Local News – Friday, July 6th, 2018
The Dent County Commissioners met Thursday morning in the Courthouse. In the road report, District One Commissioner Dennis Purcell reported grading would be done on Dent County Roads 6220 and 6230. He noted that two men were patching chip and seal at various locations in preparation for the overlay process that is scheduled around mid July. District Two Commissioner Gary Larson was absent due to a previous commitment, so Road Foreman Sam Gorman gave the report. Gorman said that he had a very short crew and they would be screening brown rock and doing shop maintenance. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles reminded interested contractors that bid information for the Justice Center can be obtained by contacting Construction Manager Nick Smith at (660) 827-2112. He went on to say that there are seven bid packages and that Smith will conduct a pre-bid meeting at 2:00 on July 19th and that bids will be opened August 9th at 2:00 in the Bank of Salem Courtesy Room. Skiles said that Thursday afternoon he met with City of Salem personnel concerning the Economic Development Director position. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reminded voters that July 11th is the deadline to register to vote in the August 7th Primary Election. She also asked for anyone who is not sure their voter registration information is correct or has moved to please call her office at 729-4144 to make the necessary changes. Curley said that bills were being approved by the Commissioners for payment. The next meeting of the Commission will be Monday morning in the Courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.
Highway 137 in Texas County will be CLOSED as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform bridge repairs. The bridge over the Jacks Fork River is located between Route U and Route AZ. Weather permitting, the bridge will CLOSE at 6:00 this Monday morning, July 9th with plans to reopen it on Thursday, July 12th at 5:00 in the afternoon. The work zone will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use extreme caution while traveling near the area. For additional information, contact MoDOT’s Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/southeast.
Ozark National Scenic Riverways and Current River State Park will be offering free paddling clinics this Saturday and Sunday, and every weekend through the end of July. Each program will be the same featuring dry land basic sessions conducted on Saturday evening at 8:30 at the Round Spring amphitheater. Paddle stroke instruction will begin at 12:00 noon on Sunday on the lower lake at Current River State Park. Students will have the option to continue instruction on the river in the afternoon, paddling approximately four miles from Current River State Park to Round Spring on an interpretive float with an instructor. Topics to be covered include canoe and kayak equipment, rescue techniques, basic paddle strokes and maneuvers, and river safety. Instructors for this clinic are certified by the American Canoe Association. Kayaks, paddles, and personal floatation devices will be supplied by Current River State Park and the clinics are free to all participants. Each session is limited to twelve participants, so pre-registration is required. Significant natural and cultural points of interest will be discussed during the paddle from Current River State Park to Round Spring. For more information or to register, call the Round Spring Visitor Center at 573-323-8093.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol announced the results of enforcement efforts to detect impaired boat operators in conjunction with the national “Operation Dry Water” campaign. This is the 10th year for the national effort, and Missouri has participated since the program’s inception. This year’s Operation Dry Water campaign occurred June 29-July 1, 2018. Troopers conducted saturations and worked extended shifts to bring heightened awareness to the issue of boating while intoxicated. Troopers arrested seven people statewide for boating while intoxicated, contacted 710 vessels and 2,301 boaters, and issued 84 boating violation summonses and 951 warnings. Marine operations troopers also issued 86 summonses for non-boating violations during the 2018 Operation Dry Water weekend. Special enforcement operations will continue throughout the summer months. Boaters are reminded that designating a sober operator is always the safest bet if alcohol is going to be included in their boating experience. Watercraft operators must consider the effect their actions have on others share the waterway and use common sense, good judgment, and courtesy to ensure the safety of all and remember that Life jackets save lives.