Local News – Friday, December 18th, 2020
Dent County Prosecutor Andrew Curley has released some reports from last week. In Crawford County on December 8th in front of Judge Kelly Parker, Joshua Benton of Bunker, who was on probation for domestic assault in the 3rd degree after completing the state 559 program, absconded from supervision and his probation was revoked. He was then sentenced to serve four years in the Department of Corrections. On Monday, December 14th in front of Judge Parker, Brice Mullins of Salem had his probation revoked. He was sentenced to six years in the Department of Corrections. He has additional charges for the distribution of a controlled substance from the recent drug roundup that are unresolved at this time. Then on Thursday in Dent County in front Judge Benjamin Thompson, Megan Fisk of Salem pled guilty to the possession of methamphetamine from a charge in 2017 and the distribution of meth in 2020. Fisk was sentenced to ten years in the Department of Corrections under the RSMO Section 559.115 program which calls for a 120 day shock incarceration as requested by the prosecutor.
The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors in closed session discussed and approved a contract for services with the Cerner Information Technology Company out of Kansas City to merge their electronic health records into a single system. This process will take between 12 and 15 months and is being done to allow all the departments at the hospital to be able to access a patient’s file without having to change systems. There is no cost for this to be done until they go live sometime in the year 2022.
The Salvation Army Dent County Service Unit is asking for your help in meeting their Christmas Kettle goal of $35,000 this year. With only three days left to ring the bell at the familiar red kettle, the local organization is falling short of their goal. Christmas season is the only time that funds are raised locally. The $35,000 goal was established by the local board and has been the same goal for nearly 5 years, but with the pandemic hitting our community, they are for the first time ever, facing the goal not being reached. The Dent County Service Unit assists over 250 families each year with financial assistance with things like, utility bills, rent/mortgage payments and prescription costs. Families that lose their homes to fire are also assisted by the organization. If you would like to help the local board reach their goal, send your tax-deductible check in the mail to P.O. Box 190, drop off a check at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory, or drop off your donation in the red kettles that are located at Wal-Mart, Country Mart and Dollar General today, tomorrow and Christmas Eve. Your donation will stay locally to assist families in their time of need.
At the Salem R-80 Board of Education meeting Thursday night following a long discussion between administrators, principals and board members, the board adopted implementing a plan for a district mask mandate for the second semester. There is flexibility in the plan as pre-kindergarten through 5th grade students will have to wear a mask on the bus, in the hallways and when working in small groups. They will NOT have to wear masks in their cohort classroom, PE class and recess. Students in 6th through 12th grade as well as staff will be required to wear masks when less than six feet from another person, in classrooms, hallways and common areas. Students in all grade levels will be required to masks at school events (ballgames) and adults are encouraged to do so as well, plus any visitors to the buildings during the day will be required to wear a mask. This is being done to keep students and staff safer and to reduce the number of staff and students from being quarantined. A letter will be sent out by the Superintendent’s Office to all parents with a full explanation of the plan on today. It will also be on the school’s website.