Local News – Friday, February 15th, 2019
Dent County Collector Dennis Medlock has announced the Forte Credit Card website for those wanting to pay their real estate and personal property taxes will be shutdown from February 22nd until March 1st. This is due to the transitioning of the Collector’s office from Medlock to Collector elect Shannon Van Kirk. NO credit cards or debit cards will be accepted on the website or at the Collector’s Office in the Dent County Courthouse during that time. Medlock also reported that checks will NOT be accepted from February 25th through February 28th at the Collector’s office. Any checks mailed during that period will be processed on March 1st, and there will be no additional interest or penalties if they envelopes were postmarked in February. Any payments made at the Collector’s office during the February 25th through the 28th time period MUST be made in cash, by cashier’s check or by a money order. If anyone would like to know the exact amount of taxes they owe before they come in and pay, they can contact the Dent County Collector’s office at 729-3911. Medlock, Van Kirk and the entire Dent County Collector’s office wishes to apologize for any inconvenience to the public during this changeover. If you have a question, stop by the Collector’s office in person at the courthouse or by phone at 729-3911.
The Dent County Commissioners met Thursday morning at the courthouse. Mary Beth Cook representing the Dent County Foundation which is subsidiary of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks was in to see if the commission had made a decision on her request for hours from the MRPC to use to help the Missouri Cybersecurity Center of Excellence Fund get their 501 C 3 non-for-profit status. The commissioners agreed to let them use three of their hours. In the road report, Commissioner Dennis Purcell from District 1 and Gary Larson from District 2 both indicated it was too wet to grade roads and if they tried, they would do more damage than good. They do know there are a number of potholes and issues with some roads, but citizens will need to be patient and the county will get those problems as quickly as they can once the roads dry out. Purcell said crews would be out checking the roads for low limbs and cleaning out culverts where needed. He said patching would be done on Dent County Road 5015 which is a chip and seal road and other workers would be replacing missing county road number signs. Purcell did report he would be attending a Dent County Tourism Tax Committee meeting Monday at 5:00. Commissioner Larson said workers have set the trusses for the new building to house the dump trucks at the Road and Bridge Department. He said some materials will be added to some roads that are extremely soft due to the very wet conditions. Larson said he attended the Dent County Extension Banquet Tuesday evening and the Healthy Dent County meeting Thursday. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles indicated The SACBA Trivia Night would be held March 8th at the Salem Community Center @The Armory and urges everyone to attend. He talked with the commission about extending the food service bids for the new jail project until Thursday, February 21st due to the courthouse being closed on Monday for President’s Day. Those bids will now be due by 11:00 on February 21st. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported March 6th would be the last day to register to vote in the Municipal Election in April. She also said absentee voting starts Tuesday for the Municipal Election. She wanted to report that Dent County voters in the Bunker area will be voting at the Bunker City Hall at 620 6th Street in Bunker and NOT at the Bunker school. This was changed at the request of the Bunker R-3 School Administration. Curley also reported she would be at the South Central County Clerks meeting in Howell County on February 22nd. Thirteen counties will be represented at the meeting. Curley said Chrissy Peters with the Secretary of State’s office will be speaking about new election laws and voter registration canvass maintenance. The next meeting of the Dent County Commission will be February 21st at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.
An accident happened last Thursday morning in Salem on Highway 32 near the intersection of Phillips Street. According the Salem police report, a 2007 Freightliner, owned by Springfield Iron and Metal, and driven by David Johnson, was eastbound on Highway 32. At that time, a 1997 Peterbilt, owned by Parks Ready Mix, and driven by Rodney Ramsey, was westbound on Highway 32, just past Dillworth approaching Phillips Street when the rear dual wheels came off the vehicle. The wheels traveled together west before separating. The outside wheel veered to the south and struck the Freightliner in the driver’s side front wheel. The inside wheel traveled farther west on Highway 32 before veering to the north, entering the County Fuel lot, striking two separate fuel pumps. The trucks and fuel pumps sustained minor damage but neither driver was injured in the accident.