Local News – Friday, July 23rd, 2021

The City of Salem Utility Committee meeting was held Tuesday evening at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory. Chairman Shawn Bolerjack called the meeting to order. City Administrator Ray Walden gave an update on utility billing. There are 2,834 active electric accounts with 1,454 being current on their bill. A total of 495 are 30 days past due; 262 are 60 days past due and 218 are over 90 days past due. There are currently 39 accounts that have not made a payment in over a year. The June 16th through July 15th bill will be the last one sent out before cutoffs are resumed on August 6th. Citizens are encouraged to call or visit the City Utility Office at 729-4117 to make payment arrangements. There are currently 75 customers with payment plans and another 23 that have initiated the process and need to finish the paperwork. The committee reviewed and made several recommendations to the wording and information that is included on the current bills. Bolerjack recommended customers that are on budget billing should have their usage reviewed twice a year to make adjustments as needed. Utility Committee member Catherine Dent volunteered to help the staff in the utility office contact customers that are in jeopardy of having their electric disconnected as well as reaching out to customers to help establish payment plans. The February Cold Snap bill was discussed. The city will participate in the Governor Parson’s no interest 60-month loan to pay the $1,275,025 that is owed. After some discussion regarding how to pass on this cost to customers, the committee voted to recommend the Alderman add 4.4% rate adjustment to all customers monthly bills. The committee discussed the request from Heartland Metal for a reduction on their commercial water rate. The committee will recommend to the Alderman that no change be made at this time. Heartland Metal may ask the committee to revisit this subject after they have an efficiency study conducted. Walden gave an update on the Exceleron Pre-Paid Electric Project. This web-based portal will allow customers to pay their electric bill online using a credit card and should be completed in two months. After getting an update on the Electric and Street Department projects, the meeting was adjourned.

Last week, the US Department of Health and Human Services through the Health Resources and Services Administration provided Missouri with $8,268,032 to support COVID response efforts in rural areas. This funding was distributed through the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program to 32 small rural hospitals for COVID testing and mitigation. These hospitals with less than 50 beds or that are Critical Access Hospitals are key health care access points and trusted community sources. According to Hospital Administrator Kasey Lucas, the Salem Memorial District Hospital received $161,000 from this fund that is earmarked for COVID testing and mitigation.

Dent County Prosecutor Andrew Curley reported on three cases heard in Crawford County on Tuesday, July 20th in front of Judge Michael Randazzo in the 42nd Judicial Circuit Court. In the first case heard, Rose Howell of Salem had violated her probation for the possession of a controlled substance after completing the RSMOSection 559.115 program. She was sentenced to 10 years in the Department of Corrections as requested by Prosecutor Andrew Curley. Howell requested to be placed in the drug court program and to continue on probation was denied by Judge Randazzo. In the next case, Samantha Conaway of Salem had her sentencing hearing after pleading guilty to two felony counts of distribution guilty, one count of the fraudulent use of a credit device, and one felony count of the possession of a controlled substance. Prosecutor Curley requested a total of 10 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections while Conaway sought probation. Judge Randazzo sentenced Conaway to a total of 10 years under RSMO Section 559.115 in the shock incarceration program. In the last case Tuesday, Carl Blair of Salem pled guilty to failing to register as a sex offender. In the sentencing hearing, Curley sought four years in the Department of Corrections under Section 559.115. Blair sought probation. Blair was sentenced by Judge Randazzo to a four-year suspended execution of sentence with 5-years probation over the objection of the state.

An accident occurred Thursday morning at 5:45 in Iron County on Highway 32 about four miles west of Bixby. According to the highway patrol report, a westbound 2016 Chevrolet Cruze, driven by 25-year-old Mark Cooper of Belgrade, crossed the center line and struck head on an eastbound 2010 International, driven by 58-year-old Gary Glastetter of Oran, Missouri. The International then ran off the road, struck a tree and caught fire. Cooper suffered serious injuries and Glastetter suffered moderate injuries. Both were transported by ambulance to Salem Memorial District Hospital. The report stated that Glastetter was wearing a safety restraint, while it was unknown if Cooper was. Both vehicles were totaled and removed from the scene by Abney’s Towing.