Local News – Friday, January 31st, 2020
The Dent County Commissioners met Thursday morning at the courthouse for their regular meeting. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell stated materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 5015, 5085, 6220 and 6230. He went on to say that maintenance work was being done on brush cutter #48 and that workers would be replacing road number signs that had been stolen. The stolen signs each year cost the county about $2,200 in materials not to mention additional labor needed to install the signs. Purcell said the theft of the road number signs creates a safety hazard for emergency vehicles to be able to find people in need of those services. If anyone sees someone taking a county road number sign, please contact the Dent County Sheriff’s Department at 729-3241. Commissioner Gary Larson reported that a worker from District 1 and his district are repairing the Dura-Patch machine. He also said brush would be cut on county roads 2520 and 2530. Larson also indicated that materials would be added to several roads with muddy spots. Larson added that workers would be cleaning out pipes on Dent County Roads 4280, 4290 and 5300. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles reported on the Department of Natural Resources Historic Courthouse Preservation Grant meeting held at the Salem Community Center@The Armory on Tuesday. Skiles said right now there are no dollars available at this time. Skiles stated DNR is currently writing the rules for the grant. The program will be funded by legislative appropriations. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse. The meeting will be open to the public
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds Missouri resident and nonresident landowners who qualify to receive free or discounted deer and turkey hunting permits to register their properties in MDC’s new Landowner Permit Registry either online or by completing a paper application. Starting this year, resident landowners with 20 or more contiguous acres and nonresident landowners
with 75 or more contiguous acres qualify for landowner deer and turkey permits and must submit their property information to the MDC Landowner Registry to receive them. The new landowner registry will provide MDC and permit vendors with secure records of landowners and members of their households who qualify for the free and discounted permits, along with proof of land ownership and boundaries of the properties for which the free and discounted permits apply. According to MDC, the landowner registry is needed by both the Department and permit vendors to help eliminate misuse of landowner permits and privileges. Conservation agents around the state find several hundred violations each year related to the misuse of landowner permits and privileges. Learn more about the MDC Landowner Registry and apply online through the secure MDC webpage at mdc.mo.gov/landownerpermits. The page also provides answers to common questions. For a paper application and more information on the registry, go online, email permits@mdc.mo.gov, call MDC Permit Services at 573-522-0107 and select Option 1, or mail a request to: Missouri Department of Conservation, Permit Services – Landowner, PO Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180.
An accident happened in Dent County at 6:05 in the morning Thursday on Highway 32 about 15 miles west of Salem. According to the highway patrol report, a 2003 Ford Focus driven eastbound by 39-year old Shadrach Ferguson of Raymondville, failed to negotiate a curve and traveled off the right side of the roadway where the vehicle overturned. Ferguson suffered moderate injuries and was taken to the Salem Memorial District Hospital. Ferguson was not wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Focus was totaled and removed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing of Salem. The Missouri Highway Patrol was assisted by the Dent County Sheriff’s Department.
Tonight will not only be the Town and Country Bank “Cat Classic” at the Salem High School gym for the basketball game between Salem and Licking, but Homecoming as well. This year’s attendants are freshman Cayleigh Moody, sophomore Jaden Flores, junior Jodi Gotchal, and the three senior quen candidates: Malia Terrill, Mallorie Dittman and Brooklin Shelton. Last year’s Homecoming Queen, Madi Keith, willcrown the new queen at the festivities. This year’s escorts will be Reese Dodson, Dawson Conway, Carter Chilton, Silas Wulff, Braiden Carmack and Luke Morrison.