Local News – Friday, April 16th, 2021
The 6th Annual Veteran Affairs Day will be held Friday, April 23rd from 10:00 in the morning until 2:00 in the afternoon at the American Legion Walker Roney Post 99 and All-American VFW Post 6280 on Highway 32 West in Salem. The Veteran Affairs Day is an annual outreach to all veterans from parts of central rural Missouri to provide easier access to VA services. It includes the American Legion District 16 and the VFW District 2 which includes Camden, Cole, Crawford, Dent, Howell, Laclede, Maries, Miller, Phelps, Osage, Pulaski, Reynolds, Shannon, Texas and Wright counties. Representatives from the Department of Veteran Affairs, including enrollment and claims processing specialists as well as benefit advisors, will be in attendance. The Truman VA Hospital will also have the COVID vaccine available for veterans and their spouses. The Columbia Veteran Center will have counselors and advisors on hand in their mobile unit. In addition, the Missouri Veterans Commission will have Service Officers at the event. A light lunch will be provided around noon. It doesn’t matter when you served, if you are a veteran and have questions, have a claim or need to enroll into the VA healthcare system or get the COVID vaccine, please attend. Don’t miss out on your hard-earned benefits. Call the American Legion Post 99/VFW Post 6280 at (573) 729-3710 for questions, to schedule private time with a counselor or if you would like to be vaccinated for COVID-19.
Salem Memorial District Hospital and the Dent County Health Center will hold a mass vaccination event for COVID-19 to include ALL Missouri residents over the age of 16 at the Dent County Fire Station TODAY. The booster vaccine being held at the same location on Friday, May 7th. Please go to the Dent County Health Center or Salem Memorial District Hospital Facebook page for more information and how to register for this event. There is also a registration link on the Salem Memorial District Hospital website at SMDH.net.
The Missouri Department of Conservation encourages drivers to be cautious on the roads this spring and give turtles a brake! These reptiles are often hit by cars during the warmer months, but are at special risk this time of year because they are more active. Common turtles spotted crossing Missouri roads include three-toed box turtles, ornate box turtles, and snapping turtles. Turtles emerge from their burrows and begin the hunt for food and mates during warm and wet conditions, which can lead them to cross roadways, oftentimes resulting in their death. Thousands of box turtles are killed every year by vehicles. Young males make up most of the travelers, sometimes wandering as many as six miles searching for territories and mates. Females are also crossing the roads in search of nesting areas. Turtles are cold-blooded creatures and depend on external sources of heat to determine their body temperature. This explains why people see them on warm asphalt during cool, spring days. Vehicles are one of the leading factors in box turtle declines, and MDC urges motorists to be cautious and slow down when they see a turtle in the road. If helping a turtle make it safely across, check for traffic and move the turtle across the road in the direction it is traveling. Additionally, MDC encourages Missourians to leave turtles in the wild. Taking a wild animal, whether a turtle or other wildlife species, and keeping it as a pet normally ends in a slow death. Leave turtles in the wild, follow the speed limit, and keep your eyes on the road. Most Missouri turtles can live up to 30 years, but the common box turtle can live up to 80, occasionally living more than a century. For more information on Missouri’s turtles, visit the MDC online Field Guide at nature.mdc.mo.gov
The Dent County Commissioners will not be meeting Monday, but will be holding a closed session meeting Tuesday at 1:00 at the Dent County Courthouse. That meeting is not open to the public.