Local News – Monday, November 16th, 2020
The City of Salem Board of Aldermen will hold their regular meeting tonight at 7:00 at the Salem Community Center@ the Armory. At the meeting, the board will hear a request to close off a portion of 4th Street for the Salem Chamber Parade of Lights and a “Santa Dash” being put on by Healthy Dent County on Saturday, December 5th. After the consent agenda, the board will hear from Gary Brown on the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting of October 20th and the follow up meeting of the Planning and Zoning Board of Adjustment on the properties at 712 North Hickory and 713 North Oak. The board will also hear a report from City Administrator Ray Walden on city projects. The board will hear and discuss Bill #3466 that allows for the subdivision of the properties at 712 North Hickory and 713 North Oak. They will also hear and discuss Bill #3467 that would authorize the mayor to execute a traffic engineering assistance program agreement between the City of Salem and the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission. The board will then hear and discuss Bill #3468 that would authorize the mayor to execute an engineering contact between the city and C.M. Archer Group to assess the transportation related ADA accessibility compliance of city facilities. Also on the agenda is Bill #3469 that amends the city ordinances to match the revised state statutes regarding the qualifications of an alderman, term of office, subsection A. Resolution #20-2020 will then be discussed that would allow the mayor to execute a four-year Memorandum of Understanding between the city and Salem R-80 to allow the city hall to be used during emergency situations starting with the remainder of this year and through the 2023-2024 school year. The board will also hear Resolution #21-2020 that calls for a Municipal Election on April 6th, 2021 to elect one east and one west ward alderman. In unfinished business, the board will review the request from Samara Dozier to get a written permit from the aldermen to keep her mini pigs at her home at 506 South Main. The board will then go into closed session to discuss personnel. The meeting of the Salem Board of Aldermen is open to the public.
An accident happened Friday afternoon at 3:40 in Franklin County on Interstate 44 at the 245.4 mile marker. According to the highway patrol report, a 2007 Ford Freestyle driven westbound by 27-year old John Skaggs of St. James, traveled off the right side of the roadway, went down an embankment and struck a tree. Skaggs suffered moderate injuries and was transported by the Union ambulance to the Mercy Hospital in St. Louis. Skaggs was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Ford sustained extensive damage and was removed from the scene by Hoffman’s Towing.
The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors will conduct their November meeting tomorrow evening in the hospital library beginning at 6:00. Hospital Administrator Kasey Lucas will report on the summary of the operations for the month of October followed by the Chief of Nursing Report by Debbie Hines. A report on the hospital foundation, plus the marketing and community perception report by Chief Operating Officer Jason Edwards will follow. Lucas will then go over the COVID-19 update and an update on Hospital expansion and renovation. New business will include any purchases since the last meeting, election filing, and December Board meeting date. The board may vote to go into closed session. Due to COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, the November meeting of the Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors will be conducted by zoom. The meeting is open to anyone to join. For information on how to access the meeting via zoom, please email kbrown@smdh.net or call (573) 729-5917, extension 4005.
Six Salem Tigers were named to the Central District All-District Honor Choir. Those six individuals were Neely Leathers, Annabelle Pryor, McKenzie Norfolk, Leya Russell, Alyssa Russell and Miles Skaggs. Nine other Tigers were named to the Central District All-District Concert Choir. Those Tigers included Devon Blackwell, Eli Brakensiek, Jacob Casper, Avery Erway, Christian Frederickson, Christopher Harris, Irwin Johnson, Thomas McDonald and Bryce Stewart. Congratulations to all these students on their outstanding achievement!