Your World Today

Three cases were heard in front of Judge Michael Randazzo on April 23rd in the 42nd Judicial Circuit Court. In the first case, Michael Scott of Salem pled guilty to a felony charge of driving while having his license revoked and not having insurance. Scott was sentenced to serve 15 days in jail as recommended by Dent County Prosecutor Andrew Curley. In the next case heard, McKayla Black of Salem who was on probation for two felony possession of controlled substance charges, had absconded from drug court. A probation hearing was held where Prosecutor Curley sought a seven-year sentence pursuant to Section 559.115 of the Revised Missouri State Statutes as requested by the Missouri Department of Corrections. Black sought continued probation. Over the objection of the state, Black was granted continued probation with an added condition to complete the New Sanctuary Beginnings Program. Also on Wednesday at the conclusion of an Alford hearing, Albert Terrill of Salem was found guilty of felony stealing and for driving while having his license revoked. Terrill was sentenced to serve seven years in the Missouri Department of Corrections as recommended by Prosecutor Curley. 

The Dent County Health Center will be holding their Spring 2025 Health Fair and Vaccine Clinic Friday, May 2nd, from 7:00 in the morning until 1:00 in the afternoon. No appointments are necessary. Dent County residents can get free basic screenings of blood pressure, height and weight, and BMI calculation. Rapid Heart Health Screenings are available for Lipid (Cholesterol) and A1C for $34.50. Expanded services will be available for blood chemistry for $3.80, a Vitamin D test for $13.75, Basic Thyroid test at $3.50 and Blood Counts for $3.00. Other services available include Free Rapid Blood Lead Screening, Free household item lead testing, plus free Narcan and free STD Testing. Updated COVID-19 vaccines will also be available. Information and scheduling for additional services will be available. No orders are needed for the screenings as the Dent County Health Center has a standing order for health screenings. In order to speed up the process, no insurance will be accepted. The DCHC is located at 1010 East Scenic Rivers Boulevard, across from Town and Country Bank. To answer other questions about the Health Center Spring Health Fair and Vaccine Clinic feel free to call 573-729-3106.

Saturday, May 3rd will be the Community Wide Yard Sale in Salem as yard sales will be occurring all over town and out in the county. Maps for the location of local yard sales will be available at the Salem Chamber of Commerce in the Crossroads. A central sale location will be held at the city administration parking lot on Saturday. You can still reserve a space on the city parking lot at 4th and Iron Street for $8.00 for two parking spaces by calling 729-4117 or stopping by the administrative offices. Those spaces are reserved on a first come, first serve basis. Don’t forget that the following two weeks in the City of Salem is the semi-annual GFL Residential Spring Clean-Up Weeks. This is for Salem residents only and is done on your normal trash day from May 5th through the 9th and again May 12th through the 16th. Remember, tires, appliances, yard waste, car batteries, oil, chemicals, solvents and paint as well as non-compactable items like concrete, tree stumps, steel, etc. cannot be picked up. If anyone has questions about what can be or cannot be picked up, they are welcome to contact GFL at 1-800-926-3953 of 1-417-741-7714.

MoDot has ongoing plans for road work in Dent County on the following routes; Roadside work continues on Route 19 at Standing Rock Creek, south of Route N, as part of a bridge replacement project. Motorists can expect intermittent lane closures for the duration of the work, which is expected to be complete in May 2025. Resurfacing continues on Route H from Missouri Route 72 to Route M in Phelps County. One lane will remain open, and flaggers with a pilot car will direct motorists through the work zone. The project is scheduled for completion in May 2025. Route TT is CLOSED due to flood damage at Crooked Creek. Motorist must use an alternate route until further notice. In Crawford County Roadside work planned on Route 19 from Missouri Route 49 to Edgar Road. One lane will remain open, and crews will flag traffic through the work zone.

Dent County Prosecutor Andrew Curley has provided the following press release. From January 1, 2025 through April 24, 2025 the Dent County Prosecutor’s Office, working alongside the Dent County Sheriff’s Office and Salem Police Department, have apprehended and detained 2 alleged illegal immigrants. Both individuals are the subject of Homeland Security immigration detainers. These detainers are issued by Homeland Security in connection with immigration removal proceedings. Defendants John Sanchez Merino and Josuel Morales-Valencia were each apprehended on separate criminal charges involving stealing and subsequently held in the Dent County Jail. Both were quickly transferred to Federal Custody for conclusion of their immigration proceedings. Prosecutor Curley went on to state that Homeland Security is taking the most aggressive action he has seen in his career, which is a direct result of the Laken Riley Act and President Trump’s Administration. The recently enacted legislation requires Homeland Security to detain an individual who (1) is unlawfully present in the United States or did not possess the necessary documents when applying for admission; and (2) has been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or admits to having committed acts that constitute the essential elements of burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. In addition, the Dent County Jail has been approved to act as an Enforcement and Removal hub for immigration detainees for Dent County and the surrounding area. On behalf of local law enforcement, Prosecutor Curley indicated, “We have zero tolerance for immigrants that have entered the country unlawfully, especially those committing crimes and/or creating victims in our community. We will continue to assist Homeland Security in their effort to stop illegal immigration. Illegal Immigration is a slap in the face to all immigrants that have entered this country legally.”

Ozark National Scenic Riverways will host its annual Junior Ranger Day at Alley Spring on Thursday, May 1, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Area students and youth organizations are invited to participate in a day of environmental education, featuring interactive learning opportunities and live presentations. The event’s highlight will be a raptor program presented by the World Bird Sanctuary. Additional sessions will cover topics such as bats, snakes, large mammals, fish, wildfires, river safety, hellbenders, and owls. Activities are geared toward fourth- and fifth-grade students but are open to all ages. Schools and education groups planning to attend should RSVP by contacting Josh Chilton at 573-226-3945 or email josh_chilton@nps.gov. Participants should bring a picnic lunch and dress appropriately for outdoor activities. During the lunch break, attendees will be sworn in as official Junior Rangers. Alley Spring is located five miles west of Eminence on State Route 106. For more information, call 573-226-3945, or visit the park’s website; nps.gov/ozar/.

Warmer weather usually means an increase in outside projects that may require digging or excavation work. If you are building a deck, planting a tree, or completing a large project, Missouri law requires anyone digging underground to notify Missouri-811 by calling 8-1-1 or placing a locate request online at www.missouri-811.org before any excavation begins. The call will be taken by the Missouri 811 Call Center, which then notifies all relevant utilities in the project area. Once Missouri 811 is notified, utility companies will mark the approximate location of their underground lines, request additional information or advise you that they do not have facilities at the excavation site. Hitting an underground line can cause serious injury, it could disrupt service to you and other customers, and it could potentially result in heavy fines and repair costs. Don’t forget it is very important to contact Missouri-811 by dialing 8-1-1; or go online at www.missouri-811.org to place a locate request before starting to dig so underground utility lines can be marked. By doing so, citizens will help protect yourself, your family and property. Call before you dig. It’s free and it’s the law. For more information, visit the website missouri-811.org.

The Dent County Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse.  In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Keith Green said crews are working on repairing the Durapatcher for chip and seal repair. They will do patching work on a number of roads once the Durapatcher has been repaired. Green said crews will be replacing some culverts today and looking for others that need to be replaced. District 2 Commissioner Jimmy Williams said crews would be pulling ditches, adding materials and grading on Dent County Roads 3270 and 3273, while only grading will be occurring on county road 3275. Williams said the backhoe will be taken to the Boss area to remove debris from pipes. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson said he attended the Tourism Tax Committee meeting, and they approved one request by the Dent County Commons for funding for their Summerfest, and they also approved one reimbursement. Dent County Deputy Clerk Melissa Piatt said bills were to be paid and the office is beginning their voter canvassing. Dent County Collector Shannon VanKirk said she attended the Collector’s Conference in Columbia last week. She said 291 Homestead Tax Credit applications have been sent out and about 150 have been submitted. VanKirk wanted to remind the public that only those who are 62-years of age and older as of January 1st can apply for the Homestead Tax Credit and they must be submitted by June 30th. The applications are free and if you have any questions, please contact Collector VanKirk at 573-729-3911. At the last meeting, the commissioners took phone bids for 7,000 gallons of diesel fuel and MFA oil was the low bidder at $2.38 per gallon. The commission also agreed to seek bids on finishing the salt shed at the road and bridge department. This is a 40-foot by 36-foot shed to sit on existing concrete. Bids will be due in the county clerk’s office by 10:00 in the morning on May 19th. Bid specs are available at the county clerk’s office or by contacting Commissioners Williams or Green. The commissioners next meeting will be Thursday at the courthouse at 9:00 in the morning and the meeting is open to the public.

Despite the poor weather conditions the Salem Scrambler Rally was held on Saturday, April 19th. The unique event combined elements of off-road navigation with environmental cleanup. A group of 20 volunteers in 9 vehicles competed to collect as much trash as possible and return to a weigh-in within four hours. According to a press release from organizer Kyle Williams the teams were able to remove 7,940 pounds of trash in a little over three hours from illegal dump sites across 10 locations within the Mark Twain National Forest. Some of the items removed included, televisions, couches, vinyl siding, mattresses and over 125 tires. The event was supported by Dent County Ag who provided the use of their scales and space for weigh-ins, JeT Tires & Auto assisted with tire support, while Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District supplied gloves, bags, grabbers, and dumpsters. The top three teams included Erik and Clarissa Votipka of Kansas City who removed 1,100 pounds, placing third. Chris Martise & Michael Callahan of Sullivan who removed 1,200 pounds, placing second. Taking first place with 1,800 pounds of trash removed from two large sites was Doug Leibman of Mansfield. The organizers of Salem Scrambler, Kyle Williams, Ryan Fairless, Donny White, John Schweer, and Dustin Privett are apart of the broader Missourah Endurah community of rally enthusiasts who combine adventure with public land stewardship. More cleanups are being planned for summer 2025, along with volunteer participation in the Missourah Endurah fall event. For more information about this and future events you can contact Kyle directly at KyleRally789@gmail.com, or by phone at 573-247-2474.

The City of Salem’s Water and Wastewater Department has achieved statewide recognition. Superintendent Chris McGuirt and Wastewater Leadman Josh Hunt represented the City of Salem in the final round of Missouri’s Drinking Water Taste Testing, held in Jefferson City.  Salem proudly earned 3rd place in the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Statewide Drinking Water Taste Testing—an achievement that reflects the hard work and dedication of the city’s utility staff to providing high-quality drinking water to our community.