Your World Today

Everyone from KSMO Radio and Your World Today wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas. Because of the holidays, there will not be a Your World Today published on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Our next edition will be Thursday. Thank you from our family to yours!

Christmas Eve will be last day the Dent County Service Unit of the Salvation Army will have their bell ringers at Wal-Mart. The local unit has set a fundraising goal of $35,000 to help those with needs in the 2020 year. We thank all those who have already contributed and remind those who have not yet given, the money you contribute may be helping your neighbor or friends as the money stays right here in Dent County. New this year, in an effort to expand its reach to people who don’t carry cash, donors are able to use their Apple Pay or Google Pay. Users can tap their smartphones on a sticker and make a donation. People with older phones can scan the QR code for the same process. Red kettle bell ringers will continue to accept cash as well. Your local Salvation Army Service Unit of Dent County, doing the most good.

KSMO Radio, Fairground Auto Plaza in Rolla, Southtown Furniture, Your Community Health Center in Rolla and Echo Bluff State Park in Shannon County all participated in the KSMO Radio Big Family Christmas Giveaway which ended Friday night. This years winners include Harlow Canaday whose name was draw at the Salem Community Center@The Armory which was the signup location for Your Community Heath Center; Megan Caesar was the name that was selected at Echo Bluff State Park; Judy Harris was the name that was drawn at Southtown Furniture, and winning the Big Family Giveaway at Fairground Auto Plaza was Chris and Jessie Crocker. Also for the first time, KSMO Radio and Aaron’s in Salem teamed up to provide the Big Kid Christmas Giveaway and Logan Hall was the winner of that giveaway. Congratulations to all the winners and a big “thank you” to everyone who registered for the chance to win. KSMO and Your World Today also want to thank the sponsors this year for making it all possible for this promotion to be held.

An accident happened on Saturday afternoon in Crawford County on westbound Interstate 44 at the 210 mile marker that left a Rolla woman with serious injuries. According to the highway patrol report, a 2017 Dodge Ram towing a motor home driven westbound by 64-year old Glenda Goodin of Rolla, began braking and the Ram and the motor home both traveled off the north side of the roadway where the Dodge Ram became separated from the motor home and began to overturn. As the Ram was overturning, the motor home ran over the Ram. A passenger in the Dodge, 50-year old Carrie Noonan of Rolla, suffered serious injuries and was flown to Mercy Creve Coeur Hospital by the Arch Air Ambulance. Goodin suffered minor injuries and was transported to Phelps Health by the North Crawford County Ambulance District. Both ladies were wearing their seat restraints. The high way patrol was assisted by the Cuba Fire Department.

Dent County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Curley released the results from action taken in court in Dent County on December 18th in front of Judge Kelly Parker. Curley stated that Michael Rickey of Salem was in court on two probation cases: one for stealing and the other for the financial exploitation of the elderly. Rickey had previously completed a 120 day program under Revised State Statutes of Missouri Section 559.115. Rickey sought continued probation, but was denied and was sentenced to 10 years in the Department of Corrections as requested by the state. In the case against Rachel Casey of Salem, she pled guilty to the distribution and possession of a controlled substance. Casey sought incarceration of five years under the state program described in RSMO 559.115, but was sentenced to five years in the Department of Corrections under the long-term care drug treatment program under state statute 217.362. Also heard in Dent County was the probation hearing of Gregory Brooks of Salem. Prosecutor Curley asked for the execution of a 10-year sentence while Brooks requested drug court. Judge Parker sentenced Brooks to serve 10 years in the Department of Corrections under state statute 217.362.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol asks motorists to make safety a priority this Christmas season. The 2019 Christmas holiday counting period begins at 6:00 Christmas Eve night and will end Christmas night at 11:59. If faced with a traffic emergency, become involved in a traffic crash, witness a crash or crime, or observe a stranded motorist in need of assistance motorists can contact the Missouri State Highway Patrol at 1-800-525-5555 or *55 on a cellular phone.

The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Thursday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. In the road report, both District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell and District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson stated that crews would be out sanding and salting county roads, especially on curves and hills and other slick spots that are shaded most of the time. Purcell also said that brush would be cut on Dent County Road 6420. Purcell went on to report that he attended the South Central Missouri Community Action Agency meeting in Winona Tuesday where funds are still available for many of their programs. Purcell says funds are still available for home repairs, weatherization, and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, better known as LIHEAP. All applicants must meet particular income guidelines for each of the programs available. Renters must have owner approval and owner participation to receive services. For more information about any of the programs listed, call 729-3500 if you live in Dent County, call 573-663-2855 if you reside in Reynolds County, and for Shannon County residents, call 573-325-8271. You can also check out the website: https://scmcaa.org. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles wants to remind those who are interested in the Dent County Assessor’s position after Assessor Tina Whitaker retires on December 31st, need to let the Dent County Commission know of your interest. Stop by the regular meetings on Monday or Thursday from 9:00 until 12:00 noon before the end of the year. Three people have already indicated to the commission of their interest in the position. The commissioners will appoint a person to take over the Assessor’s position to start on January 2nd. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said she would be working on the county budget for 2020. The commissioners also approved by a 3-0 vote to renew the county’s liability insurance and auto insurances through MOPERM for the 2020 year. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Monday at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The Salem Police Department has released their report for the month of November. They issued four equipment repair orders, 13 summonses to appear in court, six warning tickets, and nine traffic tickets, plus they also served three fugitive warrants. The Salem Police investigated ten traffic accidents, wrote three property damage reports, seven stealing reports, and one trespassing report. The department investigated three reports of driving while having a license revoked or suspended, one driving while being intoxicated, four possession of a controlled substance reports, and five domestic violence reports. The department was also dispatched for 55 animal calls, 30 ambulance assist calls, 30 well being checks, 10 requests for information, and performed 62 traffic stops for the month. The Salem Police Department received 1155 calls during the month of November and had 113 walk-ins to the station. The department drove 7,181 miles during the month and spent 15 hours in court testifying and eight hours as court bailiff. There were 15 males and seven females arrested in November.

An accident happened at 6:30 Wednesday evening in Dent County on Highway 32 about 14 miles east of Salem. The report from the highway patrol states that a 1997 GMC Jimmy being driven by 19-year old Austin Roark of Salem, was eastbound when the GMC traveled off the right side of the road and struck a tree. Roark was transported by a private vehicle to the Salem Memorial District Hospital for the treatment of moderate injuries. According to the report, Roark was not wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident. The GMC was totaled in the accident and removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing.