Local News – Friday, November 12th, 2021
The City of Salem Board of Aldermen will hold a special meeting this evening at 5:45 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory to read Bill #3494 that will amend the City of Salem Ordinance on how board vacancies are filled. They will then read Resolution #33-2021 that will repeal Resolution #32-2021 that provided for the Municipal election on April 5th, 2022. The new resolution allows for the election of a West Ward Alderman for one year to finish out the term of the late Kenny Nash who was replaced by Kevin James, and the election of a West Ward alderman for the normal two-year term currently held by Greg Parker. The election of an East Ward alderman for a two-year term will also be held and that is currently being held by Kala Sisco who was appointed after East Ward Alderwoman Kim Steelman was appointed mayor. The election of the mayor will also be on the ballot who will also serve a two-year term. The meeting will then be adjourned. The special meeting was called by Mayor Kim Steelman and it is open to the public.
For those interested in filing for an elected city position, you must meet these requirements. To qualify for the East or West Ward Aldermen positions you must live in and have been a resident of that ward for at least one year and be 21-years-of-age. To qualify to serve as mayor, you must have been a citizen of the city for at least one year and be 25-years-of-age or older. Ther is a filing fee of $25 for any candidate filing for city office. The first day to file for office will be December 7th with the last day to file being December 28th. The city administration office hours will be from 8:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon to file for office. You must also have all your property and real estate taxes paid up to date. If you have any questions, please call 729-4811.
At 8:45 Wednesday evening in Dent County, 40-year-old James D. Hansel of Salem was arrested by the highway patrol and charged with felony trafficking of drugs in the 1st degree, felony possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor for the unlawful use of a weapon, and for possession of drug paraphernalia. Hansel was being held in the Dent County jail on a 24-hour hold.
Dent County University of Missouri Extension Council invites residents to join the 2021-2022 group of volunteers that make Dent County a better place to live through extension programs. Representatives will be elected in a non-partisan election January 10th through January 14th, 2022. Candidates must be at least 18 years old and reside in Dent County. Applications are due be November 19th to the Dent County Extension at 112 East 5th Street and are available by email at dentco@missouri.edu, by calling 573-729-3196, or online at www.extension.missouri.edu/dent. The Dent County Extension Council is the local link between county residents and the University of Missouri four-campus system. Responsibilities include attending monthly meetings on the 4th Monday of each month, identify concerns of the community to connect citizens with Extension resources, administer the county budget and assist in planning, promoting, and carrying out Extension efforts. Individuals interested in serving on the council may contact Sarah Hultine Massengale, County Extension Specialist at 573-729-3196. Information about the Dent County Extension office can be found on the web at extension.missouri.ed/dent.
The beginning of the firearm deer season will be tomorrow morning starting one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Only one antlered deer may be taken during the entire firearms season (all portions combined). You may take only two antlered deer during the archery and firearms deer hunting seasons combined. Don’t forget that the antler-point restriction applies in some counties. If you harvest a deer from certain counties in the CWD Management Zone during the opening weekend, November 13-14, you must take your deer to a designated CWD sampling station. The firearm deer season will end on November 23rd. Don’t forget to telecheck your deer once it has been harvested. Also, don’t forget to “Share the Harvest” to help those hungry in the state get nutritious meat. This program is administered by the Conservation Federation of Missouri and the Missouri Department of Conservation. Donating is easy. Simply take your deer to an approved meat processor and let the processor know how much venison you wish to donate. Find a processor on the mdc.mo.gov website.
It’s past the fall color peak, but the colors continue to look nice throughout much the Ozark Region. Although the colors are subdued and trees are dropping their leaves, there is enough variability across the landscape for another week of good viewing opportunities. The forested hillsides are showing a range of glowing reddish browns to yellow browns. An occasional bright yellow or red crown can still be seen across the slopes. Shortleaf pine and eastern red cedar are becoming more prominent and stand out against the backdrop of oak and hickory. A few black gums are hanging on to their red leaves, but they are starting to drop. Dogwoods seem reluctant to turn let go of their dark purple leaves and are still looking pretty. Their bright red fruits stand out along the branches, if one is close enough to see them. You can still find occasional red or sugar maple landscape or forest trees that are striking with intense crimson and red. Scarlet oak, named because of its brilliant scarlet fall color, is starting to look reddish brown, but it hasn’t reached peak color. These trees will be the season’s grand finale when they change. The recent cold nights have brightened the color in areas where trees still had a lot of leaves. However, expect trees to start dropping their leaves in earnest this coming week.