Local News – Friday, June 28th, 2024

The Dent County Commissioners met Thursday morning at the courthouse for their regular meeting. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray reported his district received about 3/4ths of an inch of rain so grading could be done on Dent County Roads 5100 and 5530 while rock was to be added and grading done on county road 2440. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk stated rock would be added and grading done on Dent County Roads 4040 and 2150 while only grading would be done on county roads 4300 and 2140. Polk did state that chip and seal repair work was being done on county roads 3220, 3230 and 3240. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson attended a Zoom meeting Thursday morning to discuss and approve the fiscal year budget for the Meramec Community Enhancement Corporation. Dent County Deputy Clerk Melissa Piatt said excused absentee voting continues at the courthouse. At the last meeting, the Salem High School Chamber Choir requested permission to use the courthouse lawn to sell snow cones as a fund raiser during the 4th of July Parade. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Monday morning at 9:00 and the meeting is open to the public.

An accident happened Wednesday morning at 8:00 in Texas County on Deason Drive about two miles west of Licking. The report from the highway patrol states that a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado being driven by a 17-year-old male juvenile of Licking, was traveling eastbound and driving too fast for the conditions when he struck the front left side of a horsedrawn buggy being driven westbound by 42-year-Christie Schwartz of Licking. Schwartz suffered minor injuries when he was thrown from the buggy and was taken to Phelps Health hospital by a private conveyance. The Silverado sustained minor damage and was driven from the scene. The buggy sustained moderate damage and was towed from the scene by a private party.

Colonel Eric T. Olson, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, announces the results of the Driver and Vehicle Safety Division’s 2024 annual school bus inspection program. There were a total of 10,055 school buses rated as “approved” upon initial inspection, 895 school buses rated as “defective” upon initial inspection, and 410 school buses rated as “out-of-service” upon initial inspection. Buses with identified defective components require repair within 10 days. Buses placed “out-of-service” require the correction of the component or components, before they are reinspected and allowed to return to service by Patrol personnel prior to further usage in transporting passengers. Results of the Dent County school districts show the Salem R-80 School District had 10 buses inspected with six of them approved, three were defective and one bus was placed out of service; Oak Hill R-I School District had six buses inspected with none of them approved, five of them were defective and one of them were placed out of service; Green Forest R-2 School District had eight buses inspected with six of them approved and two were defective and none of them were placed out of service; Dent-Phelps R-3 School District had nine buses inspected with three of them being approved, five of them were defective and one bus was placed out of service; North Wood R-4 School District had eight buses inspected with three of them being approved, three of them were defective and two buses were placed out of service; Bunker R-3 School had seven busses inspected and all of them were approved, and the Ozark Hills State School #61 had two bus inspected and both were approved. For more information on any Missouri school district and how they fared with the school bus inspection, go the Missouri State Highway Patrol website and click on news releases.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education held a special meeting Thursday morning at the district administrative offices where the board rejected all roofing bids and approved re-bidding the project. Then in closed session, the board approved extending Joni Bobbitt’s contract five days, employing Whitney Frank as a 6th grade math teacher, and to hire Rockey Wade as an extra duty Freshman boys basketball coach. The meeting was then adjourned.

Today is the last day to get you entry in the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Salem Independence Day Parade at 6:00 on July 4th and the theme this year is “Let Freedom Ring.” Entry forms available at the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce Office located in the Crossroads Shopping Center and they must be turned in by June 28th. For more information or a complete set of the parade rules, please call the chamber office at 729-6900 or stop by 1136 South Main Street.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages the public to discover nature during frogging season. Beginning June 30th at sunset through October 31st, those with a fishing permit or small-game hunting permit may go frogging 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. Only the daily limit may be possessed on waters and bank of waters where frogging. MDC notes that daily limits end at midnight. Froggers who catch their daily limits before midnight and want to return for more frogging after midnight must remove the daily limit of previously caught frogs from the waters or banks before returning. The public can go frogging with a fishing or small-game hunting permit, but children 15 and under and Missouri residents 65-years and older are not required to have a permit. Those using a fishing permit may take frogs by hand, hand net, atlatl, gig, bow, trotline, throwline, limb line, bank line, jug line, snagging, snaring, grabbing, or pole-and-line. With a small-game hunting permit, frogs may be harvested using a .22-caliber or smaller rimfire rifle or pistol, pellet gun, atlatl, bow, crossbow, or by hand or hand net. The use of artificial light is permitted when frogging. For more information, visit MDC online at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/Zxz.