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The Salem and Dent County 4-H and FFA Livestock Auction was held this past Saturday at the Commons that raised over $247,000. Auctioneer Roger Schafer auctioned off a pen of market chickens, three pens of market rabbits, a cured ham, 14 market goats, 14 market lambs, 44 market hogs, 30 market steers and six ribbons. The top buyers at the auction this year were the Bank of Salem as they purchased 14 animals comprised of one goat, three lambs, three hogs and seven steers; Phil-Mart who purchased eight animals made up of a lamb, three hogs and four steers as well as a cured ham; Intercounty Electric who purchased six animals comprised of two lambs and four hogs; Quality Machine who purchased five animals made up of two hogs and three steers, and Town and Country Bank who also bought five animals and they were comprised of two goats, two hogs and a steer. Also buying multiple animals were Roberts-Judson Lumber Company as they purchased four animals made up of two hogs and two steers, Steelman Abstract who purchased two hogs and one steer, Victor Heating and Cooling, LLC as they purchased two hogs and one steer, and Independent Stave Company who purchased a goat, a hog and a lamb. There were 48 different businesses, organizations or individuals participating this year in the auction who purchased at least one animal or ribbon to help with the cause, with many buying more than one animal. The Salem FFA Chapter and all the Dent County 4-H Clubs thanks everyone who attended the auction this year.

The City of Salem Board of Aldermen will be meeting this evening at 7:00 in city hall council chambers at 202 North Washington Street. After the roll call and approval of the consent agenda will be the introduction of Bill #3484 which is an ordinance amending Section 110.170 of the City of Salem ordinances concerning meeting times for the Board of Aldermen. The bill is requesting the board meetings for the aldermen be changed from 1st and 3rd Monday starting at 7:00 to the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month starting at 6:00. The bill would also change what would happen if the meeting would fall on a holiday. The current section would be amended from holding the meeting the following day at 7:00 to holding the meeting on the Thursday after the holiday starting at 6:00. The aldermen will discuss bids for the police department digital repeater and dispatch conversion. Mayor Brad Nash will recommend to the aldermen three people for open positions on two different boards. They are Caleb Shepherd and Tiffin Felkerson for the Park and Recreation Board, and Alderman Shawn Bolerjack to the Airport Board as the aldermanic representative. In new and miscellaneous business, the aldermen will discuss a license for a Truman Trailer Court before hearing a report from city administrator Ray Walden. Following that discussion, the aldermen will discuss the rezoning of 306 East Franklin from commercial to industrial. The board may then vote to go into closed session to discuss personnel before adjourning. The Salem Board of Aldermen meeting this evening is open to the public.

A shooting incident happened in Rolla on Thursday night at about 11:25 that left a St. James man dead. According to the Phelps County Sheriff's Department report, law enforcement officers responded to the 11000 block of Highway 72 at the Stately Mansions Mobile Home Park in Rolla for reported shots fired. Central communications received further information indicating that a man was seriously wounded. The gunshot victim, later identified as 35-year-old Michael Jonathan Schmitt of St. James, was transported to Phelps Health where Phelps County Coroner Ernie Coverdell, later pronounced him deceased from what appears to be a single gunshot wound. An autopsy will be completed to determine the exact cause of death. As law enforcement arrived at the scene, they discovered a white male lying on the driveway, critically wounded from an apparent gunshot. Law enforcement determined that 32-year-old Matthew Andrew Reeves of Rolla, was responsible for the death of Mr. Schmitt. Mr. Reeves fled the scene in a car and was later located in the 10000 block of Phelps County Road 2060. He was arrested without incident and transported to the Phelps County Sheriff's Department where a warrant application is being prepared for Murder in the 2nd Degree. This incident is still under investigation by the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department and the Phelps County Coroner’s Office. Anyone with any information is urged to contact the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department Criminal Investigations Unit at 573-426-3860. The charges for which Mr. Reeves has been arrested are only accusations and are not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

(Corrected story)

The 2021 4-H and FFA Expo kicked off early Friday morning at 7:00 with the hog show with six classes of market hogs. Class 1 winner was Landon Cook with a 229 pound barrow, class 2 winner was Isaac Westerman with a 248 pound hog and class 3 was won by Jackson Roderman’s 259 pound hog. Class 4 was won by Allison Manthey with a 270 pound hog, Class 5 winner was Olivia Wisdom’s 300 pound hog, and Class 6 winner was Alexis Black with a 383 pound hog. Judge Gary Reichel from California, Missouri selected Blake Manthey’s hog as Champion and Allison Manthey’s as Reserve Champion. A lightweight class of market hogs was won by Wyatt Martin with a 215 pound pig. Breeding class gilt winners were Kennedy Major, Alexis Black, Isaac Westerman and Olivia Wisdom. Wisdom’s Gilt won Champion Commercial Gilt, while Isaac Westerman’s gilt won the Reserve Champion Commercial Gilt. Judge Reichel selected Isaac Westermann as Senior Showmanship Champion, Landon Cook as Intermediate Showman and Adalynn Tilley was tapped as the Junior Showmanship winner.