Your World Today

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows deer hunters in Missouri harvested 68,312 deer during opening weekend of the November portion of firearms deer season November 16th and 17th. Of the 68,312 deer harvested, 42,283 were antlered bucks, 5,105 were button bucks, and 20,924 were does. The top harvest counties for opening weekend were Franklin with 1,627 deer harvested, Texas with 1,305, and Pike with 1,161. Last year, hunters checked 90,253 deer during opening weekend of the November portion of firearms deer season. Top counties in our area include Dent County with 760 deer harvested, Reynolds County reported that 632 deer were taken, Crawford County hunters nabbed 1,006 deer, Phelps County hunters took 664 deer, Shannon County hunters harvested 571 deer and Iron County saw 506 deer taken. This year’s harvest opening weekend total was lower than last year which is being attributed to the opening of November portion a week later than last year, which is almost two weeks after the peak of the rut in Missouri, this year’s abundant acorn crop, and warm temperatures. Deer hunting continues in Missouri with the firearm season through Tuesday, November 26th followed by the CWD portion November 27th through December 1st in open counties. The Late Youth portion runs November 29th to December 1st followed by the Late Antlerless portion starting December 7th and lasting until the 15th in open counties. The Alternative Methods portion of the hunting season will be from December 28th through January 7th, 2025. The archery deer season reopens Wednesday, November 27 and runs through January 15th, 2025. 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. 

As winter approaches Missourians should consider these winter weather preparedness tips. Be sure to create a family emergency plan and emergency kit. Emergency supplies should include bottled water, canned and dry foods, battery-powered radio, flashlights, extra batteries, manual can opener and a first-aid kit. When power outages are possible, charge cell phones and other devices in advance so you are able to communicate if power is lost. Assemble a vehicle winter emergency kit. Include a blanket, radio/spare batteries, snacks/energy bars, jumper cables, flares and a shovel/sand or shingles for tire traction. Avoid driving when conditions could deteriorate. Postpone travel if possible. If driving is absolutely necessary, keep your gas tank more than half full and your cell phone charged. Save emergency numbers for fast dialing. Check road conditions in advance on the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Traveler Map at traveler.modot.org/map/. Allow extra time, expect delays, reduce speed and increase following distance. If your vehicle breaks down or slides off the road, stay in the vehicle and call for help. Make sure alternate heat and power sources such as fireplaces, woodstoves, kerosene heaters and generators function properly. These sources can be dangerous and must be regularly maintained and operated. Keep the correct fuel for each source on hand in a safe location. Proper ventilation is essential. Properly install carbon monoxide detectors throughout your home. Only operate generators outdoors. Remember space heaters are potentially deadly when misused. Space heaters account for approximately one-third of home heating fires and 80 percent of home heating fire deaths. Supplemental heating sources like these should be turned off when leaving a room or going to bed. Keep anything that can burn at least three feet from heating equipment. For more winter weather preparedness tips, including safe driving techniques and avoiding injury while shoveling, please visit mo.gov/winter-weather-safety/.

The Creative Arts Center in Salem will hold a Coldworking Fused Glass Holiday Ornament/Gift Tag Workshop on tomorrow, from 5:30 until 8:30 in the evening with Jennifer Curry. In this workshop, the student will learn how to use several cold working tools used to shape fused glass for either returning their fused project back to the kiln for a fire-polishing, or shaping it for final hand-polishing. The art of coldworking gives the artist an added dimension to the glass kiln working skill. The class is open to students 12-years of age and older. The cost of the class is $50 and all supplies are included. There must be two people sign up to hold the class and it will be limited to five. To sign up, go to the SACBA website, click on “Programs” link and then on the Creative Arts Center.

The Dent County Commission met Monday morning at the courthouse for their regular meeting. Newly elected commissioners Keith Green and Jimmy Williams were in attendance as were Dr Alan West and Dr. Alan Muelenberg from Private Lane 601 in Dent County about three miles west of Highway 119. They were in attendance to ask if the county could provide some professional assistance in helping to repair their private lane with the use of graders to widen the lane, adding some rock or even some engineering suggestions. They said they have the lane “passable” at this time but, but it may not be good enough for emergency personnel such as ambulance to use the lane. Both District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray and District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk said that since their lane is private, the county can’t really do anything as indicated in the state statutes. They can’t use public tax dollars on a private lane even though it feeds multiple properties, it is not a county road listed with MoDOT.. The lane is maintained by the property owners on that lane on a “cost share basis” and they would have to find a private contractor to make the repairs they need. If they wanted to make it into a county road, Commissioner Mobray said it would cost over a million dollars to have the road engineered and then properly built to the county specs. Polk and Mobray both told them to contact Dent County Emergency Management Director Derrick Marfitt as there may be some FEMA assistance available for the needed work on the road, but they would have to have plenty of documentation on the road such as before and after pictures which Dr. West said he had. In the road report, Mobray said some riprap was going to be added to Dent County Road 6300 while speed limit signs were going to be installed on Dent County Road 6490. In District 2, Polk said crews would be cleaning out debris from low-water bridges. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson said he attended the MRPC meeting as well as the Phelps County PHA meeting last Thursday in St. James. Dent County Clerk said the county needed to put out bids for new election equipment as the county’s equipment now is ten years old. Bids would be due in her office by 10:00 on December 9th and will be opened that morning. All the specs are available in the county clerk’s office. Curley said the next election will be the Municipal Election on April 8th and filing will start for the City of Salem, school boards, hospital board, fire district board, health center board, water district board s an others on December 10th. Filings will be held at the individual offices of the those public entities. The next meeting will be Thursday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The Salem Police Department will be testing the storm sirens tomorrow at 10:00 in the morning. If there is inclement weather in the area that day the test will be postponed to the following Wednesday, the 27th.

Airport Board President Tyler Naramore has called for a meeting of the Board this evening at 6:00 at the Old City Hall Auditorium at 202 North Washington. Agenda items includes the approval of the minutes of the October 15th meeting,  the board hearing an update on the airport and projects, hearing an update on the CIP, plus any other business as well as public comments. The meeting tonight is open to the public.

The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Salem will hold the Christmas Parade of Lights in Salem on Saturday, December 7th starting at 6:00 with this year’s theme: “Have Your Elf a Merry Little Christmas.”  The parade will run from the corner of South Grand and Franklin at the SBU Campus, traveling east to MacArthur, then going north to 4th Street before going heading east to the Dent County Courthouse square. Entry forms are now available at the office of the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce at 1136 South Main in Salem. Forms need to be returned by December 2nd to the chamber office. You can mail them, fax them at 573-729-6741 or e-mail them at chamber@salemmo.com, or drop them off in person. A full list of the parade rules are available at the chamber office. If you have any questions, call 573-729-6900.

The Missouri Department of Transportation reminds motorists to be prepared for the sudden appearance of wild animals on Missouri roadways throughout the fall months. Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Deer Biologist Jason Isabelle says that deer increase their movements during the breeding season, which began in October and peaks in mid-November and because of this, motorists should be especially cautious when driving this time of year. In 2023, Missouri drivers experienced 3,591 crashes involving deer resulting in four fatalities and 420 people being injured. One deer strike occurred approximately every 2 hours and 30 minutes in the state. Staying on guard after a close call or when you see a single deer, as there are likely more. Never swerve to avoid animals in the road, as it can cause loss of vehicle control, resulting in serious injury or death. According to Missouri Law, an individual who has struck and killed a deer with their vehicle may claim the deer carcass if written authorization to possess the deer is granted by an MDC agent. The Wildlife Disposition Form is free, but MDC must issue the permit.

The Salem Public Library Board of Trustees held their regular meeting on Thursday evening at 5:00 in the library’s conference room. Before the meeting commenced, Dent County Clerk, Angie Curley spoke about and gave advice on becoming a county library. The Board also celebrated Library Director, Kate McBride’s fifteenth year anniversary working with the library. After approving the minutes from the last meeting, McBride provided the Librarian’s Report, noting that while there has been a slight drop in books circulation, and adult programs, there has been an increase in e-books and audio books circulation, as well as children’s and passive programs. McBride also presented the treasurer’s report and spoke about ongoing building updates. Thanks to the library’s technology grant, Microsoft Office has been installed on all computers, and the scanners and receipt printers have been replaced. She also stated that they have had the most successful pumpkin decorating contest yet, with twenty-seven entries across multiple age groups. The library is currently hosting their annual food drive, and will be accepting non perishable food donations until Friday; all donations will be given to a local food pantry for distribution. 

The Dent County Commission approved a new Nuisance Animal Ordinance on October 31, 2024, following increased complaints to the sheriff’s office about unrestrained animals. Prosecuting Attorney Curley announced that the ordinance addresses vicious animals, threatening animals, and nuisance dogs running at large in the county. Under the new ordinance, it is unlawful for owners to allow vicious, threatening, or destructive animals to run off their property without supervision. The rule excludes law enforcement K-9 units. When complaints are filed, law enforcement may issue a warning to the animal’s owner unless the animal has caused property damage or injury. Violations can result in fines up to $500, which will fund the sheriff’s department’s enforcement of the ordinance. First-time offenders may have fines waived if they demonstrate permanent solutions to contain their animals. The ordinance defines a nuisance animal as one that significantly interferes with others’ property enjoyment, including through excessive barking, running loose, or causing damage. Owners will be responsible for any costs related to impounding such animals.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Water Resources Center is seeking public comment on a newly developed publication designed to help inform Missouri landowners about working in or near streams on their properties. The publication contains information about bank stabilization techniques and permitting, instream gravel excavation, technical and financial assistance, and other related topics. It also contains links to a variety of useful resources and contact information for several relevant organizations. The information in the guide applies to all Missouri landowners, but it may be especially interesting to farmers or other rural landowners facing excessive streambank erosion or stream management challenges. Though the guide seeks to provide information and resources about permitting and various types of stabilization structures, it is not a definitive resource for regulatory guidance, nor an engineering design resource, and should not be used as such. The department invites the public to review and offer written comments on the proposed publication until 5:00 in the evening on Friday. The public notice webpage can be found at dnr.mo.gov/calendar/event/268846. Written comments may be submitted by mail to Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Water Resources Center, ATTN: Noah Cadwell, PO Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102, or by email to Noah.Cadwell@dnr.mo.gov.  

The Dent County Sheriff’s office released these reports for the beginning of november.On Friday November 8th deputies responded to Salem Memorial Hospital and arrested a 45-year-old Salem man on an outstanding arrest warrant. The suspect was transported to the Dent County Jail where he was incarcerated on the warrant. That same day deputies conducted a traffic stop in the 3200 block of Highway P. During the course of the stop, Deputies arrested a 35-year-old Salem man on an outstanding arrest warrant.  The suspect was transported to the Dent County Jail where he was incarcerated on the warrant. On Tuesday November 12th deputies took a report for a stolen license plate that occurred in the 6200 block of S. Highway 19. The plate was entered into a nationwide database as stolen. Later that same day deputies took a report for a damaged mailbox that occurred in the 300 block of County Road 5080. Unknown person(s) damaged the victim’s mailbox, causing approximately $150 in damages.  The investigation is pending. The 3rd incident on Tuesday deputies took a report for a stolen ATV that occurred in the 14000 block of W. Highway 32. The ATV was valued by the victim at approximately $3000 and the investigation is pending. On Thursday November 14th deputies took a report for a forgery that occurred online. The victim, a 42-year-old Jadwin man, advised unknown person(s) took out a loan in the victim’s name. The investigation is pending. If you have any information on any ongoing investigation, please contact the Sheriff’s office at 573-729-3241.