Local News – Friday, June 10th, 2022
An accident happened Wednesday night at 9:19 on Highway 72 about a half mile east of Rolla that took the life of a Salem man. According to the highway patrol report. 30-year-old Bradley Gilmore of Salem was driving a 2003 Chevy Cavalier westbound when he crossed the center of the roadway and struck a 2019 Western Star head-on driven by 52-year-old Roger Ferguson of Salem. Gilmore was pronounced dead at the scene by Dr. L. Hutchinson at 9:46 Wednesday night and his body was taken to Rolla Cremation. The Cavalier was totaled in the accident while the Western Star sustained moderate damages. Both vehicles were removed from the scene by Big Boys Towing in Rolla. Gilmore was not wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident.
The Dent County Commission met Thursday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams presented the sales taxes received by the county this month. For the General Revenue Fund and Law Enforcement Sales Tax Fund, the county received $96,920.38 which is $3,337.27 more than 2021 when the county received $93,583.11. For the year, the county is up $291,553.42 over last year. For the Road and Bridge Department Fund, the county received $45,787.72 this month compared to $44,720.69 received in June of 2021. For the year, the Road and Bridge Department Fund is up $143,957.88. In the two jail funds, the county received $91,542.20 in each fund and that is $2,100.29 more than the 2021 figure of $89,441.91. Each of those funds is up $286,684.40 from last year. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray stated crews were out cleaning up after the storm Wednesday morning where eight trees were blown down. Mobray said materials would be added and grading done on Dent County roads 6630 and 6670 while only grading would be done on county road 6210. He said patch grading was going to be done on county roads 4220 and 5150 while brush would be cut on county road 6660. Travis Turner gave the report for District 2 as Commissioner Larson was not in attendance due to a previous commitment. He said materials would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 2090, 3170 and 6140 while only grading would be done on county roads 2013, 2100, 2403, 3173 and 3180. Turner said brush would be cut on county roads 2300 and 2303. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles attended the MRPC’s Transportation Advisory Committee, Public Housing Authority meeting, the MRPC Public Relations meeting and the MRPC regular board meeting. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said she balanced with the Collector and Assessor on all collections, abatements, and add-ons. She said all county liquor licenses are due by June 30th and the last day to register to vote for the August Primary will be July 6th at the Collector’s office. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.
The Salem Community Choir will be performing this Sunday afternoon at 2:00 on the court-house lawn. Lemonade and cookies will be served by the Cosmopolitan Club of Salem. There is no cost to attend! Their next performance will be on June 26th at the courthouse lawn at 2:00.
The Missouri Department of Conservation is offering Missouri landowners another way to help manage deer numbers on their properties. MDC’s Deer Management Assistance Program, known as DMAP, can help landowners manage deer on their properties by allowing them and hunters they designate to buy additional firearms permits to take antlerless deer on the properties above and beyond regular season harvest limits. Each permit authorizes the take of one antlerless deer and costs the same as a Firearms Antlerless Permit. Permits may be used during any portion of the firearms deer season with methods allowed during that portion. Permits may only be used on the enrolled DMAP property for which they were issued. According to MDC, the number of deer in a local area varies widely throughout Missouri due to various types and quality of habitat, land-use practices, hunting regulations and harvest levels, and other factors. Any private property of at least 500 acres located outside of municipal boundaries, regardless of the owner’s legal residence, is eligible for the program. For properties inside the boundaries of a city or town, at least 40 acres are required. Individual parcels of land, regardless of ownership, may be combined to satisfy the acreage requirements as long as no parcel of land is more than a half-mile by air from the boundary of another parcel being combined to form an enrolled DMAP property. MDC piloted the program in 2019 on a limited county and regional level. MDC expanded DMAP to additional counties and regions in 2020 and 2021, and now offers it statewide. According to MDC, more than 86,000 acres were enrolled in 2021 and included 89 landowners or landowner cooperatives. Annual DMAP enrollment is available now through October 1st. To learn more about DMAP, including enrollment, visit MDC online at mdc.mo.gov/dmap, or contact your local MDC private land conservationist or conservation agent.