Your World Today

The Dent County Sheriff’s Department has released some additional reports for June. On Tuesday, June 8th, a deputy traveled to a residence in the 2000 block of Dent County Road 6380 for the report of a theft. Upon arrival, the deputy found that a 55-year-old Salem man was the reported victim. Two chainsaws were reported stolen. A short time later, the Dent County Sheriff’s Office received information that a suspect was attempting to pawn the chainsaws at Cousins Pawn Shop. A deputy traveled to the location and during the course of the investigation, a 26-year-old Salem man and a 24-year-old Salem man were arrested for charges of Stealing of $750 or more and burglary in the 2nd degree. Both men were transported to the Dent County Jail and incarcerated. Both chainsaws were recovered and returned to the owner. On Wednesday, June 9th, a deputy conducted a traffic stop on Dent County Road 6510 and Highway 72. At the traffic stop, a 21-year-old Salem man was arrested for driving while having his license revoked or suspended, a 2nd or 3rd offense. The man was transported to the Dent County Jail where he was fingerprinted, issued a summons and released. If you have any information regarding any investigation, contact the Dent County Sheriff’s Department at 729-3241.

Mayor Brad Nash has called for two special meetings of the Board of Aldermen of the City of Salem for this evening, June 14th. The first meeting will be at 5:45 and will be for the purpose of considering Bill No. 3481, an ordinance to authorize Mayor Nash to execute a Contract Change No. 10 between the City of Salem and Smith and Edwards Construction, Inc. for the Highway 19 South Sewer Extension. Also, to be considered is Resolution No. 18-2021, a resolution amending the City of Salem utility payment plan by adding that “The Mayor, Board of Aldermen President, City Administrator, Director of Public Works, or Utilities Supervisor may authorize an exception to this policy.” The second meeting will be at 6:00 and is a joint meeting of the Capital Improvements and Finance Committees. At that meeting, the Board will be updated on utility billing, as well as hear updates since the last meeting. Also, the proposed 2021-2022 budget, including capital projects, will be reviewed in detail. Both meetings will be held at The Community Center @ The Armory, 1200 West Rolla Road and are open to the public.

The Ozark National Scenic Riverways is seeking public input on the park’s draft Roads and Trails Management Plan that will be available for review and comment on June 18th online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/OZAR_RTplan. The Draft Plan includes detailed maps and an environmental assessment illustrating a No-Action Alternative and two Action Alternatives. The No-Action Alternative reflects a continuation of current management practices, as established in the 2014 General Management Plan. The two Action Alternatives were informed by public and stakeholder feedback gathered earlier in the planning process and represent alternative approaches for addressing issues identified in the plan, while also meeting desired conditions for managing the park’s roads and trails. The National Park Service has identified Alternative B as the preferred alternative for implementation. Superintendent Jason Lott stated that with the release of the draft Roads and Trails Management Plan, the Ozark National Scenic Riverways is in the final phase of a complex planning process. The Roads and Trails Management Plan would establish a network of roads and trails that is clearly mapped, more sustainable, and that will allow visitors to safely enjoy the park’s spectacular resources through a variety of recreational activities, while still protecting those resources for future generations. For those who prefer to review printed copies of the Draft Plan, they will be made available for review at the public libraries in several local communities, including: Van Buren, Birch Tree, Mountain View, Salem, Summersville, Ellington, Ellsinore, Doniphan, Poplar Bluff and Rolla. The Draft Plan will also be available at park headquarters in Van Buren, located at 404 Watercress Drive, from 8:00 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon, Monday through Friday. The public comment period for the Draft Plan will be open from June 18 to July 18. The comments will be analyzed to determine if there are any adjustments needed and then an alternative will be selected for implementation. Comments will also be accepted through the mail to: Superintendent, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, P. O. Box 490, Van Buren, Missouri 63965. As always, we look forward to hearing from the public and encourage all to visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/ozaror our Facebook page for further updates. For more information, please contact Dena Matteson at (573) 323-4814.

The Meramec Regional Community Foundation was able to award 31 Meramec Region students with scholarships totaling $69,300. Of the 31 scholarships, 23 were awarded through the assistance of the Maries County R-2 Schools Foundation to Maries County R-2 Belle High School 2021 graduating seniors. Those 23 scholarship awards totaled $35,800. Another $13,000 worth of scholarships was awarded to the Belle High School Alumni who qualified for renewable scholarships. The Maries County R-2 Schools Foundation works to ensure that every graduating senior who wishes to pursue higher education will have a scholarship available to them. Two students from Salem received scholarships from the Richard and Jeanne Cavender Scholarship for Public Service for $750 each to Amy Chen and Lucas Morrison, both from Salem High School. Those who are interested in establishing an endowed scholarship can contact Bonnie Prigge or Maria Bancroft at MRPC at 573-265-2993 or via email at bprigge@meramecregion.org or mbancroft@meramecregion.org, respectively.

The Current River Cruisers will be holding a yard and bake sale this Saturday starting at 8:00 at the Lifeway Center on Highway 19 North with the proceeds going to Project Win for cancer support in Dent County. For more information or to make a donation, call 729-7859.

The Salem Park Board met Wednesday night at the Salem Community Center@The Armory. Vice-President Kyle Williams served as the acting president for the meeting. Park and Recreation Director Melissa DuBois went over her Alice Lou Craig Municipal Pool report that showed a number of busted pipes in the pump house from the extreme cold weather in February. Most of the repair work was done by Westport Pools. She said the pool just received some new umbrellas, lifeguard rescue tubes and mask to replace outdated equipment. The Park Board also approved some new inclement weather rules to be initiated at the pool for storms, rain and cool temperatures. She also reported there were some problems in getting the splash pad primed and working properly this spring, but that problem has since been corrected. DuBois said the “Start Soccer” program went well but she had to limit the participants to just ten. She also said the two-week summer camp will be held July 12th through the 23rd and there are still two openings available for children. The cost is $150 for the camp which will include camp presenters followed by swimming in the afternoon at the pool. DuBois reported there are 481 coaches and players in the Youth T-Ball, Softball and Baseball leagues with just over 425 being players. There are six age 3-4 T-ball teams, nine age 5-6 T-ball teams, six boys baseball teams age 7-8 with coaches pitching, six girls softball teams ages 7-10 with coaches and machine pitching, four baseball teams of boys 9-11, four softball teams of girls age 11-14, and four baseball teams of boys age 12-14. DuBois stated there have been three new maple trees planted at the Salem City Park, new yellow fence caps have been put on the ball fields, and a portable pitching mound that was purchased is being replaced due to some damages. She said the Al Brown Fields are back open, but for daylight use only as the light poles have cut to eliminate any risk of them falling. One estimate to replace the lighting system at Al Brown from Musco Lighting came in for between 410,000 to 455,000 dollars. DuBois said at least one other bid will be secured. She also said she had been contacted by Kelly Sink from the MRPC that a mandatory webinar for awardees of the LWCF grants will be held on July 15th and she hopes to have more information on the soccer field grant soon. When DuBois has more information, the Park Board will try to meet shortly thereafter. She also gave updates on the “Eat Smart in the Park” program, sports banner sales and a work update on the Salem Civic Theatre. The board reviewed and approved the proposed budget for the Park and Recreation Department for Fiscal Year 2021-2022. The board heard Bob Jenkins, who was not in attendance, intended on resigning from the Park Board. They elected Greg Sanders as the new president to replace Stan Podorski who resigned from the position at the last Park Board meeting. There was a discussion about naming a piece of equipment at the skate park for a local person who used the skate park for years that was killed in an automobile crash, but no vote was taken. The meeting was then adjourned.

The Dent County Sheriff’s Department has released some reports for June. On Wednesday, June 2nd, a deputy conducted a traffic stop on Iron Street. At the traffic stop, a 55-year-old St. James woman was arrested for having an active warrant through Dent County. The woman was transported to the Dent County Jail and incarcerated. On Thursday, June 3rd, a deputy traveled to a residence in the 1000 block of East Center Street to serve an arrest warrant. During the course of the incident, a 23-year-old Salem man was arrested for having active warrants through Dent County. He was transported to the Dent County Jail and incarcerated. Later that same day, a deputy conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of West Roosevelt and Highway 19. At the traffic stop, a 43-year-old Salem man was arrested for driving while having his license revoked or suspended. He was transported to the Dent County Jail where he was finger-printed, issued a summons and released. On Saturday, June 5th, the Dent County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a subject that was robbed at gun point and he was now pursuing the suspect. Deputies traveled to the area where the reporting party had lost sight of the vehicle on Route FF. While speaking to the reporting party, the suspect vehicle was seen driving toward the deputies on Dent County Road 3050. Deputies stopped the vehicle and during the course of the incident, a 33-year-old Leasburg man was arrested for two counts of possession of a controlled substance, one count of possession of drug paraphernalia, one count of possession of marijuana of 10 grams or less and forgery. The man was transported to the Dent County Jail where he was incarcerated. If you have any information regarding any investigation, contact the Dent County Sheriff’s Office at 729-3241.

The Missouri Bicentennial Time Capsule is seeking submissions from clubs, schools, community groups, businesses and government agencies to commemorate Missouri’s bicentennial this year. The deadline to submit to the time capsule is August 10th, Missouri Statehood Day. All Missouri-based profit and nonprofit organizations are eligible to participate. The time capsule is sponsored by the State Historical Society of Missouri and the Saint Louis Ambassadors with a goal to collect items that document Missouri’s past, present and future. The two organizations are asking for public participation in this project. Organizations and businesses are invited to participate by contributing three items: one to represent their past, one to represent their present, and a note to future Missourians. Items should measure no larger than 8.5 x 14 inches, in other words, no larger than legal size paper and combined be no more than a quarter-inch thick. All submissions need to be in printed form and not electronic. An online registration form on missouri2021.org is required for all submissions and items should be mailed to the following address: The State Historical Society of Missouri…Attn: Time Capsule, 605 Elm Street, Columbia, MO 65201. All participants will be notified of their successful submission and receive a certificate for participating in the time capsule. An event to commemorate the time capsule will be held August 27th, this summer in St. Louis. Once sealed, the time capsule will be housed at the State Historical Society of Missouri until August 10th, 2046, when it will be reopened and shared with the public 25 years later.

A special waste collection for residential and farm electronics, appliances, metals and tires will be held from 8:00 until noon this Saturday, June 12th at Brewer Science at 2401 Brewer Drive in Rolla. Brewer Science, the City of Rolla and Meramec Regional Planning Commission, with funding through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District, are partnering on the June 12th collection. The collection is for residential items only and no materials from businesses will be accepted. The collection is open to residents from Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties. To minimize personal contact, those bringing items to the collection are asked to stay inside their vehicles and assistants will unload items. Stoves, washers, dryers, water heaters, and other appliances will be collected free of charge. Free electronics also include computer components, laptop computers, keyboards, hair dryers, VCR/DVD players, cell phones or anything that runs on a cord or battery. Oil and gas must be removed from tanks of any items such as push mowers and weed eaters. All items must be free of debris. Tires on rims will not be accepted. Please note these items will NOT be accepted: CDs, DVDs, VHS and data tapes; floppy disks; transformers, capacitors or ballasts not clearly marked “No PCBs”; smoke detectors; thermostats; medical waste; gas containers such as propane, oxygen, nitrous oxide; anything leaking oil or acid, such as batteries; broken ink or toner cartridges; alkaline batteries; light bulbs and fluorescent tubes; broken CRTs, TVs or monitors. Fees on certain items will be collected as follows: $25 for CRT TVs over 27 inches and wood console TVs, $20 for CRT TVs under 26 inches, $15 for flat screen TVs, $10 for all computer monitors and refrigerated appliances with Freon. Fees for tires are as follows: $2 each for passenger tires, $7.50 each for semi-truck tires and $35 each for tractor tires. For more information on items accepted or the fee structure, please contact Jill Hollowell at MRPC at 573-265-2993 Ext. 109 or at jhollowell@meramecregion.org. For those unable to participate in the Rolla collection, mark your calendars for collections on Oct. 2 at South Central Regional Stockyards in Vienna and Oct. 9 at the St. Robert Aquatic Center.

The 1st Annual Salem Summer Kids Carnival will be held from noon until 4:00 at the corner of McArthur and 4th Street this Saturday in downtown Salem. There will be music, dance contests, airbrush tattoos, bounce houses, waxed hands and numerous street vendors featuring food, snow cones and popcorn. The event is free and open to everyone!

An accident happened in Reynolds County at 12:50 Wednesday afternoon on Route TT about five miles east of Bunker. According to the highway patrol report, a 2006 Honda Shadow driven northbound by 37-year-old William Shipman of Rolla, traveled off the right side of the roadway and overturned. Suffering minor injuries was a passenger on the Shadow, 34-year-old Samantha Stevens of Ellington and she was transported to the Salem Memorial District Hospital. Stevens was wearing safety equipment at the time of the accident while Shipman was not. The Honda sustained minor damage and was removed from the scene by the owner.

Time is running out for residents and students of Phelps and Dent counties to participate in online surveys about the potential for the creation of a Southeast Missouri Transportation Services (SMTS) deviated fixed-route bus service in the Rolla area with possible connections to the cities of St. James and Salem. The surveys are available at meramecregion.org/surveys. There are separate surveys for students and the general public. SMTS in conjunction with the Meramec Regional Planning Commission is conducting a feasibility study for the development of a potential new route. This bus service would be for a fee and be modeled after the Bluff Area Transit Service in Poplar Bluff and the Connect Service in St. Francois County, both of which are operated by SMTS. While the Rolla service would not be identical to Bluff Area Transit Service or Connect in the number of stops or pricing, it would likely operate similarly, if such a service is found to be a possibility. Feedback is critical to determining the viability of such a service in the Phelps and Dent counties area so if you haven’t taken the survey and would be interested in having this type of service, please take the time to do so. SMTS has contracted with MRPC to conduct the feasibility study. SMTS is a nonprofit general public passenger transportation service. SMTS transportation services are available throughout South Central and Southeast Missouri. For more information, please contact Anne Freand, MRPC planning department manager, via email at afreand@meramecregion.org or via phone at 573-265-2993 ext. 105.

Tonight at 6:00, join MU Extension Horticulture Specialist Kate Kammler for a short program on growing great tomatoes at the Salem Community Garden behind the Salem United Methodist Church at 801 E. Scenic Rivers Blvd. Learn tips for pruning, identifying pests and diseases, and other ideas to get your best tomato harvest yet! The program is free and open to the public. A reminder, this is a community garden because anyone is welcome to participate and sign up for a plot to garden or attend the free public workshops. The garden is not open for harvesting by the public. The gardeners put in hard work at their plots and their benefit is fresh healthy food for their families, friends and donations to organizations of their choice. Please respect their efforts and do not pick food from the garden unless it is from a plot of your own. Want to join? Call 729-3196.