Local News – Friday, December 14th, 2018
The Dent County Commissioners met for the regular meeting Thursday morning in the Courthouse. In the road report, District One Commissioner Dennis Purcell said that grading would be done on Dent County Roads 5630, 5670, 4160, and 6500, plus brush would be cut on county road 5680. He also noted that he had a man hauling brown rock. District Two Commissioner Gary Larson reported that brush was being cut on Dent County Road 2330, plus he had two men working on backhoe 430 and a man was repairing a shop heater. He also said he had a man hauling brown rock and another man screening it. Larson noted that his crews graded county roads on Wednesday. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said Thursday evening he would attending a Meramec Community Enhancement Board meeting and a Transportation Advisory Committee meeting where regional transportation priorities would be established. Skiles said he also had an External Relations Committee meeting and the MRPC Board during the evening where legislative priorities will be shared with Missouri Legislators that are in attendance. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said that bills were being approved by the Commissioners for payment and that she balanced with the Collector and Assessor on monthly collections, abatements and add-ons for the month of November. She noted that the Commissioners reviewed her reports. Curley said that filings for the Municipal Election began on Tuesday and that her office continues to work on budget requests from the office holders. Steve Davis with Shive-Hattery and Nick Smith with Septagone Construction attended the meeting to update the Commission on the Justice Center Project. The next meeting of the Commissioners will be Monday morning in the Courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.
Congressman Jason Smith will visit the Salem Memorial Hospital this morning at 9:00 and meet with regional hospital representatives to discuss increasing quality of care for rural Missourians. Representatives from Salem Memorial District Hospital, Iron County Hospital, Texas County Memorial Hospital, and the Phelps County Regional Medical Center will be on-site to discuss prescription drug pricing, behavioral health programs, enhancing Medicare to provide seniors more efficient healthcare, and maintaining hospital access for rural Missourians.
Time is running out if you are in the market for health insurance. Now is the time to visit the website www.HealthCare.gov for this year’s Open Enrollment and review your 2019 plan options. The marketplace closes TOMORROW at midnight. As has been the case for a couple of years, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield is the only provider for Dent County on the marketplace. You can go online to compare your plan from last year to the new plans offered this year, or you can just start shopping your choices for the 2019 year. Remember, if you do not enroll by December 15th, you will not have insurance as of January 1st, 2019.
The Salvation Army’s “Angel Tree” at Wal-Mart has just a few “angels” left as of Thursday evening and the last day to adopt an “angel” will be Monday. It is the goal of the Dent County Salvation Army Service Unit to try to make sure that every Dent County child’s Christmas morning is bright and you can help by adopting an angel. It is easy to help out. Just follow these steps: Select a tag representing a specific child from the “Angel Tree” at Wal-Mart. Then shop for gifts based on the parent’s suggestions. You do not have to purchase everything on the list, just use it as a guideline. Once you are finished shopping, bring the unwrapped gifts to the Wal-Mart Service Desk along with the “angel tag” by Monday. Your gifts will be distributed to your adopted “angel” on Wednesday, December 19th. For questions about the ‘Angel Tree,” please contact the Dent County Service Unit of the Salvation Army at 729-8163.