Local News – Friday, March 18th, 2022
The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Thursday morning in the courthouse. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles was not in attendance as he was in Springfield meeting with CCAM Attorney Travis Elliot and Missouri Department of Revenue representatives. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley appointed District One Commissioner Wes Mobray as acting Presiding Commissioner. John McIntyre was in representing Adams Subdivision residents and requested the county check in to professional engineering services to solve the drainage problem in the subdivision. Mobray said he would check with Great Rivers Engineering and let him know what he learns. In the road report Mobray stated that materials would be added, and grading done on Dent County Roads 2400, 4100, and 4090, while only grading would be done on county road 5630. District Two Commissioner Gary Larson said that grading would be done on Dent County Roads 2240, 2270, 2303, 2200, 2370, 2190, 4283, and 4350, while materials would be added to county roads 3330 and 4283. He went on to say that Truck #116 was having brake work done and that Tractor #9 was being moved and checked for damage from vandalism. Larson and Mobray agreed that the weather this week has made it possible for lots of grading and roadwork to be accomplished. Curley reported that absentee voting continues and that the last day to mail out an absentee ballot is Wednesday, March 23rd. She also said voting continues in her office through April 4th. Curley noted that the auditors would be in to meet with the commissioners as they start the regular four-year audit. The next meeting of the commission will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.
The Missouri Department of Conservation invites the public to an open house at the George O. White State Forest Nursery on Saturday, March 26th, with tours by appointment from 9:00 in the morning until 2:00 that afternoon. The nursery is located at 14027 Shafer Road, just north of Licking. The tours will take guests behind the scenes through the seedling beds, sorting room, cold storage room, and more. Guests can also learn about Missouri’s native trees and plants, enjoy fishing at the nursery lake, meet Smokey Bear, watch a full-scale sawmill demonstration, and chat with Missouri’s conservation experts. Free hot dogs, chips, and cookies will be served throughout the day. To reserve a tour time, call the nursery at (573) 674-3229. The Missouri Department of Conservation’s state forest nursery offers a variety of low-cost native tree and shrub seedlings for reforestation, windbreaks, erosion control, wildlife food and cover, and other purposes. The nursery provides mainly one-year-old bare-root seedlings with sizes varying by species. Orders are accepted through April 15, and supplies are limited. Find order information online at mdc.mo.gov/seedlings or pick up an order form at MDC regional offices and nature centers.
Fishing and Fish Fry is part of the Women’s Outdoors Program at the lower lake at the Current River State Park on Monday, April 4th. During the class women will learn to fish, clean your fish and cook it. The class is taught by women for women. You must be at least 16 years old to attend. Women outdoor classes will be held the second Thursday of every month April – September. For more information or to register, contact Connie Weber at 573-751-1224 or email her at connie.weber@dnr.mo.gov.
The Salem Area Arts Council is offering an epoxy resin class with Amanda Rose on Sunday afternoon from 1:00 until 3:00 at the Creative Arts Center. Come create a decorative floral vase filled with epoxy resin and a variety of colored stones, glass, rock and other items of your choosing during this two-hour class. All the supplies and safety equipment for the class is provided and the cost is $25. For more info or to register, call 247-0651 or 247-5306 you can e-mail salemartscouncil@outlook.com.
The Missouri Chapter of Girl Camper is hosting a 4-day event for camping newbies, covering the basic skills for tent camping including tent set up, fire building, camp cooking, costs, and much more from April 7th through April 10th at Meramec State Park in Sullivan. This is also an outstanding opportunity to meet other women in a safe, fun and encouraging environment. Teresa Willis a camping expert and Girl Camper Chapter Guide will be host the event. The cost of the program is $125 and includes a tent site, all meals, snacks, morning coffee and group activities. Tent rental is for available for $40. All attendees must go through a vetting process at www.GirlCamper.com/events to ensure the safety and privacy of the attendees. For more on this event or camping expertise for future features contact: Teresa Willis at teresaw@girlcamper.com or 314-319-1533.