Local News – Monday, April 4th, 2022
A fatal accident occurred Friday afternoon around 4:51 in Crawford County on Highway 19 south of Route HH. According to the highway patrol report, a 2005 Ford Focus driven by 62-year-old Susan Eaton of Cherryville, was travelling northbound and travelled off the right side of the roadway. She overcorrected toward the left side of the road and the Ford returned to the roadway and overturned, travelling off the left side of the roadway and striking a tree. Eaton was pronounced dead by Crawford County Assistant Coroner Nikki Bussell. Her body was transported to Hutson Funeral Home by the Assistant Coroner. Eaton was not wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident. The Ford was totaled and was removed from the scene by Miles and Sons Towing.
An accident occurred Friday evening around 5:30 in Dent County on Route B about three miles east of Doss. According to the highway patrol report, a 2003 Honda Shadow driven by 46-year-old James Dorris of Bunker, was traveling eastbound and lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a curve. The Honda travelled off the left side of the roadway and overturned. Dorris suffered serious injuries and was flown by Air Evac to Mercy Hospital South in St. Louis. He was wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident. The Honda sustained extensive damage and was removed from the scene by the owner.
The Missouri Hospital Association’s Community Investment Report finds that in 2020, the state’s hospitals provided more than $3.5 billion in total community benefit, an increase of nearly $100 million from 2019, and a 16% increase throughout the last decade. Providing a safety net for care is an essential part of a hospitals’ value to the community they serve. In 2020, hospitals provided $1.8 billion in total uncompensated care, an increase of more than $93 million over 2019. Hospital specific data is available on the association’s consumer data site, FocusOnHospitals.com. Salem Memorial District Hospital provided $121,078 in charity care, $3,244,055 in bad debt, $261,225 in unpaid costs for treatment of Medicare patients for a total of $3,726,358 of uncompensated cost. The hospital spent $14,351,236 on payroll and benefits for their 247 employees. The Salem hospital paid $806,669 in taxes and had $25,343,251 in total operating expenses. Salem Memorial District Hospital’s net revenue was $23,545,340. In 2020, the cost of providing care to low-income Missourians, and the uninsured and underinsured individuals who are eligible under hospitals’ charity care policies e increased by more than $65 million to $1.09 billion statewide. With the COVID-19 pandemic heavily impacting hospitals, provider relief funds from the federal government helped offset what might have been devastating financial losses at many hospitals. Despite financial uncertainty, hospitals continued to provide a safety net for care. And, for every $1 in net income, operating revenue, minus expenses hospitals provided $2.13 in uncompensated care in 2020, an increase from $1.54 in 2019. These community investments help strengthen the health care system. They also ripple throughout the economy, creating household income, opportunities to support and build businesses, and increasing revenue for state and local governments.
Fishing and Fish Fry is part of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Women’s Outdoors Program. The class will be held at the lower lake at the Current River State Park tonight from 6:00 until 8:00. During the class women will learn to fish, clean your fish and cook it. For more information or to register call Connie at 573-751-1224 or email connie.weber@dnr.mo.gov.
The City of Salem Planning and Zoning Commission Board of Adjustment met Wednesday evening at 202 North Washington to discuss a variance for a proposed 85-foot sign for the Mobil-Dirt Cheap business located at 1103 South Main Street. The City of Salem Code of Ordinances limit structure height to 60-feet. The board of adjustment voted against the variance as neither the owner of the property, Greg Portell, or the sign company, Ziglin Signs owned by Matt Meyer, were in attendance to present their case.