Your World Today

The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Salem will be holding their “Parade of Lights” Saturday night starting at 5:30 from the SBU Salem Campus at Grand and Franklin. Over 50 entries are participating this year with the theme “Have Your Elf a Merry Little Christmas” with the Grand Marshall this year being Mike and Diane Godi. The parade will move east on Franklin to MacArthur where the parade will travel north to 4th Street and then head east to the courthouse square. The City of Salem is asking everyone to use caution if you will be downtown as there is sidewalk construction work going on. Everyone is invited to come out and enjoy the parade, but if you are unable to make it this year, KSMO Media will be streaming the parade LIVE from their post near the Salem Public Library at 4th and Jackson Streets. The broadcast should get underway close to 6:00 and can be seen on the KSMO Facebook Stream page, ksmoradio.com and the KSMO YouTube page. There is no charge to watch the parade and if you miss it, the parade will be available for playback at a later time. If you have any questions about the parade, please call the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce Office at 573-729-6900.

Representatives from the Missouri State Parks invite the public to attend a conceptual development planning meeting for both Taum Sauk Mountain State Park and Jay Nixon Backcountry this Saturday at Taum Sauk Mountain State Park. The meeting will be held in an open house format starting at 9:00 in the morning. At 10:30, a guided hike to Taum Sauk Mountain State Park’s Mina Sauk Falls will be available for those attending the meeting. This is a strenuous 3.5-mile hike. As the long-range plans for the facilities are updated, the public is encouraged to come learn more about the planning process, ask questions and provide input regarding the future facility use and development. A 30-day comment period begins December 7th with a survey available online at mostateparks.com/page/90071/conceptual-development-plans. For those who are interested in seeing the Jay Nixon Backcountry, a guided overnight hike and camping trip will be offered in the spring of 2025 in conjunction with the second conceptual development planning meeting. Taum Sauk Mountain State Park is located off Highway CC in Ironton.
Highway 72 in Reynolds and Dent Counties will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform pavement repairs. This section of roadway is located from Highway 32 to Highway 21. Weather permitting, the work will take place Monday, December 9th and Tuesday, December 10th from 8:00 in the morning to 2:00 in the afternoon each day. The work zone will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use extreme caution while traveling near the area. For additional information, contact MoDOT’s Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/southeast.

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that hunters harvested 11,424 deer during the state’s chronic wasting disease (CWD) portion of the firearms deer-hunting season, November 27th through December 1st, in CWD Management Zone counties. Of the 11,424 deer harvested, 3,917 were antlered bucks, 1,052 were button bucks,and 6,455 were does. MDC initiated the CWD portion last year to increase deer harvest in the CWD Management Zone to help slow the spread of the disease. For a list of CWD Management Zone counties, visit the MDC website at mdc.mo.gov. Hunters were allowed to use any unfilled firearms deer hunting permits during the CWD portion and had to abide by the statewide limit of one antlered deer during the firearms deer season, all portions combined. Hunters also had to abide by county-specific firearms antlerless permit numbers. Top counties for the CWD portion were Franklin with 413 deer harvested, Jefferson with 301, and Howell with 279. Totals harvest by county in our area included Crawford with 170, Dent with 105, Phelps CWD harvest was 128 and Shannon with 122. For more information on this season’s harvest totals, visit the MDC website at extra.mdc.mo.gov. Last year’s harvest total for the CWD portion was 11,707 deer. Get more information on Missouri deer hunting from MDC’s 2024 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet, available where hunting permits are sold and online at mdc.mo.gov.

Public notice is hereby given that a Meeting with the board of the Dent County Opioid Settlement Committee, will be held at the Dent County Associate Courtroom located at 112 E. Fifth Street in Salem.  Thursday evening at 6:00. According to the agenda after roll call and reading of previous meeting minutes, the board will confer and approve priorities for funding and amount of funding. Before adjourning approve application for media publications.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Missouri has consistently ranked within the top 15 states nationally for collisions involving deer. The Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance (DCI) warns drivers to be mindful of deer and other wild animals that commonly cross the roadways as temperatures drop and nights become longer. In 2023, Missouri drivers experienced 3,591 crashes involving deer, equating to one deer strike occurring approximately every 2 hours and 30 minutes in the state. In these crashes, there were four fatalities, and 420 people were injured. Dawn and dusk are the most susceptible times to experience deer collisions. Always be cautious and regularly scan both sides of the roadway. Keep in mind some accidents are unavoidable, so it’s always best to be prepared by contacting your agent or carrier to discuss appropriate insurance coverage. Deer are often in groups, even in populated areas. Be extra cautious at night when animals tend to be more active and watch for the reflection of their eyes from your vehicle headlights. Stay focused while driving and be ready to react by reducing your speed if you encounter deer. Never swerve to avoid animals in the road, as it can cause loss of vehicle control, resulting in serious injury or death. Damage to a vehicle from an accident with an animal is covered under an auto policy optional comprehensive coverage. If you only have collision or liability coverage, your insurance carrier will not cover vehicle damage from an animal collision. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates damage caused by deer accidents alone results in about $1 billion of uninsured losses annually. If you experience an animal collision accident, ensure your personal safety before promptly reporting the incident to your insurance carrier. Take photos to document the on-scene damage if you can do so safely. Filing a claim for an accident covered by your comprehensive coverage means you’ll still need to pay a deductible. After that, your insurer typically covers the costs of the claim up to your policy limits.

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows young hunters ages 6-15 harvested 2,530 deer during Missouri’s late youth portion of the 2024 firearms deer hunting season, November 29th through December 1st. Of the 2,530 deer harvested, 1,046 were antlered bucks, 270 were button bucks, and 1,214 were does. Top counties for the late youth portion were Pike with 58 deer harvested, Harrison with 55, and Lincoln with 55. The MDC website showed county totals in our area were Crawford with 20, Dent with 17, Phelps youth harvest was 14, Reynolds with 9, Shannon with 14 and Texas County 17. For more information on this season’s harvest totals, visit the MDC website at extra.mdc.mo.gov. Last year’s harvest total for the late youth portion was 3,617 deer. Get more information on Missouri deer hunting from MDC’s 2024 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet, available where hunting permits are sold and online at mdc.mo.gov.

The Salvation Army Dent County Service Unit volunteer bell ringers will begin raising funds for those in need at Country Mart and Wal-Mart this Wednesday, then every Friday and Saturday through December 24th. Counter kettles will also be located throughout the community. The kettles are the primary way funds are raised locally to continue to meet the needs of the less fortunate in our community. For those who do not want to handle cash, you can donate digitally with Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and Venmo at any Red Kettle. Every donation helps hope march on for those in need, and all gifts stay within the community in which they are given. If you would like to volunteer to ring the famous Salvation Army bell, please call Susie at 729-6771 or 247-7099. You can also call the Salvation Army Dent County Service Unit office at 729-8163. 

The 2024 Christmas Fest Art show and Sale with the Ozark Heritage Artisans will be held Saturday, December 7th from 9:00 in the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon at the Creative Arts Center on South Main, next the ONCRC. Everyone is welcome to shop for unique handcrafted gifts and home accessories created by local artists at the annual Christmas Fest Art Show and Sale! There will be demonstrations, free snacks and a free kid’s craft table, an elementary art show, and a holiday door prize.  Thanks for supporting the Arts and shopping local in our community!

The ninth annual National Tax Security Awareness Week featuring tips for people to avoid scams and protect their sensitive data. The special week is part of the Security Summit initiative, a joint effort between the IRS, states, the tax industry and tax professionals that works to protect everyone as well as the tax system against identity theft. Abundant scams and rip-offs being seen by the IRS and the Security Summit partners include ever-evolving and increasingly sophisticated phishing emails and related attacks on the unsuspecting. Taxpayers can be duped into unwittingly handing over their confidential tax and financial information. Would-be victims could also get tricked into disclosing their addresses, Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, credit card numbers or passwords, which can lead to tax-related identity theft and fraud. A common example right now involves false messages made to look like they’re coming from delivery services. In these scams, victims receive a text or email purporting to be from a company or business saying a delivery can’t be made along with a link to click to reschedule. But in reality, the link represents a form of phishing that attempts to steal personal information or download malware. It’s a very prevalent scam expected to intensify during the holidays. Remember, don’t click on anything unknown, even if you just ordered gifts and you’re expecting packages to come to your door soon. Double-check before you click! Another common scam expected to intensify soon will involve emails pretending to be from the IRS or others in the tax industry. These frequently involve unexpected, good news, like a tax refund. But they can also involve variants telling people they have a tax bill or have tax documents available to download. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel says everyone should use extra caution this holiday season to protect their valuable personal and financial information, whether shopping online or clicking on links in email and other messages. A little extra caution can protect taxpayers’ confidential information and reduce the risk of identity theft in the upcoming tax filing season where scam artists will use the information to file fraudulent tax returns and steal your refund.

The City of Salem has announced its Holiday Lighting Contest. Residents and business owners are invited to light up the holiday season by participating in the 2024 Holiday Lighting Contest. Open to both residential and commercial properties, the contest encourages festive displays that celebrate the spirit of the holidays. Participants must register by Friday, December 6, at the City Utility Office to be eligible. The Holiday Lighting Contest will have two categories: Residential and Commercial. The judging will take place in mid-December, with winners announced on December 27th. Decorated displays must be set up by the evening of the Christmas Parade on the first Saturday of December and remain in place through December 25th, allowing community members ample time to enjoy them. Winning entries in each category will receive credits on their City Utility bills in the amounts of $100 for 1st Place, $50 for 2nd Place and $25 for 3rd Place. Funds for contest awards come from the Community Support line in the City’s General Fund, not from Utility revenues. To promote community viewing, the city will publish a map of contest locations, allowing residents and visitors to explore these holiday displays. By entering, participants agree to have their address sharedpublicly for this purpose. Individuals affiliated with the City of Salem are not eligible to participate in the contest. For more information and a registration form, visit our website at salemmo.com/city then scroll down to the News Feature and click on “Holiday Lighting Contest”. You may also contact the City Utility Office at 573-729-4117.

The Salem Area Community Betterment Association is proud to announce the “Old Fashioned Christmas” Trees and Trains Exhibit at the Ozark Natural and Cultural Resource Center is now open! Trees and Trains is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon. On Saturdays, from 9:00 in the morning until 1:00 in the afternoon, and Sundays from 1:00 until 5:00 in the afternoon. Groups are welcome. This community event is only possible with the support of numerous organizations, businesses and individuals creating a beautiful collection of unique Christmas trees complimented by fun trains that catch every child’s eye. SACBA also wants to send out their heartfelt appreciation to all the volunteers who give of their time during the holidays to make this event special. Donations are encouraged to thank the Ozark Natural and Cultural Resource Center for hosting this festive event!