Local News – Friday, July 2nd, 2021

The Crawford County Sheriff’s office has received and acted upon several leads in the Terry Barton missing person case. Mr. Barton had been reported missing to the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department on June 8th and his disappearance was being investigated as suspicious. There were two persons of interest in reference to his disappearance and the efforts to locate Barton had been ongoing. On Wednesday, June 30th, the criminal investigation division was able to develop the possible location of two persons of interest, Beau Dyer and Eric Ray. Crafword County deputies and members of the Steelville Police Department responded to an address within the city limits of Steelville for the two men. Shortly after the officer’s arrival, both Dyer and Ray were located and transported to the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department, at which time interviews were conducted with both subjects. From those interviews, information was developed to locate Terry Barton who was found to be deceased. Both Dyer and Ray are being held at the Crawford County Detention Center pending the application of warrants.

The July Fourth weekend is a great opportunity to enjoy one of Missouri’s national parks, recreational opportunities or a backyard barbecue. Colonel Eric T. Olson, the superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, reminds Missouri’s travelers to make smart choices for a safe July Fourth holiday. Safety should be at the top of the list when you plan on how you’ll celebrate our nation’s freedoms. During the 2020 counting period, 15 people were killed and 671 injured in Missouri over the holiday in 1,356 traffic crashes. Over the 2020 July Fourth holiday, troopers arrested 145 people for driving while intoxicated. The 2021 counting period for the July Fourth holiday will be from 6:00 this Friday night until to 11:59 Monday night, July 5th. No matter how you decide to spend the long weekend, your smartest choice is to follow all Missouri traffic laws as the Missouri Highway Patrol will again participate in Operation C.A.R.E. (Crash Awareness & Reduction Effort). All available troopers will be patrolling Missouri roadways to enforce traffic laws, and offering assistance as needed. Anyone needing assistance or who witnesses criminal activity while traveling on Missouri’s roadways can contact the nearest Highway Patrol troop headquarters by calling the Patrol Emergency Report Line at 1-800-525-5555 or *55 on a cellular phone. Motorists may call 1-888-275-6636 to check for road construction along their travel route.

The Salem Arae Chamber of Commerce will hold their annual Independence Day Parade Sunday, July 4th at 6:00. The parade’s theme this year is “Show-Me-Missouri, Celebrating 200 Years” and this year’s Grand Marshals are Aleesha and Mike Elwood. The parade route will start at the SBU campus at Franklin and Grand and move east on Franklin to MacArthur. The parade will then travel north to 4th Street and then head east to the courthouse square. As of Thursday afternoon, there were over 60 entries for the parade. Following the parade, the City of Salem fireworks display will be held at The Commons starting around 9:30. The events are free and open for all to attend. If you will not be able to attend the parade, KSMO Radio will stream the parade LIVE on their website at www.ksmoradio.com by clicking the “Listen On-Line” button on their homepage. You can also watch it on Facebook on the KSMO Stream Page: https://www.facebook.com/KSMO-Stream.

Deer hunters can apply online through the Missouri Department of Conservation’s website for a shot at more than 100 managed deer hunts throughout the state this fall and winter. MDC offers managed deer hunts for archery, muzzleloading, crossbow, and modern firearms from mid-September through mid-January at conservation areas, state and other parks, national wildlife refuges, and other public areas. Some managed deer hunts are held specifically for youth or for people with disabilities. The managed deer hunt application period is now through July 31st. Hunters are selected by a weighted random drawing. Draw results will be available August 15th through January 15th, 2022. Applicants who are drawn will receive area maps and other hunt information by email, or mail if an email address is not located on the customer’s account. You can get more information on managed deer hunts, preview hunt details at mdc.mo.gov/managedhunt. Details about managed hunts can also be found in the MDC “2021 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information” booklet, available starting in early July at MDC offices and nature centers, from permit vendors around the state, and online at mdc.mo.gov.