Local News – Thursday, April 29th, 2021
Between the dates of April 10th and 23rd there was a total of 272 calls for service. Officers with the Salem Police Department conducted 38 traffic stops for various traffic violations with 8 resulting in a summons or arrest. Officers conducted 17 traffic accident and informational investigations. Between those dates, separate burglaries reported at churches and businesses throughout town. Officers conducted follow up investigations into these matters which involved an approximate missing property value of $5000 along with an unknown amount of property damage. As a result of the investigations, suspects were located and these matters were sent to the Dent County Juvenile Office for further. Please contact the Salem Police Department at (573) 729-4242 if you have any information regarding an ongoing investigation.
Hunters, anglers, and trappers who use the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) “MO Hunting” free mobile app will need to perform an app update. The update will provide the most current regulation and data information, including display information to apply during May for Missouri bear hunts and elk hunts. The update will also include new display information to Telecheck fall deer and turkey, along with bear and elk harvests. Updates became available Tuesday of this week. Apple will require users to have at least the iOS-12 version to use the updated MO Hunting app. Android will require users to have at least Android 5. For more information on MO Hunting, go online to mdc.mo.gov and type “Hunting App” in the search box.
The Salem Community wide yard sale will be Saturday. Maps are available at area convenience stores, the city administration building, and the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce office in the Crossroads Shopping Center. A central sale will be held in the parking lot behind the city administration building. Spaces on the city parking lot are still available for $8.00 and may be reserved by calling 729-4811 until 3:00 tomorrow.
Missouri State Parks invites the public to participate Learn2 Paddle kayaking classes offered at select parks this summer. The program is for anyone who wants to experience kayaking but is not sure where to start. It is also perfect for those who want to get out on the water but don’t own a kayak. In the Salem and Dent County area the Current River State Park will host two-hour kayaking classes May 12th from 1:00 until 3:00, June 7th from 10:00 until noon, July 5th from 1:00 until 3:00 and on July 19th from 10:00 until noon. Missouri State Parks will provide kayaks, paddle and instructors. Participants are encouraged to bring their own life jackets due to ongoing public health concerns; however, life jackets will be available for anyone who needs to borrow one to participate. Visitors are strongly encouraged to follow social distancing guidelines, come prepared with hand sanitizer and bottled water, and please stay home if you are sick. Face coverings are encouraged when social-distancing measures are difficult to maintain. Participants must be at least 10 years of age. Children 14 and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian during the entire program. Participants should be comfortable around water. All Missouri State Parks rules and regulations apply. This is a family-oriented program; alcohol and tobacco products are not allowed while participating in the Learn2 Paddle program. The class registration fee is $5 per participant; registration is required. For registration information, visit mostateparks.com and click on their Learn 2 button under Topics. For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
As you head outdoors this season to enjoy the sunshine and warmer weather, you may encounter a variety of newborn animals. Young wildlife can pull on our heartstrings as they appear to be abandoned, but that’s usually not the case. The Missouri Department of Conservation reminds the public that interfering with wildlife can do more harm than good. MDC State Wildlife Veterinarian Sherri Russell says young animals are rarely orphaned. If the young is left alone, the parent will usually return. Parents are normally out searching for food and cannot constantly attend to their offspring. Baby birds are a common newborn people can come across in the spring. If you see a chick with feathers hopping on the ground, leave it alone and bring pets inside because it’s a fledgling and the parents are nearby keeping watch. Fledglings can spend up to 10 days hopping on the ground learning to fly. If you find one that has no feathers, you can return it to the nesting area if possible, as it most likely fell out of the nest. Other common issues include dogs catching young rabbits and lawn mowers running over their nests. People have good intentions, but the care and rehabilitation of wild animals require special training, facilities, and permits. Without such care and knowledge, wild animals will remain in poor health and could eventually die. Not to mention, it’s illegal to possess many wild animals without a valid state or federal permit. Russell also said wildlife can become dangerous as they mature, and can carry parasites, disease, and cause property damage. To learn more about Missouri’s many native wildlife species, visit the MDC online Nature Field Guide at mdc.mo.gov.