Your World Today

The Missouri Department of Commerce & Insurance is encouraging consumers who are eligible for Medicare to review their plan options and costs during this year’s open enrollment. The open enrollment period which runs through December 7th, presents Missourians with the opportunity to change their Part D drug coverage or Medicare Advantage plans. To help consumers choose a plan that best meets their needs, the department offers free assistance to Missourians who are eligible for Medicare and their caregivers through the department’s CLAIM program. CLAIM can also help Missourians on a limited income determine whether they qualify for a Low-Income Subsidy and/or Medicare Savings Programs to offset the cost of their prescription drugs. Missourians can ask questions by phone or arrange one-on-one counseling by calling 1-800-390-3330 or visiting missouriclaim.org. Missouri seniors, health care providers and others are encouraged to be wary of unscrupulous sales tactics during the open enrollment period. Protecting your personal information is the best line of defense in the fight against health care fraud and abuse. Never give your Medicare or Social Security numbers to strangers, especially those offering unverifiable free services. The department offers these tips to keep your personal information safe. First, verify that a salesperson is a licensed insurance agent by calling the Insurance Consumer Hotline at 1-800-726-7390. Be cautious of door-to-door salespeople. Medicare has no sales representatives, and agents cannot solicit Part D or Medicare Advantage plans at your home without an appointment. Avoid salespeople who offer free lunches for listening to a sales presentation. Federal law prohibits offers of free meals in exchange for signing up for a plan or listening to a presentation on Medicare. Do not give out personal information to an unlicensed agent. Salespeople are not allowed to ask for your Medicare Number, Social Security, bank account or credit card number during marketing activities. If someone calls you and asks for your Medicare Number or other personal information, hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE. Salespeople cannot ask for online payments and must send a bill. Once you decide to buy a plan and have verified the agent is licensed, then you may give the agent personal enrollment and billing information. A Medicare health or drug plan can call you if you’re already a member of the plan. The agent who helped you join can also call you. A customer service representative from 1-800-MEDICARE can call you if you’ve called and left a message or a representative said that someone would call you back. Consumers with complaints or questions about insurance can contact the department’s Insurance Consumer Hotline at 800-726-7390 or visit insurance.mo.gov.

An accident happened Wednesday evening just before 7:00 in Shannon County on Highway 19 about three miles south of Eminence. The report from the highway patrol states that a 2006 Dodge Charger being driven by 51-year-old Darla Chilton of Eminence was traveling north when she traveled off the right side of the roadway, striking a sign and an embankment and several trees. Chilton, who was wearing a safety restraint, was taken by ambulance to Ozark Healthcare in West Plains for treatment of moderate injuries. The Dodge was totaled and removed from the scene by Sartin’s Towing.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is testing for new troopers. The Patrol is encouraging qualified individuals of all backgrounds to apply and will offer testing at nine different locations in Missouri. Those who successfully complete testing will be eligible to continue in the selection process for the 115th Recruit Class, scheduled to begin training on July 5th, 2022. The application deadline is January 15th, 2022. To be eligible, candidates must possess a high school diploma or GED equivalent and be 21 years of age upon graduating from the Patrol’s Law Enforcement Academy. Upon graduating from the Patrol’s Academy, troopers are eligible to earn 46 credit hours through Mineral Area College in Park Hills, MO, or 30 credit hours through the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, MO, toward a degree. The starting annual salary for trooper is $49,536, and following three years of service, the trooper first class salary is increased to $52,200. Other benefits include group health insurance, contributory retirement, career advancement, and more. The selection process is a multi-phase testing procedure which includes a written examination, a physical fitness for duty assessment, polygraph examination, background investigation, and oral interview board. Written and physical examinations take place in each troop area across the state. After a conditional offer of employment, the applicant must successfully complete a medical examination to include vision and hearing, psychological examination, a psychological interview, drug screening, and final applicant review. Interested persons can find out more
about the qualifications by contacting a Patrol recruiter at 1-800-796-7000, or apply online at www.motrooper.com.

The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet will be held on Tuesday evening, November 9th at the Wilson Family Center with the doors opening at 5:30 with the dinner and program scheduled to begin at 6:00. This event is free for members to attend, but the Chamber does ask that you RSVP with the number that will be in your group who will be attending the event. The Chamber is also inviting all past presidents of the chamber to join us. During the banquet you will get a chance to share highlights from the year you were president. The Wilson Mortuary is sponsoring the banquet location, meal and entertainment. The meal will be catered by the Main Street Café and will include roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans, and dessert. Entertainment will be the Bradford Family Music. The Fire and Muck Pottery Studio will be giving away gifts to members and providing door prizes. The Chamber’s Past Presidents will be entered to win a plaque made and donated by State Representative Ron Copeland. For more information or to make your reservations, please contact the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce at 573-729-6900 or stop by 1136 South Main Street in Salem. in the Crossroads Shopping Center.

The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors met Tuesday evening at 6:00. After the roll call and approval of the consent agenda, the board voted to go into closed session to discuss policies and procedures because of prior commitments of Joe Weber. After spending 13 minutes in closed session, the board returned to open session. During the review of the policies and procedures, the board agreed that changes would be sent to Joe Weber by the end of the month. After the suggested changes were incorporated into the policies and procedures, they would then be reviewed at the December meeting. Minutes from the October meeting were then reviewed and approved as presented. The bills were then reviewed and approved with an ending balance as of October 31st of $132,613.87. Yearly reimbursements will be distributed at the December meeting. The budget was reviewed, and it was noted that the finance committee will meet next Tuesday, November 9th, to work on the 2022 budget. The monthly reimbursement report was presented to the board from the new software indicating fire calls made by each firefighter and the reimbursements. The board asked that the reports be titled so they could be distinguished between the monthly and yearly figures. Chief Brad Nash will correct these for the December meeting. The board also asked for the spreadsheet that had been presented before as it had good information from previous years. In old business, it was reported that Ladder Truck #81 is out of service and being repaired. The new software still needs work to get all facets of the system operating. Chief Nash is working on getting bids for the repair of the concrete in front of the building and other areas. It was noted that Truck #88 is back in service after having the carburetor replaced. In new business, Mike Godi discussed the toy drive and the need for a place to store toys as they are purchased throughout the year, and especially this year as there may be a shortage of toys nearer Christmas time. Discussion was held on the history of how the toy drive came to be housed at the fire station. In reports to the board, Chief Nash reported that the old fire truck cannot be sold as it must be returned to the city. The date for the next meeting was set for December 7th at 6:00 at the fire station. The meeting was then adjourned.

The Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital and the Columbia Vet Center are teaming up to provide area Veterans with services such as Veterans Health Administration enrollment, and counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder and military sexual trauma. Through use of the Mobile Vet Center (MVC), a 37-foot-long mobile resource unit, bereavement, marriage, and family counseling also are available. Additional resources for Veterans through the MVC include VA benefits information and suicide prevention referrals. The Mobile Vet Center will in Rolla from 10:00 in the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon this Saturday, November 6th, at Veterans Memorial Park located at 575 Southview Drive in Rolla. The customized MVC vehicle is equipped with confidential counseling space to extend access to VA services to Veterans, servicemembers and their families — especially those living in rural or remote communities. The MVC also provides readjustment counseling and information resources to Veterans to assist them in the difficult transition between military and civilian life. For more information, call (573) 814-6206.

Tickets for the Healthy Dent County 3rd Annual Casino Night Fundraiser are on sale for the event that will be held this Saturday at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory. Tickets are available for $50 per person or $85 per couple which provides you with $10,000 of gaming money for each person for this fundraising event for Healthy Dent County. You will find game tables much like the ones you will find in a real casino, as well as professional dealers to run the traditional games such as craps, roulette and black jack. This year there will be a private poker room for Texas Hold ‘em. At the end of the evening, prizes are drawn after those attending exchange gaming money for tickets. Guests are asked to come dressed in Western-themed attire and receive an extra $1,000 in gaming money. They expect a nice crowd to attend this year’s event. Prizes include Blues Tickets; Apple Watch; $200 Country Mart card; Hammock with stand; wine barrel; Bissell Crosswave Vacuum; Air Fryer; gun; mini vacation; gift certificates to local and area businesses. Tickets are available at Salem Community Center @ the Armory or online at https://tinyurl.com/CasinoNightHDC2021. For questions, please call 729-8163.

Staff members at Current River State Park invite the public to take a wild twist on traditional holiday favorites in their Baking Wild workshop with Kirsten Alvey-Mudd from 8:00 in the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon this Saturday or Sunday. In this class, participants will learn new ways of baking holiday cookies and breads, as well as learn how to make new punches for upcoming holiday gatherings. Participants can take home the goodies made and the recipes used. Participants should bring paper for notes and a jump drive, which is optional, to save the PowerPoint presentation, good walking shoes and weather-appropriate clothing, lunch, water bottle, and a container to take goodies home in. Space is limited and registration is required. For more information or to register, contact Connie at 573-751-1224 or connie.weber@dnr.mo.gov. The public is strongly encouraged to follow social-distancing guidelines and be proactive in protecting themselves and others. Current River State Park is located on Highway 19 about 23 miles south of Salem and approximately 15 miles north of Eminence. For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The Salem Public Library invites patrons to send a Letter to a Soldier. Patrons may send letters to American soldiers stationed overseas. Paper, pencils, and crayons are on top of the “mailbox” located in the Children’s Section. Write your letter at the library or take it home and return it. The library will mail letters so that these brave men and women will receive them in time for Christmas. Thank you to the American Legion Walker-Roney Post 99 Ladies Auxiliary for assisting with postage for this project. Call 729-4331 for more information.