Your World Today

The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors met Tuesday evening at 6:00 at the fire station at #2 South Main Street. During the financial report, bills were reviewed and approved and the budget showed an ending balance as of March 31st of $286,476.99. The calendar was then reviewed with shot clinics to continue in April at the district. The monthly reimbursement report was presented with a total of 42 calls for the month of March including 5 structure fires, 2 flue fires, 20 brush calls, 1 car fire, 1 vehicle accident, 1 dumpster fire, 2 first responder and 5 mutual aid calls, 2 haz-mat calls, and two training calls. Total calls year to date stand at 108 with the average cost per call being $96.25. Chief Brad Nash reported to the board that all ceilings and lights have been installed with only one room remaining which will require wallboard to be installed and that should be started this week. Chief Nash also reported that the privacy window panels have been installed in the dispatch office and that the flooring project is next and should be started right away. The date was then set for the next meeting which will be Tuesday, May 4th, at 6:00 at the fire station which will be open to the public. The meeting was then adjourned.

Salem Memorial District Hospital and the Dent County Health Center will hold a mass vaccination event for COVID-19 to include ALL Missouri residents over the age of 16 at the Dent County Fire Station on Friday, April 16th. The booster vaccine being held at the same location on Friday, May 7th. Please go to the Dent County Health Center or Salem Memorial District Hospital Facebook page for more information and how to register for this event. There is also a registration link on the Salem Memorial District Hospital website.

The Missouri Public Service Commission has established the deadline for those wishing to intervene and participate in a natural gas rate case filed by Union Electric Company d/b/a Ameren Missouri. Applications to intervene and participate in this case must be filed no later than April 30, 2021, with the Secretary of the Missouri Public Service Commission, P.O. Box 360, Jefferson City, Missouri 65102, or by using the Commission’s Electronic Filing and Information System (EFIS) at www.psc.mo.gov. Individual citizens wishing to comment should contact either the Office of the Public Counsel at 866-922-2959, or the Public Service Commission Staff at 1-800-392-4211. On March 31st, Ameren Missouri filed a natural gas rate case with the Missouri Public Service Commission seeking to increase its natural gas base rate annual revenues by approximately $9.4 million. According to Ameren Missouri, the adjustment in base rates would mean natural gas rates would increase for an average residential customer by approximately $4 a month. Ameren Missouri serves approximately 135,000 natural gas customers in 25 Missouri counties including Dent and Phelps counties.

The Youth Spring Turkey hunt will be this Saturday and Sunday for youngsters who are age 6-15. The limit for each youth is one male turkey or turkey with a visible beard. Any youth who take a turkey during the youth season may not harvest a second bird until April 26th. This is because the bird taken during the youth season counts as the first bird for the first week of the regular season. Allowed hunting methods include shotguns with shot not larger than No. 4, longbows, recurve bows, or compound bows; crossbows, Atlatl and hand-held string releasing devices that have illuminated sights, scopes, and quick point sights. Youth may hunt this weekend from one half hour before sunrise to sunset. For more information, hunters should get or read the Missouri Department of Conservation’s 2021 Spring Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information. They are free at MDC regional offices, MDC nature centers, and other places where permits are sold. You can also get the booklet information online at mdc.mo.gov using the search box at the top of the homepage.

The Dent County Sheriff’s office has released some reports for the last two weeks of March. On Friday March 19th, a deputy conducted a traffic stop in the 1000 block of Dent County Road 6140. During the traffic stop, a 27-year-old Raymondville man was arrested for having an active warrant through Dent County and Texas County and was transported to the Dent County Jail where he was incarcerated. That same day, a deputy conducted a traffic stop in the 500 block of South Main Street. During the traffic stop, a 36-year-old Rolla man was arrested for the possession of marijuana or synthetic cannabinoid of 10 grams or less, a prior drug offense. He was transported to the Dent County Jail where he was fingerprinted, issued a summons and released. On Tuesday, March 23rd, a deputy traveled to the 35000 block of Highway 72 to serve an arrest warrant. A 60-year-old Salem woman was arrested for having an active warrant through Dent County and was transported to the Dent County Jail where she was incarcerated. That same day, a deputy began an investigation regarding a 41-year-old Salem man failing to register as a sex offender. During the course of the investigation, deputies traveled to a residence in the 800 block of Dent County Road 2490 and arrested the man for failing to register as a sex offender. On Wednesday, March 24th, a deputy conducted a traffic stop at the Highway 68 and Highway 19 North intersection. During the traffic stop, a 22-year-old Bunker woman was arrested for an active warrant through Dent County Sheriff’s office and Salem Police Department. The woman was transported to the Dent County Jail where she was incarcerated. On Sunday, March 28th, a deputy observed a 40-year-old Salem man in the Wal-Mart parking lot. The deputy knew the man to have an active warrant through Probation and Parole. He was arrested and transported to the Dent County Jail. After further investigation at the jail, the man was also charged for the failure to register as a sex offender and for the possession of a controlled substance except for 35 grams or less of marijuana or synthetic cannabinoid. Also Sunday, March 28th, a deputy conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of Highway 72 and Route FF. During the course of the stop, a 22-year-old Steelville man was arrested for failing to register as a sex offender. The man was transported to the Dent County Jail where he was incarcerated. On Wednesday, March 31st, a deputy received information that a 31-year-old Salem man was at the Missouri Department of Parole and Probation office. The deputy was advised that the man had an active warrant through Dent County. The deputy traveled to the Missouri Department of Parole and Probation office, arrested the man and transported him to the Dent County Jail where he was incarcerated. If anyone has any information regarding an ongoing investigation, please call the Dent County Sheriff’s Department at 729-3241.

The Missouri Department of Transportation is encouraging drivers to be on the lookout for slow moving crews that will soon begin the annual process of striping roadways across mid-Missouri. Now underway and continuing throughout the spring, summer and fall, motorists on the state’s two-lane lettered routes may encounter slow-moving lines of trucks laying down crisp, easy-to-see yellow and white stripes designed to help keep travelers safe. MoDOT uses paint embedded with glass beads. The beads reflect headlight beams back in the direction of the motorist to make the stripes more visible, especially during night, wet road or low light conditions. Striping crews must travel slowly as they paint roadway markings to ensure a good quality line. The striping trains move between 8 and 12 mph and will be equipped with flashing lights, boards with flashing arrows and signs that say “Slow Vehicles” and “Wet Paint.” Most of the striping is done during daylight hours. However, it is not uncommon to see crews working at night on interstate highways and other high-volume divided highways. Drivers are reminded to stay behind the last truck in the striping train, which is placed well behind the striping truck. This will give the new paint time to dry and prevent it from getting onto vehicles, being damaged by tires, and from being tracked across the roadway. Crews will pull over when it is safe to do so in order to let traffic congestion clear. If you drive through the wet paint, which is water-based, clean your car as quickly as possible with a high-powered water hose such as those used in car washes. Work is weather permitting and could be delayed. For more information about this project or other transportation-related matters, please call 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636) or visit modot.org/central. You can also follow the MoDOT Central Missouri District on Facebook or Twitter for project updates.