Local News – Monday, April 22nd, 2024
Congratulations to the Salem Chamber Choir and instructor Elaine Russell for taking 1st place in their class and category at the Chamber Choir Nationals held in Washington, DC. this past weekend. The choir has once again been invited to sing at Carnegie Hall in New York.
The City of Salem Park and Recreation Board will be meeting this evening at 5:30 at the Salem Community Center at The Armory. After the roll call the Parks and Recreation Board will consider a property trade for a park on the east side of Salem. Members of the board of aldermen are requesting the Parks and Recreation Board consider trading the “old fairgrounds” property for 5 acres on 10th Street known as the “old middle school”. The meeting was called by Parks and Recreation Board President Carlos Lopez. The meeting will be open to the public.
An accident occurred early Sunday morning around 12:05 in Dent County at 1101 Dent County Road 6120. According to the highway patrol report, a 2006 Arctic Cat 500 4 Wheeler driven by 20-year-old Garrett Mueller of West Salem, Wisconsin, lost control while crossing a cattle guard and overturned. Mueller was ejected from the vehicle and suffered serious injuries. He was flown to Mercy Hospital in Creve Coeur by Air Evac. Mueller was not wearing any safety equipment at the time of the accident.
An accident occurred Friday evening in Phelps County at the intersection of Phelps County Roads 7360 and 7380. According to the highway patrol report, a 2019 Polaris Razor driven by 53-year-old Richard Barr of Rolla, was traveling westbound when he attempted to make a left turn and traveled off the right side of the roadway and overturned. A passenger. 33-year-old Austin Fann of St. James, suffered serious injuries and was flown by Phelps Air to the University Hospital in Columbia. Neither Fann or Barr were wearing safety equipment at the time of the accident. The highway patrol was assisted by the Phelps County Sheriff’s Office.
An accident happened Thursday afternoon at 2:15 in Laclede County on Route F about a mile north of Sleeper. According to the highway patrol report, a 2021 Caterpillar skid-steer being operated by 54-year-old Douglas Sidwell of Rolla, was working on the roadway in a construction zone. At that time, a 1993 Freightliner being driven by 73-year-old Marion Bishop of Urbana, was unable to stop due to a mechanical problem and struck the skid-steer. Sidwell suffered serious injuries and was taken by ambulance to Mercy Hospital in Springfield. The Caterpillar and Freightliner both sustained extensive damage. The Freightliner was towed by Bledsoe Towing. The Caterpillar was secured at the scene.
The Salem R-80 Board of Education held their re-organizational meeting Tuesday evening at the R-80 Administrative Board Room. The board certified the election results and Assistant Superintendent Nathan Wills swore in newly elected board members Steven Patterson and Jason Green. New officers of the Salem R-80 School Board are Dru Howard as board president, Sammi Parker as board vice-president, Andrew Wynn as the board secretary and Philip Mercer as the board treasurer. Marjorie Pyatt was elected the MSBA delegate and Jason Green was elected the MSBA delegate alternate. The re-organizational meeting was then adjourned with the regular board meeting being held. Superintendent Lynne Reed gave an update on the FEMA building and a per-bid meeting was held with bids due by April 30th. She said the administration and previous board president Steven Patterson stopped by a practice of the wrestling club and found good attendance and much enthusiasm by the students. Dr. Reed reported a staff meeting was held with five teachers from the senior high, four from the upper elementary, three from the middle school and two from William Lynch as well as three principals, the SPED process coordinator and two board members to discuss how the school moves forward with the budget after the bond issue and tax levy increase failed. That discussion lasted over an hour. It was reported the school principals have submitted master schedules with class size each hour to Dr. Wills and Dr. Reed. They are working on creative solutions to filling open positions from within. Dr. Wills attended a meeting of the Salem Public Schools Foundation and updated the board on their plans to support Dent County schools. It was reported that surveys for students, staff and parents will be distributed that are aligned with the CSIP plan. The school developed exit interviews for departing staff to gather data. After the building principals gave their reports, the board approved the Opaa! food contract, approved the revised head lice policy and heard the first reading of an MSBA policy. The board accepted the resignations of Jordan McLaurin as a high school social studies teacher as well as head golf and assistant boys basketball coach, assistant high school principal Lacie Kolbe, middle school special education teacher Kathleen Cole and kindergarten teacher Emalee Wiseman. They also accepted the retirement of Karen Jones who was the William Lynch Title Teacher and Tracy Leathers in high school math. The board also accepted the resignation of two custodians: Brittany Steelman and Aaron Steelman. The board then went into closed session.