Local News – Friday, May 3rd, 2019
The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Thursday morning in the Dent County Courthouse. Doug Barnes was in from Town & Country Bank with two additional documents that they failed to bring to Monday’s signing of the lease/purchase financing agreement. The Commissioners signed the paperwork. In the road report District One Commissioner Dennis Purcell said that his district received 2.1 inches of rainfall and some high winds, so some of his crew was out checking for downed limbs and trees, while others were cleaning out culverts. He also reported that he had a man stockpiling white rock, plus going after a load of 3/8” chips for chip and seal repairs. Purcell said that he had a man replacing the pintle hitch on Truck #123. District Two Commissioner Gary Larson reported that he had two men hauling rock to the stock pile. The rest of his crew was checking for washouts and downed trees. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said that he planned to attend the Economic Development Workshop Thursday evening. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley noted that bills were being approved for payment. Commissioner Larson noted that the Commission needed to take bids for chip and seal overlay for the summer. The Commissioners voted 3-0 to open bids at 10:00 May 16th. Bid specifications can be obtained by contacting Curley’s office. Camm Seay stopped in to discuss a number of judicial issues with the Commissioners. At Monday’s meeting phone bids were taken for diesel fuel for the Road and Bridge Department. The bid was awarded to Phil Mart with the low bid of $2.26 per gallon for 7,500 gallons. Dent County Collector Shannon VanKirk was in to propose that the current contract with the City of Salem be extended for another four years for the collection of City of Salem taxes. The contract specifies the payment to Dent County in the amount of $12,000 and to VanKirk for $5,500. The Commissioners approved the contract 3-0. Dent County Treasurer Denita Williams was in to discuss the depository agreement bid that will be from July 31st, 2019 through July 31st, 2023. The Commissioners voted 3-0 to seek bids for depository agreement and they will be due and opened May 16thh at 10:00 a.m. The next regular meeting of the Commissioners will be Monday morning in the Courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.
The Missouri Conservation Commission and Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) recently honored Pioneer Forest’s longtime forest manager Clint Trammel posthumously by inducting him into the Missouri Conservation Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony was held during Pioneer Forest’s annual community barbecue in Salem on April 25. Trammel was also honored during the ceremony with a second plaque presented by the Missouri Consulting Foresters Association and the L-A-D Foundation. The L-A-D Foundation now owns Pioneer Forest after founders Leo and Kay Drey donated the property to the organization in 2004. The privately-owned, 143,000-acre Pioneer Forest is located in the heart of the Missouri Ozarks. Trammel died June 21, 2018, at the age of 78 following a lifelong passion for and career in forestry. He joined the staff of Pioneer Forest in 1970 after several years working for MDC. He served as forest manager for 28 of his 35 years at Pioneer Forest and is that organization’s longest-serving forest manager. He held a master’s degree in Forestry from the University of Missouri in Columbia. He was co-founder and first president of the Missouri Consulting Foresters Association and a founding member of the Forest Stewards Guild. In 2005, he was named Missouri Forest Conservationist of the Year by the Conservation Federation of Missouri.