Local News – Friday, December 10th, 2021

Judging for the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2nd Annual Business Window Decorating Contest gets underway Friday and will continue over the weekend until Monday afternoon. The theme this year is “A Storybook Christmas” and 20 business have entered the contest. The windows may just be painted, illuminated with a display or be a combination of both. The public in invited to view the windows of the these fine businesses in Salem: the Dent County Vet Clinic, Salem Public Library, Tax Masters, Edward Jones, Ozark Natural and Cultural Resource Center, That Special Touch Florist, McDonalds, Steel Magnolias, City of Salem Administration Building, Allen’s Treasure Chest & Den, Country Chic Boutique, Duncan Family Chiropractic, Main Street Café, US Bank, Southeast Missouri Behavioral Health on 4th Street, VIP Properties, Magik Herbs, Trinity, The Bank of Salem and Beehive Florist & gifts. After the judging is complete, a winner will be announced at 4:00 Monday afternoon, December 13th. Enjoy the hard work put in by these businesses during the day and night! A suggested map of the locations will be available today on the Salem Chamber of Commerce, City of Salem and KSMO Facebook pages.

The Salem Police Department has released some reports from the mid to latter portion of November. Around 1:00 in the afternoon of Sunday, November 14th, an officer was dispatched to the 500 block of North Henderson Street for a report of a burglary. It had been reported that someone had broken into a residence and stolen nine guns and hunting knives along with an undisclosed amount of cash. This incident is currently under investigation. On Sunday morning, November 15th near 1:00 while on patrol, an officer contacted a woman that had warrants for her arrest. As a result, 22-year-old Deseray Fish of Salem was arrested on the warrants and incarcerated at the Dent County Jail. Near 6:00 in the evening of Saturday, November 20th, an officer was dispatched to an accident where one of the subjects involved had left the scene. After a short investigation the vehicle and subject involved were located. At that time, a 42-year-old Salem man was arrested and later released on summons to appear in court for leaving the scene of an accident. About three hours later, officers dealt with an intoxicated subject that was causing a disturbance and interfering with an unrelated investigation in the 1400 block of West Scenic Rivers Blvd. As a result, a 41-year-old man from Thompsonville, Michigan, was arrested and placed on a 12-hour safekeep at the Dent County Jail. He was later released on a summons. On Sunday, November 23rd, an officer was dispatched to Wal-Mart for a report of a shoplifter. It was reported that a male subject had stolen approximately $10 worth of merchandise. After an investigation, a 51-year-old Salem man was arrested and later released on summons to appear in court. Around 8:00 in the evening on Tuesday, November 23rd, an officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with inoperable headlights. During the traffic stop it was learned that 44-year-old Jared King of Salem, had warrants out of the Franklin County Sheriff’s office for assault. King was arrested and incarcerated at the Dent County jail awaiting extradition. And finally on Friday morning, November 26th near 5:30, an officer arrested 28-year-old Chris Gibbs of Salem in the 1100 block of West Scenic Rivers Boulevard. The subject was incarcerated on warrants for the possession of a controlled substance. Please contact the Salem Police Department at (573) 729-4242 if you have any information regarding an ongoing investigation.

Missouri Employers Mutual has announced its latest cycle of safety grant recipients, bringing the total amount of safety grants awarded to policyholders to $2.1 million since 2016. The 11th safety grant cycle awarded $259,000 to 38 policyholders. The program is designed to help policyholders pinpoint areas of their business where an injury could occur, or in many cases, purchase equipment related to injuries previously experienced. Five years into the program, safety grant recipients continue to see positive results. Since implementing the safety equipment purchased with their grants, the 280 businesses have experienced only 14 claims totaling $49,000. That’s a 96 percent reduction in claims and a 94 percent reduction in claims costs. One of those businesses who benefitted from a safety grant in 2018 was the Village Gallery in Salem. That grant allowed for the purchase of a saw stop table saw prevented a major injury to an employee at the custom cabinetry business. Owner Carl Williams said there was an incident where an operator let his guard down and wasn’t paying attention. His finger got to the blade and the saw stopped it from moving. So instead of potentially losing a finger, he received a very small nick instead. Williams said that prior to receiving the safety grant, his business experienced a claim related to use of a table saw. Although no Salem business is a recipient this year, St. James Transports in St. James received some powered landing gear kits. All of Missouri Employers Mutual policyholders are eligible for a safety grant, regardless of premium size or claims history. Successful applicants earn one-to-one matching grants up to $10,000 toward approved safety initiatives.