Local News – Friday, August 20th, 2021
A two-vehicle accident happened Thursday morning around 7:20 in Dent County on Highway 32 about 12 miles east of Salem. The report released from the highway patrol states that a 2008 Ford Explorer being driven by 83-year-old Rodney Parker of Bunker failed to yield while making a left turn to a 2016 Chevrolet pickup being driven by 42-year-old Andrew Mendenhall of Salem. Parker suffered moderate injuries and was transported by Salem EMS to Salem Memorial District Hospital. The Explorer was totaled. The Chevrolet sustained extensive damage. Both vehicles were removed from the scene by Whitakers Towing. The report went on to state that both drivers were wearing safety restraints at the time of the accidents.
The Dent County Sheriff’s Office has released several reports for this past week. On Saturday, August 7th, a deputy traveled to a residence in the 700 block of North Washington Street to serve a warrant. At that time, a 39-year-old Salem man was arrested for having an active warrant through Dent County. The man was transported to the Dent County Jail and incarcerated. The next day a deputy conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of Mildred Street and Highway 32 East. As a result of the stop, a 64-year-old Salem woman was arrested for driving while having her license revoked or suspended, a 1st offense. She was transported to the Dent County Jail where she was fingerprinted, issued a summons and released. On Tuesday, August the 10th while on routine patrol, a deputy observed a 27-year-old Salem man walking on West Rolla Road near Henderson Street. The deputy knew the man to have active warrants through Dent County. The man was arrested and transported to the Dent County Jail and incarcerated. On Wednesday, the 11th of August, a deputy traveled to a residence in the 3000 block of North Highway 19 to serve a warrant. At that time a 58-year-old Salem man was arrested for having an active warrant through Dent County. The man was transported to the Dent County Jail and incarcerated. On Friday the 13th, a deputy conducted a traffic stop in the 1100 block of South Main Street. During the traffic stop, a 26-year-old man from Salem was arrested for operating a vehicle on a highway without a valid license, a 1st offense. The man was transported to the Dent County Jail where he was fingerprinted, issued a summons and released. If you have any information regarding an ongoing investigation, please contact the Dent County Sheriff’s Department at 729-3241.
The Meramec Regional Planning Commission Rural Opioid Initiatives, the Meramec Region’s Rural Opioid Program and Opioid Affected Youth Initiative, in partnership with Mid-MO Addiction Awareness Group will host an opioid use disorder awareness walk in Steelville tomorrow morning beginning at 10:00. The walk aims at providing awareness for opioid use disorder. MRPC’s rural opioid initiatives work to educate, increase awareness and identify prevention strategies for opioid use disorder throughout the Meramec Region for youth, children, families and adults. Resource information will be available at the walk. Participants will meet at the Steelville Schools Administration Building, 817 Main Street. in Steelville, where sign-ups will be available. The walkers will then travel left onto MO Highway 19 South and proceed through town. There will be a water stop in the community parking lot by Dollar General. Participants will then return to the administration building, following the same route. It is requested that all pets be left at home. Masks and social distancing will be encouraged. From 2015-2019, 41 people in Crawford County died of drug overdoses. Twenty-seven of those were opioid overdoses. When looking at Crawford and its neighboring counties of Gasconade, Phelps, Dent, and Washington, there were 186 overdose deaths for that timeframe with 110 of those deaths being opioid overdoses. Statistics for 2020 are not yet finalized. Persons needing more information on the walk can contact Christa Harmon at 573-265-2993 or by email at charmon@meramecregion.org. Pre-registration is not required.