Local News – Monday, January 10th, 2022
An accident occurred Friday morning at 10:34 in Jefferson County on Highway 21 north of Grassy Lane. According to the highway patrol report, a 2002 Ford F150 driven by 60-year-old Steven McCarter of Salem, was traveling southbound and travelled off the east side of the roadway. The Ford overturned and ejected the driver and a passenger, 42-year-old Cheri Sturdivant of Salem. Sturdivant suffered serious injuries and was transported to Mercy Hospital South by Valle Ambulance. McCarter also suffered serious injuries and was transported to Mercy Hospital St. Louis by Survival Flight Air Ambulance. The Ford was totaled and removed from the scene by Shank’s Towing. Safety devices were not in use at the time of the accident.
The Salem R-80 School Board of Education met Thursday via Zoom at noon to discuss changes in the Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan (SRCSP) at the high school. Those changes followed the suggestions of the Dent County Health Center and the CDC. The changes include the length of isolation and quarantine after exposure will be five days out of school and five days masked upon return. The board also corrected some verbiage on the test-to-stay option which is available for anyone who has been exposed to COVID-19; and under the mitigation measures, the text was changed to all staff should wear a mask within six feet of other adults which is only a suggestion, not a mandate. The meeting was then adjourned.
The City of Salem Board of Aldermen will be meeting Tuesday evening at 6:00 at City Hall Council Chambers at 202 North Washington Street. After the roll call and approval of the consent agenda, the board will hear the introduction and reading of bill including Resolution #1-2022 authorizing the mayor to execute and agreement between the city and Godi’s Excavating for the timber clearing for the Certified Site in the Master’s Industrial Park, and Resolution #2-2022 which is a resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute a one year memorandum of understanding between the City of Salem and the Board of Governors of Missouri State University at West Plains for the Adult Education and Literacy program. The MOU allows the city hall to be used for purposes of conducting activities associated with the educational programs delivered by the university for the AEL program. The board will hear and discuss Bill #3497 which would create an ordinance authorizing the mayor to act as a representative for the city in executing a tower lease agreement between the city of Salem and Wave Internet Technologies LLC. This agreement will allow for the installation of a wireless broadband access point for related equipment on a designated portion of the city of Salem’s water tower located at Tower and Condray Street effective the 1st day of February 2022 for a period of one year. Resolution #3-2022, which is a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement between the City of Salem and Signature Public Funding Corp., a New York Corporation, to provide for the funding of the HVAC and Maintenance Project of just over 1.5 million dollars. Reports will then be heard from City Administrator Ray Walden, Mayor Kim Steelman, Public Works Director Mark Nash, Parks and Recreation Director Melissa Dubois and various alderman reports. The board may then vote to go into closed session. The Salem Board of Aldermen meeting is open to the public.
Effective TODAY, Phelps Health facilities will no longer allow cloth, reusable, or privately purchased face masks inside their facilities. Instead, staff will provide employees, patients, and visitors with disposable surgical masks at the door. This announcement comes just days after Mercy Hospital in Springfield made similar changes to their masking policy.