Local News – Friday, April 26th, 2019

The Dent County Commissioners met Thursday morning at the courthouse for their regular meeting. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles was not present due to a previous commitment. District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell was selected to act as the Presiding Commissioner for the meeting. In the hearing of persons, Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams reported that she received a notification that a check was coming to the county from the US Forest Service from Title 1 and mineral receipts in the amount of $222,574.28. From those proceeds, the Dent County Road and Bridge Department will receive $55,643.57 while five school districts will divide $166,930.71. The Bunker R-3 School District will receive $64,602.19 while the Salem R-80 School District will get $40,831.26. Also receiving these funds will be the Oak Hill R-1 School District and they will get $33,720.01 while the Viburnum C-4 School District will receive $26,358.33 and Northwood R-4 school District will get $1,418.92. Last year, the county received two payments from the US Forest service, the first in March of $166,888.16 and the second payment on May 17th of $66,147.48. Commissioner Purcell went onto give the District 1 report and said crews would be out cleaning out culverts in the Bunker area and would also be putting an extension on a driveway pipe on Dent County Road 6380. Two men were working on a pup trailer fixing a flat and doing regular maintenance. Purcell also said a crew would be working on shoring up the area around a crossover pipe on county road 6380 where the material has washed away. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson said crews in his district were also cleaning out culvert pipes in numerous locations while another crew would be cleaning out the truck barn at the Road and Bridge Maintenance area. He said workers would be adding material to Dent County Road 2160 and looking for washouts on some roads that have been known to wash out in the past. William Kuisel brought in a petition signed by many landowners who live on Private Lane 601 to have the road maintained by the county. The road used to be a county road in the 1970’s but was abandoned by the county when no one lived down that road for many years. Purcell said the county’s policy is the road would have to be brought up to the county’s established standards before the commission would consider maintaining the road since no public funds have been used to maintain the road in over seven years. The concern is the road is in such bad condition now that emergency vehicles are unable to travel down it as well as propane dealers, but as a Private Lane, it is the landowners responsibility to maintain the roads. There is also an easement issue with one of the landowners that they will take to the Dent County Prosecuting Attorney for his advice. Matt Bain, the district director from Senator Josh Hawley’s office, was in to introduce himself to the commission and see if there is anything he can do to help with any problems. The request from the commission was to see if there is anything that can be done to allow the county to use the monies from Title 3 for road or bridge improvements. He said he would check into it. The Dent County Commission will next meet Monday at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

A one vehicle accident occurred Wednesday afternoon at 4:55 in Dent County on Highway 32 about eight miles East of Salem. According to the highway patrol report, a 2006 Pontiac G6 driven by 19-year old Jennifer White of Salem, was traveling eastbound when the car ran off the right side of the roadway and overturned. Two occupants of the vehicle: 28-year old Mary Keel and five-year old Thomas Schroeder, both of Salem, were transported by the Salem Ambulance to the Salem Memorial District Hospital for the treatment of minor injuries. The Pontiac was totaled and removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing.