Your World Today

The City of Salem Park and Recreation Board met at the Salem Community Center@The Armory for their first meeting Monday night with new board members Caleb Shepherd, Amanda Duncan and Tiffin Felkerson. Park and Recreation Director Melissa DuBois gave the statistics on the activities at the swimming pool, and that Collin Heavin led the Lifeguard Certification course through the Red Cross that certified three lifeguards for next season. She reported the funding for the LWCF grant for the soccer park has been released and now the city is looking for a soccer field engineer. She told the board there had been numerous instances of vandalism at the city park where a police report was filed. She said security cameras were being installed by Rommel’s Lock and Alarm. DuBois then gave the report on the Salem Civic Theatre renovations and that a few reservations have been made. The safety lights have been installed on the floor in the aisles and the city is working with an electrician to finish work in the projector room. The “Eat Smart in the Park” grant funding allowed for healthy and nutritional foods to be served in the pool concession stand that was enhanced by the purchase of two air fryers, a commercial grade apple slicer and menu boards. She stated the picnic tables at the Center Street Park have been removed due to the finding of a white substance on them. The tables have been bleached and have been moved to the city park. She said the pool has been winterized as have the bathrooms at the city park, but the bathrooms at the Al Brown Fields have not yet been winterized. She mentioned the Bonebrake Center wanted to partner with the Parks and Recreation Department on hiring an intern for the summer of 2022. Housing would be provided, and the intern would split duties between the Bonebrake Center and the Park and Recreation Department. The board approved to move forward in setting the parameters of the shared intern with the Bonebrake Center and also to interviewing candidates. DuBois reported on the “Light up the Park” display to be held this year starting December 4th at the Salem City Park. Business can sign up now by contacting DuBois at 729-6290. She also said signups for the Youth Basketball Program are going on now for $25 per child in the 1st through 6th grades. Cheerleading for basketball is also available for $35 per child. Registrations will be accepted until November 20th. Forms are available at the Salem Community Center@The Armory and you can also register online at the Salem Park and Recreation Department Facebook page. DuBois also said coaches are needed and wanted to emphasize that coaches do not need to have children that are participating in the sport to coach. City Administrator Ray Walden wanted the Park Board to know the parking lot at the city pool will be replaced with concrete done in sections over time in the spring as to not close the parking lot. The meeting was then adjourned.

An accident happened Monday evening at 7:30 in Phelps County on Highway F about three miles east of Rolla. The highway patrol report states that a 2017 Dodge Ram being driven by 31-year-old Bret Manz of St. James traveled off the left side of the roadway, then struck a culvert and a tree. Manz, who was not wearing a safety restraint, was transported by a patrol vehicle to Phelps Health Hospital for treatment of moderate injuries. The Dodge was totaled and removed from the scene by Ron Dishman Towing. Manz was arrested on two counts of felony possession of a controlled substance, felony leaving the scene of a crash, DWI-prior offender, driving while having his license suspended, and careless and imprudent driving involving a crash.

Representatives from Missouri State Parks recognize and thank all veterans and active-duty military members for their service with two promotions in honor of Veterans Day. To show appreciation, all veterans and active-duty military members camping at a Missouri State Parks campground Thursday will receive a voucher for a free night of camping. The veteran must be staying the night of Thursday, November 11th and show identification having veteran/active-duty military status at check-in to receive a free camping coupon. Missouri State Parks will accept several types of identification. Veterans and active military members are also invited on free tours of Missouri state historic sites Thursday through Sunday, November 14th, with a valid ID. Some Missouri state parks and historic sites change hours of operations during the fall for offseason. Visitors are encouraged to check current hours online at mostateparks.com before heading to a state park or historic site. In addition, Missouri State Parks offers a $2 per night camping discount year-round at state park campgrounds for military members and veterans. Nightly camping rates vary from campground to campground based on different criteria. The military discount will be given to retired, veteran and active-duty military personnel, as well as family members of active-duty military personnel – all of whom must show the proper valid military identification at time of check-in. Missouri State Parks seeks employees who have demonstrated their commitment to protecting public resources. In accordance with state law, if you are a veteran, a family member of a veteran or a surviving spouse of a veteran, you are given preference in the employment selection process when you are similarly qualified to other applicants for the same position. Veterans are encouraged to include their military experience on every application submitted for employment at Missouri State Parks. For more information, visit mostateparks.com. For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com.

The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting at the Dent County Courthouse Monday morning. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray stated materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 5520 and 6505 while only grading would be done on county road 4220. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson indicated materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 3080, 3090 and 4280 while only grading would be done on county roads 3330 and 4290. He also said brush-cutter #9 would be serviced. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said he attended a Zoom meeting at the Salem Community Center@The Armory organized by the MRPC with the Rural Electric Coop Consortium who bid on areas of Dent County to provide Internet services in the recent Rural Development Opportunity Fund auction. The consortium represents 95 different coops, but they don’t have an agreement with a local coop yet to provide Internet services in Missouri. They indicated they would be willing to work with Intercounty Electric to provide the Internet services, but they have not reached out to them yet. They estimated the time frame needed to get the work done would be eight years. Skiles said the courthouse will be closed for Veteran’s Day this Thursday and the commissioners will not be meeting on Monday, November 22nd due to the Annual MAC Conferences. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said she balanced with the collector and assessor on all abatements, collections and add-ons for the month of November. She also said she has set the candidate signup dates for all the elections to be held in 2022. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams presented the sales tax monies received by the county this month. The county did receive the $197,000 that had been withheld in October as it was added on to the November totals with no breakdown as the time of receipt. The General Revenue Fund and the LEST Fund both received $145,057.34 in November while in November of 2020, the county received $98,235.80. Year-to-date, the county is down $256,639.44 in each of those funds. The Road and Bridge Fund received $70,228.93 compared to the 2020 figure of $47,104.59 and year-to date, it is down $137,773.87. In the jail operating fund and trust fund, the county received $105,103.36 in November compared to $94,225.44 last year. Year-to date, the jail funds are each down $275,185.89. Don Mutz from Titan Paving and Drainage talked with the commissioners about a product called Karnak that could help them on their chip and seal road repairs. This product could be kept at the county shed and used when needed. It is a thick oil product that sets up in eight to 24 hours and can be layered for trouble spots. Mutz and the Commissoners Larson and Mobray will check out the material at the county shed Wednesday morning with the road supervisors. At the last meeting, Darrell Decker from Select Service, LLC came to the commissioner meeting to discuss the health insurance renewal that showed the county had a 1.7% rate increase that came to $643.76 per employee. The commission will pay the employees insurance that will go into effect January 1st. It also costs the county $500 to be a member of the insurance consortium. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Monday, November 15th at 9:00 at the courthouse and it will be open to the public.

An accident happened Sunday evening just after 9:00 in Phelps County at 741 Highway T. The report from the highway patrol states that a 2002 Yamaha motorcycle being operated by 24-year-old Shawn Leach of Rolla, was on private property when the motorcycle struck a parked trailer ejected Leach from the bike. He was taken to Phelps Health Hospital for the treatment of moderate injuries. The report stated that Leach was not wearing a safety device at the time of the accident.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education held a special meeting last Thursday by Zoom. The board approved to revise policy SRCSP to include the updated quarantine and isolation guidance from the Dent County Health Department. Then in closed session, the board approved hiring middle school special education instructor Kathleen Cole before Superintendent Lynne Reed discussed a personnel issue. The meeting was then adjourned.