Local News – Monday, April 22nd, 2019
An accident occurred Friday evening at 8:00 on Route TT about 10 miles east of Bunker. A 2013 Chevrolet Silverado driven by 40-year old Ricky Holt of Bunker, was traveling southbound and ran off the right side of the road, then returned to the road and traveled off the left side of the roadway. The Silverado overturned ejecting the driver and front seat passenger 35-year old Richard Clifford. Holt and Clifford suffered serious injuries. Clifford was transported by air ambulance to Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. Holt was transported by ambulance to Salem Memorial Hospital. Clifford and Holt were not wearing safety restraints at the time of the accident. The Silverado was totaled and towed from the scene by Whitaker’s Towing.
The Salem R-80 Board of Education held a re-organizational meeting Tuesday evening at the District Administrative Offices. No Board election was held during the April 2nd Municipal Election due to only having two candidates for the two open positions so Board Secretary Holly Erway swore in re-elected board members Dr. Bernie Sirios and Dustin Howard. Bernie Sirois was elected to serve as Board President while Holly Erway was elected to serve as the Board Vice-President. The board went on to elect Carrie Snider as Board Secretary and Dustin Howard as the Board Treasurer. The board also elected Larry Maxwell to serve as the MSBA delegate with Chris Heavin elected to serve as the MSBA delegate alternate. After Superintendent John McColloch gave a current budget update, A.J. Tinker provided the board with a Constructions Trades update. He informed the board that junior Dell Hoffmeister won the state Skills USA competition and will be representing Salem High School at the National Competition this June in Louisville, Kentucky. The board approved the out-of-state trip for Hoffmeister to attend the competition. In the building reports, William Lynch Elementary Principal Kriste Crocker said the final Kindergarten Registration for the year will be May 10th. Parents of incoming kindergarteners can call the office to make an appointment. She also said Preschool Registration will be held May 15th and 16th. Parents of incoming preschoolers can call the office to make an appointment. The school number is 729-6611. Upper Elementary School Principal Melanie Wisdom reported to the board that Serendipity will take place May 2nd and their stage production of Mary Poppins, Jr. was huge success! Middle School Principal Scott Roberts reported on the grade 6 through 12 SMS/SHS Spring Band Concert at the High School Gym on May 2nd at 7:00 while the grade 6 through 12 SMS/SHS Spring Choir Concert & Awards Night will be held May 9th at 7:00. High School Principal Marty Anderson reported on the Service Project and ACT Day held April 2nd with 250 students participating. He also said preparations for Salem’s first Computer Science Principles course are in full swing with Amber Pryor registering to attend a five-day Code.org training in July. Mrs. Pryor has already created a Computer Science page on the school website. Anderson reminded the board graduation will be held Friday, May 17th at the high school football field unless there are adverse weather conditions which would force the proceedings inside the gym. The board accepted the resignations of 4th grade instructor Roxann Cochran and head basketball coach Conrad Prugh. The board then went into executive session where they employed Melissa Lettman as a 1st grade teacher, Amanda Hanger as a 3rd grade teacher and Ashlyn Cook as a 4th grade teacher. The board also employed Conrad Prugh as a High School Assistant Principal for the 2019-2020 school year. Closed session was then adjourned before the meeting was adjourned.
An accident happened Thursday afternoon at 4:50 on Bell Road about five miles south of Roby. According to the highway patrol report, 28-year old Ashley Wortman of Rolla was driving a 2006 Chevrolet Aveo when she lost control and the vehicle traveled off the roadway and impacted an embankment. The Aveo then returned to the roadway, traveled back across the roadway before going off the right side of the road where the Aveo struck a tree. Suffering moderate injuries was the Ashley Wortman of Rolla and she was taken by the Texas County EMS to the Texas County Memorial Hospital in Houston. Suffering minor injuries was a passenger, 43-year old Thomas Russell of Rolla who was also taken by the Texas County EMS to the Texas County Memorial Hospital. Russell was not wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident while Wortman was. The Chevy Aveo sustained extensive damage was removed from the scene by a private party. The highway patrol was assisted by the Texas County Sheriff’s Department at the scene.