Local News – Friday, June 26th, 2020
Thursday, the Dent County Health Center has announced that a third positive COVID-19 case has been found in Dent County. The person has been notified that they have tested positive for COVID-19. They are working with this individual to insure they are following Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines in regards to isolation. The Dent County Health Center has identified and reached out to close contacts in order to monitor them for symptoms and contain spread. No locations of possible public exposure in Dent County have been identified! It is important that each and every one of us continue to practice basic preventative measures to help decrease the spread. These measures, as outlined by the CDC, include avoiding contact with people who are sick, covering coughs and sneezes, proper hand-washing, cleaning frequently used surfaces, and staying home when sick. The Health Center highly encourage if you suspect that you have COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, please call your healthcare provider before seeking care.
The Dent County Health Center Board of Trustees met June 18th at the Health Center. Health Center Administrator Kendra Mobray updated the Board on the Health Center’s continued response to COVID-19. The first CARES Act payment request, for the month of March, has been submitted to MRPC. She, along with local school administrators, joined in a DHSS and DESE webinar earlier in the week to discuss school re-opening. Mobray and school administrators are scheduled to meet in early July to discuss plans for re-opening Dent County Schools. The Health Center and SMDH conducted a free COVID-19 testing site at Aranda’s Mexican Restaurant the 18th. She reported outpatient lab services were provided to 87 clients in May. A drive through school shot clinic with no appointments necessary will be conducted on the Health Center parking lot June 30th. Parents and students need to bring current immunization records and insurance information. Also, shots are available daily by appointment, plus nurses will give required immunizations at senior registration. Kindergartners must be up-to-date on immunizations to start school in August. Eighth graders are required to have one dose of meningitis and one dose of Tdap. Seniors are required to have two doses of meningitis unless the first dose was administered to a student who was 16 years of age or older, in which case only one dose is required. At least one dose must be given after 16 years of age. The Dent County Health Center currently bills most insurance companies and offers state vaccine for uninsured, underinsured, and Medicaid clients. To make an appointment for vaccinations or for questions please call the Health Center at 573-729-3106. The Health Center investigated 3 animal bites, 7 cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, 1 case of Erlichia Chaffeensis, and 1 case of COVID-19 in May. DCHC expenses were approved, the next regular board meeting was set for July 27th at 5:00, and the meeting was adjourned.
Meramec Regional Planning Commission, with funding from the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District (ORSWMD) and volunteer support from Brewer Science and the city of Rolla, gathered 29.91 tons of residential scrap electronics, appliances and tires at the 15th annual special collection held June 13th at Brewer Science in Rolla. Approximately 330 vehicles from within the Ozark Rivers seven-county region – Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington – dropped off items at the collection. Tires were the most collected item with a total of 477 tires, amounting to 6.82 tons being diverted from landfills. The most frequently recycled electronics or appliance item was televisions with 216 being collected. Other items included water heaters, computer monitors, washers, dryers, refrigerators, microwaves, stoves, dishwashers and various cord or battery operated smaller electronic devices. At the collection held in Salem in May, there 91 vehicles that came through the collection and left 2.5 tons of electronics, 1.8 tons of white goods like washers, stoves, etc, and 1.74 tons of tires. Appliances and e-waste are handled by Midwest Recycling Center, a certified collection contractor, who distributes the collected items to either be refurbished or broken down to recycle rare earth element components. The last resort is responsible destruction and that assures contaminants in electronics, such as mercury, lead and arsenic, never pollute the air or water. The next Ozark Rivers Solid waste Management District Collection will be October 3rd at the Maries County Road District #1 Building at 11055 Highway 133 in Meta, Missouri.
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages the public to discover nature this summer during frogging season. Beginning June 30th at sunset through October 31st, those with a fishing permit or small-game hunting permit may frog for bullfrogs and green frogs. The daily limit is eight frogs of both species combined and the possession limit is 16 frogs of both species combined. Froggers must be familiar with and follow all MDC rules and regulations.