Local News – Friday, April 9th, 2021
The Dent County Fire Protection District Board of Directors met Tuesday evening at 6:00 at the fire station at #2 South Main Street. During the financial report, bills were reviewed and approved and the budget showed an ending balance as of March 31st of $286,476.99. The calendar was then reviewed with shot clinics to continue in April at the district. The monthly reimbursement report was presented with a total of 42 calls for the month of March including 5 structure fires, 2 flue fires, 20 brush calls, 1 car fire, 1 vehicle accident, 1 dumpster fire, 2 first responder and 5 mutual aid calls, 2 haz-mat calls, and two training calls. Total calls year to date stand at 108 with the average cost per call being $96.25. Chief Brad Nash reported to the board that all ceilings and lights have been installed with only one room remaining which will require wallboard to be installed and that should be started this week. Chief Nash also reported that the privacy window panels have been installed in the dispatch office and that the flooring project is next and should be started right away. The date was then set for the next meeting which will be Tuesday, May 4th, at 6:00 at the fire station which will be open to the public. The meeting was then adjourned.
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 on Friday, April 16th. 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.
The Missouri Public Service Commission has established the deadline for those wishing to intervene and participate in a natural gas rate case filed by Union Electric Company d/b/a Ameren Missouri. Applications to intervene and participate in this case must be filed no later than April 30, 2021, with the Secretary of the Missouri Public Service Commission, P.O. Box 360, Jefferson City, Missouri 65102, or by using the Commission’s Electronic Filing and Information System (EFIS) at www.psc.mo.gov. Individual citizens wishing to comment should contact either the Office of the Public Counsel at 866-922-2959, or the Public Service Commission Staff at 1-800-392-4211. On March 31st, Ameren Missouri filed a natural gas rate case with the Missouri Public Service Commission seeking to increase its natural gas base rate annual revenues by approximately $9.4 million. According to Ameren Missouri, the adjustment in base rates would mean natural gas rates would increase for an average residential customer by approximately $4 a month. Ameren Missouri serves approximately 135,000 natural gas customers in 25 Missouri counties including Dent and Phelps counties.
The Youth Spring Turkey hunt will be this Saturday and Sunday for youngsters who are age 6-15. The limit for each youth is one male turkey or turkey with a visible beard. Any youth who take a turkey during the youth season may not harvest a second bird until April 26th. This is because the bird taken during the youth season counts as the first bird for the first week of the regular season. Allowed hunting methods include shotguns with shot not larger than No. 4, longbows, recurve bows, or compound bows; crossbows, Atlatl and hand-held string releasing devices that have illuminated sights, scopes, and quick point sights. Youth may hunt this weekend from one half hour before sunrise to sunset. For more information, hunters should get or read the Missouri Department of Conservation’s 2021 Spring Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information. They are free at MDC regional offices, MDC nature centers, and other places where permits are sold. You can also get the booklet information online at mdc.mo.gov using the search box at the top of the homepage.