Aldermen meeting is open to the public.

Effective TODAY, Phelps Health facilities will no longer allow cloth, reusable, or privately purchased face masks inside their facilities. Instead, staff will provide employees, patients, and visitors with disposable surgical masks at the door. This announcement comes just days after Mercy Hospital in Springfield made similar changes to their masking policy.

The Dent County Service Unit of The Salvation Army would like to announce that they have successfully surpassed their Christmas Kettle Campaign goal of $38,000. The total raised was $40,000. Along with the monetary donations received this year, nearly 200 local children were adopted at the Angel Tree that was located at Wal-Mart. The local Salvation Army Board would like to thank everyone who made monetary donations and/or adopted an angel. They also extend their greatest appreciation to the dedicated volunteers that took time out of their busy holiday season to ring the bells at the kettles. The community’s continued generosity will be distributed throughout 2022 to those in Dent County.

The City of Salem encountered a delay in the processing of utility bills due to the holidays. Bills were mailed Thursday with an adjusted penalty date indicated on the bill. We regret any inconvenience this delay may cause. Customers that haven’t received their bill by Monday, January 10th or that have any questions should call the Utility Office at (573) 729-4117.

An accident happened Wednesday afternoon at 2:25 in Dent County on Highway 32 about a half mile east of the Meramec River or about six miles east of Salem. According to the highway patrol report, a 2017 Ford F-150 driven eastbound by 64-year-old Michael Lanham of Bunker, ran off the left side of the road, struck an embankment and overturned. Lanham suffered moderate injuries and was taken to the Salem Memorial District Hospital by the Salem Ambulance. Lanham was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Ford was totaled and removed from the scene by American Automotive and Towing.

An accident happened in Washington County on Highway 8 at Chapel Road Wednesday afternoon at 1:55. According to the highway patrol report, a 2004 Ford Explorer driven eastbound by 44-year-old Charles Missey of Potosi, struck a 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis driven eastbound by 24-year-old Kaitlynn Dutkiewicz of Steelville, from behind. Suffering minor injuries was a one-year-old baby girl who was a passenger in the Grand Marquis. She was taken by the Washington County Ambulance to the Washington County Memorial Hospital. Both drivers were wearing seat restraints and the baby girl was in a car seat. Both vehicles were totaled and removed from the scene by Harry’s Towing.

You can go native with the Missouri Department of Conservation. Native trees and shrubs can help improve wildlife habitat and soil and water conservation while also improving the appearance and value of private property. The George O. White State Forest Nursery near Licking offers a variety of low-cost native tree and shrub seedlings for reforestation, windbreaks, erosion control, wildlife food and cover, and other purposes. The nursery provides mainly one-year-old, bare-root seedlings with sizes varying by species. Seedlings varieties include: pine, bald cypress, cottonwood, black walnut, hickory, oak, pecan, persimmon, river birch, maple, willow, sycamore, blackberry, buttonbush, hazelnut, redbud, ninebark, spicebush, elderberry, sumac, wild plum, witch hazel, and others. Seedlings are available in bundles of 10 or increments of 25 per species. Prices range from 34 cents to $1 per seedling. Sales tax of 6.1 percent will be added to orders unless tax exempt. There is an $9 handling charge for each order. You can receive a 15% discount up to $20 off seedling orders with a Heritage Card, Permit Card, or Conservation ID Number. The nursery grows millions of seedlings each year, but some species are very popular and sell out quickly. Even if a species is listed as sold out, customers can still place an order for them. Sometimes orders get cancelled, freeing up inventory. Customers won’t be charged for seedlings unless they are available to ship. Learn more and place orders through MDC’s 2021-2022 Seedling Order Form. Find it at MDC regional offices and nature centers, online at mdc.mo.gov or by contacting the State Forest Nursery at 573-674-3229 or StateForestNursery@mdc.mo.gov. Place orders now through April 15, 2022. Orders will be shipped or can be picked up at the nursery near Licking from February through May.

Colonel Eric T. Olson, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, announces that 25 troopers will graduate from the Patrol’s Law Enforcement Academy on Wednesday, January 12th. The ceremony will take place in the Academy gymnasium at 1510 East Elm Street in Jefferson City, and the public is invited. The graduation ceremony will be live streamed on the Patrol’s Facebook page. The graduation ceremony will begin that morning at 10:00. The 112th Recruit Class reported to the Academy on August 2nd to begin the 25-week training to become a trooper. The new troopers will report to duty in their assigned troops on Monday, January 31st. In our area Elijah D. Leblanc of Anderson will be assigned to Troop I.

Cancellations are on the KSMO Cancellation and Closure page

The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors met Tuesday evening at 6:00. After approval of the consent agenda, bills were reviewed and approved, showing an ending balance of $119,717.25 in the General Fund as of December 31st. The fire district is still working off the 2021 budget as work continues on the 2022 budget. The monthly reimbursement report was presented which showed a total of 32 calls for the month including one structure fire, five brush fires, four trash or rubbish fires, a car fire, three motor vehicle accidents, six medical assist calls, four gas leak or carbon monoxide calls, four calls cancelled en route, a search for a person call, and three other miscellaneous calls. Changes have to be made to the Policies and Procedures that were presented at the last couple of meetings by Weber and Associates, but they were tabled until they could have a full board present. There was no new business presented, but in old business Chief Brad Nash reported that Ladder Truck #81 has been repaired and put back in service while Engine #85 is still being repaired from being struck by a deer. Nash said all the ladders had been tested and passed except for ladder #81 which was in St. Louis being repaired at the time of the inspection. It will have to be tested later. Nash also stated the UTV’s are almost complete and ready to be outfitted and placed into service. The date for the next meeting will be February 1st at 6:00 at the fire station at #2 South Main Street and the meeting will be open to the public.

An accident happened Wednesday morning at 2:35 in Phelps County on Phelps County Road 2030 about 500-feet south of Phelps County Road 2050. According to the highway patrol report, Lonnie Quick of Rolla was driving his 2020 TaoTao scooter northbound on County Road 2030 when he struck a dog. Quick suffered minor injuries and was taken by a passerby to Phelps Health in Rolla. Quick was not wearing any safety devices when the accident happened. The scooter sustained only minor damage and was released to the owner.

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation shows that deer hunters in Missouri harvested 9,965 deer during the alternative-methods portion of the firearms deer season that lasted from December 25th through January 4th. Top harvest counties were Osage with 223 deer harvested, Franklin with 211, and Callaway with 201. In the KSMO listening area, Texas County harvested 195 deer while Dent County hunters took 149 deer, Crawford County hunters killed 139 deer, Reynolds County harvested 136, Phelps County had 102 deer taken while Iron County had only 62 deer killed. The harvest total for last year’s alternative-methods portion was 14,623.

The Cosmopolitan Club of Salem has announced that they are tentatively planning to proceed with the annual Variety Show and Miss Salem Pageant scheduled for March 5 at the Salem Civic Theater. The club is actively seeking candidates for Miss Salem at this time and interested girls are encouraged to contact Robyn Taylor at Salem High School for information. Candidates must be in grades 10-12. The Variety Show and Miss Salem pageant were canceled in 2021 due to COVID-19.

Bitter cold temperatures and periods of light snow forecast this morning could impact morning commutes for Missouri drivers. The Missouri Department of Transportation urges those who must travel this morning to use extra caution, anticipate a slower commute, and consult road conditions before you go. In temperatures this cold, any precipitation on the roadways could create slick conditions, especially on bridges and overpasses. MoDOT advises anyone who can, to stay off the roads in these conditions. Those who must drive should plan time to leave early and take it slow. Always buckle up and avoid distractions. If you’re involved in a minor crash or slide off the road, the safest place to be is buckled in your car as you wait for help. Equip your vehicle with a winter weather emergency kit before you travel in bitter cold temperatures. Include any necessary medications, a phone charger, a blanket, bottled water, nonperishable foods and a flashlight. For more items to include in a winter weather emergency kit, visit modot.org/winter. Before you travel, check all current Missouri road conditions on the Traveler Information Map at traveler.modot.org, or through MoDOT’s smartphone app, available for free for iPhone and Android phones. You can also find road conditions and warnings by following MoDOT on Facebook and Twitter or by calling 888-ASK-MODOT (888-275-6636) to speak with a representative 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.