Local News – Monday, August 22nd, 2022

An accident happened Friday morning just after 8:00 in Phelps County on Interstate 44 westbound at the 182-mile marker. According to the highway patrol report, a 2014 Dodge Ram being driven by 33-year-old Tommy Snyder of Salem, was stopped in traffic due to a previous accident that had occurred ahead. Snyder was struck from behind by a 2018 Subaru Legacy being driven by 19-year-old Collin Reando of Herculaneum. Three occupants of the Dodge, 27-year-old Joseph Snyder of Steelville, 27-year-old Jeordan Thompson, and 40-year-old Keith Bailey, both of Cuba, all suffered minor injuries and were taken by Phelps Health EMS to Phelps Health Hospital for the treatment of minor injuries. The Subaru was totaled and removed from the scene by D & D Towing while the Dodge was able to be driven from the scene. All involved in the accident except for Keith Bailey were wearing seat restraints at the time of the accident.

The Salem R-80 Board of Education held their tax rate hearing and then their regular meeting Thursday evening at the District Administrative Offices. The board approved the tax rate of $3.20 which is made up of the state minimum tax levy of $2.75 per $100 assessed valuation and a debt service of 45 cents per $100 assessed valuation. This is the same as the tax rate for last year. In the regular meeting, Superintendent Dr. Lynne Reed said work on the Tin Gym project will begin August 29th with some earth moving. The exterior will be almond with navy blue trim while the interior will be navy blue on the lower half of the walls with white on top with the green turf. She said the HVAC work is about 90% complete and the roofing should be done by the start of school. Power washing was also done to some exterior parts of the upper elementary school and ag building. Reed said an invitation only fundraising dinner will be held at the Salem United Methodist Church Monday night in an effort to raise the funds needed for the Construction Trades Building. The YOP Tax Credits will end September 30th so funds will have to be raised quickly. She also said the cost of building plans was estimated by Corky Stack at about $73,000. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Nathan Wills said Tiger Training was held on August 15th and 16th with 21 teachers who received tours, trained on the R-80 instructional SIS system and the teacher evaluation system. He also reported restraint training was held Tuesday and Wednesday at the Upper Elementary, and on Thursday, there were scenarios run that meeting is both open to the public. featured the city police, deputies from the sheriff’s department, as well as forest service and conservation agents. Next week shooter training will be held at two buildings on Monday and two buildings on Tuesday. The building principals gave their reports and the Upper Elementary has 341 students registered with more still coming in, the Middle School had 266 students and the high school had 633 students. The board approved the 2021-2022 Secretary of the Board Report that showed Fund 4 now with 4.2 million dollars, approved the board policies removing sick days and changing them to personal days as well as phasing out the sick leave pool, and they approved an out-of-state trip for the choir, preferably to Orlando in April for a national competition. The trip will include 18 students and 4 or 5 chaperones. The board discussed a bid for the baseball field that came to over $44,000 for the infield repair, dugout and fence repair. Athletic Director Clay Moody said he has a “Plan B” that would include work on the dugouts by the construction trades program; plus have maintenance do some fence repair and possibly get pads to be installed behind home plate. The board made no motion on the bid, and it died for a lack of a second. The board approved the updated back to school COVID policy SRCSP with some changes based on recent federal guidelines. The board approved contracting with HTK to create preliminary plans for the new elementary school. The board also approved opening an account that parents and staff could deposit funds to pay for their meals. Parents can still pay by check or cash. The board then went into closed session.

The City of Salem will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, August 23rd at 5:45 in the City Hall Council Chambers to discuss sewer rates for the City of Salem. The meeting, called by Mayor Greg Parker, is open to the public. Following the public hearing, the board will hold their regular meeting at 6:00. They will hear from Chris Robbins at 702 South Warfel who would like to organize a community “trunk or treat” that would be held on 4th Street downtown on Halloween. After the consent agenda, the board will hear Bill #3515 that would create an ordinance amending the cemetery fees charged by the city; hear Bill #3516 that would create an ordinance amending the fees charged for business licenses in the City of Salem; hear Bill #3517 that would create an ordinance amending the annual budget increasing revenues about $160,000 and decreasing expenses by $200,000 with the appropriations being made to the electric reserve, sewer D&R and sanitation funds; and Bill # 3518 that would create an ordinance setting the tax levy for the year 2022 with a tax rate of 67.47 cents per $100 assessed valuation for real estate and personal property within the City of Salem for the General Revenue Fund. The board will hear bids presented by Public Works Director Mark Nash on a sprayer, a welder, cemetery and street vehicle tires, and new pad mount transformer for the Al Brown Fields. The board will also hear a report from Finance Director Stacey Houston before hearing reports from City Administrator Ray Walden, Mayor Greg Parker, Public Works Director Mark Nash, Economic Development Director Sally Burbridge and the aldermen if they so choose. The meeting will then be adjourned. The public hearing on sewer rates and the regular board meeting are both open to the public.