Your World Today

The Dent County Commission met Monday morning at the courthouse for their regular meeting. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said rock would be added and grading done on Dent County Road 6490 while only grading would be done on county roads 5550 and 6380. Mobray said a crew member would be going to Springfield to get oil for chip and seal repair. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk said rock would be added and grading done on Dent County Road 3253, while only grading would be done on county roads 3255, 3260, 3265 and 4380. Polk said rock would also be added to county road 3180. He said a crew member would be going to Taylor Chrysler to get a new key for Truck #69. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson reported Denver Ellis and Darrell Skiles brought in a signed petition they would like to see placed on the November 5th ballot. The petition reads “Shall the County of Dent exempt senior citizens aged 62 and older from increases in the property tax liability due on such senior citizens primary residence?” The signatures are currently being verified with voter registration records and the commission will have the prosecuting attorney review the petition before making any decision on it. According to Dent County Clerk Angie Curley, the last day for certification to place any issue on the ballot is Tuesday. She also wanted to remind all the political subdivisions that have not yet turned in their tax rate information to her office, to please do so before the end of the week. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be Thursday morning at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

On August 26, 2024 the County Commissioners met to consider a referendum petition for a senior homestead property tax credit after receiving a recently circulated referendum petition. RSMo 137.1050 (Formerly Senate Bill 190) provides that: 2. Any county authorized to impose a property tax may grant a property tax credit to eligible taxpayers residing in such county in an amount equal to the taxpayer’s eligible credit amount, provided that: (1) Such county adopts an ordinance authorizing such credit; or (2) A petition in support of a referendum on such a credit is signed by at least five percent of the registered voters of such county voting in the last gubernatorial election and the petition is delivered to the governing body of the county, which shall subsequently hold a referendum on such credit. As a result, Dent County Officials commissioned a poll through the Salem Newspaper to determine whether to adopt an ordinance or accept the referendum petition. Pursuant to the statute, Commissioners were not allowed to place the issue on a ballot without a valid referendum petition with sufficient registered voter approval. After considering the close nature of the poll (246 total participants with 59% in Favor with 41% Against), the commissioners accepted the referendum petition to be placed on the November 2024 general election ballot. The fate of the senior homestead property tax credit will be decided by a majority of Dent County voters. 

The Salem Memorial Hospital Board of Directors will hold their regular meeting Tuesday evening at 7:00 in the hospital library. At the meeting, the Board will review and approve minutes for the July 30th, and August 5th, 14th, 21st, and 24th meetings. The Board will hear the Administrator’s report, plus the summary of operations and statistics for the month of July. The Board will be updated on the 340B program, receive the Chief Nursing Officer report, and be updated on Human Resources. The Board will address old business followed by new business including a resignation, election of officers and the FOA Reassessment. The board may then vote to go into closed session. The Salem Memorial Hospital Board of Directors meeting Tuesday night is open to the public. To attend the meeting electronically, contact the hospital administration office at 729-6626, extension 4005.

An accident occurred in Crawford County Saturday night at 9:24 at Highway 49 and Adams Road. According to the Highway Patrol report a northbound 2007 Chevrolet Impala, driven by an 18-year-old male, Dakota Sequichie of Steelville, traveled off the right side of the roadway, striking a road sign and several trees. Sequichie, along with a passenger 18-year-old Chloe Brooks of Viburnum, suffered moderate injuries. Brooks was transported by private vehicle to Missouri Baptist Hospital in Sullivan. Sequichie was also taken to Missouri Baptist in Sullivan by the Iron County Ambulance District. An 18-year-old passenger, Abigail Wilkinson of Viburnum, suffered minor injuries and was transported by Iron County Ambulance to Missouri Baptist in Sullivan. A 17-year-old male juvenile also suffered minor injuries and was transported to Missouri Baptist Sullivan by Steelville Ambulance. The reported stated that all of the occupants except for Brooks were wearing safety restraints. The Chevrolet was totaled and removed from the scene y Abney’s Towing. 

The Enhanced Enterprise Zone of Salem and Dent County will hold their annual meeting at 5:30 on Wednesday, August 28th at the Salem Community Center@The Armory in the Walden Meeting Room. At the meeting after the call to order, the agenda items approval, and approval of the last meeting’s minutes, the board will elect a chairman before they review and approve the annual filing statement for the period ending June 30, 2024. The board will discuss any other business that comes before the board before the meeting is adjourned. The meeting of the Enhanced Enterprise Zone board is open to the public. 

Dent County Prosecutor Andrew Curley released information about the euthanization of the five dogs that were involved in the attack of a mail carrier. The act was carried out pursuant to the Salem City Ordinance and Missouri State Statute RSMo 578.024 which provides that a person commits the offense of keeping a dangerous dog if he or she owns or possesses a dog that has previously bitten a person or a domestic animal without provocation and that dog bites any person on a subsequent occasion. Also, the offense of keeping a dangerous dog is a class B misdemeanor, unless such attack results in serious injury to any person, in which case, it is a class A misdemeanor; or results in serious injury to any person and any previous attack also resulted in serious injury to any person, in which case, it is a class E felony; or results in the death of any person, in which case, it is a class D felony. In addition to the penalty included in this section, if any dog that has previously bitten a person or a domestic animal without provocation bites any person on a subsequent occasion or if a dog that has not previously bitten a person attacks and causes serious injury to or the death of any human, the dog shall be seized immediately by an animal control authority or by the county sheriff. The dog shall be impounded and held for ten business days after the owner or possessor is given written notification and thereafter destroyed. Curley says that in this case, the dogs had not previously bitten another person or domestic animal, as required for state prosecution, but caused serious injury to the victim, resulting in the destruction of the dogs involved. As a result, the owner cannot be charged with a crime by state statute. Further, Dent County does not have an ordinance concerning aggressive dogs, nor dogs at large. The City of Salem has an ordinance for dogs at large and the owner of the dogs received citations for each animal. Further, civil remedies, such as a lawsuit for personal injuries and/or workman’s compensation, remain available to a victim of this circumstance. City of Salem Attorney James Weber added that violations of § 205.140 of the Municipal Code of the City of Salem are punishable by a maximum fine of $500, a maximum sentence of 90 days imprisonment in the Dent County Jail, or a combination thereof. This range of punishment is applicable to each citation issued.

An accident occurred Saturday evening around 9:24 in Crawford County on Hwy 49 and Adams Road. According to the highway patrol report a 2007 Chevrolet Impala driven by 18-year-old Dakota Sequichie of Steelville was travelling northbound and travelled off the right side of the roadway. The Chevrolet struck a road sign and several trees. Sequichie and 18-year-old Chloe Brooks of Viburnum both suffered moderate injuries. Sequiche was wearing a safety restraint and was transported by Iron County Ambulance District to Missouri Baptist Hospital Sullivan. Brooks was not wearing a safety restraint and was transported by private vehicle to Missouri Baptist. Two other occupants in the Chevrolet suffered minor injuries 18-year-old Abigal Wilkinson of Viburnum and a 17-year-old juvenile male, both were wearing safety restraints. Wilkinson was transported by Iron County Ambulance District and the juvenile by Steelville Ambulance District to Missouri Baptist Hospital Sullivan. The Chevrolet was totaled and removed from the scene by Abney’s Towing.

The Salem Memorial Hospital will hold their tax rate hearing tomorrow evening at 6:45 at the hospital library. The tax rate to be determined is set to produce revenues for the fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2025. For the tax year 2023, the estimate real estate valuation came in at $199,183,841 with the personal property valuation coming in at $86,338.737 for a total of $285,522,678. For the current tax year, the estimated assessed real estate valuation is down to $183,937,158 leaving a total assessed valuation of $270,275,894. The proposed tax rate for 2024 was 24 cents per $100 assessed valuation and that proposed tax rate is the same for 2025. That rate, if approved, would produce about $648,662 for the hospital for the next fiscal year. The hearing will then be adjourned followed by the regular hospital board meeting.

The Missouri State Parks is now accepting nominations for three different advisory board representatives: a pedestrian-use trail representative, a mountain bike trail user representative and an equestrian trail user representative. These representatives will serve a three-year term starting November 1st, and run through November 30th, 2027. Members must be Missouri residents and must participate in the user group they represent. Roles of the Missouri Trails Advisory Board include reviewing, scoring and ranking applications and making recommendations to the grants management section for funding; annually reviewing the recreational trail project application and open selection process; and developing project eligibility criteria including sponsor eligibility and what type of projects the state should consider for funding. To nominate an individual for the Missouri Trails Advisory Board, please submit a nomination form found on the Missouri State Parks’ website at mostateparks.com and search got the nomination form, a resume and/or other background information for the nominee, and two letters of recommendation. Electronic submission is preferred to be sent to mpsgrants@dnr.mo.gov or nominations can be mailed to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Division of State Parks, Grants Management Section, c/o RTP Planner, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176. Nomination forms, resumes, and letters of recommendation MUST be submitted to the Missouri State Parks no later than this Sunday, September 1st. For more information, please contact the grants management section within Missouri State Parks at 573-751-7958, 573-751-0848 or mspgrants@dnr.mo.gov.

The Dent County Commission met Thursday morning at the courthouse. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams gave the the amount of CART funds received by the county in August. She said the county received $86,452.75 which is up $7,347.20 from the 2023 August figure, and up year-to-date, $29,663.64. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said rock would be added and grading done on Dent County Road 5615 while only grading would be done on county road 6520. Mobray said workers would also be changing the grader blade on Grader #39. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk said rock would be added and patch grading done on Dent County Road 3180, while patching would be done on chip and seal county road 6150. He said workers would be replacing the idler pulley on county truck #75.  Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson attended the tourism tax committee meeting Wednesday and reported a submission by SACBA was reduced and then approved, three applications were tabled for more information, and there was a reimbursement to the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce. The Cliftons from Dent County Road 4020 in the Sligo area were in to ask if something could be done to alleviate the water from crossing over the road about two miles down from Route TT. Commissioner Polk said he would check the situation out with the road supervisor to see what could be done.  Dent County Clerk Angie Curley wanted to remind all political subdivisions to get their tax rate information to her office by next week. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Monday morning at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.

The Dent County Commissioners held their 2024 tax rate hearing Thursday morning at 10:00 at the courthouse. Amanda Sapaugh was present at the public hearing. The General Revenue tax rate for 2023 was $0.0003 per $100 assessed valuation which came about due to the improper collection of sales taxes that had to be paid back. The commissioners approved the new rate for 2024 of $0.0171 per $100 assessed valuation. Amanda Sapaugh representing the SB 40 Board was in attendance and said their board wanted to keep their tax rate at $0.1341 per $100 assessed valuation as recommended by the state auditor’s office. The rate was approved by the commission. The Road and Bridge Fund tax rate last year was 25.50 cents per $100 assessed valuation and the commission approved leaving it the same at 25.50 cents per $100 assessed valuation for 2024. The Senior Citizen Service Fund tax rate for 2023 came in at 4.80 cents per $100 assessed valuation. Since that rate is the maximum allowed by the state auditor’s office, the commission approved the 4.80 cents per $100 assessed valuation for 2024.  The hearing was then adjourned.

An accident occurred Wednesday morning in Crawford County at 11:03 on Possum Hollow Road 7 miles south of Bourbon. According to the Highway Patrol report a westbound 2024 Polaris Sportsman, operated by a 15-year-old female juvenile from Bourbon, went off the right side of the roadway, overcorrected, and overturned. A passenger, a 13-year-old female juvenile who was also from Bourbon, suffered serious injuries and was transported to Cardinal Glennon Hospital by Air Evac 8. The driver suffered moderate injuries and was transported to St. Louis Children’s by Mercy Life Line 2. The report stated that neither occupant of the Polaris was wearing safety equipment. The Polaris sustained moderate damage and was driven from the scene.

Do you know of a child in need between the ages of 3 and 17 that does not have a bed?  “Sleep in Heavenly Peace” is an international non-profit 501(C).(3) organization that builds, assembles and delivers new beds to children in need, who do not have a bed. Anyone can apply for the child on the SHPbeds.org website. Would you like to join their team of volunteers? You’re invited to attend the next Salem and Dent County meeting of “Sleep in Heavenly Peace” Monday afternoon, August 26th, at 5:30 in the evening at the Salem Community Center@The Armory!  The Rolla Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace is already helping to provide new beds to children in need in our Salem community, and efforts are underway to start a Dent County Chapter. For more information about Sleep in Heavenly Peace, contact Patti at 703-964-6495. You can also e-mail Patti at patti.mckeown@shpbeds.org.

Missouri’s state parks and historic sites offer beautiful vistas, opportunities for outdoor adventures and peaceful spots for reflection. As you spend time at Missouri state parks, take along your camera and submit your favorite photos in the Missouri DNR Photo Contest. The annual contest is open now through September 1st and includes three categories. The natural resources category includes photographs of Missouri’s air, landscapes, and waterways. The category of unique places includes photographs taken within one of Missouri’s state parks or historic sites. The third and final category includes people enjoying and exploring Missouri’s outdoors. Winning photos will be shared on the Missouri Department of Natural Resources website, on social media and showcased at the following year’s Missouri State Fair. For contest rules and to enter your photos, visit dnr.mo.gov/photo-contest. You can also email questions about the photo contest to socialmedia@dnr.mo.gov. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.