Local News – Monday, July 27th, 2020

The Salem Police Department has released their report for the month of June. They issued 11 summonses to appear in court, 64 warning tickets, and 18 traffic tickets, plus they also served four fugitive warrants. The Salem Police investigated eight traffic accidents, wrote one property damage report, seven stealing reports, one rape, one report of sodomy along with three sexual offenses. The department investigated two reports of possession of a controlled substance, two reports of possession of drug paraphernalia, a domestic assault report, five domestic violence reports and one report of leaving the scene of an accident. In June, the police department did conducted one death investigation. The department also investigated seven harassment reports, conducted 22 well being checks, had 17 reports of peace disturbances, received a report of shots being fired along and had seven stealing reports. The department was also dispatched for 49 animal calls, 24 ambulance assist calls, and performed 91 traffic stops for the month. The Salem Police Department received 1,052 calls for service during the month of June and had 51 walk-ins to the station. The department drove 9,108 miles during the month and spent 4 hours as court bailiff. There were 9 males and 6 females arrested during the month of June.

An accident occurred on Friday night at 11:01 in Phelps County on Route BB about four miles east of Rolla. According to the highway patrol report, a 2008 Dodge Ram driven by 21-year old Michael Tanner of Steelville was traveling westbound when he swerved to miss a deer in the roadway. The Dodge traveled off the right side of the road and struck a ditch. An occupant in the car, 24-year old Brittney White of St. James, suffered moderate injuries and was transported to Phelps Health by private vehicle. White was not wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident. The Dodge sustained moderate damage and was removed from the scene by C&C Towing.

The University of Missouri Extension invites Meramec region residents to register for the fall 2020 Neighborhood Leadership Academy (NLA), a leadership training focused on community building principles. Created in 2002, the Neighborhood Leadership Academy provides in-depth training that emphasizes community building strategies, project planning, organizational leadership and management practices, and personal leadership skills. The Fall 2020 program will be offered online throughout the state, with regional cohorts to allow for local discussions and applications of the program’s content. Neighborhood Leadership Academy will be held Monday evenings August 24 through November 2 via Zoom and all participants who complete the program will receive an UMSL Chancellor’s Certificate in Neighborhood Leadership. Some scholarships are available. Academy participants may be neighborhood association members, community leaders, resident volunteers, community-based organization staff, business owners, local government staff, and municipal elected officials. The NLA has graduated nearly 300 individuals from the program in its 16-year history. To learn more about the program and apply, please contact Sarah Massengale at hultines@missouri.edu or 573-729-3196. If your business or organization is interested to sponsor a scholarship or support a participant, please contact Sarah for sponsorship opportunities.

Would you like to become a steward of conservation, help people, and protect nature by serving as a conservation agent? The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) announces it is taking applications during July for up to 16 participants for its 2021 conservation agent training academy, which will begin April 1, 2021. Selected candidates will undergo 26 weeks of intense training in all facets of law enforcement and resource management. Those who make the grade will receive county assignments and become the faces of conservation in their assigned communities where they will be educating and enforcing the Wildlife Code of Missouri through a community policing approach, helping the public with issues such as wildlife damage and disease, and providing information for water and land management. Get information online on essential job duties, education requirements, experience and knowledge needed, required skills and abilities, physical abilities required, pay and benefits, along with additional details, how to apply, and conditions of employment online at jobs.mdc.mo.gov/job/Conservation-Agent-Trainee-MO/656440900/. To learn more about the job, contact MDC Hiring Supervisor Cheryl Fey at Cheryl.Fey@mdc.mo.gov, or at 573-522-4115 ext. 3819.

The Dent County Health Center reports that currently there are no active cases of COVID-19 in Dent County. There have been nine confirmed cases and now all nine people have been released from isolation. This does not mean that people should forget about social distancing, wearing a mask in crowded public areas and not touching anything that is touched by other people such as stair rails, door knobs, etc. If you do, please do not touch your eyes, nose and mouth until after you wash your hands thoroughly. The next best thing is to use a sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol to kill the germs. If you have any questions, contact the Dent County Health Center at 573-729-3106.