Local News – Monday, June 21st, 2021
The Dent County Sheriff’s Department reported that during the week of June 14th, the sheriff’s office and the United States Marshall’s Office conducted a joint operation for sex offender compliance checks with the assistance of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Salem Police Department, the FBI, and Internet Crimes Against Children. These law enforcement organizations visited the homes of registered sex offenders in Dent County. Of the 65 registered in the county, checks were conducted on 59 homes. The remaining offenders will be completed over the next few days. A total of seven offenders were found out of compliance. Compliance Checks are conducted to ensure that registered sex offenders are following the rules and guidelines laid out in Missouri Statutes. When contact was made with the individuals, an interview was conducted, and items listed on the registry forms were compared. Several offenders had minor infractions such as not having updated license plates or incorrect phone numbers. These were corrected on the spot. A total of 11 arrests were made from the investigations during the week.
The Salem Board of Aldermen will hold their regular meeting this evening at 7:00 in the City Hall Council Chambers at 202 North Washington. In the Hearing of Persons, Randy League will request the closure of the streets around the Courthouse Square for the Current River Blue Oval Rally on September 11th. Juliana Bermudez will discuss with the board utility bills that were previously discussed in January of 2020 at her property. Also addressing the board will be Jack Stallings, Chris Hartinger, Teresa Crider and William Parsons to discuss their utility bills. After the consent agenda is reviewed and approved, the board will hear and discuss Resolution #18-2021 that would authorize the mayor to sign an agreement between the city and United Health Care for medical insurance for employees for the City of Salem over the next fiscal year, and Bill No. 3483 which would create an ordinance adopting the annual budget for the City of Salem from July 1st, 2021 through June 30th, 2022. Committee appointments will be discussed before the trailer court license applications are reviewed. In the reports of city officials, boards and committees, City Administrator Ray Walden will update the board on People Centric and items concerning the city, and Planning and Zoning Chairman Gary Brown will discuss two properties that have applied to be rezoned from commercial to industrial. The Board of Alderman will then go into closed session. The regular meeting of the Board of Alderman tonight is open to the public.
An accident occurred Saturday evening at 7:48 in Phelps County on Highway 63 about two miles north of Edgar Springs. According to the highway patrol report, a 1997 Honda LTD driven by 62-year-old Jerry Latham of St. James was travelling southbound and travelled off the right side of the roadway and struck a tree causing both occupants to be ejected. Both Jerry and 61-year-old Debra Latham of St. James suffered serious injuries and were transported to Phelps Health in Rolla. Neither occupant was wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident. The Honda sustained moderate damage and was removed from the scene by a private party.
An accident occurred early Wednesday morning at about 6:05 in Phelps County on Route Y about three miles west of Rolla. According to the highway patrol report, a 2017 Ford Focus, driven by 27-year-old Tabitha Leek of Rolla, traveled off the right side of the roadway, struck a tree and a utility pole when Leek fell asleep. Leek suffered moderate injuries and was transported by EMS to Phelps Health in Rolla. The Ford was totaled and removed from the scene by D & D Recovery of Rolla. The report stated that Leek was wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident.
The University of Missouri Extension will be offering a workshop to help producers learn how to use native, warm-season grasses to improve grazing and wildlife systems. The in-person workshop will be from 8:00 in the morning until 1:00 on Friday, June 25th, at the S&R Cattle Farm in Davisville, according to MU Extension agronomy field specialist Gatlin Bunton. Native warm-season grasses fill production gaps known as the “summer slump” caused by the summer dormancy of cool-season grasses. Native warm-season grasses adapt well to the climate, soils and pest pressure. During the workshop, attendees will learn how to successfully establish warm-season grasses that have high nutritive value. Bunton and MU Extension community engagement specialist Rachel Hopkins will speak about how to use warm-season grasses in grazing systems to reduce exposure to fescue toxicosis which causes losses in calving rates and weaning weights. Attendees also will learn how native grasses can offer cover for wildlife and provide erosion control. The workshop will include a tour of established fields and lunch for participants. For more information or to register, call the Crawford County Extension Center at 573-775-2135.
As part of an ongoing improvement project taking place on various roadways in Dent and Phelps Counties, work crews plan to start on the next phase next week. Starting Monday, a contractor working for the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) will begin resurfacing Phelps County Route K. This work is expected to take several weeks to complete and will require daily intermittent lane closures with flaggers to guide motorists through the work zone. Once this work is complete, crews will begin resurfacing Dent County Route HH near Salem. Shoulder work as well as culvert and resurfacing work on Highway 68 from Highway 19 to Highway 8 near St. James will continue into the fall. All work is weather permitting and could be delayed. For more information and updates about this project or other transportation-related matters, please call 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636)