Your World Today

On December 23rd of last year, the Dent County Sheriff’s Office and the Dent County Prosecutor’s Office completed another round of firearm sales seized in connection with criminal activity in Dent County. Today, Dent County Prosecutor Andrew M. Curley and Dent County Sheriff Bob Wells will be presenting another check in the amount of $2,057.20 to the Dent County Treasurer and Dent County Commissioners at their meeting. These funds benefit the county general revenue fund for the local school district. In response to this contribution, Salem R-80 Superintendent John McCulloch stated that each year the Salem R-80 School District receives about $80,000 in revenue from the county in the form of fines and escheats. He said this revenue goes directly into a special fund for teacher salaries. McColloch said the district appreciate the efforts of the Dent County Sheriff’s Office and the Dent County Prosecuting Attorney with the collection of this revenue. Sheriff Wells and Prosecutor Curley anticipate future seizures and sales of illegally possessed firearms in the future to further punish criminal activity and to hopefully deter future crime. The majority of the firearms seized were in connection with the illegal possession and distribution of controlled substances.

The Salem Board of Aldermen will be meeting tonight 7:00 at the City Hall Council Chambers. After the consent agenda, the board will hear from City Administrator Ray Walden. He will update the board on city projects underway, discuss a council meeting cancellation policy due to inclement weather and also discuss an office closure policy for inclement weather. In unfinished business, the board will discuss approving the trailer court license of the Park Street Trailer Park. In the introduction and reading of bills and resolutions, Bill #3436 that deals with the cancellation of meetings due to bad weather will be read. Then Resolution #1-2020 will be read that deals with the closing of the office due to inclement weather as that is addressed by the Employee Handbook which was adopted with a resolution. In new business, the board will discuss a policy on establishing a policy on the sale of acreage in the Master’s Industrial Park. The board will also hear a recommendation from Mayor Brad Nash to fill a vacancy on the Salem Housing Authority Board. They will also hear a recommendation by Mayor Nash to fill vacancies on the Park and Recreation Board before going into closed session to discuss real estate, contracts and personnel. Following closed session, the mayor will nominate a candidate for a new Chief of Police to replace the retiring Chief Keith Steelman that will be voted on by the aldermen. The new chief, if elected, would take the oath of office administered by the city clerk on or before February 14th. The meeting will then be adjourned.

Now is a good time for Missourians to consider buying flood insurance. Many Missourians are still working to recover from the widespread flooding of 2019. In some areas of the state, dealing with flooding and its aftermath has been a constant since March. More than 1,750 claims have been filed by flood insurance policyholders in Missouri alone. FEMA, the National Weather Service, and other agencies are concerned that flooding may be a problem again next spring. FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is a great way to protect your home from flooding. Statewide, the NFIP has paid more than $68.7 million in flood insurance claims to Missouri policyholders for damage that began in March 2019. Here are some key facts about flood insurance. Most home, business and rental insurance policies do not cover flood damage. It takes 30 days for a flood insurance policy to take effect after you buy it and almost 25 percent of flood insurance claims come from areas not considered at high risk for flooding. The average annual cost of an NFIP policy for homeowners is about $700 and renters can also buy flood insurance for their personal property. Do you know that as little as one inch of water can cause $25,000 in damage to a home. In 2019, in eight counties not declared for the flooding disasters, FEMA’s flood insurance program paid $4.1 million in claims due to flooding. Since the year 2000, NFIP has paid nearly half a billion dollars ($490,728,817) on claims submitted by flood insurance policy holders in Missouri. Despite these significant payments, the number of NFIP policies in Missouri has dropped 1.4 percent, from 20,327 to 20,041, since March 2018. FEMA disaster assistance home repair grants are limited to primary residences and only to make them safe, sanitary and functional, but FEMA’s flood insurance policies are much more expansive. For example: A single-family home can be insured up to a maximum of $250,000 and its contents up to $100,000. Renters can cover contents up to $100,000. Non-residential property owners can insure their building up to $500,000 and contents up to an additional $500,000. And, perhaps most important, payments are based on flood damage to the residence, not contingent on a federal disaster declaration. To find an insurance agent who sells flood insurance or to learn more about NFIP, call 800-427-4661. Information also is available at www.FloodSmart.gov.

The Dent County Commission met Thursday morning for their first meeting of 2020. In the road report District One Commissioner Dennis Purcell said that grading would be done on Dent County Roads 5255 and 5525, while materials would be added and grading done on county roads 5150, 5160, 5180, 6460 and 6470. He also reported that brush would be cut on county road 6080. District Two Commissioner Gary Larson reported that grading would be done and materials would be added to Dent County Roads 3080, 3090, 5225 and 5240, while grading only would be done on county road 2510. Larson also reported that brush would be cut on county roads 2155 and 2150. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said that the IDA Board had a vacancy and the Board recommended Lori Plank to be appointed to the Board. The Commission approved Plank’s appointment 3-0. Skiles noted that he had looked over the ending 2019 actual expenditures and General Revenue along with most of the county office holders ended the year under budget. He said work continues on the 2020 budget. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said the tentative 2020 budget would be available to the public on January 16th.The Commissioners voted 3-0 to set the 2020 budget hearing for January 27th at 10:00. Curley reported that the last day to register to vote in the March 10th Presidential Preference Primary Election is February 12th and that absentee voting for the March 10th election would start January 28th. She also said that February 25th is the first day for candidate filings for the August 4th Primary Election, plus that’s the first day for absentee voting for the April 7th Municipal Election. At Monday’s Commission meeting Jamie Homeyer was appointed to the Assessor’s position and she was sworn in Tuesday morning. The next meeting of the Commission will be Monday morning at 9:00 in the Dent County Courthouse.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that no one died in a traffic crash during the 30-hour 2020 New Year’s holiday counting period. Last year, there were 11 fatalities during the much longer 102-hour counting period. The 2020 New Year’s counting period only ran from 6:00 New Year’s Eve night until New Year’s Day night at 11:59. The 2020 New Year’s Holiday Traffic Statistics indicated that troopers investigated 72 crashes that included 34 injuries with no fatalities. They also made 56 DWI arrests during the counting period.

The Salem Police Department has released reports for December 25th and 26th. Christmas morning at approximately 9:09, an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 600 block of West Roosevelt in reference to an assault. The investigation of the report revealed a 37-year-old male of Salem had assaulted a 69-year-old male and a 38-year-old female, both of Salem. A further investigation led to the arrest of the suspect for assault, assaulting officers, resisting arrest and property damage. The suspect was incarcerated pending the application of warrants. On Thursday afternoon, the 26th, at approximately 12:58, an officer was dispatched to Fifth and Washington Streets in reference to a female lying in the street. The investigation of the report led to the arrest of a 40-year-old female of Salem for the possession of methamphetamine and the possession of other controlled substances. The suspect was incarcerated pending the application of warrants. The report is under investigation. Please contact the Salem Police Department at 729-4242 if you have information regarding any investigation.

The Dent County Service Unit of The Salvation Army would like to announce that they have successfully reached their $35,000 goal during this year’s Christmas Kettle Campaign. Along with the monetary donations received in 2019, 262 local children were adopted at the Angel Tree that was located at Wal-Mart. The local Salvation Army Board would like to thank everyone who made monetary donations and/or adopted an angel. They also extend their greatest appreciation to the dedicated volunteers that took time out of their busy holiday season to ring the bells at all the kettles. The community’s continued generosity will be distributed throughout 2020 to those less fortunate in Dent County.

The Dent County Sheriff’s Department has released some reports following the Christmas holiday. On Friday, December 27th, a deputy conducted a traffic stop in the 1000 block of South Main Street. During the course of the traffic stop, a 36-year-old Salem man was arrested for operating a vehicle on a highway without a valid license, his third time for the subsequent offense. The man was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office where he was fingerprinted, issued a summons and released. That same day, a deputy conducted a traffic stop in the 1500 block of West Highway 32. During the course of the traffic stop, a 23-year-old Bunker man was arrested for the possession of marijuana or synthetic cannabinoid of 10 grams or less. The man was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office where he was fingerprinted, issued a summons and released. On Sunday, December 29th, a Deputy responded to the intersection of West Highway 32 and Gertrude Street due to an officer with the Salem Police Department requesting emergent assistance. The deputy arrived on scene and assisted the officer with arresting a 37-year-old Salem man. The man was transported to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office Jail where he was incarcerated. If anyone has information about an ongoing investigation, please contact the Dent County Sheriff’s Department at 729-3241.

The Phelps County Public Housing Agency (PHA) is now accepting rental assistance applications via a new online application website. The online application allows for greater accessibility of qualifying individuals. The online application can be found at phelpsco.housingmanager.com. The Housing Choice Voucher Program works to help very low-income families, the elderly and the disabled afford decent, safe and sanitary housing in the private market. The participant is free to choose any housing that meets the requirements of the program and is not limited to units located in subsidized housing projects. Individuals need to have a valid email address to apply online. Paper applications are still accepted every Wednesday from 8:00 in the morning until 4:00 in the afternoon at the St. James location. The Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) provides staffing to the Phelps County PHA that provides rental assistance to over 750 low-income families in Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps (outside the city limits of Rolla) and Washington counties. The PHA also offers the Family Self-Sufficiency Program where clients develop a goal-oriented, five-year plan that moves them toward self-sufficiency and independence from government programs.