Your World Today

The Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) received an unmodified audit opinion from Hochschild, Bloom and Company, LLP for the period ending June 30, 2020. The board approved a draft of the single audit contingent with no changes when finalized at its March 11 board meeting, which was held virtually. An unmodified audit report occurs when an independent auditor deems a company’s financial statements are fairly and appropriately presented, without any identified exceptions, and in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles and applicable federal regulations. Tammy Alsop presented the audit report to the board for the firm. She said it’s the best report an entity can receive. There were no deficiencies or material weaknesses that were found, which is very good. MRPC had revenues of $2,184,495 for the year ending June 30, 2020 and expenses of $2,167,578. MRPC ended the year with a profit of $21,897. The audit also includes audits of the MRB, Meramec Regional Emergency Planning Committee and MRPC’s revolving loan funds as component units. The audit firm did not issue a management letter or any recommendations for improvement.

A one vehicle accident happened in Laclede County early Wednesday morning just after 6:00 on Highway 32 about two miles north of Lynchburg. The report from the highway patrol states that a 2000 Chevrolet 1500 being driven by 29-year-old Waylon Tuttle of Summersville swerved to miss a deer in the roadway. Tuttle then traveled off the left side of the roadway, struck a culvert before becoming airborne and striking the ground. A passenger in the vehicle, 52-year-old Danny Basham of Eminence was transported by Mercy Ambulance to Mercy Hospital in Lebanon for treatment of moderate injuries. The report went on to say that Tuttle was wearing a safety restraint while Basham was not. The Chevrolet sustained extensive damage and was towed from the scene by family.

The month of April marks Missouri’s annual No MOre Trash! Bash coordinated by the Missouri Department of Transportation. During the annual statewide anti-litter event, volunteers are encouraged to clean up litter adjacent to highways to help beautify Missouri. The No MOre Trash! Bash is an annual outreach of MoDOT’s year-round litter control efforts. It has been held every spring since 2004 except for 2020 when COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the event out of safety concerns. Additional COVID-19 restrictions limited the use of nearly 240 work release prisoners and required social distancing for field operations engaged in litter control performed by MoDOT staff. These factors have contributed to a marked increase in trash along Missouri’s highways. Becky Allmeroth, chief safety and operations officer, said keeping Missouri’s highways clean is a shared responsibility between MoDOT, those who use our roadways and many of the volunteers who help every year to make a difference in how this great state looks to the travelling public. The Trash Bash is a great opportunity for students, civic groups and those looking to receive community service credit while they beautify their community. Over the years, the volunteers have made this program a success. Last year, MoDOT spent $6.4 million to remove litter from more than 385,000 acres of roadsides along 34,000 state highway miles. The annual volunteer efforts to pick up litter along Missouri highway—including the Adopt-A-Highway program—have been valued at more than $1 million. Allmeroth said they encourage Adopt-A-Highway volunteers to do their section pickups in April, but they also invite anyone from the community who wants to help to join in for a one-time pickup. This year’s No MOre Trash! Bash kickoff will include virtual events with Adopt-A-Highway volunteers, students and community groups interested in participating in roadside trash pickup. Trash bags and safety vests will be provided to groups engaged in litter pickup. Groups are encouraged to exercise special COVID-19 safety precautions. To learn more about how you can participate, visit www.modot.org/adopt-highway or call 1-888-275-6636.

The City of Salem will be doing curbside yard waste pick-up the first full week of each month. Items that will be picked up by the city include limbs and branches that are cut to a length of 4 feet or less and leaves that are bagged in recyclable leaf bags which can be purchased at the city utility office $2.50 for ten bags. The city will pick up yard waste that has been properly bagged, cut, and placed at the edge of the curb or sidewalk. They ask that you do not block the sidewalk or place items in the street. The city of Salem reserves the right to charge for exceptionally large volumes of yard waste or to recommend removal by a private company. Items that will not be picked up include appliances, household trash, tires, electronics, lumber or building materials, furniture, or recyclables. Items must be ready and set out for pickup on the first Monday of the first full weeks of each month. For more information, call the city at 729-4811.

An accident happened in Reynolds County on Highway 72 about five miles north of Bunker Monday night at 11:15 that left a woman from Bunker with serious injuries. According to the highway patrol report, 43-year-old Laura Tuner of Bunker was driving a 2020 Jeep Latitude southbound when the Jeep crossed the center of the road and traveled off the left side of the road where the Jeep struck two trees. Tuner suffered serious injuries and was taken to the Mercy Hospital in Jefferson City by Air Evac. Tuner was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Jeep was totaled and removed from the scene by Dement Towing of Centerville.

The Missouri Conservation Commission approved Missouri’s second annual elk-hunting season at its March 26th meeting. They have designated a nine-day archery portion running October 16th through the 24th and a nine-day firearms portion running December 11th through the 19th. The five permits will be for bull elk and will be valid for both portions. All permits will be assigned through a random drawing. Only Missouri residents are eligible to apply for and purchase elk-hunting permits in Missouri. During last year’s inaugural elk season for Missouri, all five hunters that were drawn harvested an elk. At least one permit will be for qualifying area landowners with 20 or more contiguous acres in Carter, Reynolds, or Shannon counties with the remainder for the general public. A $10 application fee is required for all applicants. Those selected for each of the five permits must pay a $50 permit fee. All permits are nontransferable. The Conservation Department will limit the random drawing to one application per-person, per-year with a 10-year “sit-out” period for those drawn before they may apply again. To apply for an elk permit, applicants must be Missouri residents at least 11 years of age by the first day of the hunt. Those selected to receive a permit must have their hunter-education certification or be exempt by age before they may purchase the permit. All applications must be completed online or at a local vendor. You can apply for the random elk-permit drawing between May 1st and 31st at mdc.mo.gov/buypermits, through MDC’s free MO Hunting app, through a permit vendor, or by calling 1-800-392-4115.

Twenty-eight community health centers in Missouri will receive $124,293,750 in American Rescue Plan funding to support COVID-19 vaccination and services for vulnerable populations according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services this April. The funding will be awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration. These health centers will be able to use the funds to support and expand COVID-19 vaccination, testing, and treatment for vulnerable populations; deliver needed preventive and primary health care services to those at higher risk for COVID-19; and expand health centers’ operational capacity during the pandemic and beyond. This investment will help increase access to vaccinations among hard-hit populations, as well as confidence in the vaccine by empowering local, trusted health professionals in their efforts to expand vaccinations. The health center in our area that received funding was the South Central Missouri Community Health Center in Rolla and they received $1,990,000. The Health Resources and Services Administration funded health centers are community-based and patient-directed organizations that deliver affordable, accessible, quality, and cost-effective primary health care to medically underserved communities and vulnerable populations. Health centers serve 1 in 5 people living in rural communities, and more than 91% of health center patients are individuals or families living at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.

Missouri turkey hunters can expect this spring season to be about as challenging as the past few spring seasons according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. The spring turkey hunting season starts with a youth-only weekend April 10th and 11th followed by the regular spring season April 19th through May 9th. According to Conservation Department, turkey production was generally poor statewide in 2019. Therefore, hunters can expect fewer two-year-old gobblers available for harvest during this year’s spring hunting season. Considering the prospects for the 2021 spring season, hunters who aim to harvest a gobbler that is two-years-old or older should be prepared to put in a bit more effort to be successful this year. Although the prospects for this year’s spring season aren’t encouraging, this isn’t the first-time poor turkey production has reduced turkey numbers in Missouri. After reaching a population peak in the early-to-mid 2000s, Missouri’s turkey population experienced four years of poor production from 2007–2010, causing the population to decline. Turkey numbers then rebounded following several years of improved production. Get detailed information on spring turkey hunting from Missouri Department of Conservation 2021 Spring Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet. It is available from MDC offices and nature centers, other places where permits are sold, and online at huntfish.mdc.mo.gov.

The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting at the Dent County Courthouse Monday morning. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray stated materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 2410, 5520 and 6090 while brush would be cut on Dent County Roads 5680 and 5690. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson reported materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 3330 and 5260, while only grading would be done on county roads 3333, 3335 and 3337. Larson said brush would be cut on county road 2510. He went on to thank Todd Williams for helping out this past weekend when Larson said he received a call that someone had dumped concrete on Dent County Road 3120 near the intersection of Dent County Road 3130 toward the Blackwell Cemetery. Williams helped remove the concrete off the road and out of the way with his backhoe so that the road was passible without doing damage to vehicles. Commissioner Larson indicated that a crew was going to be out checking roads in the northern part of District 2 to see if there was any damage from the storm on Saturday night. He did say a man would be going to Springfield to get a load of oil for the Durapatcher to do some chip and seal repair this week, then do some maintenance work of truck #124. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said the commission has still not received any explanation from the Missouri Department of Revenue about them withholding the sales tax revenue for Dent County in five different funds. On February 22nd, Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams called them and found out Dent County was not going to be receiving sales tax money for over three months. Commissioner Skiles asked them to let him know what statute gave them that right to keep the sales tax. The statute they quoted did not address that situation and Skiles sent another request on February 26th. Since the commission has not received any correspondence from the Department of Revenue, Skiles recommended the county involve attorney Travis Elliott from Ellis, Ellis, Hammons and Johnson, P.C. in Springfield. Elliott serves as the counsel for the Missouri Association of Counties and the county commission voted, 3-0 for him to find out more information on why the county has not received an answer to their inquiry on sales tax funds. Skiles also said the county will have to amend this years’ budget this spring with the loss of sales tax revenues, but they also may have to wait on the impact the American Rescue Plan has on funds available for county governments. Skiles suggested to the commission that they interview two of the firms that responded to the county request about work needed at the courthouse. He suggested speaking with Corky Stack and Associates and Bill Anderson Engineering. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said absentee voting will continue until 5:00 on Monday, April 5th. She said sample ballots are available at her office and online at the Salemmo.com website at the bottom of the Dent County Election Authority tab page. At the last meeting, Dent County Collector Shannon Van Kirk reported on the annual collector’s settlement. This year, she collected 8.4 million dollars and it was properly distributed to the entities. Last year, the collector collected 8.2 million dollars. The collector’s office has started a new tax pre-payment program where taxpayers can make payments on their taxes for 11 months and in the month of December there would be no payment due. These payments would be made electronically from a taxpayer’s account and the withdrawal can be made on the 5th or 20th of the month. Taxpayers who are interested can stop by the Dent County Collector’s office or call VanKirk at 729-3911 to get more information. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Monday at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

Drivers are encouraged to be mindful of potential lane closures this week as efforts to repair the driving surface of Highway 19 in Shannon County will be underway. Crews with Missouri Department of Transportation are planning to repave Highway 19 from Route A to Route KK. Work is scheduled to begin today and will continue through this Thursday, April 1st. One lane will be closed at various locations between 6:00 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon while work takes place. Flaggers will be in place to guide motorists through the work zones. Drivers are advised to seek an alternate route around the work areas or expect minor delays. MoDOT says they appreciate the patience of travelers while this work takes place. The 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 www.modot.org/central.

An accident occurred Friday morning in Phelps County at 11:32 on westbound I-44 four miles west of St. James. According to the Highway Patrol report a 2006 Dodge Dakota, driven by 25-year-old Leah Ornelas of St. James, traveled off the left side of the roadway, returned to the roadway and struck a westbound 2019 International Tractor driven by 57-year-old Allen Howard of Terra Haute, Indiana. The Dodge then traveled off the left side again and struck the median cables. Ornelas suffered minor injuries and was transported by EMS to Phelps Health in Rolla. The report stated that both Ornelas and Howard were wearing safety restraints at the time of the accident. The Dodge sustained extensive damage and was removed from the scene by Dishman’s Towing. There was no damage to the International and it was driven from the scene.